Every transaction tells a story, and the bigger the trade, the bigger the tale. A merchant exchanging pilfered goods in the depths of an Aranami ship, a failed negotiation for grain, a shipment of Funkazan swords arriving at the Emperor’s throne: many observers can read the surface-level stories. But follow the wealth down, and you’ll find the true winners; the Kumo.
With extensive knowledge of Ikaiguchi’s underground landscape, they take advantage of ancient cave systems and their own man-made tunnels to run valuable contraband. By controlling what goes in and out of the cities of Ikaiguchi, the Kumo have cemented themselves as a key economic player.
Philosophy and Hierachy
When Itachi Moro, a legendary figure in Clan history, took power, he exhumed the previous daimyo’s corpse. This Daimyo Hamaski had committed countless crimes, and it was for these he was tried; Itachi held court for his body. For each charge, he took a finger, giving it to the daimyo’s blood heirs. Then, claiming, “his flesh was their flesh: his crimes were their crimes”, he had them all executed.
Ever since this act, quelling any rebellion or challenge to the rule of Moro, the birthright of succession was gone from the Clan. Instead, power is granted to those who prove they can keep it. For now, this power is vested in Crimelord Taniguchi, known as the Hanzai kōtei, rumored to be near as merciless as Itachi Moro.
Loyal to their Crimelord, the Gōtō-ō, kingpins who each claim sole dominance over their territory, orchestrate their schemes independently, as long as wealth flows back to the clan. Each employs many Giman — Whispers — each listening for every opportunity for wealth or influence. Nothing goes unseen or unheard by the Giman, ensuring knowledge flows into the underground warrens.
If the warrens are a web, the Kumo-rui are the spiders. These samurai guard the tunnels, and the Cage of Debts at its center. They are blindingly loyal to the clan, though perhaps because they know there is no alternative. Everyone suspects the Kumo know their darkest secrets, but the Kumo-rui know it for a fact.
History & Background
Death, betrayal, and violence makes up the history of the Kumo. Devoid of grand heroism, the tale of their clan is written in sentences, not pages. Respect is earned through strength. Weakness is rewarded by death. That is the Kumo way.
When an individual of incredible potency comes to rule the Kumo, their will marks the clan forever. The greatest of these legacies is worn by every crimelord: a steel jaw, which was once Itachi Moro’s own, for sickness ate away at the bone. That same sickness eventually killed him, but the steel jaw lives on. Each crimelord marks the jaw, a marking of their drive shaping the clan forever.
Locations
Kitsuensho – With several in every major city, the Kumo Smoke houses have a special place within Ikaiguchi. They are considered sanctuary houses, where no blood may be spilled, and where talk of business is off the table. This is one of the greatest lies of the Kumo, as it is within the Kitsuensho’s walls that some of the most important business of the era is done, paid for in bribes.
Meikyū – It is said that beneath any Kitsuensho smoke house, members of the Kumo clan can gain access to hidden tunnels that lead down to the Meikyū, a secret underworld lair where the clan are dominant. These Meikyū tunnels were, it is claimed, dug out by hand during the early days of the clan, when it was still under the control of Itachi Moro.
Orisai – somewhere within the warren of the Meikyū lies the crimelord’s archive, known amongst the clan as the Cage of Debts. Here, the crime lord’s hoard includes record of every debt and favor owed to the clan, every hit that their assassins have been called upon to do, along with materials that could be used to compromise influential members of other clans should the need arise.