Age of Man

The Age of Man was an age, when men could raise themselves so high as they deserved.

Age of Myth
In the Age of Myth the Celestial Order ruled Rokugan. The Great Clans were founded by the Kami. The Emperor was descendant of another Kami, Hantei. And the difference between castes preserved the Order. The gods were gods, and the humans were humans.

A new Great Clan
In 1128, in the Second Day of Thunder, the Mantis Clan was created as Great Clan. It was the first who was not founded by a Kami. Yoritomo, the Son of Storms, made the first footprint of the Age of Man.

Toturi Dinasty
In 1129 Toturi became the Emperor Toturi I, beginning the Toturi Dinasty. After more than twelve centuries, the new Emperor of the Empire was not a Hantei. Toturi I was the second step of the Age of Man.

Lady Moon
Hitomi, the Dragon Clan Champion found a god guilty of the worst crime, to be an ally of the Lying Darkness, an entity who caused all of the Kami's downfall (one way or another), in his quest to undone of the world. Hitomi killed Onnotangu and after the Twenty-Seven Days of Darkness became Lady Moon. A mortal had judged, executed, and replaced a God. It was the third step of the Age of Man.

Lord Sun
The Celestial Order was imbalaced after the goddess Amaterasu committed Jigai, Hida Yakamo was able to ascend to the Celestial Heavens and became the new Lord Sun, because of his special ties to the Naga Akasha and Hitomi. A mortal undone what a Goddess provoked. It was the four step of the Age of Man.

The Kolat
The Kolat were actively working toward the Age of Man, following its philosophy that Gods should not command the mortals.

"Humanity lives with blinders on. The Kolat must eventually remove those blinders, and show man how beautiful the world can truly be."

- Ikoma Soko, Kolat Master 12th century

Toku
Born as a peasant, forbidden to even hold a katana, Toku raised from the heimin caste to the samurai caste, even becoming a Champion of a Minor Clan, the Monkey Clan. The Celestial Heavens could miss a person's place in the Celestial Order.

Fall of the Age of Man
In 1133 Hitomi sent the child of the Ki-Rin to seek the Elemental Dragons and bring their power back to the Empire. As they returned, the Age of Man began to fall, restoring to the Age of Myth.

Dragons
The dragons involved themshelves in the War Against Shadow in a subtle way, being forbidden to act directly in the Mortal Realm. The Dragon of Void allowed Isawa Kaede to return to the mortal realm to help in the search of the kidnapped Emperor Toturi. The Dragon of Water speedied Yoritomo and Yoritomo Aramasu toward Volturnum. The Dragon of Air corrupted himself enabling Goju Adorai destruction, and became the Shadow Dragon with the remnants of the Lying Darkness.

Aftermath
The Lying Darkness probed to be an enemy that the mortals could not deal alone. They returned to the Kami's Guidance, and the Celestial Order was restored.