Mantis in 1178

[Dapper Dog]

The Mantis

A new Great Clan, the Mantis ascended from Minor status to that of Great Clan during the Clan War, in typical fashion it was a demand and gamble but it paid off and the Wasp joined them as a family. Immediately following the Coup they lobbied to take control of the Scorpion lands but were rebuffed by Bayushi Kachiko through underhanded schemes as she positioned her allies in the Crane to hold that honor. This brought about some conflicts including an assassination of a Kakita daimyo by a Tsuruchi bushi which the Crane have yet to forgive.

There hopes of expansion dashed they set their sights on the Phoenix who they felt were the weakest of the Great Clans and started probing their defenses but before full scale war could be launched the Last Hantei War broke out and the Mantis tried to play both sides, running supplies for the Lion and giving aid to the Crab and helping move their forces. Officially they were neutral which angered the Fox allies who broke off relations with the Mantis and threw their fortunes with the newly reestablished Scorpion.

The Mantis did their best to exploit the situation for great wealth until the Lion discovered their duplicity and a detachment of Matsu corrected the error, and the Mantis were firmly aligned with the Last Hantei forces which would prove costly when the war came to a conclusion. The Empress extorted a great deal of money from the Great Clan to aid in the repairs needed across the Empire, forcing the clan to rebuild their coffers but also pushing them back into the age old practice of piracy.

They struck at Crane interests first but the Crane had built a strong fleet to protect their ships but the Phoenix… well they were a more tempting target and thus the raids began. In the modern era the Mantis have close ties to the Crab and complicated terms with the Lion, while they enjoy attacking the Phoenix.

The Mantis for the near future seem content to find opportunities to enrich themselves through piracy and raiding. They live by a code that if one is strong enough then they can keep what is theirs otherwise it belongs to the Mantis.