Ise Zumi
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
The Ise Zumi are an order of tattooed monks who belong to the Dragon Clan exclusively. The Ise Zumi, along with the Tsurai Zumi of the Hoshi family and the Kikage Zumi of the Hitomi family, form the spiritual core of the Dragon Clan. While their tattoos grant them mystical powers ranging everywhere from extreme speed to the ability to breathe fire, the Ise Zumi are enigmatic and generally pacifistic, though they can be fierce warriors when necessary. [1]
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[edit] Appearance
Ise Zumi are remarkably easy to recognize because they rarely wear anything more than a couple of simple garments, they have clean shaven heads and their skins are covered in intricate tattoos. [1]
[edit] Becoming Ise Zumi
Those who climbed the mountains of the Dragon Clan searching for the Togashi each followed their own paths, but each path had the same steps leading them to the mindset of becoming a Togashi. [2]
[edit] First Step
It is said "the first step kills your parents". This means that the student must leave everything behind so that he can take a new name when he finally reaches his destination, and can begin study at the Togashi school. [3]
[edit] Second Step
The second step is said to be "killing the teacher". The Ise Zumi must walk their own path, making the teachings of their teacher their own, as it is with any path to enlightenment. [4]
[edit] Last Step
The final step is said to be "killing himself". The Ise Zumi learns that he has no self, and that he is part of everything and nothing. This step teaches the Ise Zumi to live life like a child, one moment at a time. [5]
[edit] Fourth Step
The fourth step is the neverending pursuit of enlightenment. While the previous steps are focused on making the Ise Zumi ready for the monastic life, the fourth is their continual search for enlightenment, and it will take as many steps as each individual requires. Some Ise Zumi run at these steps attempting to get to enlightenment faster. Others walk, believing enlightenment will come no faster if they run or crawl. The destiny is as different as the path for each man. [2]
[edit] History of the Ise Zumi
The Ise Zumi were founded personally by the Kami Togashi, and swore directly to his name as the Togashi family. Each member of the Ise Zumi, from the beginning of the Empire, was tattooed originally with Togashi's blood. It was this blood, and their understanding of their own place within the universe, that allowed them to access such phenomenal abilities. It is unclear how the Ise Zumi claimed their tattoos after Togashi's death on the Second Day of Thunder, but it is likely that they now receive their tattoos from Togashi Satsu, whose soul also houses that of his grandfather, Togashi. When Hitomi discovered how to create her own tattooed men, known as the Kikage Zumi, she forced the Togashi to swear to her name or be banished or killed. [6] Later, after Hitomi's realization of her evils, and her banishment of the dark influence of Kokujin, the Togashi were readmitted along with the newly formed Hoshi family to the Dragon Clan. They returned to their role as advisors and mystics, and have continued as such to this day. [7]
[edit] The Togashi and their Kami
The Dragon Clan, like the Phoenix, have had the comfort of the guidance of their founding Kami from the beginning of the Empire. By moving his soul into a different host body and masquerading as that host, Togashi remained champion of the Dragon Clan until the Second Day of Thunder. This cycle of reincarnation of the kami was guaranteed by the appearance of at least one tamashii each generation. A tamashii is a member of the Tattooed Order whose soul is attuned properly to be a host soul and body for Togashi. Generally the most powerful of the Ise Zumi, these men rarely lived full lives, as Togashi's reincarnation killed them as surely as would death. The body lived on, but the soul was that of another. This cycle seems to have been broken with the curious cohabitation of Togashi Satsu and the original soul of Togashi, but this is not assured. Tamashii are still appearing, as in the case of Togashi Matsuo. [8]
[edit] Madness
The method originally used to tattoo Ise Zumi could often leave the man in a state of raving madness when completed. If the man was strong then the mind and body would be able to join with the blood used in the tattoo. If not the mind would break, leaving a madman. These instances were rare, and even if the man escaped and went on a rampage throughout Kyuden Togashi they would be stopped. Only on rare occasions would the madman escape the castle and roam Rokugan. [5]
[edit] Sayings
The Ise Zumi are renowned for their cryptic demeanors and love of riddles and maxims, some often quoting directly from the Tao of Shinsei [1]
See Also: Sayings of the Ise Zumi.
[edit] References
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