Editing Unicorn Clan (section)

==Culture & Role==
To sum it up: Horses, traveling, and doing things differently. Much of the Unicorn's culture was defined by their big road trip, and as a consequence, that left them EXTREMELY different from the rest of Rokugan.

Equestrianism and exploration are big deals to the Unicorn; their horses are practically sacred beasts that they bond with from a young age, and they have a liberal attitude and boundless curiosity. Where the average Rokugani looks beyond the Empire with uncertainty and disgust, the Unicorn looks and sees delightful opportunities. Unicorns are eager to cooperate and adapt, but they also have the warrior spirit to use force to pursue their goals. They want to be in constant motion, whether in the world or in society, and would rather do something, anything, that moves them forward rather than get stuck in a rut thinking of the best way to do things. Which can royally bite them in the ass when a high-ranking samurai decides to Leeroy Jenkins their army into a "worthy cause" and get it slaughtered or worse, but that's life in the Emerald Empire.

Another thing that makes the Unicorns stand out is their strong sense of ''noblesse oblige'', a legacy of their Kami and their long, difficult journey. While Unicorns still abide by the Celestial Order that places samurai at the top as "full people" and peasants as lesser beings, they also believe that those at the top have a duty to use their advantages to help those below them. They can certainly be as ruthless as the other Clans to enemy populations depending on the commander, but within their own lands or those entrusted to them, peasants generally know that they can count on Unicorn magistrates giving them fair treatment. Much to the befuddlement of most of the other Great Clans who either hardly think about ''heimin'' or take it for granted that they're there to serve samurai.

Because of these traits, Unicorns serve as the Empire's best cavalry and horse breeders internally. More importantly, they are Rokugan's explorers, outriders, and ambassadors with the world beyond its borders, and contribute a great deal to Rokugan's trade both within and without. They're the ones sent to the Burning Sands to deal with the ''gaijin'' out there, whether it's to trade for riches or to be on guard against foreign invasion. Not only are they equipped for the job, they actually WANT to be out there, and are even willing to negotiate first instead of launching conquests out of distaste for disgusting foreigners.

===Tactics===
In case you haven't been paying attention this whole page, the Unicorn Clan makes heavy use of cavalry thanks to their ''gaijin'' horses. Speed and force are their greatest assets, and their greatest weaknesses are when terrain or position slows them down or blunts their charge, and their dependence on battlefields with enough grazing and water to sustain their mounts. Their horses and tactics may have started spreading across Rokugan a bit more, but they still maintain the largest cavalry with the most skill and experience in mounted tactics. For everyone else, cavalry is a specialty unit, and their focus is more on tactics to counter them. The Unicorns' initial shock value has worn off since they returned, but it's still ''really freaking difficult'' to counter an offensive you can see but can't react to, backed up by the combined weight of a Space Marine-scale mount and its rider.

Whatever their battle plan is, the Unicorns make sure that their horses are disciplined and fast enough and their riders of equal skill to pull it off. They make heavy use of scouts to learn of the enemy's position, and are fond of either riding past them or cutting off their supply lines. Strategically, their overall goal is to [[Dark Eldar|get where the enemy least wants them as fast as possible, hit as hard as they can before an effective defense can be mounted, then ride off to the next opportunity.]]

This extends to their tactics. On the offense, they prefer breaking enemy lines with a charge and surrounding them with support from mounted archers and infantry to keep the enemy pinned and the cavalry intact, but have also mastered riding and archery techniques to make them dangerous on the move and even while retreating. When playing defense, they prefer to defend in the open rather than behind walls, intercepting enemies with patrolling battalions in hit-and-runs rather than fixed garrisons.

===Bushido & Religion===
The Unicorns prefer to worship and live in harmony with nature and the related Fortunes, and have a complicated relationship with Bushido and the Tao of Shinsei, the main spiritual pillars of Rokugan. While most think that their strange customs, ''gaijin'' riches, and utter disregard for tact would make them utterly irreverent hedonists, Unicorns actually hold a fair bit of respect for these beliefs. They just tend to follow them in their own way, preferring practical lessons that hew closely to their worldviews.

As far as Bushido goes, there are obvious values that Unicorns hold in high regard, particularly those encouraging you to be a better samurai and a more righteous person. But they have next to no patience for the usual social conventions found in samurai drama relating to saving face and being 'polite', often bluntly calling out these things or [[Nassir Amit|speaking truthfully even if it gets them into hot water]]. Basically, to Clans who build on and around such social maneuvering, the Unicorns are a Clan of [[Stupid Good]] Paladins taking the whole "never tell a lie" and "never tolerate injustice" bits too far.

As for the Tao, the Unicorn Clan views it in mostly practical terms, much like the Crab. As a worldly, down-to-earth Clan, they don't really get the sort of meditative philosophy of enlightenment that Shinsei preaches, and tend to just cherry-pick things that apply to them and color it with their own perspectives. This extends to their views on retirement, as (like Crabs and Lions) Unicorns prefer to live and serve even into their senior years rather than retire from worldly affairs. However, while they're not big fans, neither are they haters; Unicorns do respect the Brotherhood of Shinsei as teachers and storytellers, even if they don't think the teachings apply to them, and freely let them come and go through their lands, usually unmolested. They may not be as religious as the Dragon Clan, but neither are they as outright hostile as the Lion Clan.