Hantei

From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings

Hantei
Born:	Pre-calendar
Died:	45
Parents:	Onnotangu, Amaterasu
Siblings:	Akodo, Bayushi, Doji, Fu Leng, Hida, Ryoshun, Shiba, Shinjo, Togashi
Spouse:	Doji Mioko
Children	Hantei Genji, Otomo Yamato
Titles:	Emperor of Rokugan
People

The First Hantei was the first Emperor of Rokugan, winner of the Tournament of the Kami. He reigned until the end of the War Against Fu Leng.

Contents 1 Onnotangu's Wrath 1.1 The Confrontation 2 Founding Rokugan 2.1 The Tenth Kami 3 The Emperor's Champion 3.1 Doji and Kakita 4 The First Wedding 4.1 Children 5 Fu Leng 5.1 Hantei's Decree 5.2 Gathering Thunder 5.3 Day of Thunder 6 Death 7 Notable Events 8 External Links 9 References

[edit] Onnotangu's Wrath

Hantei was born to Amaterasu and Onnotangu in Tengoku. After his birth, his father became jealous of the attention his mother paid to their children and fearful that they would usurp him. Led by this, Onnotangu sought out and swallowed whole each of his children. But Amaterasu, giving him sake after each child, poisoned Onnotangu with each cup. By the time Onnotangu sought out Hantei, he had consumed his nine brothers and sisters, and nine cups of poisoned sake. While the poison could not kill Lord Moon, it made him so drunk that he mistook a stone for Hantei and swallowed it instead. Amaterasu secreted Hantei away, protecting him from his father, who believed him swallowed. She taught Hantei of character and virtue, and of the man his father used to be. In this time Hantei also learned the art of the sword.^[1]

[edit] The Confrontation

When Hantei next faced his father, there was an epic duel between the two. Hantei could not kill his father, but he did cut off his hand and cut open his stomach. When Onnotangu's stomach was cut open, Hantei's siblings fell out, and fell past Tengoku and to Ningen-do below. Hantei, still off balance from his fight, was pulled along with them by Fu Leng, who had grasped onto Hantei in an effort to save himself. Fu Leng fell past Ningen-do and into Jigoku, the Realm of Evil. Ryoshun had been inside the stomach of Onnotangu the longest and went to Meido, the Realm of the Dead. Eight Kami fell to Ningen-do, the Realm of Man.^[1]

[edit] Founding Rokugan

After their fall, the Kami realized that the world to which they fell needed guidance and organization. Hantei looked out and saw Rokugan as a child, that should be taught the wisdom it would need to flourish. The Kami realized they were just the ones for the task. The siblings organized a tournament, and the victor would be the ruler of the land and of the siblings. Hantei was the last contestant in the Tournament of the Kami. Besting Akodo, he proved his worth over his siblings and was made the first Emperor of Rokugan.^[1]

[edit] The Tenth Kami

"Ten Kami fell from the sky. One fell to Jigoku, but only eight now walk the mortal realm. Let not the mortals sully Ryoshun's memory by speaking his name. Let his grave be a place where only gods may enter." -Hantei [2]

Hantei commanded that Ryoshun's name be forgotten, so no mortal would sully his brother's name. He also commanded that only gods could enter Ryoshun's grave.^[2] The grave site was located where the Badger Clan were eventually founded, and the clan was secretely tasked with guarding the gave of the tenth kami.^{[citation needed]}

[edit] The Emperor's Champion

Following the completion of Otosan Uchi, Hantei opened festivities and held a tournament to determine who would become his Personal Champion. Many partook in the festivities, including Hantei's siblings and their followers. The competition lasted many days until in the end there were only two, Kakita and Matsu. Kakita was victorious, and was made Hantei's Champion. Hantei could not help but notice Kakita's instant liking of his sister Doji.^[3]

[edit] Doji and Kakita

"This is my personal champion, Kakita. He has also become my friend, and it would honor me greatly for you two to marry. It would strengthen your house considerably, Doji-chan." -Hantei [3]

Hantei proposed the two be wed, which left his new champion and friend speechless. Doji agreed, but only if Kakita could prove his worth as her brother's champion. Kakita would have to "bring the dead to life, measure the width of the world and show her a vision." Kakita sought out the aid of the wise woman Yasuki and successfully won Doji's heart, to Hantei's great pleasure.^[3]

[edit] The First Wedding

The story goes that Hantei searched the entire lands for a wife. When he arrived in Crane lands the Crane searched frantically for the most beautiful women they could find to gain the Emperor's approval. They searched a small village called Ikieto, but found only old women. The samurai left without knowing that a fisherman had heard of their impending arrival and hidden his daughter, Doji Mioko, on a small island far from the village. Meanwhile the Emperor was shown beautiful and honorable women, but none stirred his heart. One day he was riding through the lands of the Crane, seeking sport and amusement when he got separated from his entourage. He found himself on the ocean shore, where he heard a haunting melody on the wind. He told the Crane of the voice, and they took him to Ikieto and commanded the fishermen there to take the Emperor to the island. The Emperor found nothing on the island, and returned to the palace empty handed. Mioko had been hiding in a cave on the island, and asked her father about the young man he had taken out to the island. He lied, saying it was a beggar, but that night she penned a haiku, and attached it to the leg of her pet bird and sent it in hopes of reaching the "beggar". The same night the Emperor heard a disturbance in the bushes and found a white dove entangled in the branches. He read the poem and decided then and there that the girl who had written the poem was the one he would marry. The fisherman attempted to pass off a simple maiden of his village as the girl who had written the poem, but the Emperor saw through the farce when he asked the girl to compose a new poem. Demanding the fisherman tell him who the real girl was the fisherman told him about his daughter. The Emperor was again taken out to the island, and when he finally saw Mioko he cried Jade Tears. The pair were wed, and the island was named for the fisherman's lost daughter.^[4]

[edit] Children

Hantei and Mioko had several children. The eldest was Hantei Genji, who succeeded his father as Emperor. Another, one of the youngest of Hantei's sons, was Otomo Yamato. Yamato was the first of Genji's siblings to take the Otomo name, beginnig the tradition of siblings of the Imperial Heir taking the Otomo name.^[5]

[edit] Fu Leng

Some time after the foundation of the Empire, Fu Leng appeared in Hantei's court. The Dark Kami demanded a chance to best Hantei, because he was not asked to the first Tournament. The assembled Kami refused him the chance, saying that they had sworn to protect Hantei. Shiba suggested instead that Fu Leng choose another to fight as Hantei's champion. Fu Leng chose Togashi, and told the Dragon kami to choose his weapon. Togashi chose "all that lives in Rokugan." Fu Leng agreed. And with that, the War Against Fu Leng began.^[6]

[edit] Hantei's Decree

"Those who will not obey will leave or be destroyed." -Hantei [7]

For fear of Fu Leng's powers, Hantei declared that anything non-human was to be killed. Akodo led his armies against the Kitsu, and almost destroyed them all before one of his followers, Akodo Mirotai, revealed to him the true nature of the Kitsu.^[8] Hantei also decreed that those who would not obey the rule of the Kami were to be exiled or destroyed.^[7] Among those was the Tribe of Noriaki, who had been defeated at Seppun Hill by Hantei, the Kami and the Seppun. The few remaining Noriaki who did not agree to join the Empire fled south, into the Shadowlands where they, under the leadership of Mutsuhito, swore fealty to Fu Leng.^[9]

[edit] Gathering Thunder

At the height of the war, the armies of Fu Leng were pushing the defending Crab back slowly. None of the Kami were willing to confront their mad brother, and defeat seemed inevitable when a wise man named Shinsei appeared. He revealed that a small group of individuals could infiltrate the Shadowlands and defeat Fu Leng, but they would have to be mortals. Hantei, grievously wounded from a recent battle, declared that one individual from each clan be sent to join in this endeavour. Shinsei assembled the Seven Thunders personally, and joined them on the quest to defeat the Ninth Kami.^[10]

[edit] Day of Thunder

The Seven Thunders and Shinsei made their way deep into the Shadowlands, where they found Fu Leng and defeated him. The cost was heavy, as only Shinsei and Shosuro survived the fight. They fled north, with the First Oni and many other creatures pursuing. The timely intervention of Shiba allowed Shinsei and Shosuro to reach Rokugan, but at the expense of Shiba's life. Fu Leng had been defeated, but at a very high cost.^[11]

[edit] Death

Most records agree that Hantei was Emperor until shortly after the end of the War with the Shadowlands in 45. Some records say that he died because of wounds he received during the war (and records do clearly show that he was wounded in the Battle of the Four Winds in 42^[12]), but the most accepted version is that at that time he quit the mortal world and ascended to Tengoku.^[13]

[edit] Notable Events

The following notable events occured during the reign of Hantei:

• Pre-calendar - Foundation of the empire
•  ? - 42 - War Against Fu Leng
• 42 - The Day of Thunder

[edit] External Links

From L5RSearch.com: Hantei

[edit] References

Preceded by: None

Emperor of Rokugan Pre-calendar - 45

Succeeded by: Hantei Genji