This is a circle, it seems. [D1, LA]

[Shinjo Akil]

"The histories, as I remember, say that the Ki-Rin left to secure Rokugan's borders against external threats," he offered.

[Yuzuki]

"Hmm, that's a little vague. But it does seem as if the lands beyond the empire are dangerous."

[Shinjo Akil]

"History often is," Akil nodded, "our history is unfortunately somewhat questionable at times."

[Moto Khulun]

The Moto princess adds, “Moto history is truth and heroism, we have ten thousand heroes and have conquered many other tribes!”

[Yuzuki]

"Right?"

It sounded impressive, but she wasn't sure if there was any truth to it. For all Yuzuki know, most of those tribes could've consisted of a couple of underfed peasants huddled around a campfire.

"Well, if it's kept the empire safe from some of those threats, I guess we owe you thanks."

[Moto Khulun]

“You owe us nothing, we do as any Clan should. The Empire’s enemies needed killing. We swore to serve Shinjo, and that bitch of a goddess has never steered us wrong. What of the Mantis, surely they have crushed many enemies that have come from the seas, yes?” she asks in return.

[Shinjo Akil]

BLINK. BLINK. Akil was visibly stunned. Did Khulun just call the lady Shinjo a bitch?

[Yuzuki]

"Uhm," she noticed the stunned look on Akil's face.

Even Yuzuki, as marginally religious as she was, knew it was probably bad for one's spiritual fortune to refer to a Kami that way...

...although people did commonly refer to Hida's testicles. So maybe it wasn't that bad of a thing?

"Well, as a Minor clan, we do not wage war on the Great Clans. The Emperor forbids them from bringing war on us. But the Mantis often serve as mercenaries in their wars. We've also destroyed Gaijin fleets and others threathening the empire."

[Moto Khulun]

“That’s how tiny clans survive! Big clans would crush little clans otherwise, Emperor is kind to little clans. You must be quite thankful, except for the taking name thing but even then Emperor showed mercy,” she says with a firm nod.

“How many little clans are there? I know I saw Rabbit… and now Mantis… oh the Fox, they were once Unicorn, yes? Are there more?” she asks.

[Yuzuki]

"Mantis is the oldest and largest. Then there's the Fox, who live in their forest. The Tortoise, who are..."

She obviously had little love for the Tortoise

"...untrustworthy. There's the Badger, one of whom is here as well. They're also descended from the Crab, I think."

She brought a finger to her lips in thought. "Let's see. There's the Centipede, who are all shugenja. The Sparrow, who are poor. The Dragonfly who... no wait, I heard they don't exist anymore. Uhm. Right, the Hare, who are pretty new. And also there's the Piranha? They're the newest. I think that's all of them?"

[Moto Khulun]

"What's a Puranaha?" she asks.

[Yuzuki]

"I heard it's a man-eating fish they found in the Shinomen? I don't really know. I've never seen one of those fish, or met anyone from the clan. They must be pretty small still."

[Shinjo Akil]

"Man eating fish? That seems like an unfortunate thing indeed."

[Moto Khulun]

“Man-eating fish, not so special for an animal to hunger for man flesh. Puranaha clan must be vicious indeed to take such name. Can little clan fight little clan and big clans only fight big clans?” she asks.

[Yuzuki]

"Well, we had a war with the Tortoise not too long ago. I think it's only so that the great clans can't wage war on us. We're much smaller individually than the great clans, so it wouldn't be very honorable anyhow. Although I think that if you'd add all the minor clans together, we'd probably be as big as a great clan."