Shiro sano Ken Hayai

Please note: This article is about the Lion Clan castle. For other uses of the term, please see Hayai (disambiguation).
The Castle of the Swift Sword (L3), the sacred home of the Kitsu family, Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 236 and home of the largest Akodo dojo, Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 292 was built on the bones of the last Kitsu. It was a tremendous palace, sprawling across the foothills of the Dragon Way of the Lion, p. 111 in the Plains of Bloodied Honor. Judgment, Part 1, by Lucas Twyman
== Purpose ==
Found in the northeastern portion of the Hayai Province, Secrets of the Lion, p. 95 Shiro sano Ken Hayai was always dedicated to the upkeep of its dojo as well as the seat of the governorship for the province. Even when the Akodo were disbanded, the Provincial Governors continued to maintain offices there.
It was responsible for both the Lion-Unicorn border and the brief expanse of lands to the north that separated the Lion and Dragon territories. Visitors, by Shawn Carman
== History ==
=== Founding ===
The First Five members of the Kitsu family, the last remnants of the Kitsu race, housed within a temple. During the ruling of the Lion Clan Champion Akodo Tokoyama the temple was expanded to a full castle, the stronghold of the Lion military force within the Kitsu lands. Secrets of the Lion, p. 48
=== Bandit Siege ===
In the 6th century the castle came under siege from a large force of bandits. After the nearby river, Kawa Shishi-o, flooded, the senior officer Akodo Keiichi used Kitsu Shugenja to let the river storm through the bandit stronghold, destroying their shiro-chi and killing most of the bandits and their leader. Book of Earth, pp. 45-46
=== Decay ===
In the early 12th century its bright had already gone, and the prestige of graduating from this place had long since wane. The place became more of a waystation than a castle or a city. It had no strategic importance, and no permanent defensive structures existed upon its grounds. Legacy of the Forge, p. 28 The Matsu used the castle as a way station for the armies and the Akodo Deathseekers then decided to occupy the empty dojo and make it their own. Art of the Duel, p. 63
== Dojo ==
Shiro sano Ken Hayai was the location of the Castle of the Swift Sword Dojo, Way of the Samurai, p. 39 the largest Akodo dojo, which taught more then just warfare. It's students were among the best educated bushi in Rokugan. The sensei who taught there were widely renowned as the finest in the Lion lands. Legend of the Five Rings; Fourth Edition, p. 344 It also housed the famous Akodo War College. Masters of War, p. 95
Both bushi and shugenja were trained in and around the castle, either at the tactical school or the adjunct to the Kitsu Tombs located nearby. 
== Notable Locations ==
* Golden Spider Dojo
* Ikoma Hall of Scribes
* Kitsu Archives
* Shrine of the First Five
* Tetsu Matsu
== External Links ==
* Castle of the Swift Sword (Lotus)
== Map ==
Image:Shiro sano Ken Hayai Layout.jpg|Layout
Category:Hayai province
Category:Articles with Pictures