Slight background here to start, bear with the monk for a minute.

I have been compiling stories from various web locations and hard copies that I have been able to acquire (props to the Miya Archives) and have been in the process of adding various card art to these stories to create an illustrated archive. I am doing this for my own fun, and I give all credit to those with the creative talents to write the stories as well as create the card art. However, I was initially worried that I would be unable to acquire the most recent fictions from the Koteis but I recently found on the AEG forum that the Dooms would be posted about a week after the appropriate Kotei weekend. I located the following quote which talks about the winners fiction as well...

Hey folks!

I've just finished speaking to L5R Brand Manager Eric Devlin, who is a regular around these forums and probably well known to more than a few of you. We discussed the Kotei fictions and their current system of release, wherein they would only be released to the tournament winner, ever.

As you might now if you've been following the forums, I'm not entirely happy with the way this has panned out as not all the winners are as motivated to promote the story as we here on the Story Team are. This is not a fault of the winners by any stretch of the imagination - it's just an experiment that didn't pan out in quite the way we had hoped. Eric also felt it was unfair that some of these stories would never see the light of day.

So here's the solution: Kotei Fictions WILL be posted on the L5R Site and here on the story forums after the winners have had a reasonable amount of exclusive access to them. This allows the winner to be the first to know the story and, if he wishes, earn his props by posting it in advance. If the winner just doesn't really care or doesn't have internet access, the story won't be doomed to fade into oblivion for those who wanted to know what happened.

Also, regarding the DOOMS that have been read at the beginning of each Kotei. These will also soon be made available on the site and here on the forum. We're aiming for having the DOOM fiction appear roughly a week after it's read at the Koteis, so that those who attend will still know the story in advance.

I'm pretty excited about this development, and I hope that you fans who were frustrated that the stories were inaccessible feel the same sense of relief I do at this news.

Rich Wulf

I'm not sure how much surfing those of the Jade Hand do on other forums, but I tend to prefer the discussions here better than elsewhere, so over the various free time I have I'd like to introduce Doom discussions here and hope to get people's opinion. If you are really itching to read them they are listed on AEG's story forum, and I found a few Blood Hunt Stories on lavozakasha.com but I will be putting them up here in hopes that we can generate insight as to the future of the Jade Hand in regards to these dooms.

I pray for a pure Empire

Dooms I have compiled to date

Doom of the Empire, Part One
By Rich Wulf

Rosoku stepped though the threshold of the ancient shrine, pushing aside his hood and letting his hair spill over his shoulders. His robes were soaked from the storm. The rain fell behind him in a steady curtain, and the sky cried out with the sound of thunder. The last descendant of Shinsei made his way through the abandoned temple at a hurried pace. His dreams had been troubled of late, and for one of his bloodline troubled dreams were rarely a matter that could be safely ignored.
It hade been a promise that bound his family for generations – to remain apart from the Empire. The promise had never set well with him. How could an heir of Shinsei rightly call himself a guardian if he hid away from the world? He had stepped forward from hiding in hopes of bringing enlightenment, but how foolish he had been to think that he could offer peace as well. He had forgotten a fundamental truth. There could no be enlightenment without hardship.

The sohei guardians, warrior priests who had guarded this temple in obscurity for generations, made no move to stop him. Rosuku entered a small chamber, where a book lay in wait on a single shelf. The mark of the five rings was emblazoned upon its cover, the book that would be the prize for whatever hero met the challenges he had presented to the Emperor.

As he turned fretfully through the pages, Rosuku's thoughts moved back to his nightmare. He had stood at a crossroads in a forest and saw two paths that lay ahead, two possible futures. The rain fell about him heavily, just as it did tonight. As he studied these paths a voice echoed through the woods. The words were old and familiar yet somehow altogether new when he awoke he remembered only bits and pieces, but he knew where to seek the rest. This book, filled with the wisdom of his forebears, would contain what he sought. Turning quickly through the thick scroll he finally found the words, passages from the tongue of a long-dead madman.
It spoke of the Doom of an Empire.


Doom of an Empire, Part Two

In the dim light of the temple, Rosoku read the prophesies recorded by his ancestors. The words scrawled across the paper in an unsteady hand, as though the portents they carried struck uncertainty in the heart of even Shinsei's steadfast followers. These prophesies were recorded from the ravings of the mad prophet Uikku. They spoke of the end of the Empire, and most who knew of them assumed that they referred to the Second Day of Thunder.

But as Rosoku read the words again, his heart began to beat faster.
They Read:

The First Doom
"Of the Crab, it will be the return of an ancient hero that marks their doom. He will destroy the Crab Clan and everything for which they have fought."

Could it be? Perhaps it was nothing more than coincidence, yet it had been only months since Kisada, Champion of the Crab from generations past, had returned to the mortal realm. But no... this doom spoke of his son, Yakamo, the Crab Clan Thunder. Didn't it?

Yet... Yakamo never ‘returned' during the Clan Wars, for he had never truly ‘left,' and he was just a boy in those days, not ‘ancient' in the least. Kisada seemed to fit Uikku's description far more neatly than his son.
With trembling hands, Rosoku read on.

Doom of an Empire, Part Three
by Rich Wulf

Outside, the sounds of the storm intensified. The temple was warm enough, but the descendant of Shinsei could not restrain a shiver. The words of Uikku rang startlingly true, even with only the First Doom. He prayed it was only a coincidence, but read on just to be certain...

The Second Doom
“Of the Crane, a fallen foe will prove to be their undoing. They will be led astray by a deceiver and the true hero will arise too late to save them.”

How many heroes had fallen from the Crane Clan? Megumi. Rekai. Hohiro. The Crane hid their true fates from outsiders, but such truths could not be long hidden from one with Shinsei’s blood. As for deceivers – Rosoku suspected that there were many among the Crane who did not serve the Emperor as loyally as they claimed, but had their own interests in mind.

He then realized the truth that his dreams had hoped to reveal – the Prophecies of Uikku did indeed foretell of the Empire’s downfall.

But that time had not yet come.


Doom of an Empire, Part Four
by Rich Wulf

The descendant of Shinsei continued to pore through the mad ramblings of the prophet, Uikku. For A time he had turned away from the Dooms, reading other passages in an attempt to calm his mind. It was said that the prophet’s other predictions were little more than madness. He had hoped to convince himself there was no merit in Uikku’s words, but as Rosoku read them his concern only grew.

"A wolf shall sit upon the throne, and embrace the void.” Had this not come to pass? Had not the Black Wolf married the Oracle of the Void and begun the Toturi Dynasty?

“Insects of the sea, forest, and flame shall rule the open sea.” This seemed to speak of the Mantis Clan’s rise from the Mantis, Wasp, and Centipede Clans.

“Those who shed the blood of gods will rise to glory and madness.” Even this seemed to speak of Hitomi and Yakamo, the unpredictable new masters of the Celestial Heavens.

He turned back to the Dooms once more. Perhaps if the time of Uikku’s prophecy was indeed approaching, he might yet find a way to avert it.

The Third Doom
“The Lion Clan shall find that blind faith in the Throne leaves you blind to the need of the Empire.”

This passage, sadly, was less clear than the rest. How could the Lion hope to resist such a fate? If they were to set aside their faith in the Throne, would they not destroy everything they were? Rosoku sighed and rubbed his tired eyes with two fingers. He must continue reading...


Doom of an Empire, Part Five
by Rich Wulf

Rokugan was a land of strict traditions. Samurai followed the pattern set by their ancestors - was it any wonder that history and destiny sometimes followed similar patterns? Rosoku, the descendant of Shinsei, had realised a startling truth. The Prophecies of Uikku had not yet come to pass. As he read each Doom, he saw them now not as visions of the future, but as almost living things. How long had the Dooms crept at the edge of consciousness, waiting to inflict themselves upon as unsuspecting Empire? Perhaps when they had not come to pass during the Clan War they merely retreated, waiting to spring forth once more.
He read on...

The Fourth Doom
“The Tao of Shinsei is no guard against darkness. It is their pride that will blind the Phoenix to their downfall.”

Much like the Lion’s Doom, this one also seemed like the sort that would be impossible to predict or to realise until it had come to pass. The Phoenix were a fiercely proud people, and often stumbled due to their arrogance. Could he even protect them, considering that the Doom itself said that Shinsei’s wisdom would be powerless to save them?

But what if this Doom meant something more? Two of the Emperor’s own brothers now stood among the Phoenix Clan. Kaneka and Sezaru were both proud men. Perhaps now safeguarding their destinies this Doom, at least, might be averted? And with these brave souls as examples, how could any Phoenix fail?

It was a dim sense of hope, but better than nothing. Rosoku read on.


The Doom of an Empire, Part Six
By Rich Wulff

The fifth Doom stared up at Rosoku from the ancient parchment. Rosoku read the words, and then read them again. He wondered if perhaps he had been mistaken in believing Uikku’s Dooms had not yet happened.

The Fifth Doom
"At the moment of their victory, that is when the Scorpion Clan shall learn the cost of dark alliances."

But the Scorpion had already faced many evils within their clan. The Shadowed Tower, the Lying Darkness, the corruption of Yogo Junzo and Bayushi Shoju. They had conquered all these things and became stronger for it. Could their doom already have been occurred?

No. Uikku’s dooms were ordered for a purpose, the mad prophet was clear in that regard. Each one must occur in sequence, or the ravings meant nothing. Did the Scorpion possess some unrevealed dark alliance? Were they set to engage an enemy and arise victorious?

To know that, Rosoku realized, he would have to know all the secrets of the Scorpion Clan. Unlikely, even for one with all of Shinsei’s wisdom.

With a heavy sigh, he kept reading.

Hmm... a few of these are kind of a stretch.

By the dooms:
Crab: Kisada is hardly "ancient". Even if he's slightly older than Yakamo. Honestly, this sounds like it's talking about Atarasi - he's the best fit for an "ancient hero" that might spell the doom of the Crab.

Crane: Rich is really stretching here. The Crane talks about a "fallen foe", not a "fallen hero". This would seem to be talking about someone that the Crane mistakenly defeat, and then realize that they need them. Now, this could also be talking about someone that the Crane were manipulated into destroying by the Gozoku, and later regret it.

Lion: This could really be talking about anyone. The Lion do this all the time. I don't think we can take this as evidence for anything.

Phoenix: Like the Lion, this is so vague as to be anti-useful.

Scorpion: Not enough information.

I haven't been to the Alderac forum in over a week. What do the Dooms have to do with the Jade Hand?

Based on some of the other information I've gatherd so far this is basically the set up to gen con. The Dooms as they were written before the second day of thunder were set up for KYD if it came to pass. If Fu Leng won, these Dooms would see the end of the empire. As it were the clans overcame their Dooms in order to save the empire. I believe the re-hash here is with the whole Lotus/Dark Lotus structure and if Dark Lotus comes to pass it will be the Doom of the Empire (in Shinsei's mind a loss of enlightenment is the end) and I'm sure the story team will find some way to expand on these Dooms.

I guess the way I see the jade hand involved is that for Dark Lotus and these Dooms to come about the Shadowlands will have to win. Its something we try to avoid. That is unless members don't feel Enlightenment is a good goal anymore. I would hate to see that aspect of the game disappear (if even for a short time).

The reason the dooms were written the way they were is so that it could be assumed that they haven't happened yet. One could think Kisada was indeed the return of the ancient hero. While not ancient he is of a different era and did return from the Celestial Heavens. And then again, if you look at Yakamo, while he had the soul of Atarasi, he himself is not a hero until well after the Day of Thunder.

Think about the crane. Rosuko is thinking of fallen cranes who are now foes. The foe hasn't fallen in the sense of death, but fallen refers to the shadowlands taint in his mind. Akiko (Gozoku) is quite the deceiver and with nightmare Uji returning....

The Lion and Phoenix are very open ended which means that they can go off whenever is convienient for the story team. It was that way before for the same reasons.

The Scorpion are the ones that have the most contradiction. Haven't the scorpion been pretty good about purging their dark alliances (Shadowed Tower et al) and while they may still be there, it is difficult to see this one. It also implies that the Scorpion will have some sort of false victory, and as of yet the Scorpion have had rather little effect on the story recently.

I just to get insight from those of you with similar ideals to my own. After all Enlightenment has many paths.

Possibly referring to Scorpion Shaow Magic. Tejina I think.

Also, how is Naseru bad for the Empire (refering to the Lion)?