Three Dynasties: The Phoenix Clan

Hello, all! I'm back again to bring you the next installment of our articles about the Clans of Three Dynasties. Today, we will be trekking to the far northeastern corner of Rokugan, to the lands of the mystical Phoenix Clan. Their young champion, Shiba Tamashii, strives to help his people rise from the ashes, without drawing them into the larger conflict that seems to endlessly rage across the fractured Empire. 

Though they did not suffer as many casualties as some of the other Great Clans by number, the Phoenix are one of the smallest, and by percentages the losses were staggering. Hundreds, either those who fought the Yobanjin invaders or those who stood against Kanpeki's forces at the Battles of the Second and Third Seals, bought the survival of the Clan with their blood. Now, the Phoenix rebuild. They seek alliances, both old and new, with others who do not wish to be pulled into the conflict between the Iweko and Hantei Empresses.

One of those alliances have been with the Moshi family of the Centipede. Having returned to their traditionalist ways following the collapse of the old Mantis Clan, they have increasingly built ties with their like-minded mystical neighbors. The Centipede border the lands of Otosan Uchi directly. While unwilling to bend to the pressure from the Hantei Dynasty, the Moshi were willing to negotiate a pact of mutual defense with the Phoenix. A proud people, they would not be assimilated as the Dragonfly were, but were willing to enter an equal partnership. Their daimyo, Moshi Yuna, now sits upon the Elemental Council, taking the seat of Isawa Koiso, who stepped down willingly after a long tenture in order to formally seal this pact (with another piece by our frequent contributor Jonny Le Streghe ).

The City of Sacrifice represents the heart of the Phoenix, where the priestly shugenja dominate political life. It also leverages the diversity of elemental disciplines within the clan. City of Sacrifice is primarily a defensive honor deck, representing the traditional pacifistic and honorable nature of the Phoenix, and several support tools exist in Three Dynasties to help facilitate this play style.

When Shiba Tamashii helped open the Celestial Heavens, innumerable beings of myth and legend poured back into the mortal realm. One such being had, in fact, already been living there for some time: the so-called "Reverse Fortune", the enigmatic being known as Jotei, had adopted the guise of a human. Calling himself Isawa Keiji, he serves as the current Master of Void. His true goals remain a mystery, and when or if he reveals them -- or his true nature -- remains unknown.

Some of the innumerable mythical beings that entered the mortal realm settled in the lands of the Dragon, but many made their home in the lands of the Phoenix. Dozens of such creatures provided exactly what Tamashii had hoped they would: a natural, powerful deterrent to the Hantei regime's armies. While not exactly his or any Phoenix's to command, the creatures of Tengoku have little love for those who traffic with Jigoku. They also feel a special kinship with the Dragon Channelers of the Agasha family.

The Phoenix will also be bringing the full brunt of their magical talents to bear in the upcoming arc, both old and new, in applications both peaceful and, if necessary, destructive.

Meanwhile, in 'New Rokugan', the philosophy of neo-Fudoism continues to dominate the discourse of the many Phoenix refugees who now call it home. Their unique approach to the Tao and the pursuit of enlightenment will be explored more in a future expansion.

We hope you've enjoyed this very brief peek at what the Phoenix Clan will be bringing to the battlefields and courts of the divided Empire in Three Dynasties, and hope you're looking forward to more of what's to come next for Onyx Lives. Thank you all for your support.