Their are traitors among us my clansmen.

There are those who would deter us from our duty to the Emperor. Honeyed words and poisoned tongues have tried to cloud our vision and turn us from the path of our ancestors. We must not allow them to succeed.

The mystery of Hida Kisada's whereabouts has been solved. His fleet sailed north from the islands where it cowered, and attempted to take the Imperial City by surprise. You may have heard many wild rumors in these dark times, but I can assure you he did not succeed. Our armies scattered the Crab to the four winds, and the Great Bear himself was slaughtered like a dog as he tried to storm the palace. I personally saw his sone, Yakamo, fleeing the city with Kisada's corpse in his arms.

You have by now heard of the Crane victory at the Asahina temple. Thier pathetic forces will soon try to wreak some measure of revenge for the justice we have dealt out. They must be hunted down and destroyed like the dogs that they are. Some remnants of the Crab army have escaped and may try to regroup. Show them what it means to challenge the will of Heaven. And lest we forget, the traitor Toturi continues to defy us - marching a pitiful band of ronin towards the Imperial Palace in a vain effort to prevent the inevitable. Bring us his head as a gift to the Imperial Throne.

But most importantly, we must locate some sign of our Champion, Matsu Tsuko. She received a letter from the Emperor's wife just before the Crab landed and has since vanished. We need her to help restore order within our ranks, to once more lead the Lion towards our proud destiny. There are those in our ranks who have questioned the Emperor's will. There are Lions who whipser that Hantei has fallen, and that the old ways can no longer be followed. They must be shown the error of thier disloyalty before our enemies can exploit thier weakness. Find Tsuko, my clansmen. Find Tsuko, and we can finally reclaim our sacred place at the Emperor's side.

You know who sits on the Emerald Throne. You have heard his name. Now you must ask yourself a simple question: Shall I serve the Throne, as I have sworn to to, or shall I turn from my duty and betray my ancestors' memory? That is what you must consider. If you betray your duty, you have no right to call yourself a Lion. This is the promise you swore. You did not swear to serve the Throne when it suited you, you swore that you would serve the Emperor or die. Are you men of your word? If you are, then you will follow the Emperor's commands without question. If not, then you are no better than a lying Scorpion.

Do what you must and show the rest of the Clans what it means to be a samurai

Ikoma Ujiaki

It is over

The time when we placed our pride before the welfare of the empire has passed, and we must now do what is necessary to ensure Rokugan's survival.

The Crab have taken the Imperial City, defeating our army there with a surprise attack from the sea. Our Champion, Matsu Tsuko, was ordered to stand aside while Hida Kisada marched his forces throughout the streets. The Lion forces attempted to fight them, but without Tsuko's leadership and tactical knowledge, they were no match for the Great Bear. He swept us aside and entered the Imperial Palace.

What happened next, I do not know. From what I have heard, Kisada engaged the Emperor in single combat and was slain. How a weak and sickly man could kill the likes of the Great Bear is beyond me, but a few hours later, the Crab army scattered, leaving the city in our hands. Then, we received an announcement from the palace - an announcement delivered by a hideous oni in the guise of Hida Yakamo. We were to take up arms again and march against the Emperor's foes. Joining us in this endeavor would be an army of Shadowlands abominations commanded by Yogo Junzo.

Now comes the time of our most painful choice. We have sworn fealty to the Emperor, whoever it is that sits on the Emerald Throne. We have failed in our duty to protect the Empire, and now we must decide how to serve the Throne: Do we serve the man who sits upon it, or do we fight to place a better man there? The decision is yours. I know it will be a painful decision, but is one that must be made.

You have heard news of the Crane victory at the Asahina Temples, Find them and join them if you can; our feud with the Crane is passed. The Unicorn are said to be holding order in the countryside, slaughtering bandits and destroying shadowlands creatures where they can be found. Help them in thier efforts. And yes, the ronin Toturi is on the march, with an army of samurai in opposition to Yogo Junzo. As painful as it is, we must ally with the traitor for the greater good of the Empire. His strength may be all that is keeping us from eternal darkness. Above all, we must find Matsu Tsuko. With her gone, our Clan is without leadership, and I fear that many will listen to the 'Emperor's' inhuman advisors in her stead.

If these words shock you, it is only because they are the truth. If you cannot swallow your pride, then Rokugan will surely be lost. We must strike against the evil now, or all that we claim to stand for is naught but dust in the wind. The threat is among us, my betheren, and it bears the Emperor's name. If we do not see it for what it is, then we are nothing more than puppets to its will. Let us teach it what it means to decieve a Lion.

Kitsu Motso