Why Lion?

There are many things I can say about the Lion Clan. Many players seem to think of us as one-dimensional and boring, lacking the cools stuff that the other Clans have. The Phoenix have magic; the Dragon have wisdom; the Unicorn have horses; the Scorpion have the 'sneaky and nasty' side which many find appealing; the Mantis have Yoritomo and a very large army; the Crane have politics and the ear of the Emperor. The Crab also have military might, and the image of a lone Crab Samurai standing on the Wall screaming "F**k You!" at the horde beyond which threatens to engulf him, katana in one hand, ono in the other. Pretty stirring stuff...

What do the Lion have? Well, we do have a bit of magic, the Kitsu Sodan-Senzo can commune with our ancestors; giving us guidance in our lives. We also have Wisdom, since it is well known that the Lion learn from their mistakes. Akodo taught us that winning a battle with a minimum cause of duty is a proper way to wage war, and we have not been unknown to engage in a little intelligence gathering, and ambushing. OK, I admit we do not have Yoritomo, but we do have a big army... And every Emperor knows he can depend on his Right Hand should he need it, so we can get the Emperor's attention, should it be required.

But the above is not the Lion, and to describe the Lion in terms of the other Clans does not do us justice, for we can be summed up in one, two or three words... Honor Honor and Steel Honor, Steel and Bushido. The world of Rokugan is a world of Samurai, Shugenja and Bushido, and I honestly believe that the Lion are the closest representative of that stereotype, and therein lies the problem. Since we are so close to the stereotype, most people assume we are that stereotype. They assume it is a liability, not realising that it is our greatest asset.

During the Clan War, our Clan split in two over an oath made a thousand years ago by Akodo, a god who was as much a myth as he was a man. And yet, because he swore to protect the Emperor or die, the Clan split in two when Fu Lend possessed Hantei XXXIX. Many thought we were stupid. We were vilified for helping to bring about the downfall of not only our Clan, but the Empire itself. At the time of the Empire's greatest need, when the Hordes of Junzo converged on the Eternal City, the Lion did not stand as one on the side of the Thunders but instead quite happily tore each other apart, despite having already suffered the most hideous of losses throughout the Clan War. And they did this because they are Lion. A Lion Clan Samurai does not say he is going to do something unless he means it. A Lion Clan Samurai does not consider Honor a toy to be played with, or a tool to be used in Court. Without Honor a Lion Clan Samurai is a man with a sword.

Bushido was not a "Good Idea" invented to help men live better lives. Bushido is not a bunch of clever principles to be adhered to when convenient. Bushido is a path for which there is no deviation from. Bushido are the laws which guide every decision a Lion Clan Samurai must make, from deciding what to have to break the night's fast, to deciding whose to sacrifice his life for when two Daimyo's lives are in danger.

I could go on at length about the other aspects of the Lion which are often forgotten, such as their devotion to their ancestors, their obsession with martial excellence and their subliminal leadership and tactical skills, but I feel that my point is made. As a final point remember this: Four of the most central characters in the L5R story are Lion... Akodo Toturi, Akodo Kage, Akodo Ginawa and Matsu Hiroru. Three of the most tragic tales in Rokugani mythology are Lion... the tale of Matsu Hitomi, the tale of Matsu Tsuko and the Lion civil war at the Day of Thunder, when three factions of Lion grimly slaughtered one another under the gleeful eye of Yogo Junzo. The greatest of the Kami was a Lion...Akodo (read Winter Court: Kyuden Seppun for the true story of the battle between Akodo and Hantei) The greatest warrior to ever walk Rokugan was Akodo, for not even Fu Leng would face him in battle (though there is an argument the Shinsei may have been a better warrior, open to debate). Finally, the coolest character in Rokugani history is a Lion... Ikoma (read his story in the Way of the Lion)