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By Rusty Priske
Edited by Fred Wan

Doji Tayoaki smoothed his pristine kimono and absent-mindedly removed a stray bit of fluff that did not exist. His painstaking attention to detail, to the point of deception as his attention was drawn to non-existent flaws, was more than just idle pretense. Tayoaki had been in court long enough to know that small distractions, whether real or imagined, were a powerful tool. Distractions could also be used to divert attention from things that he did not want to see, even after viewers had glanced at them.

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By Brian Yoon
Edited by Fred Wan

Castle of the Swift Sword, Month of the Boar, 1169
The front door of the house flew open with a resounding crash that rang through the air. Ikoma Noda looked up from the quiet peace of his room. An involuntary smile crept onto his face. There were few people who would hold such little respect for the tranquility of his home. He set his brush down, stood and strode out to greet his unexpected guest.

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By Nancy Sauer
Edited by Fred Wan

Kuni Umibe sat back on his heels and suppressed a sigh. However hard it had been to clear the circle and inscribe the wards around it, he reminded himself sternly, it was trivial compared to what was going to come next. He would not allow himself any show of weakness now. He rose, shook the worst of the dust from his kimono and walked back to the center of the circle. It was small, no larger than a peasant’s vegetable garden, but it was the largest he dared.

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PRE-RELEASE EVENTS! 

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By Shawn Carman
Development & Editing by Fred Wan

Mirumoto Narumi had visited temples all across the Empire as part of her duties as an Emerald Magistrate. It was not specifically a duty, so to speak, but travel was often involved in her work, and whenever she found herself far from home, she would enter one of the local temples to find her center. It was one of the minor rituals she practiced that helped her keep her focus and excel at her duties. Or at least, perform them in such a way that others called excellence. On that, Narumi had never felt absolutely certain. Even now, in the one temple that should offer her the comfort she needed to quell her fears, she was uncertain.

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By Nancy Sauer
Edited by Fred Wan

The City of the Lost, the Shadowlands; Month of the Rooster, Year 1169

Pokku eased around the corner, dropped to his hands and knees and scrambled rapidly across the ruined plaza. There was a gang of Omoni’s abandoned goblins roaming in the area and he didn’t want to meet them. The young goblin had come to this place for a reason, and getting eaten was certainly not it. With a last burst of speed he slithered up the stairs to the main Bloodspeaker Temple and darted into the gaping doorway.

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By Shawn Carman
Edited by Fred Wan

East of the Scorpion lands, Month of the Rooster, year 1169
Kitsuki Taiko marveled at the beauty of the Empire in autumn. The forests that dotted the countryside in this region, while vastly smaller than the Kitsune Mori in the distance, were majestic in their colors. She and her companion had ridden in silence for several hours, which suited her perfectly well. While their journey had not been nearly so exhausting as she had imagined, he could be quite tiresome nevertheless.

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By Rusty Priske
Edited by Fred Wan

Asahina Ekei gazed across the sparse hills and listened to the approach of feet, too quiet for most to notice. The wind carried a little better for Ekei than most others, though, and the light footsteps could have been thundering horse beats for all that they could avoid his notice.

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By Brian Yoon
Edited by Fred Wan

The Month of the Rooster, Year 1169
“And so, my lady, I ask as a representative of the Unicorn Clan for a symbol, any symbol, of brotherhood from our friends to the north,” Ide Eien said softly, a sincere smile pasted over his face. He spread his hands out in a placating gesture in front of him. The lady of the castle sat in front of the ambassador, her eyes boring into the man. Mirumoto Kei was well known for her tactical brilliance, her beauty, and her strength in combat. Her face was fixed into an unreadable mask, and Eien could not tell what effect his speech had had so far. The others in the room — advisors, dignitaries, and other important samurai — were not nearly as difficult to understand.

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