20F Rulebook Story

7/23/2019 20F Rulebook Story

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he trappings ofcelebration vvhirled

throughout the Empire.Every city, every town, even thetiniest village, all were in thethroes of a great series of festivalscommemorating the impendingcoronation of a new Emperor:the second of the Divine Dynastyof the Iweko line. This was trueeverywhere except for the Crablands. There, day-to-day affairs

proc eeded just as they ha d forcenturies. There were unusualcircumstances, of course:shorter hours of work, increased

po pu la tio ns in the tea ho usesand sake houses, and other suchoddities that those familiar withCrab traditions would notice, butnothing at all like what appearedin other clan holdings.

Hida Kisada, the Champion ofthe Crab Clan, tugged the armcredplates from his wrist a nd set themaside as he entered the esttehe called home for the durationof his stay in the province. Theefforts of the day left him weary,bu t he was pai nfully awarethat his work was far from overdespite the sun slipping steadily

below the hor izon. He glancedto an aide who remained nearbyat all times, nodding once, thensteeling himself for the inevitable

not least of which is that I do notappreciate the needlessly wasted

time of my vassals. Make yourrequest quickly and be g one.

Of course, the young manreplied. My ame is YasukiAitoko. 1 am responsible forthe terms of the celebration, asma ndate d by you, in this province.The quantity of sake that youdemand seems prodigious. Theexpense for such a thin g...

Expense? the Crab Championasked, his tone at onceincredulous and mocking. Doyou think I care anything at allabout a matter as base and crudeas coin? The other clans are

spending preposterous amountsto indulge in grotesque displays

and pressed his knuckles againstthe surface of the table. I do not

care if it costs money. I do notcare if the other clans belittle ourattempts at commemorating theoccasion. I do not even care ifthe new Emperor thinks less of usbecau se of it. All I care abou t, allI will ever care about, is that theCrab execute th eir duty. As we do.As we have always done. As wealways will.

Aitoko licked his lips nervously,suddenly aware of exactly how

preca rio us his pos ition was. Mylord, I... I beg your forgiveness. Ihave made a terrible mistake, andoverstepped my bounds.

You did make a mistake,Kisada agreed, and you didoverstep your bounds. He paused

and stared at the younger man fora moment. You did so becauseyou believed passionately aboutthe future of the Crab. I cannotfault you for that. W hat I can faultyou for is losing perspective onwhat it means to be Crab in thefirst place. Which is due mostly toyour role within our clan. If youcontinu your work adequately,then perhaps we can simply...forget this unfortunate incident.But only as long as I am assuredthat you will not falter again. Do


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evv places in Rokuganpossessed the pee rless

beauty of Kyuden Doji,the ancestral home of the Dojifamily and the ccnter of powerfor the Crane Clan. A sprawlingtown surrounded the palace,bu t the del ib rate structure ofthe settlement only enhancedthe estates beauty, rather thandetracting from it. And now, inthe season of celebration that

preced ed the coronatio n of a newEmperor, it seemed as thoughthe whole city had come alivewith color and beauty, ripplingin the breeze like the surface of alake. The spectacle, when takenin from afar, was nothing shortof breathtaking. And, to some,completely inadequ ate.

No, Doji Natsuyo said,

shaking her head. No, thissimply will not do.

The various attendantsaccompanying her exchangedlong-suffering glances and smiledpolitely. Wha t vvould you hav echanged, my lady? one of themasked in sweet, dulcet tones.

The accent colors are wrong,

Na tsu yo expla ine d slowly. Theeffect is pleasant enough, butI wish to emphasize the colorsof our clan as well as create the

I do, Natsuyo replied. Ihave secured the assistance of a

number of our Asahina kinsmen.Wh en it is required - whenthe correct personages are inattendance to see it -- the precisewind conditions will be provided.Do not concern yourself withsuch things, however. I have beentasked with ensuring the properlevel of decorum and taste here,and I will do exactly that. I need

your assistance, but more thanthat, I need your obedience.Please understand I do notmean to demean you in anyway, but time is short, and theresponsibility is ultimately mine.I must act as I feel is proper. She

paus ed an d smiled. Can I counton you, my friends?

The various attendants all

she did not understand how tobe coid an d callou s in matters of

poli tics an d diplomacy, bu t thatwas not the case. She merely didnot wish to employ such methodsunless she had no alternative.

Alternatives. There would befewer of them in the future, at leastin the short term. The ascensinof a new Emperor would bringabout drastic changes in thepow er structure of the Imp erialCourt. The noble families couldguess at the Emperor Iwekospre ferences an d proclivit ies, bu tno one remained precisely whohe was before becoming Emperor.She had studied that lesson manytimes, but only now would shesee it move from theory to reality.How the new Emperor favoredor condemned the clans was yet

to be seen, but Natsuyo for oneintendechto ensure that the Craneremained the most powerfulpoli tica l forc in Rokugan, nomatter what it required.

Unortunately, it might requirethe Spider. Natsuyo was certainthat the issue of the SpiderClan was going to be the key todominance in the new ImperialCourt. No one could say exactlyhow the Emperor would respondto the Spiders existence,


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T f c lthough his familysancestral estte lay

^ ^ at Shiro Mirumoto,Mirumoto Shikei alwaysmaintained a secondary residenceat the High House of Light. Itwas fitting, he felt, for the DragnChampion to maintain cise tieswith the Togashi Order: monksthat bore the ame of the Kamiwho founded the Dragn Clanin the first place. Shikeis mother

had becn the first Mirumototo truly bear the mande of theChampionship, although in realityhis family line had executed theduties for centuries. Shikei himselfhad been raised from birth toinherit the position, his upbringinga mixture of Mirumoto practicalityand Togashi eccentricity. From thereputation that Shikei enjoyed,

he thought with a smile, morepeople associated him with theeccentricity than the practicality.

Shikei finished the scroll andsealed it with his personal chop,looking up at the man waiting tospeak to him. Forgive me, myfriend, he smiled again. I amafraid I was lost in thought."

The other man bowed. I awaityour convenience, my lord, andno apology will ever be re quired .The man vvore a high colored

Daiishus expression was one ofsurprise. I do not know, my lord.

I... I do not notice such things.I do rememBera larger numberof fire karni in the Kitsuki andMirumoto provinces as I traveledhere, and the earth spirits werecomplaining about noise anddisruption, but th at could mean alarge number of things.

The Dragn Championchuckled. Fireworks, I imagine.The most popular form ofcelebration for festivals such asthese. He sighed. If you hadgood news for me, then you wouldnot have waited so patiently.

it. I doubt that any in the Empirecould do better.

Be that a s it may, my lord, I willbegin again. I will not res t until Ican answer your questions.

No, Shikei said. In a veryshort period of time, we shallhave a new Emperor. We needto ensure that the Dragn Clanserves him as best we are able,in whatever capacity that he

requires.Daiishu nodd ed. If that is your

will, my lord, then of course.W hat must we do?

Ascensin to absolute powercan be a daunting experiencefor even the most noble andhonorable soul, Shikei observed.Many around our Emperor will

seek to take advantage of thesituation.

The Crane, Daiishu said,sneering slightly. Forgive me, mylord, I know that Doji Makoto is afriend of yours, but his clan is ...

They are as they have everbe en , Shikei finished for him.My concern is for their current

poli tical rivals among the Otomo.Much animosity remains betweenthe two, and it will not serve theEmperor well if they forc him

The priest cast his eyesdownward. Despite his attire,Daiishu seemed almost to shrinkwith the words. For more than


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he provinces of the LionClan were consumed

with celebration, justas the rest of the Empire. Thecelebrations that took place in theLion provinces, however, differedfrom the others as much as theaverage Lion samurai differedfrom a samurai of any other clan.On the vast marshalling fieldssurrounding Crossroads Castle,thousands of Lion samurai stood

in formation, executing drill afterdrill with flawless precisin.

Matsu Tayuko stood on arailing outside one of the finertea houses on the third levelof the village surrounding thecastle. The castle and its outlyingholdings stood upon a steep hill,giving it a strangely terraced lookand allowing for an excellent

view of the training grounds.Tayuko enjoyad the perspectivait granted, for while she was buta jnior officer in the secondMatsu army of the Lion Clan,she dreamed of achieving muchhigher rank eventually. Earliershe had walked the groundsthemselves, ostensibly toinspect the squadrons under her

command, b ut in truth she simplyvvished to witness the scope of theexercise: something this provincehad not witnessed in many years

Tayuko nodded absently to theserving girl who carne and took

away the trav where her tea hadbeen. She glanced over once, thenback to the assembly grounds.A flash of recognition struck her,how'ever, an d she gla nced back toher left once again. A man stoodsome length down on the railing,also watching the exercises withkeen interest. She had seen him

before, an d knew his face weli.

Many among the Lion did. Heranked among the most famous ofthem, although some would calihim infamous instead.

The man noticed her an d smiledwarmly. Good morning.

Good morning, she replied,bowing slightly. You are Akodo

sounded utterly ridiculousto her. Akodo Kano was the

eider brother of the Lion ClanChampion, Akodo Dairuko. Afterthe preceding Champion, Kanoand Dairukos eider brother, died,Kano stood next in line, but hehad declined the position. Itwas an unprecedented act thatimmediately made him a pariahamong many of the staunchlytraditionalist Lion. Since that

time, however, Kano hadascended to a prominent positionas an assistant to the EmeraldChampion and became a heroof the Empire fighting againstthe forces of the Dark Naga. Hisreputation among the Lion wasnotv a confusing issue to many.

Complicated? Kano askedwith a smile. That is an apt term.

I may use it in the future. Heturned back to the formation andnodded in appreciation. It is amagnificent sight, is it not?

Absolutely, she agreedwithout hesitation. Perhaps thegreatest I have ever seen.

I understand that some amongour kinsmen did not support the

new Emperor, but rather hopedhis brother might ascend instead.Kano glanced back a t her. Do youthink that might prove an issue?

.. ...--- r


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he Colonies were astrange and unusual

place, novvhere morethan the bustling port city ofKalanis Landing. Sight of the firstmajor incursin by the samuraiof Rokugan into the gaijin landsformerly known as the IvoryKingdoms, Kalanis Landingremained one of the largestsettlements in the entirety of theColonies, o utstripped only by the

Second City, although Twin ForksCity frequently claimed that itsurpasse d the Landing.

Yoritomo Hiromi was one ofthe few Great Clan Championswho had spent any real amountof time within the Colonies. TheSpider Champion made his homethere, of course, and recentlythe Lion Champion appearedthere for a time as well, but themajority of them ha d nevcr se footupon Colonial soil. Hiromi much

preferred this, if he were beinghonest. To his mind, the Colonieshad always been the dominin ofthe Mantis. His father had overseenthe initial colonization there, andfew clans had even attempted sucha significant presence. That theother clans rarely if ever recognizedMantis supremacy in this wild,untamed land -- a land that only

Kaito, he said quickly, whatis the status of the plans for the

evening?

As per your instructions, mylord," Tsuruchi Kaito explained,we have acquired a largequantity of fireworks from theDaidoji, all through ronin vassalsto avoid the inevitable priceincrease that the Crane wouldlevy against us. Tonight will be the

first of a fortnight of celebrations,all in keeping with the festivalsto celbrate the impendingcoronation.

Hiromi grunted. Do we havea full accounting of the guests in

the city? It would be beneficialto know who is present for ourcelebrations. To ensure that theright guests have the best seats,

I did not, Kaito said. If youwill forgive me, my lord, your

notice seems somewhat erraticallylevied. I merely prepared for both

possibilit ies .

Hiromis eyes narrowed, butthen he chuckled. I cannot denythat, he admitted.

Your personal acknowledgmenttouches me, my lord, Kaito said,his expression never changing. If

I may ask, Hiromi-sama, are younot required or at least expectedto be present at the coronation?The time draws very near andthe journey back to the Empireis quite lengthy, even under idealcircumstances.

Do not presume to question...Hiromi began, and then sighed.My sister... her counsel has

been helpful in this matter. I willsee her again upon my return tothe Empire. And since you asked,I depart in two days time. Evenassuming three days longer thanthe greatest travel time to theEmpire, I should arrive the day

befo re the coronation. All shouldbe well.

Kaito bowed his head. As yousay, my lord. He paused for amoment. I should think, after allthat occurred here in the Colonies


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nter in the Phoenixprovinces was aIengthy, difficult

affair even under the best ofcircumstances, though it alvvaysheld moments of incrediblebeauty as well. Any who claimedotherwise were usually eitherhopelessly antagonistic againstthe season itself, or simply foolishin the extreme. Isawa Hibana, a

priestess of the kami, was neither,

a act that secretly brought hergreat joy. Many who posscssedthe gift of fire such as she did oftenfound themselves antagonized

by the coid months of the year,but she appreciated them forthe impending renewal that they

brought to the land. There couldbe no spring withou t winter, andHibana did so iove the spring.

It was only in the autumn, wheneverything was dying, that she didnot en joy the beau ty of the natura!world.

Today the scene was muchdifferent, which Hibana foundamusing but enjoyable. The townnestied comfortably between thenorthern mountains and the forestto the south. Colorful banners of

all types were hung around thevillage, suspended from everybuilding. The small iake tha t saton the villages western boundary

perhaps she had been too ciseto her previous bodyguards.That certainly wasnt going to bea problem this time. It seemsstrange that the E lemental Masterswouid choose such a minorlocation to spend the festival ofcoronation, she continued. Areminder, perhaps, that we mustalways maintain our perspectiveto avoid repeating the mistakes ofthe past.

Yes, my lady, Yuuchi repeated.

You are a spectacularconversationalist, Hibanacommented. Rarely have Ienjoyed such witty rejoinders.

Yuuchi merely shrugged.

Hibana rolled her eyes. "Surelyth t b thi th t

obtuse just to aggravate her. Thatwas not generally the way of theShiba, however, and she dismissedthe thought. Still, there might bemore to her new companion thanshe originally imagined. It meritedrevisiting later. I believe some ofthe Elemental Masters are alreadyin attendance, she said, changingthe subject. Do you know if theClan Champion will be attendingthe ritual?

It is customary, Yuuchi replied.Lady Tsukimi does not alwaysfollow tradition, however. Thereare some who say that her healthis not been good of late. Therehas been speculation... his voicetrailed off.

That she will pass theChampionship to another soon?

Hibana finished. I have heardsimilar claims. It wouid be ashame. Tsukimi-sama has been atremendous leader. Few have everushered our clan into a period of

peace in the manner she ha s.

Yuuchi looked at her with aninscrutable, intense expression, asif perceiving her for the first time.Tsukimi-sama is a great wornan,

a magnificent officer, and a trueleader, he said, his tone thick withrespect and revercnce. It will bedifficult for anyone to follow in her


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ew clans in the Empireof Rokugan embracedcelebration with the same

fervor and enthusiasm as theScorpion. The rigors of Service tothe so-cal led Clan of Secrets weresignificant, and the peasants,while utterly devoted and loyai totheir samurai masters, embracedevery opportunity for celebrationto relieve the stress of everydaylife.

And, Bayushi Fuyuko reflected,lengthy celebrations a nd festivals

bro ught ab ou t great chaos,particular ly when encouraged torage to excess. What clan betterloved to exploit chaos than theScorpion? When people werehappy and uninhibited, theymade mistakes. No one preyed

upon mistakes Iike the Scorpion.Celebration made the Scorpionstrong. Festvais were practicallya ritual of malice and poweramong them.

Fuyuko chuckled at herself.Such deep thoughts were wastedon contemplation. She shouldsave her insights for court, wherethey too could serve the clan.

No t th at she would ever discusssomething as prvate as internalclan philosophy. Or at least notthe philosophies that the clan

Do you? Fuyuko asked. Theenormity of the change thatyou are undergoing with thisdevelopm ent... it is not somethingthat can be understated.

Yes, I know.

The two walked in silence for amoment. "I do n ot think you do,Fuyuko finally said. You haveiived life as a bushi, a warrior,a protector. You will remain a

warrior, of sorts, and speakingfiguratively, a protector, but of theclan, rather than an individual.And you will be expected toper form. .. certain acts. Thingsthat will be difficult for you atfirst, and perhaps forever, if youhave the unfortunate draw back ofpossessing a vir tuo us soul .

fallen now, and we currentlylack purpose. Lord Nitoshi willfind one for us, I know that, butstill... the uncertainty is difficultto endure.

It can be, but ones Outlooktruly makes that determination.Fuyuko folded her hands intoher sleeves as she walked. Youcould easily say that the wholeof Rokugan is entering into a

period of uncertainty. It h as beenalmost thirty years since a newEmperor sat upon the throne, andwe know little of what to expectsave what we have seen of theheir and his siblings. This couldeasily be a source of anxiety ordisquiet, for who knows whatmanner of Emperor a man willultimately become? Even a man

whose tendencies are well known.Power absolute can be a powerfulcatalyst for change."

Kayo considered it for amoment. As a representative ofthe Imperial Court, do you findthis idea disconcerting?

What? Fuyuko burst outlaughing. Fortunes, no! Are

you jesting? Uncertainty is evenbe tte r than celebration . The otherclans will be moving carefully,cautiously, afraid of making


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teel Soul Dojo wasthe largest holding the

Spider Clan controlledanywhere in the world, andwidely perceived as the seatof their power. Other Clans

bel ieved it prim arily becau sethe Spider wished, and hadsubtly encouraged it as much as

possible wi thout being overt withtheir machinations. As a result,it was the only Spider holding

that included a village, at leastas the term was understood. Likeall settlements of such size, SteelSoul Dojo and its surroundingenvironment normally witnessedsignificant activity. In additionto the many Spider samurai whooften moved through the reginon assignment, there were afew hundred peasants and their

families. The sound of so manysouls living cise together echoedfor miles around the village, aswas expected for such a place.

Today, Steel Soul Dojo was asquiet as a grave. Few moved abou tat all, and those who did, did soquickly and quietly, as if afraidto draw attention to themselves.Those fears were well-founded: a

darkness had come to Steel SoulDojo, and to be so palpable in a

place alread y no ted for its s inisterh t th it ti t b

brow furrowed. He ha d beenuninterrupted for days on end,

and the celebrations that grippedthe Empire had no place in his

presence.

Slowly, a door slid open. Aform appeared in silhouette,drawing a glance from Kanpeki.I gave explicit orders not to beinterrupted, he said. His voicewas thick and deep, gravelly fromdisuse. Not even by you.

Daigotsu Machiko, theChampions wife, lookednonplussed. Have me thrownin detainment if you wish,husband. Have me killed, if thatpleases you. But I will no t sta nd

and watch the lord of the SpiderClan waste away because he

quietly. I would like some food, ifyou do not mind.

Not at all . She brought him apate and set it before him, then satnearby and watched as he pickedat it idly. The new Emperor willsoon be on the throne, she said

plaintively. Promises have beenmade on many fronts. The DivineEmpress, both of her sons, yourfather, and you. What promiseswill be kept, husband, and whatpromises will be broken?

Kanpeki ate in silence forseveral long moments. I will

break no oath to any Emperorwho holds to the oaths made tothe Spider Clan , he said finally.

Your demeanor betrays littlefaith in such a thing, Machikoobserved.

The Divine Empress held to herend of the bargain made with myfather, Kanpeki said. Shibatsumade promises. Seiken did aswell, in his own fashion. They arenot, neither of them, compatiblewith what has gone before. I havelittle confidence that the day forwhich I have so long worked, my

whole clan has so long worked,will arrive in the near future.

Machiko nodded. What willbecome of th e Spider shou ld you


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de Takeru paused in thedoorway. Forgive me, he said

with a bow, am 1interrupting?Moto Naleesh shook her head.

She sat across from her yojimbo,cast in the orange hues of a hanginglantem, a shallow dish suspended

jus t before her smiling lips. Hersilk robes were resplendent in richblues and purples. A ceramic sakebottle stood on the tabie, but so dida kettle of tea. Utaku Eun-Ju caught

his eye and raised her cup as heentered. Takeru smiled and noddedin return. There was no concern;he knew the yojimbo wouid not sipsake while in the presence of hercharge, festival or no.

Do you care to join us, Takeru-san? Naleesh asked, gesturingfor him to sit. Beyond, the shojidoors opened into a great balcony

overlooking the city. Swinginglanterns formed a network oflights that reflected on the watsrycanals. Parades of people dancedin the streets below, the sounds ofdrums and music interrupted onlyby the occasional cheering. Dragndancers wormed through themin fantastic displays of light andcolor. Naleesh gestured to the view.You can see the celebrations very

clearly from here .I wouid accept," Takeru replied,

but Til be recalled to the Khans

watched the festivities outside fora while, the two ladies following

his gaze and sipping their drinks.There is-cne-otfcer thing, he saidat last. A young Doji is here to seeyou. Hes the one who sent the gift,my lady. He has been asking aboutyou for days now, and wondered ifyou had availability...

Naleesh waved this away. Herespectfully stopped. Not tonight,

Naleesh said wearily, Not again.

He understood. The parade ofsuitors was endless. There wasnta single court in the lands wereshe was not hounded by them.Growing bolder. Increasinglyyounger. Anything that she seemedto faney made its way back to the

other Clans and influenced thenext batch Her offhand praise

you require me, only send word toour embassy. He rose to exit.

Takeru-san? Naleesh waslooking at the festival beneaththem. He could not see her face,

but he r dark hair was streaked withthe lanterns glow.

He paused by the door. Yes, mylady?

She asked, If you receivedan order from me, and then a

contradicting order from Min-Heethat overruled mine... which onewouid you obey?

Takerus eyes widened. He wasa practiced courtier. Disarmingsuch questions carne naturally tohim. But from his Champion? Hestruggled to contain the dawninglook of horror on his features. Thesilence between them grew thick.

But Naleesh did not look at him.She kept her steady gaze on thecity. - -

He finally answered, You are myChampion, Naleesh-sama.

She nodded. Of course. Forgiveme, Takeru-san. We have beenfriends for so long. Forget I asked.

He bowed again, but the worry

did not leave his features. His gazelingered for a moment longer. Then,still unsure, he was gone.

Eun-jusetdownhercup Mylady?


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t>awn of the Empire

As the mortal realm is formed by the actions of5un and the Lord Moon, their childrenobject of their fathers burning jealousl

Lord Moon consumes nine of the ten children,bu t Ha ntei frees his sib ling s a t the cost o f send ing

them plummeting to the mortal realm. Ttere,the Kami discover the world of men and women,

and soon Hantei becomes the first Emperor ofRokugan even as his brothers and sisters formthe seven Great Clans to serve him. The Crab,

the Crane, the Dragn, the Ki-Rin, the Lion, thePhoenix, and the Scorpion clans all swear to serve

the Emperor so long as the Empire remains.

Unfortunately, one of the Kami fell apart from hissiblings. Emerging from a festering pit far south ofRokugan, Fu Leng is much changed by exposure to |the Realm of Evil. Monstrously powerful, Fu Leng raises an army of inhuman creatures and wages a i

surprise attack against the Empire that very nearly 1destroys it. Fu L engs a rmy very nearly succeeds,

is only stopped by the Little Prophet, Shinsei,Seven Th unders, exceptional individuis drawn j

all seven clans. The Thunders defeat and bind :power, bu t a t t he cost o f the ir own lives.

Scorpion Clan Ooup

f Fearing a terrible prophecy that calis for the endI- of the Empire to come at the hands of the Hantei 1r Dynasty and succumbing to the seductive whispers

of the Bloodsword, Ambition, the Scorpion| Clan Cha mpio n Bayushi Shoju plots to seizei control of Rokugan from his friend and lord, the| Emp eror Han tei XXXV1I1. Secretly moving troopsi into the Imperial City by the thousands, Shoju| meticulously plans every aspect of his usurpation,

including poisoning the Lion Clan Cham pionj Ak odo T otu ri, the one man th at Shoj u fears can

bri ng his efforts to rui n. W ith less reg ret in his| heart than he had anticipated, Shoju kills theI Emp eror and seizes control of Otosan Uchi.

| All does not go as Shoju had planned. TheI attem pt on the Lion Cham pions life fails,

and the Crab, whom Shoju had hoped wouldjo in him in his effor t t o dep ose the wca k and

ineffectual Hantei XXXVTII, side with the otherCreat Clans to break his stranglehold. In the

[ end, the Great Clans defeat the Scorpion forces| holding the city and Shoju is killed by Toturi in

Ladu el. Han tei XXXIX, who survived the coup, ?disbands the Scorpion C lan for Shojus crimes. .:

T he d a n W a rs

Cripped by a terrible plague, the Empire languishesas the Imperial families are decimated a nd even Ithe Emperor, secretly poisoned by his Scorpion

brid e, is stric ken by t he was tin g disease. Dis gus ted {by the weak ness he sees in the Em pir es r ulers, the

Crab Cham pion is manipulated into an alliance |with the Shadowlands in order to seize the throne,and leads a massive army north bent on conquest.

The ambition of the Crab, combined with thewrathful vengcance of the Scorpion who have '

remained in hiaing since their clan was dissolved,soon throw the Empire into a state of all-out

war, a war that the forces of Fu Leng use to greatadvantage in order to advance their own agenda. I

As the war advances, the Emperor is possessedby the spi rit o f Fu Leng. Alm ost to o late, the

Great Clans unite against this new threat, and thereincarnation o f the Seven Thunders are led by i

the descendant of Shinsei, the Litde Prophet, to S

defeat the Dark Lord once again. The ronin Toturi,former Lion Cham pion and the Lion Thunder, :takes the throne as the new Emperor, Toturi I,

| elevating the M antis to a position as a Creat C lan vfe. for their valor in the battle for the throne. .

Tw enty FESTIVALStm I

Reign of 33lood

TwENixrtynvAU?TAVENTYFESTIVALSt m & 2015 AEG;

The Tomi4 Wmds-lidden Empeiw

Emperor Toturi I disappears suddenly.pr om pt ing chao s in the cou rts as spe cul atio n

runs rampant as to who could be responsible forsuch a thing. Fingers are quickly pointed at theScorpion Clan, who are soon banished from theEmpire for their assumed complicity. What nonesuspect, however, is the hand of an entity older

than mankind itself: the Lying Darkness, a being ofthe primordial nothingness that existed before the

\ mortal realm was created, and which desires onlyto return all that is into absolute oblivion. With its

; ability to consume the identity of others, to absorbfe them i nto itself and crate duplicares to take theirfplace, the Darkness soon pits the Great Clans

one another in a deadly game of war

| When it seems that the Great Clans are onof discovering the truth, the Lying Darkness takessteps to ensure that its destruction of the realms is

, complete. By opening the anc ient gatewayI worlds known as Obliv ions Gate, the Darkness| destroy the ancestral spirits of

and demoralizing the samurai castethem far casier to subvert. In the end, however,Darkness is defeated, and while the mortal realm

sutfers significant damage, it remaim mtaci.

Splendid Emperor, Toturi I, is nexpectattackcd by a forc of oni while visiting the Scorpionlands and is slain, never having formally recognized

which of his children he chose to succeed him. Manyspeculate that Toturi was en route to finally acknowledge^

f Akodo Kaneka, long having claimed to be the Emperor? jillegitmate son, as one of his children. Speculationamong the clans immcdiately begins as to which of J

the Em perors four children is most fit to succeed him,and an entire generation of samurai, having grovvn

complaccnt after a generation of relative peacc, beginsto factionalize to support the one t hat they believe

most worthy to sit upon the Emerald Throne.1The honorable Toturi Tsudao, the bitter Akodo Kaneka,

the cunning Hantei Maseru, and the powerful butunhinged Toturi Sezaru spend two years gathering

power and plott ing against one ano ther, some moreovertly than others, before the fifth contender for thethrone, the last true scion of the Hantei bloodline, the j

Dark Lord of the Shadowlands, Daigotsu, threatensthe wholc of Rokugan. The Four Winds unite against

Daigotsu and kil him, albeit briefly. Toturi Tsudaopensiles in the ba ttle, Hantei N aseru becomes the new ;

mperor o f Rokugan, and both Kaneka and Sezaru jointhe Phoe nix, t he d an of Toturi s wife, Isavva Kaede,

Throughout Rokugans history, there have been few threats more terrifying than that of Iuchiban, *

the Bloodspeaker. Born of royal blood andpossessed o f a sin gular desi re t o s hap e the wo rld 1in a manner of his choosing, the dreaded blood

sorccrer escapes once again and quickly displacesthe Dark Lord of the Shadowlands as head ofthe forces threatening to destroy the Empire.

Manip ulated by the Shadow Dragn, a creature iof pur deccit and malevolence, Iuchiban brings aRain of Blood to the Empire, corrupting h undreds

and turning the clans against their own ranks in aneffort to contain the new evil within themselves. i

Iuchibans influence fu rther exacerbares theimbalance created by the openin g of OblivionsGate, and ultimately culminates in a new spiritrealm, the Realm o f Thwarted Destiny, being

created. The legendary hero Hida Kisada emergedfrom the Gate to end luchibans threat and

restore the proper balance, allowing the Realmof Thwarted Destiny to stabilize without the

| corrup tion of the Bloodspeaker or his twistcdadvisor, the Shadow Dragn, to take hold.


11/11

Hace fo the Throne

Twe nt y Fest ival*TmTw in t v f est i\

j \ g e of Snlightenment

As the Righteous Emperor, Toturi III, reigns overRokugan, a sort o f spiritual malaise afflicts its

people. Aware th at the clan s ar e l osin g the ir way, t heaescendant of Shinsei, a man named Rosoku, returnl

to the Empire prematurely. Rosoku is assassinatedby the Sha dow lan ds, bu t no t bef ore he conc eals

five sacred tomes throughout the Empire. A searchtakes place, with the five samurai who finally findthe books taking on the mantle of the Keepers of

the Elements, tasked with guiding the spiritualdevelopment of the Em pire. Under their direction,the search for enlightenm ent becomes something

j S o f a fad am on g the peo ple o f the Em era ld Em pire .

The Age of Enlightenm ent comes to an end as theEmpe ror an d m any o f his servan ts con vene at theformerly-mythical Tomb of the Seven Thunders,

deep within the Shadowlands. There, the Emperor 'discovers many ancient artifaets that are essential |

to the E mpires survival. H e sacrifices himse lf toallow his servants to bring these artifaets back tothe Empire, with many great servants perishing

alongside him, although their sacrifice obliterates gTegions of oni bent on their destruction.

death ot the Kightcous Emperor at the Battle for the Tomb in the Shadowlands was a terribleblo w to the Em pir e, an d in its a fte rmath, the

Unicom Clan Khan, Moto Chagatai, attempts totake the Throne to give the Empire a strong ruler,a gambit tha t failed, and led to the death o f everymember of the Toturi linc. Recognizing that fatehad ihrust them once again into a position where

the throne of Rokugan was available for the taking,die Great Clans immediately began to seek a

means by which the)' could host the next ImperialDynasty. As they did so, the former minions of theShadowlands conspired to creare a new conspiracy,

masquerading as the nascent Spider Clan.

Even as the clans plotted , however, the CelestialHeavens moved to restore a balance that had been

disturbed for generations. The former mortalsoccupying the position of the Sun and Moonwere cast down, replaced by the Jade Dragn

and Obsidian Dragn, respectively. The Heavensdemanded a return to the traditions of od, andconvened a Celestial Tournam ent to remind the

mortals of their origins. At its conclusin, the|; samurai Kitsuki Iweko was chosen, and ascended

tp the position of the Divine Empress Iweko I.

TWENTTFest i

War, the Empire is a much different place,former Ivory Kingdoms have been heavily settled

by Roku gani interests. N ow kn own as the C olonies,the former kingdoms are adjudicated by an Imperial

Governor, one of the m ost powerful people in theworld other than the Divine Empress herself, and

their boundaries are constantly pushed forwardby th e Emp resss servant s amo ng th e Spider Clan,Tainted warriors no longer weleome in the Empirebut perm itted to serve in the Colo nies. Alongsidethe Mantis and Unicom clans, the Spider form the

bulk o f the E mpresss forces in the Colonies.

i Within the Colonies, the clans encounter the Fudoi a scct of the Brothe rhood o f Shinsei long since

j from the E mpire. A lthoug h they do not rcalize it atthe samurai o f the Colonies quickly bccome embroiled

within a confiict between the Fudoists and the maddragn, Pan Ku, a celestial forc of absolute insanitythat has plagued the Empire on occasion throughout

history. Many fall to th e heretical philosophy, and even| more to the dragons scductive insanity, before

be restored. In the end, the dragn is banished from ,the mortal realm and the cult is driven into hiding,but the dam age do ne in th e process is sub |tat itia

t\ B i'othep's Destiny

ne gult betwn the Empire and the Uolomes; grows ever wider, and when fate conspires to

brin g b oth sons o f the Div ine Empres s lo theColonies, the samurai there quickly fall into twocamps: on e supporting the traditionalist Iweko

Seiken, trained among many different clans, andanother su pporting the more progressive and less

conventional Iweko Shibatsu, rcared by the SpiderClan in the most sacrificial of Iweko Is concessions

to the Da rk Lord to establish peace at the end ofthe Destryer War. Although at odds with one

another philosophically, the brothers do not vvish

to wage war upon one another. Unfortunately,their supporters do not share such reservations.

| Ear from the watchful eyes of the Empire, the sa mu rai|in the Colonies quickly fall to skirmishing and thento all-out war with one anoth er over their dividedloyalties. The Crab and Lion immediately take cothe field for Seiken, while the Spider and Mantis

support Shibatsu, with the other clans divided almost jevenly between them. Several major battlcs are

fought before the Empress emerges from seclusionto declare which of her sons she has chosen to

succecd her, beginning a great period of celebrationd t ro u ^ o u t b ot h th e E m p i r e t b e C o to j |S ^

TWLNTr FISTIVALSTM 4 2015 AEG

'CheDeslroye4Wai*

iThe maevolent intelligence that is Jigoku, the Realm of Evil, loses faith in its champion Fu Leng after

his repeated failures, and withdraws its support.Instead, it chooses the demon goddess Kali-Ma,

an entity that has destroycd the other members o f

her panrheon and brought complete ruination onthe entire nation of the Ivory Kingdoms. With an

|unim agina bly vast army of soulless, ro ndad destryer:I at her command, Kali-Ma marches upon Rokugan,

entering from the south a nd shortly overwhelmingthe Crab defenses to push farther into the Empire.

United by an enemy so dire it threatens the entireEmpire, the Great Clans un ite and face the forces ofthe Destryer goddess in the Scorpion lands, whichare soon churncd into a blood-soakcd wasteland by

the constant warfare. Ma nipulated by the mortalincarnation o f Fu Leng, a small group of young

samurai inadvertently release the last bit of Kali-Masspower, mak ing h er s tron ger bu t also mor tal, and

although she kills Fu Leng, she is destroyed byDaigot su after he takes his own life in an agreem ent ,

with the Empress. The Destryer is killed, the Spider \| Clan is formed, and the Empire for the first time sets j

-!~hts upon new lands: the former Ivory Kingdoms

Documents

20F Rulebook Story