Rokuganedit this page
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
Rokugan was the centre of the Legend of the Five Rings, and it's Empire was similar to that of feudal Japan. It also included aspects of other Asian cultures, as well as magic and mythical beasts.
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[edit] Social Structure
Rokugani society was based on a clan structure, with seven (later eight) so-called "Great Clans", as well as several minor clans. Each clan had areas of land bequeathed to them by the emperor, which they were tasked with maintaining. The emperor retained ownership of all lands, however, and the clans essentially rented the lands they used by paying taxes annually.
There was no given name for the entire world which Rokugan was a part of, but the name of Rokugan could sometimes be used to refer to the entire world. Strictly speaking this was incorrect, but as the Emperor had a rightful claim to all that was as a right of being the descendant of Amaterasu and Onnotangu, the courtiers of the Emerald Empire saw this as an appropriate use. The citizens and rulers of the Burning Sands and Ivory Kingdoms might disagree, however.
[edit] Political Landscape
The nation of Rokugan was divided into varying sized provinces, each controlled by distinct groups. The largest groups, and the largest areas, were controlled by the clans of Rokugan -- groups of families descended largely from a common ancestor who inherited control of their respective tracts of land, as well as the people living on them.
[edit] Great Clans
The Great Clans were each formed by one of the Kami after their fall from Tengoku, and their histories dated back to the very beginning of the Empire. The exception to this was the Mantis Clan, which, until the Second Day of Thunder was actually a minor clan. Through force and manipulation, Yoritomo was able to get his family granted Great Clan status in 1128.
Great Clans were made up of several family lines, each family with their own general purpose within the clan. Each clan also had a specific purpose within Rokugan -- some area of expertise or mandate that the specific clan can fulfill better than any others.
[edit] Minor Clans
There were many minor clans in Rokugan -- clans that had been formed since the birth of the empire by those other than the Kami. New clans were not founded lightly, and the founders of these clans generally performed some extraordinarily valiant deed or favor for the Empire. Unlike the Great Clans, minor clans generally only had one family, but like the Great Clans, each generally had a specific duty to fulfill.
- Badger Clan
- Bat Clan
- Dragonfly Clan
- Hare Clan
- Monkey Clan
- Oriole Clan
- Ox Clan
- Sparrow Clan
- Tortoise Clan
[edit] Former Minor Clans
Throughout the history of the Empire, there have been several minor clans that no longer exist. Some joined Great Clans as family lines, and some had been disbanded by the Emperors. Others were destroyed for various reasons.
[edit] Imperial Families
In addition to the clans, a very powerful force in Rokugan were the Imperial Families. The Emperor of Rokugan had no clan of his own, but he did have his own family, currently the Iweko family, and three families that served his interests directly: the Miya family, the Otomo family, and the Seppun family. The Imperial Families had no standing army of their own, though they largely controlled the Imperial Legions, which took soldiers from all the clans of the empire. They also had no Champion, as the Emperor himself led them.
The Imperial Families were generally smaller than the families of the Great Clans, but what they lacked in numbers they more than made up for in sheer political might. With the Emperor as their head, the Imperial Families were possibly the mightiest political power in all of Rokugan.
[edit] Lands
In Rokugan, all land was owned by the Emperor. The territory given to the respective clans and daimyo was given by the Emperor for the daimyo to act as stewards, not as owners, over their respective provinces. In return for for permission to live on the Emperor's land, the clans paid taxes to the Emperor.
Should the Emperor believe that a clan could not protect the lands that they held for him, he could turn stewardship over to another clan. This was how many of the wars in Rokugan began, one clan proving to the Emperor that another clan could not sufficiently protect their land.
[edit] Creatures of Rokugan
Rokugan covered a large area and contained many diverse landscapes, from seas and marshes to mountains and deserts. As a result, it also contained a large diversity of animal life.
[edit] Time
- This section is covered more in-depth in the article Time
Time in Rokugan was measured in several ways. The seasons were the most obvious division of time, as the weather in Rokugan could switch from oppressive heat during the summer months to crippling snow in the winter.[1] A more formal system of months and days also existed, dividing the year into twelve months of 28 days.[2] Additionally, the years themselves could be counted in two different systems: the Emperor's Right, which referred to the year of the reign of the Emperor and was the official method of recording the passage of time; and the Isawa Calendar, which measured the number of years since the founding of Gisei Toshi, Isawa's city.[3]
