/tg/ Custom L5R Minor Clans

Butterfly Clan

History

The Butterfly clan traces its history back to the actions of its founder, Tomomori Ageha, who was the retainer of a minor family that lived on the edge of Crane lands, with only a small estate and shrine complex near a grave of trees – the shrine simply being known as the “Tomomori Shrine”, its original name lost to the mists of time, though it was referred to generally as the “Shrine of Lost Souls.”

Tomomori Ageha was a, plainly speaking, remarkably samurai-ko, though she had great reverence for the kami and spirits, and most of her time was spent in keeping up the shrine for the Tomomori daimyo, the shrine complex being nearly as large as the estate, and filled with many graves, necessitating much respect. Ageha more than once considered becoming a nun, feeling it was a better suit for her, but continued to serve her daimyo out of faith.

All this would change with the arrival of a traveling monk who became a close adviser to her lord, and began to spend much of his time in the shrine complex. Ageha was uneasy with this man from the first – while he was polite in front of her daimyo, he adopted a crude and arrogant manner elsewhere. The butterflies of the Tomomori shrine, which flocked in great numbers and were said to be the spirits of the dead, fled from the monk and would never alight upon or even near him. At night Ageha would find the Kindly Monk, as he wished to be referred to, alone in the shrine gardens. The suspicious death of Ageha’s father and then mother, and many others in the small family, led her to investigate the Kindly Monk in his quarters – where she found him practicing maho. Enraged and distraught, realizing that those she had loved had been murdered without her being able to do anything, she sought her daimyo, apologizing profusely, warning him of the maho in the midst of his court, and begging to be allowed to commit seppuku after the maho was dealt with, to atone for her failure to see the threat before it was too late.

However, it was even grimmer that she realized. As the Kindly Monk approached and spoke with the daimyo, she realized her master was under the blood sorcerer’s sway, and would not believe her, even as the maho openly mocked her. Eventually, in a desperate rage, she left to fetch her katana and returned, trying to cut down the maho – only for him to outdraw her with her daimyo’s own blade and wound her. Taking sick pleasure in watching the spirit of this samurai be crushed, the maho advised her daimyo to forbid her from committing seppuku, and banish her for her insolent actions – but not before having the rest of her family summoned, including the man who was to be her husband, and having them executed like common criminals before her eyes, as “accomplishes” to her attempted “assassination of a valuable retainer.”

And so Tomomori Ageha was cast out and made ronin. She struggled with her new existence, and the knowledge of her failure, and soon found herself contemplating seppuku in the room of the lowly inn she was staying at. As she prepared herself, a butterfly flew into the room and fluttered near her face. Enraged at the distraction and reminder of the home she had lost, she struck at it – but it easily fluttered around her clumsy blow, and came to rest on knife edge of her blade. Ageha was ashamed at her momentary anger, and decided not to disturb the little creature. Suddenly, a multitude of butterflies flew through her window, unafraid and alighting upon her. In a moment of epiphany, she realized that these must be the souls of her family, come to comfort her and remind her of her purpose. And so Ageha was humbled.

Tomomori Ageha began to work hard to improve her lax skills, and traveled from monastery to monastery, and up into the lands of the Dragon to learn from Taoist swordsmen. She sought calm and enlightenment, and used her sword as a method to contemplate the void, only drawing it to shed blood when necessary. She became as a butterfly – a lost soul wandering the Empire, swept along in the void. Fate was not finished with Ageha, however. For her travels eventually brought her back close to her home, where she saw a procession with the Imperial seal passing – a member of the Otomo family was on a sojourn visiting shrines, and wished to see the humble Tomomori shrine. This Otomo found himself well received at the estate of the daimyo, though the daimyo did not talk as much as the Kindly Monk who served him.

The pleasant dinner was interrupted, however, by the arrival of a ronin who made the shocking claim that the hosts of this place were all slaves of a maho sorcerer. It was an outrageous claim, but the ronin spoke with elegance and sincerity, and challenged the Kindly Monk as a maho sorcerer, letting him pick someone to duel her if he disputed her accusation. The Kindly Monk mocked her as insane and said he would happily thrash a madwoman ronin himself – though Ageha was not moved. This angered the Kindly Monk, who prided himself on his powers of manipulation, and he began to openly slander Ageha and her family, to the confusion of the Otomo dignitary watching the drama unfold. Ageha simply turned away and suggested they walk out into the gardens. Now enraged, the maho once again took the sword of his daimyo and attempted to strike Ageha down as her back was turned – but in one fluid motion she drew her katana from within the folds of her cloak, and beheaded the maho with a clean blow. She then bowed before the dignitary and apologized for bringing a katana into his presence. However, the dignitary wished to understand what had happened here, and Ageho told him, long into the night, her story, saying in the end that she could not let a member of the Imperial family be corrupted and potentially have the Empire be threatened, and offering to commit seppuku. Instead, she was requested to come to the Capital and demonstrate her techniques. And as they left, in the gloom, the dignitary saw from the shrine a swarm of butterflies circle into the twilight sky.

Ageha demonstrated her technique for the Emperor and, at his prompting, told her story to an enraptured court. The Emperor was impressed by both her skill and heroism – he ordered the Tomomori family extinguished and replaced with the new Ageha Family, who he permitted to form a minor clan, so that the swordsmanship of Ageha would not be lost, and that the Shrine could be protected from Maho. Ageha agreed, on the condition that the Shrine retained the Tomomori name. Soon Ageha attracted a following of interested students, including one whom she would go on to marry, and the Butterfly Clan was formed.

Lands

The lands of the Butterfly clan are rather small, located in the southern foothills of the Mountains of Regret. Their main holdings include the village and shrine of Tomomori, both named after the small nearby wood, which is known for its flowers, butterflies and ancient ruins from some forgotten war. Also included is the Ahega estate, which include a fortified manor somewhere between a house and a castle, and the Ahega dojo.

Customs

The small Ageha clan spends most of their days devoted to studying the Kenjutsu style of their founder, and her teachings, with much time spent meditating to further a samurai's connection with the Void. The clan's duties also see them tending and guarding the Tomomori shrine and forest. An interesting development is the growing tradition of Ageha samurai becoming renown bonsai gardeners, with many seeing the methodological art as a connection to void just as strong as meditation. The placid appearance of the gardens and their tenders, however, considers hidden steel: the Ageha clan produces some of the most deadly duelists in the Emerald Empire. Secluded amongst the multitudes of butterfly and bonsai gardens that dot the Ageha lands is the Butterfly Clan dojo, which is always busy with clan samurai learning Kenjutsu, Kyujutsu, and Iajutsu.

Families

Ageha: +1 Awareness

When Ageha allowed her first recruits into her clan, she showed little interest in those who came to her seeking the secret of the Swallowtail Cut. She seemed more interested in those with respect for the spirits, or who wished to use her techniques for meditation, and investigated the artistic skill of the applicants as much as their swordsmanship. The current clan is descended from her initial followers and those who married into her family.

Ageha Bushi

Benefit: +1 Void

Skills: Any two Artisan skills, Etiquette, Kenjutsu (Katana), Kyujutsu, Iajutsu, Meditation, any other High skill

Honor: 5.5

Outfit: Light Armor, Sturdy Clothing, Daisho, Kumi with 20 arrows, traveling pack, 5 koku.

Rank 1) Perfection In All Things The Ageha Bushi chases the moment of perfection in all things. A number of times per day equal to your School Rank, you can add your skill level in Iajutsu, Kenjutsu or Kyujutsu to any Artisan Skill Checks, or add your skills in an Artisan Skill of your choice to an Iajutsu, Kenjutsu or Kyujutsu roll.

Rank 2) Empty, and Become Wind The Ageha Bushi can sense the flow and intent in all things, if they but focus. While in the Center Stance, increase your TN by your School Rank x 2. Additionally, you gain +2k0 to all Meditation rolls.

Rank 3) Enter the Void In a moment of nothingness, time vanishes. You may attack as a simple action with weapons with the samurai keyword.

Rank 4) Read the Unwritten Scroll An Ageha Bushi can easily read the world, for all things have the same emptiness. Whenever you enter the Center Stance you may select any one opponent you can see, and make an Iaijutsu (Assessment)/Awareness roll as if in a duel that gives identical knowledge. However, raises do not give further information, but will act as free raises against that target in the following round. Additionally, you gain +2k0 to all Iaijutsu (Assessment) rolls, including duels and this technique.

Rank 5) The Swallowtail Cut The Ageha has mastered the attack of No Thought, striking without thinking. Whenever you are attacked in a skirmish while in Center Stance, once a turn, you may spend a Void Point to activate an attack of No Thought - with a Sword if attacked in close combat, or a Bow if attacked at range. You may attack before the enemy does, and however much damage they take from the attack is added to your TN for the resolution of their attack. On your next round, you may still earn your bonuses from having spent this round in Center Stance.

Other Minor Clans

Cut Imperial Archives Minor Clan Rules [1]