Hidden Emperor 1
A bright moon shone down on the palace walls glistening on ornaments of silver and gold. On the balcony, a silent figure stepped from behind a softly sliding door and leaned against the wooden railing, her pale Crane eyes cathing the light of the stars. Above her, in a slight breeze, the wolf mon of the Emperor swayed in the faint breeze. Toturi she thought, where are you, this night? You said you would lead us, guide us; you said the dark times were over. You lied.
The wind rose and caught at the banner, tugging at the maiden's long white hair. A storm was coming. She drew her silken kimono more closely about her shoulders and shivered. A faint noise behind her turn, and from the shadow of teh doorway stepped a man dressed in white.
"Hiroru...." she breathed, and stepped toward him.
"We leave tonight, the ronin and I," Hiroru began. "You are certain you will be safe here, alone?"
"Someone must stay. The Naga have attacked one of the Great Clans. There will be retribution." She sighed. "I must make sure there is still an Empire when Toturi returns." She stepped closer to him, her silks moving softly with each swaying step.
"He will return."
She smiled, her lips curving in the pale moonlight. "If he is alive, yes."
The ninja scowled. "You have heard nothing, then?"
She shook her head. "The court is alive with rumor. The Crane blame the Lion, the Unicorn believe it was the Scorpion, and no word at all comes from the high mountains of the Dragon... even Yokuni was not this silent in times of war." Her eyes were weary and troubled.
"And the Crab?"
"Yakamo has retaken Hiruma Castle with his Naga allies, but now, without their help... he is lost." A pause. "As we may all be."
The pale shadow of a smile crossed his face. "We have allies in dark places, my Lady, and friends we do not yet know." His movements, as graceful as those of a stalking cat, brought him to the balcony's edge.
"Friends such as Ginawa?" She kept her face turned away from his searching glance. The wind lifted her fine hair from her shoulders and her eyes seemed lost in thought. After a few moments of silence, she murmured, "Forgive me."
"You would be wise to reconsider your feelings about him," Hiroru said coldly. "He is a butcher."
"He is a samurai, and loyal to the Emperor." The darkness echoed the whistling of the rising breeze and the crash of the ocean's waves far below.
"I - I am afraid of you, Hiroru. So much has already been lost. The Emperor, his Champion, even the Scorpion, vanished like floating dust." She turned and stepped back toward the glowing candles of the inner chamber. "Will we never be rid of the shadows of our hateful past.?"
A brush of his hand against her cheek, the sigh of silks in the wind and the lingering darkness beneath a setting moon was the only answer he gave.
Thirteen days have passed since the Emperor vanished, thirteen days of horror and turmoil. As the Imperial Court struggles to keep the peace between the Clans, the rising tides of ambition and loyalty threaten to crush the Empire in an iron grasp. The silent mountains of the Dragon, once known for their peaceful solitude, have become host to an armed legion of Naga warriors, bound for blood at any cost-and giving no reason for their treachery.
As if the loss of the Emperor were not tidings dark enough, news of the death of the Emerald Champion has spread like wildfire throughout the Jade Empire. The Crab armies, once allied with the traitorous Naga but now left to defend themselves, have become trapped within the ancient Hiruma Palace. Around them, the hordes of the Shadowlands gather, eager to begin their revenge upon one of the Thunders that destroyed their leader.
Meanwhile, the borders of the minor clans have become filled with strife and warfare, as the clans beneath Yoritomo's control seek a common goal in warring against each other. Despite the powerful threat of the Mantis armies, the Alliance has erupted into petty mercenary behavior. The Brotherhood, once powerful behind their ancient leader, have now retired to the solitude of their temples.
The Empire that Toturi struggled to reforge is on the edge of open warfare. The Great Clans of Rokugan watch the empty throne with covetous eyes, and even now, armies mass on the borders. While the Naga war in the Dragon lands, the struggle for the Jade Throne begins... not with the rumbling thunder of war, but with the subtle movements of shadows once thought destroyed.
Now all that remains is the illusion of peace. Great armies rise in the east, preparing to make their mark upon a weakened Empire, and old feuds begin to surface. Even the efforts of the Unicorn magistrates, the last bastion of law outside Otosan Uchi, may not be enough to quell the rising tide of revolution. In the dawn of a new Age, there are still lingering shadows of the past...