Editing Phoenix Clan (section)

==Families==
The families of the Phoenix are infamous for a high degree of internal rivalries. Isawa egos, Shiba pragmatism, and Asako secrecy have led to countless disagreements between greater families or even within the same one, like the Elemental Council which bickers over council seats and successors like they're playing [[Mage: The Ascension]]. But to their credit, the Phoenix consider these internal affairs and never let it spill outwards into a vulnerability schemers can exploit. In their duty to the Empire, they make sure to present a united front. They also took in the Agasha of the Dragon Clan in one edition when their own leader grew increasingly mad, and added the Kaito shrine keepers in 5th Edition, but we'll focus on the "original" Phoenix families.

===Shiba Family===
Descendants of the Kami, but not the leaders of the Clan. Isawa may have sworn fealty to Shiba, but Shiba swore to protect Isawa's family. So although they technically have executive power, they focus on their duty which often places them in a subordinate role. This is commonly believed to be why they serve rather than rule, but the true reason is a little more complex, which we'll get to in a bit. For generations they have unfailingly, loyally served as the Clan's warriors and defenders, a position of reluctant and misunderstood honor in a Clan of pacifists, shugenja and intellectuals. In fact, it's quite common for an Isawa shugenja to come with a Shiba yojimbo as a package deal. Yet despite their tight bond, the Shiba and the Isawa often bicker and argue, the former being pragmatic about the need for violence, and the latter being pacifistic to the point of self-sacrifice (and sometimes colossally arrogant snots). So while some Shiba are devoted in a typical samurai style, others treat their charges as derpy pets they have to rein in.

Shiba bushi are among the most accomplished yojimbo in Rokugan, with a grasp of defensive warfare and security which would make the Crab proud and the Scorpion wary. They prefer fighting with polearms, both spears and naginatas, and are some of the most skilled lancers in the Empire who lean on a mix of technique, a stronger grasp of the Void, and footwork to ensure they always fight at the optimal range. The Shiba may grow exasperated with their charges being woefully out of touch with the world or humility, but they are absolutely loyal to them; any would-be schemer trying to turn the Shiba against the Isawa tends to wind up on the tips of their spears. 

Their Clan Champion serves as the Phoenix Clan's mouthpiece to the rest of the Empire, often debating the Elemental Masters but never denying their duty, and has the unique trait of being the amalgamation of Shiba's preserved soul and every prior Phoenix Champion. This is both a blessing and a burden, and the risk of instability in the merger is why the Shiba hand the job of leading to the Isawa. Wait, wasn't there another [[Phoenix Lord|Phoenix-themed group that does something similar...]]

===Isawa Family===
Descendants of a man so arrogant he demanded a literal god in mortal form kneel before him. Not asked politely, not requested in humility, not suggested as equals. DEMANDED, IN ALL CAPS. Isawa are iconic of the paradox within the Phoenix: they tend to have monumental egos because of their power and knowledge, yet are also pacifists and idealists who would give their lives for peace or [[Tau Diplomacy|negotiate with a Tainted foe to seek a compromise]]. Their Council of Five (or the Elemental Council) is undoubtedly Rokugan's greatest concentration of magical lore and power, and they take it upon themselves to seek out and police the Empire's magic. Their knowledge is unquestionably vast...as is their hubris. And when supercharged elemental shugenja hoarding both conventional and forbidden lore go "Whoops", bad things happen. How bad? Well, in their heyday, they created a matrix of magical energy to directly communicate with the kami, an unmatched achievement of arcane artifice that was a self-aware realty-warping magic engine. Then bickered with the Asako over it, were ordered by the Emperor to destroy it, and lost control of it.

From their early days when they were the first to learn magic, the Isawa have developed into some of Rokugan's greatest casters. They lack the unique Clan-specific magic of the other Clans, but as THE masters of the elements (it's in the name), they researched and developed Rokugan's fundamental elemental magic since before they joined the Empire. That means they have a far more comprehensive catalogue of spells as well as a greater understanding of how to bring out their full potential, making them a mix of Powergamer Batman Wizards and 5E Sorcerers maximizing their damage and versatility. This mastery of many fields is further refined in their Tensai, who study only a single element exclusively to become an undisputed master of it, a shugenja path any Clan would kill to receive training from.

To their credit, while they would LOVE to get a chance to study the magical secrets of the other Clans, they actually respect the code of secrecy among shugenja schools. Should they stumble upon scrolls bearing the spells and techniques of the other Clans, most Isawa would choose to respect secrecy and arrange to have it shipped back to its rightful owners. Unlike other certain [[Blood Ravens|bloody magpies]] we are familiar with.

===Asako Family===
The Asako are healers and scholars like their ancestor. They're pretty chill among the Phoenix, not displaying the usual pride and instead focusing on simply enjoying and sharing knowledge, though they still treasure their own mystical secrets. Their founder was married to Yogo, who departed to serve the Scorpion to evade his curse of betraying the one he loved most. To most in Rokugan, they are scholars and historians who carefully curate all tales and records, often beside the Ikoma of the Lion Clan. This is the path the majority of Asako take, and they are known as highly academic and intellectual courtiers, as well as honest-to-goodness doctors and physicians. As the saying goes, you're more likely to find an Asako in the library than at court.

However, beneath their scholarly surface, the Asako also provide the Asako Inquisitors who, as the name suggests, police magic and hunt down ''maho-tsukai'' throughout Rokugan. And beyond even that, at the highest ranks of their own family, they are custodians of the "Path of Man", the secret of enlightenment and apotheosis that Shinsei whispered to Shiba. These ''Henshin'', as they are called, are able to subtly manipulate reality through their insights into its nature, performing literal life hacks with the right riddles and truths designed to prime their minds and manipulate forces like probability and biology. The Asako very carefully guard its secrets (even from their own Clan) behind inner circles of archivists and ever-changing ciphers, since aggressive promotion of this new Path can either produce enlightened demigods on the road to becoming Fortunes or fallen blood mages looking for a shortcut. [[Grimdark|Assuming the knowledge doesn't drive them insane altogether, of course.]]

Incidentally, the Isawa have always [[Butthurt|resented]] the Asako for possessing magical knowledge that they didn't, and [[That Guy|had the Asako ejected from Gisei Toshi]] when they refused to share it.