The Scorpion have enjoyed a generation of unprecedented political influence, thanks to the marriage of Shosuro Amika to the Emperor. Their power has declined slightly since her death, but the Scorpion remain the strongest faction in Rokugan's courts, and their improved relations with the Mantis have also strengthened their economic position. Militarily, they remain far weaker than their neighbors, but Miya Shikan's enforced truce has prevented them from paying any price for this. The current Clan Champion, Bayushi Tamoru, is a well-known figure in the Emperor's court, but the most notorious Scorpion today is the aged and reclusive Shosuro family daimyo, Shosuro Hido, "the Spider," uncle to the late Empress. Although few have seen him, Hido's influence is felt throughout the Clan and indeed throughout the Empire, and his political skills and ruthless talent for outmaneuvering his foes are legendary. Although rumors abound that the Shosuro are deeply involved with Rokugan's criminal element, none of the many Kitsuki investigators and Unicorn magistrates who have pursued such tales have ever delivered proof to the courts… and many have paid with their lives.