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"Das will ich Euch sagen Tsuruchi-san." antwortet der Kakita Bushi. "Ich bin auf der Suche nach Rache für den Mord an meinem Bruder in die Skorpion Lande vorgedrungen. Mir war bewusst was ich tat aber es war die einzige Möglichkeit jemals in die Lage zu kommen den Mörder zu stellen." Kakita Jiro blickt nach oben gen Gitter. "Ich war ihm auf den Fersen und als ich seine Spur endlich gefunden hatte, habe ich eine Woche lang habe weder geschlafen noch gerastet um ihn stellen zu können. Das ist jetzt viele Tage her. Damals brach gerade der Monat des Kranichs an - die Schicksale meinten es gut mit mir.[1] Als ich dann den Bayushi ausfindig gemacht hatte, beschloss ich die Nacht zu ruhen um die Kräfte meiner Vorfahren zu sammeln und eine meinem Bruder würdige Rache zu nehmen. Doch es die Schicksale nahmen einen anderen Verlauf und noch ehe der Morgen angebrochen war, hatte mein Katana mehrere Männer auf die Reise gen Yomi geschickt. Der Bayushi war nicht dabei - doch das war mir nur Recht. Sollte er doch als Verlierer in einem Duell sterben und nicht wie ein reudiger Hinin durch einen Fehltritt in mein Katana stolpern!" Die Schilderung des Kranichs kommen nun zu einem abrupten Ende und Bitterkeit wie die eines falsch zubereiteten Ginko Tees, umhüllt den Gesichtsausdruck des Bushis. "Fünf waren es doch es verblieben noch sieben und auch wenn ich noch den ein oder anderen traf, so war mein Schwertarm müde und ich konnte nicht mehr aus der Leere[2] schöpfen. Sie überwältigten mich und alles was mir blieb war die Herausforderung an den Bayushi aus zu sprechen. Seit diesem Tag nun warte ich hier - auf ein Zeichen der Ehre. Der Bayushi wird meine Herausforderung nicht im Wind davon eilen lassen. Er wird sich mir stellen - seine Ehre gebietet es ihm!"[3]
Need to defeat a Crane? Convince him a battle will ruffle his feathers. [12]The Crane Clan hide behind a mask of refinement to cover their motley collection of vices. All of those poets and singers praise the high virtue of love, but where is love in a geisha house? Scorpion hasn't found it there. Yet, more than any other clan, the samurai of the Crane can be found trying to woo the affections of geisha... and in disguise! If love is such a noble virtue, then why do they hide while pursuing it? The Crane resent the Scorpion as the Scorpion are what they wish to be. They sing songs of noble virtue only because they need to remind themselves that virtue is noble. Or is it to convince themselves of it? [9]Once there was a Crane and a Scorpion, sitting by the edge of a river. The Crane said, "Isn't it funny how the Fortunes distribute their blessings among the creatures?" The Scorpion eyed the Crane suspiciously, "What do you mean?" The Crane smiled and said, "Look at me. Look at my beautiful wings and feathers. I can fly and I can swim. Look at my perfect neck and my shining eyes. I am the envy of all the creatures in the world." Then the Crane looked down at the Scorpion and said, "Look at you. All you have is your tail." "Ah," said the Scorpion, "but all that means is that you have nothing to gain, and I have nothing to lose. And when you are old and have lost your feathers, you will no longer be able to fly. And when you are fat and half-blind, you will no longer be able to swim. Then, when you are counting everything that you have lost, I will be counting everything I have gained." And the Crane had nothing more to say. [8] .
Typically, bushi duels are resolved with iaijutsu and are taken to the first blood (ketsuiki) the first combatant to injure his opponent wins. [...] Duels to the death are technically illegal, as a samurai's life is not his own to throw away. However, should the parties in dispute optain permission from their lords, a duel to the death is perfectly legal.
traditions:reasons must fall within acceptable parameters, and a proper challenge must be made2. type of duel must be decided3. appropriate ceremonies and ritualsFurther, a samurai may not initiate or accept a challenge to thedeath unless he has gained the full support of his daimyo. For asamurai to fall serving his lord is honorable. For him to fail in hisduty to his lord because he threw his life away is consideredshameful.A second, less common duel is the duel to the death(shz). These duels (also commonly iaijutsu) always take place overextremely serious circumstances, usually on the battlefield, or ina formal setting between two bitter enemies.To challengesomeone to this type of duel over a lesser insult is dishonorable,and the challenged samurai may refuse with honor, particularly ifhis daimyo forbids him to accept such a demeaning challengeWitnesses are integral to a duel environment. In formal duels,a messenger delivers the challenge, carefully written incalligraphy on rice paper. The challenge must be made in publicevlen spontaneous duels must begin with the formal proposal ofthe duel. It must entail all the insults or dishonors which spurredthe challenger to duel (“He said my mother was a heimin!“) andthe challenged may freely admit to the truth of those words (“Hismother was a heimin. Here is the testimony of his father!”).Afterwards, witnesses are assembled. A duel which heldwithout witnesses is no more than an honorless battle, and theparti~ipantsw ill gain no glory or honor. Preferably, the samurai’sdaimyo should attend a duel, particularly shi
The rane find it useflll to cow their opponent with the prospe t of having to face a Kenshizen in a duel. or even to trap an enemy into a situation where he has no choice but to square off against a Kakita swordsman, Kakita bushi, therefore, oft!:. find themselves assigned to Crane courtiers as YOJlmbo. The two work as a team, with the courtier maneuvering the targetinto position and the duelist charged with finishing the job. Other skUled Kakita duelists find more slralghtforward duty as YOJlmbo 10 Clan personages (sometimes working as teams with DaldoJotrained trainedyojimbo), where Lheir quick reflexes, speed and ability to focus in stressful situations prove invaluable assets.
Despite the fact that many see them as the least honorable of Rokugan's Major Clans. the Scorpion have a very strong iaijutsu tradition. For hundreds of years. Scorpion samurai have settled disputes among themselves using a very strict and intricate formalchallenge ceremony. While many fall to realize it. samurai of the Clan of Secrets -the members of the Bayushi Family in particular -strive to embody what it means to truly be samurai. Indeed. many members of this Clan work all of their lives to masterboth the sword and of the weapons of politics. and they are always willing to sacrifice their lives for the Emperor. to whom they are selnessly -If not always obViously -devoted. TIlough many in Rokugan misunderstand them. the Emperor's Underhandhold personal honor in high regard. but the safety of their Clan as well as the honor and well being of the Emperor and his family must always come fiTSt. To think otherwise. given the often poisonous atmosphere of Great Clan politiCS. would be treason.BUI it Is very much the case that the Scorpion cultivate their reputation as devious. untrustworthy. and unorthodox in their ways in all things. The mistrust and misperception that they createfor themselves among their rival Great lans is. in some ways. their most danger us weapon. In fact, most Scorpion samurai are quite traditional in their views of the world. especially in matters of honor. loyalty to their Clan and the Emperor. as well as other Ideals characteristic of the samurai class. This is al 0 true of their views of Rokugani dueling tradition .Although they would never admit it to outsiders. Scorpion samurai. like many of their peers from rival Clans. strongly believethat the iaijutsu duel Is the only true test of a swordsman. All Scorpion bushi receive at least basic training in iaijutsu skills. and the Clan's elite duelists are tTalned in techniques only taught at the Shosuro Champion Dojo. a highly exclusive school reservedfor the most promi Ing Scorpion swordsmen.In fact. the belief that duels in general are the ultimate test of skill. wit. and wisdom is common among the Scorpion. as Is thepinion that the ideal Scorpion samurai must be ready for anytype of challenge. In lacl, ju I as many Scorpion bushi receivetraining in the intricacies of courtly intrigue and politics, manycorpion courtiers learn how to wield the katana with surprisingefficiency. and sometimes even I'rain in iaijutsu. ScorpiOn shugenjararely cross over to other forms of dueling. bUI they do embracethe traditions of taryu-jiai as a way of settling disputes with other shugenja.Both within the CIl'1Il of Secrets and without. disputes are mostzoften settled with the iaijutsu duel. When entering an iaijutsu contest against a member of another Clan, a Scorpion samurai never hesitates to usc every trick at his disposal to beat hi " foe. After all. nothing is as important as saving face . and winning il duel against a samurai of another Clan would only serve to reinforcethe Scorpion's reputation and standing. A salTIurai who battlesa Scorpion in an iaijutsu duel faces a cunning. determined, and unscrupulous individual willing to do anything in his power to win. Someone engaged in a duel with a Scorpion highly trained in iaijutsu must expect the unexpected.On the other hand. part of a Scorpion duelist's cunning involvessubordinating immediate. tactical concerns to longer-term. strategic concerns without hesitation if he feels it necessary. Generallyspeaking. Ihe Scorpion view dueling as a means of maintainingorder as well as preserving the balance of power between the Great Clans (as well as within their own Families). Because Scorpion samurai are not known for their great warriors, their opponentsoften unuerestimate their ability to fighl In a trauillonal iaijulsu duel. A Scorpion might Willingly concede 10 a weaker opponentduring a uuel if he thinks it can benefit him. his Clan. or the Emperor al a future date. And he would do so even at the cost of his personal honor. Needless to say. such an act on the part of a Scorpion samurai (and indeed the very reasons Ihat drives him to such ,111 act) is greatly misunderstood, especially when he concedes a duel to a foe considered much weaker than himself. Thus. the vast majority who witness a Scorpion abdl ale during a duel assume that he is the lesser of Ihe two duelists -though still honorable for admitting it. Only another Scorpion samurai lVould know better.
