L5R Twelfth Century

1100: The Battle of Fate's Gorge

Following a slight to the Matsu family's generals, Isawa and Matsu forces meet on the field of battle to prove once and for all whether the Imperial shugenja are truly needed by the Emperor. In an attempt to interrupt the Lion's leadership, Master of Water Isawa Kaiyoko, magically teleports eight Shiba bushi into the war tent of the Lion to kill General Matsu Uniri and his wife Yunaki. The Phoenix fail to account for the couple's daughter, however, and ten-year-old Matsu Tsuko saves her mother's life by crushing the throat of the final Phoenix assassin with a boken. With Matsu Yunaki leading the Lion troops, the Phoenix are defeated on the field of battle the following day.

1103: Hantei XXXVIII takes the Throne

At the age of 26, the rightful heir to the throne, Hantei Jodan, is crowned the 38th Emperor of Rokugan. A daring and spirited young man, Hantei XXXVIII finds his life force slowly crushed over the years by relentless conflicts between the Great Clans.

1107: Hantei Sotorii is born

After the death of his third wife, Hantei XXXVIII took up the company of a Crane concubine. As soon as the boy is born and survives (infant mortality is always a factor in Rokugan), the Emperor marries his mother, making her the Empress and Sotorii the heir to the throne. Unfortunately, his mother dies victim of a mysterious fever a short three years after his birth.

1109: The Wasp Clan is founded

Born of a Scorpion father and a Lion mother, the young man named Tsuruchi survives both clans' treachery, losing both his parents and the castle that is his birthright. With cunning and stealth, he reclaims his home and kills the Lion that usurped it, his uncle. Tsuruchi presents his dilemma to the Emerald Champion, a Crane who shares his distaste for the Lion and Scorpion, and is given leave to create his own clan. The Wasp Clan is born, sworn into the service of the Emerald Champion.

1111: The Yotsu family name granted

A mountain dwelling ronin, the warrior Yotsu discovers that the caravan of Empress Hochiahime (Hantei XXXVIII's second wife) has been attacked by a large Bloodspeaker cult. The cultists kill the Empress' infant children, and all of the Seppun guardsmen attached to the caravan. The Empress Hochiahime and the young heir Sotorii are taken captive, intended for a sacrifice in order to fulfill an ancient prophecy. Yotsu creeps into the camp with the blade of a fallen guardsman. Though he knows he cannot possibly defeat the Bloodspeakers alone, he asks the Empress for permission to die in the Empress' name. The Empress forbids it, instead insisting the ronin rescue the heir Sotorii, passing Yotsu a message for the Hantei to mourn her and her unborn child.

With no other options, Yotsu exchanges his youngest son in Sotorii's place and leaves. Weeks later the young heir is reunited with his true father, the Emperor Hantei XXXVIII. In recognition of Yotsu's sacrifice, he is given the name Yotsu Yatoshin, the name of the Emperor's father, and a small fiefdom in the Mountains of Regret as well as rule over a district in Otosan Uchi. Later explorations by the Imperial Legions find the Bloodspeaker Cult gone, and it is presumed that Empress Hochiahime was sacrificed to their blasphemous rituals.

1116: Sword of Yotsu otokudate formed

Yotsu Yatoshin begins swearing ronin outside his family to the Yotsu name and training them in the techniques he devised while living deep in the mountains.

1117: Yorimoto becomes the Daimyo of the Mantis Clan

Well known for his anger over the Mantis' station as a Minor Clan, many of the Mantis feel that Yoritomo will lead them to greatness, perhaps paving the way for them to play a more significant role in Rokugan.

1118: Kokujin

Sensing the coming return of Fu Leng, Togashi meditates, reflecting upon his own soul's readiness... and finds it lacking. Though the Dragon Kami has remained apart from much of the Realm of Mortals for the past thousand years, even he is not immune to its touch and realizes the darkness and imperfections that have crept into his soul. The power of Fu Leng is such that even Togashi's immortal and divine soul could be turned against the Empire if he is not completely pure. Knowing that his confrontation with his dark brother is inevitable, Togashi makes a choice that will haunt his clan for years - he chooses two tamashii from this generation. Upon one he places the burdens of doubt, remorse, desire, fear, and anger that have built up within him over the millennium. The new ise zumi takes the name Kokujin, and is driven immediately mad by the Kami's "gift". Though Togashi attempts to counsel Kokujin and calm his soul, the torture of a god's heart is too much for the mortal man and he disappears into the Shadowlands.