Utaku steed

The Utaku steed was the well known horse of the Utaku Battle Maidens.
== Discovery ==
During their trip in the Burning Sands, the Ki-Rin Clan came across a fabled animal known as the Unicorn and its smaller cousin, what was known today as the Warhorse or Utaku steed. Way of the Unicorn, pp. 99-100
=== City of Sorcerers ===
In 152 the Ki-Rin were attacked by those who lived in the City of Sorcerers, Secrets of the Unicorn, p. 8 and many were captured by the heartless Khadi, who ruled the city. Otaku Rumaru managed to escape with a new breed of tall horses, taller even than Rumaru herself. They were not as sturdy as the horses the Ki-Rin brought with them from Rokugan, but they were tall and as swift as the wind, the Otaku Steeds. Way of the Unicorn, p. 35
== Strengths ==
The Utaku steeds had one less pair of ribs then your normal Rokugani horse. It was slightly shorter then the common riding horse but considerably leaner and more muscular. Centuries of living on the sand made it fleet of foot and they had an almost supernatural equilibrium that it passed along to its rider since its domestication. The desert's hot air also gave it larger and more efficient lungs that allow it to run great distances with unmatched endurance. All these genetic quirks came with a price though, a faster metabolism. These steeds required more food and water than normal horses. They had a lifespan of 25 to 30 years. The Unicorn made them retire of "active duty" at 15 for breeding purposes. They were stronger and faster than Shinjo steeds. Utaku Meadows (Diamond flavor)
=== Who is allowed one? ===
These highly valued horses were only bred for a select few people. The Emperor, the Unicorn Clan, select family Daimyo and for the Battle Maidens who rode them into combat. 
=== Bond with Battle Maidens ===
Battle maidens had a spiritual bond with their steeds, drew from the blood of the original Otaku. Way of the Unicorn, p. 43
== History ==
=== Blessed Herd ===
The Empress Iweko I had a private herd of Utaku steeds at Shiro Utaku. In 1171 the Army of Fire assaulted the castle, and the blessed herd were put to safety by Doji Nagori and Matsu Atasuke, who escorted them to the southern Ide lands during the Battle of Shiro Utaku. The War of Dark Fire, Part 12, by Shawn Carman and Nancy Sauer
=== Secured ===
In 1200 representatives of the Lion Clan suggested the Utaku steeds could become the bredding stock of the Imperial Legions. The Empress Iweko II dismissed the proposal. Spring Kotei 2015 Fiction Act 1: Opening Moves, Day 3, by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton
=== Saved ===
The purity of the blood within the Utaku Steeds had thinned. Moto Naleesh, who was Shinjo's reborn, imparted the touch of the Kami upon the entire herd, making their bloodline as strong as it was at the Dawn of the Empire. Act 3: Complications – Part 1, by Chris Hand, Maxime Lemaire, Mari Murdock, Fred Wan, and Robert Denton
== External Links ==
* Otaku Steed (Hidden Emperor 6)
* The Blessed Herd (The Plague War)
Category:Unicorn Clan
Category:Burning Sands
Category:Creatures of Rokugan