| Tao of Fu Leng | |
|---|---|
| |
| Created by: | Fu Leng |
| First used by: | Fu Leng |
| Currently in the possession of: | Unknown |
| Nemuranai | |
The Tao of Fu Leng was a foul book containing the writings of the Ninth Kami, Fu Leng. [1] It was the repository of a god's wisdom in the mortal realm. Its purpose was to contain the essence of Fu Leng, a vessel for divine power. [2]
Content[]
The Tao of Fu Leng was a discourse on philosophy, a rationalization of the most terrible acts and thoughts a mortal mind could conceive. It spoke of furthering the Dark Kami's goals. Even standing in the book's presence for long periods of time could be dangerous. It was emblazoned with the symbol of a spider, with smaller symbols creating a strange, interlocking pattern that seemed to trickle down the page. When a person took his or her eyes away from it, the symbols seemed to crawl in their peripheral vision. [1]
Artifact of the Tomb[]
The Tao of Fu Leng was taken from the Tomb of the Seven Thunders in 1168 by Yasuki Jinn-Kuen during the Battle of the Tomb. Jinn-Kuen brought it immediately to Hida Kuon, who gave it to Omen to destroy. However, Omen told him that it was impossible to destroy the Tao, as it would simply remake itself in another location. Instead of allowing the Tao to reappear in Jigoku or the Shadowlands, Omen kept it hidden away. [1]
Legion of the Jade Hand[]
In 1169 Omen gathered together a number of honorable Crab Clan samurai in a remote tower in the Twilight Mountains. From them he created the Legion of the Jade Hand and commissioned them to guard the foul artifact. [3] When in 1170 Omen became the Voice of the Jade Dragon, he left the Tower, which remained under the protection of the Legion. [4]
Daigotsu's Search for the Tao[]
Daigotsu had tasked Omoni to find the Tao. [5] He sent his creations out to find the book emblazoned with the symbol of a spider. [6] Other Shadowlands beasts also looked for it. [7] Finally, the goblin Glukku was able to make contact with a Yasuki who wanted to trade information about the Tao's location with the Lost. [8] If he was the same ambitious and young Yasuki who made a proposal to Hida Kuon how the Crab Clan could make a considerable profit from the entire "Spider phenomenon", was unclear. [9] At this time, it wasn't yet known that the Lost were part of the Spider Clan.
Rescue of the Tao[]
In 1170 a Yasuki had sold [10] a false location of the Tao to the Lost and told the Legion of the Jade Hand where to wait for the Lost to come. The trap was set and the ambush prepared, but the Lost never arrived. Once the waiting Legionaries, Hida Yagimaki among them, realised that the Lost would not be coming, they rushed back to the true location of the Tao, but all the Crab samurai could see were the silhouettes of the departing Lost. The Tao of Fu Leng was in their hands now and was handed over to Daigotsu. It was unclear if the Yasuki who co-operated with the Lost actually betrayed his Crab brethren or if he was duped by Daigotsu, too. [11] [12] [13] He was questioned by the Crab afterwards. [14]
Destroyer War[]
Handover to a Rokugani Delegation[]
The Tao of Fu Leng played an essential role during the Destroyer War. In the month of the Horse of 1173 [15] Empress Iweko I had sent a group of young samurai and the monk Furumaro, who was Fu Leng in disguise, to Daigotsu in order to hand over a message. Beyond the borders of Rokugan, he held court at the Fingers of Bone, read the Imperial message and had his Onyx Champion Takasho fetch the Tao to pass it along to Doji Ayano and her companions. Iweko would understand this as an answer. Daigotsu revealed that many copies of the Tao had been created, so Fu Leng's wisdom wouldn't be lost, if something happened to the original work. [16]
Defeat of Kali-Ma[]
After Daigotsu had killed himself and while the fight between Fu Leng and Kali-Ma was still raging, Shahai appeared before the group of young samurai who held the Tao and enacted a ritual to steal power from the gaijin goddess. As a vessel for divine power, the Tao contained what was stolen, but not all. When Shahai started to sacrifice the samurai who had helped her, Hiruma Akio killed the Dark Daughter and stopped the ritual. The dying Fu Leng had given his divine power to Daigotsu, who emerged from Jigoku and slew the weakened Kali-Ma. [2] The Tao had been ultimately able to capture the full essence of both Kali-Ma and Fu Leng, passing them on to the Dark Lord Daigotsu. [17]
Aftermath[]
Susumu, now the Dark Fortune of Deception, came to Togashi Satsu and the group of young samurai who survived Shahai's ritual. The deified Susumu acted as a vessel of Daigotsu's, took the Tao of Fu Leng and absorbed the divine power it contained, and the book was simply that again, a book. [2]
Sayings of the Tao of Fu Leng[]
The following were excerpts from the Tao of Fu Leng:
- The only loyalty is to oneself, and to power. [18]
- Reliance upon others is weakness. [19]
- Honor gives way easily to convenience and efficiency. [20]
External Links[]
- Tao of Fu Leng (Tomorrow)
References
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 Dark Knowledge, by Brian Yoon
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Goddesses, Part 4, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Peace at the Point of a Sword, by Rusty Priske and Shawn Carman
- ↑ The Sun & Moon, Part II, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Omoni (Samurai flavor)
- ↑ Bakemono Warpack (The Truest Test flavor)
- ↑ Reclamation (The Truest Test flavor)
- ↑ Glukku (The Heaven's Will flavor)
- ↑ Words and Deeds, Part 1, by Shawn Carman
- ↑ Glukku (The Heaven's Will flavor)
- ↑ Unpublished Fiction read at Gen Con 2008
- ↑ Summary 1 of the 2008 Gen Con Fiction
- ↑ Summary 2 of the 2008 Gen Con Fiction
- ↑ Kuni Tanin (The Heaven's Will flavor)
- ↑ Imperial Histories 2, p. 254
- ↑ The Hinge of Destiny, by Nancy Sauer
- ↑ Imperial Histories 2, p. 266
- ↑ Unexpected Betrayal (Khan's Defiance flavor)
- ↑ Hitsu Taeruko (Khan's Defiance flavor)
- ↑ Dishonored Vassal (Khan's Defiance flavor)
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