Yotsu family

The Yotsu family were a ronin family who were given their name and duty by the Emperor Hantei XXXVIII in 1111. They had become a vassal family of the Seppun family.
== History ==
=== Founding ===
In 1111 the caravan of the second wife of Hantei XXXVIII, Hantei Hochiahime, was attacked and Hochiahime and the son of the Emperor, Hantei Sotorii, were taken by a bloodspeaker cult to be sacrificed to fulfill an ancient prophecy. The mountain-dwelling Yotsu discovered the camp and crept into it to speak with the Empress. Knowing he could not defeat the entire cult asked the Empress for permission to die in her name, but she forbade it, telling the ronin to save Sotorii and tell the Emperor to mourne her unborn child. As Yotsu could not take the heir without it alerting the cult, Yotsu replaced him with his own son. Weeks later Sotorii was reunited with the Emperor and as a reward for Yotsu's sacrifice he was named Yotsu Yatoshin, after the Emperor's father, and given a small fiefdom in the Mountains of Regret and rule over a sub-district in Otosan Uchi, Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 17 the Yatoshin district. Enemy of my Enemy, Part Four, by Rich Wulf
=== Ronin Family ===
The Yotsu family were given the right to bear their father's name in order to
distinguish them from other ronin - but they were not offered the right to swear
fealty to the Emperor or anyone else. In essence, they were still ronin. Way of the Wolf, p. 36
=== Fall of Otosan Uchi ===
After the Fall of Otosan Uchi the Yotsu stayed behind in the ruined and tainted city to defend those who were unable or unwilling to flee their homes. They remained here until 1166 when Jade Champion Asahina Sekawa attacked Otosan Uchi in an attempt to confront the Ninube infestation there. In thanks for their aid in the battle the Yotsu family were granted territory within the Crane lands. The Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Part 2, by Shawn Carman
=== Imperial Vassals ===
At the Winter Court in Kyuden Otomo in 1168, the personal friendship between Yotsu Seou and Seppun Kiharu led to the Yotsu family being accepted as a vassal family to the Seppun family. However, the Yotsu had been allow to keep their own family name and had been given the singular honor of wearing both the Yotsu and Seppun mons when serving the Imperial family. Winter Court Kyuden Otomo 1168, p. 8
== Sword of Yotsu ==
In 1116, Yotsu Yatoshin began swearing ronin outside his family to the Yotsu name, training them in the techniques he had learned while living deep in the mountains. And so the Sword of Yotsu otokodate was formed. 
For more information see The Sword of Yotsu
=== Yotsu mon ===
The Yotsu mon was the kanji character for 10,000. Enemy of my Enemy, Part Four, by Rich Wulf Yotsu Dojo (Drums of War image) Wind of Justice, (Novel book)
== Known Yotsu ==
See Samurai of the Yotsu for a complete listing of all members of the Yotsu family.
=== Yotsu Daimyo ===
The following is a listing of all Yotsu Daimyo since their founding in 1111.
Yotsu Yatoshin	1111 - 1118
Yotsu Ureiko 	1118 - (c. 1125)
Yotsu Seou 	? - ?
== See also ==
* Yotsu family/Meta
Yotsu*
Category:Ronin Families
Category:Families of the Imperial Houses
Daimyo Yotsu