Mantis Clan

When the children of the Sun and Moon fell to earth, they established seven clans-one for each of the children, excepting Fu Leng and Hantei. Each clan has its families, and on various occasions over the thousand-year history of the empire, families have split off from their parent clans to become clans in their own right, usually in recognition of a particular act in service to the empire . Only once has a minor clan risen to become a great clan in its own right-the Mantis clan-but now the clan is in decline, and seems destined to lose that status within the next few years.

RECENT HISTORY

Each minor clan has its own story, but the key story of recent years is the rise and fall of the Mantis clan. Under the leadership of Yoritomo, the Mantis clan grew in power during the Clan Wars. Under the banner of Yoritomo's Alliance, the Mantis, Centipede, Wasp, Fox, Tortoise, and Sparrow clans became a major force in the Clan Wars and beyond. Yoritomo, however, angered many samurai with his brash arrogance and evident designs upon the throne of the empire itself. Shortly after achieving the goal for which the alliance was formed the recognition of the Mantis (with the Centipede and the Wasp) as a great clan-the Fox left the alliance and allied with the Crane. Yoritomo himself was killed during the Battle at Oblivion's Gate, provoking the dissolution of the alliance entirely.Though the Mantis clan remains an important clan, led now by the Scorpion traitor Yoritomo (formerly Bayushi) Aramasu, the new daimyo's leadership is weak and he has made many powerful enemies. It seems clear that the days of the minor clans' glory are over.

MINOR CLAN LANDS

The Yoritomo family of the Mantis clan dwells on the islands to the southeast of Rokugan's mainland. The two largest islands in this archipelago are known as the isle of Silk and the Isle of Spice, after the Mantis' primary exports. The Tsuruchi family lands are nestled in the Spine of the World Mountains, centered on Kyuden Ashinagabachi, just south of the Red Lake. The Moshi palace lies in the Mountains of Regret, in the midst of Phoenix lands.