Flavor Text: Ambition's Debt

A Chance Meeting - "One Crane. One Dragon. One strike. On a lonely road in the Lion provinces, one man survives."

Akodo Fields - "---"

Armorer - "Ambition is a burden within my heart, a weight that can only rest in blood at the foot of the Jade Throne. If I cannot lay it down, then I will pay its price." - Sanzo

Asahina Dorai - "Though his wound was still covered in blood, Dorai smiled through his pain. "You cannot imagine the things I have seen," he whispered."

Asahina Tsukiyoka - "The icy fang of winter's wind, the snow of cold and bitter days - from such unlikely things, warmth can grow."

Ashigaru Levies - "You fight for the Emperor?" Ginawa snarled. "I fight for the Emperor's food," the peasant replied."

Ashlim - "He mourns for a soul forever lost to the Akasha but remembers the last words of the Shashakar."

Assault on Otosan Uchi - "On the left, the Moto. On the right, the Phoenix, with pikes raised. As the kami lifted her horn to sound the attack, the sky shattered and the Sun fled."

At'tok'tuk Sensei - "Think-think, young one. You wonder-wonder what is your place in the world? No, rather know-know, what is the world's place in you?"

Baby Ki-Rin - "Hitomi removed the golden bridle, and the child danced free. "Bring them back to us," Hitomi commanded, and the immortal colt leapt into the Celestial Heavens, bound to serve one final time."

Bakeneko - "Our past is in the hands of our ancestors. Without them, we have no history and no future." - from The Scrolls of the Kitsu

Barracks - "---"

Bayushi Aramasu - "In betraying your secrets to the Mantis, father, I have torn out your eyes. Next I will tear out your heart..."

Bayushi Urei - "I watched, unbelieving, as it emerged from the ancestral shrine, all sculpted rock and chiseled stone. It moved with the grace of the finest samurai, and the fires of my ancestor burned in its gaze. How could I deny my ancestor's right to stand with us?" - Bayushi Hisa

Be the Mountain - "---"

Bitter Destiny - "For too long you have worked your evil across the land. Your Shadow has spread too far, Onnotangu, and your revenge on your children's children is finished. Now, a mortal shall undo what a god has done." - the spirit of Togashi

Bloodspeaker's Deal - "My dear, who is to say your mother's soul has not already been lost to the Shadow? The gates of Jigoku are tearing and more of the dead are lost with each passing day. Come, Kamoko. Follow me. Your destiny is at hand."

Bokken - "---"

Botsumoku - "The Moon has fallen, the Sun has vanished, and the sky has turned to blood. If ever warriors could claim their destiny, now is the time!"

Calm Winds - "When the ocean is calm and peaceful, look beneath it for the storm." - Mantis proverb

Carpenter Pass - "One of them died to return me to life, little sister. His soul swims in my mind, and I feel the link to a thousand Naga burning through him." - Hida Yakamo

Celestial Gift - "Hitomi's last gift stains his chest: the pale shadow of a crow in flight. He weeps golden tears, but he knows that the Lady will always remember his name: Bujun."

Concede Defeat - "---"

Costly Alliance - "Though Hitomi has left her clan to seek another path, the eyes of her clan still glow with faith. She will return."

Critical Duel - "How long can our clan endure this shame? IF I must stand against you both to cry for peace, then so be it. And may Lady Doji have mercy on our souls." - Kakita Aihara

Dangerous Terrain - "During battle, one should be resolved not to fall into the enemy's ploy. Victory will fall to the one who can judge the instant." - Master Suana

Dark Energy - "In the darkness fallen across the land, the Shadow has spread and prospered. With no Moon and no Sun, we have no fear of the future... and we will bring an end to the past." - Goju Adorai

Darkness Within - "The children of Shosuro walk the night, their faces twisting from man to beast. Who can say what their true form was before the Shadow became their master?"

Dead Eyes - "---"

Death of Onnotangu - "The Moon shall die, but another must rise in its place. Twenty-seven days will pass, and then there shall be a great darkness..." - from The Scrolls of Norikazu

Declaration of War - "I hope the Mantis pay Aramasu well for his secrets, for he has earned his wages with our blood." - Isawa Hochiu

Defensible Position - "The Fortunes are always on the side of the last reserves." - Kitsu Motso

Den of Spies - "---"

Denying the Emperor - "The man who sits upon the throne is not Hantei. He is no better than a usurper, his throne paid for with the deaths of all those who fought Fu Leng." - Moto Amadare

Dirty Politics - "---"

Dragon's Strength - "Our duty to the Dragon is the strength of our soul. Though we choose to follow you, Hoshi-san, it is not because you have come to us as a conqueror. It is because She has asked us to serve." - Hitomi Dajan

Dying Effort - "You, who have sent us to exile, destroyed our homes, and taken our name, dare to speak to me of courage? I tell you this: it requires more courage to suffer than to die." - Bayushi Eiyo

Entrench - "---"

ExileÕs Road - "Three are found, but one is missing... lost somewhere beyond the Empire's borders." - Rodrigo

Family Shrine - "Grandfather." Uji knelt before his ancestor's shrine. "Only you can forgive me for doing your will."

Finding the Harmony - "In the middle of our assault on Otosan Uchi, the Moon turned to ash and the Sun fled the sky in grief. Beneath the Sun, the land grew dark and the sky turned as red as blood." - Shiba Tetsu

Footsteps of Madness - "For a thousand years, the Hantei who did not ascend to the throne stepped aside, renouncing their name to clear the line of the true Emperor. Yet there is one who made no such sacrifice..."

Forethought - "My immortal Master, Shiva, sends me here," Rafiq smiled, his red teeth glistening in the light of the Mantis torches. "And now I believe I know why."

Forgotten Lands - "Jujun thought to hide in the last place we would look for him. A pity he was so predictable." - Bayushi Goshu

Fortune's Turn - "Adoka smiled, raising bloodied hands. "Do you see what we have done?" he laughed from the cliff's edge. "We have destroyed the heavens! Victory is within our grasp!"

Forward, March - "If carrying a blade makes one honorable, what of one who carries a bow?" - Hoyjin

Goju Utsuei - "Toturi stood beneath the Imperial Chrysanthemum in the open gates of Otosan Uchi. "The law proclaims it, my blood demands it, and those who deny me betray their oath to the Empire. I am your Emperor!" With that, the sky turned black and the land trembled under the weight of the future."

Greensnake - "Even the serpents of the forest bow to the Akasha."

Guardian of the Rift - "He stands alone, his divine blood calling for succor as the gateway to Jigoku tears and the spirits die."

Gyosho - "---"

Hate's Heart - "---"

Hida Amoro - "---"

Hida Yakamo - "---"

Hirariko - "---"

Hiruma Sensei - "---"

Honor's Cost - "Some call me a liar - a traitor to our clan. I say this: I have never been afraid to give my life in service to the Unicorn. Why should I be afraid to give my honor?" - Yokatsu

Honor, Bah - "---"

Hoshi Kumonosu - "The sky was dark, and the blood-red stars shone down upon us with an empty gaze. "What happened here?" I asked. "Hope survived," replied a Dragon, as he saw his Lady rise."

Ichiro Kihongo - "None can disgrace us but ourselves."

Ikoma Ryozo - "Once, he sought to deny the Taint upon his soul. Now he embraces his fate, and with it, his fallen house."

Ikoma Sensei - "Wise people learn through the faults of others. Fools learn only through their own."

Ikoma Tsanuri - "Let the fires of battle temper my soul: I am a Lion!"

Ikoma Yosei - "If I will not fight beside my kin, who will fight for me?"

Ikudaiu - "Come, my brothers, it is time to show the Empire what the Tao truly decrees." - Kage

Imperial Highway - "She was gone, bearing a treasure greater than honor or gold, and I must shoulder my blade once more. Our fight, Kage, is not yet finished." - Toshimoko, Endshadows, vol. IV

Imperial Summons - "Toturi summoned us to his side as the armies of the Unicorn approached. "Go to the Scorpion," he said. "Offer their lands and title returned. A small price," he smiled, "for the death of a kami."

In Search of the Future - "The path of the Dragon is not for those who are wear of heart, nor for those who do not understand loyalty. We must be strong of body and mind - quick to lay down our lives for that which is just. The fate of the Empire depends on our actions." - Hoshi, upon his return

Infantry Square - "We have never feared the Unicorn. We never will." - Yasuki Nokatsu

Isawa Kaede - "---"

Isawa Mitori - "In the shadows to come, no one can stand alone. We must stand together, or we will fall."

Issut - "War should be fought on the backs of tyrants and generals, not in the villages of innocent souls."

Judgment of Toshiken - "---"

Kage - "---"

Kage Sensei - "---"

Kakita Aihara - "Peace is not a compromise. It is a necessity."

Kakita Teacher - "One half of the true Tao, Rekai. Only Kage knows where the rest is hidden." - Kakita Toshimoko, Endshadows, Vol. III

Kitsune Diro - "---"

Kolat Bookkeeping - "As you live, so shall you die."

Kukanchi - "...and in the end, darkness will swallow all life in its own pain." - from The Legacy of Jama Suru

Kuro Sensei - "---"

Kuro's Fire - "Four Masters - yet one empty chair stands above the wrath of the sea."

Large Shrine - "Turi raised his sword and saluted Tsuko's statue. "For the clan!" he howled, and the wind replied in kind."

Last Stand Plain - "Hiruma Yoshi's ashes were interred within the walls of the palace he fought to save, a testament to the honor of his family."

Lookout Mountain - "---"

Mantis Marine Troops - "Yoritomo's army, backed by captive Phoenix knowledge, turns its eyes to the south. There, glistening jade calls for a Master strong enough to lead."

Matsu Daoquan - "Tsanuri did not care about our fate - our deaths at the hands of the Unicorn. We, who sacrificed our souls to defend our land, still refuse to lay down our lives for the honor of a coward."

Matsu Mori - "She destroyed my father, and now her clan has sworn to slaughter the Emperor himself. The plague of barbarians from the north has been borne too long. Death to the children of the Ki-rin!"

Moetechi - "...as fire spills its acid blood upon the land, all things shall burn in fury..."

Morikage - "We may have defeated Morikage once... but did we claim victory, or did it merely give us the prize we wished to take?"

Moto Soro - "He vows that one day he will purge his family of the shame they once brought and clear the Shadowlands of the Moto name."

Naga Spies - "Trust is a greater compliment than love a greater wealth than gold. Yet it is broken so easily." - Kitsu Sanako

Night of Three Stars - "Too much destiny can kill you." - Ginawa

Nue - "Spirits of the dead roam the earth, but the ancestors do not answer. It is as if Jigoku neither accepts new spirits nor releases the old." - Agasha Kusabi

Oath of Courage - "I give my oath that I will unite them. I will make them forget the past and see the future. For the salvation of my clan, of my honor, and of my spirit, I swear it will be done. The Lion will not fall." - Matsu Turi, Protector of the Lion

Obake - "Evil beginnings have evil ends." - from The True Tao

Olyah - "The Bright Eye has left us, the Pale Eye is dead, and the Shadow begins to wend its way across the grasslands of our home. Only as one can we prevail. We must be one mind, one soul... one Akasha."

Ono - "I heard his shout of war. Though he has changed, how can we question that he is still our brother?" - Hida O-Ushi

Orschat - "He watches Okura, sensing the battle between her Lion's name and the Dark One's flesh. If she should turn her back to serve her soul, it will be his knife between her shoulders: honor should be rewarded with death."

Otomo Shishi - "Koku is a good servant but a wicked Master."

Overconfidence - "No, Motso. The Kitsu have not brought forth a new evil: they have only released that which was once contained. let the Unicorn learn the burden of the Emperor's Right Hand." - Ikoma Kaoku

Oyuchi - "...water shall seek vengeance for the evil that has twisted its very soul..."

Parade Ground Practice - "How can Tsanuri condemn us? Had it not been for the sacrifice of the Kitsu, the Lion would have been destroyed. Look to your own honor before you speak against ours." - Ikoma Yokei

Plague of Locusts - "I thought at first that it was some great storm cloud, but as it approached, I could hear the churning of a million bloodied wings." - Yotsu Seou

Poisoned - "Let me whisper to them of lies and secrets; such poison, once tasted, can never be healed." - Ninja infiltrator

Poisoned Honor - "Toshiken, tell your Emperor that the last time I saved his life, he exiled me. I'm not here for him. He knows who I'm here for."

Poor Health - "Hiroru clutched his side as they traveled west. Blood seeped from the hasty bandage. Shizue betrayed us, he thought. But why?"

Ratling Archers - "Around the Twilight Mountains, the Sun burned the horizon black as she left the dawning sky. Since then, not a ratling's whisker has been seen outside of Crab lands. Strange, neh?" - Hida Yasamura

Ravine - "A general of merit is one who has met and suffered at least one defeat." - Master Suana

Recovering the True Tao - "Ikudaiu smiled at the ronin's suspicion and, betraying his Master, whispered, "Take these. With them, restore the Empire. Let the Shadow fall upon us no more." But the scrolls were one half lighter than the wisdom they should contain."

River around the Hill - "The She-Dragon fought the Pale Eye from the dark of night to the moment of dawn, when the Bright Eye boiled the heavens to blood." - Olyah, Lore-Keeper

Roshungi - "Why should the future of humankind be in the hands of the kami? We have bled for history; now history will bleed for us."

Ruantek - "Those foolish enough to hunt the Crippled Bone Tribe find themselves to be decorations for the next day's feast... or worse, the feast itself." - Hiruma Zunguri

Savaged Fields - "---"

Scorpion Courtiers - "When soldiers go to war, their first victim is always truth."

Seppun Mashita - "---"

Shadow Beast - "---"

Shakoki Dogu - "Bah. Children's toys and children's tales. There's no such thing as the Ghost of the Twilight Mountains." - the last words of Heichi Tekisetsu

Shiba Kyukyo - "The elements scream in pain, voices raised in a cacophony of lies. It falls to us, my kinsfolk, to heal them, lest their agony become ours."

Shiba Odoshi - "---"

Shinjo Shono - "Yokatsu is his father, but he swears he will undo the stain the Shinjo have brought to their clan. When his time comes, perhaps he will know the true weight of destiny." - Takao

Shipyard - "Honest merchants are always poor merchants."

Shiryo no Kaze - "To question is more than to be answered." - Kaze's koan

Shiryo no Takuan - "Die for duty, die for Bushido, but do not die for words alone."

Shiryo no Yasuki - "Food allows you to live, power is what you live for, and knowledge separates you from the beasts. Yet which of these cannot be bought with koku?"

Shiyokai - "Dreams are ambition's voice, and once silent, they can speak no more."

Shooting-Star Strike - "The Moon's own hand, his blood, his bones - all struggled to bring his death. In the end, it was not her weapons that finished him, but the truth she carried: that mortals alone can change destiny. For good or for ill." - Takao

Shosuro Dojo - "Whispers are stronger than truths."

Shosuro Yudoka - "What do you call your weapons, samurai?" the ronin asked him. "Pincers and tail," the Scorpion replied, then showed him why."

Shugenja Students - "A disobedient student is a burden to the mind and the body, but an honorless son is a burden to the soul. Remember that, Ichiro. Tell it to your brother." - Kakita Toshimoko

SorrowÕs Path - "Too men sought to find the Emperor. What they found was a plot to destroy him. if they cannot save him, then they must bring his death... or the empire itself will fall."

Storm of Arrows - "You say you will climb this hill? Well, let us see how swiftly you can climb back down!" - Isha

Strong Words - "A stonecutter chisels the hardest substance, making beauty of difficulty. So too, do we shape our futures, cutting away the hardness with Bushido's blade. Be the stonecutter, and never the stone."

Suana - "When hope is dimmest and the light is gone - that is the time when heroes can change the world."

Summoning the Moon - "---"

Swifter Arrow - "---"

Tactical Maneuvers - "Yakamo stood in the last sunset, his jade hand streaming with light. "Follow me," he cried, "and we shall conquer the Darkness forever!"

Tangen's Lies - "---"

Temple Guard - "The thunder's time is short: the moment of wind between the moments of stillness. Thus, violence is fleeting, but peace lasts a lifetime."

The Damned - "Once you have been tainted, the most you can hope for is that your death will serve the clan."

The Fallen Lion Fortress - "If the Unicorn want our palace," the Sodan-Senzo Master snarled, "then let them have its curse as well!"

The Gates to Jigoku - "I dreamt that a man stood screaming under a tortured arch, Jigoku itself shaking with his pain. At his heels tore the Darkness, the Shadow, stealing away our very souls..." - Isawa Norikazu

The Ikoma Histories - "The Ikoma fight for memory, yet despite them, letters slide from pages and whispers erase scrolls. Ancestors no longer speak to their children. Our past is being stolen from us word by word." - Kitsu Sei

The Kitsu Tombs - "---"

The Legion of 2000 - "We tell the tales of heroes to remind ourselves that we also can be great." - from The True Tao

The New Akasha - "---"

The Path of Akodo - "The Akodo have fallen. The Matsu have gone astray, and the Kitsu have sacrificed themselves for the Ikoma. of all the Empire's clans, the Lion have suffered most, yet the horrors visited upon them are nothing compared to the courage in their eyes." - Doji Kuwanan

The Prophecies - "Each step forward is also a step back, and to know the future is also to understand the past. Without one, the other cannot be."

The Spawning Ground - "---"

The Sun in Shadow - "We have been abandoned by the Sun and forsaken by the Tao. The kami move among us, and the Shadow grows darker across the Empire. Now is the time to set aside destiny and choose the future." - Isawa Taeruko

Togashi Hoshi - "---"

Togashi Shinseken - "The Agasha have abandoned their duty, and their disgrace shall not be forgotten. if I must remind them one by one of the price of betrayal, then the Dragon mountains will run with Phoenix blood."

Tohaku . - "They were a stain on the Empire's honor, and now they are no more than a stain on my blade."

Toichi - "...in the blood of earth, the rocks themselves scream for revenge..."

Tonbo Toryu - "The weight of the world falls on those who believe they must carry it."

Toturi's Treatise - "An Emperor's voice, an Empire's peace: footprints in the sand."

Touching the Void - "If the battle must be fought, then let us fight it as Cranes - on the battlefield of courtiers and diplomats. Let me speak to them, Kuwanan, and bring an end to this war." - Kakita Kaiten

Troll Raiders - "Two men stood at the gates to Volturnum, seeking to find the Emperor's soul. One man will kill his master..."

Tsuruchi's Legion - "We will not let our Master's loyalty go unanswered. Every archer here owes the Wasp Lord his life and more. Tsuruchi still lives, and we shall find him!" - Torosei, Wasp Apprentice

Twenty-seven Days of Darkness - "Togashi could not name the Shadow. Lord Moon would not. I will!" - Hitomi

Uncertainty - "Kaede's hands lingered, and she noted the blood flecked in the beast's eyes. "My betrothed, what have you become?"

Undead Cavalry - "The skies tear open, and the winds howl for blood. Tonight, my friends, the dead make deals with the Shadow." - Tzurui

Unmaker's Shadow - "To capture the Shadow, you must understand its nature. You must find the secret that even a Thunder would die to possess." - Bayushi Kachiko

Void's Path - "---"

War Weary - "The Kakita cry for peace, and the Asahina refuse to lend their magic to our cause. I can only stare across the battlefield at my kinsfolk, with their blood on my hands. Kuwanan, my champion, we have had enough of war." - Daidoji Tsumerai

Way of the Zokujin - "Hard as stone, their skin and their eyes whirl like gems. These are not the copper-goblins we once enslaved, but something more. Something worse." - Ikoma Yosai

Woodland Reserves - "The Crab came forward to the hills and forests of the Shinomen, ready to fight the Naga or die. What they saw there raised a cheer from many hearts... and a prayer from others." - from Yakamo's Return, scroll I

Yabanjin Horsemen - "---"

Yasuki Nokatsu . - "'Is better to give,' said th' man with th' sharpened grin, and we who follow have no choice. We give our strength, or we give our lives." - Mudgemuck, Mujina

Yasuki Taka - "---"

Yokai no Junzo - "Death is the greatest betrayal of all."

Yokatsu - "One day, we shall stop the wheel of reincarnation forever. And then we shall see the true nature of divinity."

Yori Sensei - "Sacrifice is loyalty."

Yoritomo Chujitsu - "If you are powerful, then your courage must be stronger. If your courage fails you, what use will your strength be then?"

Yoritomo Furikae - "Despite his wound, he fought on until the field of battle shone with his courage. His was not a battle o Great Clans but of great hearts."

Yoritomo Sensei - "Gold and chrysanthemums: a brave man's dreams."

Yoshi - "You can only find truth with logic if you have already found the truth without it." - Kage

Yoshi Sensei - "Honor obeys no course, but follows its own course."

Yosuchi - "When air bleeds, whispers are stilled and each breath is deadly..."

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