Crab Clan

The Crab Clan has guarded the Emerald Empire against the threat of the Shadowlands for over a thousand years. Their blood would have stained the Kaiu Wall red long ago, were it not stained black by the blood of those countless hosts that have assailed it. With the exception of the oft-flamboyant Yasuki, they are hard, and frequently uncouth. They value honesty over sincerity, and security over extravagance.

The heimin of the Crab are under no illusions about what would happen if they fail in their duties, and everyone performs their part. The Crab are rooted in tradition, and this carries over into nearly every member of their clan, heimin, hinin and samurai alike. The children follow the paths of their parents, and rare is the student who finds his talents to be more appropriate elsewhere. As a matter of course, self defense and community defense are common pasttimes. Nearly every heimin knows how to hold their own against a goblin, and every village mayor has a small grasp of basic tactics. As such, the Crab are often considered to be even more militarized than the Lion Clan, which is comparatively careful about arming its ashigaru.

Most of the Jade produced in the Empire finds its way into the hands of the Crab. When political machinations would stem this tide, the Yasuki are always there to circumvent such foolish behavior.

• Clan Champion: Hida Kisada "The Great Bear"
• Capital: Kyuden Hida
• Colors: Gunmetal grey, brick red, blue
• Population: 5,360,000 (including 300,000+ Samurai)
• Imports: Jade
• Exports: Iron and other ores

• Hida Family - Daimyo: Hida Kisada
• Hiruma Family - Daimyo: Hiruma Kage
• Kaiu Family - Daimyo: Kaiu Utsu
• Kuni Family - Daimyo: Kuni Yori
• Yasuki Family - Daimyo: Yasuki Taka

Relations with other Clans

• Crane Clan - Ponces who live in luxury while the weak are endangered and others suffer. Rather than risk their lives or their precious coffers for the good of the Empire, they would rather buy a new palace. Much of their surplus feeds the Crab - however, they hold it over the Crab as if it were a gift, rather than a duty. The Daidoji family is an exception, being a family of warriors after all. Only the Daidoji are allowed to send representatives to the Crab, and a special castle is set aside for their use, as they will not set foot in Yasuki lands.
  • The Crab and Crane have had countless small-scale conflicts, and one large one which wracked both clans, resulting in the defection of the Yasuki family to the Crab.
• Dragon Clan - The Crab care little for the isolation and driven eccentricity of the Dragon. In their time of greatest need, however, it was the Dragon who came to their aid first, and unlike the disturbing curiosity the Phoenix pose, those Dragon who visit or are otherwise assigned to the Wall perform admirably and grant the Crab proper respect.
  • Being on opposite ends of the Empire, the Crab and Dragon have had no conflicts.
• Lion Clan - Of the two most heavily militarized clans in the Empire, it would seem odd at first that they hold such respect for eachother. In large part, this is due to their common enemies in the Crane and Scorpion, and a genuine respect for eachother's strengths. Still, the Crab generally consider the Lion to be pompous and foolish - combined, they could be a powerful boon in stamping out the threat of the Shadowlands, but instead they play out their little wargames north of the Spine of the World.
  • The Crab and Lion have had a few minor skirmishes. Only once were tensions high enough to reach a major conflict, which was narrowly averted.
• Mantis Clan - They claim to be brothers, but the Crab's opinion of them is 'spoiled and rich'. Instead of aiding their 'brothers' on the Wall, their dedication is to their overwhelming ambition.
• Phoenix Clan - The Crab find the Phoenix calls for peace annoying, and their patience with their enemies disturbing. Numerically the smallest of the great clans, yet holding just as much land and certainly as much political power as the Crab, there is a lot of room for disrespect. Many samurai among the Lion and Scorpion have died at the hands of a Crab bushi defending the honor of a Phoenix. For their weakness and pacifism, their honesty is refreshing, their patience relaxing, and their power unquestioned. Their curiosity into the matters of the Shadowlands is disturbing, however.
  • The Crab and Phoenix have had a single conflict when they required wood and decided to try and take it from the Phoenix instead of the Shinomen. It did not end in the Crab's favor.
• Scorpion Clan - The Crab despise the Scorpion even more than the Crane, although they respect them more. They hide behind secrets, false sincerity and political machinations when they would be the first to fall should the Crab fail. That said, the Scorpion are not fools, and take care not to provoke their southerly neighbors overmuch.
  • The Crab and Scorpion have had many minor conflicts.
• Unicorn Clan - Perhaps the most stalwart allies of the Crab, the Unicorn pledge a great deal of their military might to the Crab's cause, and for this, they are grateful. Despite the Lost Moto being among the greatest foes inside the Shadowlands, no clan commits such a large quantity of resources to their cause. The Unicorn are also notable for their honesty, and it is refreshing to have neighbors of such demeanor rather than across the Empire.
  • The Crab and Unicorn only had one 'battle', when they at first thought the Unicorn were a new enemy invading from the Shadowlands. This was brief and had few casualties, and relations have been clean ever since.

Most minor clans are beneath notice. In general, they respect the Badger, Falcon and Sparrow, with a general sense of disdain reserved for the rest.

Important Notes

The Toritaka Family is not part of the Crab, because they have not merged with the Falcon Clan. These clans have very close ties, however, and the possibility is certainly present.

The Yasuki Family is still firmly in the hands of the Crab, and most Crane would see their own deaths before admitting one into their Clan.