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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Serpenteye" data-source="post: 349740" data-attributes="member: 1492">The conference"Friends, allies, noble representatives of the Empire, honourable lords of the clans, the emperor is dead. The reason we are gathered here today is to protect the peace and stability of the empire by making sure that the succession proceeds smoothly and to ensure that the empire remains united and strong. The fact that so  many of the major power groups of the Empire have chosen to attend this meeting should give our mutual enemies pause for thought."" It seems that the resolve of so many of the great leaders of our empire to stand together against our mutual enemies has pushed our foes to acts of desperation. It is with great sadness that I inform you that the children of the Emperor, the primary heirs to the throne have been abducted." " Hours ago I recieved a letter from an unknown source, claiming to have kidnapped the heirs. I quote: __________________________________________________'The Emporer is dead. Long Live the Emporer. The Lion Clan is Alive, Soon you will be dead. Six Four Six Four Three Nine The Emporer's children are ours. There will be no person to inherit the throne. You will not see them. We simply wait for one of you to spill our blood, and we will kill them. If you pay a ransome of 1,000,000 pieces of gold, we will let them live, and will tell you where one of them is. If you do not pay, we will kill them one at a time till you do pay. We demand it, and you will submit to us. We will KILL them. There will be no person to inherit the throne rightfully, and the empire will be crushed under it's enemies. You have one year to fulfill your debt to us, and you will have one of the children returned to you.'__________________________________________________"It is probable that the group behind this act is in some way connected to the Shadowlands. We know that the shadowlands and those who pursue the tainted arts spread corruption and evil like a disease to all they touch. If the heirs to the throne are in their custody they have probably already been corrupted by the taint and twisted into tools of jigoku. It might very well be beyond the power of our magic to cure them completely, it would be difficult to know to what degree they are cured and any doubt would ruin their chances of ruling the Empire even if they were completely restored. The suspicion would remain." "The other possibility is worse. If they were not completely cured of their taint it might grow in their souls again, like a dormant disease. They might loose themselves and become slaves of the shadow. If that happens the empire will face civil war, or the entire Empire might fall under the shadow for all eternity.""Is that a risk we are willing to take?"Toshiro shakes his head, his face a mask of cold sadness and rage."I say no. The Emperor is murdered and now his children are as good as dead. This is the end of a dynasty, but we must not risk to make this the end of the Empire. The children of the Emperor were all worthy, each in their own way, of inheriting the throne, they were great and honourable individuals, the finest of their generation. They should have had the chance to ascend the throne, but now that is impossible. We must find another way."He looks over the assembled lords gravely, his voice carrying the sadness and resolve in his heart."To secure the peace of the Empire we must choose another Emperor. Since there are none remaining who has a strong claim to the throne that might take a long time. Until such a time as an Emperor has claimed the throne and gained the power to defend his claim from all who might contest it someone else must guard the peace and enforce the laws of the Empire. No individual or clan has the power to do so." "Therefore I propose that the Daimyos of the leading clans of Rokugan form a temporary council of regents that will carry all the powers held by the imperial office. That way the stability of the Empire may be preserved, so that the next Emperor does not inherit a broken realm."</blockquote>

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