L5R Sixth Century

501: The Anvil of Despair is created

The sinister Agasha Ryuden, a guest of the Boar Clan within their home in the Twilight Mountains, forges a mighty anvil from the ore formed by the blood of the First One. Ryuden sacrifices the entire Boar Clan to the foul creation, resulting in one of the darkest and most powerful Nemuranai in all of Rokugan. Their tortured spirits combine into the Shakoki Dogu, a vengeful and malicious spirit that haunts the mountains for centuries to come.

508: Bloodswords Forged

Asahina Yajinden later uses the Anvil of Despair to forge the dreaded Bloodswords, Ambition, Passion, Judgement and Revenge, for his dark master Iuchiban. The swords are given to the Scorpion, Crane, Crab and Lion daimyo respectively.

509: Red Snow Battle

Akodo Meikuko violently reacts to a Togashi monk's casual statement in the court, mobilizing an army of 20,000 soldiers to attack Togashi Mountain. Only 2,000 survive the great winter battle. Meikuko takes her life with the sword given to her by Asahina Yajinden. Her name is thereafter synonymous with "mistake" among the Lion.

509: Death of Hida Tenburo

Crab daimyo Hida Tenburo suddenly murders his children in their sleep. He thereafter commits suicide with the blade given to him by Asahina Yajinden.

510: Suicide of Doji Tanaka

The charismatic and popular Crane Champion Doji Tanaka stuns his court when he confesses his undying love for an eleven-year-old geisha. Shortly thereafter he hurls himself into the sea just as his ancestor did, delighting the Crane's enemies with the enormity of his scandalous death. Unbeknownst to anyone, Tanaka's suicide is prompted by the bloodsword Passion, created by the traitorous Asahina Yajinden and given to Tanaka on behalf of the Bloodspeaker, Iuchiban.

510: Battle of Stolen Graves

Scorpion Champion Bayushi Rikoji, who has not yet touched the blade given to him by Asahina Yajinden, suspects foul sorcery after the deaths of the daimyo who wielded the other three blades. Rikoji dispatches Scorpion magistrate and shugenja Soshi Takasho to find the creator of the blade. Together with Legionnaire Akodo Minobe they discover the secret cult of the blood sorcerer Iuchiban, who plans to animate the bodies of the Imperial crypts as an army to be used against the Emperor himself. Rousing the armies of the clans, Iuchiban is eventually captured, killed, and entombed within a great structure that was enchanted to contain his blackened soul. The architect, Kaiu Gineza, is also entombed therein by Scorpion assassins so that the secrets of the tomb will remain safe.

After Iuchiban's defeat, Asahina Yajinden's mind is erased. He becomes a gardener in the Emperor's gardens. The Emperor thereafter issues a formal edict that all corpses of the dead will henceforth be cremated rather than buried, to prevent the use of the bodies of honored ancestors as vessels of evil magic.

510: Mantis family name 'Gusai' removed

The Gusai family name, attributed to the nobility of the Mantis Clan, was revoked after only three generations after it was given. Gusai Rioshida, Mantis daimyo attempted a coup and held the Emperor's son hostage in the Mantis isles. The prince was returned and the Gusai family destroyed. Because the Mantis Clan chose to betray their lord and execute his family because of their shame, the Mantis were allowed to retain their clan status.

533: Battle of Kensen Gakka

After a failed attack on Kyuden Ikoma, the Matsu retaliate and attack the Shiro no Meiyo. The Lion make an example of the Scorpion present, killing everyone within, and renaming the city Kensen Gakka ("Humility's Lesson")

569: Birth of Hantei XVI

The birth of the Steel Chrysanthemum (as Hantei XVI would come to be called) occurs under portents so ominous that their like has not been seen since the time of Iuchiban. The Shosuro, Ikoma and Asahina quietly ignore this fact.

580: Lion Assault on the Centipede

A Lion general with visions of grandeur attempts to take the lands of the Centipede for his own. Having set up multiple fortifications along Treacherous Pass, the Phoenix can send little direct aid, and the true battle is in the courts of the Hantei. Aided by the Crane and Phoenix, the Centipede convince the Emperor to order the Lion’s withdrawal before they are slaughtered.

589-597: Reign of the Steel Chrysanthemum

Hantei XVI takes the throne when his father retires early at his son's request. Hantei XV believes his honest, clever and capable son will usher in a new age of prosperity. Hantei XVI, however, proves a different sort of ruler. Plagued by paranoia since birth, the Steel Chrysanthemum's world is slowly overrun by ghost assassins, traitors in every corner, and enemies in each crowd. Hantei XVI enacts orders to mercilessly crush any threat to his power, real or imagined. Thousands die subjected to his cruel reign. Hantei XVI is finally deposed when the Imperial Guard assault the Hantei after ordering his own mother's death at the bare hands of Crab Champion Hida Tsuneo. Hantei, Tsuneo and those few loyal to the Steel Chrysanthemum are all destroyed.

Those who follow the Steel Chrysanthemum into death are to be henceforth cursed to follow him forever.

597: Temple of the Lost Gods created

During his reign, Hantei XVI was well known for his disregard for religion, amongst his many other character flaws. Abusing his status, he elevated dozens of mortals to lesser Fortune status as a means of eternal humiliation. These Fortunes included the Fortune of Dung, the Fortune of Torture, and other abysmal titles.

Hantei XVII set out to ensure that this would never happen again, and arranged that the head monk of the Four Temples must formally announce all such decrees when he finds an auspicious time to do so. Even with this new edict, the Steel Chrysanthemum’s blasphemy (though technically not, few argue the point) cannot be undone. A small temple in Phoenix lands is dedicated to these ‘lost’ fortunes but they are otherwise ignored.