Otomo Family

The Otomo family was the second Imperial family to be founded, after the Seppun. The original Otomo, the younger son of a great tribal warlord, was glib, clever, and subtle. Thanks to his formidable powers of persuasion and manipulation, he was an expert at defusing conflicts that threatened to destroy his tribe. His wit and cunning soon proved of enormous value to the Kami Hantei as he sought to unite the disparate people of the nascent Empire of Rokugan. Otomo was instrumental in establishing the Miya family as an Imperial family, a move that only enhanced his standing in the young Imperial Court. His subtle and indirect approach to not only politics, but just about every aspect of life, has been the hallmark of the Otomo family ever since.

The particular role of the Otomo family in the Empire is to sow discord among the clans. Several times throughout the Empire’s history, conspirators sought to gain control over the Throne. In order to prevent the clans from uniting and gaining undue influence— or even seizing control of the Throne altogether—the Otomo employ methods that are often vexatious and harmful, sometimes even to loyal samurai of Rokugan. They are never malicious simply for the sake of it, though. The Otomo recognize a greater good, that of the security of the Throne, and they devote themselves utterly to it. They employ flattery and favors, but don’t hesitate to employ underhanded tactics as well, such as deception, bribery, and blackmail.

Many samurai consider such ruthless and unabashedly manipulative actions to be unworthy of samurai and the Seven Tenets of Bushidō, which they are expected to uphold. However, the Otomo see their role as absolutely essential, preventing the clans from ever coming together against the Throne by keeping them off-balance and, ideally, focused on one another as rivals and even enemies. There is no record of how many inter-clan conflicts during the Empire’s history may have had an Otomo hand nudging it along. The great danger, of course, is that some among the Otomo themselves—also imperfect mortals—may succumb to the temptations of ambition and power. The Otomo, of course, deny that such a failure of duty has ever happened, and they acknowledge that measures are in place to prevent it. It is certain that there are watchers among the watchers, leading some to imagine that life among the Otomo family is constant intrigue and glancing over one’s shoulder, to the point of paranoia. The Otomo do not deny this.

The Otomo fulfill other duties for the Empire as well. Many key positions in the Imperial bureaucracy are filled from the ranks of the Otomo family. The family rivals the Crane as a cultural leader for the Empire. Music, art, and literature created by members of the Otomo family are some of the most influential in Rokugan. Like the Crane, the Otomo realize that every note of every musical composition, every strike of a mallet on a sculpting chisel, and every brushstroke must serve a specific political purpose. To the Otomo, beauty is simply another tool for either gaining power or ensuring that power doesn’t go to those who should not have it.

One important Imperial custom is the adoption of the Otomo name by those younger children of the Emperor who are not expected to inherit the Throne.

Following the Ritual of Abdication, such younger Imperial siblings usually join the Otomo family, undergoing gempuku regardless of their age and taking the Otomo name. In this way, the Otomo helped preserve the Hantei bloodline, such that if an Emperor died without an heir, efforts could be made to trace the bloodline back to the most direct Hantei relative. Typically, this would be an Otomo, who would then reverse their abdication and assume the Throne as the new ruler of Rokugan. This is yet another subtle way in which the Otomo maintain their tight grip on power in the Empire.