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The Legions: Bios Crab Crane Dragon Lion Mantis Nezumi Phoenix Scorpion Bayushi Dairu Bayushi Shoju Daigotsu Hoturi Shosuro Hametsu Bayushi Aramoro Unicorn Shadowlands Other Bayushi Dairu: Son of Thunder Bayushi Dairu first appeared in Scorpion Clan Coup (Scroll 2). Dairu was believed to be the son of Bayushi Shoju and his bride, Kachiko. A handsome youth with startling blue eyes, Dairu adapted quickly to everything he was taught. He seemed a promising successor for the Master of Secrets. Dairu often wondered why his father was so cold and aloof, but reasoned that as leader of the Scorpion he merely had little time for his family. He resolved to become the finest samurai he could so that his father might take notice. What Dairu never knew was that Shoju was not his true father. Dairu was born of an infidelity between Kachiko and Doji Hoturi, son of the Crane Champion. Shoju loved Kachiko too much to denounce her treachery or cast out her son. Instead, he accepted Dairu as his own, though he handed off much of his son's upbringing and training to his brother, Aramoro, who also knew the truth. When Shoju planned his coup against the Emperor, Dairu learned of the plans and demanded to join the invasion party. Shoju refused, for he did not wish for his wife's beloved son to be harmed. Dairu, in turn, was afraid that Shoju would fail without all the help he could muster. So Dairu disguised himself and joined the Scorpion invasion of Otosan Uchi. He died on the blade of Doji Hoturi, who never realized he had slain his own son. From the realm of ancestors, Dairu watched events in the land of the living with growing anguish. He watched as his adopted father was executed and demonized for his noble intentions. He watched his mother hatch a plot of vengeance against his true father that tore the Empire apart. If he had obeyed his father, would the Clan War have occurred? Would Fu Leng have possessed the Emperor with such ease or would the heroes of Rokugan seen the threat earlier? Dairu blames himself for the countless deaths that resulted of that war, and has long waited for the chance to redeem himself. That time has come. Bayushi Shoju has returned from the Realm of the Hungry Dead to join the Legion of Heroes, and Dairu stands beside him. Though he may bear no relation to Shoju by blood, the love and loyalty that he bears for his adopted father are as great as that which any son bears for his father. They will not fail. *** "Dairu!" Bayushi Dairu did not pause in his course through the winding labyrinth that surrounded Kyuden Bayushi. He continued on, pretending not to hear, hoping he could duck into a side passageway before the speaker caught up with him. He was unsuccessful. A familiar figure darted into his path, another young samurai in the colors of the Scorpion. He studied Dairu with a curious expression. "Dairu-san, didn't you hear me?" he asked with a chuckle. "I was calling your name." "I am sorry, Kaukatsu," Dairu said, bowing in apology to his friend. "I have a great deal on my mind." He kept his face a careful expressionless mask, showing none of the troubles that consumed him. Kaukatsu gave Dairu a steady, thoughtful look then shrugged as he fell into step beside him. "You always have a great deal on your mind," he replied. "You invite trouble into your soul, Dairu-san. You should enjoy yourself. There will be time enough for trouble when you are lord of the Scorpion Clan." Dairu chuckled. "I wish you were right, Kaukatsu," he said, "but I fear trouble does not wish to wait for me." Kaukatsu rolled his eyes. "Please," he said. "Do not tell me that you are still bitter about your father not inviting you to the Winter Court in Otosan Uchi. You will not spend your winter idle. You will accompany my father and me to Kyuden Miya. There will be intrigue aplenty… and I have it on good authority that Kakita Konoko will be there again this year. I'm sure you remember her." Dairu smiled sadly. "How could I forget?" he replied. "Then there is no problem at all, is there?" he asked. "Who needs Otosan Uchi?" Dairu said nothing. He reflected back to the scene he had just overheard, his father meeting with his uncle, Aramoro. The two men had been discussing the impending visit in Otosan Uchi, but politics were not what occupied their thoughts. This was no mere Winter Court. This was to be an invasion, a coup against the Hantei himself. His father intended to place himself upon the Emerald Throne. There were only two days left, and then everything would change. The idea had appalled Dairu at first. It was treachery most foul, treachery against the heart of the Empire itself. His revulsion had passed quickly. Dairu's faith in his father was absolute. If Bayushi Shoju planned to strike at the Emperor there must be a reason why. But Dairu would never know the reason. His father had not trusted him with the secret. He was going to be sent away to Kyuden Miya, where he would be safe with Kaukatsu, his father, and the rest of the courtiers. His father had always been a distant man, but Dairu had always admired him. He had always sought his chance to prove himself. Now, it seemed father would deny him the chance. What galled Dairu the most was that he knew his father did it out of love - the battle ahead would be the most dangerous the Scorpion Clan had ever faced. Shoju did not want his son to die. "Well I suppose I shall leave you to your brooding," Kaukatsu said, interrupting his friend's thoughts, "but please, finish quickly. My father is already making final preparations to leave. We will embark for Kyuden Miya within the hour." "Very well, Kaukatsu," Dairu said with a sudden smile. "Tell your father I will be there." Kaukatsu nodded, seeming reassured by Dairu's decision. He bowed and headed back the way he came. Dairu waited until Kaukatsu was gone, then continued on his way to the stables. He could be on his way to Otosan Uchi within the hour, well before Kaukatsu realized he was gone. Yet as Bayushi Dairu strode through the twisting hallways, they twisted and fade away, replaced with an endless field of grey. Memories flooded through him, memories of pain. Memories of battle. He saw his father betrayed. He saw the armies of the Scorpion crushed by the enemy. He saw the face of the Crane Champion, and saw himself die on Doji Hoturi's spear. Dairu fell to his knees, overwhelmed by the sensations, yet when he looked up again one remained. The vision of Hoturi still stood before him, though his shining blue armor was replaced with a suit of lacquered black. He looked down at Bayushi Dairu with a patient smile. "Welcome to the Realm of Thwarted Destiny, my son," the man said in a quiet voice. Bayushi Shoju: The Usurper Bayushi Shoju first appeared in Forbidden Knowledge. The Scorpion Clan is renowned for its tragic heroes, but there is perhaps no hero more tragic than Bayushi Shoju. In Rokugan, it is believed that those born with physical deformities are cursed. When the son of the Scorpion daimyo was born with a right arm twisted by palsy and a hideously disfigured face, his parents dreaded what fate may await him. Yet Shoju overcame the obstacles life presented him. He hid his face behind countless masks, never showing his true appearance to the enemy. Wielding his katana in his left hand, he became one of the finest duelists in Rokugan, the unexpected style giving him an advantage over unprepared opponents. As Scorpion Champion he was clever, ambitious and ruthless. He earned a place as Hantei XXXVIII's most trusted aid and wed Shosuro Kachiko, said to be the most beautiful maiden in all of Rokugan. Throughout his life, Shoju's dreams were haunted by a strange longing, the siren song of the Bloodsword Ambition, hidden in the bowels of Kyuden Bayushi. Though many might have succumbed easily to the sword's offers of power, Shoju resisted. Yet Shoju's success took a fateful turn when he stumbled upon an ancient prophecy. He learned that Fu Leng, the Dark Kami, was destined to return to Rokugan in the body of the Last Hantei. As Shoju wondered how he could save Rokugan from its greatest enemy, the Bloodsword finally seeded its influence into his mind. Hatching a daring plan, Shoju took up Ambition and staged a carefully orchestrated invasion of Otosan Uchi. He assassinated Emperor Hantei and seized the throne, hoping that at least with the Hantei line ended the threat of Fu Leng would be ended. Sadly, Shoju failed. The son of Hantei escaped the Scorpion assassins. Akodo Toturi, the one man who could compete with Shoju on the field of battle, survived Shoju's attempts to kill him due to the simple love of a geisha. Hida Kisada, whom Shoju had hoped might ally with him, spurned Shoju for his weakness (and made his own plans to take the throne). Shoju was defeated and slain, his name forever stained with dishonor despite his most noble of intentions. Only among the Scorpion is his name remembered as a hero. His soul was lost to Gaki-do, the Realm of the Hungry Dead, where the only means by which he can sate his gnawing hunger is to inspire his descendants to perform deeds of impossible bravery. Thus it was that, though he is remembered as a regicide, the Legion of the Dead found a place for Shoju. A spirit who can inspire courage in the living is a weapon of incomparable value, no matter what his past deeds may be. Though many look upon the tormented gaki with mistrust, his place among them cannot be denied. *** "You seem greatly troubled this night, Shoju-san," the Emperor said with a concerned smile. "It is most unlike you. What troubles you so, my friend? Speak it, and I will do what I can to ease your concerns." Beneath his mask, Bayushi Shoju licked his lips anxiously. All was as it should be. His men were in position. The first strikes against certain targets had already been dealt. It was too late to back out now, but in every way that truly mattered the coup would not begin until he confronted the Emperor. "I have found an ancient prophecy," he said gravely. "It says the greatest among us will cause the Empire to fall, and release an ancient evil into the world. I desire your blessing, my lord, that I may take every action necessary to avoid this sinister fate." "You have it," the Emperor said at once. "But who is greater than you, my trusted friend? Who could command such power to instill this shadow of doubt I see in your eyes?" The Bloodsword, Yashin, hung at Shoju's side, concealed from the Emperor's eyes by the same enchantments that gave it power. For a single moment of clarity, the whispering siren song of the sword faded from his mind. He was about to commit an act that would damn him forever, an act from which there could never be forgiveness or escape. Could he commit such blasphemy? Such heresy? Could he kill this old man, who had always been a friend and ally? Was there no other way to deny the inevitable? Shoju debated abandoning his plans at that moment. Without his signal, the coup would never begin. Those few agents who had acted in advance could be sacrificed, publicly declared traitors but privately recognized for their loyalty to the Master of Secrets. They would never betray his plans, no matter what torture they might endure. It could all end, here and now. When Shoju had become Champion, he had sworn an oath before his ancestors. The shugenja had asked him the same question that had been asked at such ceremonies throughout history: as Champion, would he protect the Emperor and Rokugan from any and every threat, regardless of its source or the consequences he might face? He had said he would. He had sworn on his ancestors' names. There was no choice to be made here. His course was clear. "Well?" the Emperor prompted him, his regal features now reflecting a rare moment of true concern. "What enemy could strike such doubt into the Master of Secrets?" Shoju drew the Bloodsword. "Only you, my lord," he whispered, tears coursing down his cheeks even as Yashin's whispers returned to him. "Only you." Shoju closed his eyes as he drove the sword into his best friend's heart. He could not bear to watch the Emperor die. When he opened his eyes again, both the Bloodsword and the palace were gone. Bayushi Shoju stood on a ridge overlooking a sea of nothingness. There were no features, only empty plains and roiling mists. Yet beneath it, he could sense the potential that lay in wait, hungry for definition and purpose. And he could sense other things as well, a familiar presence that he had sensed in the caves below Kyuden Bayushi, on the first day he picked up Yashin. "Others have surprised me by sensing my presence," said a sinuous voice. "You do not." The Shadow Dragon appeared from nothing, snaking through the air in a wide circle around Shoju. No, this was not what he had sensed beneath Kyuden Bayushi, though it was fueled by the same power. "I sense your hunger," Shoju replied. "It is as strong as my own, though not as strong as that of this place." He gestured to the fields. "Have you come to bargain my loyalty, Dragon of Air? Perhaps hope that I will betray the Legion to you as I betrayed my Emperor?" "I considered it," the Shadow Dragon said with a laugh, "but I think that you are better than that, Emperor Shoju." "Do not call me that," Shoju hissed. "I never deserved that title." "Do you think it pains me any less to hear you call me the Air Dragon?" the Shadow Dragon replied, its voice now seething with anger. "Do you have any idea, any conception, any brief spark of inkling within that pathetic scrap of ether you call a soul exactly what it means to have possessed such a name and lost it? I think it is obvious that you do not!" "Very well," Shoju said, bowing his head slightly, "Shadow Dragon." The Shadow Dragon returned the gesture. "Truth be told, I came out of curiosity," it said. "Despite that you are a traitor and a failure, you are yet a legend among mortals... and had you not acted as you did, had you not sacrificed yourself, perhaps things would have been even worse than they were. You remind me of myself, Bayushi Shoju. Of all the souls here, I interfered with your choice the least. I wished to see if you would make the same choice twice. I am pleased to see that you have done so. It makes my own task easier." "What task is that, dragon?" the Master of Secrets asked. But the Shadow Dragon was already gone. Daigotsu Hoturi: The False Hoturi Daigotsu Hoturi first appeared (then known as the False Hoturi) as a promotional card circa Emerald Edition. The Egg of Pan Ku is one of the most dangerous nemuranai (magical items) in the history of the Empire. This relic is the last surviving part of the dragon Pan Ku, who unmade itself rather than become corrupted by the Shadowlands. The dragon hoped that one day the Egg would be reborn, and create a creature that might be able to cope with the terrors it had seen. The Egg is an item of raw potential, able to replicate any living thing. Sadly, any creature created by the egg is cursed with the dragon's madness. During the Clan War, Bayushi Kachiko used the Egg as a tool to gain her vengeance against Doji Hoturi for unknowingly killing their illegitimate son. While Kachiko knew that the False Hoturi would create chaos within his clan, she did not realize that she would be unable to control the duplicate as fully as she desired, and did not recognize the depths of depravity to which the False Hoturi would sink. The shadow of Hoturi could not accept that he was merely the reflection of another, more "perfect" being. He could not accept that he was a mere pawn in another mortal's games. Seeking to understand the madness that consumed Pan Ku, the False Hoturi entered the Shadowlands. There, he was lost to the Taint and gathered an army of corrupted madmen who aided him in destroying the Crane lands. Near the end of the Clan War, the true Hoturi proved the better swordsman and the False Hoturi met his demise. Yet death was not the end for a creature such as the False Hoturi. After his escape from Meido, Realm of the Dead, the dark god Fu Leng chose to restore the magic that had created the False Hoturi. A corrupted hero, returned to destroy his clan, was a potent weapon to weaken the Empire's morale in a time when belief mattered most for the dark god. Fu Leng commanded Hoturi to obey his foremost servant, Daigotsu. The False Hoturi found Daigotsu's unique perception of honor strangely appealing, and swore fealty to the Dark Lord's name. When Iuchiban returned and deposed Daigotsu, he recognized the False Hoturi as a potent threat. Striking a deal with the Ninube, what Fu Leng created was unmade. The False Hoturi became the Egg of Pan Ku once more. The Egg went on to be used to duplicate the Lion Champion, Matsu Nimuro. But Fu Leng is not defeated so easily and once again the dark god bridles at Iuchiban's repeated defiance. In taking the Daigotsu name, the False Hoturi became something more than just another construct born of the Egg -- he became a true servant of the Ninth Kami. He became, as he always wished, a truly unique being independent of the magic that had created him. In a twisted way, the dragon Pan Ku's wishes have been fulfilled as Hoturi understood the madness that consumed the Egg -- and welcomed it. In the shadows of the Legion of the Dead he walks. His mission is simple: to discover how the Ninth Kami's former servants have been subverted and return their loyalties where they belong. He has been promised the greatest rewards Jigoku has to offer, should he succeed. Hoturi needs no reward. Fu Leng has already given him the greatest gift. *** The vision of Hoturi looked down at Bayushi Dairu with a patient smile. Dairu drew his blade in an instant. "What are you?" he hissed. "You are not Hoturi. I have heard of you. You are his corrupted twin, the False Hoturi that was born from Pan Ku's Egg years after my death." "You say that I am not Hoturi, though my memories tell me so," Hoturi said with a smile. "Is that any different than your own insistence that you are the Scorpion Champion's son? Our destiny, who we are, is what we make of it, Dairu-san." Dairu's expression darkened. "In every way that matters, you are wrong," Hoturi continued. "I bear all of Hoturi's experiences. Like Hoturi, I loved your mother but was little more than a pawn in her games to be used and discarded. Like Hoturi, I suffered for her vengeance, for her commands bound me to destroy the clan that I loved. I was consumed by hatred and madness. But I was given a second chance. I have risen above my origins and become something more. I am Daigotsu Hoturi. No longer am I a mindless pawn of Fu Leng, but a samurai in his service. Do you not see? My destiny is now my own to command, my son," He took a step toward Dairu. "Do not call me that, spirit," Dairu said, edging carefully away from Hoturi, his sword level with his black-armored chest. "Bayushi Shoju is my father." "Then perhaps I should call you father instead?" he replied. "It was your death, after all, that began the inevitable chain of events that resulted in my creation. Is not every sin, every atrocity I committed, the result of your own selfish actions?" Dairu would hear no more. With a fierce cry, he charged at Hoturi with a wild swing of his blade. The specter stepped easily to one side, drawing his blade in the space between moments and deflecting the attack. "I have no desire to fight you," Hoturi said in a quiet voice. "Do you not recognize an ally when you see one?" "You are no ally," Dairu retorted. "You mock me, you mock my family!" Hoturi's eyes blazed red. "Ungrateful boy," he snapped. "I am the man who shielded you from the Shadow Dragon's sight. I sought you out to protect you from it. To allow you the chance to relive a destiny that was stolen from you. I did not expect gratitude. By the Fortunes, I did not even expect you to succeed where you once failed. I did, however, expect better manners." His hands tightened on the hilt of his katana. Dairu held his blade steady. "What are you talking about?" Hoturi closed his eyes and drew a deep breath. With a fluid move, he sheathed his blade. "Forgive my outburst," he said apologetically. "It is difficult to control my anger in this place. It feeds off of us, seeks to make all that we are a part of itself. We must resist its call, Dairu." Dairu stared at the man for several moments. "What did you mean about the Shadow Dragon?" "The beast haunts the dreams of all in this realm," Hoturi explained. "He seeks to corrupt the visions, and in doing so turn this realm's hunger to his own twisted purpose." "And you kept him from me?" Dairu asked. "Why?" Hoturi was quiet a moment. "I do not know. My mission here has little to do with you. I know you are not my son. And yet…" he trailed off. "Perhaps this was my own test? The time is swiftly approaching when this place will change. We must be prepared to change with it, Dairu-san." "Then change, if you dare, False Hoturi," Dairu said with a sneer. "Make your choice. Turn your back on the Dark Kami. Join the true heroes of Rokugan and help us banish evil from this realm." "You truly do not understand what is happening here," Hoturi said. "This goes beyond good and evil, beyond honor and dishonor, Dairu. I will not join you, and I know you will not join me." "Then what do you want from me?" Dairu demanded. "Only to see my son… to see my father one last time," Hoturi replied, covering his flowing white hair with a black steel helmet, "before this place consumes us all." With that, Daigotsu Hoturi stepped back into the mists and vanished just as he had appeared, leaving Dairu to his thoughts. Shosuro Hametsu: The Poison Master Born the eldest son of the Shosuro daimyo, Hametsu never expected to lead his family. His elder sister Kachiko was the quintessential Scorpion, though her constant torment of her younger siblings went unnoticed or simply ignored by their family. Hametsu assumed that Kachiko would assume their father's position as family daimyo, and that she would never permit him to assume a position of any real influence within the family. Assured that his fate would be mediocre at best, Hametsu turned his attention to his personal passions: gardening and herbalism. On the heels of his sister's marriage to the Clan Champion, Hametsu's father passed away quite suddenly. Hametsu quickly found himself installed as the Shosuro daimyo. His father's wisdom guided his rule: he need not be a great leader, so long as he surrounded himself with those who excelled at the duties he assigned them. Hametsu took this philosophy to heart, and chose the most skilled and competent subordinates to serve him. The Shosuro family flourished, and Hametsu continued to tend the vast gardens he had created around the family's estate, lending many new substances for his agents to use. When the Scorpion were banished across the Burning Sands following Toturi's disappearance, Hametsu found himself in a unique position: the Senpet were fascinated by his ability to brew virulent poisons from the simplest plants, and quickly accepted him among their number to serve the Senpet leaders. Despite his newfound influence, Hametsu chafed at the reverence the Senpet offered his sister Kachiko, whom they had mistaken for some form of diving being. Succumbing to a lifetime of jealousy and resentment, Hametsu attempted to assassinate his sister with a unique poison he had created. The poison master's attempt failed, thwarted by a vigilant Senpet guard. However, his attempt was sufficient to prove to the Senpet that Kachiko was not the Avatar they sought. Instead, they found this Avatar in Shosuro Tage, who assisted in the freeing of the Kami Shinjo from a desolate prison where she had been trapped for centuries. With Shinjo freed, the Scorpion were released and returned to Rokugan, all made possible by Hametsu's failed attempt. His destiny complete, Hametsu was as surprised as anyone to find himself among the souls of Yomi. As wicked as he was, Hametsu had always kept the best interests of the Scorpion at heart. In the end he fulfilled his destiny well. In Yomi he found peace once more in simple gardening. Now that the Legion of the Dead has been assembled, however, Hametsu has felt a strange and unfamiliar sensation: regret. He laments his attempt to kill his sister, and wishes to atone by fighting alongside the Legion of the Dead. Whether his efforts will prove successful, or even if such efforts are necessary in the first place, remains to be seen. Bayushi Aramoro: Kachiko's Enforcer Bayushi Aramoro first appeared in Shadowlands. Aramoro was born the younger half-brother of Bayushi Shoju. Though Aramoro's elder brother was destined to rule the Scorpion Clan, he bore no jealousy or animosity toward Shoju. Aramoro was content to serve whatever objective his brother desired. Aramoro felt in his heart he was stronger, smarter, and more capable than his brother so there was no reason for jealousy. At a fateful Winter Court, Aramoro met the lovely Shosuro Kachiko and fell in love. Throughout the winter he sent her countless poems and gifts, hoping to win her affections. At the end of the winter, his brother gave him a box containing everything he had sent Kachiko, all cleverly diverted by Shoju while he turned his own talents toward winning Kachiko's heart. Aramoro realized then how sorely he had underestimated his brother, and that underestimation cost him the only woman he had truly loved. Shoju and Kachiko were betrothed shortly thereafter. Aramoro sought out the ninja masters of the Shosuro, seeking to train under them and become a better servant of the Scorpion - as well as putting as much distance between himself and Kachiko as possible. His skills developed quickly, and he soon became one of the deadliest assassins in the Scorpion Clan. For a time, he had an affair with a Scorpion agent by the name of Asami, who reminded him of Kachiko. Though their child was illegitimate, he claimed Aramasu as his own son, though he participated little in the boy's life thereafter. Ironically it was his great talent that called him back into his brother's direct service. Shoju commanded Aramoro to protect his wife during the Scorpion Clan Coup, and Aramoro took the promise seriously. When Shoju perished, Aramoro prepared to give his life to defend Kachiko - but such was not required. Instead he became Kachiko's silent servant, carrying her messages to her agents in the shadows and protecting her from unseen enemies. When the Scorpion Clan were exiled to the Burning Sands, Kachiko commanded Aramoro remain and watch over Scorpion lands. Though it pained him to be so far from her and he feared the dangers she might face in gaijin lands, he could not refuse her. In the end it was Aramoro's unparalleled fighting prowess and cunning that earned the Scorpion the permission to return to Rokugan at the Gift of the Emperor tournament. At the Battle of Oblivion's Gate, Aramasu stood among the armies of the Great Clans as they battled the Lying Darkness and the Shadowlands Horde. The ninja master spied a weakness in the defenses beyond the threshold of the Gate, but knew he and his forces could not possibly fight their way through the enemy in time. Aramoro and his personal guard took their own lives so that their spirits would join the ranks of the dead on the far side of the Gate and quickly shored up the defense. They held the breach at the borders of Yomi and the mortal realm until Isawa Hochiu destroyed the Gate, and were seen no more. Aramoro found a place in Yomi among the most celebrated Scorpion ancestors, but it pains him that his brother has so long been tormented in Gaki-do. Now that Shoju has been given a chance to redeem himself, Aramoro has appeared as well. Together they cannot fail.