War of Spirits

From L5r: Legend of the Five Rings

War of Spirits
Location: Rokugan
Date: 1138 - 1150
Major Forces: Rokugan, Spirits
Generals: Toturi I, Hantei XVI
Battles of Rokugan

The War of Spirits resulted from an attempt by Hantei XVI to overthrow the Toturi dynasty. With vast numbers of spirit samurai who found themselves once again alive after the Battle of Oblivion's Gate the Empire became overpopulated, and could not support the influx of thousands of new fully grown adults. Since the circumstances of their new found life was unnatural, Toturi I ordered all spirits to commit honorable suicide to relieve the Empire of the burden and restore the balance of the Celestial Order. While many did this, a large portion were dissatisfied with the Empire they found themselves in, and many had old feuds, dreams, and goals they felt they could now accomplish with a second chance at life. The war would last from 1138 to 1150. To his credit, Hantei XVI was able to unite a mixed clan force with massive generational gaps dividing it, and effectively rampaged across the Empire, spreading huge amounts of destruction.

Contents 1 Hantei's Demands 2 The War across the Empire 2.1 The Crab 2.2 The Crane 2.3 The Dragon 2.4 The Lion 2.5 The Mantis 2.6 The Phoenix 2.7 The Scorpion 2.8 The Unicorn 2.9 Other groups 2.9.1 The Kolat 2.9.2 The Monkey Clan 3 The End of the War 4 Aftermath 5 References

[edit] Hantei's Demands

After years of preparation and monitoring the political climate in Rokugan, the returned spirit of Hantei XVI demanded in 1138 that the Jade Throne be relinquished to him as the last remaining Hantei. Toturi I refused, stating the Hantei dynasty was dead and the blessing of the heavens was on him and his line. Hantei XVI and most of the reborn spirits declared war on the Empire to claim the throne. The conflict turned into a slow war of attrition between the living and the "dead".^[1]

[edit] The War across the Empire

[edit] The Crab

Much to the Crab Clan's chagrin, at Hantei XVI's side was Hida Tsuneo, a former Crab Clan Champion and acknowledged to be perhaps one of the greatest generals the Crab had ever produced. The Crab Clan found itself in the difficult position of continuing to defend the Kaiu Wall from the horde and defending against Spirit army attacks from the north. An understanding was established, in which the Crab did not place its full might into the War and the Spirit armies left the Kaiu Wall alone. This however did not stop the Spirit armies from taking many of the large rice fields the Crab used to produce the bulk of their food.

One of the few noted confrontations among the Crab was at Sunda Mizu Dojo, where Hida Tsuneo led an ineffective siege against his former dojo.^[2] Some Nezumi, most notably the Shadow Runners Tribe, assisted Crab Clan Champion Hida O-Ushi in her battle with Hida Tsuneo.

[edit] The Crane

The pro-Toturi Crane forces were led by Daidoji Uji^[3] and Regent Kakita Kaiten^[4]. During the war, the returned spirit of Isawa Akiko sought refuge among the Crane, eventually leading to her marriage to Doji Kurohito.^[4] Unbeknownst to the Empire, Hantei XVI was hunting Akiko and any other spirit from the dawn of the empire who had knowledge of the artifact Isawa's Last Wish.^[5] The Crane also managed to maintain their political standing during the war, and among the pro-Toturi spirits was Kakita Yoshi, who took up his position as Imperial Advisor to Toturi I after his return from Yomi.^[6] The Daidoji Harriers were active in protecting the Crane provinces from the Steel Chrysanthemum's forces.^[7]

[edit] The Dragon

Among the most noted of Hantei XVI's lieutenants in the war was Agasha Tamori, the Tainted shugenja thought fallen at the Battle of Oblivion's Gate. Tamori joined the spirits so that he could take revenge against Rokugan, but when Hantei's plans were foiled at the end of the war, Tamori fully gave in to his Taint and becomes the Dark Oracle of Fire. As part of the treaty ending the war, Toturi I created the Tamori family under the leadership of Tamori's daughter, Tamori Shaitung.^[8]

It is known that Togashi Hoshi ordered Mirumoto troops against the spirit armies,^[9] but the full extent of Dragon involvement in the war is unknown.

[edit] The Lion

The Lion, mostly due to the efforts of Akodo Ginawa, managed to persuade many of the returned Lion spirits to join Toturi's side in the war. The influx of ancient Akodo tacticians was a major boon to the recently reborn Akodo family that was still recovering from the events of the Clan War and the War Against Shadow.^[10] Despite this, there was still a notable traditionalist Lion faction that fought on the side of Hantei XVI during the war out of duty rather than any affection for the Hantei himself.^[11]

[edit] The Mantis

The Mantis Clan as a whole was oddly absent for much of the fighting during the War of the Spirits. While many others felt that the new Great Clan had abandoned the Empire to its fate, the truth is that Yoritomo Aramasu was leading his own war in the Ivory Kingdoms to restore their Maharaja to power.

Although the Mantis armies themselves did not take part in the war, there were individuals and groups within the clan that took part independently. Yoritomo Kitao and her ship, the Bitter Flower helped smuggle weapons and supplies to Hantei XVI's armies throughout the war then used the profit to outfit mercenaries on Toturi's side.^[12] Tsuruchi Ichiro and the entire Tsuruchi family sided with Toturi's forces, and put their bounty-hunters to good use against the spirit armies.^[13] Moshi Shangeon and his mercenaries were hired by the Lion Clan after Hantei XVI rejected Shangeon's price.^[14]

[edit] The Phoenix

In 1150, as the war was turning in favor of Toturi, Hantei XVI fled to Phoenix lands and blackmailed Phoenix Clan Champion Shiba Tsukune to side with the spirit armies. To accomplish this, he ordered Agasha Tamori and Hida Tsuneo to kidnap the Phoenix's children.

After a failed attempt was made by Isawa Sachi, Shiba Aikune and Isawa Nakamuro to rescue Isawa Yaruko, daughter of Isawa Taeruko, young Yaruko was murdered by the forces of the Steel Chrysanthemum to provide an example to the rest. Following this brutality, the Phoenix grudgingly agreed to aid the spirit armies, in order to preserve the future of their clan.^[1][15]

[edit] The Scorpion

Of all the Great Clans, the Scorpion were the most instrumental in Toturi's victory over the spirit armies. The returned spirit Bayushi Atsuki, masquerading as Shosuro Furuyari, created a vast network of spies to monitor Hantei's forces and gain his trust^[16], while Scorpion Clan Champion Bayushi Yojiro manipulated Hantei into moving his forces through Beiden Pass.^[17] Once at Beiden Pass, the Scorpion saboteurs and Phoenix shugenja collapsed the mountain pass onto Hantei's forces, crushing his attempt to take the Imperial Throne.^[18]

[edit] The Unicorn

One of the most notable battles of the war was the Battle of Shiro Iuchi, which took place roughly midway through the war. The Steel Chysanthemum's armies had surrounded Shiro Iuchi and had almost stormed it until the Imperial Legions, Bayushi Paneki and the Scorpion armies, and the forces of Morito arrived, eventually routing the spirit armies.^[19] The decisive victory led to the recognition of Morito and his followers as the Ox Clan in 1145.^[20]

[edit] Other groups

[edit] The Kolat

Surprisingly, the Kolat were heavily active on the side of Toturi's forces during the war. To the Ten Masters, it was much more compatible to support the status quo rather than allow someone with Hantei blood return to the throne.^[21]

[edit] The Monkey Clan

Monkey Clan Champion Toku personally led units on the side of Toturi. However, the Virtuous Keep of the Monkey did fall to Hantei XVI's armies during the war.^[22]

[edit] The End of the War

In 1150 the majority of the spirit army was led into Beiden Pass by the Scorpion Clan in an attempt to gain an advantage. In reality Phoenix and Scorpion shugenja were lying in wait to collapse the pass onto the army. Most of the Hantei's army was killed, including Hida Tsuneo, Hantei XVI's general.^[1]

With the bulk of his forces gone the Hantei enters into negotiations for peace with Toturi. Even though the Empire could easily crush the remaining spirits Toturi shows mercy upon them by allowing them to return to Yomi. This was done by the Phoenix creating a portal the spirits could go through on a cliff near Otosan Uchi, which they called the Leaping Place. As a part of Hantei's treaty, Toturi's youngest son Naseru would take the Hantei name and be fostered to Hantei XVI's home in Otosan Uchi and the remains of the Agasha family in the Dragon Clan would change their name to Tamori.^[1]

After the end of the war, Hantei XVI went into house arrest at Kyuden Otomo.^[23]

[edit] Aftermath

The War of Spirits raged for twelve years, making it the second longest conflict in the history of Rokugan. However, unlike the longest conflict, the Crane-Crab War, the War of Spirits was spread out throughout the entire Empire, making it far more devastating. Rokugan was also coming off of two major wars already, with only roughly two years separating the Clan War and the War Against the Shadow and just five between that war and the War of Spirits.

[edit] References