Moshi Amika

Please note: This article is about the Moshi Daimyo. For other uses of the term, please see Amika (disambiguation).
Moshi Amika was a fire shugenja Book of Fire, p. 46 who took control of the Moshi family upon the death of Moshi Jukio. Little was know of her aside from her being a devout priestess and that she has an outstanding command of the elements.
== Early Years ==
Amika was born shortly after Amaterasu committed jigai Unexpected Allies 2, p. 41 in 1132. Her unnamed grandmother abandoned her duties and her family in abject grief over the death of Lady Amaterasu. At the age of six Sakura, the name Amika used before her gempukku, was taken to meet her grandmother by her mother Moshi Sinjuko. It was tradition, but Amika's grandmother had become a recluse in a shrine and did not want anything to do with her or Sinjuko. Amika's grandfather was Kuni Tomaken, and he returned to the Crab Clan after his wife became a recluse. After his death, Amika began annual pilgrimages to Koten to honor his memory. After her gempukku Amika returned to see her grandmother, but she found her dead. The old woman had committed jigai, cutting her own throat. The Sun & Moon, Part I, by Shawn Carman
== Daimyo ==
Grandmother Jukio had been cursed after Amaterasu's death, living well past her hundredth year until she would learn a lesson of respect and forgiveness. Secrets of the Mantis, p. 42 in 1160. Her longevity curse had been lifted by her acceptance of Yoritomo Kumiko. Amika, Jukio's niece, took her place as Moshi Daimyo. Moshi Amika (Diamond flavor)
=== War of Fire and Thunder ===
Amika coordinated the re-supply efforts of the Mantis in the War of Fire and Thunder. The War of Fire & Thunder, Part 2, by Shawn Carman After the death of the Mantis Clan Champion, Yoritomo Kumiko, in the Battle of Broken Waves in 1167, the new Champion Yoritomo Naizen built a place to honour her, Kyuden Kumiko. The War of Fire & Thunder, Part 3, by Shawn Carman Amika was the acting governor in the absence of Naizen. Masters of War Masters of War Web Supplement, p. 13
=== Enlightenment ===
The Moshi's faith was shattered following the death of Amaterasu. Amika spent months in meditation, taking comfort in the storm and the Fortunes who control such power. She decided that the once-complacent Moshi must embark on a new path to rebirth their spirits. Test of Enlightenment
=== Candle of Shadows ===
In 1168 Tsuruchi Etsui retrieved the Candle of Shadows from the Tomb of the Seven Thunders. He studied it with Moshi Amika which revealed the inscription along the candle read; "An extinguished candle offers no light, a lit candle casts no shadow." Distant Thunder, by Shawn Carman Prayers and Treasures, p. 141
== Winter Court - 1168 ==
=== Khan's Defiance ===
During the Khan's Defiance the first news of Unicorn attacks to Lion lands reached the Winter Court at Kyuden Otomo. Ide Jiao conducted agressively and seeking the Mantis as allies he told the Khan's plans to Amika, but she was horrified. Shortly after Jiao committed seppuku and his words were dismissed by the new Unicorn representative. Vacant Throne, p. 58 Winter Nights: Sowing the Wind, by Nancy Sauer
=== Agreements ===
As one of Winter Court agreements Moshi Amika's expected heir, Moshi Kyoko, and eldest niece, Moshi Kiyoko, to come to visit Seppun Kiharu and be wards of the Seppun household for as long as the Moshi should choose. During that time, Moshi Kyoko and Kiyoko should be considered to be part of the Seppun family and be welcome to learn from any of the Seppun schools and dojo. Winter Court Kyuden Otomo 1168, p. 10
== Yoritomo's Ascension ==
Horiuchi Rikako met with Amika and revealed to her the Heavenly Kobune of Suitengu, a tiny model that could be transformed into a full-sized ship that could travel into the spirit realms. It was one of the Artifacts of the Tomb of the Seven Thunders. In 1169 the two shugenja used the powers of the kobune to sail among the stars, and enlisted the aid of Yoritomo to seek out Otaku Kamoko. Kamoko and Yoritomo then travelled to the court of Tengoku to act as the voices of the Unicorn and Mantis clans respectively. In this way both clans got celestial patronage, the Mantis for first time, and the Unicorn filled the position vacant since Shinjo was murdered by Fu Leng during the Assault of the Heavens. Sailing the Heavens, by Shawn Carman
== Test of the Jade Championship ==
After the Emerald Championship was won by Shosuro Jimen Naizen was afraid that the Scorpion Clan could take too much power if they seized the Jade Championship as well, even would not be long before they claimed the Imperial Throne as well. He ordered Amika to ensure the Scorpion did not claim the position, and sent their best shugenja, Moshi Kiyomori, Moshi Sayoko, and Amika herself. The Waves Upon the Rocks, by Rusty Priske
=== Prophet ===
The Fox Clan requested the Mantis aid to deal with bandits that plagued the Kitsune Mori. Kitsuki Taiko and Kakita Hideo sent word of it to Amika in the Jade Championship. The Jade Championship, by Shawn Carman Amika believed the supposed Prophet Kitsune Narako was not true, and tried to dimiss them. She was surprised with the spectacular prophecy she made during the contest. The omens she performed in front of many powerful shugenja cleared her doubts. She ordered Sayoko to ask for military aid to the Fox, and Tsuruchi Okame, who was witnessing the contest, was commanded to assembly his men and march to Fox lands. The First Prophecy, by Shawn Carman
== Aiding the Fox ==
The bandits nearly had overrun the Kitsune. Amika was informed by Tsuruchi Takeba she had killed one of the brigands, only to realize that instead a human corpse what she had killed was a skeleton. The bones were old, with ancient rags, but the grass behind green and bent. The enemy were not ordinary prey. Shadows, by Shawn Carman
== Race for the Throne ==
Surprissingly Naizen endorsed Tsuruchi Etsui as another Mantis candidate for Emperor in the Race for the Throne. He had discarded Tanari, formerly known as Tsuruchi, for the young hero who stood at the side of Toturi III as his final defender before he breathed his last. He bore his final words back to the empire, so that we would know that he fell a hero. He also could have used those words to aggrandize himself, but he did not, thinking only of the Empire. The Mantis saw Etsui as an Emperor they could control. On Land and On Sea (The Race for the Throne Book), by Rusty Priske
== Fall of Lord Sun ==
During her annual pilgrimage to Koten during the Month of the Horse in 1170, Amika and her "chaperone" Kaiu Seison witnessed the fall of Lord Sun, Yakamo. Amika heard the dying words of Yakamo warning of the impending Destroyer War. 
== Death ==
After returning from the Crab lands, Amika was alone in her home provinces writing at night when Daigotsu Harushi surprised her. Her throat was crushed to stop her defending herself with magic, and the only spell she could cast without speaking did not stop him from breaking her neck. Although discovered shortly after the murder and wounded, Harushi managed to escape the castle. The Heaven's Will, Part II, by Shawn Carman Amika was succeeded by Moshi Awako Confirmation of Moshi Succession by [Shawn Carman despite she had a daughter, Moshi Ikako. The Daimyo Project, by C. Thomas Hand, Mari Murdock, and Maxime Lemaire
== See also ==
* Moshi Amika/Meta
== External Links ==
* Moshi Amika (Diamond)
* Moshi Amika Exp (Test of Enlightenment)
Category:Enlightened
Category:Mantis Clan Leaders
Category:Characters with Pictures