For a thousand years, the Crab Clan has performed its duty of guarding the Emerald Empire against the horrors of the Shadowlands. Its samurai are among the most highly trained in Rokugan. Their schools teach the ways that a small army can defeat a larger one, for when the Shadowlands assault the fortresses of the Crab, the samurai are outnumbered by at least three to one.

Unlike other Clans, the Crab do not value sincerity as highly as they do honesty. "There are not lies between allies on a battlefield," is an old saying that every Crab samurai knows and understands. They carry this philosophy from the battlefield into the court, and are quick to be drawn into a flash of red-hot temper when they feel they are being lied to. The Crab view the political situation in very simple terms. The strong have more right to rule than the weak. Those who cannot protect the Empire do not deserve to rule it. Because of the first Hida's defeat by Hantei, they view the Hantei dynasty with respect. However, if such a time arose when a Hida could take the throne from the ruling Hantei, then they would do so without question.

The Daimyo of the Crab Clan has always been from the Hida family, directly descended from the original Hida who fell from the sky, and swore to the original Hantei that his dynasty would protect the Empire from the foul armies of Fu Leng. The Hiruma Family was the first to follow Hida to the Shadowlands. Their devotion to the Hida family is well known in the Empire. Often, the bodyguards of the Daimyo are from the Hiruma family. While the Kuni family does occasionally produce samurai, the family has devoted itself to discovering the secrets of the Shadowlands, and so most of their family don the robes of the shugenja. The history of the Yasuki family is a curious one. During the first Crab/Crane war hundreds of years ago, the family had sworn fealty to the Doji family. during the war, however, they betrayed the Crane and swore fealty to Lord Hida. It is a light that has never been forgiven.

The Families:
Hida - The patriarch of the Crab Clan is "the Great Bear" Hida Kisada. Almost all Crab Bushi are trained at the Hida School.  Benefit +1 Strength

Kuni - The Kuni family are the only shugenja family in the Crab Clan, led by the sinister kuni Yori. Benefits +1 Intelligence

Yasuki - The Yasuki family are the Crab Clan's link to the other Clans. The bulk of the Yasuki family are politicians and merchants.  Benefit +1 Awareness

The Crab's Views of the Other Clans:

"They exploit the favor system to the extreme, to the point of ridiculousness. They rely on those favors and the Emperor's graces to save them from destruction."

"Who knows anything about the Dragon? they remain hidden away in their mountain keeps and 'contemplate truth.' Send one of their samurai out with me to the Shadowlans, and I'll show him truth."

"It is the Lion whom we respect most. Their courge and strength are the reason. They do not claim nobility as the Crane do, but allow their actions to speak for them. However, that does not change the fact that they are all pompous fools"

"They may be weak, but they are also willing to acknowledge their weakness. Still, I have seen what a Phoenix shugenja can do, and I would not mind having one on my side the next time the Shadownlands invade."

"The Crane relies on favors and the Scorpion relies on secrets. Both are cowards; the Scorpion is just more clever about it."

"Theirs is a mighty force to contend with, but they rely too heavily on their speed. We acknowledge the right of the strong, not the lucky."