- The world is wind, immaterial and ever-changing.
Not so terribly long ago, the Imperial City would have been a much different place. But then, supposedly that was always so. It was ever-changing, always shifting to adopt the mood of those within it. During the reign of the Emperor Toturi III it had been a center of progress and cooperation between the clans, for the most part. After his disappearance and death it had become a hotbed of political manipulation and quiet animosity. Now that the Phoenix Clan had assumed stewardship over the city, in the aftermath of what was being called the Battle of Toshi Ranbo, there was a quiet tension to the place, laced with an undercurrent of resentment.Only a few months ago it was the deep of winter and the Unicorn Clan Daimyo, known as The Khan Moto Chagatai launched and unprecedented winter war to take the throne of Rokugan by force. With cover allies in the Mantis the Unicorn marched on the capital city of Toshi Ranbo deep with Lion Clan territories. Sacking Kyuden Ikoma as they went, the Unicorn then drew on the power of their Bauranghar, the army of Ki-rin Shugenja, to move the massive army through Lion territory virtually unopposed. Drawing on the kami to ravage the lands with winter storms the Unicorn arrived at the gates of the City of Violence Behind Courtliness in full fighting force.
Only the Akodo, and a small collection of allies from those clans who had troops in the city stood against the Unicorn. That is where the Ki-Rin cavalry advantage ended, and the battle was pitched and bloody. During the fighting The Khan and the Shogun Akodo Kaneka faced off, and it was the bastard son of Toturi I that died in that fight falling to the Khan's scimitar. Toturi Sezaru, the brother of the Shogun, driven mad by Tadaka's Last Wish, ravaged attackers and defenders from high above the city with magical fire until his wife stabbed him in the belly ending his life. With Toturi III already lost in the Shadowlands months ago (which precipitated the attack in the first place) the power base in Rokugan was quickly failing.
When the battle was over, the Empress Toturi Kurako was dead having taken her own life when she thought her guard at failed to keep the Khan's forces from taking her hostage. The Imperial Chancellor Bayushi Kaukatsu was also dead, killed by angry kansen of Toshi Ranbo awoken by the bloody battle. Dozens of other important political figures from all ranks of the state were also dead or missing. The Emerald Champion had fell in the Shadowlands at Toturi III's side last year, and the Jade Champion abdicated his post and fled Rokugan with the heir of Shinsei in secret leaving no one of true authority to left within Toshi Ranbo.
The battle ended, with the Unicorn not defeated, but not victorious either. For the Phoenix Clan arrived using magical travel to bring their Shiba samurai to bear on the conflict attempting to simply end it, and save lives. It was however the Dragon of Fire, the Celestial Manifestation of the Oracle of Fire, who came with the Phoenix that truly ended the conflict.
The Phoenix took stewardship of the city from all opposition, and declares the war over and none could contest them. They send Moto Chagatai and the Unicorn home with no further punishments, and did not allow the young Daimyo of the Lion Matsu Yoshino to challenge the Unicorn Khan. So the young Lion Daimyo swore an oath to sack Shiro Moto within one year.
That was then; this is now, months later. The winter is gone, spring has bloomed into summer and with nearly every single position of power left void in the empire, the scramble of courtier, samurai and shugenja to fill that void has begun. The Imperial City is packed to the gills with power players and those that want to be such. The Fire Dragon remains flying over the Imperial Palace declaring the Phoenix as the city's masters -- for now.
The Month of the Horse, 1169, Toshi Ranbo
For one reason or another you have come to Toshi Ranbo, perhaps the son of an important diplomat, or perhaps a samurai to be taught a lesson in the courts, or perhaps a shugenja who has rewarded with a comfortable posting or any of a dozen reasons might bring you to Toshi Ranbo. That is where the differences in our heroes' situation end. What they share in common is that there are many others of their clan with higher status and glory and there is only so much room at the clan estates. Many of the clan estates are destroyed still from the war; the Crane for example lost everything in the attack, strange explosions demolishing their holdings in the city. As a result you are forced one by one to find someplace to stay. Some of you are forgotten about, either by accident, or on purpose.
In the House of Lost Ambition you have managed to find a room, a place to eat and drink, and somewhere to spend some time. In a very out of the way portion of the Okura District an odd collection of Scorpion, Crab, Mantis, Phoenix and Crane have come to spend the night...
