Kuni Tansho sat, lost in thought. The scrolls she had been examining were carefully re-rolled and stacked. Her robes, though simple. Were folded very neatly around her and did not bunch under her legs. Her chamber was uncluttered and orderly.

Anyone who had also known Kuni Utagu, her deceased predecessor and husband, would remark on how dissimilar they were. Utagu was generally surrounded by charts and treatises, by bits of jade and bits or darker things, or by an endless stream of supplicants who wished to ensure their battles against the Shadowlands had not marked them in a permanently damning fashion.

Utagu had been more than merely the Kuni daimyo. He had been the Jade Champion, and his duty was his life.

Tansho stood and walked to a simple stone box that sat on a wooden stand. She removed its lid and gently set it aside. Inside was a well-used brush and paint pot. The pot was made of untarnished jade, but the brush was bent and many bristles were missing.

These were the only items that Tansho permitted herself to keep as mementos of her lost love. Even as the world continued to evolve outside these walls, she would never forget Utagu and what he meant to her and Rokugan.

She reached inside, as if to remove the brush or pot, but stopped. She hesitated slightly before withdrawing her hand and replacing the lid on the stone box.

Tansho returned to her seat and folded her legs underneath herself. Her eyes closed and she focused her mind, ever inward, losing the stone walls around her and the trials that faced her and the Crab. She thought only of stillness.

As Tansho gave herself over to meditation, one of her servants looked in on her. Without disturbing her, the servant led three shugenja into the chamber, obeying her earlier instructions. He bowed to all three and left the chamber.

None of the three even considered disturbing Tansho. They stood in silence and waited for her to finish her meditation. They stood this way for twenty minutes.

Tansho returned from her meditation aware of the presence in her chamber, despite her eyes being closed. She knew who the three were and why they were there. They could wait.

She kept her eyes closed until her mind had completely returned from its inward journey. It would not do for her people to see her less than fully alert. When she was ready, she opened her eyes.

Tansho looked up at the three Crab shugenja. Her eyes went from one to another, but she did not rise from where she sat. “The time has come,” she said, “to name a new Jade Champion.”

Kuni Ochiyo bowed as she said: “None would be more suited than the former daimyo of the Kuni and widow of the last great Jade Champion.”

Tansho shook her head. “Leave pretty words to the Crane. No, I am not the one to step forward now. I stepped down from my duties as daimyo in preparation for my retirement, and I will not change that plan. Besides, while my husband was both family daimyo and Jade Champion, he was much younger than I am now, and we have all seen what happens when the Jade Champion allows himself to be distracted by other concerns. No, for this challenge, we must all be looking for the future or the Kuni to continue Utagu-sama's work. I would ask you to think carefully before determining who the Crab will send to the Jade Championship. With the Empire in turmoil, the Jade Champion must remain focused on his duty. We know we can be trusted to bear that duty.”

Tansho looked from one to the other, her eyes resting finally on Kuni Kiyoshi, the young man she had chosen to replace her. “Kiyoshi-sama, what would you consider the most important role of the Jade Champion?”

Kiyoshi bowed, his respect for his predecessor obvious. “The Jade Champion has many important duties, Tansho-sama, and none fulfilled those duties better than Kuni Utagu. In my time serving with him I learned of the many dangers Rokugan faces, both within and without. I have faith in the Crab. I have faith in the Wall. Yet, sometimes the dangers come from inside our lands where our samurai are not stationed. When a fool turns to the call of dark power, he can do much damage while our eyes face outwards. Would Toturi III have fallen in the Shadowlands if Kuni Utagu had been at his side? I believe not.”

Kiyoshi paused before continuing. “I believe it is the responsibility of the Jade Champion to trust the Crab to do our job and protect the land from those who see power as a tool, no matter what its source.”

Tansho nodded. “Well said, my lord.” She turned her head slightly. “And you, Daigo-san? Do you agree with Kiyoshi-sama?”

The dour-faced shugenja shook his head. “Forgive me, my lord and lady, but I do not. While watching the other clans is important, that can be delegated to others. The Jade Champion is needed elsewhere.”

Tansho watched him expressionlessly. “Where would that be?”

“On the other side of the Wall. Just as I followed Kyofu to beard the darkness of the Shadowlands in their nests, I believe that we have allowed ourselves to remain on the defensive for too long. The Jade Champion should create an army of the most powerful shugenja of the land. Each one will be trained for a single purpose – the eradication of any and all creatures of the Shadowlands. Suffer not a beast to live and you will not suffer when it returns to menace the Empire. We have allowed the darkness free movement on the other side of the Wall. We beat them back and they regroup to attack anew. I say that we stop letting them regroup. Elimination and eradication should be the primary focus of the Jade Champion. We should not rest until there is no more Shadowlands and the Wall is no longer needed.”

“Thank you Daigo-san.” She turned to the other female shugenja. “Ochiyo-san, what do you believe should be the primary purpose of the Jade Champion?”

“I agree with Kiyoshi-sama that we must protect ourselves from threats from within. However, I also agree with Daigo that the threats from beyond the Wall are more important. Where we disagree is the best way to deal with those threats. The Crab have a sacred duty to Rokugan and the people within it. We are the first line of defense against that which would overwhelm us. I believe it would be a mistake to leave our best defense behind and take the battle into the Shadowlands. We have protected Rokugan for as long as Rokugan has existed. The Jade Champion should honor that and work to strengthen our defenses. As long as the Wall stands, as shall Rokugan stand. Nothing could be more important than that. The Crab and the Wall. To forget that is to forget what it means to be a Crab.”

Tansho nodded. “In my opinion, for whatever it is worth, you all make convincing arguments. The Jade Champion must do all of those things, when appropriate. The upcoming competition is one of the most important in the history of Rokugan. In some ways, naming a new Jade Champion is more important than naming a new Emperor. Rokugan will stand without someone on the throne, but it will not stand if we allow ourselves to be corrupted. So it would be my recommendation, Kiyoshi-sama, for all three of you to represent the Crab Clan in the Jade Championship. I can think of no more qualified men and women, no one who would bring more honor and glory to our family.”

All three bowed to Tansho. She returned the bow, and Kiyoshi turned to the others. “Tansho-sama was kind enough to oversee the matter, and of course I value her judgment without question. These are dark times. There is no Emperor and a Scorpion stands as Emerald Champion. It is vitally important we step forward to counter the forces that threaten Rokugan from both within,” he nodded towards Daigo and Ochiyo, “and without.”

Daigo said curtly, “The Empire needs to be defended and that is our task.”

Ochiyo cocked her head slightly as she said; “All of Rokugan knows we defend her from her enemies. It is time we showed what that means.”

“Be victorious at the Jade Championships and Rokugan will benefit from what we know. Fail and the land may fall to other forces, whether through choice or deficiency. This must not happen. It falls to you, as it always falls to the Crab, to protect Rokugan.”