"Shōkū"

Kuroda, Ryuta was originally a member of the Inu Clan, a minor clan in the empire of Rokugan that has strong ties to the Ki-rin Clan. This partnership allowed for him to be taken in by the Ide School to train him in the ways of Court life, which was quite fulfilling at first. However, he soon grew tired of the duplicitous nature of the courts around Rokugan, where truth seemed secondary to the rhetoric used by those presenting their cases. He began to ponder if this was part of human nature, and was not something that was a universal truth. In his pursuits to discover if there was indeed a way to determine the truth of a situation by seeking out the aid of the kami.

He petitioned the Ki-rin Clan to see if he could seek tutelage under the Iuchi School, even though he had hardly finished his previous training.  However, his Sensei, Ide, Ryuga believed that while the youth showed promise, it was not the Ki-Rin way to restrict ones freedom too greatly and endorsed his enrollment into the Iuchi school. This delighted Ryuta to no end, seeing this as his best opportunity to learn truths of the world by blending his knowledge of diplomacy with that of communing with the spirits.

Once he had finished his training in his secondary school, he began to apply his knowledge to root out truths that people had wished to remain hidden. This meant he also spent some time as an exorcist or similar spiritual medium for people to rely on. While this expertise gained during the time period had initially brought satisfaction to Ryuta, over time, he noticed it had not done the same for many of those he had tried to help. The truth seemed best left unsaid to those he aided which led to disappointment.

Confused that these spiritual truths did not bring people the closure or satisfaction they had needed, he wondered if there was something he had failed to notice. This loss in confidence made him feel great shame, leading him to believe he was not worthy of his duties any longer. He petitioned the Ki-rin Clan, his family, and the Emperor to allow him to enter retirement with no loss of honor. They granted his request, allowing him to quietly move to a district within the imperial capital.

At first, life was rough on Ryuta, and he was easily taken advantage of by ruffians and con-artists. This did prove to be auspicious however, because such interactions led him to be in contact with a strange monk by the name of Geirin. He brought the young man in, gave him a place to stay, and introduced him to his philosophy on life, truth, and service. Ryuta was impressed by how well the monk had adapted to city life, and was able to interact with people of all walks of life. He had managed to not only offered these people truths, but also managed to bring them happiness.

Geirin worked as an investigator of sorts, closely interacting with the Magistrates, collecting evidence and information in a way only a monk could, being free from the social contract that bound most of Rokugani society allowed. Geirin could be honest with people but also respectful of their feelings. It also meant, he was afforded respect for his spiritual purity, and was allowed to be more open with those involved with his cases.  When Ryuta noticed this, he realized this was the thing he had been looking for: a way to meld spiritual truth with worldly truth.

Needless to say, Ryuta took upon himself the mantle of his predecessor, Geirin, and became a detective monk. He became known as Shōkū from that day forward and out of respect for his late master he kept the keepsake of a most treasured hat passed down for many generations...

He has recently come under new management when he met a particularly unique individual named Arjuna. Though at first the celestial being decided to come humbly as a patron to Ryuta's shop, it didn't take long for him to realize there was something otherworldly about Arjuna. By the end of their first meeting the two struck a deal. (More to come later)

[UNDER CONSTRUCTION - Will be reworked with retired Geisha/Taikomochi and Shugenja influence, detective/monk]