Editing Crane Clan (section)

==Culture & Role==
The Crane are the Emperor's main diplomats and artisans, as well as its economic titans. As diplomats and advisors, they help to negotiate peace and alliances between the Clans or terms for war or surrender, along with having the Emperor's ear. Anyone who wants to speak with the Big E likely has to go through the Crane to do it, and pay the required favors and owe the traditional debts to make sure that the Crane help your cause instead of sending it to die under a mountain of petitioners. Or worse, actively work against it. But honestly, given how fractious the Great Clans can be (and when you remember that all of them have waged wars for stupid reasons at one point or another), the social guidelines laid out by Lady Doji actually DO help to keep the peace. Either by providing a social buffer that weighs down aggressive samurai, or through actually encouraging compassion and politeness between the nobility in a "become what you pretend to be" kind of way. These general principles also apply to how they manage the Empire's wealth: they put together trade deals and markets designed to keep the Clans in a sort of equilibrium, while also being profitable enough to help everyone to prosper.

As artists, they create and curate much of the Empire's cultural works like paintings, poetry, landscapes, and so forth while censoring or denouncing art deemed [[PROMOTIONS|offensive]]. Their stunning creations certainly do much to raise their prestige, but their intended purpose ([[Cato Sicarius|so they keep telling everyone]]) is to make sure that the Empire has things worth living for, beauty so transcendental that it moves the spirit, works of effortless grace and wit which speak of greater truths of life in Rokugan. Not every Clan actually buys this sales pitch...but given the Crane's influence, they can't exactly risk denying art's place in society. Unless you're a Crab and don't give a shit, that is. But in fairness, in a society as rigid and strict as Rokugan's, any creative outlet that gives meaning and introspection to people's lives might very well be incredibly welcome.

As a people, the Cranes are a strange mix of the idealistic peacemaker and the pragmatic politician. While it varies between families and even between individuals within those families, Cranes generally wholeheartedly believe in the honor of their duties to bring peace and unity to the Empire, and the role tradition and culture play in uniting and raising up society. That being said, the common complaints against them aren't completely off the mark either: Cranes are resented for their pride in their privilege, as well as how that colors their interactions. From jealously guarding their wealth and influence to simply believing it makes them better than everyone else, a Crane will be either the most pleasant and compassionate friend you could make at court, or the snobbiest egomaniac you would never want to meet. 

But this isn't just a matter of the Crane letting their failings slip from a blind spot; they are KEENLY aware of the power of perception and how people see them. So whether they are eager to please or haughtily judging you, there's a good chance that it's all deliberately constructed to get you to react in the way which best suits them. After all, both the pliable, pleasant peacemaker and the aristocratic fop are likely to be [[Toreador|underestimated]]...which gives them a distinct advantage in observing or influencing others.

===Tactics===
The Crane's primary battlefield lies at court. This is partly because that is where their duty and expertise lie, and partly because their lands (located within Imperial territory) are so peaceful (because of said Imperial authority) that they can afford to ease up on security. Unless you're the Daidoji, that is.

In court, Doji diplomats trade favors to create intricate webs of allies and debts, which is occasionally supported by their trump card of petitioning the Emperor. They're not just passively stacking their deck, however; Crane courtiers are also experts in manipulating the sentiments and attitudes of a court according to the rules they wrote. They entrap and frustrate their rivals with etiquette and protocol to get them so steamed up that they'll either yield or make a mistake which costs them reputation, and know the best way to phrase and present their own positions to appear the most sympathetic and honorable to everyone else. As mentioned, not everyone actually buys this, but nobody can actually call them out on it unless they're prepared to step into their ring or drag them into a different one altogether. And in the event that someone they're pressuring gets pissed off to the point that a duel seems likely, that's where Kakita duelists come in to defend their charges. If the Crane can't win their argument with words, they'll provoke you into a contest with Kakita steel.

On the battlefield, the common stereotype goes that if the Cranes can't win by killing the enemy commander in a duel, they lose and then complain to the Emperor to get their territory back later. But while that's partly accurate, Cranes do still have unique military tactics that play to their strengths. Should diplomacy fail, Cranes generally delay their enemies with Daidoji sabotage and guerrilla warfare, slowing them down to either perform a decapitation strike or buy time for the armies of their allies to aid them. Their troops may not be numerous, but they tend to be adaptable, well-trained and coordinated, and a melee confrontation with them is a daunting prospect for most opponents given their level of skill. The highest expression of their ethos is the Kenshinzen: [[Mary Sue|the best of the best of the best]] of their duelists, whose job is to hunt down enemy commanders, best them in a duel, then move on to the next command figure, aiming to shatter enemy leadership and communication with just a few well-placed strikes.

===Bushido & Religion===
Cranes may not be what you'd call religious, but they do have a spiritual view on art and culture, the pillars of their identity. This seldom comes to light given their very worldly concerns of wealth and influence unless you're dealing with the Asahina (who, being ex-Phoenix, ARE extremely devout) or the Kakita (who pursue their crafts with a meditative mindset which can certainly be described as religious). The result, much like their politician-idealist duality, is a complex mix.

As staunch traditionalists, Cranes most certainly respect Bushido and the main religions of Rokugan as the foundations of their social order. They might be overshadowed by the Lions, Dragons, and Phoenixes in terms of their piety, but from their perspective, they're no less dedicated; they simply live out this devotion in their own ways. For the most part, this involves taking the virtues of these beliefs and applying them to what the Crane do according to their duties and preferences.

To the Crane, a courtier navigating volatile, treacherous politics is no less Courageous than a bushi giving his life in battle against a rival Clan or Shadowlands monstrosity. An artist making a garden of transcendental beauty can enlighten the soul as much as the most insightful sermon from the Brotherhood of Shinsei. The main difference, at least from the Crane Clan's perspective, is that Bushido and the Tao treat battle and enlightenment as separate from "regular" society. The Crane, by contrast, believe that the virtues of a perfect samurai warrior can apply at the highest levels of politics, and that enlightenment can be realized through the world, not apart from it.

The Crane certainly think that this makes them just as genuine as any other Great Clan when it comes to honorably doing their duty. Though of course, to their detractors, this could just as easily be taking the easy way out by slapping a noble coat of paint on all the politicking and wealth-hoarding they were already doing. When it comes to matters of culture and etiquette, however, they are as zealous as the Lion in their devotion.