Introduction

In the Land of the Crane, shadowy ninja silently slip through the night, gathering secrets and assassinating their enemies. Mystic onmyōji struggle to keep the five elemental forces of nature in balance, and ascetic monks train in the arts of unarmed combat so they might have the stamina necessary to spend days in meditation.

Powerful nobles engage in political machinations as they vie for control of the shogunate. Poverty-stricken peasants labor in their masters’ fields, harvesting rice and wheat, and brave samurai ride headlong into battle.

Immortal spirits inhabit the land, spreading fortune and prosperity to those that appease them, and famine and pestilence to those that do not. Mischievous foxes, hungry ghosts and celestial dragons threaten the security of the Empire just as much as the lizard-riding barbarians of the Hordelands or the ruthless Warlords of Xin.

It is these turbulent times that give rise to heroes; men and women who will defend the Empire, bring honor to their ancestors, and earn glory for their clans.