Toshisoto

People of every clan, prof ssion, and social caste can be found in the Toshisoto. It would t t r l easy to say that Otosan Uchi is a microcosm of Rokugan as I whole - that every facet of the Empire can be seen here - but that comparison is not entirely accurate. While the rest of he Empire must contend with the Emperor’s Laws on ocassion usually when dealing with Imperial Magistrates), their principal duty is to their clan; Imperial Laws are often interpreted for them. In Otosan Uchi, all local legislature is strongly influenced (and often overruled) by Imperial decree, and everyone must meet the expectations of the Son of Heaven. This has created many unexpected social customs among the people of the Imperial Capital. Perhaps the most important of these is the formation of a new social class - the horosha, or ”wanderers” - those without function, clan affiliation, or social standing. Comprised mostly of people who have slipped through the cracks of society and law, the horosha move between the social castes, no better or worse within their own sub-culture than any other. They are like ronin in that they do not generally have lords (ocassionally, a lord will become horosha, taking his family and vassals with him), but do not suffer from the same stigma. There are just too many people living in Otosan Uchi for the horosha to be easily noticed. They are invisible, surviving within a system that ignores them. Another aspect of the Toshisoto’s strange civil equilibrium is that the rules are not always obeyed. Large infractions of justice, ethics, and morality are obviously noticed (you cannot commit murder with impunity, for instance), but in a system as complex and overwhelming as Otosan Uchi, it is easy to ignore minor customs when no one is watching. It is not uncommon in the Outer City for heimin and samurai to feign drunkenness to avoid uncomfortable situations, or for a gift to simply be laid at the recipient’s doorstep for them to find later. The atmosphere of the Toshisoto lends itself to interpretation of Rokugan’s social customs, and many are too weak to avoid temptation. In the end, the Toshisoto can distress or corrupt unwary visitors to the Imperial Capital. Blatant disregard for rules and manners leave Rokugani confused. Many regular visitors ignore parts of the Toshisoto where this behavior is most common, or avoid the Outer Districts altogether, stopping only in the Ekohikei. Others lose control in the vast, ignorant boroughs of the Outer City, finding their new lives to be lonely and unfulfilling.