Rokugan Local Governance:
Variations: The Lion Clan
Lion Clan Governance
- Families: Within Lion families, every role is strictly proscribed by duty and Katokusozoku is of particular significance. Lion Families are always aware that their ancestors are watching them and expect great things of them, especially of their duties to the family.
- Families: Marriages are entered into with the duty of a warrior and many children of high quality are the sign of a Lion's familial duty properly done.
- Families: When Matsu marry members of other Lion families, the other Lion must take the Matsu name. This leads to the Matsu being the largest of the Lion families.
- Families: Marriages are arranged early, before the age of 10. Genetics, such as the potential strength of children from a certain match, are considered, alongside political considerations.
- Families: Most Lion retire to become advisors. Even after that, they seldom become cloistered monks, instead preferring to wander and stay involved with the affairs of the Empire.
- Families: Those family members assigned to tend the homestead rather than be on the battlefield are expected to run it with precision and care, as much of a logistical focus as a home.
- Families: Especially among the Lion, the samurai are expected to be able to complete any chore they ask of their heimin, and to pull such duties on themselves to inspire their servants as they would their followers on the battlefield.
- Families: Lion bushi are called up every summer without fail, along with many ashigaru. They will be called on to drill, but also to participate in small intra-clan conflicts between opposing lords over matters of honor, or similar conflicts with lords in other clans. These are limited in nature, with no real land changing hands, lest the Emperor intervene, and are intended as a show of skill and wit as raw power. Such constant warfare keeps Lion bushi and tacticians at their peak for when the true battles come.
- Villages: Villages in Lion lands often must suffer lean times, because many men of fighting age are expected to drill and fight regularly as ashigaru. However, even in the leanest times, the samurai sonchou runs it with meticulous precision.
- Villages: The Lion dislike the disorder of peasants leaving their villages, and will generally return peasants who wish to flee, considering their actions cowardice. However, if too many villagers try to flee a village and must be returned, it is not uncommon that an investigation into the village sonchou will begin.
- Villages: Villages without a sonchou are fairly common in Lion lands, because Lion lands are broad and villages are far-spread and scattered. Although the fearsome Lion patrols regularly keep bandits at bay, pockets of nonconformity can arise among the heimin until the Lion leadership sends a magistrate to properly tamp down on such irregularities.
- Towns: Due to their increased size, and therefore increased numbers of samurai, Lion towns are among the most disciplined in the Empire. This is in part loyalty, but also more than a little fear. The Lion will not brook trouble in times of threat.