Editing Sydenham Campaign (section)

====The Recent Past====

Ikoma Toshiro spent twenty long years searching for the heirs to Ishinara, in order to join his Daimyo in glorious death, and his pursuit bore him no fruit. Separated by time and distance from his lion roots, he took up the ronin way of life, and left behind his Ikoma name. He became fond of Sake, and abandoned honour.

Daisuke, or Kitsu Daisuke as he would come to be known, was raised in a poor, distant village. He served as the bouncer for the local Sake house, and knew nothing of his shugenja and samurai heritage, and didn't much care for the fact that his mother was known to be a Geisha.

Matsu Jiro and Ikoma Hatsuo, Matsu Jiro's omoidaesu, were nakema and practically inseparable from their shared infancy deep in Matsu lands.

Ikoma Hatsuo was the last of his line, and seemed determined to make the most of his young charge, recording his noble history, and manipulating events, when necessary to enhance it. Jiro, on the other hand was raised to be a Samurai, and frequently picked on by his much more skilled sisters. Of particular note, and of particular meanness was his second-oldest sister, Matsu Tayama.

Akodo Yong-niu raised both of his illegitimate children within his family, but always understood that they would not be destined for the greatness of his legitimate heirs. Shing-shing, the older son, recieved his father's favour, and became quite skilled at the bow. He was older and well-behaved, and ultimately his father entrusted him to Master Shan the Abbot of Two Roots Monastary to raise his son as a monk. Xiao-biao was more troublesome, and had a habit of disappearing into the countryside for weeks at a time, and simply could not be corralled into living a more sedate and becoming lifestyle.