History Characters / LegendOfTheFiveRings

* WeaponSpecialization: The signature weapon of the Crab Clan, primarily by way of Hida family bushi, is the testubo, a heavy two-handed iron club with either studs or spikes. This is because most smaller or less damaging weapons are practically useless against anything from the Shadowlands. Actual hammers aren't mentioned much in the lore, but are seen occasionally in official art of Crab warriors.

* CarryABigStick / DropTheHammer: The signature weapon of the Crab Clan, primarily by way of Hida family bushi, is the testubo, a heavy two-handed iron club with either studs or spikes. This is because most smaller or less damaging weapons are practically useless against anything from the Shadowlands. Actual hammers aren't mentioned much in the lore, but are seen occasionally in official art of Crab warriors.

** Also, a running joke among players is that one of the effects of the Taint on female samurai is [[EvilIsSexy major hotness upgrades]].

The Crane Clan, [[TheGoodChancellor Left Hand of the Emperor]], was known throughout Rokugan for its skilled dueliests and artisans. The Crane were also noted courtiers, wielding great power in the courts of the land. They pursued excellence in all things, and the traditions established by their founder - the Kami Lady Doji - were now customary in the Emperor's Court. The formal dueling system, iaijutsu, was established by Doji's husband, Kakita. Their preferential status with the Imperial line was renowned and throughout history the clan had fewer taxes and more gifts heaped upon them than any other. They were the masters of the courts and had the status and wealth commensurate with such a position.

* {{Bishonen}}: Their menfolk are generally seen as being as graceful and elegant as their womenfolk.

* {{Bishonen}}: '''Especially''' members of the Bayushi family.

* DarkChick: Most women who succumb to the Shadowlands Taint usually end up as this. Doji Nashiko, from the First Edition splatbook "Bearers of Jade" and the "Mirror, Mirror" adventure that managed to {{squick}} out the system authors, is probably the best example. [[Literature/SilenceOfTheLambs Eating people's faces with a nice cup of sake.]] [[ImAHumanitarian Literally.]]

* AntiHero: The Crab consider bushido to be far less important than keeping Rokugan safe from the Shadowlands. In particular, they place very little value on Courtesy (causing them to come across as brutish and uncultured), but they'll also use [[CombatPragmatist dirty tactics]] far more freely than most clans.

* CruelToBeKind: The Crab will take the men that snap under the pressure of their duty, throw them in a cage, and starve them. When they do this, they also place a friend of the insane person outside of the cage, to share his pain and talk to him until he regains his senses. This is in contrast to the other clans who would either kill him, or make him commit seppuku.

* DefectorFromDecadence: The Yasuki family are a curious example, as they abandoned the Crane Clan after being rebuked for being too focused on mercantile and economic pursuits in a society where such things are viewed as dishonorable. What prevents them from being an inversion of the trope is that their reason wasn't being deprived of wealth (they were far wealthier as part of the Crane than they have ever been as Crabs), but being restricted from good business practices for no sensible reason.
* TheDeterminator: As the [[BadassCreed Hida family motto]] states, "I will not fail."Whether it's fighting Oni on the wall, delving into forbidden lore, constructing massive and complex siege engines, or haggling to feed the entire clan for one more year, the Crab never give up.

* DudeWheresMyRespect: The Crab are more than a little bitter at how most other Clans look down on them for being uncultured and unrefined, considering they've had to discard such pleasantries out of necessity to keep Rokugan from being overrun.
* DumbMuscle: A stereotype of the Crab Clan, particularly the Hida family. In actuality, it's not that they are uncultured and rude on purpose - they just don't make Courtesy a very high priority, particularly if they're used to fighting on [[TheGreatWall the Kaiu Wall]].

The Crane Clan, [[TheGoodChancellor Left Hand of the Emperor]], was known throughout Rokugan for its skilled dueliests and artisans. The Crane were also noted courtiers, wielding great power in the courts of the land. They pursued excellence in all things, and the traditions established by their founder - the Kami Lady Doji - were now customary in the Emperor's Court. The formal dueling system, iaijutsu, was established by Doji's husband, Kakita. Their preferential status with the Imperial line was renowned and throughout history the clan had fewers taxes and more gifts heaped upon them than any other. They were the masters of the courts and had the status and wealth commensurate with such a position.

** By Rokugani law the winner of a duel is always right in whatever argument caused the duel. Incidentally, the Crane have the best dueling school in Rokugan (rivaled only by the Mirumoto of the Dragon Clan). Ergo, you ''literally'' can't win an argument with a Crane, unless you're able to hold your own against the Kakita.

* DumbMuscle: The Matsu are often perceived as such due to their devotion to the AttackAttackAttack method of and their general lack of manners or courtly niceties. They're often compared to the Hida concerning the latter, and similarly aren't going out of their way to be rude as much as just not seeing courtesy as being a priority..

* AntiHero: The Scorpion way of life is cruel and harsh, but that doesn't mean ''every'' Scorpion is an asshole. Consider Bayushi Shoju, one of their most famous former clan heads. His [[StatisticallySpeaking stat block]] reveals that he had "disadvantages" like "Soft Hearted" and "True Love (His Wife)." He ultimately assassinated the emperor, but only after recieving the Emperor's direct order to take [[IDidWhatIHadToDo any measures necessary]] to prevent Fu Leng's return. After his death, he was cursed into the form of a ''geki'' for defying the Celestial Order, but found that he retained his reason and could inspire and feed on courage instead of flesh, allowing him to serve and aid the Empire even in his punishment. In short, like the Dragon, the Scorpion clan's refusal to follow the traditions of the Empire, or to subvert them, can be heroic as well as dangerous.

* {{Bishonen}}: '''especially''' members of the Bayushi family.

* LightningBruiser: the warriors of Bayushi school roll and keep two dice for Initiative, which means that they're nigh-inhumanly fast. And if an opponent misses them, they can strike back and AttackItsWeakPoint easily.

* AmazonBrigade: The Otaku Battlemaidens (who later changed their names to "Utaku" to renew their vows to the Kami Shinjo, and also to avoid the implications of the word "{{Otaku}}" in Japanese)

** The default attitude of most of the (non-Crab) Clans when it comes to the Shadowlands - it is a taboo topic for polite conversation (causing Honor losses when discussed improperly), and most samurai think the Crab exaggerate the threat of the Shadowlands to gain sympathy for their cause, get favorable treatment, and justify their lack of interest in courtly matters. This varies from time to time, depending on events in the background - for example, the Shadowlands is taken far more seriously in the aftermath of an invasion by the reincarnation of Fu Leng, while even the Crab's closest allies may be embarassed on their behalf when the Shadowlands has been quiet for some time.