The following are posts made by Ryan Dancey on Usenet which recap the L5R story up to Jade Edition. From: RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.misc Subject: Re: [L5R] Storyline questions Date: Tue, 07 Jul 1998 04:41:36 GMT Lines: 206 Message-ID: <35a19e1d.520101743@news.isomedia.com> On 1 Jul 1998 04:29:55 GMT, ulkeshnrnk@aol.com (Ulkeshnrnk) wrote: >Having come into the game with the Jade Edition, I'm having a little trouble >getting up to speed on the Clan Wars. If I could just get some help with a few >questions... Here's a brief timeline of events and the sets they are expressed in: Scorpion Clan Coup Scrolls 1-3: The Scorpion Clan Diamyo, Bayushi Shoju has come to believe that an ancient prophecy long held by his clan (the Prophesies of Uikku) indicate that the 38th Hantei Emperor will be the source of a consuming evil that will destroy Rokugan. He acts on these beliefs by killing his liege, the 38th Hantei, and then attempting to hold the Imperial Capiol of Ototsan Uchi against the massed armies of the other Clans. This defense will be successful if the Crab Clan throw their alliegence behind Shoju. In the end, Hida Kisada, Crab Clan Diamyo does not support Shoju. The Lion Clan Diamyo, Akodo Toturi kills Shoju in the resulting general melee in and around Otosan Uchi. [ The next events occur after the end of the Coup, but before the Imperial Edition begins ] The story branches into several sub-stories at this point, most of which have some final resolution by the release of the 5th expansion, Time of the Void. The Crane Clan lead a pogrom against the Scorpion Clan in retaliation for the Coup, seeking to destroy them utterly. At the palace, the son of the dead Emperor is named the 39th Emperor of Rokugan. The son is a vain and churlish man who was spared from the Coup and the attempts of the Scorpion assassins to kill him by unknown plot developments that may be explored in future sets. He is enraged at the Scorpion, and as a part of an elaborate series of revenge-motivated actions, he declares that he will take Bayushi Kachiko, the most beautiful woman in Rokugan, and wife of the recently deceased Shoju, as his new bride, ending Shoju's line. Akodo Toturi believes this course of action is unwise, and he protests the Emperor's actions. Having been nearly killed earlier by a poison slipped into his sake, thus failing in his duty to protect the 38th Hantei Emperor, combined with the public rebuke of the new Son of Heaven is too much for Hantei the 39th. He orders Toturi stripped of his family name, and he orders all the other Akodo to abandon their names as well, save Akodo Kage, the reversed Master Sensei of the Lion Clan who is above reproach. Further, he refuses Toturi the opportunity to committ seppuku, and instead sends him forth from the Capitol a dishonored ronin - the ultimate disgrace. Somewhere in the Empire, not currently disclosed, Yogo Junzo receives news of the Crane purge and the actions of the new Emperor. He betrays his families thousand-year oath to guard and protect the "black scrolls" - ancient spells used to bind and banish the dark god Fu Leng at the same time the Empire itself was founded. When he opens the scroll he guards, its malevolent powers consume his spirit, and he becomes a puppet in the service of Fu Leng. The opening of the Scroll also unleashes a deadly magical plague that begins to spread through the Empire, killing thousands. The plague reaches Otosan Uchi, and many members of the Imperial Court are stricken, including the new Emperor and all the remaining Hantei heirs - in fact, the Imperial City is decimated by the plague despite the best efforts of the various shugenja and monks who have arrived to treat its victims. In the aftermath of the Coup, the purge of the Scorpion, and the terrible sickness sweeping the Empire, the various Clans begin to turn on one antother, first in minor skirmishes, then in outright warfare. Following a thwarted assassination attempt on the Emperor (thwarted, suprisingly enough by Kachiko herself, who is wounded in the process), word is sent to all the Clans that the Emperor is dying, and that he will name as his successor the Clan noble who best exemplifies the code of bushido and the command of the Tao of Shinsei. Stepping out of the mists of legend and rumor, a strange group of half man, half serpent creatures known as the Naga reappear in Rokugan, though sightings of the creatures are few and far between. Doji Satsume, Crane Clan Champion and Emerald Champion dies during this time, though the nature and reasons for his death remain unrevealed. The Imperial Edition, first printing of the L5R Basic Set: The Clans are actively at war. A series of battles are fought at the strategic crossroads of Beiden Pass. Toturi, the former Lion Clan diamyo has been retained by the forces of the Dragon Clan to lead their army at Beiden Pass, for reasons not understood even by the other Dragon generals. Chief among these generals is Mirumoto Hitomi, young scion of the Mirumoto Family. Hitomi has many strong passions, and her greatest is a festering hatred for the son of the Crab Clan, Hida Yakamo, who killed her beloved older brother years earlier in a duel of honor. At Beiden Pass, Toturi wins several battles, and loses a few as well. Many temporary alliances form around these skirmishes, but in the end no faction is able to hold and control the pass. At the largest of these battles, the youngest son of Hida Kisada, Kida Tskune fails to anticpate Toturi's battlefield tactics and his forces are overwhelmed. In disgrace, he returns to the Crab Lands to the wrath of his father. Shortly thereafter, Tskune vanishes. At or around this time, Hida Yakamo loses a hand in a battle with Hitomi. Kuni Yori, a powerful Crab Clan Shugenja grafts a hideous claw-like appendage to Yakamo to replace his missing hand, using some terrible ritual that neither will discuss. Empowered by this magical device, Yakamo returns to the field of battle, locates Hitomi in the fray, and in turn severs one of her hands - with the sword of her brother, which is subsequently destroyed. At about this same time, Kuni Yori induces Yakamo to lend his name to a fearsome Oni which manifests in the material world and commences an extensive battle of wills with Yakamo for control of Yakamo's name. More than one such Oni is summoned, but one individual creature in particular begins to test the will of Yakamo with regularity. It appears that some secret bargain has been struck by the Crab Clan to utilize the monstrous powers of the Shadowlands in their own bid for the throne. Shadowlands, the first L5R expansion: The Naga send an emmisary, called Dashmar, to the Imperial Assembly to inform the Empire that the Naga have awakened from an ages-long slumber to fight the rising tide of evil they sense in the Shadowlands. As the Ambassadors of the Clans are consumed with the raging civil war, few take any serious heed to Dashmar's words. Rebuffed, he seeks to locate those individuals who will hear the wisdome of the Naga and act accordingly. In the libraries of the Phoenix Clan, the Elemental Masters have detected the opening of the first black scroll, and perhaps more. They dispatch on of their number, Isawa Tadaka to seek out the black scrolls and recover them so that the Phoenix may learn what they truly are. The Scorpion Clan begin to rebuild their forces in secret. They retake many of their ancient castles and fortifications. Kachiko is able to use her behind-the-scenes power in Otosan Uchi to end the Crane purge and to restore the Scorpion some measure of safety. At this time she also begins to secretly poison the Emperor, seeking to torture him greatly before killing him as punishment for killing her husband. Acting with all decorum, Kachiko becomes in some sense the unofficial regent of the Empire, wrapping the bureaucracy around her finger. Forbidden Knowledge, the second L5R expansion: More black scrolls are recovered. Many shugenja are now aware of their existence, and of the awesome powers they can convey. Isawa Tadaka and Isawa Uona have become corrupted by the knowledge gained from the scrolls, but still they labor to understand their significance. Battles large and small are common. Land is taken, retaken, and lost over and over, churning the farmlands of the peseants into huge fields of mud. The harvest is terrible. Famine, combined with the still raging plague, continues to exact a tremendous toll on the Empire. Combat related deaths, deaths from starvation and disease exceed one million Rokugani. The barriers between the material world and jingoku, the nether regions of the underworld begin to weaken. Immensley powerful Elemental Terrors are unleashed - oni of heretofore unknown powers. Hitomi, raving from her injury, is conveyed to the Imperial Capitol by a band of Ize Zume (the tattoed men) who are fleeing one of the many battles at Beiden Pass. In Otosan Uchi, Hitomi is tended by Kachiko, who seeks to twist the hatred in her heart for Yakamo into an all out desire to destroy the Crab Clan itself. In return for her support, Kachiko provides a powerful artifact, the Obsidan Hand for Hitomi's use. A Test is held to chose a new Emerald Champion. Many samurai from across the Empire have arrived for the Test. Among them are Doji Hoturi and Kakita Toshimoko, the young Diamyo of the Crane and his sensei, the Iaijutsu Master. Kachiko manages to entrap Hoturi and use another ancient artifact, the Egg of Pan'ku to create a duplicate of him, the False Hoturi, who leaves the Capitol city and returns to the lands of the Crane, where his boorish behavior and increasingly insulting remarks soon so enrage the Lion that they march openly on the Crane lands. Shattered by his Lord's behavior, and convinced that there is something greviously amiss, Toshimoko enters himself in the Test of the Emerald Champion at the last minute, and defeats all challengers, including Hitomi. She survives, but leaves the Capitol to return to the Dragon lands to confront Togashi Yokuni, the Dragon Clan Diamyo. Donning the Emerald Armor, Toshimoko lets Kachiko know that he will not stand for her meddling in his affairs. However, as the representative of the Emperor's justice, his first actions must be to return home and kill Hoturi. With heavy heart, he sets out to fulfil his destiny. [ I'll write more tomorrow - fingers tired from all the typing, brain tired from the ORIGINS travel...please indulge me! ] Ryan S. Dancey Brand Manager, Five Rings Publishing Group Wizards of the Coast From: RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.misc Subject: Re: [L5R] Storyline questions Date: Wed, 08 Jul 1998 18:57:06 GMT Lines: 150 Message-ID: <35a3baa4.658496981@news.isomedia.com> On Tue, 07 Jul 1998 04:41:36 GMT, RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) wrote: Anvil of Despair, the third L5R expansion: The forces of the Shadowlands rise to unheard of powers when Yogo Juzo, the corrupt minion of Fu Leng appears in the Empire leading a vast army of goblins, oni, ogres, trolls, and other foul creatures. A portion of this force detaches itself from the main body of the shadowlands horde and links up with the False Hoturi. Doji Hoturi is rescued from Kachiko's clutches by an unknown servant, and transported away from Otosan Uchi. Lucid, but greatly weakened, Hoturi is able to get word to Toshimoko of what has occurred. During this time, the False Hoturi's forces have been systematically destroying the main Crane Clan fortifications. The Cranes are forced back and back - never able to achieve victory, but never being completely defeated. Toturi finds himself surrounded by the remains of the Dragon forces detailed to his command by Yokuni, along with many ronin who entered his service during the battles at Beiden Pass. After months of combat, this army has become a battle-hardened force of superior strength and arms, used to living off the land and the gifts of the peasants. Incredibly, the man once reviled throughout the Empire as the ultimate disgrace has restored his honor in the eyes of many, and now leads one of the most powerful military forces in the Empire. Instead of turning his attentions to the petty civil war the rest of the Clans are fighting, Toturi, listening to the Naga who have come to advise him, sets his sights clearly on the main body of the Shadowlands Horde. Mirumomoto Hitomi reaches Togashi Yokuni and engages in an extensive, secret dialog with him. When she is finished, she returns home to the Mirumoto Lands to raise and equip a new army of Dragon Bushi, and Yokuni vanishes from the Dragon Clan lands. He travels south by means uknown, and holds a secret rendevous with Kachiko. Kachiko knows a terrible, terrible secret - the Emperor has become possessed by a foul spirit, and the power and evil of that spirit can be only one person. The Emperor of Rokugan, Son of Heaven, is the Dark God, Fu Leng. Yokuni tells Kachiko that the return of Fu Leng was long prophecied. The wards kept strong by the Black Scrolls have now been so weakened that Fu Leng is able to physically control a mortal body. Out of revenge for his original defeat, Fu Leng chose the Emperor himself. However, Fu Leng could not have known that the Emperor's illness was not caused by disease, but by the poisons Kachiko continues to administer. Unable to take a new host, the Emperor is trapped in a body unable to stand, unable to walk, unable to do anything other than scream in anger. But the power of Fu Leng continues to grow, as each Black Scroll is opened and read. Soon, he will be able to overcome the infirmiries of his host body and then the Empire will know an enterinity of darkness - the revenge of Fu Leng. Yokuni instructs Kachiko on the things that must now be done. A great cycle is ending, and the future is in the balance. She must return to the palace, despite her fear, and continue to poison the Emperor's body - keeping Fu Leng as weak as possible for as long as possible. She must also hide the knowledge of his return from the rest of the Empire as best she can - such information would surely tear the Empire's fragile civilization asunder. Yokuni reveals that the lineal descendant of Shinsei himself walks the Empire as they speak. Shinsei's descendant is aware of his place in the cosmic drama as well - the Seven Thunders of legend have been reborn in this time and place to face their ancient foe, and Shinsei's descendant will locate them, instruct them, and gather them together for the final confrontation. While Kachiko is away from the palace, the guards at Otosan Uchi detect a massive fleet of ships sailing northward up the coast. Incredibly, the Crab Clan have constructed troop ships in secret and have used them to move their army, unseen, north to attack the capitol directly. The Lion Clan armies who guard Otosan Uchi deploy across the plains surrounding the city. They are lead by the hot-headed but tactical genius Matsu Tsuko. Tsuko assembles her command staff on a hill overlooking the Plains of Otosan Uchi and prepares to direct the battle. To her left are the massed armies of the Lion, and to her right, the dark and ominous presence of the Crab army, reinforced with oni summoned from Jingoku. Before the battle begins, a messanger appears from the Capitol. As Tsuko reads the message, the blood drains from her face, and she drops to her knees, fists clenched. The message is simple - Tsuko is to allow the battle to be fought without her direction. She has no idea why such an order would be issued. There is no rational reason for the defense of the Capitol to be so compromised. But the chop on the order is the one mark she cannot ignore - the one sigil that commands obedience. It is the signature of the Emperor himself. The armies clash in a day of ferocious battles. The Crab forces ultimately win through, for despite the ferocity of the Lion bushi, without direction they are unable to maintain an effective strategy across the entire battlefield. As the Lion forces finally break and run, the triumphant Crab army, lead by Hida Kisada himself stride to the great oaken doors of the palace and hew them from their mounts. Kisada, Yakamo, and a small detachment of bushi enter the palace to confront the Emperor. They fight their way past the remaining Imperial Guards, finally locating the Emperor's inner chambers. What happened within remains uncertain to this day. What is known for sure is that Yakamo emerged, carrying the body of Kisada. Both men were splattered with blood, and Kisada had suffered a grevious injury. The sourch of that wound, the Ancestral Sword of the Hantei still lay lodged in his gut as Yakamo dragged his father from the Imperial palace. The Crab army retreated as well, and as dawn broke over the plains of Otosan Uchi, none remained to witness the new day fall on the blood stained fields. [ The following is a quick summary of "off screen" events that occur on or about this time ] The chaos in the Empire leads to a rise in banditry and criminal acts. The Unicorn Clan assumes a large role in trying to stop this tide of crime, seeking out the various bandit groups and evil shugenja and putting them down. The peasants gain a newfound respect for the Unicorn as the guardains of what little peace and security they retain. Yogo Junzo receives new commands from his master. He is to begin destroying the monastaries of the Shintao - the Brotherhood of Shinsei. His mission is to find the descendant of Shinsei and kill him before he can reunite the Seven Thunders. Most of the Clans split into two factions - one that realizes the horror growing like a cancer at the center of the Empire, and the other that seeks to gain adavantage in the civil war and the contest for the Emerald Throne. Many of the minor clans of the Empire are enticed to enter an alliance lead by the Mantis Clan, the most powerful of the minor clans. A man named Yoritomo leads the Mantis, who are mercenary bushi located mainly on the islands laying just off the eastern coast of Rokugan. The alliance consists of bushi and shugenja from across the Empire, united by a common cause: Stop the bloodshead, force the Great Clans to honor their ancient obligations and oaths, and ensure that the Empire is saved from those who would destroy it. Ryan S. Dancey Brand Manager, Five Rings Publishing Group Wizards of the Coast From: RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.misc Subject: Re: [L5R] Storyline questions Date: Sun, 12 Jul 1998 07:11:08 GMT Lines: 142 Message-ID: <35a85a7c.97703909@news.isomedia.com> On Wed, 08 Jul 1998 18:57:06 GMT, RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) wrote: Crimson & Jade, the fourth L5R expansion: As the fourth expansion begins, the eyes of the Empire turn to the lands of the Crane. Beset by the Shadowlands Horde, the Crane bushi have given much ground, but have in turn learned much of their foe. Crane samuari from across the Empire have returned to aid their kinsmen, and the coffers of the clan have been emptied to recruit, arm and equip a mercenary force lead by the man named Yoritomo, the Son of Storms. Where Yoritomo once boasted that he could field nearly 100 men, the legions that now bear the mon of the Mantis stretch farther than the eye can see. The False Hoturi, leading the Horde through the final pass before the Valley of the Ashahina believes that this will be the final conflict - the Crane will die here, in a region of the Empire that has never seen conflict in the 1,000 years since the Founding. As the Horde crosses the final rise, The False Hoturi is stunned to see not the demoralized and broken remnants of the Crane army he has been pursuing for months, but instead a razor-sharp line of infantry prepared to charge across the prepared ground and engage his forces! The battle that day was epic. Many heroes died on that field, and many legends were born. Of them all, the story that will resonate the longest is of Doji Hoturi, weakened but determined to end this foe who sullied the name of the house of Doji. The real Hoturi reached the False in the middle of the melee, and issued the ancient challenge. Two blades flashed, but only one struck true. And in moments, the threat to the Crane was dead, cleaved entirely in two by Hoturi's lightning fast stroke. A roar arose from those nearby, and the mercenary army, the Crane stalwarts, and young Hoturi himself smashed into the wall of the Horde with renewed vigor. No matter what the storytellers say - know this. Even the most cold-hearted, infernal oni summoned from the deepest pit of jingoku can know mortal fear. Far across the Empire a less glorious, and more tragic tale is unfolding... Matsu Tsuko reels from her defeat at the gates ot Otosan Uchi. Hida Kisada may have died in the attempt (or so the rumors say), but she failed utterly to protect the Capitol and her Emperor. As the days grow longer and winter grows close, Tsuko is left to her own bitter memories of the day she was forced to stand and watch as the armies of the Lion died. Far to the south, Hida Yakamo tends to his injured father. Word has gone forth from the lands of the Crab that Kisada is no more - but his incredible strength of will, combined with the Armor of the Shadow Warrior that protects him is keeping Kisada alive when any lesser man would have perished. Yakamo looks around him at the grim faces of the Crab warriors, and sees little that raises his spirits. Where once there was a fierce pride in the duty to defend the Empire against the Shadowlands, now Yakamo sees only the image of broken faith and shattered illusions on the faces of his bushi. Kisada will never lead the armies of the Crab again, and may not survive the winter. Yakamo listens to the elders of his family and he thinks long and hard on the price of victory. Then he makes a fateful choice. Tsuko too makes a fateful choice. She is drawn to the camp of Toturi like a moth to the flame. Something within her cries out for solace, and she unconciously knows that only Toturi can put her aching soul to rest. There is only one person fit to lead the honorable warriors of the Lion. In this time of turmoil and confusion, only one person has shown a clarity of purpose and unswerving duty towards the Empire. That person is the dishonored son of her own Clan, the man the Lion call "Toturi the Black". Today, no Lion samurai would follow Toturi, regardless of the need. Tomorrow, those who do not may indeed cause the end of the Empire and the enslavement of mankind. Tsuko sneaks into Toturi's camp late at night, deftly avoiding the sentries. She makes her way to his command tent, and surpises Toturi's guards. They make motion to detain her, but Toturi himself steps from the shadows of his tent, sees Tsuko standing in the frigid night air, and wordlessly beckons her to join him within. Tsuko explains herself quickly - if the Lion are to survive, they must break their ancient oath to defend the Emperor, and instead, embrace the true nature of that promise, to defend the Empire itself. Toturi is unmoved. Beyond the walls of his tent sleep hundreds of bushi, ronin and clan-aligned warriors from across the Empire. These men and women, he tells Tsuko, have chosen to follow the banner of the Wolf not due to some need to placate their ancestors or to prove themselves worthy of lands and titles, but because doing so may yet save the Empire from itself. The Lion, like every other clan, will be welcomed to the growing ranks of the army, should they choose to join. But Tsuko knows that the Lion will not, cannot join Toturi's army. While she lives, they must follow her, and the promises that bind the Clan together. While she lives... A flash of steel, a moment of intense pain, then Toturi's blade sweeps through the crisp night air, and Tsuko is no more. In the morning, Toturi will read her death poem, and weep. In the days ahead, the Lion will learn the true meaning of sacrifice and virtue. A second cut is made that night as well. Howling with the incredible, burning pain, Yakamo saws the tainted claw from his own wrist, searing the putrefied stump in the embers of the fire keeping Kisada's chambers warm. The pain is too great for even Yakamo to bear in silence, and his screams echo through the dank chambers of Hida palace. Yakamo drags himself from Kisada's chambers, and painfully staggers into the inner sanctum of the Crab Clan. There, among a hundred other rare and fabulous items, is an articulated hand made entirely from the finest Jade. As his vision narrows and his breath grows short, Yakamo places the hand on his wrist, and wraps the joint with a silken cord enscribed with the wards and protections against evil taught to every Crab bushi in childhood. Yakamo's last sight is of a strange, hooded figure leaning over him, pressing cool herbs into his torured flesh, and whispering a soothing ritual. Yakamo's last thought is a startling one - "my fingers....itch...." then he finally gives way to the darkness. As the fourth expansion ends, the stage is set for the Day of Thunder and the Time of the Void. The Elemental Masters of the Phoenix are all corrupted (save Isawa Kaede, who has vanished). Tsuko's sacrifice shows some of the Lion where their true path lies - but many remain bound by oaths they do not understand, but will fulfil nontheless. Deep in the heart of Otosan Uchi the festering hatred of Fu Leng grows stronger with each passing heartbeat. His minon, Junzo, is burning the temples of the Shintao, and the Libraries of the Phoenix, seeking the descendant of Shinsei. Alone in his mountain fastness, Togashi Yokuni alone knows that the great cycle is nearly complete, and the events he has waited a thousand years to witness are about to unfold. For on the fields far below him seven Thunders walk the Empire, and Shinsei's descendant has arrived to speak the tao and explain what must be done to end the menance of Fu Leng once and for all. Yokuni may save an Empire, but if he does, he will kill his own brother... Ryan S. Dancey Brand Manager, Five Rings Publishing Group Wizards of the Coast From: RyanD@frpg.com (Ryan S. Dancey) Newsgroups: rec.games.trading-cards.misc Subject: Re: [L5R] Storyline questions Date: Tue, 14 Jul 1998 03:48:27 GMT Lines: 147 Message-ID: <35aacebd.258560821@news.isomedia.com> [ Just a quick interjection here - in my previous post, I described the struggle Yakamo went through to attach the Jade Hand. As with many things in Rokugan, there are many stories that may fit the observed facts. My notes from the time indicate that something close to what I wrote occured. However, I believe that either John Wick or Ree Soesbee wrote fiction at a later date with a different story. As in all things story related, you should assume that Wick or Soesbee's accounts are more "cannon" than mine.] A breif interlude, then we get to the heart of the matter - Time of the Void. During the time expressed in the "middle third" of the expansions, roughly from Forbidden Knowledge to the end of Crimson & Jade, there were several smaller stories that were expressed in the cards and in various other sources which have some bearing on the larger story. At some point along this time-line, the Black Scroll "Return of the Fallen Lord" was recovered (supposedly by a Lion shugenja...) Shoshi Bantaro, a poweful Scorpion shugenja used that spell to return Bayushi Shoju, the Scorpion Clan diamyo to a hideous state of un-life. Shoju's undead form was twisted by hatred and evil and had little connection to his previous life. Kachiko was saved from his clutches by her personal servant Akiyoshi, who was probably the same person who snuck Doji Hoturi out of Otosan Uchi, and may have some relation to Toturi's geisha that has yet to be described. Akodo Kage, the only remaining "Akodo" in the Empire was discovered to have ties to the mysterious Kolat, a group of assassins and sabateurs who are almost completely unknown in the Empire. Rumors that he was a "Kolat Master" persist, but nothing was ever proved, and eye-witness accounts describe his death and immolation following the end of the Clan War. The Elemental Masters of the Isawa became increasingly corrupted by their researches. Isawa Tadaka, always the strongest of their number summoned a powerful oni from jingoku and gave it a portion of his own name to bind it to the material world. By torturing this oni, the Phoenix were able to learn much of the dark god Fu Leng and his minions. However, the price they paid was terrible indeed. By the beginning of Time of the Void, all the Masters (save Kaede) were either slightly or completely insane. The worst among them, Isawa Tsuke engaged in a murderous rampage against his own kinsmen, striking down any Phoenix shugenja who crossed his path. The Hooded Ronin, a personality who had appeared earlier in the war (in the Shadowlands expansion) was revealed as the descendant of Shinsei. Shinsei's unbroken line had preserved secrets of the battle against Fu Leng and of the thousand-year cycle that was ending. Combined with the wisdom of Togashi Yokuni, the Hooded Ronin was able to locate and bring together all seven reincarnated Thunders. As ToV opens, the armies of the Clans have gathered together at last to fight Fu Leng and the Shadowlands horde. Many of their number have chosen to side with their oaths and alliegences, and defend the Imperial Palace against Toturi's army and the Thunders. As the winter gave way to spring, the Empire prepared itself for one last convulsive battle. Hanging in the balace - the entire fate of the world... The Time of the Void, Fifth L5R Expansion, and 1997 ORIGINS Award Winning Best Trading Card Game Expansion of the Year! (Thanks everyone!) [ToV was a big set. I mean, really big. It had 225 cards in six rarities, plus two cards found only in the starter decks. In that mix of cards were 12 cards - one for each faction, with artwork for the Stronghold that was new, and special "storyline text" on the backs that told of the battles in and around Otosan Uchi on the Day of Thunder itself. Many of those cards were "signed" by the Design Team and certain individuals who had provided help above and beyond the call during the evolution of the game. In addition, InQuest made a "chromium edition" of the Lion Clan stronghold to commemorate the victor of the Day of Thunder, which is officially considered a part of the "Time of the Void" set, though we didn't actually produce them.] I won't go into the minutea of the Day of Thunder itself, because that story is told well and better on the backs of the stronghold cards. The text from those cards can be found in several places on the web, and it appeared in an Imperial Herald as well. Here is what happened in thumbnail: 1. Initial Skirmishes The Naga fought and destroyed a sizable portion of the shadowlands horde on the outskirts of the capital using ranged attacks, their own pearl magic, and tactical guidance provided by Mirumoto Daini. 2. The Elemental Masters fought between themselves in a brutal series of magical battles that removed many of the Phoenix shugenja from the assault on the capitol and killed most of them. In the end Isawa Tsuke was destroyed by Shiba Ujimitsu, the Phoenix diamyo, who died in the conflict. Of the Elemental Masters, only Tadaka lived - (and Kaede, who was and remains missing). 3. The Lion Schism was healed by Toturi, who rode into the battle at the head of an awesome army of ronin and clan samurai. Calling on the Lion to heed the cry "For Rokugan!" he stopped the intra-clan battle and managed to avert the total destruction of his former clan at their own hands. 4. Yoritomo gained recognition as a Major Clan Diamyo from Toturi and the other seven thunders just before they entered Otosan Uchi to face Fu Leng. 5. The Unicorn Battlemaidens rode down Yogo Junzo's horde, killing the undead creatures he commanded, and Otaku Kamoko killed Junzo herself by trampling him with her mighty steed. 6. The Seven Thunders, Togashi Yokuni, and the Hooded Ronin proceeded into the palace to hunt down Fu Leng and destroy him. 6.a.: In the throne room, Togashi Yokuni revealed that he was in fact Togashi, one of the Kami who founded the Empire, and brother to Fu Leng. Fu Leng mortally wounded Togashi, but before he died, Mirumoto Hitomi (Dragon Thunder) used the Obsidian Hand to rip open his chest and pull forth the 12th black scroll, which had been hidden within Togashi for a thousand years. In the process, Hitomi consumed much of Togashi's spirtual essence and gained some of his powers. 6.b. Fu Leng laughed to see the 12th Black Scroll, believing that it's appearance gave him the victory. When Hitomi opened it, instead of gaining his true and total powers, the Hooded Ronin took great delight in informing Fu Leng that his long imprisonment was now complete, and that the 12th Scroll had given him total control of the possessed body he inhabited - and had made him mortal. 6.c. There was a great battle, many desperate moments, and in the end, Toturi and Hoturi killed Fu Leng with a double strike of their ancestral swords, carrying the day for the forces of light and the Seven Thunders. 7. A whole lot of people died. The known dead include Hoturi, Isawas Tadaka, Tsuke, Tomo, and Uona, Togashi, Yogo Junzo (completly dead), Alhundro Cornejo (unaligned anachronism), most of the Phoenix Shugenja, and thousands of other ronin and clan samurai of greater or lesser repute. In the end, Toturi was named Emperor, the whole Empire began the slow process of rebuilding, and the stage was set for the Jade Edition and the Hidden Emperor story arc, which began at the end of June. Ryan S. Dancey Brand Manager, Five Rings Publishing Group Wizards of the Coast