The sun goddess has veiled her face in mourning, turning the sky blood red. The moon has fallen, slain at last by a creature with the power of a god in her blood and the will of a mortal in her soul. In the Grove of Three Sisters, the lone samurai-ko flicks the blood from her blade and sheathes it. After a moment's reflection, she turns away from the father of the Empire and embraces her destiny.

At the moment, however, the eyes of the clans are not on the actions of Hitomi. All eyes are turned to Otosan Uchi, as the gathered armies war over the future of the jade Throne and the so-called usurper who claims it. No one notices as Hitomi walks the darkened lands alone. She takes tea with Togashi Hoshi, never once speaking a word. Perhaps in all the world, he understands, but if he does, he says nothing. Instead, he ascends the highest tower of Shiro Togashi, and watches as she leaves her homeland for the last time.

Beneath a brooding blood-red sky, she walks west to the Unicorn lands, and takes tea with Kamoko's appointed deputy, again remaining perfectly silent. This done, she turns to the south, walking evenly both night and day, though with the sun gone, there is very little difference. She walks with Unicorn cavalry flanking her, an unwitting honor guard on her final journey. Meanwhile, the Unicorn scouts disperse among the Empire, bringing word of her actions to all of Rokugan.

Hitomi is on the move.

She moves through the Empire, visiting each clan in turn, never once saying a word. At times, crowds of hungry peasants, nervous and hungry in the ongoing dark, gather to watch her pass, and wonder if Hitomi searches for hope - or looks to destroy it. Elsewhere, family daimyos marshal their troops to try and interrupt her movements, but when they face her at last no samurai has the courage to stand in the way of her steady, silent path, and she passes through their lines unhindered.

At what would be the dawn of the twenty-seventh day of darkness, Hitomi arrives at the Shrine of Osano-Wo. A tattooed man awaits her, holding a white kimono. Hitomi dresses. She kneels, faces east, and begins to meditate, preparing her mortal soul for the ultimate test.

As midnight approaches, she stands and turns. Her bright right eye, glowing gold amidst her obsidian skin, pierces the darkness with perfect clarity. A handful of samurai stand at a respectful distance behind her in the gloom, as well as a Naga, and, though she cannot see it she knows that one of Fu Leng's first minions hides nearby. She hears the Empire approach, sees their movements on the path. But still she stares at an empty sky, awaiting the choices of destiny.

Strike at Midnight is the next global storyline tournament for Legend of the Five Rings. Hitomi, the Moonslayer, prepares to ascend to the sky as the New Moon. But to do so, she must purge her body of the frail mortal that inhabits half of it, for a mortal cannot be a god. She must commit seppuku. This, and only this, will free the divine obsidian half of her to ascend to the firmament.

But bushido requires that a samurai have a second when committing seppuku. It is the second's duty to decapitate the samurai before she cries out in pain. To cry out is dishonorable, and were Hitomi to cry out at the last second before her apotheosis, it would be an evil portent for the Empire. Each clan has sent one representative to be Hitomi's second, but only one will be chosen.

Only one, and no one knows who it will be...

Seize your destiny! This is your chance to impact the story - you personally - at your favorite local Stronghold store. On the weekend of February 18-20, game stores around the globe will be holding Strike at Midnight tournaments. We will aggregate the results of all these tournaments to determine whom Hitomi chooses for her second. The scoring will be based both on victories and on raw participation, so even if you just show up with your favorite clan's deck, you are helping your clan's representative to be chosen.

Check our website for the list of participating retailers. And tune in starting January 22nd to watch the unfolding story of Hitomi's travels during the 27 Days of Darkness...

This article appears in MagWeb (Magazine Web) on the Internet World Wide Web.
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