Imperial Herald #13: The Lion Clan And Lion Deck: Kitsu

The Lion Clan

And Lion Deck Kitsu

by Edward Bolme

The Lion Clan, often called "the Right Hand of the Emperor," is the clan tasked with destroying all the enemies of the one who sits on the jade Throne. As a clan, they are renowned for their ferocity in battle, their tactical mastery, and their fearsome headlong charges. They are a proud and honorable clan, dressing in tans and earth tones, accented by gold and orange, and adorned with manes and talons and masks reminiscent of their namesakes.

At the founding of the Empire, so devoted was the first Akodo to the Emperor, it was prophesied that "when the last Akodo falls, so falls the Emperor." The Akodo family led the Lion Clan for a thousand years. In all that time, an army led by an Akodo general had never known defeat. That lasted until the fateful day that Bayushi Shoju of the Scorpion set his sights on Akodo Toturi.

The Scorpion had determined that an ancient prophecy was about to unfold, and that the last Hantei Emperor would bring the evil god Fu Leng back into the world, whereupon he could destroy Rokugan. The Scorpion determined that this could not happen, and decided to stage a coup, killing the Emperor to save the Empire. But to do this, they had to eliminate Akodo Toturi, the Lion Clan champion and perhaps the finest tactical mind the Lion Clan had ever seen.

Akodo Toturi was not only brilliant, but very honorable. He had no weakness, save only one... he was enamored of a geisha named Hatsuko. Bayushi Kachiko, the wife of Shoju, arranged to have the geisha poison Toturi, neatly removing him from the dangerous game the Scorpion Clan was undertaking. The coup was successful, and the Scorpion Clan captured Otosan Uchi, the Imperial capitol. Unfortunately for them, Toturi was sickened, but not killed, and returned to rally the other clans and crush the Scorpion.

The Emperor's son had escaped the Scorpion dragnet, and was installed as Emperor. As his first act, he cursed Toturi for failing to protect his father. He stripped the Akodo name not only from Toturi, but from his entire house. He stripped Toturi of his position, and made Matsu Tsuko, a hot- headed warrior, the Lion champion. Finally, he forbade Toturi the right to commit seppuku to purge his family of dishonor. Instead, Toturi was forced to live out his days as a ronin, outcast and disgraced.

In the wake of the coup, the Clan War broke out and strange wasting disease spread across the land. The Emperor was struck ill, and his new wife, Bayushi Kachiko, tended to him. The Emperor grew no better, instead his condition continually worsened, until people became amazed that he did not die. However, the reason he did not die was that Fu Leng was becoming manifest and possessing the disease-ridden body of the last Hante The prophecy the Scorpion had so feared was coming to pass.

Eventually it became obvious to everyone that the Emperor was no longer the brash young boy who had ascended the throne, but evil incarnate. This broke the Lion Clan in two. As a clan they had sworn by their priceless honor to protect the Emperor, yet now the Emperor himself was the greatest threat Rokugan had faced in a thousand years. Some Lions forswore their oaths, breaking their sacred vows to fight the true evil, while others defended the cackling Emperor with their lives, tainting their souls to uphold their oaths. Matsu Tsuko herself could neither protect the evil Emperor nor break her vow, so she committed seppuku, asking the dishonored Toturi to save her clan.

Toturi rallied the two factions and led the armies to victory over Fu Leng, becoming the Emperor.

In the wake of the Clan Wars, Ikoma Tsanuri, the new Lion champion (who had led the faction that had brokein their oaths), led the Lion Clan to help the Crab Clan, who were bitterly embattled by the forces of the Shadowland! led by a traitorous Crab shugenja. Meanwhile, while hall of the Lion armies were far afield, the Unicorn Clan tool the opportunity to attack the Lion homelands. Kitsu Motso (who had led the faction that had supported the Emperor) sent messengers to ask Tsanuri for help, but these messengers were caught and killed by Unicorn agents. This apparent lack of communication reopened the schism in the Lion Clan, and Kitsu Motso chose instead to turn to other help.

The Kitsu shugenja gathered together to summon an oni, the only help the Lion could find. Kitsu Okura, the jade Champion and advisor to Emperor Toturi the First, headed the ritual, and bound the oni to the service of th, Kitsu with his name. When the Lion unleashed Oni no Akura upon the Unicorn, the havoc the creature caused was amazing, and the Lion were relieved at their success... until the oni turned upon the Kitsu and demanded that her price be paid, paid with Kitsu blood.

As the Shadowlands taint spreads across the Lion Clan their chance to save their clan grows dim... Lion Deck

The new Kitsu Tombs opens up a whole new can of worms for the Lion clan (Lion clan purists should burn this page before reading). This deck is a straight-up assassination deck. Give the shadowlands trait to whoever is a threat, and destroy them. Ideally, you'll use the Blessings of Isawa to make Rest, My Brother an innate ability on one of your shugenja, and then, paired with Jama Suru, you can snark one personality a turn.

With the enemy contaminated, bowed, or dead, Oni no Akuma and Kyoso no Oni are then free to go and crush provinces.

The Forgotten Tomb allows you to get your low- force Lion personalities out quickly, while the Farmlands provide oni food and protection against ranged attacks.

Rares and Fixed Cards Used

The Charter of the Lion Clan, The Ikoma Tessen, The Lost Ono of Osano-Wo, The Kitsu Tombs, and Ikoma Ryozo (xx) are all fixed cards. You need the Pearl Shadowlands deck, and the jade, Pearl, and Ambition's Debt Lion decks.

Ikoma Ryozo (x) and War in the Shadowlands both appeared in Hidden Emperor, and should be easy to pick up in the singles market. Likewise, Nightmares of luchiban, Shadowlands Contagion, and the Mantle of the jade Champion all appeared in Dark journey Home, which is still available.

Bloodstrike, Shoju Sensei, and luchi Shahai (x) are from Honor Bound, and though Bloodstrike may be a little rough, you should be able to get the other two. After all, WotC did give away a bunch of rares at the HB prereleases.

The Hidden Heart of luchiban from Time of the Void may be your hardest find. It can be replaced by the Skull of Fu Leng, if you like.

There is No Hope, Oni no Akuma, Touch of Death, Imperial Gift, and Forgotten Tomb, while rare, have appeared in most editions of the game.

Deck Format Variants

To make this deck legal for Strict jade, replace the Forgotten Tomb with a Tomb of luchiban and a Writings of Kuni Yori, and replace Corrupted Ground with Encircled Terrain.

With open format add in Kitsu Toju (of course), plus take a good look at Courage of Osano-Wo, Touch of Despair, Wasting Disease, Oni no Shiukibu, and, best of all, Purity of Kitsu, which lets you ignore all those nasty corruption and nightmare tokens!

Kitsu (a.k.a. 'Sick and Wrong')

The Kitsu Tombs: Shoju Sensei

Dynasty Deck (40 cards)

Personalities

Holdings

Events

Regions

Farmlands 3

Fate Deck (40 cards)

Actions

Items

Kihos

Spells

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