The Creation of the Sparrow Clan

The creation of the Sparrow Clan is equally a demonstration of the wisdom of the Emperor (in the eyes of the heimin and minor clans), and one huge political joke (in the eyes of everyone else).

The Yasuki War Ends
In the Month of the Dragon, Year 400, an Imperial Edict ends the war between the Crab and Crane. A Writ of Requisition demanded that both sides, as punishment, turn over a portion of their lands to the Imperial Territories. For the first time in years, the Crab and Crane work together to select the most barren, harshest, and unusable land they could afford to lose, finally selecting a rocky terrain of hills to the west of Doji provinces, overlooking the Golden Sun Plains.

Doji Onegano
One of those who had helped to craft the treaty that followed the edict of the Emperor, Doji Onegano was an extremely wealthy and well-known courtier serving the Crane Champion directly. He had made a fortune as a negotiator for minor disputes, and had a great reputation amongst the nobility as an intelligent and clever man. However, he was disliked by all who served him, as he was shrewd, cold, and extremely haughty. Even though he was extremely wealthy, he was miserly, and so many of his followers believed him to be greedy. He taxed his servants heavily and was not swayed by another man's suffering. He was warned often by his sister, Doji Masako, that this bad karma would be his undoing, but Onegano did not believe in such things and disregarded these warnings. "The life of a peasant does not compare to the convenience of a samurai," he often said.

Doji Suzume
Onegano's son, Doji Suzume, was raised by thoughtful and philosophical sensei, and so he was quite different from his father. The young prince was kind and bright, and readily took to studying the Tao of Shinsei. Living amongst all of the wealth and luxury of his father, Suzume cared little for those things, instead studying philosophy and engaging in lighthearted debates with other Doji. He was well-humored and quick to laugh, but not particularly smart or observant. In fact, his sensei secretly whispered to one-another that he was a "dim lantern," and would shake their collective heads at the poor fortune of his father.

Suzume's Wisdom (or, "Suzume Shames His Father")
Doji Suzume accompanied his father to the negotiations between the Crab and Crane over the final wording of the treaty that would end the Yasuki War once and for all. While the Crab and Crane argued over the subject of tribute, and after a Crab insisted that they needed the monetary compensation more than the Crane, Suzume attempted to lighten the mood, saying: "Perhaps the Crane should simply give all it's wealth to the peasants?"

The silence was deafening.

Instead of lightening the mood, his comment resulted in looks of quiet horror. Insulted, the Crane Champion left the negotiations prematurely. Onegano apologized to the equally insulted Crab for his son's impudence, and the negotiations ended as the Crane withdrew.

Honorable Poverty
However, the incident does not end there. Lords under Onegano began gossiping about his son's words, quietly coming to the conclusion that Suzume had acted under his father's orders. "Our lord is playing a political game to tell us what he wishes to do," they said. They were all surprised by the apparent desire for Onegano to relenquish his wealth, but they knew that it could not have possibly been the doing of Suzume, who was too dim-witted for such a thing. Perhaps they had misjudged their lord all this time... they had believed their daimyo to be selfish, but really he was a deeply philosophical and noble soul all this time! He had only been keeping it hidden out of his need to fulfill his political duties.

Onegano was thusly praised by his noble followers for his subtle manipulation of the meeting, and for his wisdom. The unaware Onegano suddenly perceived that his highest-ranking followers no longer resented him, and in fact, served him with newfound appreciation and admiration. Confused, Onegano quietly wondered why they had changed their attitude towards him.

Servants of those lords, who had overheard the discussions, began to spread these tales of Onegano's wisdom throughout the Crane lands. One servant told another, who told a merchant, who told a farmer, and so on, until all of the heimin knew of the peaceful nobility that lay hidden in their lord's heart. Commoners that had reviled their lord suddenly saw wisdom in his words and manner, realizing that the high taxes had not been for opulence, but to hurry them on their path to enlightenment through hardship. The tales became elaborated and spoke about the gentle heart beating within him. He became beloved by the people, and all the while, did not understand why his lowest servants dared to look him in the face and smile.

Within weeks, the story had grown. Now Onegano was a peaceful man who eshewed wealth in favor of enlightenment, a man who had become trapped by his duty to the Crane, who quietly suffered so that he might complete the tenets of Bushido, who willingly held himself back from his quiet contemplations for the sake of his lords. "Our lord believes wealth corrupts the soul," they said. This word reached the monks of the Temples, and at once the monks of Shinsei smiled and nodded their heads, claiming that Onegano was indeed a wise man if he believed this.

This endorsement caused Onegano's followers to swell with pride, and they openly spread this word. Onegano became known throughout the entire Empire for his philosophy of Honorable Poverty. Onegano, all the while, never knew why the monks bowed to him so deeply as he walked the roads, or why so many in the Empire were singing his praises.

At last, this rumor reached the ears of the Crane Champion, Doji Raigu. The Crane champion became enraged. "How dare he say such things," the Champion roared, "after all that the Crane have done for him!? He spits on the open hand of his Lord! He insults his House! If he does not desire the trappings of the Samurai, then he needs not BE a Samurai! If the Crane have held him back, then they will do so no longer!"

Thus, Onegano's family name was severed by the Crane Champion.

Onegano's "Reward"
When word of his expulsion from the Crane reached Onegano, he was shocked and horrified. Onegano had no time to beg for seppuku, as he was immediately summoned to the Court of the Emperor. Hantei the 5th had heard of the man's wisdom, and wished to speak with him in person.

"I have heard of your noble philosophy, and I admit, I am intruiged," the Hantei said. "The monks claim that you have touched the edge of Enlightenment, yet you have held yourself back all this time, out of duty to your clan. It is a moving story."

A rueful Onegano could only say, "I am Crane no longer, my lord."

"Do not be shamed," the Emperor replied. "I have heard of your intentions to give away all of your wealth," he said, eyeing the former lord's wealth and lands, "and since the Crab are short on Imperial Taxes this year, I have decided to allow you to follow your karma, and to reward you with your heart's desire. Take your followers and claim the lands to the west of the Crane, which I hearby relenquish to you. In return, I will accept all of your wealth as tribute. This arrangement will suit your purposes well, for without the trappings that have chained you down, you will most certainly achieve your goal of Enlightenment through poverty and hardship. May the light of the Tao guide you!"

Onegano's servants and lesser daimyo congratulated him on his skillful manipulation of the Imperial Court, believing that he had maneuvered even the highest authority to achieve his goals. His success was said to have shamed even the Crane Champion, who had fallen directly under Onegano's wishes. As the praises showered around him, Onegano was deathly silent and pale... no doubt humbled by his successes.

The Suzume Family is Founded
The lands that the Emperor had given Onegano were those tributed to him by the Crane and Crab; harsh, rocky, inhospitile, and full of wild and dangerous animals. Yet Onegano's peasants gladly traveled to the lands annexed to them, proud to be under the leadership of such a wise and noble ruler. The lords under him happily followed his path into the hills, proud to serve a lord who was so dedicated to the Tao, that he would willingly give up all of his wealth and luxury. In their eyes, their lord was a hero who had succeeded in a great gambit, whose name would be forever remembered amongst the annuals of the wise and great. Lord and peasant alike embraced the hardships of their new home, filled with hope and joy, quietly reveling in their good fortune.

But before they reached their new home, Onegano called his son to him in his tent. Suzume found his father's topknot on the floor of his tent, his dashio on the stand beside him. "This is all your doing," his father said. "I want no part of it. I wish you good luck, son, and a quick end when you inevitably fail all of these people. I am joining a monestary."

And so he did. And his name preceeded him! Whenever a monk would bow lowly to Master Onegano, the former Crane could always be heard to sigh under his breath... no doubt glad that he had left such a noble legacy to his son!

As Suzume was now the leader of all these people, they took his name as their own, and they all became known as the Suzume Family... the Sparrow Clan.

The Way of the Sparrow
And so, at the age of 17, Suzume found himself as the leader of a Minor Clan. For the first time in his life, he was in a position of true authority. All of those who had followed his father swore their loyalty to him, and they were all quick to obey him without question. They believed he was the legacy of his father's wisdom, and they were eager to hear more about the way of Honorable Poverty, of enlightenment through hardship. In fact, his followers had doubled, as countless monks and peasants had left their homes to meet him in the Suzume Hills, so swear fealty to him and hear of his ascetic wisdom.

Never had he known such fear.

The weight of what had come of his actions finally weighed upon him, and he began to quietly panic. The broken lands refused to be farmed, they had no money to build fortifications, and the lands were filled with dangerous wild animals. And yet all trusted that he would see them through any hardship, that it was all a part of some noble and wise plan. For years, philosophy had been only an idle passtime for him, and though he had always believed that he was following wisdom, never before had anyone taken him seriously, nor had any been willing to die for his words. He quietly decided that it was time for a change in his life, time for him to grow up. Unfortunately, he didn't know what to do.

Luckily, he was joined by his aunt, Doji Masako, who was, by now, an elderly Crane who was oddly satisfied and pleased with her nephew's fortune. Claiming that Suzume had done her a great service, but refusing to elaborate, she pledged herself to his cause and became an advisor for him in all things. Her legitimate wisdom and expertise melded will with Suzume's charisma, and together they built the foundation of what would forever be the Way of the Sparrow...