The city of Kanazawa lies in a pass in the Spine of the World Mountains carved out by the river Kawa Mittsu Kishi, and links the lands of the Unicorn and the Scorpion. To the north of the pass, the great plateau of the Unicorn plains stretches out, while to the south, the rocky lands of the Scorpion play host to the river Kawa Mittsu Kishi. The Lion Clan lies to the east, but has avoided getting embroiled in the struggles over the city.
The Emerald Empire is made up of seven Great Clans: The Crab, Crane, Dragon, Lion, Phoenix, Scorpion, and Unicorn. Each Great Clan is in turn made up of several Great Families (these are what the books refer to as 'Families'), for example, the Asahina, Doji, Daidoji and Kakita are the Great Families of the Crane. Each Great Family is in turn made up of a series of houses (what the books call Vassal Families).
Within each Great Family, one house holds the position of Family Daimyo. For some Great Families, the house who holds this position is inherited quite strictly; for other Great Families, the most powerful house holds the position. Within each Great Clan, one Family Daimyo is also the Clan Champion. The position of Clan Champion is almost always held by one particular Great Family within that clan.
The power of Family Daiymo and Clan Champions varies considerably however. Some daiymo hold their position by the skin of their teeth and can at most offer suggestions to the other houses, while other daimyo can order all the houses of the family to act with the merest word. Likewise, some champions have only ceremonial powers, while others can bring the power of an entire Clan to bear. In general, most Family Daiymo can get the other houses to obey reasonable requests, albeit with some persuasion required, while most Champions can only offer suggestions to other daimyo.
As the game starts, the following Clan Champions are in power:
The Crab: Hida Tsuno. The Shadowlands have been active of late, and so the Crab are highly unified under his leadership (the Crab almost always rally to their Champion when the Shadowlands flare up). Tsuno is in his mid fifties and has held the position for several decades now.
The Crane: Doji Morita. Morita is a young woman still, and has only recently risen to the position of daimyo and champion, inheriting from her powerful mother upon her retirement. Morita appears to be at least as competent as her mother was, meaning that the Crane are likely to remain a relatively cohesive force for the time being.
The Dragon: Togashi Toshimoto. Little is known about the enigmatic Champion, and he appears to have little to no direct influence other the Families of the Dragon. The daimyo of the Mirumoto and Agasha are currently both vying for domination over the Kitsuki, but have been stalemated for several years now.
The Lion: Akodo Akihisa. Akihisa inherited control of the Akodo a few years ago from a weak father, and has established an almost iron control over his family since then. He's now maneuvering against the other families of the Lion, intent on becoming the first 'true' Champion of the Lion in several generations.
The Phoenix: The Elemental Masters lead the Phoenix, and this argumentative clan is currently as disunited as it normally is.
The Scorpion: Bayushi Hirohita. Outsiders are never entirely sure what's really going on in the Clan of Secrets, but if Hirohita has influence, it's never wielded directly. Hirohita has been clan champion for just over a decade.
The Unicorn: Shinjo Chun-tao. The Shinjo and Otaku follow Chun-tao without question, but her control over the rest of the Clan is more tenuous - especially among the independently-minded Iuchi. Chun-tao only became Clan Champion last year, and so how much control she will truly have remains to be seen.
The Soshi have 6 constituent houses:
Soshi Murai. This house uncovered evidence of maho in the Hare and held Kanazawa from 1015 to 1056, from 1072 to 1095, from 1101 to 1107 and from 1119 to 1120, when the Emperor took the city from them. At the height of their power, they were the most powerful of the Soshi houses.
Soshi Yoriko. One of the two great lineages of the Soshi.
Soshi Reiko. Strong allies of the Yoriko.
Soshi Saibankan. The other great lineage of the Soshi. They maintain the famous Soshi Magistrate school.
Soshi Takosho. Strong allies of the Saibankan.
Soshi Ogoe. An apolitical house who maintain the Soshi shugenja dojo.
The current daimyo of the Soshi is Soshi Saibankan Hokichi.
The Iuchi Great Family is made up of 5 houses:
Iuchi Seishiro. One of the traditional rulers of the Iuchi; they held Kanazawa from 1056 to 1072, and from 1107 to 1119. The most recent Iuchi daimyo was from the Seishiro, but Iuchi Seishiro Hoshiko perished in the events of 1120. The Seishiro maintain the prestigious Iuchi Shugenja dojo.
Iuchi Kutulun. One of the minor houses of the Iuchi who rose to expected heights in 1095 when they took Kanazawa and the position of daimyo in one daring move. Iuchi Kutulun Kauchiro died when the city was lost in 1101, and the house has not yet recovered. They maintain the dojo of the Travellers, a minor dojo.
Iuchi Nobunaga. Another minor house of the Iuchi, traditional allies of the Seishiro.
Iuchi Komiko. This isolated house maintains the tiny Meishodo dojo, which teaches a strange gaijin form of magic.
Iuchi Ayano. The Ayano are the second traditional ruling house of the Iuchi, and second only to the Seishiro in prestige.
At present, there is no Iuchi daimyo. Outsiders expect that Iuchi Seishiro Hoshiko's daughter, Sakiko will inherit her mother's tenuous control over the Iuchi. In the summer of 1121, this assumption is tested as the Ayano and Seishiro go to war to determine who will inherit Hoshiko's mantle.
The city was awarded to the ronin Reichin in 635, who played an instrumental role in the defeat of the Iuchiban, and was rewarded with his own minor clan, the Hare. When Reichin took over, the lands to the north were ruled by the Ikoma family of the Lion (the Unicorn were still travelling at this point) while the southern lands were ruled by the Soshi. The Hare weathered the political storm of the return of the Unicorn, seeing the Ikoma replaced by the Iuchi in 840. The city grew rich on the increase in trade which followed the return of the Unicorn, and the following era is widely regarded as Kanazawa's golden age.
In 1015, the Soshi Murai uncovered evidence of widespread corruption among the Hare. Fearing for the fate of a great city in the hands of evil rulers, they invaded and destroyed the Hare Clan. Though this act violated Imperial Law, when they presented evidence of the corruption of the Hare, the Emperor pardoned them, and allowed the Soshi Murai family to retain Kanazawa as one of their holdings.
The city recovered quickly from warfare, and the Murai grew rich on the taxes they levied and even began to dream of rising to daimyo of the Soshi. In 1056, the Iuchi Seishiro launched a surprise attack on the city, and the Murai were driven back in disarray.
The Murai spent 15 years recuperating, and the Seihshiro grew complacent. They soon learned that a Scorpion never forgets, and never forgives, as in 1072 the Murai retook the city after a long siege. The Murai were no fools and kept close watch on the Seishiro - however, they ignored the Iuchi Kutulun and were taken by surprise when another attack was launched in 1095.
The Kutulun were not destined to hold Kanazawa for long, and in 1101, the Murai retook the city after another prolonged siege. In 1107, the Seishiro attacked once more and took the city for their own. By now the city was a shadow of its former self, but it had become a matter of honour for all parties. No-one was surprised when the Murai attacked again in 1119 and took the city. In 1120, the city was besieged for fourth time in two decades as the Seishiro rode out once more.
The seige of Kanazawa stretched out for over a month, when it was suddenly interrupted by the emergence of large cult of Bloodspeakers. Summoned oni wandered the battlefield and streets, and many noble samurai fell to the taint. The Imperial Legions and Jade Magistrates were called in to deal with the matter, and though they succeeded in destroying the cult, the city was almost in ruins. Outraged at the incompetence of both the Iuchi and the Soshi, whose inattention had let matters spiral out of control, the Emperor decreed that the city of Kanazawa would be placed under the guardianship of the minor clan of the Wolf. The other clans of the Empire were each asked to provide a representative to form the ruling council of the Wolf, so that the city would remain independent of both the Unicorn and the Scorpion.
The Crab have sent a Yasuki courtier named Ryoji who has spent years travelling Rokugan drumming up support for the Carpenter Wall. His combination of monetary acumen and awareness of the Shadowlands mean that Crab are confident that they can prevent a repeat of the recent disasters.
The Crane sent a Kakita-trained duelist, whose charge had recently been murdered at a Lion winter court. Though publicly a jealous Dragon had been found guilty, rumours have spread that matters were not as straightforward as that... Some wonder why the Crane have sent a man who failed his charge, but none can doubt his skill with a blade.
The Dragon have sent a Tamori shugenja, who has served on the Carpenter Wall with distinction. A brash man, his politcal skills are questionable, but his mastery of Earth magic should serve the city well.
The Lion have sent an Akodo bushi, a man with a troubled past. He uncovered a powerful maho-tsukai who ruled among the Lion, and slew her. Though the evidence he provided was overwhelming, the public manner in which it was presented lost the Lion much face. Rumours say this is a punishment posting, a way to cast this man beyond the Lion Clan forever.
The city of Kanazawa is comprised of several districts, which are separated by internal walls and the river of Kawa Mittsu Kishi. The city is ringed by high walls, but there have been frequent breaches over the years, leading to a hodge-podge of different building materials and styles.
The Chuushin district contains various administrative buildings, including Kyuden Usagi. Kyuden Usagi was the original holding of the Hare Clan, long before the rest of the city rose. Originally conceived as a defensive fortification, it was remodeled by the Hare into a pleasant manor house part way through their reign. After the Scorpion conquered the city, they hastily rebuilt the walls and turned the building back into a true castle. As a result, Kyuden Usagi contains a mix of architectural styles, including some gaijin-inspired designs which are the legacy of the Iuchi. The only entrance into the Chuusin district is over the Bridge of Sighs, which passes over Peony Lake. This lake was originally dug to provide a pleasant view from Chuusin, but has become rather more of a moat in recent years, and few of the peonies which once lined its banks survive. The bridge itself is wooden, and is a pale shadow of the ornate original, which was burned down by the Hare in a desperate defensive maneuver. A few descriptions of the original bridge survive, all of which praise its beauty and elegance. The current bridge is a plain wooden affair, designed to be destroyed and rebuilt quickly.
To the north lies the Kurai district, which houses the barracks, dojo and training grounds of the city. The barracks are large enough to house an entire legion of troops with ease, and the buildings in this area are well constructed and maintained. A medium sized gate leads to the north of the city, and the Unicorn plains.
To the south of Peony Lake lies the Ichidou district, the smallest of the city's districts. Various shrines and temples have been built here, the majority of which are dedicated to various ancestors and fortunes. Whenever the city has changed hands, the decorations and dedications on the temples have changed, leading to an oddly temporary feel to many of the decorations. At present, the dedications reflect on glory of the Soshi and the Fortunes most revered by their family.
The Senzai district makes up the majority of the south eastern side of the city, and houses the samurai caste. This district is a shadow of its former self, and many houses lie derelict and empty. The few wealthy merchants who remain in the city have moved into some of the smaller houses in this area, a reward for their valued donations to the changing lords of Kanazawa. The Senzai gate leads towards the Lion lands.
The other side of the river plays host to the Shijou district and the Juutaku subdistrict. The Shijou district holds the docks, warehouses and markets which once made the city rich, and as a testament to their value, they lie mostly intact. A large gate leads towards the Scorpion lands to the south. The Juutaku subdistrict is as large as many of the other districts, but as it houses only heimen, it receives less administrative attention than many others. The houses in this district are of poor quality, as it is often one of the first to be burned in the frequent sieges of the city. Many eta also live in this area, and in peaceful times, their shacks line the road to the north which leads from the Juutaku Gate to the Unicorn lands.