Excerpts from The Way of the Lion The Matsu Mon The mon of the Matsu was crafted with their simple passion for war in mind. A sword, carried in a Lion's paw, raised to the heavens in defiance of any who would challenge them. Matsu Understand There is no room for pleasantry in war, only fierce action. There is no room for subtlety in war, only decisive choices. There is no room for failure in war, only the glorious results. Deny these things, and suffer the consequences. The Matsu Gempukku Ceremony The coming of age in the Matsu school is not a time of joy and celebration, as it is in many other bushi schools. It is the time to prove one's worth rather than an acknowledgement of worth already achieved. It is as harsh, rigid and unbending as all other aspects of the Matsu family, but it also signifies a very great honor. Those who survive can count themselves among the best warriors the Empire has to offer. The Matsu gempukku consists of a series of tests, each designed to confirm some part of the Matsu's character. The initial tests are based around martial prowess, and are ironically among the easiest the initiate will face. He or she must recite the tenets of Akodo's "Leadership" from memory, demonstrate a working knowledge of any twenty weapons of war, and use a katana to quarter a falling pomegranate before it strikes the ground. To test endurance, the initiate is struck four hundred times with a bamboo rod. The blows leave no permanent marks, but are exceedingly painful and drain the initiate's stamina to the point of exhaustion. The Matsu is expected to remain conscious and standing throughout the test; failure results in dishonor and seppuku. The next test does not directly deal in martial affairs; it embodies the initiate's patience and wisdom, his willingness to put his own needs aside for the sake of the clan. Surrounded by plates of steaming food, the Matsu must fast for three full days, meditating on the Lion's honor and his duty to uphold it. At the end of the fast, he is given a bowl of gruel to consume, which he must lick clean while still surrounded by sumptuous meals. In so doing, he acknowledges his appreciation of the Clan's support and demonstrates that he will never take more from the Lion than is his due. Finally, a white hot poker, in the shape of the Matsu crest, is pressed against the initiate's flesh, scarring the skin and marking them forever as a member of the Matsu family. It takes only about ten or fifteen seconds, but the pain is truly exquisite and lingers long after the fiery metal has been removed. Needless to say, no one is allowed to move, cry out or express discomfort of any sort during the process. If they do, they will be permitted to use their daisho once – to commit seppuku. If all the tests are passed, the scar becomes a symbol of their status and a focus of their pride. Only those who wear the scar can be considered an equal on the battlefield, for only they have undergone the ordeal. The exact placement of the scar is based upon the bushi's particular skills, and is intended to represent his or her place in the cosmic cycle of the universe. It is considered an insult to ask a Matsu where her scar is, like questioning her lineage or her martial skill. Rare indeed is the Matsu who allows such a dishonor to linger for long. On the whole, Matsu bushi are trained for war from age six, learning the way of the warrior and the lessons of the sword early, and reaching their gempukku when they are only fourteen years old. The Matsu encourage such young warriors to prove their worth to the clan through conquest of border territory, defense of the Emperor's palace, and other skirmishes. To say that the Matsu are controlled by the Akodo is like saying teenagers are controlled by their parents – it's technically true, but somehow the Matsu usually end up doing what they wanted to.

The Code of Bushido from the L5R RPG Lion Clan Character Travelogue 1. Gi – Honesty and Justice   Be acutely honest throughout your dealings with all people. Believe in justice, not from other people, but from yourself. To a true samurai there are no shades of gray in the question of honesty and justice.   There is only right or wrong. 2. Yu – Hoeroic Courage   Rise up above the masses of people that are afraid to act. Hiding like a turtle in a shell is not living at all. A samurai must have heroic courage. It is absolutely risky. It is dangerous. It is living life completely, fully, wonderfully. Heroic courage is not blind. It is intelligent and strong.   Replace fear with respect and caution. 3. Jin – Compassion   Through intense training the samurai becomes quick and strong. He is not as other men. He develops a power that must be used for the good of all. He has compassion. He helps his fellow men at every opportunity. If an opportunity does not arise, he goes out of his way to find one. 4. Rei – Polite Courtesy   Samurai have no reason to be cruel. They do not need to prove their strength. A samurai is courteous even to his enemies. Without this outward show of respect we are nothing more than animals. A samurai is not only respected for his strength in battle, but also by his dealings with other men. The true inner strength of a samurai becomes very apparent during times of stress. 5. Meyo – Honor   The true samurai has only one judge of his honor, and that is himself. Decisions you make and how these decisions are carried out are a reflection of who you truly are.   You cannot hide from yourself. 6. Makoto – Complete Sincerity   When a samurai has said he will perform an action, it is as good as done. Nothing on this earth will stop him from completing what he has said he will do. He does not have to "give his word." He does not have to "promise." The action of speaking alone has set the act of doing in motion.   Speaking and doing are the same action. 7. Chugo – Duty and Loyalty   For the samurai, having done some "thing" or said some "thing", he knows he owns that "thing." He is responsible for it and all the consequences that follow. A samurai is intensely loyal to those in his care. To those he is responsible for, he remains fiercely true. A man's words are like his footprints; you can follow them wherever he goes. Take care where you tread.

Visions of the Past Hidden Emperor Week 8 by Ree Soesbee The clouds huddled beneath gray skies, wrapped closely about the plains as if awaiting their share of blood. Beneath them, a battlefield stretched from horizon to horizon, broken by small tents and galloping horses. The wind blew through the center, whistling through the waving grasses with a laugh and a promise. On a hillock nearby, the Lion commander watched over her troops, deploying the units carefully, aware that any misstep would cause thousands of deaths when dawn came. Matsu Tsuko, Lady of Lions, bowed her head in tribute to the brave souls beneath her command who would fight – and die – today. Among them, her favored student, Ikoma Tsanuri. Tsanuri was a laughing girl, her light brown hair wild and cut short beneath an iron helm. Once she had been the doshi of Akodo Toturi – Tsuko snarled at the mere thought of the traitor’s name. Tsanuri had seen Toturi’s ruse for what it had been: a bid to usurp the Imperial Throne. Now she served with the Lion, beside Tsuko herself, and they fought together against the Crane. "My Lady," Tsanuri bowed, running up the hill to her commander. "The troops are ready for your deployment." Tsuko nodded once, sharply, and Tsanuri bowed again. The Lion troops crested the hill and swarmed onto the plains of Doji Castle with a cry that shook the heavens. Crane everywhere, blue armor glistening in the dawn, and arrows flooded the sky from the rear, slaughtering the front rank of Lion. And still they came. Daidoji pikemen, spears planted in the soft ground, turned the charge into a blood bath, every spear covered in Lion valor. The earth churned beneath Crane feet as the Matsu troops fell, and the second rank lay cold upon their field only minutes after their heroic roar. Noble souls, eyes dimming, breathed their last breath as they watched their companions rush past. And still, the Lions came. The Crane fell back, commanded by their rabid general, and another volley of arrows pierced the clouds. Another troupe of Lion samurai fell. The Crane withdrew again, and their pike-line reformed. Ready to engage the Matsu troops, the Daidoji knelt behind their bristling weapons, silent as death. Then, from the left, the Ikoma appeared through a haze, as if the Fortunes themselves had granted them passage. The pike-line shattered, devastated by the flank attack, and the Daidoji formation was no more than leaves in the wind. The Lion troops streamed past the devastated Crane defenses, charging into the heart of their enemy. Tsuko saw Ikoma Tsanuri risk a glance toward her commander atop the hill. Without thought, Tsuko raised a fist in response. "Well done, girl," Tsuko roared. "Well done!" "My Lady?" The voice behind her was rough, carefully restrained. Tsuko turned to see one of her commanders, Kitsu Motso, pointing at a rice field to the rear of the battle. "The Crane are falling back toward that point." "Let them run, the cowards." Tsuko grinned. "We have already won the day." Motso moved to the map placed on a low table behind them, turning his fan over and over between his fingers. "That field, my Lady… it isn’t on our map, and our forward scouts reported that it was dry only three days ago." "And?" A note of suspicion crept into Tsuko’s voice as she glanced over her shoulder, loathe to tear her eyes away from the slaughter of the blue-armored Daidoji. "It is filled with water today, my Lady…but it has not rained in weeks." Tsuko turned toward her lieutenant. "What are you saying. Motso? That the Crane filled a rice field to try to drown our soldiers?" Her sneer was palpable. "Think again, Kitsu." Motso’s voice was calm, accustomed to frequent comments about the ‘unsuitability’ of his heritage. He was born a Kitsu, the spellcrafters of the Lion, yet he had no magic. Instead, he turned his talents – and his resentment – to matters of war. "No, my Lady Tsuko-sama, not to drown our men. To drown their own." Before Tsuko’s lips could phrase a scornful question, a shout came from the field. Where there had been a hundred warriors in Crane colors, now there were three hundred – seven hundred - a thousand. Rising from the sodden rice fields, hiding below the risen waters, the army of the Daidoji surrounded the Lion troops on three sides. The last remaining Crane pikemen, left behind when the Lions charged, turned and faced the Matsu at their rear. Tsanuri was trapped. "Why didn’t we see this before?" Tsuko roared, pulling on her helm and trumpeting for her personal guard. "This was to be a simple foray, Motso! I’ll have your head if they are injured!" Screaming vengeance, Tsuko charged down the hillside, her elite guard, the Lion’s Pride, at her heels. "We did not see this, my Lady," Motso said to himself, raising his battle-fan to swiftly command the troops to retreat – whatever the cost. "Because we did not care to." Tsuko’s soldiers streamed behind her, their battle-roar loud in the clear sky. Ahead of them, the Daidoji tore apart the Lion lines, destroying one man after another with their flashing yari and swift swords. "We won’t be there in time!" Tsuko swore, hearing the rumble of Lion legions far behind her. Motso’s call for aid had been heeded, but they were far behind the speeding Lady of Lions and her elite guard. Then, from within the pack of trapped Lion, a furious shout was heard. Taken up by the doomed company, the Ikoma guard threw their force against the weakest of the Daidoji samurai. Shattering spears and destroying chunks of sodden earth beneath their feet, the Ikoma tore through the Crane guard. A cheer went up from the guard behind Tsuko as their beleaguered companions began to stream through the opening, racing back to meet with their legions. The Crane, outmaneuvered by force and sheer courage, sounded the retreat rather than face the Lady of Lions. As they withdrew beyond the waterlogged rice paddies, the Ikoma forces reached Tsuko’s legions. The Lion’s Pride gathered quickly, helping to carry the injured from the field. Their hands stained with blood and sweat, the company began to turn back to the camp. Tsuko commanded, "You!" and the nearest soldier turned. "My Lady?" "Where is your commander? Where is Tsanuri-san?" He pointed to a small knot of samurai who had just arrived from the battle. "I left her there," he said simply. "Who are you?" Tsuko snarled, impatient. "My name," the samurai replied, "Is Matsu Gohei, son of Matsu Ochiman, son of the Matsu daimyo of old, your grandmother." As Tsuko nodded, he continued, "I am a male of the line of the Matsu daimyos, and I alone have saved your favored student." With a sneer, he bowed, and turned away. "Impudent whelp!" Tsuko reached for her katana in anger, but Gohei spun, his eyes filled with hatred. "I could have let her die." His voice was low and struck like a serpent. "But I knew you had no heir, and if you die without her a man will take the ancient mantle of Matsu daimyo." "And I could take her life this moment, for allowing her men to be trapped by the Crane!" Tsuko stared, furious and wary. "Your point, Gohei?" "I care nothing for you, except as a general. Nothing for her, except as a soldier, in her command. I am a Lion, and I serve my duty alone." With that, he bowed low, and turned away. Tsuko’s hand fell from the cradle of her saya, nodding. He was a child of the Matsu, after all. The boy would bear watching. Tsuko knelt beside Tsanuri, watching as the Kitsu healers stanched the wound in the woman’s side. "Will she live?" The daimyo murmured. "Yes, my Lady. She will live." "Good." said Tsuko, standing abruptly as she realized the tears of relief nearing her eyes. "She will be needed." Five years, one dawn after another, passed between that day and the coronation of Ikoma Tsanuri as Lion Clan Champion. Their lives touched often in those times, during the Clan Wars, but Tsanuri often thought of the first moment she saw Tsuko meet Gohei on the field of battle, and of the Cranes they fought together. Of them all, only she knew the truth: neither Gohei nor Tsuko, despite their rivalry, could ever have let her die. They were Lions, after all.

E-mail: gohei@lowfierce.com