History

14 years ago (35 years ago now) an army of Shadowlands monsters overran large portions of the wall. The Crab fought valliantly. The sheer number of the enemy overwhelmed them. Popular belief among scholars is that this was the single largest assault by the shadowlands since the time of Fu-Leng. The Crab, along with many other clans were decimated. The Crab lost about half of their number. The Lion were the first clan to respond to the threat. They fought as well as could be expected and suffered accordingly. After the massive Lion army and the groups sent by other clans were all overran clans began to fortify themselves instead.

Taking this chance to try and advance their positions within the empire certain families made moves against eachother.

The first of such moves was when a sizable Crane army moved to Kyuden Suzume (Sparrow clan castle) under the pretense of helping them defend their mountain pass home against the encroaching monsters. The Sparrow realized too late that they were being fooled and what defense they were able to mount was too little too late. The surviving members of the Sparrow clan were given the chance to swear fealty to the Crane. Some of them agreed. Others fled into the night. They still claim the Sparrow clan name but their holdings are sparse. The Suzume clan name is split between the Crane family and the Sparrow clan.

Another, more ambitious move happened when the remote Crab castle, Shiro Kaotsuki no Higashi, the norhtern most castle in Crab lands was attacked by an army of Ronin. Seeing as most guards had been called to the wall to fight the ones that remained here were borderline criminals. They put up virtually no fight and swore their allegiance to the Ronin General Yoshiro. He fortified his position and brought all essential personnel into the castle. He offered the remaining guards at the Watchtower of the East, just south of his newly acquired city, his protection if they joined him. They argued amongst eachother for a few days and consented to join him. The tower was reinforced for a total of 100 ronin guarding it.

One night they were attacked by a force of shadowlands monsters and down to the last person there is no evidence of the people that once occupied the tower. This force of shadowlands monsters continued into the Shinomen forest. Sometime later they retreated from the forest to discover the previously conquered watch tower once again occupied. (More on that later).

There are rumors that a child of of the previous Toturi emperor, born of an affair with a Moto ambassador, has been discovered. There is a major political push by the Unicorn, the Crane and the Scorpion to have the child recognized as the rightful heir to the throne. The only issue is the childs age. She is 7 years old at the time of her discovery. After much political manuvering by both clans she is proclaimed Emperess. With a council to rule until such time she is fit to run the empire. The advisory council is composed of Bayushi Paneki (Scorpion), Moto Chen (Unicorn) and Doji Domotai (Crane). They are responsible for instructing the young emperess in all things political. But not to have all the power in the empire overseen by those three clans the Lion threatened open war with all three clans if another advisor wasnt added for military matters. Akodo Shigetoshi (Lion clan) was named Shogun of the imperial legions and Kitsu Katsuko was recognized as the new Clan Daimyo.

During time rife with conflict the Phoenix lands came under assault by the dragon. During this time The Phoenix champion, Shiba Tsukimi, was assassinated. Very quickly a new Clan Champion was named Agasha Chieh. A young but capable Shugenja who has proven herself many times over to those that doubted her.

During this assault on Phoenix lands there were rumors from what was left of the Crab Lands that The Kuni and Toritaka families were not only begining to turn back assaults by the monsters they were going back on the offensive. The Kuni and Toritaka families along with more Nezumi than had ever been seen in one place began to push back against the monsterous hordes. Soon the Ronin General Yoshiro offered up some of his forces to help the embattled Kuni and Toritaka families. They accepted his help and he lead half of his troops himself into battle along side the families. They occupied the Watch Tower of the East and sent out scouts. They flushed the Shadowlands armies south from the Shinomen forest and pushed south and west towards the wall and back into the Shadowlands. The families having sent for help from all of the clans received virtually none except from the Lion. Every crab soldier left joined the fight Leaving their strongholds to be guarded by the young, the old and the infirm. During the final push, back over the wall, Ronin General Yoshiro sacrificed his own life to protect the Crab clan champion from a Shadowlands assassins blade.

After the battle was turned people began to tend to their wounds. But the Kuni and Toritaka families were outraged. They took their battle tested armies and turned them inwards, towards the empire. Specifically their nearest neighbors the Crane. The collapsed the mountain passes around the former Sparrow clan castle, trapping the occupying Crane army in the pass. From there they moved south and east. Taking over lands traditionally held by the crane. After months of conquering crane lands The shogun himself showed up leading the imperial legions.

Meetings were held and the Shogun agreed to let the Kuni and Toritaka families keep the lands they had acquired. The Kuni declined the offer and simply wanted to return to their lands within the Crab territory. The Toritaka Daimyo Kaiketsu petitioned the throne to reform the Falcon clan and keep the lands he had acquired. After much debate the advisory council relented and agreed to the Toritakas request. The surviving Ronin from General Yoshiros army swore fealty to the Toritaka family and most were accepted.

The Crab still controll the wall. but much of their lands are controlled by other clans, ronin and some were taken away by imperial edict. The Kuni and Toritaka families maintain VERY close relationships. The Phoenix and Dragon armies were ordered to halt their war against eachother. The Sparrow were granted controll of a village very recently occupied by the Toritaka family. But due to their recent expansion the Newly re-formed Falcon clan decided to let that one go. The Kuni family and the Flacon clan coffers were enhanced by the empire for their role in the Shadowlands war. Kuni Kumi was named clan champion. Former clan champion Hida Kuon was granted seppuku for his clans failure in the Shadowlands war. The Crane captain that lead the attack on the Sparrow lands was executed and the castle was given over to imperial controll.

The campaign begins 14 years after these events took place.