Editing Scorpion Clan (section)

==Clan Relationships==
The Scorpion Clan's duties and methods have left them in the interesting position of being despised by many while being too well-informed to recklessly provoke. Even those engaging in diplomacy (whether for profit or to stand against a mutual foe) will be wary of the Scorpions, even with years of cooperation. And that's just the way they like it; their reputation is a useful shroud in their hands, and a lazy, careless excuse when used by anyone else hoping that "It wasn't me, it was the one-armed Scorpion!" will get them out of a jam.

Of course, being the Emperor's Underhand and smug, creepy bastards in general, the Scorpions have few friends among the Clans; even positive relations are tinged with the reminder that at any point, anything you say or do can be turned against you. The mainstream Scorpion view of all the other Clans can be summed up like this: "You're all hypocritical dumbasses, and I'm smarter than you". But given that their line of work lets them know exactly how many dirty secrets the "honorable" Clans are hiding, it's understandable that they'd feel smug superiority over the very people decrying them at court. To the Scorpion, you're no better than they are; the only difference is that ''they'' know where ''your'' bodies are buried. And that gives them power over you.

'''The [[Crab Clan]]''': Despite the Crab's very clear dislike for the Scorpion for being backstabbing creeps, the Scorpions don't hate the Crabs any worse than they do the other Clans. They certainly look down on them for being blunt and uncultured brutes, but this can also be a plus in the eyes of the Scorpion as it means Crabs are also likely to be predictable and easily manipulated...though they also greatly stress to not screw around too much because the Crabs are also the ones most likely to ignore courtesy and just straight up kill them on the spot. Beyond that, however, there's actually some surprising areas of positivity: the Kuni and the Yogo collaborate often to track down ''maho tsukai'' and Tainted foes, and the Crab actually considers the Scorpion, as distasteful as they are, a step up from the Crane, because at least they get shit done and don't pretend to be noble.

'''The [[Crane Clan]]''': There is a complicated love-hate relationship between the Crane and the Scorpion, which is appropriate as each is a light or dark reflection of the other. There is certainly a great deal of pride and resentment over their clashing cultures: the Crane believe Honor and nobility are big deals, while the Scorpions think those are just hypocritical masks, and each is quick to denounce the other for their failings. They often clash at courts, and their courtiers' respective styles of political favors versus blackmail often cancel each other out. However, the fundamental similarities of their specialties and their mastery of Rokugan's social rules and pressures does give them actual respect for one another's skills, each viewing the other as a genuine intellectual threat and challenge instead of a helpless rival to look down upon. Cooperation between them can produce extraordinary results in the Empire's courts, and the Crane even took in Scorpion children during their exile one edition.

'''The [[Dragon Clan]]''': While the Scorpion Clan maintains an air of smug superiority over most Clans, the Dragon Clan is one of the few they harbor stronger resentment and disdain for. Although their isolation and scarcity of allies are weaknesses the Scorpions exploit, much of the Dragon way of life makes them notoriously difficult to manipulate and spy on: their nonconformist nature makes social pressure less effective, while their schools teach a level of insight that helps them to evade or even expose Scorpion plots, with the Kitsuki often being the Holmes to their Moriarty able to see through obvious plans to catch subtler ones. Furthermore, the upper echelons of Scorpion leadership have an extra level of butthurt over a closely-guarded secret: Togashi leads the Clan in a mortal incarnation, subverted the Scorpion daimyo's daughter sent to seduce him, unfailingly sees through every spy and scheme, and makes sure the only secrets the Scorpions know are those he allows them to discover. And yet, this little-known connection has sometimes led to the Dragon Clan assisting the Scorpion Clan by sending reinforcements to a battle.

'''The [[Lion Clan]]''': Scorpions and Lions have an obviously antagonistic relationship, with pragmatic deception butting heads with rigid, militaristic Bushido. While they recognize their potency, the Lion Clan sees the Scorpion Clan as the most debased villains who not only resort to the most dishonorable methods that disgrace the virtues of Bushido, but have the gall to claim it's all in the name of Duty and Loyalty. Yet funnily enough, the Scorpions don't feel all that threatened by the Lions; outside of their brilliance on the battlefield, they regard them as one of the most easily anticipated and manipulated Clans in the Empire, even commonly manipulating them to move against the enemies of the Scorpion. And beyond such snide acknowledgement, there are unlikely factors giving them common ground. In addition to the Ikoma and Soshi managing the Empire's history, both Clans place extreme importance on family and have a burning zeal to destroy the enemies of the Emerald Empire. So when they're not throwing invasions or intrigues at each other, they occasionally cooperate to gang up on anyone they consider a threat...like the Unicorns when they first returned to Rokugan.

'''The [[Mantis Clan]]''': Relations between the Mantis and the Scorpion are definitely tense. While the Scorpions are likely to hire the Mantis for a job, their snide and arrogant treatment of a former Minor Clan is never taken well. Additionally, the overall disdain they have for each other is worse in the case of the Tsuruchi family of the Wasp Clan due to their origins of being born from a Lion and Scorpion only to be betrayed by both Clans for being a public disgrace that defied their authority. Nevertheless, as much as Scorpion methods and history earn the disgust and distrust of the families of the Mantis, their unconventional and individualistic culture does identify with Scorpion philosophy of getting shit done no matter what.

'''The [[Phoenix Clan]]''': Like the Crane, Phoenix-Scorpion relations are complicated. On the surface, a Clan devoted to pacifism, tradition, and religion would certainly take issue with the Clan of backstabbing spies who generally see traditional values as inconvenient or useless. However, there are some areas of common ground. Being intellectual yet not politically driven, the Phoenix do have a distant appreciation for the Scorpion's mastery of Rokugan's social rules. Additionally, both Clans do share an affinity for magic, though the Phoenix are a lot more balls-deep into it. The Scorpion's stewardship of the Black Scrolls, efficient use of magic in espionage, and dedicated anti-''maho'' group of ''Kuroiban'' does give them areas of agreement or even cooperation with the Phoenix, who are the Clan most focused on sniffing out and ending mystical threats.

'''The [[Unicorn Clan]]''': The Unicorns are the other Great Clan the Scorpions don't just sneer at but actively hate, and that dislike certainly goes two ways. However, while the Unicorns are hostile for the reasons you'd expect (Clan of honest warriors being against treachery and deception), the Scorpions' hatred isn't for the usual reasons the other Great Clans might have. Cultural differences aside, the Scorpions actually don't care all that much that the Unicorns have ''gaijin'' blood or different customs; inferior and barbaric, sure, but no worse than a rowdy Crab. Instead, what really gets them butthurt is that they refuse to play their social games. When the essence of Scorpion politics is to threaten to unmask their target, it frustrates them to no end that the Unicorns live life practically maskless, usually honest about who they are and uncaring about what others think while trampling over well-laid plans and schemes. However, despite their bad blood, the unorthodox nature of both Clans does give them potential for alliances. As each of them is something of a pariah to the others for different reasons, this makes them more receptive to any potential ally, particularly one with strengths that they lack.