The Firefly clan (3rd Edition)

NB : the Firefly clan is an official creation that was printed in Way of the Daimyo. But it was created only as an example of creating a school and creating a minor clan. Then, it doesn’t exist in canon Rokugan.

Founding of the clan :

In 1136, a young imperial magistrate named Shinjo Jainu was assigned to a decrepit tower overlooking the sea along the shore between Otosan Uchi and the Phoenix lands. Jainu did so for several years, but was worried by the size of the territory he had to patrol. He then hired ronins with his own salary, creating regular patrols and a permanent force in the area. In 1152 Jainu’s men pushed back a small invasion force of allied Yobanjin tribes that had planned to raid more south, but had their ships pushed here by a storm. Jainu and his men held it off until the Seppun could arrive and destroy all of them.

The Emperor Toturi I, who was rebuilding an empire 2 years after the end of the War with the Spirits, saw a group of brave men and rewarded them with their own minor clan. Jainu named it the Firefly, for the fires they have maintained along the coast, and took the family name Hotaru from Jainu’s father.

The clan then worked on surviving, as it is always the most difficult part in the founding a new minor clan. The Fox had already a good number of members when he was founded, the Mantis took his time to grow and accepted members of others clans and ronins, the Badger had ronins joining him as much as Crabs, the Bat had authorisation to recruit among the Mantis, but like the Oriole, the Firefly didn’t had any of those resources. Neither had they the financial support of any clan. It was difficult times, but Jainu managed to survive, by having accords with the Agasha and the Kasuga. Ronins coming from the Hub villages were interested to join the clan, and the Otomo sent them money in exchange for patrolling the coast. It was not a huge lot of money and men, but the Firefly was able to maintain their ranks and even increase a bit in size.

Then in 1159 Otosan Uchi was attacked by the Shadowlands, and burned by the Lion when they discovered they couldn’t save it. This was a huge blow for the small clan. Their mission of patrolling the coast was lessened from it, as they was less ships passing by this cursed area, less resources, less trades and more problems. A few Shadowlands creatures where still lurking around, and even darker things. Jainu died shortly after that of despair and old age.

The clan was in disarray, and Jainu’s wife, Shonoko, took over until her only son Jainu (the 2nd) reach adulthood. The clan was nearly destroyed at this time, and most of the Imperial Archives have even forgotten their existence. In the turmoil of the Four Winds era, from the second Yasuki war to the March of the Four Winds, and among others the War of Snow and Fire, no one really missed them. Or even remembered them, as they had nearly no contacts with others clans. The Tortoise abandoned them gladly to their fate to rebuild their own resources, and the Agasha had other concerns. Starvation and disbanding shrunk the clan, expect for the fishermen who still had enough : Shonoko always let them enough to feed them before taking the taxes. This way allowed the villages to remains and even if many samourais left to go back to their life as ronins, the loyal members still had someone to give them food. Trades was scarce, expect with the Agasha villages. The Agasha daimyo forgot their accords, but the Agasha villagers and magistrates that lived next door of the Firefly didn’t : they kept their parts of the bargain, even if the food sent to the Hotaru was cut by two third because of the fact the others provinces didn’t sent their share as the Agasha daimyo didn’t reminded them.

Shonoko hold her clan through those times, before dying of malnutrition. The young Jainu (the 2nd) took her place and traded patrols with the Agasha again during the War of Thunder and Fire. The Firefly warriors where no match to the Mantis, but they never draw a blade against their troops : they just warned the Phoenix of their approach. Since Yoritomo Naizen moved the battle up north, they were paid to patrol and find nothing. This helped a lot the rebuilding of the clan. Shonoko negotiated to protect the Tortoise ships and the trading caravans of the Phoenix going to the Hub villages that were rebuilt, the Seppun offering them supplies and the help of the Miya’s Emperor Blessing.

The clan now has three fisherman villages and three dozen of samourais. They have enough food and supplies for themselves, but little to trade and little stocks. They have barely expanded their holdings and are looking for any opportunities to increase their resources.

Ressources :

The clan own little arable lands. He then looked for peasants from holdings not controlled by the Great Clans willing to move to the villages that would support their watchtowers. With the sea really close and the great fishing lands that he was given, unused under the control of the Imperials, he found a few dozen of families interested. He then was able to create two small villages that would provide fishes and a few crops.

The area given to them has been their to patrol for two decades, and they had rebuilt and manned those through the years. They were granted to them by the Emerald Champion Seppun Toshiken without a problem, as it was less lands for his legions and magistrates to patrol. The samourais then started to fix and expands them, creating two main towers, and a great central watchtower that would be known as Hotaru Torid-e, the Firefly keep and house of the Firefly daimyo.

Looking for supplies, the Firefly offered the Agasha to patrol their coastline in exchange of food, what the Phoenix gladly accepted. The Tortoise accepted same to learn about the ships patrolling north of the Imperial city. The accord felt down during the Four Winds era but was renewed during the War of Fire and Thunder and is for now holding. They built a third village next to their 3rd tower using the resources of the Emperor’s blessing and from the Seppun in trade for protecting the caravans and ships coming from the north towards the Hub Villages. They also opened a little copper mine near their 2nd tower. It produces little that can be used for such a clan, but it can always be traded for more important resources. The Tsi, as ronins then later as the Oriole clan, trade it for services of repairing the weapons of the poor Firefly and some others crafts. That always leave the Hotaru in a difficult position as their resources are scarce and limited. They are too few to send their men as mercenaries like the Mantis and the Badger, and have nothing of value to offer.

For now, the best resources of the clan are their services as patrollers and the fish. Their fishermen have been able to fish some really special fishes that are sold for a good price to the Otomo and the Crane. But those fishes are difficult to caught, and Jainu knew it, fishing too much will only kill them. He has ordered strict quotas on those species. It includes the Red Sea Bream (akadai). This type of fish is very desirable in Rokuganni cooking, and often served auspicious occasions.

The clan :

Quickly after founding the clan, Jainu married of one his lieutenant to have a line of succession, despite his advanced age. His yoriki, ronins who had served him for years, swore fealty for nearly every one of them. He then had two dozens of samourais under his service. All of those who served the clan until their retirement or death, but the clan grew bigger until the destruction of Otosan Uchi. Many of those who joined the clan during this time period later left when the situation started to degrade for the Hotaru family.

The clan holds now three dozen of samourai, with a dozen living in the 2nd tower, the one the more up north and closest to the Phoenix, an handful living in the 3rd tower in the south, and the rest living in Hotaru Torid-e. Nearly none of the original members of the clan are alive. Only the three senseis of the Hotaru school are, and one retired member as a monk advisor to the young Jainu (the 2nd). The clan has no adult shugenja for now, even if they are trying to recruit some from the Forgotten Sons and the Kanosei Fundera order, and only a few shrines who are mostly devoted to local really minor fortunes. The most important ones are to the fisherman and the sea fortunes, but even those have suffered through the terrible events of the War in the Heaven.

The Hotaru samourais have no particular customs of their own. They have been through a lot, and barely a generation has passed since they are actually a clan. They held a lot of their traditions as ronins. They patrol extensively their lands and have good relations with the peasants, who helped them survive through so much. The only real particular customs they have is the huge use of lanterns : they have really often decorated lanterns all over their houses. They keep them lighted all night, and everywhere. The towers of the Hotaru are like a fire light in the dark, and no one walking during the night ever need one of his own as the lights of the houses light the whole villages.

Military :

The Hotaru have their own bushi school (that you can found in the web supplement updating the schools to the 3rd edition), that was created by Oshio. Known now as Hotaru Oshio and hatamoto of Hotaru Jaino, Oshio was a talented ronin swordman that spent his life trying to create his own techniques and fighting style. With Jainu’s help he created during his years of services as a Yoriki a serie of katas that would later, when Jainu became a daimyo and didn’t had time to train his clansmates, be the basics that would evolve in a couple of years in the Hotaru bushi school.

Oshio died of old age shortly before Jainu’s wife. His best students are now the senseis of the school, and two of them lives and trains in the house of the Hotaru, and the third in the 2nd tower. Hotaru Tasami is the headmaster. He has taken a part in the training of every samourai of the clan at one time or another, and is soon to retire. He is now 50 years old and the only member of the clan older than him is his sister Narumi who retired and serve as advisor to the young Jainu (the 2nd).

Troubles :

The criminal activity has recently risen up a lot in the region. More groups of bandits have been seen around the place, moving up north. No one have any explanation for that, but that is starting to worry the small clan. Some others ronins, who show themselves as the Spider Clan, have been offering help and men to the Hotaru. Jainu (the 2nd) was desesperate for such help and gladly accepted. (Daigotsu) Masahiko is the actual liaison between the two clans, and lives in the Firefly Tower.

Character :

Hotaru Saeba :

Hotaru bushi 1 / minor clan diplomat 1

Saeba is neither your typical neither your untypical Firefly samourai as they are so little that they don’t have a common culture. But Saeba distinguish himself as he works for a Phoenix lord as a cook. Officially an emissary of his clan to the Agasha, he quickly learned that he needed to provide something to his host or have his clan loose respect. He then joined a cooking contest in the Crane quarter of the City of the Honored Treaty and won. Saeba have learned to cook early in his life, as the clan needed peoples like this to make sure the food supplies of the Hotaru wasn’t wasted. He then became talented at it, and without surprise, especially when preparing fish-based meals.

As a samourai, Saeba isn’t actually working as a cook. He is only devoting himself to the mastery of the cooking techniques, and offers his work to the Agasha daimyo of the Omoidasu province. Then he receives gifts of value that are sent to his clan.