Battle of Blackened Ground

The Battle of the Blackened Ground, also known as Battle at Isawa Palace, took place in Kyuden Isawa when Yogo Junzo captured the Black Scrolls in the castle and set the rest ablaze while Shiba Ujimitsu leads the retreat.

Background
The once-beatiful landscape surrounding Kyuden Isawa was affected by the Elemental Masters corruption, and became blackened wastes instead. These ground enpowered the taint and twisted the Phoenix's spells.

Shiro Shiba had been sacked by Junzo's army the month before, in the Battle of the Phoenix's Flight, because was in the way of the true target, Kyuden Isawa. Phoenix and Unicorn forces retreated from the first to the second.

Battle
Junzo marched on the Isawa Palace, knowing the Phoenix held two of the cursed Black Scrolls. The road warden, a young man named Hommaru, saw the advancing armies and flew like the wind to warn his masters. As Hommaru rode, he met with Otaku Kamoko and her army of mounted peasants. When she heard the news, it is said she smiled, and said, Now we will see what mettle this shugenja is made of. The Phoenix samurai stood ready as Isawa Tadaka's sorcery tore at the earth, burying the marching corpses as they advanced.



The arrows fell like deadly rain, but still Junzo's army advanced. Tadaka and Kamoko were forced to retreat to the west as they watched the green and black fire devour the oldest and greatest library in Rokugan."

Even the brilliant tactics of Shiba Tsukune coupled with the mighty power of the Phoenix shugenja was not enough to preserve the great library at Isawa Palace. The library was burned to the ground and the Black Scrolls kept there were taken away by the undead sorcerer, Yogo Junzo.