SHIRO MORITO [MC10]
The foreboding fortress of the Ox Clan is one of the most
militant holdings along the Empire’s northern border, even
taking into account the neighboring lands of the Dragon and
Phoenix. Although those Great Clans command vastly supe-
rior resources and military forces, they are also among the
more peaceful of the Emperor’s servants, whereas the Ox are
among the most warlike. Shiro Morito is a fortress, and none
would ever make the mistake of considering it a palace or
even a castle, although for simplicity’s sake the latter title is
normally applied. It is perhaps the largest military installation
under the control of a Minor Clan anywhere in the Empire.
Many find it very strange that a Minor Clan would defend
itself so fiercely, but assume it is because the clan is situated
close to the Great Wall of the North and might have to fend
off attacks from Yobanjin raiders from outside Rokugan’s
northern border. While this is true to some extent, in truth the
founder of the Ox Clan was actually a high-ranking member
of the subversive Kolat conspiracy, and built the fortress in
its current location as a means of defending the conspiracy’s
secret headquarters, hidden in the mountains behind.
THE GAME MASTER’S CHAPTER
Shiro Morito does contain a court chamber, which is used
quite infrequently, as well as a large dojo and what is like-
ly the largest stable in the Empire outside the Unicorn Clan
provinces.
SHIRO USAGI [MC11]
362
Book of Void
TANUKI GROVE [MC12]
At some point during the Empire’s history, a Badger Clan
samurai was lost within the depths of the Shinomen Mori
for more than a year. The man emerged with no sense of the
time he had lost, but experienced terrifying dreams of strange
spirits, the likes of which no one had ever encountered. The
Emperor of that era was a scholarly man with an interest in
the spirit realms, and had the Badger brought before him for
several days to learn all he could about what the man had
seen. At the conclusion of their discussions, the Emperor de-
clared the samurai to be the lord of a new Minor Clan, which
the Badger named the Tanuki Clan in honor of his parent clan.
Their duty was to delve into the mysteries of the Shinomen.
The clan dwelled within a small grove of trees on the outskirts
of the forest, and submitted regular reports to the Imperial
City as mandated by their charter. The Emperor who created
the clan died shortly thereafter, however. His heir found the
Tanuki absurd but amusing, and read their reports to the Im-
perial Court as a form of entertainment. In the generation
after that, the new Emperor sought to dissolve the clan and
erase what he saw as an embarrassment to his grandfather’s
name – but when Imperial agents arrived at Tanuki Grove,
they found nothing. No trace of the samurai of the Tanuki
Clan was ever found, and their names were stricken from
many records, rediscovered centuries later purely by accident.
TOKU TORID-E [MC13]
The Vigilant Keep of the Monkey is the principle holding of
the Monkey Clan, called by some the favored vassals of the
Toturi Dynasty. Within decades of the clan’s formation, the
keep was nearly destroyed on two separate occasions, but
each time ample funds were made available by the Imperial
families to facilitate its reconstruction. Although by no means
as impressive as the fortifications of the Great Clans, or even
some of the more militant Minor Clans, Toku Torid-e is a
soundly and strategically constructed castle, better built than
many of its size thanks to its Imperial funding. It is the site
of one of only three major Monkey Clan dojo, and the largest
dojo the clan maintains. It is also home to the Empire’s larg-
est shrine to Toku, the Fortune of Virtue and the founder of
the Monkey Clan. The Toku have also built individual shrines
devoted to each Emperor of the short-lived Toturi Dynasty,
for Toku himself was a close friend and ally to the dynasty’s
founder and his descendents continue to hold the Toturi in
the highest regard.
TSI UCHI [MC14, LOCATED INSIDE I16]
Despite the status of the Oriole as one of the youngest Mi-
nor Clans in the Empire, they have little want for material
goods, and indeed are well on their way to becoming one of
the wealthiest Minor Clans. Proof of this can be seen in the
fact that within six months of their founding the clan began
purchasing and developing holdings within the Imperial City
itself.
Long before they became a formally recognized family, the
Tsi were among the greatest ronin smiths ever to draw breath,
and their creations, particularly their famed Tsi Blades, were
sought all across Rokugan. Now that they possess clan status,
the Tsi have more leverage to demand good prices or favor-
able exchanges for their splendid creations – when they were
ronin, rejecting an offer that seemed unreasonable could le-
gitimately be met with violence from an offended clan samu-
rai.
Despite the Oriole Clan’s newfound wealth, Tsi Uchi is
rather meager in its appearance, and seems more of a mer-
chant house than a grand estate. Its coloration is drab, with a
strong tendency toward a militant style of decoration. There
are many rock gardens but few flowers or cherry trees such as
might be found in other clan estates. Of course, Tsi Uchi does
boast some of the finest forges anywhere in Rokugan, rivaled
only by the great forges of the Kaiu and Tamori. Although the
estate serves the clan well for now, plans are underway for a
larger, vastly grander castle to be built once need arises.