Although it is not quite so opulent as the palace of the Bayushi, Shiro no Shosuro is nevertheless an impressive castle and one that many guests of the Scorpion have found truly memorable. Situated alongside the River of Gold at the edge of the Kawa Province, the stronghold is a port of call for ships passing up and down the river, and one of the primary destinations before one reaches the far southern lands of the Crane and Crab. As a result, the castle serves as a main defensive point against any naval incursion from the south, and is home to most of the Scorpion Clan’s own ships and shipwrights.
Shiro no Shosuro is famous for its alchemical and medicinal creations, along with some of the finest sake distilleries in the Empire. Though the Yasuki would argue that their libations are of finer quality, the Shosuro seem to have a knack for experimentation that gives rise to some of the most unique drinks in Rokugan. Of course, many will whisper that other more sinister libations are also created within these walls, ranging from illegal narcotics to outright poisons, but none would ever state such things publicly.
The castle itself is home to the notorious Shosuro Gardens, tended by the Tokagure vassal family. By Imperial decree, the Gardens are allowed to grow plants of poisonous nature, ostensibly for the production of antidotes and research in identifying all known dangerous plants. As a result, the Gardens boast the widest and most exotic assortment of plants in the Empire, and are well known to include every poisonous plant that can grow on Rokugani soil. As a result, they are wilder and less manicured than most Rokugani gardens, and guests are always warned not to touch the blooms. Every year, accountings of the plants maintained and collected by the clan are sent to the Emerald Magistrates for inspection.
While the Shosuro Gardens ostensibly exist to assist in the defense against poisons, it is a well-known (if never admitted) reality that the Scorpion are experts at the creation and use of toxins. The Tokagure vassal family provides small doses of the toxins it creates in the gardens to the leadership of the clan, and these are used when necessary to dispose of the clan’s enemies. However, many of the Shosuro prefer instead to rely on poisons created in their own private gardens, allowing this facility to maintain the surface appearance of obeying the law.