May the winds bring good fortune to you.

At last, we have found allies in this war! The Lion Clan has stepped forward and offered us much land in exchange for an alliance and we have accepted. The agreement is simple. We are to prevent any army from moving through Beiden Pass, and in exchange, we shall be given lands in the south for our services. The ronin Toturi has been a valuable ally; however, as the Lady Kachiko has told us, associating with a dishonored ronin will not improve our position in the Empire. We have left Shinjo Yasamura at Beiden to prevent any movement into the Pass.

You may also have heard of the Test of the Emerald Champion. That is where we met the Lady Kachiko for the first time. She was a generous hostess and impressed our diplomats greatly. We have heard tales of her bravery in protecting the Emperor from assassination, but imagine our surprise when her bodyguard, Bayushi Aramoro, saved Ide Tadaji from a ninja assassination attempt! We were unable to identify the assassin because he destroyed his own features with his climbing gear before Lord Aramoro could catch him, but we are in debt to the Lady Kachiko and her brave bodyguard. We then witnessed the Crane Iaijutsu Master's daring victory over the Dragon samurai-maiden for the position of Emerald Champion, a brilliant duel that put a Crane in the position of the Emperor's personal champion. Ide said he thought the Lady Scorpion was a bit disappointed by this surprise victory, but we also understand how the long rivalry between the Scorpion Clan and the Crane Clan could still hold resentment in Lady Kachiko's heart.

It must be said that we too, have some animosity for the Crane. Their Champion has gone mad and is now leading Shadowlands armies against our own fortifications in the southern regions of our provinces. Kakita Yoshi assured Ide Tadaji that it was not Lord Hoturi, but that is difficult to believe when Otaku Kamoko says she saw him with her own eyes. We have been warned by the Lion and the Crab about the treacherous ways of the Crane, and when Lady Kachiko reluctantly agreed that she has found reason to doubt the word of Cranes in the past, we knew that we should not trust them. They have sent us messengers asking us for assistance, but we have refused to answer them. The Lion have promised us that they will be merciful with the Crane, and that we shall inherit half their lands when the war is over. In the meantime, we have much to worry about in the south. Lord Doji and his army of ghouls must be stopped, and we are the only army capable of doing so. Keep well, and we shall speak more later.