Lost

From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings

The Lost are samurai that have been warped and twisted by the Taint of the Shadowlands, turning them into twisted parodies of what they used to be while they were still Untainted. Currently, most of the Lost have pledged their services to Daigotsu and serve as his vassals in the same capacity as samurai serve the Emperor, though some remain in the wilds of the Shadowlands, barely surviving in those accursed lands.

Some Lost are undead, as they were brought back to life by Fu Leng's foul magics, but others have willingly given their souls to the dark power of Jigoku while still alive, thus keeping their mortal bodies alive through maho rituals and other such means. Notable Lost include Chuda Mishime (daimyo of the Chuda family), Moto Tsume and Voitagi.

[edit] Families

The families of the Lost act as a dark mirror of sorts, each family a twisted reflection of a few Great Clan's strengths and weaknesses. They include:

Chuda: originally the minor clan of the Snake. Mostly made up of Bloodspeaker shugenjas, the Chuda are a living mockery of the Phoenix.
Daigotsu: named after the Dark Lord himself, the Daigotsu are bushi that serve as his Right Hand--much as the Lion Clan does. They are the largest Lost family currently, and subsequently the most powerful. Daigotsu Soetsu from this family was given the dubious honor of being ambassador to Rokugan.
Goju: an exceedingly small family of Lost; they are masters of intrigue and secrets, the Underhand of the Shadowlands, if such a thing was possible. Many of these samurai have been seduced to the service of the Dark Lord by the Shadow Dragon.
Kokujin: with their sanity broken by the Taint and (some say) enlightenment, these men and women roam the Shadowlands with animalistic savagery, speaking the prophecies of their leader for whom they have been named after.

[edit] History

After the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, a large number of the samurai were wounded and lost to the Taint while traveling through the Shadowlands to and from Volturnum. These once-noble samurai found themselves lost in the wilds of the Shadowlands. Some continued with their training, rituals, and habits, thus offering a mental focus, and many managed to keep their intelligence. Instead of becoming mindless creatures, they became vengeful, driven, and corrupted samurai. With the arrival of Daigotsu, they were able to become organized and became citizens of the City of the Lost, a dark reflection of the Empire. The City is a thriving city of evil, complete with its own grim version of the Kaiu Wall, called the Wall of Bones. Few have seen the City of the Lost and lived to tell the tale.

[edit] Honor

The Lost have a strange sense of honor, one forged from the remnants of their humanity and the service Daigotsu demands of his court. The extent and limits of this honor, however, is still as of yet unknown. It can be safely assumed, however, that like most samurai, the Lost keep their promises - to the letter. How they word their promises, on the other hand, is another issue altogether. Most of the Lost keep to the virtues of bushido nonetheless, save perhaps for jin (compassion).

[edit] Schools

The following schools can be found within the Lost:

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