My dear old friend,

It has been long since I heard from you, and your words stir memories in my soul that I had thought were long lost. It is good that I remember them. The time of the Clan Wars has passed, and there are those who say that the histories of our time will be written by the victor - written to cover the past. It is only the memories of people such as you and I who will know the truth. I pray that those times do not die with us - that our struggle will not have been in vain.

Perhaps the tales which were told of Shoju's reasons were not entirely to be trusted. In the wake of the return of Fu Leng, the prophecy which the Scorpions claim to have been their motivation rings all too true, 'And the Last of the Hantei line shall be the Doom of Rokugan.'

After the Scorpion assaulted the Palace of Otosan Uchi, the battle appeared hopeless. The Lion were lost, wandering aimlessly without their Champion, the Crane wounded and too prideful to fight by the side of their ancient enemy. The Phoenix had been all but crushed in the initial battles, the Unicorn too far to be of use, and the Dragon were locked in their isolated mountains, alone and unwarned. Of the other clans, only the Crab had the strength to defeat the Usurper Shoju, and no man could know what truths lay in Kisada's heart - or to whom his true loyalty belonged. This has been recorded.

What has been lost to time is the true nature of the battle - the struggle of will that tore the Scorpion from their exalted position and left a broken throne, a broken sword and a broken man. I have collected the correspondences of the clans from the days before the final battle, and kept them safe in a secret place. Now it is time to open them again - to remind the Great Clans of the truth about the origin of the Clan Wars and the beginning of the Time of the Second Thunders.

You hold in your hands the last letter of your people as written so many years ago. Use it well. Show those who will understand, and teach those who wish to learn the truth about the past. it is in our hands to make certain the future will never repeat the harsh lessons learned in the Clan wars. It is our souls who will pay the penalty if we fail.

Ikoma Kaoku

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It is time.

The prophecy we have found has lead us to this most dangerous of paths - and we must have the courage to walk it. We stand now behind the great walls of Otosan Uchi, their huge mass shielding us from the condemnation of the other clans. They do not yet understand the fate from which we have saved them - they do not comprehend the nature of the darkness as we do.

Gather your forces - find your strength. The palace must be held at all costs - at any price. Who will care what we have fought for when the battle is over. The knowledge which will remain when we have gone is this: The last Hantei died at the hands of the only clan loyal enough to do what must be done. We must defeat the Emperor to save the Empire.

Outside the walls, I hear the petty squabbling of the other Champions. Satsume challenges me to war. Ujimitsu declares that I can be reasonaed with - that the madness which has led us to this pass is a fleeting dark veil over my eyes. Only Togashi Yokuni - the Dragon - sits by the side of the others, staring at me on my walls. Watching. He alone can see the truth of my decision. He must understand. For nearly a thousand years we have known his secret, we have seen behind his iron mask. Yet he does nothing. But it does not matter what any of them think. When the Crab arrives, I will know my destiny - to stand or to fall at the hands of those I have saved. With the death of the Emperor's son, the cycle of the Dark One will be defeated. That alone will bear my soul to the halls of my ancestors - no matter what dishonors the fools in Rokugan heap upon my name. I will live forever.

Bring your forces before my high walls and we will strike down the weak who squall at what we have done. Our reign shall be the beginning of a new era - the dawn of a greater world.

Let no man stand in our way.

Shoju