Isawa Tsuke
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
| Isawa Tsuke | |
|---|---|
| |
| Born: | Unknown |
| Died: | 1128 |
| Siblings: | None |
| Children | Isawa Hochiu |
| Titles: | Master of Fire |
| People | |
Isawa Tsuke was one of the most powerful Fire Tensai the Isawa family has seen. His mastery over his element led him to be not only the Master of Fire, but with the addition of his ruthless, bloodthirsty nature, Tsuke was also one of the most feared Emerald Magistrates to ever serve the Emperor. Tsuke's love of his power and lack of concern for his countrymen led him to be agreeable to Isawa Tadaka's plan to use the Black Scrolls to help the Phoenix Clan gain an edge during the Clan War. He became severely Tainted as a result, fully answering the Dark Lord's call. On the Second Day of Thunder, Tsuke fought with the armies of the corrupted Hantei XXXIX and was killed by Tadaka and Phoenix Clan Champion Shiba Ujimitsu after mortally wounding the pair.
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[edit] Demeanor
Isawa Tsuke was one of the most powerful shugenja ever to walk Rokugan. He held the power to single-handedly level buildings, destroy armies, and mete out justice to all of those he deemed, by his own authority, unworthy. Most considered Tsuke malicious and ruthless. Tsuke, however, believed himself to be an honorable but stern ruler, forced to take charge because no one else was as capable as he.[1]
[edit] Life of Isawa Tsuke
[edit] Emerald Magistrate
Tsuke used his power for many years in the direct service of the Emperor, serving in the Emerald Magistrates as the chief shugenja of the Emerald Champion. His time with the Guard gave him a broad grasp of military and political tactics. His ability to command troops in time of war was unquestioned. His time with the Guard also gave him a sizable reputation as a skilled duelist, despite his profession as a shugenja.[2]
Unfortunately for the image of the Phoenix Clan, his time there also spread his reputation as a ruthless, coldhearted despot. When Tsuke would be sent to deal with a bandit gang, his men would track down the bandits, hem them in, and Tsuke would handle the rest. The shugenja would stand back and rain fire upon the brigands from afar. One at a time, they would fall to the magical might of Isawa Tsuke until each lay scorched and unmoving. Tsuke would ignore all pleas of mercy from those whom he was targeting, giving them only a violent death. His only response would be, "Now they know the price of their actions."[2]
Obviously, while Tsuke was the chief shugenja of the land, there was very little bandit trouble.
[edit] Master of Fire
Upon the death of Isawa Nesan, and with Dairya's banishment from the clan, Tsuke became Master of Fire. He would doubtlessly have liked to remain an enforcer of the Emperor's laws, but he recognized the need for him to lead his Clan as well.
[edit] Leader of the Council
By 1120, Tsuke was the second-most experienced member of the Council, and though Isawa Ujina was longer-serving, his growing distraction by his illness left Tsuke largely in control of the Council. Though he led the Council and the Phoenix Clan with his usual resolve and tenacity, Tsuke truly despised his fellow Masters. Though he kept his opinions to himself, Tsuke considered them to be weak because of their pacifism. Moreover, following his years in service as an Emerald Magistrate, Tsuke believed that their reluctance to effect change in the Empire was a sign of disloyalty to the Imperial line.[3]
[edit] Turmoil
| You can never avoid your destiny... only cheat it for a time.
-Isawa Tsuke
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[edit] The Clan War
With the resignation of Isawa Ujina and the appointment of Isawa Kaede as Master of Void, Tsuke became the most experienced member of the Council of Five, and firmly in control of the path of the Council.
Along with the other Masters in this period of time, Isawa Tsuke fell prey to the Black Scrolls, taking in their evil power in order to better understand their enemy. The Taint greatly amplified Tsuke's powers, and he began roaming Rokugan, destroying the forces of the Shadowlands wherever he could find them. The power came with a great price, however, as he could not resist the Taint forever.[4]
[edit] The Second Day of Thunder
On the Second Day of Thunder, Tsuke had fallen to the point that he was nothing but a Tainted madman. For some time before, instead of wandering Rokugan striking down the forces of the Shadowlands, he wandered striking down his kinsmen form the Phoenix Clan. He was completely in the thrall of Hantei XXXIX, who had become the vessel of Fu Leng. When the final battle came to end the Clan War, Tsuke fought on the side of the Dark Lord, raining fire on the armies of Rokugan and slaying those he could. [5]
Isawa Tadaka and Shiba Ujimitsu found the maddened Master and were determined to stop him. During the ensuing fight, Tsuke threw Ujimitsu from the ramparts of Otosan Uchi, killing him as he hit the ground far below, and mortally wounded Tadaka, then revealed to be the Phoenix Clan Thunder. Their sacrifice was not futile, however, because the pair also managed to mortally wound Tsuke. The Master of Fire died as their fight waned, leaving Isawa Osugi to help Tadaka walk to the other Thunders and finish his duties as a Thunder before he also perished.[6]
[edit] Legion of the Dead
Decades after his death, Isawa Tsuke joined the Legion of the Dead, fighting with them and dstroying the First Oni.[7]. In the Realm of Thwarted Destiny, he was faced with his action on the Second Day of Thunder. He again made the choice of killing his kinsmen and the Masters. He was found by Isawa Tadaka once again, and attempted to battle him once more, though Tadaka refused to fight the again-fallen Master. Upon realizing Tadaka's forgiveness, Tsuke was overcome with grief and fled into the mists of the Realm. Tadaka offered a prayer for the eventual salvation of his old friend, but Tsuke's fate since then is unknown.[8]
| Preceded by: Isawa Nesan | Master of Fire (c. 1106) - 1128 | Succeeded by: Isawa Hochiu |
[edit] References
- ↑ Way of the Phoenix, page 78
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 Way of the Phoenix, page 79
- ↑ Way of the Phoenix, pages 78-79
- ↑ Phoenix Clan letter #4
- ↑ "Legend of the Five Rings History", Imperial Herald #15
- ↑ The Last Master
- ↑ Legions, Part III
- ↑ Legions, Part VI
[edit] External Links
- From L5RSearch.com: Isawa Tsuke, Isawa Tsuke Exp, Isawa Tsuke Exp2
The sources relating to this article are in conflict with each other. |
| The bio in Way of the Phoenix describes Tsuke as having been in the Imperial Guard, but describes his duties as those of an Emerald Magistrate. It is being assumed for the purpose of this article that the biography was using the terms interchangably. |
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