Timeline of the Future!
A brief note on some things that have notably changed as far as families and clans:
-A number of Minor Clans have died out, been absorbed, or been created during the past centuries. Badger, Ox, Tortoise, Oriole and Monkey no longer exist. The Tonbo have become part of the Dragon. The Komori have been absorbed by the Mantis while the Kitsune split away from them. The Firefly, Osprey, and Shark are all new minor clans.
-The Spider lost and gained families. But as they are not featured much in this game, the details will be left fuzzy.
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(The bones of this timeline were taken from Imperial Histories 2. This has been edited way down to fit with the smaller scope game. )
Eras used by modern historians:
Age of the Kami: Time when the Kami walked within Rokugan. Generally, Fu Leng is not considered when determining the end of this Age. Privately, the Spider ignore the following age and consider the Age of Expansion to be the next major era.
Age of Rokugan: Time between the disappearance of Lady Doji and the end of the Destroyer war, when the Empire reached to embrace the former Ivory Kingdoms.
Age of Expansion: From the founding of colonies in the former Ivory Kingdoms until the first spaceship takes flight.
Age of Stars: The current era.
1178
After being rebuked for their disloyalty to the Empire and Daigotsu’s pact by collecting gaijin artifacts in secret, the Chuda stage a betrayal of a large contingent of Daigotsu warriors deep in the jungle. However, the Spider and Dragon are fully prepared for the predictable turn of events, and the few surviving tsukai flee for their lives. Following decades see the Spider hunt down nearly all of the remaining Chuda with only few of the Family surviving the Daigotsu's wrath.
1180
The last remaining Badger dies.
1403
The Kuchiki Famly is established by young priestess, Kuchiki Daigotsu. Records detailing the events that led to the creation of the Kuchiki are not well known as Ikoma histories seem oddly quiet about the matter.
1810
With Yobanjin lands firmly secured and 'civilized', Rougani expands further north, conquering the High Steppes to claim the land and its resources to feed the ever-growing population.
2190
The Festering Pit of Fu Leng is finally closed under the leadership of the legendary Kuni Yanagi in a ritual that consumes the lives of one hundred and eight shugenja and and an entire year's output of jade from the Empire's mines. The Festering Pit is finally sealed with Yuruginai, the Celestial Sword of the Crab, driven into the earth at what had been the center of the pit. The enormous sacrifices are deemed worth the safety of the Empire, quelling the periodic surges of activity from Jigoku.
While much of the Empire celebrates, the Spider attempt to attack the Crab in court for the destruction of one of their holy sites. The Crab point out that the site is as consecrated as any spot in the Empire, but open gates between Ningen-do and other realms threaten the stability of the realms and have been closed and protected when found. Backed up theologically by the Phoenix, and politically by everyone else, the Spider are forced to back away from the fight. Several of the most devout commit seppuku in protest, and relations with the Crab become even more strained.
The temples of the capital and many other temples observe the day each year by ringing the bells 108 times to commemorate their sacrifice. Temples dedicated to Diagotsu douse all flames and maintain silence within from midnight to midnight.
2195
After slowly acquiring a massive horde of jade, the Scorpion, with the technical assistance of the Kuni, are ready to duplicate the Crab's feat at their own festering pit, which has seen increased activity since the first was closed. Kuni researchers readily provide technical assistance, but their numbers are still so depleted that they are able to offer only one of their number to participate in the ritual; a symbolic sign of the Crab's dedication toward wiping the influence of Jigoku from Rokugan.
Despite intense lobbying and equally intense efforts at sabotage on the part of the Spider, the Scorpion complete the closing six months before the publicly scheduled event, intended to coincide with the anniversary of Yanagi's feat. Despite having no one of Yanagi's stature and experience, and generally less affinity with the element of earth, the Soshi are still able to close this smaller portal with the same prescribed 108 shugenja. No Yogo take part in the ritual.
While intermittent portals and dark magic still allow the occasional passage of demons into Rokugan, for the first time, the realms are in balance, with no known permanent portals between them.
2272
The Great Cataclysm of the Sands. A previously unknown plague demolishes Medinat al-Salaam and its surrounding lands, wiping out millions. Senpet and Yodotai suffer from the economic repercussions of the plague and anarchy spreads within both Empires. The wasting disease, rages for years, wiping out almost ninety percent of the Yodotai population. During the next decades the small factions fight over the remaining resources with the surviving Senpet and people of Medinat al-Salaam. Over the following two centuries, the great civilizations of the sands all but cease to exist, names of its people surviving only in the tales of the few remaining Ra’Shari. Some refugees stagger across the Sands to seek refuge in Rokugan or its colonies. Having heard of the events in the sands, Imperial authorities enforce a strict quarantine that shuts off all but the thinnest trickle of such immigration.
2290
On the centennial of Kuni Yanagi's sacrifice, Iweko XLIV announces that Yanagi has ascended into the Celestial Heavens as the Fortune of Purity for his feat.
2305
Despite the quarantine, the wasting disease spreads into the Empire. Samurai and heimin perish in droves as healers strive to find a cure. Some nobles flee to the colonies, bringing the disease with them. For some reason, the Great Blight as the disease has became to be known is even more virulent among the Ivindi, spreading like wildfire among the tiny local population. This leads to speculation that the disease was a final 'gift' of one of Kali-ma's cults. Seventy percent of the population of Rokugan and its colonies die before the Isawa announce they have discovered a cure. Little by little, they rebuild a decimated society. Of the Ivory Kingdom natives, only few individuals remain and the next century sees the extinction of the already small tribe.
Rokugani economy collapses and many of the ji-samurai are forced to become farmers and craftsmen as their lords lack funds to support them, effectively creating a working-class nobility. During the following years these changes become more or less permanent with the ji-samurai taking responsibility of highly skilled work, becoming doctors, traders and engineers, forming a own sub-class of buge. Following the old traditions, these men and women receive military training and are employed in the army during the times of war.Technology takes a sharp setback as well, as the industries supporting anything more advanced than survival collapses. This too rebuilds slowly over the ensuing decades.
2307
The Wasting Disease spreads into Merenae, killing millions. Civil unrest is followed by several civil wars as the survivors struggle for power.
2315
The Tonbo, down to a handful of survivors rebuilding after losses to the plague, lose their lands to the Lion during one of the many uneven engagements between the two Clans. Tonbo Kai leads his people into exile, fleeing to the Dragon lands. The political situation of the time, and lack of numbers, does not allow the Dragon to intervene, but they allow the Tonbo to build a small village within their lands. The Lion are unhappy about this turn of events, but have their hands full fighting the Crane--a war that provided the pretext for marching across Tonbo lands in the first place. Over the next few decades the Tonbo village grows and flourishs under Dragon's protection. Eventually Kai’s daughter, Kanami swears loyalty to the Dragon daimyo, marrying one of his sons and uniting the Tonbo with the Dragon with the blessings of the Emerald Throne.
2369
Rokugan, having recovered from the Great Blight slowly expands to exploit the lands left by fallen civilizations. Wherever the Rokugani travel they find only smoking ruins and scattered communities. The Tortoise clan, having lost much of the reason for its existence, is merged with the Imperial families via Imperial Edict. Most of the Kasuga join the Otomo or Seppun. Notably, with the help of Mantis navy, the Throne claims Merenae lands to its name, eventually granting their custody to the Mantis.
2542
A great earthquake off the Islands of Spice demolishes Mantis and Komori holdings, while the resulting tsunami ravages coastal areas of the mainland, shifting the map significantly. The Bat clan, having lost most of its people, granaries, and its entire fleet, stands on the verge of utter destruction. Komori Heihachi approaches the Mantis for aid and eventually kneels before Yoritomo Umie. The Komori return to their parent clan as full-fledged vassals.
2665
The Phoenix scholar, Asako Netsu, proves the existence of other planets through the use of powerful magic-imbued telescopes. He does not foresee the religious backlash his discovery triggers, as it implies that worlds not subordinate to the will of the Celestial Heavens could exist. Tensions build throughout the Empire, and the Imperial Legions put down several heretical cells that attempt to use the unrest to undermine the Iweko dynasty. These small conflicts escalate into a series of battles known as War of the Tao which lasts for the better part of the decade.
2675
Under the Emperor’s sponsorship, the most powerful shugenja of the Empire complete a ritual which allows them to observe the alien world closest to Rokugan. The lush jungle planet is discovered to be full of life. The viewing shugenja deem that the planet is more strongly influenced by Chikushudo than the Empire itself is, but still very much tied into the Spirit Realms and the greater cosmology of Rokugani beliefs. This discovery brings an end to the War of the Tao as the rebelling factions grudgingly accept the existence of the alien worlds as the Will of Heaven. During the ensuing prosperous peace, the Great Clans begin to work together in order to visit and explore these new worlds.
2680
Multiple research endeavors begin to bear fruit with the first jointly created Agasha/Kaiu satellite telescope settled into a stable orbit through engineering and careful negotiating with the kami of earth and fire to keep them balanced there. Clearer images of the far flung stars pour in. A few months out, it discovers something unexpected, a small, dark satellite, clearly of Rokugani origins, with sensors that appear to remain pointed down rather than out to the stars.
Work begins on a massive ship intended to sustain several hundred crew on the long, long journey to the new world, along with the equally massive engines and complex rituals to fling it on its way.
2692
The Starship Fortune's Favor launches with the blessings of the Empress and immense fanfare. Most clans have some hand in the project, but it is acknowledged largely as a Crab/Phoenix/Unicorn endeavor, with many Unicorn signing up to join a journey expected to take generations. The soil beneath the launch site fuses into glass like stone, a material sold by enterprising Yasuki as souvenirs and collected by shugenja as having interesting qualities linked to both fire and earth.
2697
The Phoenix and the Unicorn complete the ritual known as Opening the Way, harnessing the power of Water kami bound within a special vessel to enable the Rokugani spaceships to pass between worlds in a fraction of the time that would normally be required. As an additional benefit, massive launches are unnecessary. Later that year, Unicorn start the construction of what will become the first vessel of the Age of Stars, the Shinjo. Other clans watch the flying wonder with open envy and scramble resources to start their own space programs utilizing this revolutionary new technology.
2699
The Shinjo is completed and the first joint Imperial space expedition sails to the nearest alien world, dubbing it ‘First Landing’ as they arrive. The samurai of Rokugan discover the new world to be much like theirs as the fauna and flora are broadly similar to Rokugan’s, even though later several new and exotic species are discovered from the deep jungles of the world. Rare and entirely new materials discovered from the planet fetch astronomical prices on Rokugani markets, hastening the efforts of the Clans to mount expeditions of their own.
2701
During the following century, the Empire slowly spreads to the stars with each of the Great Clans claiming extra-Rokugani holdings. Mantis are the most aggressive, while Crane and Scorpion consolidate their power on Rokugan itself. Small skirmishes are fought for the rights to settle a given world, but the century is mostly peaceful.
2803
After nearly two decades of arcane research, Isawa Aki and Iuchi Kanna finish the first prototype navigational computer, Navcom. The new invention allows Iuchi Kanna to single-handdely guide an Owl class heavy freighter from the orbit of Rokugan to First Landing, a feat normally requiring crew of twelve shugenja. Aki and Kanna spend the next three years perfecting the technology before presenting it to the Emperor, whom tasks the two to set up a school to train shugenja in the use of their device. During the following decade, each clan establishes their own Navigator Academies as one vessel after another is upgraded with the new technology.
2826
As the number of planetary expeditions continues to grow, the Empress Iweko LXV decrees that the Imperial Exploration Corps be formed. Led by shugenja, the Corps is tasked with exploring and sanctifying newly discovered planets before allowing colonization. This ensures that the Empress has full knowledge of her Empire’s expanding boundaries and the Imperial families gain the prime choice of sites to colonize. Worlds passed over by the Imperial families are offered up to the Great Clans to claim, each one creating a round of intense politicking and outright skirmishes to determine control.
2828
A Phoenix scientist, Isawa Sanae, discovers “radiant energy”, which involves slightly awakening a material’s spirit to coat it in an evanescent field of energy, causing the material to emit a soft blue glow. The discovery revolutionizes personal combat as radiant rifles, armors and swords are quickly produced. The Phoenix try to keep the secret of manufacturing these weapons to themselves, but both the Scorpion and Yasuki hackers waste no time breaking into Phoenix networks to steal the schematics. Soon all the Great Cleans are equipping their armies with the new weaponry.
The ronin Yutaro, of the Children of the Osprey, saves Emperor Iweko LXV's third son and is granted a right to form a minor clan. The Osprey are formed around the ronin band called Children of the Osprey, known for the skills of their navigators. It is not long before the Osprey find places within the Imperial Exploration Corps.
2830
Appalled by the perpetual warfare, and sadly adrift in the voids of space, the Kitsune flee from Mantis-held space and revoke their oaths to the Yoritomo, eventually settling on a lush and verdant world offered to them by the Lion. Enraged, Yoritomo Hanae sends a small force to pursue the Kitsune, but Lion and Fox forces ambush the attackers, forcing them to retreat. The Mantis daimyo really cannot spare more resources from the greater war simply to chase down their errant family.
2831
With the most of the Empire embroiled in wars, the Phoenix and the Dragon approach the Empress with a bold petition. They ask the throne to intervene into Clan politics to call an end on the war that is slowly but surely dooming the Empire to decline as the Clans throw their resources into endless fighting. She agrees, and soon Imperial fleets sail forth to enforce the Imperial peace upon the weakened Clans. A cautious peace follows as the Great Clans count losses and consolidate resources.
2872
With the completion of the Peaceful, the Asahina family becomes the last Great Clan family to build a battlecruiser of their own, establishing a balance of forces in the known universe. Exploration continues while the Clans carefully watch each other for signs of weakness.
2905
The Spider eradicate the Alakhai when purging the world of Dark Blossom. Kuchiki priests study the advanced flesh crafts of the fallen race and adopt many new techniques. During the following decades such improvements become more and more common among Spider bushi. The Crab, seeing the potential of such devices but wary of starting down the distasteful road of grafted flesh, start their own program to create functional artificial limbs and organs with a great deal of caution applied. Carefully studying captured Spider specimen to speed their research, Kuni and Kaiu construct their first prototypes. For reasons of safety, most Crab flesh crafts come with Jade ornamentation.
2943
The Emperor officially calls for an end for the Second War of the Worlds, declaring the damage to the Empire is too great and now outweighs whatever insults prompted the initial conflicts. Legends later claim that the war interrupted shipments of Emperor’s favorite recreational drug from far across the galaxy and he could not endure such an imposition. Regardless of the Emperor’s reasons, the Clans agree to a cautious truce. There is no clear winner to the war, and the Clans retreat to their own worlds and lick their wounds. For several generations afterward, warfare is limited to skirmishes and the Empire prospers again.
2961
As the number of systems which can be reliably reached and exploited starts to dwindle, the Emperor commands that no Clan shall lay claim to an entire new planet or system. Instead, new planets must be split between different clans. This eases the strain of competition for entire planets and systems, allowing smaller players like the Minor Clan Alliance to compete for resources. The Crane and other clans with relatively few systems under their control try to protest, but the Emperor proves intractable and the edict stands.
2968
The Emperor Iweko LXX grants Kaiu Hotaru permission to found her own minor clan, the Firefly, in hopes to prevent the skirmishes fought for the asteroid belts developing into a full-blown war. Rumors suggest that the Emperor had a personal reason to end the conflict, though the profits the Throne makes from the arrangement suggest Otomo involvement.
2989
The Fortune's Favor drifts into First Landing's system. There is no sign of human life aboard. No bodies. No signs of hasty exit. All the escape modules remain berthed. The hydroponic farms are overgrown and the yeast vats foul enough that the ship's atmosphere must be completely cycled out to make it breathable. Logs detail the journey, and hardships both expected and unusual for the first 150 years or so of the trip, simply ending in the year 2932. Fearful of what contamination or influence may have so strangely emptied the ship, it is carefully set in orbit around an uninhabited moon with a small assignment of Toritaka who wait to see if the spirits of the departed might return and require calming. It remains something of a museum, though few care to risk whatever ill luck adheres to it by visiting. Even historians and scholars usually just ask the Toritaka skeleton crew to send them pictures and other data as needed.
3000
Iuchi Kanna, first of the Navigator Priests, is elevated to the position of Fortune of Navigators during the New Year's Eve of 3000.
3011
The Shark Clan is founded after Yoritomo Same saves the life of Iweko LXXI in the steaming jungles of HNE-122. Initially the Shark are no better than a Mantis proxy, but as the Clan grows it joins the Minor Clan alliance as a full member to reduce its dependence on the Mantis.
3038
Emperor Iweko LXXII ascends the throne after his mother dies peacefully in her sleep. He quickly establishes a distant but fair style of ruling, and relaxes the policies governing warfare between the Great Clans as long as they do not threaten the flow of commerce. The most aggressive clans, start using this to justify new expansion in other clans’ territories.
3098
Mantis and Spider sign a secret pact, agreeing to limit hostilities with each other. Small skirmishes are still orchestrated to hide the budding alliance and to obfuscate the covert trade between the two.
3108
Emperor Iweko LXXV ascends to the throne at the age of 37 after her mother, Iweko LXXIV retires to a Seppun monastery.
3112
The tournament of the Emerald Champion takes place as the previous champion, Kakita Nariko, retires. It is an exceptionally lavish event; the competitions being widecast all across the Empire’s many planets, featuring hundreds of participants from all the clans. Although many aspects of the competition have changed, it still culminates in the traditional iaijutsu duel. The winner is a masked woman named Kagami, who defeats the heavy favorite, Kakita Shinnosuke, son of the previous Champion. Kagami keeps her allegiance secret, but immediately begins building her power base.
The Yogo finish the construction of the Black Tower, one of the largest space-born fortresses in the galaxy at the time. Most of the Yogo Family make this their home, taking advantage of its advanced research and training facilities.
3114
Crab reconnaissance frigate is caught within the Spider held space. The crew manages to destroy most of the sensitive equipment before the Spider board the ship. The matter is never brought up in public, though the Crab easily deduct the fate of the vessel. Spider, as precaution fill their information networks with disinformation while all the security protocols are updated.
3116
In the fall, a secret Phoenix research facility near the Eastern Nebula is attacked, leaving defenders barely time to pulse out a coded distress call. Arriving rescue ships find an empty shell riddled with radiant weapons damage, blood spatters, and no bodies. They investigate the carnage without coming to any conclusions about the source of the attack.
The Spider, following this successful raid, study the stolen schematics and equipment. With study aided by information tortured from the captured researchers, they are able to recreate the High-R Ion Drive being developed at the facility. The drives are functional, but the Phoenix had been working to fine tune the necessary crew supports that would allow them to function under such conditions. Quickly realizing that their undead legions will have little problem functioning after high-R stresses, the Spider move to refit several fleets with the new engine designs.
3118
A Lion Clan transport is attacked by a smaller Mantis ship commanded by a man named Yoritomo Osu. Despite being less well-armed, Osu’s skilled crew is able to overcome the Lion’s defenses and carry away an important shipment. The Lion are incensed, while the Mantis publicly disavow Osu and his crew. Rumors claim they are still secretly supporting them, as they are rumored to support many other ‘privateers’. The Lion expand the escorts for their ships and search for Osu across the galaxy.
After years of work and preparation, the Unicorn launch a revolutionary new ship called the Ide, built in collaboration with the Phoenix. They hope this vessel will be capable of crossing the eastern border of the Empire. Despite being piloted by one of the Unicorn’s greatest captains, Utaku Ji-Yeong, the ship disappears during its test flight. In the absence of any communication, it is considered lost. The Unicorn launch an extensive investigation to determine what happened to the ship, eventually learning that a Phoenix engineer had been stealing experimental components and replacing them with lesser versions. Although the Phoenix clan as whole claim ignorance, publicly condemning the engineer, the Unicorn launches several punitive raids at Phoenix border worlds, pillaging the colonies before burning them down. A series of small skirmishes follow as the Clans try to avoid full-blown war, and higher level diplomats attempt to repair shattered relations.
Several attempts to bring Yoritomo Osu to justice end in bitter failures as even more ships and cargo are stolen. Lion Clan Champion, Akodo Tsuroi, personally takes command of Lion’s First Fleet and undertakes the pursuit of Osu. Although the pirate still eludes his pursues, Tsuroi wins several key victories against the other privateers working for the Mantis. Near the end of the year, rumors place the pirate at The World of Dreams, and Tsuroi moves to blockade the planet until its governors give up Osu. The Scorpion are understandably incensed at the action, which proves generally unpopular with most clans, given the disruption of traffic and trade.
Still distraught at the loss of the Emerald Championship, Kakita Amane and Kakita Nariko command their family to investigate the identity of the Emerald Champion, Kagami. Kakita family finds itself at odds with the Emerald Champion and her supporters several times as she quashes all of their attempts to learn who she is.
3119
After his months-long blockade of World of Dreams fails to gain cooperation from the Scorpion, Akodo Tsuroi’s agents learn the location of Osu and the Lion champion commands a small cadre of elite warriors to the surface for a covert attack. The two men briefly fight each other, causing minor but noticeable damage to the small Scorpion settlement around them in the process. Osu escapes, fleeing the planet with the Lion in close pursuit. Bayushi Isao lets both men leave his planet and remains oddly silent on the matter afterwards. He later sends an agent with Osu, masquerading as a member of his crew to find out why the most notorious of Mantis pirates seems to despise the Lion so much.
The Dragon, in response to an insult to their name, launch an offensive against the Spider Clan, occupying several seemingly unimportant worlds. Incensed, the Spider deploy their formidable forces against the invaders. Bitter fighting ensues between the two Clans, and soon the fortunes seem to favor the Spider. As the Spider forces approach the Dragon-occupied worlds, the Emerald Champion intervenes with her personal fleet, threatening to destroy the opposing fleets should the conflict prolong. The Dragon consolidate their gains, while Spider fall back to lick their wounds. Surprisingly, the Crane champion the Spider’s cause in the courts, forcing the Dragon to return two of the conquered worlds to the Spider
The Black Tower, home of the Yogo Family and the center of its operations, is destroyed in a cataclysmic explosion, killing all aboard. Less than three hundred Yogo survive, scattered about the galaxy. The remnants of the now-crippled family build a new colony on Shadow’s Rest, home of the Shosuro.
3120
Spider intelligence learns that Crab champion Hida Tetsuya is going to visit the small mining outpost of Umisaki III. Seeing this as a chance to avenge their humiliating defeat at the hands of Crab five years earlier, the Spider launch a surgical raid on the unsuspecting moon in hopes of capturing the Hida daimyo as a hostage. Fierce fighting ensues in the narrow corridors of the garrison-fortress as the Crab prepare to sell their lives as dearly in defense of their champion. Hida Tetsuya is slain by Daigotsu Morio, but the Spider victory is short lived as the defenders drive the kami of the fort’s spirit-furnace into an agitated state, causing the power-plant to go critical. The resulting explosion wipes out the entire settlement along with every man and woman on the moon. Licking their wounds, the Spider fleet retreats. The young Yuka Hida becomes the Crab champion.
Shiba Qadan, much to his surprise, becomes the Shiba daimyo after his grandmother retires.
Utaku Ji-Yeong unexpectedly returns to the Unicorn, with the modified but recognizable ship, Ide. She explains that her ship somehow reached a completely different part of the universe, home to a vast and highly intelligent alien civilization. The realization that there is another space-faring culture, apparently mightier than the Rokugani comes as a great shock to the Empire. Ji-Yeong has learned much from the aliens, even having adopted some of their customs. Although the Unicorn are still upset by the Phoenix’s industrial spying, the safe return of the Ide takes the edge off their anger and the conflict between the two clans simmers down. The exact nature of discoveries made by the ship's crew is obscured, though Imperial authorities receive a full report.
3121
Iweko LXXV invites Utaku Ji-Yeong into attendance. Several Imperial authorities take part to the hearings as the Otomo and Seppun try to determine the best course of action. After weeks of discussion, Iweko LXXV does something that no Emperor has done in centuries, addressing his people in a recorded open speech. In his speech, the Emperor roughly explains the nature of Ide's discovery, tasking the Unicorn to organize a diplomatic mission into the alien space. Lion and Crane are incensed, but do not voice their concerns openly. Lion shipyards burst into a frenzy of activity as no less than three new Katana-class battlecruisers are laid down.
Immediately after the Emperor's speech, the Unicorn announce a plan for such a mission, openly asking aid from other clans. While the official reason for the request is the need for skilled personnel and potential access to latest Phoenix and Scorpion technology, many of the courtiers note that monopolizing the project would have been a political suicide for the clan.
3122
Lion and Mantis hostilities flare again over presumed piracy incident at Osano-Wo’s Reach. The border is tense for a time, with a few small skirmishes fought between the scout flotillas of the clans. No more than handful of vessels are lost before both sides withdraw from the forward positions to avoid a full-blown war.
3123
A small Spider force equipped with a new class of corvettes raids, boards and subsequently cripples, the orbital station of Yaneka II, a small Unicorn clan-held mining station near the Spider-held space. The small local garrison organizes a pursuit, but the meager Unicorn forces are unable to catch the nimble attackers. Adding insult to injury, the new class of vessels employed on the strike are unable to be identified, leaving the Unicorn unable to publicly pin the attack on the Spider.
With the plans for the Ide II having been finished, the so called 'Great Trials' begin as Unicorn organizes several grand gatherings where samurai of all clans can prove their skills and to a place on the mission. All clans scramble to send their best, hoping to earn fame and glory in the eyes of the Emperor. The fact that all of the Ide II's crew are likely to be able to observe the much discussed alien civilization is also a consideration.
<events of Banner of Stars and New Kalani>