My dear old friend,
It has been long since I heard from you, and your words stir memories in my soul that I had thought were long lost. It is good that I remember them. The time of the Clan Wars has passed, and there are those who say that the histories of our time will be written by the victor – written to cover the past. It is only the memories of people such as you and I who will know the truth. I pray that those times do not die with us – that our struggle will not have been in vain.
Perhaps the tales which were told of Shoju's reasons were not entirely to be trusted. In the wake of the return of Fu Leng, the prophecy which the Scorpions claim to have been their motivation rings all too true, "And the Last of the Hantei line shall be the Doom of Rokugan."
After the Scorpion assaulted the Palace of Otosan Uchi, the battle appeared hopeless. The Lion were lost, wandering aimlessly without their Champion, the Crane wounded and too prideful to fight by the side of their ancient enemy. The Phoenix had been all but crushed in the initial battles, the Unicorn too far to be of use, and the Dragon were locked in their isolated mountains, alone and unwarned. Of the other clans, only the Crab had the strength to defeat the Usurper Shoju, and no man could know what truths lay in Kisada's heart – or to whom his true loyalty belonged. This has been recorded.
What has been lost to time is the true nature of the battle – the struggle of wills that tore the Scorpion from their exalted position and left a broken throne, a broken sword and a broken man. I have collected the correspondences of the clans from the days before the final battle, and kept them safe in a secret place. Now it is time to open them again – to remind the Great Clans of the truth about the origin of the Clan Wars and the beginning of the Time of the Second Thunders.
You hold in your hands the last letter of your people as was written so many years ago. Use it well. Show those who will understand, and teach those who wish to learn the truth about the past. It is in our hands to make certain the future will never repeat the harsh lessons learned in the Clan wars. It is our souls who will pay the penalty if we fail.
It has been long since I heard from you, and your words stir memories in my soul that I had thought were long lost. It is good that I remember them. The time of the Clan Wars has passed, and there are those who say that the histories of our time will be written by the victor – written to cover the past. It is only the memories of people such as you and I who will know the truth. I pray that those times do not die with us – that our struggle will not have been in vain.
Perhaps the tales which were told of Shoju's reasons were not entirely to be trusted. In the wake of the return of Fu Leng, the prophecy which the Scorpions claim to have been their motivation rings all too true, "And the Last of the Hantei line shall be the Doom of Rokugan."
After the Scorpion assaulted the Palace of Otosan Uchi, the battle appeared hopeless. The Lion were lost, wandering aimlessly without their Champion, the Crane wounded and too prideful to fight by the side of their ancient enemy. The Phoenix had been all but crushed in the initial battles, the Unicorn too far to be of use, and the Dragon were locked in their isolated mountains, alone and unwarned. Of the other clans, only the Crab had the strength to defeat the Usurper Shoju, and no man could know what truths lay in Kisada's heart – or to whom his true loyalty belonged. This has been recorded.
What has been lost to time is the true nature of the battle – the struggle of wills that tore the Scorpion from their exalted position and left a broken throne, a broken sword and a broken man. I have collected the correspondences of the clans from the days before the final battle, and kept them safe in a secret place. Now it is time to open them again – to remind the Great Clans of the truth about the origin of the Clan Wars and the beginning of the Time of the Second Thunders.
You hold in your hands the last letter of your people as was written so many years ago. Use it well. Show those who will understand, and teach those who wish to learn the truth about the past. It is in our hands to make certain the future will never repeat the harsh lessons learned in the Clan wars. It is our souls who will pay the penalty if we fail.
Ikoma Kaoku
My daughter,
You must hold the wall. Your brothers and I march to the Palace of the Emperor. There is nothing to be gained by delay. The war has begun.
Shoju's own cleverness has betrayed him. He stands behind the walls of the palace, offering an empty hand and a face of lies. Shoju offers us nothing, yet he would ask us to lose everything. He says that we need his strength, that we need to understand his actions. The Scorpion have always believed that polite words and cunning can force any outcome, and justify any action. No more.
We will not be manipulated. Our constant battle with the Shadowlands has given us the ability to control its darkest forces and turn them to our will, Nothing can bend our determinations, not Shoju’s lies, not the threat of war between the clans, not all the foulness of the Shadowlands itself. Courage, and the secrets we have stolen from the Deep South, are our weapons.
The Scorpion are alone. They are unveiled. If their strength was as great as Shoju promises, they would not ask for our aid. They would not beg us to be their mask. When the war is over, our time will be near. We do not need his strength.
He needs ours.
You must hold the wall. Your brothers and I march to the Palace of the Emperor. There is nothing to be gained by delay. The war has begun.
Shoju's own cleverness has betrayed him. He stands behind the walls of the palace, offering an empty hand and a face of lies. Shoju offers us nothing, yet he would ask us to lose everything. He says that we need his strength, that we need to understand his actions. The Scorpion have always believed that polite words and cunning can force any outcome, and justify any action. No more.
We will not be manipulated. Our constant battle with the Shadowlands has given us the ability to control its darkest forces and turn them to our will, Nothing can bend our determinations, not Shoju’s lies, not the threat of war between the clans, not all the foulness of the Shadowlands itself. Courage, and the secrets we have stolen from the Deep South, are our weapons.
The Scorpion are alone. They are unveiled. If their strength was as great as Shoju promises, they would not ask for our aid. They would not beg us to be their mask. When the war is over, our time will be near. We do not need his strength.
He needs ours.
Kisada
My son -
I write to you from the fields of war, as we march toward the palace of the Emperor. Our duty is clear, my path certain. The Usurper must be destroyed, and his clan must be erased from the face of the Empire. For years I have chafed at their honorless ways, their masks and their manipulations. At last, the others see that what I have said so many times is the truth–
The Scorpion must be annihilated.
They have taken the palace, killed the Emperor and endangered his Imperial Line – our cousins, related by blood and by birth. We are closer to them than any other, and a strike against the line of Hantei is a strike against the line of Doji. We must destroy them for their arrogance, and make them pay the price of disloyalty.
When the battle is done, I know what I must do. The Emperor's death hangs on my conscience like the weight which drags the sun into the mountains each night. I was his Emerald Champion. I was his protector. I was his friend. My death – on the field or with honor once we have defended his son – is inevitable. You will rise to take my place as leader of our people. It is your duty to your house.
You must remember this, above all else. The Crane must be willing to give their lives to defeat the darkness which rises in the hearts of man. Only honor separates us form the beasts of the earth – only honor, and loyalty. You know that I have been a harsh father to you, Hoturi, but when you see the dangers of the world that you must face, you will know why my lessons seemed so cruel. They were to prepare you for the truth of the world into which you are about to rise. There is no greater gift from a father to a son.
I write to you from the fields of war, as we march toward the palace of the Emperor. Our duty is clear, my path certain. The Usurper must be destroyed, and his clan must be erased from the face of the Empire. For years I have chafed at their honorless ways, their masks and their manipulations. At last, the others see that what I have said so many times is the truth–
The Scorpion must be annihilated.
They have taken the palace, killed the Emperor and endangered his Imperial Line – our cousins, related by blood and by birth. We are closer to them than any other, and a strike against the line of Hantei is a strike against the line of Doji. We must destroy them for their arrogance, and make them pay the price of disloyalty.
When the battle is done, I know what I must do. The Emperor's death hangs on my conscience like the weight which drags the sun into the mountains each night. I was his Emerald Champion. I was his protector. I was his friend. My death – on the field or with honor once we have defended his son – is inevitable. You will rise to take my place as leader of our people. It is your duty to your house.
You must remember this, above all else. The Crane must be willing to give their lives to defeat the darkness which rises in the hearts of man. Only honor separates us form the beasts of the earth – only honor, and loyalty. You know that I have been a harsh father to you, Hoturi, but when you see the dangers of the world that you must face, you will know why my lessons seemed so cruel. They were to prepare you for the truth of the world into which you are about to rise. There is no greater gift from a father to a son.
Satsume
Father,
You know that it is my way to roam the lands of Rokugan, seeking enlightenment in the people and the culture of our homeland. You also know that the people of the other clans of Rokugan have been mobilizing for battle, and that the hatred between the Lion and the Crane has once again flared into open war.
But there is something you do not know. The grand palace of the Emperor the castle of Otosan Ushi, has been taken by the Scorpion, and the line of the Hantei is again in jeopardy. Our diplomats in the court have been sabotaged, and our isolation has been used by the Scorpions to their advantage.
We must decide our part in this struggle.
Father, I alone among us understand the nature of the Scorpion – I alone can see the motivations and the truth behind Shoju's capture of the Emerald Throne. His blood, and yours, runs in my veins... I beg you, do not stand on the fields against the Scorpion – let our mountain fastness be our shelter from this storm, and let it pass us by as so many other wars throughout the course of history. I write this not for myself, not for our clan, but for my brethren within both palaces – Otosan Uchi and Togashi. I do not want the blood of my family on my hands.
Of course, I will do as you say. The Dragon have always been my home, and you have been the only parent I have ever known. But I beg you to allow us to remain in our mountain palace, far from the politics of the world.
In my mother's name, I ask you.
You know that it is my way to roam the lands of Rokugan, seeking enlightenment in the people and the culture of our homeland. You also know that the people of the other clans of Rokugan have been mobilizing for battle, and that the hatred between the Lion and the Crane has once again flared into open war.
But there is something you do not know. The grand palace of the Emperor the castle of Otosan Ushi, has been taken by the Scorpion, and the line of the Hantei is again in jeopardy. Our diplomats in the court have been sabotaged, and our isolation has been used by the Scorpions to their advantage.
We must decide our part in this struggle.
Father, I alone among us understand the nature of the Scorpion – I alone can see the motivations and the truth behind Shoju's capture of the Emerald Throne. His blood, and yours, runs in my veins... I beg you, do not stand on the fields against the Scorpion – let our mountain fastness be our shelter from this storm, and let it pass us by as so many other wars throughout the course of history. I write this not for myself, not for our clan, but for my brethren within both palaces – Otosan Uchi and Togashi. I do not want the blood of my family on my hands.
Of course, I will do as you say. The Dragon have always been my home, and you have been the only parent I have ever known. But I beg you to allow us to remain in our mountain palace, far from the politics of the world.
In my mother's name, I ask you.
Hoshi
To Arms! To Arms!
The Imperial Palace has been taken – the Imperial Line has been struck down! All the petty whining of the Crane, their Iaijutsu Masters and their diplomats, could not protect the Emperor from the doom brought to him by the Scorpion. Now there is only our wrath and our courage left to defend the Empire. Gather on the Osari plains, my comrades, and we shall march to the palace and remove this Usurper from the Emerald Throne with the fury of our blades! Toturi has left us in our time of need, and vanished without trace – we shall have our revenge on the Crane for their part in that matter, once the fields of the Emperor have been returned to the Hantei line. For too long, the Crane have stolen our lands and our honor, and the Akodo have allowed them to take from us what was rightfully ours. Now we must prove that even weakened by Toturi's arrogance and pacifistic prattle, the Lion are still a clan to be feared.
There are those who once said that the Crane were the right hand of the Emperor, and the Scorpion were the underhand – now both has failed his trust, and there is only the Lion, the heart of the Emperor and his left hand – to guard his line. Although the Emperor has been foully murdered by the Usurper, there are rumors that the son of the Imperial line may have survived, hidden within the palace by his last faithful servants. For the sake of the Empire, I pray to the Fortunes that it is so.
Meet me before the walls of the Imperial palace, and we will show all of Rokugan – Crane, Crab or Scorpion, – that the Lion are not so easily conquered. Meet me on the field of battle, and we will have our victory!
The Imperial Palace has been taken – the Imperial Line has been struck down! All the petty whining of the Crane, their Iaijutsu Masters and their diplomats, could not protect the Emperor from the doom brought to him by the Scorpion. Now there is only our wrath and our courage left to defend the Empire. Gather on the Osari plains, my comrades, and we shall march to the palace and remove this Usurper from the Emerald Throne with the fury of our blades! Toturi has left us in our time of need, and vanished without trace – we shall have our revenge on the Crane for their part in that matter, once the fields of the Emperor have been returned to the Hantei line. For too long, the Crane have stolen our lands and our honor, and the Akodo have allowed them to take from us what was rightfully ours. Now we must prove that even weakened by Toturi's arrogance and pacifistic prattle, the Lion are still a clan to be feared.
There are those who once said that the Crane were the right hand of the Emperor, and the Scorpion were the underhand – now both has failed his trust, and there is only the Lion, the heart of the Emperor and his left hand – to guard his line. Although the Emperor has been foully murdered by the Usurper, there are rumors that the son of the Imperial line may have survived, hidden within the palace by his last faithful servants. For the sake of the Empire, I pray to the Fortunes that it is so.
Meet me before the walls of the Imperial palace, and we will show all of Rokugan – Crane, Crab or Scorpion, – that the Lion are not so easily conquered. Meet me on the field of battle, and we will have our victory!
Matsu Tsuko
My people -
I do not know if you are alive, or if I am alone in this cold, new world to which I have awakened. I have always been your scout, searching the land ahead for the smoothest path - but now I don't know which is the way. Which road are we to take? Why have I alone been roused from our slumber?
I awoke to find the world I once knew had vanished - and in its place is a dark and alien realm, of strange beings who speak a foreign tongue. I've watched their society, and with my shape changing abilities, I have begun to learn their ways and their speech. When you wake, I will teach you the knowledge that I have gleaned, so that you can join me in studying these strange half-Naga creatures that have build cities across the plains of our world. How strange they are!
Yet... I wish I were still asleep in the forest of our kind. I lie awake at night, wondering if any more have awakened from our thousand year silence. The grand palaces in which we slumbered have turned to mossy ruins, their high walls crumbling with disuse, and the brightly lit passages I remember have become fouled and buried with time. When I left the forest, I had hoped to be reunited with other Naga – anyone – but the lands are filled with beasts and creatures I can not comprehend. Perhaps it is my fate that I again have been chosen to scout the road we must take into this dark future – I do not know. All I know is that I cannot sleep again – the dreams and the solitude haunt me each moment. I was never meant to walk these lonely paths.
I pray that someone receives this – that someone can respond! Wake, my people – I feel the darkness of the Dark Lands returning, and I feel the stirrings of our ancient enemy. I cannot bear to be alone much longer.
I do not know if you are alive, or if I am alone in this cold, new world to which I have awakened. I have always been your scout, searching the land ahead for the smoothest path - but now I don't know which is the way. Which road are we to take? Why have I alone been roused from our slumber?
I awoke to find the world I once knew had vanished - and in its place is a dark and alien realm, of strange beings who speak a foreign tongue. I've watched their society, and with my shape changing abilities, I have begun to learn their ways and their speech. When you wake, I will teach you the knowledge that I have gleaned, so that you can join me in studying these strange half-Naga creatures that have build cities across the plains of our world. How strange they are!
Yet... I wish I were still asleep in the forest of our kind. I lie awake at night, wondering if any more have awakened from our thousand year silence. The grand palaces in which we slumbered have turned to mossy ruins, their high walls crumbling with disuse, and the brightly lit passages I remember have become fouled and buried with time. When I left the forest, I had hoped to be reunited with other Naga – anyone – but the lands are filled with beasts and creatures I can not comprehend. Perhaps it is my fate that I again have been chosen to scout the road we must take into this dark future – I do not know. All I know is that I cannot sleep again – the dreams and the solitude haunt me each moment. I was never meant to walk these lonely paths.
I pray that someone receives this – that someone can respond! Wake, my people – I feel the darkness of the Dark Lands returning, and I feel the stirrings of our ancient enemy. I cannot bear to be alone much longer.
Shazaar
Tadaka,
I send this letter in haste, that you may be warned of the horrors which have torn down the house of the Emperor! My father's efforts to calm the invading Scorpion were for nothing, and they came in the dead of the night to steal away the Emerald Throne.
The other Elemental Masters must decide what shall be done, but they may be too late. Behind me the clans of Rokugan gather in force upon the Emperor's fields. Although small, our troops at the palace attempted to hold off the tide of Scorpion that came to the palace. In the dark night, at Shoju's bidding, they were decimated. Only I survive to bring you this news.
The palace is captured, the Emperor's body is in flames and the Scorpion Usurper has placed himself upon the Emerald Throne. Our one hope is the child I bring with me, the child whose life holds the balance of our future in his chubby hand. When he was given to my care, my father met with the Scorpion daimyo. I crept away with the child under cover of darkness, fleeing to the north. I do not know if my father still lives, but his soul urges me onward – home with my precious burden.
The line of Hantei must be protected from the evil which desires the throne, and it is our duty to defend this child with our lives. If need be, with our very souls. Watch for me.
I send this letter in haste, that you may be warned of the horrors which have torn down the house of the Emperor! My father's efforts to calm the invading Scorpion were for nothing, and they came in the dead of the night to steal away the Emerald Throne.
The other Elemental Masters must decide what shall be done, but they may be too late. Behind me the clans of Rokugan gather in force upon the Emperor's fields. Although small, our troops at the palace attempted to hold off the tide of Scorpion that came to the palace. In the dark night, at Shoju's bidding, they were decimated. Only I survive to bring you this news.
The palace is captured, the Emperor's body is in flames and the Scorpion Usurper has placed himself upon the Emerald Throne. Our one hope is the child I bring with me, the child whose life holds the balance of our future in his chubby hand. When he was given to my care, my father met with the Scorpion daimyo. I crept away with the child under cover of darkness, fleeing to the north. I do not know if my father still lives, but his soul urges me onward – home with my precious burden.
The line of Hantei must be protected from the evil which desires the throne, and it is our duty to defend this child with our lives. If need be, with our very souls. Watch for me.
Kaede
It is time.
The prophesy we have found has lead us to this most dangerous of paths – and we must have the courage to walk it. We stand now behind the great walls of Otosan-Uchi, their huge mass shielding us from the condemnation of the other clans. They do not yet understand the fate from which we have saved them – they do not comprehend the nature of the darkness as we do.
Gather your forces – find your strength. The palace must be held at all costs – at any price. Who will care what we have fought for when the battle is over. The knowledge which will remain when we have gone is this: The last Hantei died at the hands of the only clan loyal enough to do what must be done. We must defeat the Emperor to save the Empire.
Outside the walls, I hear the petty squabbling of the other Champions. Satsume challenges me to war. Ujimitsu declares that I can be reasoned with – that the madness which has led us to this pass is a fleeting dark veil over my eyes. Only Togashi Yokuni – the Dragon – sits by the side of the others, staring at me on my walls. Watching. He alone can see the truth of my decision. He must understand. For nearly a thousand years we have known his secret, we have seen behind his iron mask. Yet he does nothing. But it does not matter what any of them think. When the Crab arrive, I will know my destiny – to stand or to fall at the hands of those I have saved. With the death of the Emperor's son, the cycle of the Dark One will be defeated. That alone will bear my soul to the halls of my ancestors – no matter what dishonors the fools in Rokugan heap upon my name. I will live forever.
Bring your forces before my high walls and we will strike down the weak who squall at what we have done. Our reign shall be the beginning of a new era – the dawn of a greater world.
Let no man stand in our way.
The prophesy we have found has lead us to this most dangerous of paths – and we must have the courage to walk it. We stand now behind the great walls of Otosan-Uchi, their huge mass shielding us from the condemnation of the other clans. They do not yet understand the fate from which we have saved them – they do not comprehend the nature of the darkness as we do.
Gather your forces – find your strength. The palace must be held at all costs – at any price. Who will care what we have fought for when the battle is over. The knowledge which will remain when we have gone is this: The last Hantei died at the hands of the only clan loyal enough to do what must be done. We must defeat the Emperor to save the Empire.
Outside the walls, I hear the petty squabbling of the other Champions. Satsume challenges me to war. Ujimitsu declares that I can be reasoned with – that the madness which has led us to this pass is a fleeting dark veil over my eyes. Only Togashi Yokuni – the Dragon – sits by the side of the others, staring at me on my walls. Watching. He alone can see the truth of my decision. He must understand. For nearly a thousand years we have known his secret, we have seen behind his iron mask. Yet he does nothing. But it does not matter what any of them think. When the Crab arrive, I will know my destiny – to stand or to fall at the hands of those I have saved. With the death of the Emperor's son, the cycle of the Dark One will be defeated. That alone will bear my soul to the halls of my ancestors – no matter what dishonors the fools in Rokugan heap upon my name. I will live forever.
Bring your forces before my high walls and we will strike down the weak who squall at what we have done. Our reign shall be the beginning of a new era – the dawn of a greater world.
Let no man stand in our way.
Shoju
Rise, my friends, and join me! The time for war has come!
For too long, the rest of Rokugan has underestimated our strength and willingness to fight for this Empire. For nearly two hundred years, we have been reviled as foreigners, as a blight to this fair land, and too often we have been forgotten by those who should fear us the most. Now, it is our time to strike a blow for the Empire of our ancestors, to rush against the Usurper in the palace and demand out right to stand against his evil.
Our steeds are read – the battle-maidens will lead the way, and the souls of the people of the wind will again be freed from the chafing restraint of peace. The Scorpion have taken the Imperial Palace, sealed themselves within its high walls, and demanded our fealty to the new "Emperor" they have created.
Never!
Ride to the walls of the palace and stand beside me. Our swiftness will be their undoing, and we will arrive to face them before the last Scorpion can scurry behind those palatial walls. We have three days to reach the palace – three days or all it lost. Let the wind be at your back, your sword ready in your hand, for each heartbeat is a moment that must not be wasted.
The time has come for use to show our allegiance to the line of Hantei
For the Emperor, and for the Empire!
For too long, the rest of Rokugan has underestimated our strength and willingness to fight for this Empire. For nearly two hundred years, we have been reviled as foreigners, as a blight to this fair land, and too often we have been forgotten by those who should fear us the most. Now, it is our time to strike a blow for the Empire of our ancestors, to rush against the Usurper in the palace and demand out right to stand against his evil.
Our steeds are read – the battle-maidens will lead the way, and the souls of the people of the wind will again be freed from the chafing restraint of peace. The Scorpion have taken the Imperial Palace, sealed themselves within its high walls, and demanded our fealty to the new "Emperor" they have created.
Never!
Ride to the walls of the palace and stand beside me. Our swiftness will be their undoing, and we will arrive to face them before the last Scorpion can scurry behind those palatial walls. We have three days to reach the palace – three days or all it lost. Let the wind be at your back, your sword ready in your hand, for each heartbeat is a moment that must not be wasted.
The time has come for use to show our allegiance to the line of Hantei
For the Emperor, and for the Empire!
Shinjo Yokatsu
Greetings, old friend!
Tokei, how long has it been since last I heard from you? I was pleased to see your letter – pleased to hear that your apprenticeship goes well. I, too, have heard about struggle on the fields of the war, and the coup that has plagued the line of Hantei. Let the Greater Clans struggle, it is not our affair. No matter which house controls the Empire, we will suffer under the badge of Ronin, as we always have.
I have remained in the lands of the Mantis, teaching their warriors with the bow and the sword, and instructing their soldiers in the nature of tactics. They do not have much, for they are a minor clan, but their leader – a man known as Yoritomo – says that the Greater Clans will one day fall, and we will all take our places among the leadership of Rokugan. An idle dream, perhaps, but one which has captured the hearts of many, and his men fight with the courage to equal even a Lion.
The pay is fair, in koku and horses, and the Crane have great need of wave men to supply them in their battle against the Lion, so I am content. Perhaps when their money runs slim, I will travel to the lands of the Emperor – whatever the outcome. I have a feeling that more war will be coming as a result of this coup... and more war means more money for a mercenary. Perhaps we will meet there and fight side by side.
Tokei, how long has it been since last I heard from you? I was pleased to see your letter – pleased to hear that your apprenticeship goes well. I, too, have heard about struggle on the fields of the war, and the coup that has plagued the line of Hantei. Let the Greater Clans struggle, it is not our affair. No matter which house controls the Empire, we will suffer under the badge of Ronin, as we always have.
I have remained in the lands of the Mantis, teaching their warriors with the bow and the sword, and instructing their soldiers in the nature of tactics. They do not have much, for they are a minor clan, but their leader – a man known as Yoritomo – says that the Greater Clans will one day fall, and we will all take our places among the leadership of Rokugan. An idle dream, perhaps, but one which has captured the hearts of many, and his men fight with the courage to equal even a Lion.
The pay is fair, in koku and horses, and the Crane have great need of wave men to supply them in their battle against the Lion, so I am content. Perhaps when their money runs slim, I will travel to the lands of the Emperor – whatever the outcome. I have a feeling that more war will be coming as a result of this coup... and more war means more money for a mercenary. Perhaps we will meet there and fight side by side.
Dairya
Friends,
The prophecies of Uikku begin to foretell of occurrences which match those around us. The rise of the Scorpion and the fall of the line of Hantei are the events surrounding the return of the great Evil, the time for which we have prepared since the First Shinsei walked upon the lands of Rokugan. As I write this, I wait in the stronghold of the Lion, watching their preparations for war against the usurper of Otosan Uchi. The Matsu have ordered the Akodo to stand down and allow their Heroine to lead the battle, and without my student, Toturi, I believe the Akodo will do as they say.
There are those among us who do not believe that the legends are true, that the descendant of Shinsei will return to us, only last night, as I rested in meditation, I saw a strange hooded figure enter my dreams, traveling to our temples as if from a great distance. He is coming, and when he arrives, we must be ready to follow him, even if it means our lives.
I will remain here, among the Lion, for as long as I am able. If Toturi lives, and returns to us, he will need our support in the coming time of trouble, for I believe that his destiny is intertwined our own. The hooded figure I have seen echoed in my dreams will lead us all, and Rokugan must be ready for the conflict to come. Prepare them, my brothers, and prepare yourselves.
The prophecies of Uikku begin to foretell of occurrences which match those around us. The rise of the Scorpion and the fall of the line of Hantei are the events surrounding the return of the great Evil, the time for which we have prepared since the First Shinsei walked upon the lands of Rokugan. As I write this, I wait in the stronghold of the Lion, watching their preparations for war against the usurper of Otosan Uchi. The Matsu have ordered the Akodo to stand down and allow their Heroine to lead the battle, and without my student, Toturi, I believe the Akodo will do as they say.
There are those among us who do not believe that the legends are true, that the descendant of Shinsei will return to us, only last night, as I rested in meditation, I saw a strange hooded figure enter my dreams, traveling to our temples as if from a great distance. He is coming, and when he arrives, we must be ready to follow him, even if it means our lives.
I will remain here, among the Lion, for as long as I am able. If Toturi lives, and returns to us, he will need our support in the coming time of trouble, for I believe that his destiny is intertwined our own. The hooded figure I have seen echoed in my dreams will lead us all, and Rokugan must be ready for the conflict to come. Prepare them, my brothers, and prepare yourselves.
Suana
The pleasures I have seen, the dreams I have tasted – everything has changed since I came to these lands. My soul is not the same, nothing is the same, the scroll eats my mind and drives my passions until I can run no more. But always I go south for the southlands holds the power, holds the mystery, holds the scrolls. The Shadowlands...
I came upon the Oni and they moved before me, opening my path, guiding me onward – perhaps I am one of them now. Perhaps the darkness of the scroll has led me here, but I do not know, I do not care. Nothing is the same. Once I thought the Dark Lands were filled with vileness and corruption, but now I know that they are beautiful beyond imagining. They are filled with lovely apparitions, creatures whose power and might are brilliant beyond imagining.
You follow the sons of kami. I am destined to follow a kami itself – and the Dark One has called me, among all the shugenja of Rokugan – to do His bidding. How could I refuse? I know you will not respond, will not answer, will not understand, but I had to tell you. I had to tell you of the glory which is the darkness, the power which draws me ever farther south until I reach Him. Until I can become Him.
He is the wasted land at night, He is the black face of the moon, He is the darkness between the stars. You can never become enlightened until you can see beyond the light...
I came upon the Oni and they moved before me, opening my path, guiding me onward – perhaps I am one of them now. Perhaps the darkness of the scroll has led me here, but I do not know, I do not care. Nothing is the same. Once I thought the Dark Lands were filled with vileness and corruption, but now I know that they are beautiful beyond imagining. They are filled with lovely apparitions, creatures whose power and might are brilliant beyond imagining.
You follow the sons of kami. I am destined to follow a kami itself – and the Dark One has called me, among all the shugenja of Rokugan – to do His bidding. How could I refuse? I know you will not respond, will not answer, will not understand, but I had to tell you. I had to tell you of the glory which is the darkness, the power which draws me ever farther south until I reach Him. Until I can become Him.
He is the wasted land at night, He is the black face of the moon, He is the darkness between the stars. You can never become enlightened until you can see beyond the light...
Yogo Junzo
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