Ikoma family (TCG)

The Ikoma were a family of the Lion Clan. Curved Blades, by Ree Soesbee Having served as the historians of Rokugan since its inception, the Ikoma family made warriors into legends. The Great Clans (Learn to Play Rulebook) The Ikoma were the mortar of the clan, they bond Akodo and Matsu. Fields of Victory, p. 56 Kyūden Ikoma was their ancestral seat of power. Fields of Victory, p. 58
== Within the Family ==
=== Duty ===
The Ikoma family served the Lion as historians, scholars, seneschals, and diplomats. They were the living memory of the clan, keeping the stories of their ancestors alive. They were gatekeepers to the clan's wealth, the first contact for alliances and favors. The Ikoma family were the finest storytellers in the Empire, their bards openly showed the emotion Lion samurai must hide. Boasts, tears, and stories were the tools the Ikoma used to advance the Lion in the courts. Legend of the Five Rings - Roleplaying, p. 52
=== Mon ===
The Ikoma family mon was a stylized torii arch depicting a lion's face, representing a portal to knowledge and discovery. 
=== The Lion's Shadow ===
The Ikoma maintained a small network of spies and infiltrators for the purpose of gathering information and, sometimes, to end a battle before it even begins. They also trained select students in subterfuge and stealth to serve as spymasters and saboteurs. Akodo himself endorsed espionage in warfare, since he knew information was the greatest weapon a general could wield. 
=== Customs and Culture ===
In case of an inter-clan marriage with a male Ikoma, the wife must take the husband's name and join his lands. The Ikoma embraced knowledge and martial prowess in equal measure. The art the family values most was that of the storyteller- performer, embodied in its famous bardic tradition. Ikoma often served as clan representatives based on family reputation alone. These values and traditions stemmed from Ikoma's teaching that pride was a virtue. Bragging was encouraged, for when a person was recognized for their deeds, so were their ancestors. As keepers of the official clan histories, they recorded the genealogies of its samurai; interpretations of its laws; and military innovations, victories, and defeats. Neutral Ikoma heralds were regularly deployed to both sides of momentous battles, in order to record the events precisely as they happened. 
== Lands of the Ikoma ==
In the northeast corner of the Lion lands laid the Venerable Plains of the Ikoma. Relatively sparse throughout, Ikoma lands were more heavily populated at their borders, especially to the south, in the Scorpion border. 
=== Notable Holdings ===
* Sacred Watch Palace (Kyūden Ikoma)
* The City of Honor's Sacrifice (Toshi no Meiyo Gisei)
== Politics ==
=== Ikoma Daimyō ===
The following is a listing of the known daimyō of the Ikoma family:
Ikoma Kojima 	c. 820
Ikoma Anakazu	? - Present
=== Vassals of the Ikoma ===
The following were the known vassal families of the Ikoma family: 
* Hosokawa family
== See also ==
* Ikoma family/Meta
Category:Lion Clan Leaders (TCG)
Daimyo Ikoma