The History of the Asahina Family
The history of the Asahina family begins with a young shugenja named Isawa Asahina, once the Master of Air of the Phoenix Clan. Asahina was a great Master of his Element, revered among his clan as a true adept, not merely of Air, but also of Fire. It was said among his peers that he could have been the Maser of either element, but on the day of his gempukku, he stood with the spirits of Air. Asahina was a natural warrior, disciplined and ferocious. He was raised in times when the Phoenix were forced to war, and Asahina was taught to use his destructive powers against the invading forces of the Lion and the Scorpion. He spent little time in study, but much time being forged in the furnace of combat. Further, he was the greatest artificer of his time, and his magics, both destructive and creative, were unparalleled.
When the Lion forces retreated from Phoenix lands, and a truce was created between the two clans through the intervention of Crane forces, Isawa Asahina was furious. Certain that without the intervention of the Crane, the Phoenix magics would eventually crush the Lion forces, the Master of Air began a reign of terror across the villages of the Crane. Traveling from town to town, he burned houses, tore down banners, and slaughtered animals. Although his peaceful brothers in the Isawa house tried to speak sense to him, he chided them all. “You have forgotten the Phoenix samurai who gave their lives against the Lion!” he roared with anguish. “Their lives must be avenged through blood! The Crane have stolen the meaning from my brothers’ deaths and I will have revenge!”
The Daidoji were mobilizing to the south, ready for an invasion from the Crab forces, and had few men to spare against the mad shugenja. The few samurai who attempted to strike against the Master of Air were soon destroyed by magics of which they had no comprehension. It seemed that many peasants would suffer the wrath of the Mad Phoenix before his whirlwinds and raging fires were doused in his grief.
At last, one brave samurai rode out to accept the warlock’s challenge. When Asahina reached the seaside village of Kimura, he found her there, waiting. “You will not destroy this village, shugenja!” she said, standing steadfastly in the village square. Around her, the buildings echoed with his mocking laughter.
“And what will you do to stop me, girl?” he shouted. “Attack me with your katana? Or perhaps you have twenty men hidden in that barn, to leap upon me from behind?” His laughter was hoarse and bitter. The samurai-ko said nothing, and set her helm upon the ground at her feet. Her dark hair fell in a tail down her back, and her eyes were pale and sad. Although not beautiful, she had a strange serenity which almost made the Master of Elements pause in his destruction. Almost.
The maiden did not draw her katana, or raise her voice in a war shout. She simply stood between the Master and his targets, the frightened villagers crowded in the road behind her. Isawa Asahina raised his tremendous arms and a lightning-strike of wind and flames sped forth toward one of the houses. As swiftly as a striking serpent, the samurai-ko leapt between the spell and its target, and the fire burst and enshrouded her body in a white-hot blaze.
Asahina roared in fury, and a searing lance of flame leapt from his hand. Again, the maiden threw herself before the blazing inferno, the fire burning the locks of dark hair from her head and searing her beautiful armor. When the flames died down, she fell to her knees in the road, but the townsfolk were unharmed. She looked up at the Phoenix, and tears streamed from her eyes.
He stared down at the maiden, and had no words to speak. In his rage, he lifted his hand again toward the heavens, and his fingers were licked with tendrils of blue flame. To his amazement, the samurai-ko lifted herself from the ground in an heroic effort, preparing to throw herself in front of the assault again. “Why?” he asked her, astounded. “Why are you doing this?”
Her voice was hoarse with agony and her eyes had swollen to mere slits. “You cannot be allowed to bring any further shame…to the memory of your kin.” She gasped, barely able to breathe. “The Crane entered the war to bring peace…” The dying samurai-ko’s voice began to fade, and she sank to one knee in the dusty road. “I will not fight you.”
Isawa Asahina stared at the girl before him, and his hand began to fall, the fires dimming. “You would give your life so needlessly?” he murmured.
“Innocents must not die,” he said, her eyes sagging shut from the effort of staying conscious. “No more must die in the name of peace.”
As she fell onto the rocks of the road, the Isawa stared in shock and horror at her limp form. “Have I fallen so far?” he whispered. The fires around his hand faded and died, and he knelt beside the body of the maiden. “You are right,” he breathed, “there has been enough war.” Lifting her from that place, he traveled with her to the palace of the Doji and stood before their Champion.
It was many months before Doji Kiriko was well enough to stand on her own, but with the constant dedication of Isawa Asahina, her wounds healed – although she forever bore the scars of her trial. Shortly thereafter, the Master of Air married the samurai-ko, dedicating his life to peace and leaving behind his old ways and old hatreds. He joined the Crane Clan, bringing with him many of his peaceful brothers and sisters and much knowledge from the Isawa libraries. Together with his new bride, they began the first Crane shugenja school. Thus, the Asahina swore themselves forever to the Crane, and to peace.
The history of the Asahina family begins with a young shugenja named Isawa Asahina, once the Master of Air of the Phoenix Clan. Asahina was a great Master of his Element, revered among his clan as a true adept, not merely of Air, but also of Fire. It was said among his peers that he could have been the Maser of either element, but on the day of his gempukku, he stood with the spirits of Air. Asahina was a natural warrior, disciplined and ferocious. He was raised in times when the Phoenix were forced to war, and Asahina was taught to use his destructive powers against the invading forces of the Lion and the Scorpion. He spent little time in study, but much time being forged in the furnace of combat. Further, he was the greatest artificer of his time, and his magics, both destructive and creative, were unparalleled.
When the Lion forces retreated from Phoenix lands, and a truce was created between the two clans through the intervention of Crane forces, Isawa Asahina was furious. Certain that without the intervention of the Crane, the Phoenix magics would eventually crush the Lion forces, the Master of Air began a reign of terror across the villages of the Crane. Traveling from town to town, he burned houses, tore down banners, and slaughtered animals. Although his peaceful brothers in the Isawa house tried to speak sense to him, he chided them all. “You have forgotten the Phoenix samurai who gave their lives against the Lion!” he roared with anguish. “Their lives must be avenged through blood! The Crane have stolen the meaning from my brothers’ deaths and I will have revenge!”
The Daidoji were mobilizing to the south, ready for an invasion from the Crab forces, and had few men to spare against the mad shugenja. The few samurai who attempted to strike against the Master of Air were soon destroyed by magics of which they had no comprehension. It seemed that many peasants would suffer the wrath of the Mad Phoenix before his whirlwinds and raging fires were doused in his grief.
At last, one brave samurai rode out to accept the warlock’s challenge. When Asahina reached the seaside village of Kimura, he found her there, waiting. “You will not destroy this village, shugenja!” she said, standing steadfastly in the village square. Around her, the buildings echoed with his mocking laughter.
“And what will you do to stop me, girl?” he shouted. “Attack me with your katana? Or perhaps you have twenty men hidden in that barn, to leap upon me from behind?” His laughter was hoarse and bitter. The samurai-ko said nothing, and set her helm upon the ground at her feet. Her dark hair fell in a tail down her back, and her eyes were pale and sad. Although not beautiful, she had a strange serenity which almost made the Master of Elements pause in his destruction. Almost.
The maiden did not draw her katana, or raise her voice in a war shout. She simply stood between the Master and his targets, the frightened villagers crowded in the road behind her. Isawa Asahina raised his tremendous arms and a lightning-strike of wind and flames sped forth toward one of the houses. As swiftly as a striking serpent, the samurai-ko leapt between the spell and its target, and the fire burst and enshrouded her body in a white-hot blaze.
Asahina roared in fury, and a searing lance of flame leapt from his hand. Again, the maiden threw herself before the blazing inferno, the fire burning the locks of dark hair from her head and searing her beautiful armor. When the flames died down, she fell to her knees in the road, but the townsfolk were unharmed. She looked up at the Phoenix, and tears streamed from her eyes.
He stared down at the maiden, and had no words to speak. In his rage, he lifted his hand again toward the heavens, and his fingers were licked with tendrils of blue flame. To his amazement, the samurai-ko lifted herself from the ground in an heroic effort, preparing to throw herself in front of the assault again. “Why?” he asked her, astounded. “Why are you doing this?”
Her voice was hoarse with agony and her eyes had swollen to mere slits. “You cannot be allowed to bring any further shame…to the memory of your kin.” She gasped, barely able to breathe. “The Crane entered the war to bring peace…” The dying samurai-ko’s voice began to fade, and she sank to one knee in the dusty road. “I will not fight you.”
Isawa Asahina stared at the girl before him, and his hand began to fall, the fires dimming. “You would give your life so needlessly?” he murmured.
“Innocents must not die,” he said, her eyes sagging shut from the effort of staying conscious. “No more must die in the name of peace.”
As she fell onto the rocks of the road, the Isawa stared in shock and horror at her limp form. “Have I fallen so far?” he whispered. The fires around his hand faded and died, and he knelt beside the body of the maiden. “You are right,” he breathed, “there has been enough war.” Lifting her from that place, he traveled with her to the palace of the Doji and stood before their Champion.
It was many months before Doji Kiriko was well enough to stand on her own, but with the constant dedication of Isawa Asahina, her wounds healed – although she forever bore the scars of her trial. Shortly thereafter, the Master of Air married the samurai-ko, dedicating his life to peace and leaving behind his old ways and old hatreds. He joined the Crane Clan, bringing with him many of his peaceful brothers and sisters and much knowledge from the Isawa libraries. Together with his new bride, they began the first Crane shugenja school. Thus, the Asahina swore themselves forever to the Crane, and to peace.
