Shiba family
From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings
| Shiba family
| |
|---|---|
| Clan: | Phoenix Clan |
| Founded: | Pre-calendar |
| Daimyo: | Unknown |
The Shiba family embodies many contradictions. They are the descendants of a Kami, yet are subservient to the Isawa family. They have given birth to every Clan Champion, but they do not rule the clan. They are soldiers and warriors in a clan of pacifists. And yet they are a vital and valued part of the Phoenix Clan.
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[edit] Founding and Succession
The Shiba family was founded by the Kami Shiba. Shiba's descendants remain the Champions of the Phoenix Clan, although the line of succession has not always been inherited. For most of the clan's history, when a Champion died, the successor was chosen by Shiba himself, through the clan's Ancestral sword, Ofushikai; at the death of a Champion, the sword would disappear and reappear with the person who would next begin leading the clan.
When Amaterasu scattered all of the clans' ancestral swords into the heavens, however, this method of selection was lost. When Shiba Tsukune ascended to Tengoku to become Fortune of Rebirth, the Elemental Masters refused to accept her son, Shiba Aikune, as Champion, and instead decided to appoint the new champion themselves. This apparently lasted only for the appointment of Shiba Mirabu, as while he still held the position, the Soul of Shiba was bound to the Shiba bloodline itself by Aikune, and Ofushikai, now just a symbol of that authority, was given to him as well. ([1])
[edit] Duty of the Shiba
The primary duty of the Shiba is to protect the Isawa family. At the dawn of the empire, Shiba made his promise to Isawa, and his family has been driven to fulfill it ever since. That promise is what the Shiba look to as their defining purpose; it is what gives them unity and strength.
Despite this, there is always and has always been some measure of friction between the Shiba and Isawa families. The Shiba become frustrated that the Isawa do not understand their philosophy, and the Isawa, like their founder, resent any implication that they owe the Shiba thanks or respect. In addition, the Isawa tend to remain sequestered in their family holdings, and this habit breeds a certain level of separateness from everyday matters and politics. The Shiba deal with Rokugan every day, and thus are more pragmatic and realistic about certain matters, such as the occasional necessity of violence. In matters such as these, the two families rarely see eye to eye.
Despite the inherent disagreements, the families of the Phoenix Clan do not let their internal differences become exploitable to outsiders. In the face of pressure from outside the clan, the Phoenix will quickly close ranks to deal with the threat. A Shiba may complain about the Isawa all day long, but suggesting that he help work against them will elicit only a violent reaction in their defense. Many young and overly ambitious courtiers have learned this lesson too late to save themselves from the end of a Phoenix blade in a duel for the clan's honor.
[edit] Training of the Shiba
After a Shiba's gempukku, he or she will serve in the Phoenix' Home Guard, patrolling the clan's lands and guarding against any threat. After some time in the Guard, any Shiba that desires may join the Shiba Yojimbo and be assigned to protect a specific shugenja, courtier, or other dignitary. The Shiba Yojimbo are among the finest in Rokugan, and it is in this capacity that their family truly excels.
Shiba bushi are notorious throughout Rokugan for thinking constantly of defenses and security measures. A Shiba is, some would say, overly concerned with the number of guards, their positions, their shift rotations, and so on, sometimes down to the quality and quantity of their rations. Many gunso throughout the empire dread the arrival of a Phoenix dignitary because they know that person's yojimbo will not let them get a moment's rest, all the while barraging them with questions about their guests' security. The Shiba, however, take pride in this reputation, because it only serves to show their dedication to their charges and to their ancestor's oath.
[edit] The Shiba Mon
The Shiba family mon is a pair of crossed katana surrounded by a fiery outline of a phoenix, on a field of black. A variant exists that is used by many Shiba Yojimbo that also contains the symbol of Void stitched in gold in the area between the swords. The mon reflects the family's position as the martial arm of the clan, as well as their ancestor's oath to Isawa.
[edit] Daimyo
Since the founding of the Phoenix Clan the Phoenix Clan Champion has been the daimyo of the Shiba family.
[edit] Major References
- Way of the Phoenix Pages 34-39.
