Flavor Text: Dark Journey Home

A Dark Moment - "Poor father. He thought that our shared family ties would keep him safe. He did not know that I am the Lady of Blood now and all flesh is alike to me." - Iuchi Shahai

A Glimpse Beyond - "When they speak, be silent, for their words sing of spheres we cannot know. Reach and find that darkness in all of us. All the world is dark, and the spirits of the dead are coming to life..." - Isawa Norikazu

A Kolat Revealed - "His blade sang through Osugi's body, and all sound ceased. In that instant, Toturi spoke a word that had never been heard before in all the courts of Rokugan: 'Kolat'."

Agasha Gennai - "Tamori did not understand, so he chose to stay. But the rest of us, the Agasha, we have left Hitomi. Whatever her 'new beginning' is, we will not be a part of it."

Agasha Kusabi - "You are wrong, my Lady. We have not come to join you, but to leave her..."

Aka Mizu-umi - "The bloodstained waters of this darkened lake still flow into Ryoko Owari, carrying the shadow of the sun."

Ambition - "---"

Arrow of the Four Winds - "Three hundred battle maidens dead on Lion fields. Kamoko, my daimyo, why have you left us, and when will you return?" - Otaku Tetsuko

Arrowroot Tattoo - "---"

Asahina Dorai - "Standing above the burning ruin, Kage beside him, Dorai clutched his master's sword with a weary hand. 'You have done well, Crane,' Kage whispered, 'and my secrets shall be yours.'"

Ashigaru Archers - "Seated upon the Jade Throne, Toturi called forth the Unicorn ambassador, 'You have served well in my absence,' he said, 'so serve me again. Destroy the Lion who foul our land with black magics. Let all know: the Unicorn are my right hand now." - The High Histories of the Lion

Ashigaru Spearman - "The son of Togashi stood at the gate of the Mirumoto Palace, the courtyard dark and bleak as a hundred bodies bled on the ground. 'Why?' asked the Qamar, horrified. 'Because they believe in her,' Hoshi whispered."

Assassins - "Hidden since the beginning of time, the shadows have seen their plans unfold for a thousand years. Now it is time to pull back the curtain of night."

Balash - "---"

Battlements - "Tsukune stood firm and strong. 'They will not pass this wall.' she whispered."

Bayushi Areru - "Once only a kidnapper for the Scorpion, Areru now has found a new master and a new Way."

Bells of the Dead - "She lifted the copper bell and tied it with white ribbon. 'You were my enemy,' Kamoko said, 'but you have given me the knowledge I must have to find peace. Rest well, honorable soul."

Black Finger River - "---"

Blessings of Isawa - "Never doubt this: we are not the servants of destiny, but the makers of the future." - attributed to the Isawa

Blood Arrows of Yajinden - "They were relics of an ancient sorcerer, a power growing ready to awaken..."

Bonsai Garden - "---"

Centipede Tattoo - "---"

Chochu - "The children of Ninube know much of stealth, but more of hatred."

Clay Horse - "A bit fragile, my dear Taeruko, but I think the Phoenix will find them quite useful." - Naka Kuro

Contemplation - "Shinsei said, 'Who binds you?' The Emperor said, 'No one binds me - I am the Emperor...' 'A contradiction in itself.' said the monk with a smile."

Contested Holding - "---"

Crane Tattoo - "---"

Creating the Monkey Clan - "It is time to make new the old and to destroy those who have been unfaithful. Take your men, and rise against the Naga, for they are no longer our allies..." - The Return of Toturi the First

Crystal Nagamaki - "Deep beneath the palace of the Mirumoto, there is a chamber of solid crystal. It has remained locked for a thousand years, awaiting the Champion and the Key..."

Daidoji Rekai - "'Master, I must know. If you will not tell me, I will take the answer for my own.' Toshimoko smiled, 'Of course. You are a Crane, after all.'"

Dangai - "Do not try to be something but to be someone."

Deeds, Not Words - "---"

Disgraced - "---"

Disobedience - "---"

Dragon's Tail Star - "Old tales whisper that Hantei was not the last child of the Sun and Moon-but after all, it is only a legend..." --Doji Shizue

Dragon Tattoo - "---"

Dragonfly Tattoo - "---"

Emergence of the Tortoise - "---"

Eternal Halls of the Shiba - "---"

Falling Star Strike - "---"

Final Haiku - "Bright the full moon shines. On the pale face of honor. Shadows of the pines." - The Death Poem of Matsu Agetoki

Firebird Falls - "---"

Full Moon Tattoo - "---"

Glimpse of Kage - "Listen to me, Kuwanan-- I saw him! I tell you, it was the sensei! Akodo Kage is not dead!" - Doji Shizue

Goju Adorai - "Fools fear what danger hides in the night, but I tell you this: It is not the servants of darkness you should fear, but the Shadow itself..."

Golden Sun Plain - "Few places in the Empire still shine with the light of hope."

Heavy Ground - "Soldiers should not provoke their enemy. If you arouse a bee, it will come at you with all the force of a Dragon." - Master Suana

Held Terrain - "Never count an enemy's land as your own. It is only yours if you can hold it." - Master Suana

Heroic Opportunities - "---"

Hida Rohiteki - "Only twelve years old, she's already surpassed her teachers and completed her gempukku. Now she hunts goblins to avenge her fallen twin. By the Fortunes, now that's a Crab!" - Hida Unari

Hidden Blade - "We live on the border of this life and the next. Nameless, faceless, we belong to the night. Who knows the path to Jigoku better than we do? Come, samurai, let me show it to you."

Hiruma Osuno - "---"

Hitomi Dajan - "The Celestial Heavens speak to him, and the lost Dragons are in his eyes. How can we be right to destroy the Dragon if he stands at their side?" - Hoshi Maseru

Hitomi Iyojin - "You say I am a traitor, but you do not know my duty. It is not to the Empire or the Crab I once served, but only to the Lady and the defense of all life. Question me again, and pay the price."

Hitomi Juppun - "---"

Hitomi Nakuso - "Once a Kitsu, Okura with black deeds has driven Nakuso far from his homelands. Now Hitomi has given him a home, a guide, and the means to fight back against the Dark Lion...but at what cost?"

Hoshi Maseru - "He crept into Kyuden Hitomi against his lord's wishes, but what he found there may have saved them all..."

Hunted - "Wanted, Agetoki struggled to elude Kamoko's grasp, but in the end, she was the hunter and he the prey."

Ikoma Gunjin - "War comes like a thief, stealing men's souls and trading them for empty gains. I have seen the face of battle, and I have seen into the eyes of death, and I have seen into the eyes of death, I will have no more of either."

Isawa Hochiu - "My father's greatest flaw was pride. I will not follow where he led."

Isawa Kaede - "---"

Isawa Taeruko - "She bears all the marks of her cousin's blood...save one."

Kage - "---"

Kharma - "Evil cannot be targeted like an arrow-sometimes it destroys its master as well as its victim."

Kitsu Sanako - "Some assassins kill with knives or arrows, some with poison. She destroys you with rumor and politics - and of the two, I would prefer the cleaner wound." - Ide Tadaji

Kitsuki Iyekao - "Return my brother, to the darkness in your soul. You left us, but we have never left you."

Kitsuki's Coin - "---"

Kolat Agent - "The Daidoji and the Doji war for control at their clan. The Crane have little time for such pleasantries, but perhaps we can gain from their distractions."

Kolat Recruiter - "Each word he whispers is but a drop of water into an ocean, but one day, the tide will turn..."

Let Him Escape - "'NO!' shouted Ginawa, his sword roaring for blood and revenge. Hiroru leapt, holding Ginawa back, 'Let him go,' he hissed, ' or it will be the death of us all!'"

Lion Tattoo - "---"

Lions Pride - "We women must face death for each new life we bear and suffer the pains of love and desire deeper than any man can understand. That is why, amongst the fiercest beasts, the female is always deadlier than the male." - Matsu Ketsui

Lord Moon's Blood - "With a drop of blood and the caress of an obsidian hand, the crack healed as if it has never been..."

Loss of Face - "True honor is untarnished by greed."

Magic Mud - "We got magic mud! We got magic mud! We...arrgh! AAAAIEEEEEE!!"

Maho-Tsukai - "Forget imitation. Fear is the sincerest form of flattery." - Yoritomo

Mamoru - "One day, Kage, your back will be turned...and we shall have your secrets for your own."

Mantis House Guard - "The essence of war is violence. Moderation in battle is cowardice." - from the banner of the Yoritomo family.

Mantle of the Jade Champion - "Okura's power grows stronger, but his eyes are haunted. At his side, the oni waits for his command, but who is the master and who the slave?"

Master of Destiny - "---"

Matsu Toki - "I swore to serve Hantei, and I will prove my word unfailing-- through pain, through war, and through death. Pretty words can't buy my honor. Nothing can sway my loyalty. Condemn me, but look to your own oaths first."

Moshi Hito - "We found the Emperor in the ruins of Kyuden Isawa, where the shore was blackened by the great fires of the Clan Wars. Though injured and weak, he lives on, and with him, the Empire shall rise again!"

Moto Amadare - "The purpose of life is to light a small candle in the darkness of being. If all of us could do that, the world would be as bright as the sun."

Moto Fanatics - "Their eyes were filled with fear, but their hearts drove them onward to battle." - Kaiu Suman

Mountain Tattoo - "---"

Nightmares of Iuchiban - "---"

Ninja Infiltrator - "The safest place to hide an Emperor is in plain sight."

Ninja Questioner - "---"

Ninja Shadowalker - "If he ever had a name, it was long ago lost to the Shadow. Yet in times of weakness, he looks upon the Phoenix lands as if they hold a long-lost memory."

Ninja Tricks - "The Grey Crane stood in the doorway, his father's sword in his hand, 'At last, Kage...' The Kolat Master smiled and reached for his saya, 'We are two dead men, old friend, and nothing more...'"

Ninube Ogoku - "They do not serve the shadow...we are the Shadow. Their goal is not to possess your Emperor, but rather to unmake it...forever." - Kage

Osari Plains - "They are the richest fields in the Empire, and now they have been reclaimed by the Emperor. He says they are to be a gift to his most loyal clan, and we must convince him that we are the one." - Kitsu Sanako

Phoenix Tattoo - "---"

Pillaging - "The Lion left their homeland, the Crab are too weak to care, and Crane armies war against each other. A smart man can profit from these times." - Yoritomo Kanbe

Plain of Desperate Evil - "---"

Poison Dartgun - "Once, they scorned our tales of ninja. Now their armies fall and their men are sickened by poison. Where is their laughter now?" - Bayushi Aramoro

Pride - "Speak again, little bird, and I will pluck the feathers from your head." - Hitomi Juppun

Proud Words - "Banu stepped toward the Jade Throne, 'I am the only heir!' he shouted triumphantly. 'The throne is mine!' At that moment, the door to the chamber opened, and all eyes turned to see Toturi's face."

Purity of Spirit - "Hurt me? Oh, no, no. Not at all. he's quite gentle, really, once you get past the teeth..." - Ikudaiu

Ratling Scout - "Humans think it bad-bad to sneak, but I watch them when they die and I say 'it not so bad, to sneak."

Rebuilding the Temples - "To shrink something, first expand it. To weaken something, first strengthen it. To rebuild something first destroy it." - The New Tao

Retired Advisor - One need not wield weapons to taste the majesty of battle.

Rise from the Ashes - "Through fire came death, and through fire comes rebirth." - Isawa Hochiu

River of the Dark Moon - "Those who seek the land of death have only to look at their reflection to find the way."

River of the Last Stand - "'We are not here to fight you!"' Tsanuri cried, but the fire in the Crab's eyes ignored her words, and his blade bit deep into her shoulder."

Ropp'tch'tch - "---"

Seppun Toshiken - An unwed daughter of the Imperial line was his mother; his father name has never been known; his heritage is a mastery of the blade.

Shadow Brand - "Their power is not in the mark upon the flesh, but the stain upon the soul."

Shadowlands Contagion - "Sometimes the contagion spreads so rapidly, you could swear it has a mind of its own." - Hida Tsuru

Shadowlands Marsh - "I know where Yori hides, and I know what he is searching for. If I must walk each step alone, I will retrace my journey of ten years ago. I will find him. And I will stop him." - Iuchi Karasu

Shiba Gensui - "Now he leads the Phoenix armies, standing where Tsukune once raised her sword. Yet where she led in peace, his cry is of retribution and war."

Shiba Tetsu - "Dead? Me? My clan is in danger, and the Empire is falling! I don't have time to die!"

Shiba Tsukune - "If you are willing to sacrifice yourself for all things, then you can be trusted with the world."

Shinko Kamiko - "Miss me?"

Shiryo no Goju - "Once, long ago, we walked with Bayushi, but now our name has been erased from history and lost to time. Exactly as we chose it to be."

Shiryo no Kuni - "He weeps in madness, and his eyes are wild and red. To some, it is a blessing to be granted the favor of an ancestor, but to the Kuni, it is a curse."

Shiryo no Yurei - "Kuwanan, I have not disobeyed you. I have only followed a greater call." - Daidoji Uji

Shosuro - "---"

Shotai - "Toturi kept him from harm during the Clan Wars, risking his own life. I asked the Emperor why, and all he said was, 'I owe him more than he has become.'" - Hasame

Siege - "Outside Shiba Palace, thousands of Mantis stood ready. 'We are here to assist the Phoenix,' Yoritomo's voice boomed out. 'Open your gates and receive our mercy.'"

Silver Mine - Tsukune stood on the mountaintop like a flame on a candle, her hair shining in the dawn. "Mother sun!” she cried. “We have not forsaken you!"

Slidge - "The oceans are boiling with them-- more than I have ever seen. And they aren't coming of their own will. Something's driving the trolls from their underwater caverns. Something that they fear." - Yoritomo Nodoteki

Smoke and Mirrors - "If your opponent expects you to stand, move. If he believes you will move, stand very still. Do not allow your enemy to rule your mind: rules his." - from Kakita's The Sword

Stagnation - "Sometimes, the mind is blocked and the soul is emptied. Do not fear. Only the winter can again come the spring." - Naka Kuro

Stand Together - "I am never alone; my people are with me." - Ralish

Steep Terrain - "Some roads are not to be traversed; some armies are not to be engaged. Understand your enemy, and you will be victorious." - Master Suana

Strike of Silent Waters - "Do not speak to your opponent. Speak only to your soul." - Seppun Toshiken

Tattooed - "Through pain nearly too great to bear, he looked into Hitomi's face and saw the trust of all things, 'Your will, my Lady,' he cried, and then was silent."

Tausha - "The humans are so easily deceived. They cannot see the darkness, even when it shrouds their eyes."

Test of the Jade Champion - "---"

The Agasha Join the Phoenix - "In Gisei Toshi, the City of Sacrifice, the Agasha knelt before Tsukune. 'Take our lives.' Gennai said, 'and let us rebuild our futures together."

The Agasha Libraries - "Hitomi's secrets are her own, but the libraries of the Dragon belong to us..." - Agasha Gennai

The Age of Man - "Eight great clans and fourteen minor. What an age, when men can raise themselves so high." - Toku

The Daimyo's Command - "We serve the Emperor's command. Now he commands that we make war upon the Mantis." - Doji Kuwanan

The Dark Path of Shadow - "---"

The Edge of Shinomen Forest

The Palace of Otosan-Uchi - "---"

The Path Not TakenThe Edge of Shinomen Forest

The Wave Men - "Tell me of my mother's death!" Kamoko screamed. "Are you certain?" he replied, "For if I tell you the truth, you can never return home again..."

Threat - "---"

Tiger Tattoo - "---"

Toku - "---"

Toritaka Genzo - "---"

Toturi the First - "---"

Toturi's Return - "It will come. it is coming...and the moon will flee, and the stars will scream, and the world will brace for another beginning..." - Isawa Norikazu

Touch the Lands - "Unicorn armies charged into the provinces of the Lion, screaming the Emperor's name. Afterwards, all that remained was Okura, the last samurai-ko and the oni."

Treacherous Pass - "Beware of dangerous ground. Beware moreso of men desperate enough to cross it." - Master Suana

Tsuruchi - "---"

Twilight Mountains - "Sanzo returned yesterday bearing the head of the largest ogre in the Shadowlands! When I asked him how he had done it, he looked at me with cold eyes. 'Ambition,' was all he said and I wonder what he meant..." - Otaku Xieng chi

Twisting Ravine - "---"

Tzurui - "Toku was not born a samurai. He made himself one through effort and force of will. That alone makes him worthy, and I will follow him."

Virtuous Heart - "Only a virtuous heart can withstand the touch of darkness." - Yoritomo Yokue

Warstained Fields - "'The Crab have slain our emissaries, my Lady. There is no word from the Hida.' Tsanuri's eyes fell to the map of the Kaiu Wall. 'If they do not value our assistance,' she said, 'then let us answer their insults with steel.'"

Winds and Fortunes - "Bad luck and bad winds! Why do I play this game?...Ah, hand me the dice, and let me roll again..." - Yoritomo Nodoteki

Yotsu Seou - "---"

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