The Forsaken One said:
Yes indeed, I expected all the large PL and IR families/clans and stuff to be on the islands of the Mantis, not in 2 small fortresses spread out over Rokugan.
Any Rokugan expert here care to explain ?
They probably have people there - I guess its up to Creamsteak if their 'power' can be based on the islands, since considering his storyline, it makes a lot more sense then trying to smuggle it next to Phoenix noses and in front of Crane eyes, both of whom know full well what gunpowder is (both of whom have used it
There is a very long timeline associated with Rokugan, but let me explain the various minor clans involved:
Centipede: A clan of female shugenja (the men are trained as bushi elsewhere) situated along the Mountains of Regret just south of the Phoenix lands. They have a special connection with the Fortune of Thunder, Osano-Wo, who happens to be the founder of the Mantis.
Mantis: The eldest and most powerful of the Minor Clans, they were founded by Osano-Wo, and granted clan status with the political backing of the Phoenix (how times change indeed). During the Clan War, the daimyo of the Mantis, Yoritomo, gathered all of the surviving minor clans under his banner, as Yoritomo's Alliance.
Wasp: One of the youngest of the minor clans, about 60 years old in the current storyline. Tsuruchi dealt with treachery after treachery by Lion and Scorpion, gaining the support of the Crane, and joining the Three-Man Alliance with the Fox, Sparrow, to hold off the Scorpion armies. The Wasp are legendary archers, making their home castle to be more of a giant porcupine...
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Anyway, Yoritomo gathered all the minor clans under his banner, but he was eventually corrupted by the Lying Darkness - the Shadow. It drove him to attack the Phoenix lands, and his alliance began to fall apart. Eventually, only the Wasp and Centipede remained, and were absorbed into the Mantis, keeping their family names - Tsuruchi and Moshi, respectively.