Editing Sydenham Campaign (section)

====The Distant Past====

In the long lost past--perhaps even the imaginary past--Akodo and Shinsei walked together. While walking, Shinsei tripped on a tree root sticking up out of the ground. He fell to the ground and laughed. Akodo did not understand this, but helped Shinsei to his feet. Akodo himself then tripped over another tree root, and when he fell to the ground, he too laughed. This little koan is the basis of Two Roots monastary, which claims to be built at the original location of the Two Roots.

Some twenty years before the campaign begins our story truly begins. At this time, Two Roots was governed by Akodo Yong-nui, and his young Dragon wife, Akodo Daima. Akodo Yong-nui was an accomplished General of the Lion army, and his family traditionally protected the monastary and the lands of Two Roots. His family lived in a modest house between the monastary and the main village. Technically Akodo Yong-nui governed three prefectures, collectively known as Two Roots. By this time Akodo Yong-nui had five children.

Akodo Yong-nui's liege-Daimyo was Ikoma Ishinara. It was 20 years before our tale began that the Ikoma Ishinara's family was attacked, and both of his young daughter's separated from their father. Ikoma Ishinara and his wife both perished in the attack. Ikoma Ishinara's young bushi, Ikoma Toshiro, prepared to commit sepukku for failing to protect the family, but was prevented from an honourable end by the dying request of Daimyo Ikoma Ishinara himself. Ikoma Ishinara asked Toshiro to hold off on sepukku until he knew of the fate of Ikoma Kumi and Ikoma Tanto, Ishinara's two infant daughters. Toshiro did as his Daimyo requested, and so began a twenty year quest and descent into the Ronin lifestyle as he searched first for the two girls, and then for the two young women.

Without heirs to take his place, the Ikoma family passed the holdings of Daimyo Ishinara onto another, Ikoma Enara, an equally worthy man by all accounts. Daimyo Enara divided up what significant personal items remained of Ishinara's estate on to vassal family's. This distribution included giving Daimyo Ishinara's helmet to Akodo Yong-nui.

It was at this time that Akodo Yong-nui brought home a young country girl as his mistress. Her origins are uncertain, but she bore for Yong-Nui two children, Shing-shing and his younger Brother Xiao-biao. The young girl died with the birth of Xiao-biao. With her death, Akodo returned to his wedding bed, and bore two more children with Daima, his wife.

Also about this time, Kitsu Daisuke's mother, a Geisha, slept with his father, a Shugenja of nearly legendary ability. His father went on to marry a Hida woman of the Crab Clan.