Burden of the Emerald Empire (A Legend of the Five Rings Tale)

At the behest of my lord Ikoma Matoko, I have compiled this small work on the reign of Toturi IV, please look it will you?

Year One:
After being blessed by Lady Moon and Lord Sun. Toturi Hisao ascended to the throne, becoming the fourth Toturi to claim the seat. The Emperor began a program to see the rebuilding of the Empire begun pouring much of the treasury of his father into it. That done he set on reforming both his Imperial council and choosing a bride. Kitsuki Akane and Yoritomo Hiroko were appointed as the Imperial Advisor and Treasurer respectively and Shiba Kaname was chosen as his bride. Yet no sooner than that was completed the Emperor found himself embroiled in a nascent political conspiracy, that we now know was masterminded by the Lady of Blood. At the time it was believed that the Imperial Chancellor Bayushi Kaukatsu was at least partly responsible and under Toturi IV's authority, his Imperial Advisor investigated the Chancellor, only to have said man found dead in his chambers. This resolved the crisis for the time being although the undercurrents of this conspiracy would continue to be felt long into the future.

That was not the only momentous event to happen during this first year, at the tests for the Emerald and Jade Champion. (Won by the prominent daimyo Kakita Noritoshi and Horiuchi Shem-zhe respectively) The Emperor was met by his uncle supposedly and warned of two great threats that would wage war on the Rokugani and the Emperor himself. The Emperor sent his uncle Toturi Sezaru known as the Wolf, north to deal with one of these threats, which he succeeded in at the cost of his life. This was in spite of the Emperor attempting to gain support from slightly friendly tribes in the region. However, the year would end on a relatively happy note with the return of his younger brother Toturi Daio to the capital.

Year Two
If the Emperor had hoped for a more peaceful second year of his reign, his hope was denied with the revelation that the Articles of Heaven had been stolen. Opting to revise the Articles of Heaven, the Emperor found himself locked in dispute over the succession laws, as the Clans attempted to force him to designate his uncle the Shogun as heir. Instead of giving into their demands, the Emperor ordered the Shogun to prepare for retirement. Without the popular Shogun to give the demand legitimacy, the Clans retreated and suffered a grave lose of face. Almost as if the Heavens themselves approved of his actions, the Emperor was given a heir by the Empress Kaname, they named the child Minoru hoping that their daughter in time would become a worthy successor.

Opting to hold the Imperial Winter Court in Shiro Moto, the Emperor set his next goal to solving the ongoing diplomatic crisis between the Crane, Crab and Scorpion regarding the short but destructive wars that had erupted during Toturi III's warrior pilgrimage. This effort was complicated by an attack from the hostile Shadow Dragon, one of the threats that Toturi Sezaru had warned the Emperor of. In a great show of personal courage, the Emperor fought and slew the Shadow Dragon's assassin himself, protecting the leader of the Crane Clan in doing so. However, the wounds taken would see him fall unconscious. The Emperor was not the only one assaulted that night and Ikoma Otemi hero of the Lion fell defending the children of the Unicorn leadership with his last breath.


On his awakening he returned to his work after calming down the castle somewhat. The Peace of Shiro Moto as it was later called, in the end satisfied very few completely, but it was a compromise all could live with showing the growing political skill of the Emperor.

Year Three:
The death of Ikoma Otemi immediately precipitated a crisis within the Lion Clan. His steady regency had long seen the growing discontent between the Akodo and Matsu family largely suppressed. However, with his death the two families almost came to blows, before the Ikoma reminded them of their duty to let the Emperor arbitrate the dispute.

Toturi IV rather than appoint either the Akodo candidate or Matsu candidate for leadership of the clan claimed the Clan for his brother instead. He cited the blood claim of his grandfather who had once led the Lion before becoming Emperor. With a superior claim and skilled political allies, the Emperor duly installed Daio as the leader of the Daimyo.

With the political situation quiet for the moment, the Emperor turned his attention to the myriad theological and spiritual disputes bubbling through the the clergy of the Empire for the last fifty years. Calling for a Grand Convocation of the clergy, he housed them in his capital for the summer months. There the clergy solved most of their disputes, and discovered that Toturi II, the Emperor's Aunt was the reincarnation of Amaterasu the Sun Goddess, granting even more divine legitimacy to the the Toturi Dynasty. To finish this great theological settlement, the Emperor elevated Tamamae of the Badger to the status of Goddess, which was duly recognized by the heavens.

The year ended however with yet another assault on the Emperor's life this time from the forces of the Lady of Blood, Shahai. Having decided to hold the Winter Court in Kyuden Gusai, the Emperor would come under attack by a powerful ronin using dark magic. This assault had relied extensively on the earlier conspiracy that the Emperor had faced in his first year of rule, to smuggle in the material needed for the dark magic and to clear the way between the ronin and the Emperor. This assault would be stopped by the actions of the heroic Kobayakawa Minato, then simply the ronin Minato. In spite of his young age the future leader of the minor Catfish Clan made his way to the Emperor and slew the man behind the assault ending it early. For his courage, Koabayakawa was granted his own clan and the rich if unruly city of Zayko Toshi as his fief.

Enraged by the duplicity of the Mantis Clan, the Emperor demanded the life of the Mantis Champion, Yoritomo Naizen, who performed seppuku to cleanse the shame of the the Clan. Unsatisfied by this the Emperor confiscated several key fiefs before installing Yoritomo Okimoto as the new Champion, ending the year much as it had started with a Great Clan in upheaval.

Year Four:
This would prove a year of both intractable headaches, and final preparations as the second threat of Toturi Sezaru was nearly ready to march on the Emerald Empire. With the Shogun taking the Imperial Legions and the two great military powers of the land under his own wing, the Emperor was left to force the remaining detachments of the Clan into a coherent army in its own right. The Emperor would undertake a ruthless purge in order to remove feuding officers and over ambitious vassals from the rank creating the small if potent army known as the Legion of Eight Banners. In a show of good faith, the Emperor opted to grant command of this army to Bayushi Paneki, champion of the Scorpion Clan.

The year would end with the Emperor taking court at Kyuden Bayushi and indirectly assisting Paneki in purging his own clan of disloyal samurai in a move that saw much ill feeling in the Scorpion Clan for a time but it soon passed as the true extent of the conspiracy was revealed.

Year Five:
This year was dominated by the War of Dark Glass, as the Emerald Empire for the first time in centuries sent its might beyond its own borders. Led by the Shogun, the Imperial armies would meet the Shadow Dragon's in a number of pitched conflicts culminating in the defeat of the Shadow Dragon at the hands of Kisada the Monk. This would leave the Emerald Empire with control over the great city of Medinaat al-Salaam, arguably the greatest city in the known world before its fall.

Yet, military victory brought little respite as the other powers of the world, The Yodotai Empire, Ivory Kingdoms, Senpet and Pelmyrians both quickly dispatched ambassadors to negotiate the fate of the city, unwilling to leave it in the hands of the notoriously xenophobic Rokugani. In a stunning turn from the previous dynasty, the Emperor welcomed the Ambassadors to his winter court in Kyuden Doji. There he negotiated not only a peace, but a military alliance of sorts against the Yodotai in the Treaty of Kyuden Doji, but more commonly known as the Pact of Four Empires.

Internally, politics were mostly quiet beyond the Emperor apparently using his influence to help his Treasurer gain her son a highly prestigious and lucrative marriage into the Crane. This changed as the details of the Pact became known, and the Unicorn Clan along with their allies in the Mantis, loudly protested at how little had been gained at such a great cost to the Unicorn. Yet, as the next year was set to begin how far they would go was unknown.

Good enough

Year Six of Toturi IV's Reign, Twentieth Day of the Serpent ( Spring, 1175 Isawa Calendar)

In a lot of ways, the young former Sultan was what people had thought of you when you ascended the Throne five years ago. Young, unsure, but determined to do the best they could...but unlike you, he hadn't risen to the occasion and saw his kingdom, his capital taken by the forces of the Shadow Dragon. Despite believing you could work with him, the young man who now simply styled himself Altair had declined to take the throne again. Instead he believed his calling was in rebuilding the Ebon Order which the Shadow Dragon had gutted....and Paneki had nearly finished off. In lieu of Altair, you had elevated an Ilyas Al-Ghurab; one of the few noblemen to have survived through everything. While somewhat irritated by the carving up of the city. Ilyas had been willing to ascend the Peacock Throne if it meant that there was someone willing to look after the people of the city. Even if effectively it had meant the death of the Sultanate as an independent power in any real sense.

You shake the thoughts from your head as you turn your gaze back towards the your council and the two people you have drafted for this conversation.

"While the outcome of the Pact has been established, it remains to be decided how we will react to this. There is a push for us to maintain our isolation" You nod at Noritoshi. "As well as a push to engage more fully with the world outside our borders." You look at Hiroko.

With the acknowledgements done, you steeple your hands in front of you.
"For the time being we are committed to maintain a reasonably strong garrison at Medinaat al-Salaam. Isolation then is not truly possible. The question is how much we engage. At present I am willing to hear arguments for both sides." You finish.

"With the Tenno's permission?" Noritoshi asks.

Another nod from you.

"We fought the Shadow Dragon because honour and survival demanded it. We now sit in a foreign land because better we bleed gaijin on gaijin soil then on our own. This is all true, but what truly can the outsiders really provide us that we need to open even more? Let us appoint a simple ambassador to the city and be done with it. Quickly and efficiently." Noritoshi argues.

Hiroko waits for her turn to speak which you give.

"We've fought and bled for centuries now, ignorant of the wider world. Yes we defeated the Shadow Dragon because we had to. That does not mean that the work is now done Kakita-san. The wider world is not going to let us remain hermits just because we wish it. Better to have a real ministry in place for when we inevitably need to discuss matters outside of Medinaat al Salaam." She says.

"The rest of the world deserves nothing. Where were they when we waged war for us all? Where are they now when the Crab fight and die for the world? By what right do they demand anything of us? I can accept that they have reason to care for the city of merchants. So many of them are merchants, but we do not need more engagement." Noritoshi says.

"It does not matter what they deserve Kakita-san, it is what they will take. Do you think the Yodotai are going to care about what we deserve? The Senpet see us as upstart children. We cannot hide our heads in the sand. Yes they owe us, and in the next life their gods serve ours as slaves...but that's not this life. This life is what we must deal with" Hiroko retorts

You hold up a hand.

"Enough. Kakita-san while I respect your views and to an extent agree with them. We cannot let our emotions rule us. Our duty to the Empire is such that we must engage outside our borders again. The Yodotai cannot be allowed to set one foot on Rokugani soil. To accomplish this, we must talk to and work with the gaijin, distasteful as it is." You say.

Noritoshi doesn't say anything but looks away. You agree with him in many ways, if you had a choice, you would tell all the gaijin to go kill themselves and spare you the trouble. Yet, you do not have that choice. He knows that, but that doesn't make him or you happy.

Akane speaks now.
"Regardless, of our own feelings. It is clear we must have some sort of....ministry or at least a department to deal with the outside gaijin. Such a thing will require someone to be appointed to lead it. There are several proposals that I have put together with several consultants."

You give a nod to her to go on.

"The First proposal is to place it under the control of the Otomo with appointments to the position tentatively named 'Minister of Barbarians' being controlled by the Emperor at the advice of the Otomo. This minister will not be part of the Imperial Council, but rather report to me through the Kizoku. This is probably the least disruptive but the ministry will be smaller and likely less flexible..

"Second proposal has two variants to it. The first premise is that rather than placing the new ministry into the hands of the Otomo, a new one is formed entirely that operates specifically for foreign affairs. This new ministry will have a council seat but work closely with all the other Counsellors. This will be expensive and somewhat disruptive to implement, but it will likely give us a larger ministry and more flexibility. The variants come in deciding who this new minister will be. One option is much like the first option, the Emperor decides who to appoint as screened by the Council. The second is somewhat more radical, a tournament is devised so the Heavens can decide who will be appointed."

"Benefits?" Shem Zhe asks seemingly intrigured.

"Same as it is with us. Appointments to the Imperial Council remain one of the greatest ways the Emperor can show his approval of a Clan. Choosing allows for fine control and for the best candidate to fit the Council to be chosen. On the other hand, the Clans who are not chosen are of course ill disposed to not being chosen. Thus the Championship would allow us both to side step this ill feeling...and perhaps assuage conservative fears by showing that the Heavens care." Akane answers.

"Then there is the question of ambassadors. What do your consultants say about that?" Hiroko asks.

"They recommend that it be left at the discretion of the Minister, but that until one is decided, we could make it another position decided by the Emperor, at his discretion. It depends on how quickly we wish the return of the Shogun" Akane replies.

"The full meeting of the council is not held without all five members as determined by the laws that his beneficent majesty decreed. I would say that we should appoint one immediately. From the Unicorn to salve their ill feelings" Noritoshi says.

"It would be disruptive to things if the 'minister' decides to select someone else" Hiroko says next.

"In the end the Shogun can send a representative to represent him if its truly needed. " Akane points out.

They look to you, as you look back at them. You have to make a decision now.

[] You will make a small ministry under the control of the Otomo, and appoint someone to report to Akane.

[] You will make an independent ministry and grant its head a position of the Imperial Council

[] You will decide the head of this ministry by appointment

[] You will decide it by a tournament

[] You will appoint an ambassador in the meantime, you need Kaneka back.

[] Kaneka can stay where he is and send a representative for a full cabinet meeting.

[] Write in

AN: I was very tempted to write this up as a homage to 'Cabinet Battle' in Hamilton.
I also require a pregnancy roll. You currently have a +6 to the roll