L5r: Legend of the Five Rings Wiki
Register
Advertisement
Ki-Rin's Shrine

Shrine of the Ki-Rin

The Shrine of the Ki-Rin (P7) [1] was dedicated where Shinjo saw the Ki-Rin for the first time, [2] and where the returning Unicorn were first spotted by Phoenix Clan scouts. [3]

Ki-Rin[]

Reihaido sano Ki-Rin

Shrine of the Ki-Rin (P7)

It honored the Ki-rin, a mystical creature which was incomprehensible to the mortal mind, and was one of the largest shrines in Phoenix lands, [1] in the called Ki-rin province. [4] The shrine was known for its hospitality and attracted many pilgrims, especially from the Phoenix, Dragon, and Unicorn clans. The Unicorn fast and meditate for eight days upon their arrival; one for each century they spent outside of Rokugan. [5]

Location[]

It lied along the easternmost Phoenix border beside the vast, unclaimed Dragon Heart Plain. [6] The shrine was difficult to access, located high atop a mountain and reached only by a single road that often became an actual staircase. [7] The Shrine itself stood on a shelf of rock, providing a stunning view of the entirety of the Phoenix provinces, including the Great Wall of the North, which consisted of a large white statue of a Ki-Rin. [8] Near the shrine sat Shiro Morito. [9]

Construction[]

The shrine was built by Asako Matoya out of shame because she had ignored the vision of the Ki-Rin heralding the Return of the Unicorn. However, the family's resources were depleted in trying to build the shrine, and Matoya fell fatally ill before it was completed. A detachment of the Unicorn's Ide Emissaries arrived to complete the construction soon after. Ever since, the Asako family had been prosperous, and some attributed their family's success to Matoya's dedication to the kami. [5] The shrine was tended by a mix of Brotherhood and Asako monks, who were regarded as some of the most knowledgeable monks regarding Celestial creatures. [7]

Setsuban Festival tournament[]

Ki-Rin's Shrine 2

Shrine of the Ki-Rin

Once every fall during the Setsuban Festival, the shugenja of Rokugan feasted, politicked and competed in a tournament designed to challenge their wits and abilities. The winner received a cache of scrolls, gathered from all the major schools and monastery in the Empire, gaining the respect of their peers as the greatest shugenja in the land. [10]

History[]

Isawa's Last Wish[]

Shortly after the construction of the Shrine of the Ki-Rin was completed, it was selected by the Isawa and Asako families as the place where Isawa's Last Wish was to be held. Isawa intended the creation to be a testament to the union of the families of the Phoenix Clan and a monument to the peace that would be built between them. [citation needed]

Return of the Ki-Rin[]

In 815 the returned Unicorn Clan stablished their camp at the shrine, while the Unicorn Clan Champion Shinjo Nishijin moved with his honor guard to winter court at Otosan Uchi, to be recognized by the rest of the Great Clan. [11]

Residence in Ningen-do[]

The Dragon of Fire took residence in the mountains of the Great Climb, forcing the Kitsuki and Mirumoto to leave their homes and migrated to Ki-Rin's Shrine. [12]

Dragon-Phoenix War[]

Ki-Rin's Shrine 3

Shrine of the Ki-Rin

The Shrine was a pivotal area for the Dragon-Phoenix War. [1] Since the end of the war, the path to the shrine was been lined with wooden swords bearing the names of those who died in the war as a memorial. [5] The Tamori used their power to raise a great wall of earth around the Shrine. [13] A group of samurai retrieved the Ancestral Armor of the Phoenix Clan, which had been left there by Shiba Tsukune before she ascended as a Fortune. The nemuranai was placed in the hands of the Shiba family. [14] After the end of the war, veterans of both clans had planted wooden swords along the sides of the path leading up the mountain. The blades bore the names of friends who died in the war, and tt became a tradition for warriors from both sides to walk along this path. [15]

War of Dark Fire[]

The shrine came under attack again in 1171, during the War of Dark Fire. A Yobanjin force was heading towards the shrine when a nearby pass was collapsed upon them by Utaku Reyo, a visitor at the shrine. Reyo had been visited by a Ki-Rin moments earlier, and sacrificed herself to prevent the attack. [16]

Known Head Monks[]

Ki-Rin's Shrine 4

Ki-Rin's Shrine

External Links[]

References

  1. 1.0 1.1 1.2 Legend of the Five Rings; Third Edition, p. 296
  2. Ki-Rin (Obsidian flavor)
  3. Roleplaying in the Emerald Empire, p. 238
  4. Secrets of the Phoenix, p. 96
  5. 5.0 5.1 5.2 Masters of Magic, pp. 100-101
  6. Old Rivalries, Part II, by Shawn Carman
  7. 7.0 7.1 The Atlas of Rokugan, p. 127
  8. Code of Bushido, p. 12
  9. Clan Letter to the Mantis #8 (Imperial Herald v3 #4)
  10. Code of Bushido, p. 5
  11. Imperial Histories 2, pp. 156-157
  12. Glimpse of the Unicorn (Spirit Wars flavor)
  13. Remember the Mountain (An Oni's Fury flavor)
  14. Secrets of the Phoenix, p. 67
  15. Masters of Magic, p. 101
  16. The War of Dark Fire, Part 9, by Shawn Carman



Mon monk This Brotherhood of Shinsei related article is a stub. That means that it has been started, but is incomplete. You can help by adding to the information here.
Advertisement