Despair and Wisdom: Imperial March

Crab
While the Crab have enjoyed a fairly prolonged period of quiet from the Shadowlands, the number of scout patrols failing to return has been steadily increasing as of late. Something is coming, yet the Empire as a whole believes rumor of such to simply be the Crab trying to justify more aid for defending the Empire against ghost stories.

Crane
The Crane find themselves in a bad a position historically as anyone can remember. Massive storms along their coast have caused massive crop failures for the past couple of years. A recent increase in piracy is increasing the economic pressure they feel, which is weakening them politically. Further damaging them politically is the recent mysterious death of the Emerald Champion. While he was getting up there in years, his temporary replacement, the Ruby Champion has yet to officially announce the cause of death which is breeding troublesome rumors. Could someone have actually struck down the second most important man in the Empire?

Lion aggression as they continue to assert their claim on Toshi Ranbo and the Osiri plains continues to escalate. The Crane must retain their control over the city and the plains to avoid famine this season. However, in a late spring assault lead personally by the Lion clan champion, Lion forces were turned back when the Crane clan champion slew him with an arrow. This has sparked no small outrage among the Lion, and while war has not officially been declared yet, it's only a matter of time. Salvation likely lies in the hands of the Unicorn. If the Crane can merely hold on to Toshi Ranbo until deteriorating Unicorn/Lion relations pull them into conflict, the Crane stand a chance.

The Crane strive to present their customary elegance to the outside world, and things seem well enough in the major cities and courts. But out in the countryside people are starving, and starvation breeds banditry and worse. Some see hope in their winning of the Topaz Championship, while others mummer about the win being sullied by a nearly fatal accident in the iaijutsu tournament.

Dragon
In the lands of the Dragon, the Perfect Land sect have found a handy base of operations. The relatively sparse, yet open-minded samurai population have given them a chance to spread their message to the peasantry. The message that one need not endure many cycles of reincarnation if they simply put their faith in Shinsei. The Phoenix are not pleased with this, and want this 'cult' rooted out, but the Dragon are unwilling to give free reign to the Phoenix inquisitors to do so.

Imperial
Though no one speaks of it openly, age is slowly, but surely bringing down the Emperor. While he does have, as they say, an heir and a spare, there are some whispers that perhaps the spare would be better suited to replace his father, than the heir. Others note with some small concern that the younger prince seems to be forming a rather tight-knit friendship with the son of the Scorpion clan champion, much as the Emperor himself is friends with the Scorpion clan champion. Those who are concerned with a continued rise of Scorpion clan power might well hope that the Crown Prince grows into the leader they need, and quickly.

Lion
The Crane continue to refuse to cede Toshi Ranbo and the Osiri plains to the Lion clan, which are lands that are rightfully theirs the Ikoma would surely tell you. Worse than that, in an assault that promised to give the city to the Lion, the Crane clan champion slew the Lion clan champion with an arrow like a coward. War has not officially been declared yet, as the clan needs a short time to transfer power to their new champion, Akodo Toturi, but it is coming. However, this may indeed end up a two-front war due to the Unicorn.

After the return of the clan formerly known as the Ki-Rin to Rokugan, tensions had been slowly building with these so called Unicorn, as they lay claim to lands that the Lion took into their care centuries ago when the Unicorn absconded them.. However, in the interest of keeping the Emperor’s peace, the Lion were willing to consider a treaty brokered between the two clans that would be sealed with a marriage between the daimyo of the Shinjo family and the daimyo of the Ikoma family. The Ikoma daimyo was even willing to divorce his wife, so the Lion could offer a spouse of standing proper enough to marry the Shinjo daimyo.

However, this was not enough for the greedy Unicorn, who met this sacrifice with scorn. Not only did they demand “their” lands back, they demanded that the Lion break with custom, and give up the Ikoma daimyo to marry into the Shinjo and take her name, forsaking the proud lineage of Ikoma. When it was pointed out that such demands were simply impossible, the Unicorn dishonorably broke off the agreement.

Honor demanded war with the Unicorn for this insult. However, as the finest army that has ever existed in the Empire, the Lion are fully confident that the war will end in victory for the Lion by the end of the year.

Phoenix
The Phoenix have been seeing two threats emerging in the Empire with growing concern. There are growing imbalances in the Empire, both spiritual and mortal.

There is a growing imbalance in the elements themselves. The storms that have wracked Crane lands are proof enough of that. When even the Master of Water themselves cannot turn aside a tsunami from devastating their closest allies, something is clearly wrong. The root of this problem may in fact be the strange magic the Unicorn insist on practicing. If they will not choose to put aside their strange gaijin magic, the Phoenix may have to take action against them. There are whispers in the court of restoring the office of the Jade Champion, threatening the Phoenix's clearly defined mastery of magic.

And as disharmony exists within the elements, so too does man find themselves in disharmony as the rise of the Perfect Land sect. While the Phoenix have been zealous in making sure that such blasphemy does not take root within their lands, their neighbors the Dragon have not been so through.

However, sending aid to either the Dragon or the Crane has proved exceedingly difficult. The Dragon are unwilling to permit the inquisitors free reign to hunt down cultists in their lands. The Crane, meanwhile, insist that they do not need the aid of their allies and are strong enough to tend to their own affairs, even as their people starve.

Scorpion
The Scorpion are in a very strong position at the moment. Secretly, they have hired the Mantis clan to target Crane shipping vessels for plundering. While the Crane struggle to recover economically, the Scorpion continues to siphon political power away from them. The Scorpion clan champion is a close personal friend of the Emperor, and his wife serves as the Imperial Advisor, the equal of the Imperial Chancellorship held by the Crane. Ryoko Owari Toshi continues to flourish economically under the wise rule of Bayushi Hyobu, and the Scorpion are not in any military conflicts at the moment. All told, of all the clans, the Scorpion are flourishing.

Unicorn
After the return of the Unicorn to Rokugan, tensions had been slowly building with the Lion as the Unicorn have sought to reclaim their lands that the Lion took from them centuries ago when the Unicorn left the Empire. There had been hope that a treaty brokered between the two clans could be sealed with a marriage between the daimyo of the Shinjo family and the daimyo of the Ikoma family. The Unicorn even offered a dowry of a herd of Utaku battle steeds, a gift rare beyond measure.

However, this was not enough for the greedy Lion, who claimed that their customs required the Shinjo daimyo take her husband’s name and join his family. Given that the Ikoma daimyo had, in fact, already been married and had divorced his wife to allow him to marry the Shinjo daimyo, it was clear to her who the Lion felt would be the master of this relationship. Unwilling to enter into such an arrangement, the Shinjo daimyo broke off the agreement, despite the heavy loss of honor for doing so.

War was unavoidable with the Lion clan, and formal hostilities began in the early summer. The Unicorn have a cavalry force unrivalled within the Empire, and are confident they can settle the war by the end of the year. Although there is also the matter to consider of the Phoenix demanding the Unicorn set aside the magic that they have passed down from generation to generation. To assure the fears of the Imperial Court, the daughter of the Iuchi daimyo, Shahai, is "a guest" of the capital to demonstrate this strange magic to the Seppun Hidden Guard. While they are meeting the Lion on the field of battle, they well be fighting the Phoenix in court.

State of the Minor Clans

Cat
These are busy times for the Cat clan. Between gathering information about the Perfect Land Sect, and supressing information about the Tortoise, their tour schedule is solidly booked.

Deer
The Deer are enjoying good fortunes after a successful miai at the Kyuden. Some very talented artists contributed works of exceptional quality to the Kyuden and there and invitations to the Kyuden are in even hotter demand than normal.

Dragonfly
The flightly Dragonfly are a bit on edge these days with the hostilities between the Unicorn and the Lion. After all, if you're going to march on the Unicorn, then clearly the shortest path from Lion lands is through Kyuden Tonbo...at least on the Lion's maps.

Fox
With the return of the Unicorn, there are once again those who wonder aloud if the Fox clan is REALLY necessary. Both the Crab and the Scorpion would like to add the Fox's territory to their own. While both great clans have bigger problems to deal with at the moment, the thought remains.

Mantis
With a vault filled with koku (both paid from the Scorpion, and stolen from the Crane), the Mantis seek to expand their power within the Empire. They've identified the Otter clan as a potential conquest. After all, the Mantis have dominion over the oceans, and what are rivers but an extension of the oceans? Gifts and favors are flowing from the Islands of Silk and Spice to those who have influence in the Imperial Court (and aren't in Crane colors, be it outer or inner kimono). And should the Otter territory fall to the Mantis, perhaps it's time for the Mantis to own more of the mainland.

Moth
The dreams of the Moth have been dark lately. Signs point to an upcoming crisis of enormous size, but few have time to heed the words of the Minor Clan.

Otter
While the shadow of the Mantis clan may be looming large upon the tiny Otter, there are mummers about the leadership of the clan. The latest member of the clan, Usogawa Bo, fresh from the miai at Kyuden Shika, has been well received. However, there are concerns about whether the daimyo's family is going to have the cleverness and quickness to navigate the rapids of the future.

Sparrow
Life has never been easy in the Sparrow lands, and the storms that wracked the Crane also made for a poor harvests for the Sparrow. However, the Perfect Land Sect has picked up significant support among the youth of the Sparrow. After all, an afterlife of bliss simply by accepting the word of Shinsei is certainly preferable to an endless cycle of reincarnations into lives of toil.

Tortoise
With a rather sizeable gaijin population, and a nearly Ryoko Owari sized opium business, the Tortoise have a lot to hide, and a growing uncertainty that an aging emperor will continue to conceal all their secrets. Publicly, the Tortoise are leaning more into their role as stewards of the Imperial city, and less as their role of Voice of the Minor Clans in the Imperial Court. Still, their maintaining a close relationship with the Cat clan for completely legitimate reasons.