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

The room is quiet, too quiet as you listen to the air, the shallow breathing of your guards, the deep breathing of Hiroko. Your eyes see the utter despair that shakes Hiroko's frame. You had resolved to punish the Mantis, to destroy them for their sheer temerity.

But, looking at the woman who had given her all for you, hesitation creeps into your heart. It was not a feeling you were used to having. The Mantis must be punished...but destroyed...destroying people like Hiroko who had done nothing wrong but obeyed the commands of their superior. Perhaps, perhaps not. Your mind flickers with quick motions as you think things through.

The Mantis had always been regarded by the other Great Clans as upstarts, opportunists who had gained their status by holding a knife to the Empire's throat in the chaotic Clan Wars. Your grandfather had given his word, but the Mantis were unworthy of it. Then they must be made worried, their insane ambition tempered, directed. Their virtues strengthened.

You would pronounce The Doom of the Mantis, they would either adapt or die. That was all you were willing to do.

"Very well" You say after a moment.

Hiroko says nothing. Waiting for you to say what you must. You take a deep breath mentally composing what you would say. This was after all an official thing and while the scribes would clean it up, you would have to get it right.

"I Toturi IV, Son of the Heavens, Mikado, Tenno, Keeper of the Celestial Daisho, Ruler of Ningen-do by Steel, Blood and Jade pronounce this Doom upon the Mantis.

The Families of the Tsuruchi and the Moshi are stripped from the Mantis, to be proclaimed as their own clans again, the Wasp and Centipede, their lands restored as they were when they first joined the Mantis. The Mantis themselves shall no longer bear the name Yoritomo nor shall they be accounted amongst my chief vassals, for they have shown themselves unworthy of it.

The House of Inoue is to be destroyed utterly, any now carrying the blood of Inoue are stripped of their status as Clan samurai, let them be ronin for seven generations. Only then may they be welcomed anew into any clan that would have them

The House of Menju shall be raised up as the new Champion of the Mantis, Hiroko of the Menju shall lead them and her family shall be charged with five trials, only when they are completed will the Mantis regain their name and their status as a chief vassal. These Trials may be completed in any order, but they must all be completed. To help Hiroko of the Menju focus on these trials, she is stripped of her position as Imperial Treasurer" You say.

Hiroko shakes, the hammer blows have not stopped, but you have given her a chance, a slim one to regain all, and she knows that, but still to have the Mantis who had once seen the century as the time for them to take their place in the sun, thrown down, it would hurt anyone.

"First the Trial of Air, too long have the Mantis seen themselves as the enemies, the rivals of the Great Clans, my vassals are kin though they all may fight all agree that there forms to follow, traditions to be obeyed just so that the art of peace may be waged as well as war. Thus the Mantis are charged to give seven gifts to the Champions of the Great Clans, an apology for their thoughtlessness and lack of tact. They will also offer such a gift to the Padishah, it is up to the Clans and the Padishah to accept this gift or not."

You listen to the frantic scratching of quill on parchment echoes in the hall, a scribe having arrived when you began to pronounce The Doom and now scrambling to catch up.

"The Trial of Earth, the debt that the Imperial Throne and Great Clans have undertaken to shelter their younger siblings and child from the wrath of those who had done them no harm, will be repaid in full. The Imperial Treasurer will in consultation with the Emperor decree when this is completed."

Hiroko still dares not to look up around you but the sides of the court have begun to fill up with people watching history being made.

"The Trial of Fire, the Mantis were once charged by the Hantei with defense of the realm along the shores of the sea, my grand father charged them to oversee all land that had no Samurai holding it. I charge them with the duty of the Hantei anew and expand it. So long as piracy infests the waters the Mantis are charged with exterminating it, only when the Throne and the Shogun are satisfied that the infestation is cleansed, shall this task be completed."

You swallow, proclaiming was thirst work, but you had not yet finished. The Mantis have so far been pushed with things that are difficult for them, but nothing that would fundamentally require them to change which you intend to fix with the last two trials.

"The Trial of Water, the Mantis expedition was so spectacularly ill timed that one could almost assume malice, if not for the clear lack of competence in accomplishing their goals. Thus for endangering the Empire in such a way, for threatening our access to a holy substance. The Mantis are charged with finding a new source of Jade or other substance for the Empire to use against our southern foe, one that is not tainted by the heathen ways of the gaijin, nor shall they allow any false religion a single step on our shores. Only when the Jade Champion and the Emperor agrees, shall this trial be considered at an end."

Another breath almost done, then you can tell everyone to leave.

"Finally the Trial of the Void, there is no Great Clan that consists of a single family, nor shall there ever be, no matter how large that family might be. The Mantis without the use of force, convince their former kin to join anew and only when their ancestors agree and the Wasp and Centipede petition the Throne to join the Mantis, shall this trial be considered at the end." You say firmly.

Then you look around at the gathered crowd.

"Finally, in addition to this Doom, I Toturi IV, son of Heaven, Mikado, Tenno, Keeper of the Celestial Daisho, Ruler of Ningen-do by Steel, Blood and Jade, do make this following Imperial edict, to be bind on all who follow my will. Let they who break it be cast out of the Emerald Empire as no more than the lowest filth.

No Samurai shall make war on a foreign power without the expression permission of the Imperial Throne."

Eyes close for a moment as you listen to the flapping of fans move as this news echoes through your court.

"Now, all but my vassal, Hiroko of the Menju, depart, I will speak with her privately." you order. "Hiroko rise, and let me congratulate you on your appointment."

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Year 11 of Toturi IV's Reign, Month of the Rat

Shiro Moto hadn't changed much since the last time you were here, oh it had a few more buildings, and the damage from the attack had been fixed up, but it hadn't fundamentally changed.

You had though, the cold that once was so easy to endure, is now...uncomfortable, and you wish that they had better heating, but what's done is done.

Now you had to deal with something all together less tractable. The Naga had good to their word come to the aid of the Unicorn, and absolutely shattered the Lion advance forcing the armies of the west back across the river.

It was only the efforts of your brother and Shigetoshi that hadn't seen the Matsu army completely destroyed. But while you were glad to see that martial brilliance in family, it had created a new problem.

The Lion were willing to call it a draw.
The Unicorn were not, and wanted Toshi sano Kanemochi Kaeru given to them, only then would they let the war end.

The naga seemed content to support the Unicorn in this, so as long as that was the case, it was unlikely that the Lion could really push back, but then the Lion still had three armies, so it was kind of an open question.

But, given that your greatest trade route to the outside world went through Kanemochi Kaeru, you'd rather that they didn't in fact burn the place down fighting over it.

Which ironically left you doing the same thing that you had done the first time in Shiro Moto, brokering peace. The question was who would you meet first and what you would do to get that peace.

[] Lion
[] Unicorn
[] Naga

Then there was the ongoing Crab/Crane War. The Crab had pulled back after their defeat, not really conceding anything, but apparently only willing to push one campaign a year with their core duty still needing doing. But you would be petitioned by both to solve it as well. Would you, or just let it play out

[] Resolve the war
[] Let it ride

Month of the Rat fifth day

Dashmar looks much the same as he did last time. Serpentine eyes look at you calmly as he wraps himself around a brazier that seems to make the small stone quarters he has taken all the smaller. Like most Naga he doesn't effect much in clothing, only a few bands to mark his status.

The court opening wasn't anything special. What was once something you both looked forward to and slightly dreaded had become...routine. You spoke words that could break clans, but routine all the same.

The banners still felt strange though, with the Mantis banner no longer hanging with the other six, instead rejoining the Dragon Banner on the far wall, as a minor clan. You'd get used to it probably.

The naga moves with a careful grace pouring out tea as he waits for you to speak. After all you had taken his invitation for tea.

"Thank you Dashmar, for your hospitality, I hope that the snows are not too bad for your kin this winter" You say at last taking the tea.

"We shall endure, after all...it is not the coldest we have been." He says smoothly.

"Hai, all the same, that your people awoke from the Great Sleep was a surprise...and further that they claimed a city of mine." You say deciding to dispense with formalities.

"Hmm, we had hoped that you would be glad to be rid of that city, given it's nature." Dashmar says his long tongue flicking into his own tea.

"Hardly, the Unicorn had no right to give it up." You say.

"They required aid, aid you refused to give Emperor. "

"The Lion and Unicorn have fought each other for nearly four hundred years, would you have me stop the snow from falling as well?" You ask dryly.

"No, the Toturi are...allies of the Naga, but we require the City of Night, and the bargain is struck." He says.

"A new bargain could be struck, I have broken one clan for having it's own foreign policy, while I have no desire to do so to another. I have no intention of abrogating the Emerald Empire's claim to the City of Night or the Shinmon Mori."

"What would you have us do? We have promised that we would assist the Unicorn in their war, we have, and in payment, we were given a city that your people do not even use." Dashmar says.

Your hand tightens on the tea cup.
"I would have had me consulted before such a thing was done. Allies or no, the Naga are not Samurai. Now that it is done, I would have you return the city."

"No, not yet...the city is needed for us still." Dashmar says.

"For how long?" You ask.

"Until we find what we're looking for. We need access and to search we need habitation expeditions mounted. Now you could end our alliance, but Emperor, you need us for the coming war with the Yodotai, we know this" Dashmar says taking a sip with his tea.

A deep breath from you.
"And if you no longer supported the Unicorn then would payment still be needed?"

"...In the strict letter of the word yes, but we come to the second point, you wish for the war to end between your two strongest weapons against the outside. Our price for neutrality is simple you accept our claim on the City of Night until we find what we seek. After we retrieve it, the city will be returned to your family. Be it you or your...descendants." Dashmar says.

[] Take the Deal
[] No deal
[] Something else?

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You walk back from the meeting with Dashmar and enter into your rooms, to see it strangely empty. With Yuina beginning her training with the Ishiken, and Minoru in Kyuden Doji, you had brought Kaname with you, hoping to perhaps spend some oft neglected personal time.

You were getting older, not dead and Kaname was still beautiful as the day you met. At least you thought so.

But, no one is here...not even...

Your hand goes to the sword at your waist as you look around carefully. Part of you knows you should retreat, let your guards handle this, let the Unicorn handle this. And yet...and yet, you find yourself worried about your wife, worried about leaving her here. So you advance forward slowly and carefully, Burden seems to faintly hum with anticipation as you reach your inner chamber.

Kaname lies on the ground unconscious, sitting beside her, in an almost cruel parody of affection, Shahai, the Lady of Blood sits, petting her hair. The current ruler of the Shadowlands looks remarkably well for all of her filth. Dark hair piled up in her familiar style with pearls hanging from her bangs framing an attractive face, attractive if you didn't know what she did.

There's not really thought in your mind as you move, blade lashing out and through the woman in a quick strike.

And Kaname rolls as if struck, her breathing laboured by by unseen pain. You whirl yourself around taking a guard, only to see Shahai sitting as she was, now drinking from a goblet red...wine, you're going to pretend that's wine.

You hit her true, you know that so then how...what is going on?!

A growl from your throat.
"Explain yourself"

"Ah so rude, just like your father. But I suppose you do have some questions obviously, like how I'm here, and what's happening with your wife." Shahai says.

A fraction of a nod as your grip tightens.
"I'm not here, think of it as...a projection. It has been long since the Unicorn admitted their connection to me. But I still know the land, it's secrets, it's power...granted I had to smuggle in the tiniest of Morei no oni into your wife's food for this to work, but well, such things are not beyond me."

"...You will get that out of her now." You say, anger boiling in you. How dare she....

"Not before you hear what I have to say." Shahai says. "Of course, you could end this, by simply killing her, but I don't think you're capable of it. Your great weakness has ever been your family. Pity, your father knew better."

A deep breath as your force down your anger.
"You're a traitor, a monster Shahai, I have no reason to trust you'll free my wife even if I listen to you"

"No, but you're going to take that chance aren't you?" She says a cruel smile.

[] No you won't
[] Yes you will