Editing Phoenix Clan

The '''Phoenix Clan''' is one of the Great Clans of [[Legend of the Five Rings]]. Descendants of Rokugan's largest pre-Kami civilization and masters of magic, the Phoenix are idealistic pacifists and arrogant magic nuts in equal measure.

Highly traditional and deeply religious, it is the Phoenix Clan who most deeply explores the mysteries of the Kami and the Elements. They are at the forefront of developing and protecting the Empire's magical and religious matters, the two facets inextricably tied due to the connection between magic and the kami. They are the ones with the knowledge, experience, and expertise in matters spiritual and mystical, from relentless spirits to imbalanced elements, possessing the tools and experts to detect supernatural threats and crush them with extreme prejudice. And being keenly aware of the power they dive into, they zealously preach pacifism and restraint.

One problem with that: They "occasionally" tend to store forbidden knowledge and cause disasters with their experimentations. Between their egos being puffed up by godlike powers, their insatiable drive to acquire magical secrets, and actual mystical influence speaking to them, the Phoenix are notorious for their inability to stay away from magic and secrets best left forgotten. Despite their best efforts to counsel self-control and stress the dangers of evil or uncontrolled magic, time and again the Phoenixes have caused magical threats and calamities simply because they thought "I'm an adult, I can handle it!" and ignored the "do not cast, seriously, do not, you will literally sell your soul to Jigoku and unleash an oni" labels on the forbidden scrolls they hoard for safekeeping. To be fair, it's usually the exception rather than the rule (or the Emerald Empire would have looked like the [[Eye of Terror]] a loooooong time ago), but a lot of the other Clans tell them to get their shit together and are usually justified in doing so given the obvious danger and red flags they recognize yet ignore.

Much like a certain other [[Magnus the Red|idealistic yet staggeringly arrogant king in crimson]] who drank too deeply from the chalice of power instead of [[Jaghatai Khan|only taking a sip when necessary]].

==History==
The history of the Phoenix hinges on two individuals: the [[Primarch|Kami]] [[Lorgar|Shiba]], deeply devoted to the words of Shinsei and the mysteries of Enlightenment and the universe, and Isawa, one of the earliest and most powerful mortal mages in Rokugan's history with an ego to match.

===The First City===
When the blood of the Moon and the tears of the Sun first mixed and created life as Rokugan knew it, the Isawa tribe arose as the greatest of these early humans. 

Alone among the other humans, they built [[Prospero|Gisei Toshi]], an early city, and began to harness the finer points of civilization, from religious study to early science...largely because they had mastered the earliest forms of magic to make this entire process go easier, entreating the Elements to aid them. From this city, Isawa and his tribe reigned supreme, studying all the magic they could get their hands on, from the elements to the earliest forms of ''maho'' blood magic (which, to be fair, hadn't been corrupted into its modern form). Through their devout worship of the Seven Fortunes and the multitude of lesser ones that predated the Kami that fell from the heavens, they would be the earliest and most numerous of Rokugan's shugenja.

Isawa was the head of this earliest iteration of what would become the [[Order of Hermes|Council of Five]]. And while it was his brother who discovered magic, it was Isawa who was [[Galactic Partridges|honored]] for "recognizing its full potential". Certainly, he had the drive and thirst for knowledge to push the mystic arts to their limit, and the pride and force of personality to take charge and protect his tribe's interests. This early ascendance convinced them that they were truly the greatest Children of the Earth, and [[Humanity Fuck Yeah|they had no need for these so-called divine rulers]] who were [[The God-Emperor of Mankind|taking over and telling everyone what to do]]. They were masters of the mystic arts! They could manage just fine without them!

Just ignore the fact that Hantei's forces vastly outnumbered them and the Emperor only stayed his hand because Shiba took them under his wing (heh).

===Shiba Kneels===
When [[Horus|Fu Leng]] came back and threw his little [[Horus Heresy|temper tantrum]] over his siblings leaving him to rot in [[Chaos|Jigoku]] while they played Sim Empire without him, it was a state of total war. But for a lot of the early battles, Isawa...decided his people would mind their own business and sit this one out.

Isawa had always resented the Kami's conquest of Rokugan, and their demands that he serve them, as well as the shaky "alliance" he had with Shiba for such insults as ''placating Hantei's conquest'' and ''sponsoring their continued existence''. And as far as he was concerned, this entire catastrophe was essentially a dysfunctional family affair that was entirely the fault of the Kami (which is a few grains of truth buried under a whole lot of bullshit they had no control over). This led him to a conclusion: if he stayed out of this huge war in the south threatening to wipe out the entire country (while leaving that upstart Empire to take the hits for them), the extremely vengeful and possibly magically insane megalomaniacal demigod and his horde of eldritch terrors would turn a blind eye to him and leave his lands alone. After all, as Isawa put it, "''If you would fail without me, why do you deserve me as an ally?''" We'll let that line sink in for a bit.

But as the war dragged on and the hits kept coming, Isawa and his people began to realize that the eldritch monstrosities indiscriminately butchering all of humanity also indiscriminately counted ''them'' as humans to butcher. Shadowlands monstrosities also found their way to Gisei Toshi, and Isawa finally consented to send shugenja to the Empire to help and train more shugenja among the other Clans. But even then, his primary focus was on [[Imperium Secundus|holding onto what he had]], so he never fully committed the vast magical power at his disposal. Finally, when it was becoming clear that the danger to Gisei Toshi would only increase, along came Shinsei, asking Shiba to join the Seven Thunders and overcome Fu Leng with humanity's ability to master fate.

And yet, despite coming to realize that [[Irony|his people would most certainly fail without Hantei's forces]], Isawa still had the balls (some would say gall) to demand something in exchange for his aid: for Shiba to kneel and swear to protect Isawa's family long after he was gone. Now, to be sure, extracting an ironclad promise of protection in exchange for taking on a suicide mission can be a reasonable response. But it takes an ego of a certain [[/d/|throbbing girth]] to demand that the person you're swearing fealty to should be the one to bend the knee. And yet, even at this critical juncture, Isawa still felt that the Kami, being the ones who screwed up, should be prostrating themselves when they begged for help, and that he wouldn't place his people under someone else's rule without being able to say that he represented them on his feet while the other guy got on his knees. Isawa [[Meme|did nothing wrong]] indeed.

Shiba did so without hesitation. To most of his heavenly siblings, this would have been unthinkable. But thankfully, Shiba had the sense to understand that kneeling and protection were a small price to pay to recruit the Empire's most powerful spellcasters as well as the Thunder destined to join the group which would save them all. Shiba's kneeling would be remembered as the most humble and heroic moment in the Phoenix Clan. The rest is history: Isawa gave his life to seal Fu Leng within the Black Scrolls, and Isawa would sacrifice himself bringing back the last survivors bearing those scrolls. And in these two leaders, the Phoenix would find an eternal cycle of behaviours: blinding idealism, boundless curiosity, tremendous hubris, and heroic self-sacrifice (often against whatever their hubris caused).

==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.

==Culture & Role==
The Phoenix Clan is entrusted with developing and protecting the Empire's magic, though the duty is theirs as much through self-appointed ego as it is through having the most knowledge and expertise for the job. Shugenja of other Clans are certainly taught to respect the kami and maintain balance between the spiritual and physical realms, but they are also often devoted to a duty that fits their unique abilities or Clan, be it as artisans, monster hunters, or ancestral bridges. For the Phoenix, however, protecting the magic is a full-time gig.

This is done through more than just studying mountains of scrolls in libraries, of course. Phoenixes monitor Rokugan's spiritual health, carefully watching for upset spirits, heretical beliefs, and blasphemous magic which can wreck the delicate mystical balance of the Empire. As the mystic troubleshooter's and Rokugan's version of the Inquisition, the Phoenix Clan is the one you call when magic bullshit starts to go horribly wrong, holding knowledge of how to face threats which no amount of martial might can neutralize. They are the ones best equipped to defeat magic with magic, hunting down spiritual beings run amok and malevolent Bloodspeaker cults engineering massacres for human sacrifices. The Phoenix, more than pretty much every other Clan, knows how to recognize the signs of a magical problem, how to fix it, and failing that, how to reduce the offending source to ashes with extreme prejudice.

Oh, rest assured, it's just a rumor that they hoard any ''maho-tsukai'' scrolls and knowledge in their own libraries. And even if they DID have those juicy tidbits of forbidden knowledge, it's only so that they can keep it locked up for the Empire's safety. They'd NEVER study these scrolls themselves to satisfy their own ambitions or curiosity! Only to better understand their foes! Really, it's as ludicrous as the allegations that they not only safeguard magical knowledge but monopolize it as well to be the undisputed guardians and masters of magic. It's utter slander to suggest that they'd even work against the Imperial Court by sabotaging the credibility of the Jade Champion in order to remain essential. The noble Phoenix would never do such things!

So yeah. As you can see by now, the Phoenix Clan's character is a study in paradox. On the one hand, they are idealistic pacifists who desire peace in the Empire between its different parts, and have stood up for the oppressed, believing that all life is valuable, from the lowest peasant to the mightiest Emperor. At the same time, however, they are also prideful shugenja who think their magical mastery is a sure sign of superiority (though the Asako are content to be quietly proud of themselves while it's the Isawa who wave their MAGNUM MAGIC DONGS in everyone else's faces), with an insatiable desire to know everything about magic (including things better left forgotten). Much of this stems from the policies of the ruling Isawa family, and yet even then, they themselves often get into arguments with the other families (and each other!) over just about anything. As a particularly snarky Crane playwright once noted, "''The Phoenix seek peace within the Empire because they can't get it at home.''"

To be fair, it's not like the Phoenix Clan are absolutely blind to the pitfalls of power, despite their track record of self-control looking as spotty as the Thousand Sons. They do, in fact, stress the danger of forbidden knowledge and the gravity of their powers. Their shugenja are generally taught some form of "with great power comes great responsibility" and are encouraged to be humble and restrained, never unleashing their might unless absolutely necessary, which also lends itself to their idealistic and pacifistic ways. In effect, however, being raised to believe that you're a one-shugenja WMD with a unique and divine connection to the single most important aspect of the universe tends to inflate the ego, so even if they believe in restraint and peace, it has undertones of arrogance in a "You should be grateful for my mercy and control" or "I am so much more peaceful, enlightened, and humble than the rest of you warmongers" sense.

Still, they try their best, and honestly do fairly well in ensuring mistakes and calamities are the exception, not the norm (albeit being mostly avoidable exceptions that happen far too frequently for comfort). And for those Phoenixes who truly grasp the cosmic enormity of both their elemental gifts and the teachings of Shinsei, their connection can be truly humbling as it teaches them just how small they are in the grand scheme of things.

===Tactics===
Phoenix Clan tactics can be roughly summed up thusly:

# Shugenja start praying. 
# Bushi and ashigaru defend shugenja's position. 
# Either fall apart under a sustained offensive or pull off magic to utterly curbstomp the enemy.

More seriously, they actually do take this very seriously; the Phoenix may stand against war, but they are keenly aware of its danger and the need to play to their strengths. The Shiba diligently train in military maneuvers, and make sure that they can form the best walls and defensive lines to defend their charges, knowing such a high concentration of force multipliers can easily decide a battle. The sheer power of the Phoenix shugenja can change landscapes, level hills, turn rivers into floods, and battlefields into ash...and that's not even counting more [[Iskandar Khayon|cunning applications]] like teleporting a kill squad of elite warriors to assassinate the enemy's commanders in their own tents. And if the call for [[Exterminatus|total annihilation]] ever goes out, they unleash their full might, deploying the ultimate elemental deterrents. Such a decision is not made easily, but when it is agreed upon, it can bring a decisive end to any conflict, even capable of stopping the especially pugnacious Lion and Unicorn in their tracks. Good thing, too; as one of Rokugan's smallest armies, they wouldn't be able to defend themselves otherwise.

Of course, the actual success of such tactics depends on just how canny or arrogant the Phoenix commander is. If they're wise, they'll plan their spells to maximize terrain and counter their enemy in stages with contingencies in place while trusting military matters to actual military experts. But if their hubris is showing, a rash Phoenix leader will underestimate their foes and overestimate their magic, commonly dictating a battle plan made by a wizard who has never seen active combat to the exasperated Shiba without considering whether the enemy can strike faster than they can pray, or if they have shugenja of their own. Or worse, are able to resist or outright nullify magic.

===Bushido & Religion===
As THE shugenja Clan, magic and religion are at the heart of who the Phoenix are and what they do. They are one of the most devout Clans in Rokugan, and set the traditions for religion the way the Crane set the traditions for court. Not surprising given that they worshiped the Fortunes even before the Kami arrived, then became the custodians of the Tao of Shinsei which Shiba recorded, and finally made sure to spread these faiths across the Empire and incorporate rites and rituals from both throughout virtually all parts of everyday life.

Because the power of magic and religion are so closely tied in Rokugan (what with shugenja spells being prayers to the kami and the spirits), Phoenixes are both dedicated magic scholars and devotedworshipers who spend just as much time studying scrolls as they do conducting festivals and ceremonies to please or petition the Fortunes. And because they're the Phoenix, they take matters of new magical or religious ideas very seriously. On the one hand, their knowledge-boner tempts them to explore almost any new avenue of faith and power. But on the other hand, their highly traditional natures makes them very cagey around ideas outside of Fortune worship and Shinseism, such as the Iuchi's magic which draws on the power of sacred words and names, not the kami.

Despite being know mostly for huge egos, magic, and pacifism, the Phoenix are actually quite respectful of the tenets of Bushido. Though not as devoted as the Lions, their traditionalist mindsets hold it in high regard as a societal pillar, and Phoenix samurai try to do right by it. Notably, the Phoenix have traditionally been closely associated with the virtue of Righteousness, which is often taken to mean "do what's right no matter what" in contrast to Sincerity and Courtesy representing the face-saving part of Rokugani ethics. In effect, this means that they will either [[Noblebright|stand up for what is right and true no matter the cost]], or be [[Stupid Good|utterly convinced about the infallibility of their cause]].

==Clan Relationships==
When it comes to their political connections, the Phoenix certainly punch above their weight. Although their peaceful territories are isolated and don't have many natural resources (which actually helps them be overlooked by other Clans), they hold important and influential positions due to their expertise in magic and religion. And with their belief that the benefits of their enlightened knowledge must be shared, their samurai are more likely to get involved in the Empire's affairs than the Dragon.

Phoenix scholars and envoys preaching the way of peace are a common sight at major courts, and in a land where magic and religion go hand in hand, their counsel is as highly valued as their arcane might. That, and their strict adherence to tradition lends them some prestige in the eyes of some Clans...while also making them seem like arrogant snobs to others.

'''The [[Crab Clan]]''': On the surface, it might seem like the Phoenix and Crab would want to have nothing to do with each other, the former being uptight traditionalists and the latter being crude pragmatists. And certainly, there's some tension to be expected, as the Phoenix dislike the Crab's fierce martial culture and lack of manners. Yet surprisingly, there's something akin to a strange respect between the two Clans, aided by the distance between their lands. The Crab, for instance, respect that the Phoenix truly stand up for their beliefs even when the going gets tough, while the Phoenix acknowledge with far less backsass than most that the Crab have a vital duty. Perhaps what unites them most is that they're very much in touch with the mystical side of life: the Crab, facing the hordes of Jigoku and the horrors of the Taint, would be the last ones to devalue knowledge about magic, while the Phoenixes, being experts on mystical threats, have an appreciation for the severity of the Crabs' duties. The Asako Inquisitors might occasionally butt heads with the Kuni Witch Hunters to gain more influence, but the two Schools have been known to collaborate against the threat of ''maho-tsukai''.

'''The [[Crane Clan]]''': These two bird-themed Clans share a close bond. Both are proponents of tradition, peace, and culture, with the Crane focusing on politics while the Phoenix dives into religion and magic. They also share a close camaraderie over their shared enemies who tend to look down on both of them for being "unmanly", and openly appreciate what the other is capable of, be it shugenja force multipliers or a single courtier averting a war with words. While they're wary of one another's respective egos and capabilities, the Crane and Phoenix generally form solid alliances over common ground.

'''The [[Dragon Clan]]''': The Phoenix and the Dragon are both highly spiritual and magical Clans, but like practically all Dragon relations, there is a fair bit of ambiguity in their relationship. The Dragons, of course, are extremely isolationist, and their introverted approach to Enlightenment contrasts against the main attitudes of the Phoenix which hunger for knowledge proactively. This can sometimes lead to tension when a Phoenix with a big ego thinks the Dragons aren't getting shit done, or wants to uncover their mystical secrets. However, there is also a distant respect between the two of them, seeing that each is a dedicated scholar on the path of knowledge. Additionally, the Dragonfly Clan is honored not just for its origins with both the Dragon and the Phoenix, but for their unflinching devotion to peace and diplomacy.

'''The [[Lion Clan]]''': A Clan dedicating itself to pacifism and magic, and a Clan that lives for war and martial might. Yeah, this was never going to go well. Though the Lions may have a bigger hate-boner for the adjacent Cranes and Unicorns, the Phoenixes aren't held in high regard by them either, and this animosity is mutual. The huge egos of both Clans makes diplomacy difficult, and each believes their way of life (and more to the point, their way of waging war) is superior. So when a Lion army overruns the Phoenix before they can cast, or when a handful of Phoenix shugenja utterly wipe out a Lion invasion, each takes their victory as proof of their superiority, and their defeat as proof that their rivals are bullshit cheaters spamming netlists. Honestly, it's not unreasonable to imagine it like the bitter rivalry between Magnus the Red and Leman Russ.

'''The [[Mantis Clan]]''': On several levels, the Mantis Clan and the Phoenix Clan do not get along. Philosophically, there is certainly cause for mutual disdain: the Mantis are unorthodox capitalists with a strong military and mercantile tradition that prizes getting shit done, while the Phoenix are pacifists who promote conventional norms and prefer endless studies of mystical knowledge. Add to that the fact that they share borders, and conflict happens frequently, with the Mantis raiding the Phoenix coastline with very little opposition thanks to their swift fleets and the Phoenix's small armies. Thus, the Phoenix tend to oppose the Mantis at court and frequently petition for their Great Clan status to be removed. There is an exception, however, with the Moshi Family of the Centipede Clan, who originally came from the Phoenix.

'''The [[Scorpion Clan]]''': Surprisingly, despite being a Clan steeped in tradition and ideals, the Phoenix have a careful, guarded respect for the Scorpion. Perhaps it might have to do with Bayushi and Shiba being twins, but the Phoenixes are insightfully aware of how the Scorpions have mastered the many loopholes and pitfalls of society's rules. Though they might balk at the more cutthroat deceptions of the Scorpion, the Phoenix actually somewhat respect a Clan that can achieve that level of mastery and insight, rather than blindly going "SCORPION BAD, LIES BAD". The Scorpions don't necessarily share such a glowing evaluation of their cousins, often thinking of them as nerds who don't get much done and are quick to be overwhelmed by worldly problems, but their disdain is at least the conventional amount they have for everyone, and not the venom they hold for those that truly infuriate them. Plus, given their liberal use of the mystic arts for spycraft as well as their stewardship of the Twelve Black Scrolls of Fu Leng (and the fact that Shiba himself sacrificed his life to let Shosuro return), the Scorpions probably have a greater appreciation for shugenja and magical experts than they let on.

'''The [[Unicorn Clan]]''': The Unicorns and the Phoenixes have a complicated relationship, and as their lands are far removed from each other, both of them will seldom see the need nor the opportunity to get to know each other better. Although the Unicorn have not forgotten how the Phoenix believed them when they said they were Shinjo's people, relations since then have cooled considerably, largely due to their attitudes. As quite possibly the most unorthodox Clan in Rokugan (even beyond Crab crudeness and Mantis capitalism) who also happen to have strong martial traditions and military policies, a lot of the Unicorn Clan's character rubs the Phoenix Clan the wrong way. Meanwhile, the Unicorns see the Phoenixes as well-intentioned but pretentious scholars who are patronizing to everyone despite being so inactive, which runs counter to the Unicorn way of always moving towards a decision. However, because of that distance between their lands, they seldom have reason to fight each other, so their attitudes stay at merely a skin-deep impression rather than a well-rooted hatred. They also both recognize the unique strengths of the other as incredibly potent, and claim that they'd be willing to cooperate more fully if the other party would just shut up and listen.

==See Also==
* [[Magnus the Red]]: For the other wizard king whose idealism is matched only by his ego.
* [[Adeptus Mechanicus]]: For the OTHER red knowledge-obsessed faction who used to be semi-independent.
* [[Mage: The Ascension]]: For the game made for playing hierarchical chaps with phenomenal arcane power and nonexistent self-restraint.
[[Category: Legend of the Five Rings]]