Yoritomo Oyama: the First Oyama

Yoritomo Oyama was born in the Year 423 to her father Yoritomo Junzo and mother Yoritomo Mika. She went on to found the Oyama family and create its famous Oyama Shugenja School. She is venerated as the founder of that great family, however, her story has always been shrouded in darkness and mystery for her disappearance in 470.
 * 1) Shugenja by JonHodgson.jpgtage
 * 2) Early Life and Career
 * 3) Marriage Controversy
 * 4) Family
 * 5) Founding of Sixty-Storms Tower
 * 6) Founding of Oyama Shugenja School
 * 7) Teachings of the Oyama
 * 8) Disappearance

Parentage

Oyama's parents were both members of the Mantis Clan who had been adopted into the family when the Clan began to colonize the Spice Islands. They were not of pure Rokugani stock, being both slightly taller and darker skinned than most proper Rokugani. Her father Junzo earned his keep as a Merchant, which had little honour but endowed the family with much wealth. He was aided in this by his wife Mika who had a strong understanding of the local harvesting practices on the Spice Islands and was therefore able to help Junzo arrive at the proper times of the year. In 442 Junzo and Mika both perished in a storm leaving the newly adult Oyama to fend for herself. In later years Oyama never spoke of her family claiming that they had displeased the Kami with their greed. This view seperated her from much of the mercantalist Mantis Family.

Early Life and Career

Oyama lived with her parents on board their ship "Journeys End." On board she astounded her family and the crew with her connection with the Kami. Her talent as a Shugenja could not be denied and her family found her a place among the Pheonix to pursue her skills. She prooved herself an able if not exceptional student, however she had little patience for study and spent most of her time travelling from one school to another all over Rokugan. After her Gempukku ceremony she was called to serve the Mantis Clan Champion. However, her natural explorative impulses could not be tamed and she frustrated the Clan Champion so much with her restlessness that he ordered her to travel simply to get her out of his hair.

Marriage Controversy

Oyama herself was never considered beautiful by Rokugani standards but her quick wit and grace as well as her family fortune gained her as much attention at court as any of the Doji or Shosuro debutants. This, combined with her talent as a Shugenja, made her a useful tool to the Mantis, who hoped to marry her off for connections and wealth to aid their quickly growing Minor Clan. However, Oyama refused every proposed match, and eventually the pressure became so great that she decided to escape. She left a letter stating that she had sailed directly east from Broken Wave city and discovered an Island there. She said she would only marry the man who could find her. She also warned of devestating storms that ravaged the area.

Many tried but all were turned back by the horrible storms, until 453 when Hida Kamuro, a lesser known crab bushi and sailor, braved the winds and arrived on the Island. Oyama was so surprised that someone had made it that she subjected Kamuro to all sorts of tests to make sure he was not just a joke being played on her by the Kami which inhabited the island.

Two years later they returned to the Mantis lands and were married. They stayed long enough to recruit a number of Shugenja students and Bushi as well as peasants, and then returned to their Island which they named "Sixty Storms Island," after the storms they had suffered before meeting.

Family

Together Oyama and Kamuro had three children, who they declared were a new family named Oyama. They had two sons, Oyama Tokichiro and Oyama Hio, as well as a daughter Oyama Kitau.

Founding of Sixty-Storms Tower

Sixty-Storms Tower was constructed by Oyama and Kamuro during their first two years on Sixty-Storms Island. It was five floors tall and stretched almost 70 feet into the air, supported initially by the benevolent Kami Oyama had charmed. To this day the top of the tower remains clear of rain and free of wind except a permanent breeze which wafts delicate flower smells throughout.

Founding of the Oyama Shugeja School

The top floor of Sixty-Storms Tower was given over to Oyama's Shugenja school, who were taught the way to master air Kami. Oyama dictated that Air Kami simply wanted play mates and the easiest and most surefire way to their affections was to follow your whims and express your interests. In this way she created lasting relationships which lasted beyond her disappearance.

Teachings of the Oyama

Benefit: +1 Awareness

Skills: Caligraphy (Cipher), Lore: Theology, Meditation, Spellcraft, Sailing, any one Skill and any one High or Bugei skill.

Honor: 3.5

Outfit: Sailors Clothes, Wakizashi, Knife, Robes, Scroll Satchell, Travelling Pack, 8 Koku

Affinity/Deficiency: Air/Earth

Technique: Ever Searching Spirit - Following the teachings of Oyama herself students of this school must ever be searching for new discoveries. This spirit of adventure grants them great influence with the Air Kami that infest their island. The first time you are in a strange or new place you may gain a free raise on your first Sense, Summon and Commune spells in that area. You also gain a free raise on any spells with the Travel keyword.

Spells: Sense, Commune, Summon, 3 Air, 2 Water, 1 Fire

Disappearance

From 467-470 Oyama kept herself apart from the rest of the denizens of the Island. It was understood that she was speaking and entreating the Kami for an extremely powerful spell. Finally on the seventh day of the month of the Tiger 470 Oyama summoned her husband and her children to her. She explained to them that she would be embarking on her final journey and that she could take a few of her Shugenja followers with her but that they must stay behind. They protested but she did not budge. The next morning all woke to find the 5th floor of Sixty-Storms Tower missing along with Oyama and five of her most promising students. No one knows where she disappeared too, but it is believed that she attempted to pierce the veil to the other realms. It is unknown whether she succeeded or not.