Kitsuki Taiko

Please note: This article is about the magistrate. For other uses of the term, please see Taiko (disambiguation).
Kitsuki Taiko was a Dragon Clan magistrate and bushi. She had a trademark tattoo in her cheek.
== Appearance ==
Taiko was a young woman with a simple elegance that had always made her quite appealing to young men. It was likely that she would have been the object of countless suitors even at this young age. If it were not for the fact that her fierce intelligence and independence had intimidated the vast majority of young men that had attempted to get close to her. For all her intelligence, for all her vaunted powers of perception, Taiko had never noticed this tendency; matters of romance and marriage had never been important to her, and she had never paid them any attention. Gempukku Gang (Imperial Herald v2#22), by Shawn Carman
== Demeanor ==
Taiko was a brilliant judge of character, and could often deduce complex interrelations between others simply by observing them for short periods. To Taiko, the world was a riddle that was awaiting discovery. Every challenge set before her in court or otherwise, was a riddle to be solved, and she committed herself fully to them. Once committed, she did not stop until it was solved. 
== Topaz Championship - 1168 ==
In 1168 Taiko passed her gempukku and was a contender of the Topaz Championship. She met the irritating and stunningly handsome Kakita Hideo. Scenes from the Empire I, by Shawn Carman
== Gaining her first tatto ==
In 1169 Taiko found a Dragon Puzzle Box outside her room, and came to examine it throught the Jade Mirror, as counseled her sensei Kitsuki Ryushi. In the High House of Light Togashi Ieshige allowed to use the mirror, which showed her several images of fire, water, air, and earth, and finally the box mirrored opened, but the real one remained intact and unopened. Outside the castle this night she torched the box, drop water from her rice bowl, fanned air with her robes, picked up the largest rock nearby and dropped it onto the puzzle box, and the box was opened. Inside there were three pine needles. The Dragon Clan Champion Togashi Satsu in dragon form appeared and told he was who sent the box. Satsu wished Taiko knew that he saw her and what she could do. The pine needles came from the tree they were behind, where he talked with his father Togashi Hoshi. Mysteries and Truths, by Rusty Priske
=== Tattooed ===
Taiko wished a tattoo as a keepsake, a reminder of who she was. Taiko knew she might not have the tattoos using the blood of Satsu, like the Togashi, but she could still wore his marks. She came to the tattoo master Togashi Iroshi, in a temple guarded by Togashi Miyoko. Iroshi tattooed her with true blood of Satsu, without Taiko noticed it. After it Taiko favored tattoos commemorating each major victory or discovery with a small tattoo somewhere on her body, most of which could not be seen by others. In this way, she had chosen to create a history of her life that would be with her always. She had a Hummingbird tattoo on her cheekbone. Conversations in the Garden, by Shawn Carman
== Appearance ==
Taiko was considered smart and quite pretty, but also annoyingly virtous, by the Emerald Champion Shosuro Jimen. Kitsuki Taiko (Honor's Veil flavor)
== Prophecy ==
This year Taiko met again Kakita Hideo in the Imperial Archives at Toshi Ranbo, where he determined that a scroll she was researching was a request for aid sent by the Fox Clan. Hideo pointed a notation written in a Sparrow code used by other members of the Three Man Alliance. It indicated the scroll was written less than two weeks before the Battle of Toshi Ranbo. 
=== Kitsune lands ===
Hideo escorted Taiko to the Kitsune lands as her yojimbo. In the Scorpion-fox border they were halted by Fox guards, who denying the entrance to their territory. Taiko saw several men lurking from the bushes, and they began to fire arrows to both groups. Hideo and the Kitsune killed two of the bandits, and the rest disappeared as smoke. Taiko used her healing knowledge to save Kitsune Hibume's life. Prophecy, by Shawn Carman 
=== Prophet revealed ===
They met the Fox Clan Champion, Kitsune Ryukan, and the prophet Kitsune Narako. They told bandits had haunted the Kitsune Mori and tried to kidnap Narako several times. Taiko and Ryukan were able to figure out the bandit's equipment had the mon of the Sons of Winter bandit group on it, although they had supposedly been destroyed in Shinomen Mori ages ago. The prophet commanded Taiko and Hideo to be her yojimbo during the march toward the Jade Championship, or the Kitsune Mori would burn. 
=== Test of the Jade Champion ===
Taiko and Hideo reached Moshi Amika, the Moshi Daimyo in the Jade Championship. The Jade Championship, by Shawn Carman Amika was reluctant to believe them, but the spectacular prophecy Narako made in front of many powerful shugenja cleared her doubts. She took the prophet under Mantis protection. Taiko and Hideo had the debt of her family and her clan, and whenever they require aid, they might call upon the Mantis and they would answer. The First Prophecy, by Shawn Carman Amika returned with Narako and the Tsuruchi gave them the military aid requested. Shadows, by Shawn Carman Taiko would come back to Dragon lands to make a full report of the prophet. She was convinced by Hideo to ask her Lord to return to Narako's side. Aftermath, by Shawn Carman
== Race for the Throne ==
At Kyuden Otomo Taiko pondered with Doji Ayano who would be best suited for Emperor. Taiko supported her Lord Satsu, and Ayano the Crane's ally Lady, Otomo Hoketuhime. They did not see they had been lurked by Bayushi Eisaku. Rulebook Story (Honor’s Veil), by Shawn Carman
== Medinat al-Salaam ==
This year Taiko was among those considered by the Scorpion Clan as the Dragon Clan ambassador to Medinat al-Salaam, and chosen by Yogo Honami as someone who could be dangerous and should be sent. Honor's Veil, Part I, by Nancy Sauer
== Prophet ==
Taiko and Hideo had managed to recruit a few additional samurai to assist in our investigation, and they were all marshalling resources before they returned to the Kitsune Mori. Yoritomo Saburo and Hiruma Aki went with Taiko and Hideo to Kyuden Kitsune to help protect Narako. The Mantis did not see their pressence necessary, because the attacks had stopped. Aki saw it as the calm before the tempest, and he expected new attacks when the prophet's guard lowered their attention. Taiko and Hideo departed to deliver their request to the Mantis, while Aki and Saburo went to Narako's side. They soon found tracks that the unknown assailants had never left the Kitsune Mori. Scenes from the Empire VIII, by Brian Yoon
=== Shadow Dragon exposed ===
Although the attacks seemed to abate when the Mantis and Crab sweeped the forest, the attacks did not abate fully. In fact, the dark forces gathered for one last, strong push in 1170. The Shadow Dragon had turned his attention to the Kitsune Mori, and planned to use the Fox' connection to Chikushudo to gain the awareness of all animals in the world, making him nearly omniscient. When the dragon realized Narako had the gift of prophecy, he instead sent the Sons of Winter to kidnap her, and to take her gift for himself. Narako's guardians, Hiruma Aki, Bayushi Eisaku, Kakita Hideo, Yoritomo Saburo, and Kitsuki Taiko were powerless to stop the Dragon's attack, but when the Shadow Dragon tried to absorb Narako, he triggered another prophecy and was ejected from her body, and fled. Shadows in the Forest, by Shawn Carman
=== Empress ===
Narako told the prophecy was to be only for the Empress's ears. It troubled the samurai, being the Imperial Throne vacant at that time. One month later the Kitsuki Iweko became the Empress Iweko I. Iweko was Taiko eighth cousin by marriage, but she could not reach her after she became Empress. 
=== Winter Court - 1170 ===
Taiko met Hideo again at winter court at Kyuden Bayushi. 
== Death ==
As the Destroyer's army battered at the Kaiu Wall in 1171, Taiko journeyed with several other samurai into the Shadowlands to ascertain the source of the threat. The small group encountered Kali-Ma Blood & Shadow, Part 1, by Brian Yoon in the month of the Rooster, Imperial Histories 2, p. 250 who told them of her plans to crush the Empire. Taiko stayed behind with Bayushi Eisaku and Moto Juncheng in order to buy time for the others to escape. She died at hands of Kali-Ma's demonic minions. Blood & Shadow, Part 2, by Rusty Priske and Shawn Carman
== See also ==
* Kitsuki Taiko/Meta
== External Links ==
* Kitsuki Taiko (Samurai)
* Kitsuki Taiko Exp (Honor's Veil)
Category:Dragon Clan Members