The Dragon may occupy the strangest role in the Empire of Emerald Stars. Though they are the poorest Great Clan by far, they have still managed to prosper, unshaken by the developments of technology and confident in their faith in both the Tao and the Radiant Dynasty. They maintain the closest relationship of any Great Clan with the Throne, and are the favored vassals when a dangerous duty can be trusted to no one else. The strangest and most mysterious of the early planets were often conquered by the Dragon or even directly allocated to them by Imperial order, often over the strident objections of the Mantis. Many of these worlds are off-limits to the other clans, leading to many discussions of what secrets they may hold. Though Dragon clan ships are not specifically notable relative to other clans’, the Mirumoto and Tamori still possess enough of them to give those clans pause should they decide to try to find out those secrets for themselves. But whatever is there, these worlds certainly do not hold many resources, since the Dragon remain the poorest of the Great Clans, heavily dependant on Imperial subsidies.
The primary seat of the Dragon Clan among the stars is Dragon’s Eye, a planet orbiting a binary star system close to the mysterious Eastern Nebula over which the clan claims stewardship. The planet, the seat of the Mirumoto, Kitsuki, and Tamori families, is closed to members of other clans without a specific invitation, but rumors abound of the Dragon working on secret new technologies to explore the nebula itself, as well as the strange other worlds orbiting the two stars. To deal with other clans, the Dragon send them to Chairo no Machi, the forest moon of Dragon’s Eye, where the Tonbo hold sway and make sure the only people who get to the Dragon Clan capital are those the clan of Togashi wants to see there. Another famous location controlled by the Dragon is Togashi’s Rest, a traditional castle and monastery located on a remote planet with deadly snows and extreme weather conditions. The stronghold is located atop the tallest mountain peak discovered so far in the galaxy, and requires extensive life support systems and protections to allow human life. It is a place of pilgrimage for tattooed monks, for it is said the planet has received a touch of Tengoku’s influence.
The tattooed monks themselves remain one of the peculiarities of Rokugani civilization. They seem to tremendously enjoy space exploration, both for the enlightening journey and because it can bring contemplative isolation to a whole new level. Imperial Explorers have been startled more than once to land on a new planet only to find a member of the Togashi family already in meditation there.
Families: Togashi, Tamori, Mirumoto, Kitsuki
Naval Philosophy: The Dragon possess the least powerful fleet of
any Great Clan, owing to their lack of resources. They still have more ships than the Minor Clan Alliance,
but their navy pales in comparison to their peers. Their ships, while commanded by able tacticians skilled
in the art of naval combat, are average in nearly every way, save one: their crews are trained to react
quickly to de-cloaking vessels. They cannot sense these vessels when they are nearby; they simply cannot be
surprised by them.
Ship Bonus: Lasers can never be destroyed, only damaged. In
addition, ships that de-cloak to attack a Dragon Clan vessel do not get a surprise round.
New Family: Tonbo
Tonbo Family Bonus: +1 Awareness
It’s not entirely certain why the Tonbo existed as an independent entity for as long as they did, but the
former Dragonfly Clan were ultimately absorbed by the Dragon by mutual agreement. The Empire’s only combo
shugenja-courtiers now serve as the primary representatives of the Dragon in various far-flung galactic
courts, allowing the Kitsuki to assume a more natural (and suddenly more important) role as investigation
experts.