[B][U][center]The End of an Era[/center][/U][/B]

Five hundred years have passed since the time of the sage, his guiding hand now long lost to the world. His beliefs stripped away to facilitate ninshuu's transformation from spiritual practice, to a mere engine of war. While few great conflicts have occurred in the last 500 years, one is sure to occur soon, indeed, for with skirmishes between clan boundaries and the shifting of the world's cycle...change is at hand.

But whose hand guides this change? Surely not the Dragon's claws. For the Phoenix's great talons have once more began to grasp the world, thus is heralded a time of war.

However, for now there is a tremulous peace, for despite the clans' seldom bickering, there exists no real reason for war. Nonetheless, the clans, noticing the influx of conflict, call council, requesting the Land of Iron to host their meeting as a neutral party.

They accepted, and so messages were sent and preparations were made. One by one the clan leaders, representatives, and their bodyguards, arrived at the meeting place. Tension is high and with the Phoenix's flames stoking the fires of conflict, who knows what will occur.

Will there be continued peace, or will tempers rise and lash out?

Who will end these last five hundred years of peace and prosperity; who will be the first to let their jaded ideals further taint the gifts of the sage?

Who will be the aggressor?
---

The clans have gathered, and in the great tent, its peak 100 meters in height, many powerful men and women sit. People from all around the world have been brought together by the threat of war and the need for change, though few know this is what has called them.

Few are late, and so the council begins, a armored samurai of the land of iron sitting amidst the circle of figures, neutral, unbiased, and steadfast. He is the Shogun, and he sits surrounded by an armed and armored guard of elite samurai. [B]”Welcome to my great domain,”[/B] he proclaims, voice clear and powerful, [B]“Here you may discuss your future, but know this, you all lie beneath the power of the Daimyo, you tread within the shadow of a giant. Do not overstep your bounds,”[/B] he grew silent, his face stern, unyielding.

With his message delivered, the great man fell silent, eyes closing, and ears listening closely to what the many leaders would discuss. He was interested as their requests had been sudden. Why a clan meeting now? There was still peace. There were skirmishes, yes, but nothing terribly serious. No breach of territory, no utter disregard for life.

Yet the shogun nonetheless sensed something in the air.

Tension perhaps, or was it something more subtle? He could not tell, but he knew someone else could, someone who had not arrived yet. While not entirely confirmed, it was said that even the Tatasuko clan, a highly elusive people, had sent a representative. This was indeed strange, for why would such a people send one at all? Their numbers were thought to be little, their allegiance nonexistent, but their power...vague. The Tatasuko were shades, plain and simple, and so like shadows, they kept just out of sight, and forever without detail, unknown, undefined.

They were a wildcard, but at least they were a peaceful one. Hopefully this would not change. He did not want to find out what power they held. Not in the least.

Still, oddly, the representative had not yet arrived. He hoped they didn't at all. Things would be better that way, for already were the clanheads on edge, such would only be made worse by an unknown element. Without that dangerous individual, perhaps the clans would come to an agreement and establish alliances. This the Shogun hoped for, for if the clans could coexist, prosperity could reign for awhile longer.

Still, the world was often cruel, so he did not count on it.

As such he remained, sitting silent while the others spoke. Listening...waiting...and hoping that the Dragon, as it once had, now watched over them.

His hope was however, pointless. For it was on this day that the dragon slept.

Too bad no one knew that.