))"Minna-sama," the Usagi spoke up. "I am Usagi Tomoe, historian of the Hare Clan. I am looking forward to spending time with all of you, especially to share tales and histories between the clans... there is much to learn about the Unicorn's travels, and there is much we can in return teach the Unicorn of all that has happened in the Empire since Shinjo-no-Kami began their long travel outside the Empire's borders."
"It is my hope that I can assist in this, as a historian trained by the Asako loremasters, if I may have a moment of your time."
With tortoise in one hand, the rabbit cleared her throat and waited for people to settle in before she would begin the first lesson. The one that had probably had the most effect on the more recent history in the Empire, even if the subject was perhaps controversial. Still, she would honorably leave out parts that could cast shame on any clans.
"In the year 510, the Empire was struck by a great catastrophe that would change aspects of spiritual worship of our honored dead, and would unite the clans together to fight a greater evil as the clans had once united like the Seven Thunders."
"A pair of brave samurai, Soshi Takasho and Akodo Minobe, uncovered a plot to overthrow the Emperor, devised by the foul enemy Iuchiban. In these days of old, our honored dead's remains were buried in sanctified burial chambers, as had been the practice since before the founding of the Emerald Empire. The evil Iuchiban would use forbidden magic to bring the dead to life under his command... and he succeeded in his magic, causing the Battle of Stolen Graves that took place in Otosan Uchi."
"With an army under his control, the criminal sent them against the Imperial Palace. Akodo Minobe, having known of this, stood ready with the vanguard of Imperial Guardsmen to stop their advance, and with his skill and leadership, they successfully pushed the enemy forces back to the temple where the criminal had fortified himself. The brave Akodo Minobe was the first one to breach the defenses and with his spear brought Iuchiban down, while Soshi Takasho had uncovered the hidden escape route to be used by his accomplices and with aid from the kami he was able to capture the accomplices of the enemy, so they could be brought to justice. With the defeat of their master, the dead no longer moved under his command and were returned to their rest."
"However, Akodo Minobe's spear was not enough to bring down someone who used such forbidden and unnatural magic, and the Emperor commanded the Kaiu Family of the Crab Clan to construct a tomb to forever trap the dangerous man. All of his accomplices were righteously executed for their blasphemous crimes."
"The concern that someone else could perhaps use such evil powers to disturb the honored dead, caused the Emperor in his wisdom to issue an Imperial Edict that from now on, we would protect those who had passed on by sacred cremation instead, so their remains could no longer be sullied again or serve as vessels of evil magic."
"Over 100 years passed since the Battle of Stolen Graves, and the threat of such evil became a memory, and then a page in history. Until Iuchiban returned in the year 750 to seek revenge for his loss at the Battle of Stolen Graves. Unfortunately, he still had followers who waited for his return and aided him by raising the bodies of the dead, stolen away before the Imperial Edict had been enforced throughout the Empire properly, in preparation for such a day."
"His new army marched upon the Scorpion city of Ryoko Owari. It's civilians fled and the city ravaged it and marched south to the pass of Beiden. The armies of the Scorpion Clan heroicly fought backwards non-stop for nearly 5 days in the Battle of Bloody Retreat, knowing they had to buy time for their people to flee and for the other Clans to assemble their armies. On the fifth day, they suddenly could her the proud cheers of the Lion reinforcements who rushed forth to engage with the enemy. However, the Scorpion were reduced to the last of their legion, exhausted and wounded, and even with the reinforcement of thousands of Lion soldiers, the enemy managed to push through the Lion army, heading north along the Way of Vengeance Road and onto the Plains of Sleeping River."
"The enemy tried to flee across the Plains of Sleeping River as they had pushed past the Lion, for even they were taking heavy losses. But their escape was cut short by the full force of the Phoenix military that stood ready. Trapped between the Phoenix and the Lion, the enemy threw everything they had into one final battle; the Battle of Sleeping River. Such was the might of Iuchiban that his hordes might yet have won the day against the Phoenix and the Lion, but victory would not go to someone who had blasphemed so. The fresh and prepared armies of the Crane Clan and the Dragon Clan joined the battle, and the ensuing conflict lasted a full week."
"The Battle of Sleeping River was won by the combined might of the Empire's forces, when a tattooed monk of the Dragon Clan captured the Bloodspeaker, at the cost of his own life, and sealed away Iuchiban. The enemy no longer had a commander, and the dead no longer had anyone to control them, and the Empire's forces cut down the remaining enemy forces. The battle was won, the enemy defeated, and the threat of the blasphemer ended."
"We learn from history that the Empire must ever be vigilant against those who forsake honor for the sake of blinded ambition and unholy power. As well as that when united in a common cause, like the Seven Thunders had once been, the Empire is stronger than any enemy."
