Crab | Crane | Dragon | Lion | Monks | Phoenix | Naga | Scorpion | Shadowlands | Toturi | Unicorn | Yoritomo | ?
Other Clan Letters: 1 - 2 - 3 - 4 - 5 - 6 - 7 - 8 - 9 - 10 - 11 - 12 - 13
My kindred, my clan, I bear news.
I saw them leave today, from the top of the Kaiu Wall.
Our banners, so proud and defiant, charged into the heart of that dark land as if defying the dark lord to rise again from his pit. For the first time since the Day of Thunder, I knew fear.
We were correct-there is something greater out there, something more. Something that calls to the undead and the oni that are our enemies and gathers them once more for assault. But it is not a challenge against our wall this time. It is a battle for the heart of our past. The Shadow's face-I have seen it in the mountains of twilight. I stood with Makashi, the traitor, and thought that O-Ushi had done wrong to cast him out.
But on that day, when he turned faceless eyes upon me, I knew that bearing his shame was nothing compared to what had already been taken from him. They are among us, even now, at the wall. Already, we have been betrayed. The hinges are weakened, the stone has been coated with acid, and what missives we receive from the Empire are scattered at best, lost to the Shadow we cannot see.
The enemy is within us.
Our foe is not outside our stone and metal fences but standing at the side of each samurai that holds the wall, Lion and Crab. Looking at the faces around me, I do not know who among them have already made a dark bargain and sold their names to pay immortality's price. Tsuru... have you turned against us? Will your face run and tear apart, and will the wall fall from the inside? Will the same happen to your daughter?
I look at my those who march into the Shadowlands, and I believe that they are truly the lucky ones.
Kuni Utagu
Master,
I have taken all I can, and now it is time for me to do my duty by my clan.
I know that our people-for they are my people now, when no others are-are masters of
deception and treachery. I know that we have stood for ages against the iron rule of the
Kami and that our battle against the Shadow has been with secrecy and hidden knives. But
we cannot fight the battle that way anymore.
On the beach, I saw the body of the ronin who was to carry the True Tao back to its
masters-the half not stolen by Toshimoko. The man was dead, his face torn and faded like
sand beneath the wave. In our wisdom, we took the Tao from the Emperor before the Shadow
could corrupt it-that much is true-but in our arrogance we have kept it for too long. Now
see what we have done: lost one half forever.
Even we cannot save the Empire from our twisted plots and corrupted plans.
Kill me if you must, Kage, but know that now I give my life for the sake of the Empire,
the Crane, and the purpose of the Ten Masters.
I will see Rekai safely to the temples, and I will give my life, if I must, to keep the
Tao safe from the erasure of the Shadow. If the Kolat save the Empire from one threat-the
Kami-then we must be prepared to save it from all who would tear it down. I will do my
part in this, and then I will return to you.
This much I swear, by the Oni's Eye.
Asahina Dorai
My son,
I look into your eyes, and I see the future.
Your name is Togashi, as was your father's, and the father who came to lead us all. Your
given name shall be Satsu, as a favor to the woman who was more than a riddle-she was the
answer to a thousand questions that have yet to be asked.
But to those outside our clan, you will be nothing more than another ize zumi hidden in
the mountain's core. To them, you are only one Togashi among a hundred, a child named
Yoshune-another chosen of the Togashi, another enigma within the riddle. The Empire is not
ready to see the Dragon in your eyes.
To the clan, you are Satsu. Our son. Our new generation.
What sights will you see within your life? Will you see a glowing Sun above you, and will
you look upon the Moon as a friend? Will I live to stand beside you, father with son, and
show you the Empire as it once was under a dynasty of peace and providence? If it takes
all of my power, all of my strength, and the fire of my life's own soul, I will bring that
Empire to you and remove the chains of the Shadow placed around our mountains. Already
four have died along the road, their faces sliding into ash as the Shadow claimed them.
Three committed seppuku before it was too late, and the fourth begged me to give him rest
and sever his head with a crystal sword. They were Dragon. They died well.
Still, even as I lead these brave souls from the mountains of the Crab and into the
Shadowlands to defeat the enemy and complete Hitomi's quest, I remember the first moment
Eisai placed you in my arms.
For you, I can only believe that our path will lead to victory.
Togashi Hoshi
There are no ancestors; there is only pain.
There is no honor; there is only death.
There will be no future; yet still, we are the Lion.
Do you believe our path ties into these things? You are wrong. We have forgotten Akodo's
way and walked down the road of arrogance and hatred for too long. Remember, kindred, and
rise once more. Remember honor, remember righteousness, but above all remember your family
and your sword-arm. Remember the words of Akodo, who taught us that a blade unstained is a
blade unused.
It is not the way of the samurai to question their path; only to follow it with respect
and dignity and to give their lives with pride when the need is great. That is the heart
of the Lion, and it is a heart of pride and of honor. But do not give yourself to these
things alone.
Already, the Kitsu ready themselves to awaken the spirit-gate to Jigoku. Already, they
prepare to give their lives to redeem the errors of the past. Will you join them? Is your
own life worth the honor of your house, and will you spend your courage to awaken the Sun
and save the Empire?
Is your blade enough when matched with a thousand more, all shouting in the name of the
Lion?
I may not return from this journey into the Shadowlands, but the heart of honor will bear
my name-and the names of those who march with me-forever. Sacrifice will redeem the Lion
and give purpose to Tsuko's vision. Turi stands with me, leading a solemn-eyed group of
samurai. I have granted him the right to claim a new legion within the Lion Clan. He calls
it "Tsuko's Heart."
I am prepared to give my own life for the Empire.
Are you?
If you are, then march with me, and be my kin.
Ikoma Tsanuri
On the steps of the Temple of the Seven Thunders, we have found a fallen
star.
Hitomi came to us, this is true, as she walked the lands of the Empire. But what she did
not tell the Empire is this: she has left with us an inheritor of the future, a gift that
holds the light of the Celestial Heavens. A raise of our hand rebuilt the temple, and the
glow of the celestial star gained form once more, as if it had never been destroyed.
Even now I do not know what the object is. It can be held in an adult's hand, cupped in
the palm like a child's toy. Yet its glow is so bright that no form can be seen, and it is
so light to carry that no edges or weight can be felt.
I asked her what it was, and she only smiled. "Something Onnotangu could not
destroy," she said, "and something the Tenth Kami will need when the time comes
for him to return to his homeland." I asked her no more, and she left in silence.
The Tenth Kami. Norikazu laughs from his high purchase on the mountain's edge, telling us
that he can see Ryoshun's face, that he brings the end of the world and a new beginning
for the Empire.
I can only pray that his time will come soon.
Dangai
Children of the Akasha,
This must be short, and I cannot send it by the Akasha, for even now I feel its bonds
weakening, damaged by the loss of the Pale.
The Pale must be returned.
The woman says she will step into its place, but that is not enough. She has no
conscience, no connection with the People.
She will not be one with the Akasha.
The Bright must rise, and with it, the Akasha must be reborn.
Know this.
Seek the One and help him rise.
Dashmar
Students,
Your faith has served you well, but I am an old man, and I must rest soon. You four, you
precious four, will be the strength of the clan when I am gone. Soon, only you will
remain.
I know that the fifth does not stand among you, but last night I had a dream greater than
all dreams that I have ever seen in my long and weary lifetime. Shinsei himself came to me
and took my hand. He told me that it was time for me to stop searching and to rest.
I knew then that my time was near.
But I do not doubt that your fifth will arise when you need him most, and that he will not
require my training. I have done all that I can. May your hearts be light, and may you
find enlightenment through the wisdom you find in each thing. Your magic can defeat this
Shadow; I know it to be true.
When the fifth arises, join him, and set your spirits free.
You ask me if I have any wishes, anything that can be done to see my soul at peace. I have
two. The first is simple: place my ashes on the west side of the Plain of White Oak. It is
a fitting end for a wanderer such as myself. The second may be all that is left of the
Empire.
I would like to see the Sun rise, once more, before I die.
Naka Kuro
The deepest secrets of all...
In the hearts of each clan, the Shadow has gathered.
It has caused the Crane to make war on each other, taking the places of both Uji and
Kuwanan and splitting the clan in two.
A shadow-beast in the form of a man, calling himself Moshi Hito, began a careful
assassination and infiltration into the Phoenix. Somehow, he has been destroyed. We do not
know how, or by whom.
It has broken the Unicorn, revealing the secrets of the Kolat and causing them to
slaughter the Lion.
It has hidden the passing of messages from Lion to Lion, replacing each messenger's face
with that of the daimyo of the Kitsu when the decision was being made to summon the oni.
The Shadow has slipped into the Mantis, lending their troops the strength they needed to
defeat the Phoenix. Did you think that even with the secrets Aramasu loaned them,
Yoritomo's troops had the might to march across an Empire? The Living Darkness gave them
power, even if they did not know its source.
And behind all of these faces, behind the friends you know and trust, a darkness lies.
Only we know it. Only the Scorpion can search it out.
Now that we have discovered it, we must destroy it.
Your duty is to recover its secrets. Mine, to destroy the keeper of its stolen wisdom.
If you do not hear from me again, know that I will always be with you.
B. K.
I am not dead.
Not dead.
I crawled for three days through the Shadowlands, with Grandfather whispering to me. I
found his soul, his body, and his blade. He cradled me and called my name. Now he calls me
"daughter," and I stand once more.
Ten times the Shadow called, and ten times I gave it one of our own. You didn't know that,
did you, Father? Daiyu, you were a fool, and now you are dead.
I am glad of it.
But it is not you who placed me on my feet when my body cried for death.
It was not the Unicorn, nor the cult I once followed, that gave me strength beyond words.
It was the power of the pit of life, the dark belly of the Shadowlands from where his
voice still calls, and where Grandfather now rests forever, held in peace by the master of
us all.
I stand with you always, kindred. Now I am truly the darkest daughter of Fu Leng.
And soon, the Empire will learn what it means to suffer . . . forevermore.
Iuchi Shahai
Soldiers of the Emperor,
This Shadow that lives and breathes defiles our ranks. Already we have been forced to
execute ten people for treason, and the face of each one slid like dust as the head rolled
to the ground. It is among us, and I fear that it will destroy us.
Already this soul disease has tainted four magistrates, their judgments causing wars and
battles between family and clan and turning samurai against samurai. It has been with us
from the beginning-and its treachery has destroyed us.
The magistrates of the Empire walk into the fields and towns, and they are feared. Hated.
The Shadow has done this, as the Shadow has destroyed the Emperor.
I fear for our lives-but more, I fear that we will not catch them all, and the Shadow will
destroy the Emerald magistrates. It is among us.
Find it. Kill it. Free us before our faces become as blank as slate.
Seppun Nakao
Today I saw the death of my sister-at-arms, Otaku Tetsuko, by her own
hand and her own sword. I stood second at her seppuku, and she did not cry out or dishonor
herself. Even at the end, she was strong.
She came before our Kami dressed in the white of mourning, and she spoke of these Kolat
that have plagued our people. She was unafraid, even beneath the gaze of the immortal
Shinjo, and I was proud. Proud to see her death, and proud to send her soul to Jigoku as a
Unicorn.
Do not be sad for her. Know that she was honored by the Kami's permission to commit
seppuku. It renewed her soul and returned her to our people, destroying the taint of these
infiltrators who have used us for so long.
But before she knelt and drew her sword, she spoke the names of all those who have served
the Kolat and all those who have betrayed the Unicorn. She paid for her honor with the
truth, and because of her words, we can clear the conscience and purge the blood of our
clan. Already we have destroyed three strongholds hidden in our lands; the fourth, a great
mountain above a hidden valley, will fall in time.
Know that she died as a Unicorn.
Know, then, that she died well.
Xieng Chi
Samurai of the Mantis,
The battle goes well. Despite their constant attempts to destroy us, the Phoenix cannot throw us from their shores. Soon we will control their lands, and they will be given the position they deserve: that of a minor house in this noble Empire, deposed for their lack of strength. If they cannot protect their peasants and defend their palaces, they do not deserve a voice in the Emperor's ear. This much our charter tells us.
Even now, a Unicorn named Shinjo Morito carves his own palace from the hills near the shrine of the Ki-Rin,claiming that ancient place as the property of the Unicorn. Let him have it. When we hold Kyuden Isawa, we will not miss the ten li he dares to claim.
Yet we have suffered drawbacks, as well. Even as a band of noble Mantis warriors brought the burned and tattered flag of Kyuden Asako to our lord, a battle was taking place on the Isawa lands. A lone Mantis stepped forward, proud of his heritage, and dared the Isawa to forsake this petty battle. He spoke of the children within the keep, of the innocent that were being threatened by the Phoenix refusal to surrender the palace. They hid behind their weakness and expect us to show the mercy they are too cowardly to give themselves. He was noble, honorable enough to offer his life that they might go free, but the Phoenix spurned him and cursed the name of our lord. It was too much. We all know that these Phoenix will use any magic at their disposal; the bloodied spirits that haunt the walls of their palaces will show you that. They are tainted with maho and lost to Fu Leng. I would swear they are drawing their magic from his bloodied power, for only with his foul strength behind them could they have held us back for this long. He cursed them, holding aloft the flag of the Mantis.
And because there was no other way to defend their honor, they were forced to accept his charge. A single samurai--a Phoenix named Shiba Gensui--strutted from between their gates. He was filled with pomp and fat-bellied arrogance, and his pretty armor with the light of his lies. Even Aramasu agreed: it was proper that this leech die in pain, without the easy death of poison. Our champion stood on the field, his hand on his katana. In single challenge, Phoenix faced Mantis; in single combat, the duel was struck. The fight was long, and the Mantis struggled against the dark magic that surrounded the Phoenix, but in the end he was forced to admit defeat.
Even in glory, the Phoenix could not leave behind the Taint of their dark Master, for only with his evil magic could our champion have been defeated. They must be destroyed, before their evil is allowed to taint the Empire again. They are a blight on the fields of Rokugan, and we must eradicate them. It is not for our own gain, but for the Empire's sake.
Yoritomo Makashi
Thanks to Charles Pierson (http://www.geocities.com/Area51/Dungeon/6999/l5rmain.htm) and all the other clan archivists for posting their letters for all to read.
There is a hole in the world, and the Shadow slips in.
Where there is light, we run from shadow to shadow-but the light is fading, and our power
grows with each forgotten breath.
Already, the library of the Ikoma has been irrevocably destroyed.
The Tao is lost by half, and the rest will fall, in time, to emptiness and faceless
dreams.
Well done, children of Shadow.
One champion already stands in our service. Soon, there will be no more.
Goju the First