Kakita Takumi is the first son of Kakita Haruki, a lord of a minor estate in Crane lands. Takumi trained at the Kakita Duelling School, becoming a competent Duellist. After his gempukku ceremony he was assigned as yojimbo to Doji Akemi, a Crane Courtier assigned to spend time travelling between Lion courts, representing Crane interests in the lands of their traditional rivals.
Takumi soon found himself falling in love with Doji Akemi. However, he knew that his love could never come to anything, as it would interfere with his sworn duty to protect Akemi, as well as the fact that she was betrothed to another high-ranking Crane Courtier.
As Takumi was his first son, Kakita Haruki soon began to look for a suitable betrothal for him. However, when Takumi was on a visit back to Crane lands with Doji Akemi, his mother Kakita Satomi, a Doji-trained courtier, soon perceived his feelings for Akemi. Satomi was a romantic at heart and hoped that Akemi would end up reciprocating Takumi’s feelings, so she persuaded her husband to postpone arranging Takumi’s betrothal on the pretext that he should distinguish himself as yojimbo to Akemi in the Lion courts first, to attract the best match.
Then disaster struck. When they were back in the Lion courts, Doji Akemi attracted the unwanted attention of Mirumoto Ken, a visiting Dragon samurai. Despite Akemi’s refusals Mirumoto Ken persisted in his pursuit of her, until the only course left to her was to ask Takumi to challenge him to a duel to first blood, a task he readily accepted. Takumi easily beat the Dragon, who was humiliated in front of the whole Lion court. That night, Akemi was murdered.
Distraught by the death of his beloved Akemi, Takumi threw himself into finding out who the culprit was. Despite rumours of Bloodspeakers at the court, suspicion naturally fell on Mirumoto Ken, and with Takumi’s testimony about his pursuit of Akemi and the witnesses in the court of the duel, Mirumoto Ken was convicted and executed.
Takumi returned to his family, spending a Winter there. He was melancholy and listless, and his parents were greatly concerned for his well-being. When the call came for a Crane representative to be part of the new Wolf Clan, it was suggested that Takumi would be a good choice as he had experience of various courts and was several years out of his gempukku, but was still eligible to marry and form good alliances for the Wolf.
Kakita Haruki: Takumi’s father. A Kakita Artisan, and lord of a minor estate. Husband of Kakita Satomi. A famed artisan and competent lord, although a bit under the thumb of his wife.
Doji Akemi: Takumi’s “Lost Love” – Takumi was her yojimbo, and she was murdered at a Lion Court. She was betrothed to another, so Takumi didn’t declare his feelings to her, a decision he still regrets, as he can’t be sure whether or not she knew or felt the same about him. She was a very able Doji Courtier (is there any other kind?).
Kakita Satomi: Takumi’s mother. A Doji-trained Courtier. A romantic, who dotes on her children. She persuaded her husband to postpone Takumi’s betrothal, to give his love with Doji Akemi a chance.
Mirumoto Ken: A Dragon bushi, who pursued Doji Akemi until she got Takumi to duel him. Ken lost the duel, and after the murder of Akemi later that night he was tried and convicted of the crime, and executed.
Okami Chouko: Born Kakita Chouko, she is Takumi’s younger sister (5th child) aged 17. Trained in the Doji Courtier School, she is used to getting her own way from her doting mother. Accompanying Takumi to join the Wolf Clan.
Kakita Takumi: Takumi is named for his great grandfather Takumi, who was a Duellist yojimbo. While protecting his charge he was the only Crane in his party not to be taken in by the manipulations of a Bayushi Courtier, who had convinced the rest of the Crane that there was no Scorpion threat on their Western borders. Takumi persuaded his superiors of the threat, and reinforcements were sent just in time to prevent the Scorpion invasion. For his efforts, Takumi was awarded the lands now held by his grandson Kakita Haruki.