Scorpion

in Characters

From behind their masks and veils, the Scorpion smile grimly at the performance of their duty, for it is their sacrifice to be hated even as they execute it perfectly. What other clan could perform the role of loyal villain? It was the Scorpion Kami’s contention that enemies need not be external to the Empire, and thus, the Scorpion fight fire with fire. They keep all clans united in hatred against them, yet divided so that no one clan can challenge the line to whom they owe undying loyalty: the Hantei.   With six terrible words, the Kami Bayushi set his followers in the newly founded Scorpion Clan on a dark and dangerous path. Enemies loomed beyond Rokugan’s borders, but they also lurked within them. Bayushi swore to protect the Empire by any means necessary. Where the Code of Bushidō tied the Emperor’s Left and Right Hands—the courtiers of the Crane and the mighty legions of the Lion—the Emperor’s Underhand could still reach. To combat the liars, the thieves, and the traitors within the Great Clans, Bayushi’s followers would have to lie, steal, and cheat in turn. The weapons of the Scorpion became blackmail, poison, and sabotage. The Scorpion dirtied their hands so that others’ could remain pure.   Yet, in spite of—and perhaps because of—the clan’s fearsome reputation, there is none more loyal than a Scorpion. In a clan of deceivers and manipulators, trust is a hard-earned treasure to be cherished and guarded. Betrayal is punished with swift retribution, the souls of the treacherous forever bound into the horrific limbo of the place known as Traitor’s Grove. Such fierce loyalty is a small consolation, at least, given the dangerous but vital role the Scorpion have played in the Empire from the moment their Kami spoke his fateful words: “I will be your villain, Hantei.”   Bayushi’s successors are known for their insidious skill at scheming, but also the potential benefits of partnering with them—for without offering the proper incentives to their allies some of the time, they could never maintain their position as the great schemers of the Empire. People expect members of the Scorpion to be equal parts alluring and treacherous—and loyal only to the Emperor.

What does Bushidō mean to the Scorpion?

  Duty and Loyalty is the core tenet of the Scorpion Clan. They must be prepared to do— and sacrifice—anything and everything in the service of the Empire.   Honor and Righteousness fall by the wayside for most Scorpion. While they are not wholly unimportant, obsessing over such matters would make many vital tasks impossible.