Letter to the Dragon Clan....

[Joe Fulgham]

> Choices. They can be so simple, and can devastate
> everything.

  Choices... like choosing to post HTML emails when most people wish you'd
just post in Plain Text like the rest of the world.  Responding to HTML
email is almost impossible without first converting it to Plain Text and
then doing all the "> " marks MANUALLY.

> Hitomi made her choice when she dueled Lord Moon.
> Yokuni made his choice when sacrificing himself to
> deter Fu Leng. These important decisions have saved
> the empire. And now we have another one in front of
> the Dragon Clan.

  We do?

>  I'll come right down to it. Hitomi is gone.

  No she's not.  Can't you see her?  She's right up there!  <points to the
moon>

> The Hitomi family is divided,

  It is?  Not that I've heard.  Hitomi said "Follow Hoshi" and we follow
Hoshi.  That's not divided, that's standing together.

> and our brother Reju is returning to the Crane.

  The family of his birth, as is his right now that his task is complete.  I
am sorry to see him go, but perhaps among the Crane he will be able to
spread the Truth about what we accomplished.  Too many of them still believe
Hitomi "brainwashed" Reju.

> The Agasha abandoned us,

  This happened long ago.  Just now you speak of it?

> as did one of our most respected brethren, Togashi
> Mitsu,

  Mitsu was with Hoshi.  Hoshi is back, therefore, Mitsu is back.

> and they left with good reason, seeing the follies of Hitomi.

  The follies of Hitomi?  Which follies were those?  Saving the Empire?
Destroying Lord Moon?  Ascending to be the new Moon?  Naming the Shadow?

  Pfah.

> We are a divided clan.

  We *were* a divided clan.  Thanks for playing our game, here are some
lovely parting gifts.

> We are also faced with the problem of our nature.

  I do not see our nature as a problem.  Perhaps you should be in another
Clan.

> The Dragon Clan is very balanced, and can do many
> things moderately well. Our diplomats are reknowned, but
> can they match the wit of a Crane or Scorpion courtier.
> Our samurai are formidable, especially with our famous Niten
> technique, but can they match the abilities of Akodo or
> Hida bushi? And everyone recognizes us by our tattooed
> brethren, who are monks, but even they cannot pursue the
> Tao as fervently as the Brotherhood of Shinsei. When you
> come right down to it, we are the perfect clan, everything
> moderate, no excesses.

> But in past wars, we've learned that
> these tactics aren't enough to truly stand with the other
> Great Clans as their equal.

  Why should we want to be the equal of other Clans?  We are Dragon - I see
our diversity as a strength, not a weakness.  To become equal to the other
clans, we must stoop, not reach up.

> We need a change, and we need it now.

  Bah.  You don't like how Dragon works, join another Clan.

  You want bloodthirsty samurai who charge at the drop of a fan?  Join Lion.

  You want master Courtiers?  Join Crane or Scorpion.

  You want to pursue the Tao?  That, we can do as well as the Monks.  Open
your eyes.

>  I am aware that our task appointed by the Emperor is not
> to fight, but to chronicle.

  The Ikoma chronicle.  We are an enigma.

> And I fully accept those
> responsibilities, but how are we to properly defend ourselves
> when besieged by others?

  Hello?  The same way we did when the Naga attacked.  With honor, strength,
and as Dragon.

  Duh.

> How are we to help defend the Empire
> when we are needed?

  We do as we are doing now.  Join them in the march on Volturnum and
destroy the Shadow.  Our Kitsuki know much of their ways and our allies, the
Scorpion know even more.

> Our Clan is inadequate in those areas,

  INADEQUATE?!  Dog!  I am no samurai but I will face you in a duel for
insulting YOUR OWN CLAN SO.

> and we need to make a choice as to how we want to deal with this.

  Our choice was made long ago.

> I took the path of Jigoku. Of power, maho, and corruption.
> It may not be the right choice, but it was for me. I
> understand the consequences of the Dragon Clan turning corrupt,
> and I don't agree that it is neccessarily the best decision,
> but unless we find another way soon, our choices will be
> limited to that one. What portent that event would bring to the Empire, I
cannot be sure.
    You all have a choice. Make the right one.

Your Humble Servant,
-<Will>
Mishra, Dragon Clan Artificer *Shugenja *Shadowlands *Unique
4F 6C 9G -FH 0PH
Lose 3 Honor
Limited: Bow Mishra to put a 1F Clockwork token which counts as a follower
and reads "Battle: Bow for a Ranged 2 Attack" on target personality. The
Personality now has the Shadowlands trait.
"The day of reckoning is at hand, Brother...."