Matsu Palace rises, stern and immobile above the green valleys of Lion lands. Fertile land made rich by the toil of Lion Clan peasants waits anxiously for the first light of spring, ready for the warmth of sun after a long winter's chill. As dawn's light touches the horizon, two great armies raise their banners and ready their swords, prepared for the battle that must come.
The Unicorn fight for justice and law; the Lion for honor and homeland.
A woman stands near the gates of Matsu Palace. Her black armor shines in the faint light of morning, and her dark red hair flutters beneath pale skies. Her brown eyes stare across the valley, as hard and cold as stone. Her name is Matsu Ketsui and she is the daughter of an ancient line, heir to the palace, daimyo of Matsu lands.
The Unicorn have not come in peace, no matter what their arguments. The loss of the Emperor makes their claims to "justice and law" absurd They care more for a minor codicil in a dusty library scroll than they do for heritage and pride. Though they bluster and argue, Ketsui thinks, one thing is certain: they have come in conquest, to usurp what is rightfully the homeland of the Lion Clan. If the Unicorn want war, then they shall have it - at the edge of a Lion blade.
Ketsui's soldiers ready themselves for war, drawing their blades, oiling them, and resheathing them. Katanas glisten like water in the torchlight, waiting for the light of dawn to bring victory. Yet above the palace, the clouds hang thickly, shielding the Valley of Storms from any but the faintest morning light. I know by looking at their faces that the thunder will not matter. Nothing matters to these samurai save victory and duty. And if they can achieve one by dying they will fulfill the other.
Across the valley stand the Unicorn, their horses churning at the muddied ground of the hilltops. They have come from a foreign land, and their ways are still strange to us. Although they have lived among us for some few generations, they are not truly one with the ways of the Empire. Yet the Emperor trusts them and has given them the right to marshal his law, carry out his commands, and keep justice through the land. Their purpose here, as I understand it, is to maintain some edict that commands military intervention in order to bring peace and justice to our troubled lands - our homeland, which has been in revolt since the loss of the Emperor. Now they claim the right to command it with their tokens of jade and their charters. It is our homeland, our strength, and we will be the only ones to rule over this wide valley. All others must learn to respect the Lion's roar.
Still, their armies have sworn not to cease their march until they claim the four walls of Matsu Palace.
As a Lion, I know we must never allow them to reach its sacred gates.
My name is Ikoma Gunjin, and I have grown old in these lands. Still, I will defend them with my life. I have been sent to cross the valley and speak to the Unicorn in the still hour before dawn, hoping the rain from darkening clouds does not catch me as I travel.
Shinjo Sadato waits for me at the crest of the far hill. My sturdy pony pants with exertion beside Sadato's tremendous steed. Unicorn horses are not like ours - they are larger, tougher, and twice as fast. We cannot hope to defeat their cavalry.
"His Excellency, the daimyo, win see you immediately," the messenger says, turning for me to follow.
The general of the Unicorn armies is Shinjo Hanari a cold man with bitter eyes and a tough jaw. He has seen many battles - perhaps as many as l - but I can see that he has not grown weary of the fight. He rests now on his campground stool, looking down through the grey light of morning at the three small villages that stand between his legions and Matsu Palace. I stand with him and spend a moment pondering the beauty of the Valley of Storms.
"There can be no peace," he begins, gruffly.
"I know that, Shinjo-sama." l am respectful. He outranks me, and even in time of war, samurai must know their place in all things. That is bushido - the path of the warrior. The Way of the Sword.
"The law," he continued, "must be upheld. There can be no compromise. For the Unicorn to turn back would be an insult to the Emperor's edicts and therefore, to the Emperor himself. We will not turn our backs on the Emperor or on our duty. You can tell your lady she would do well to remember that and not to bar our way."
As I had been instructed, I bowed and spoke with pride. "These are Lion lands; we will defend them. We will uphold the law, not you."
"Lion lands?" He touched the elegant fan that hung at his belt, dangling the token that marked him as a magistrate. He held it gently. "The Emperor owns all of the Empire, Ikoma-san. This you know. These are not Lion lands - they are the Emperor's lands. And we shall marshal the law here as we would anywhere else in Rokugan."
"You are not Lion. You have not been entrusted with the duty of maintaining the Emperor's armies. Yours is not the way of battle, Unicorn. If you say our lands must be given justice, then we shall be the ones to do it - not you. Turn back or be taught that the law is second to the Hand of the Emperor." It was not a threat, though the words were strong. Ketsui-sama herself had given them to me as I left the palace, and I could still hear her voice ring with pride. I only prayed to the Seven Fortunes that mine sounded as brave.
Hanari, the Unicorn general, nodded. "Then return, Lion, to your palace. Tell them that the Hand of the Emperor is not immune to the Emperor's law. Nor should it be. We accept your challenge, Lion. Though your family is as old as the land and mine is still foreign to this Empire, we know our duty as well as you know yours."
I bowed, then, in farewell. There was nothing more to say. A point of honor had been made. I knew as I left that place that only one clan would claim victory. Only one of us would likely live to see the next dawn, when the clouds had gone and the rain no longer creased a cold, grey sky.
May the Fortunes smile on us all.
The day dawned with grey clouds across the wide horizon. Where there
had been sunlight and the laughter of children, three villages now
stood empty between two mighty armies.
It was a time of war; a time when the greatest samurai of the Empire prepared to fight for their honor and their clans' pride. To one side were the Unicorn, their tremendous steeds whickering in the thin morning air. Clad in purple and silver, they stood for the law of the Empire, dedicated to bringing the Emperor's justice to all who lived within the borders of Rokagan. Their family banners spread out on the wind Shinjo, Otaku, Ide, and Moto. All were sworn to their duty: the Law must be upheld.
Across the wide valley, another army prepared for battle, its orange and gold banners snapping fiercely above ornate helms. The Lion, army of the Emperor, had sworn to obey his command and to destroy all those who would dare threaten the imperial throne. The Matsu and the Ikoma snarled and drew their katanas as their Kitsu shugenja wove spells to ready the field of battle for their honorable contest.
Had the Emperor still ruled from his throne, their war would not have begun. One word from above would have settled the dispute. But the Jade Throne of the Great Empire of Rokugan stood empty, abandoned by cruel fate and the Empire's enemies. Without an Emperor, the law had turned to dust. The Lion stood firm in their belief that the Unicorn had no authority to enforce an archaic dictate, while the Unicorn demanded that the letter of the law be obeyed. Only strength could bring peace. The conqueror would claim the Valley of Storms, a wide expanse of fertile ground and the best passage through the northern foothills of the Empire. Three villages rested in the valley's embrace, empty of peasants but filled with rich supplies and wealth To the victor would go the spoils of the day - and the rewards of honor.
A challenge has been issued.
Will you answer its call?