The Yasuki family were the public face of the Crab Clan. Where the other families all dealt daily with the horrors of the Shadowlands, the Yasuki were the Crab's diplomatic and economic engine. Yasuki courtiers were seen in courts representing the Crab much more than any of their other families, and their merchants were by far the most crafty in all of Rokugan. The Yasuki family was originally a family of the Crane Clan, but broke from the Crane in the 4th century and were quickly incorporated into the Crab Clan.
History
The Yasuki were founded by the wisewoman Yasuki after she aided Kakita in solving his three quests to gain Lady Doji's heart. For their first three hundred years the Yasuki served the Crane, furthering their economic and political pursuits. They made their mark on Rokugan by starting the tradition of trade through gifts rather than "dishonorable" merchanting. When the War Against Fu Leng started the Yasuki kept the troops supplied with food and weapons, and one of the first daimyo of the Yasuki was given the title of Imperial Trade Advisor.
Break from the Crane
In the fourth century a conflict arose between the Crab and the Crane Clan, the First Yasuki War. The Yasuki were not willing to attack the Crab due to their constant service defending against the Shadowlands. The Crane Clan Champion Doji Mizobu was outraged at their disloyalty and banished them from the Crane lands. The Crab were more than happy to open their doors to those who wished to join, and the Yasuki have been a family of the Crab since.
Purpose
The focus of the family lied primarily in their mercantile interests. Their leaders would argue that trade was the lifeblood of Rokugan. They loved the art of the deal and took great delight in providing products their customers both wanted and needed. While the Yasuki were cunning and wily, they had a reputation for the same rough honesty that marked all the Crab. They would rarely sell shoddy or inferior products; the buyer almost always knews exactly what he was receiving. Smuggling was a favored profession among the Yasuki, especially smuggling to the Lion Clan, as neither the Crane nor Scorpion Clans wanted overt ties with their warmongering neighbor. The Yasuki smuggling operations were an especially painful thorn in the side of the Crane, particularly along the River of Gold. The Yasuki also served as diplomats for the Crab. Diplomats visiting the Crab are housed in the Face of the East Castle, near the Shinomen Mori. Yasuki Yashiki itself held too many secrets to trust outsiders there.