Snake Clan

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The Way of the Snake

Written by Kitsune Akemasu as an alternative to having the Snake become a Shadowlands Family. Posted by RogueMoon

The Snake were originally founded by Isawa Chuda, a famous Maho-hunter who was granted permission by the Emperor to form his own clan and pass his name down to his descendants. They were destroyed when their Daimyo accidentally summoned the Shuten Doji, an evil spirit of the Shadow lands. The spirit soon spread throughout the entire clan, and the Phoenix were forced to annihilate the Snake.

Recently, during the rain of Toturi I, a few years after the spirit wars, a ronin named Ryoma became quite well known as a battle commander, even earning command of the 2nd Imperial Legion, and an acknowledgement from the Emperor himself. During his adventures with a group of magistrates, Ryoma revealed himself as one of the last survivors of the Snake, banished the Shuten Doji back to Jigoku and recovered the Ancestral Sword of the Snake. In return for his serves to the empire, Toturi reinstated the Snake clan, and Chuda Ryoma became its Daimyo.

Ryoma had many dealings with the Fox and Scorpion clans, and in doing so, gained many allies. Ryoma’s wife was from the Hare clan, so the two clans have been rather close allies as well.

Lands

When the Emperor searched for an area to give the Snake for their new lands, the Scorpions volunteered to give up a small section of their lands near Kitsune Mori. The Land was fertile, and had many large roadways going through it, making it valuable for Trade as well. The Scorpions were also generous enough to provide stone and other building materials for the construction of Shiro Chuda. The other clans looked at this generosity with suspicion, but the Scorpions simply smiled behind their masks and continued their work. The Snake Clan’s entire territory is only about 4 square miles in size, with most of it being used for farming to feed the Snake’s ever growing population. At the heart of Snake Territory is Shiro Chuda, a functional castle that houses the Chuda Shugenja School. The Castle is not especially large or luxurious, but its walls are strong, and it commands an impressive view of the surrounding lands, and none of the peasants have ever had to complain about bandits.

Thoughts of the Clans

-Crab: The Snake hunt down users of blood magic inside the empire so that the Kuni do not have to, so what more need be said about them? Those who do no trust the Snake because they once fell to darkness obviously don’t remember Kuni Yori, or Isawa Tsuke. Or Hantei XXXIX.

-Crane: The wife of the Snake Daimyo is trained by the Doji, so at least they have some taste, but at the same time they are nearly as ruthless as the Kuni in what they claim is Hunting Maho.

-Dragon: We have had very little contact with these Chuda, except when one of their hunters comes to accuse us of using Maho, but all the same, what is a Dragon if not a giant Serpent?

-Lion: Chuda Ryoma was a great General, perhaps even the equal of our tacticians, and for that we respect them, but their bushi train with the Scorpion, and for that we cannot trust them. In either case, they are far from our lands, and unless they become a threat to the Empire, we will simply ignore them.

-Mantis: The Snake are a Minor clan now, just as we once were. The Chuda hunt Maho, just as the Tsuruchi hunt criminals. They would make fine allies, except that they insist on allying themselves with the Scorpion.

-Phoenix: While the Empire rushes to embrace the Snake, we watch. While the Snake vow never to fall to darkness again, we prepare. We pray to be wrong, but once the darkness has you, it rarely lets go. Shinsei says to Forgive and forget, but the Scorpions say “why? So you can fool me again the second time?”

-Scorpion: We know the secrets of the Snake, and we know their strengths. They are our allies, and they have earned our loyalty. Should the Phoenix try to move against the Chuda, they will feel the Scorpion’s sting.

-Unicorn: We know very little about these Snake, not nearly enough to judge. A Snake cannot reach you when you are on a horse, but it can bite at your horse’s legs.

-Minor Clans: The Snake have become very powerful very quickly, and they have made powerful allies in the Great clans. They perform an important service for the Empire, yet we must be cautious, lest they become too ambitious.

The Snakes Views on other Clans

-Crab: I fought on the Wall with the Crab once, and for that I respect their fighting skills. They leave me alone, and I leave them alone. – Chuda Ryoma

-Crane: The Crane are nice enough. Their cities are some of the most beautiful places I have ever seen. I have nothing but respect for their duelists, and their food is excellent. I just wish the weren’t so, oh what’s the word… stuck up. -Chuda Ryoma.

-Dragon: The Dragon are far from our lands, and I know little of them, but that does not mean I am not willing to be allies. –Chuda Ryoma

-Lion: I have honestly never met a lion for any lengthy period of time, although I hear from my allies that they are not to be trusted. –Chuda Ryoma.

-Mantis: I have served with several Mantis, and I respect their strength and prowess of the sea. On the other hand, they tend to think they are the only ones with such abilities. –Chuda Ryoma.

-Phoenix: I forgave the Phoenix long ago for what they did to us. Yet still, they will not trust us. What must we do to prove ourselves? If we are enemies, it is their doing, not mine. –Chuda Ryoma

-Scorpion: The Scorpion have been our greatest allies, and our bushi train in their schools. Others say that the Scorpion cannot be trusted, but that is because they have never earned a Scorpions true loyalty. –Chuda Ryoma

-Unicorn: I value the Unicorns resourcefulness, and their knowledge of what lies outside the Empire, but I am still cautious, as they are far from our lands, and I know little about them- Chuda Ryoma.

-Minor Clans: Obviously I have good relations with other minor clans; otherwise I would not have founded the Southern Alliance in the first place. It is important that we stand up to our big brothers in the Major clans, or how can they respect us? –Chuda Ryoma.

The Snake Clan Shugenja School

Chuda Family Bonus +1 Willpower

School Bonus +1 Perception

Starting Honor 2.0

Starting skills Storytelling(Oratory), Calligraphy, Investigation, Kenjutsu, Lore: Maho, Meditation, any 1 Low skill.

Affinity/Deficeincy: Chuda Shugenja have an Affinity for Earth spells and a deficiency for Air spells.

Technique: *There was not a technique listed when I pulled this from the AEG Homebrew Forum. –RogueMoon

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, Counterspell, 3 Earth, 2 Fire, 1 Water.

Starting Outfit: Kantana, Wakizashi; Kimono and sandals, Traveling pack, scroll satchel, finger of jade on a cord, 2 koku.

Snake Bushi may train at the Bayushi Bushi School free of charge.

Snake Ancestors

Chuda Ryoma (6pts)

Chuda Ryoma was born as one of the last untainted Snakes. He died as Daimyo to a reborn clan. It was Ryoma’s service to the empire that convinced Toturi to reinstate the Snake, and his spirit still guides snake Maho-hunters to this day. Ryoma was a powerful spell caster, but he was also a Tactical Genius, and he understood that the two could be intertwined. Characters who take Ryoma as an ancestor may add their Spellcraft to any role involving Battle, and may add their Battle skill to any spell casting roles.

Nemuranai

Musei Chuda (ancestral Sword of the snake)

The Ancestral sword of the Snake was held by the Shuten Doji for quite a long time before Ryoma retrieved it, and yet somehow it remained free of taint. It is a 4k3, Superior Quality Katana. In addition, the sword protects the user from gaining shadowlands taint (unless he takes it willingly), and has the properties of Crystal for the purposes of harming Shadowlands or Living Darkness creatures.