Editing Phoenix Clan (section)

===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.