War of the Rich Frog

The War of the Rich Frog was a conflict that lasted from 1165 to 1166 between the Unicorn and Lion clans over Kaeru Toshi a small but productive trade city on the Lion-Unicorn border. Maintained by the Ronin Kaeru family the city was technically in Unicorn territory, but little attention was paid to it. The Kearu were allowed a great deal of autonomy and thus it was a popular place for black market goods, as well as legal trading. When the Ikoma family offered fealty to the Kearu during the Four Winds conflict, Lions forces moved to annex the city under Lion rule in 1160. No move was made by the Unicorn to stop this initially.

The Attack
In reality Khan Moto Chagatai spent the preceding years assembling and training an army capable of matching the Lions garrison at Kaeru Toshi. The Khan intended to retake Kaeru Toshi in a lightning fast blitz attack, thus showing the Unicorns might over the Emperors Right Hand.

The Politics
The courts were outraged by the Unicorns surprise attack on the Lion forces. Imperial decree had long ago forbidden large scale conflict between clans, a result of the First Yasuki War. But do to the craftiness of Ide Tang, a loop hole was discovered. The decree listed the clans who could not out right make war with one another, and the Unicorn Clan had long been thought lost at the time, and were not included in the decree.

Allies
The Unicorn had allied themselves with the Scorpion Clan for the war, the Scorpion would help the Unicorn, and in exchange control of Ryoko Owari.

The Rain of Blood
The Unicorn attack very well might have been over quickly if the Rain of Blood had not struck. The Rain caused massive panic on both sides, and infighting lead to many deaths and only raised hostilities as neither clan was sure what had happened.

Erratic Tactics
The Lion forces suffered a great deal from miscommunication, and counter-intuitive orders. The reason for this was unbeknownst to the Lion, [Matsu Nimuro had been replaced by the far more aggressive and less experienced Tamago.

The Emperor stops the Shogun
As Shogun Kaneka moves to stop the battle with his Imperial Legion, but is redirected by Toturi III who thinks the Shogun might use the war as an opportunity to unit his form Lion and Unicorn allies against him.

The Dragon Clan
While the courts debate and attempt to work out peace between the waring clans, many wonder why the Emperor does not simply forbid the two clans from fighting. It is how ever not so simple, the Empire is in chaos from the Rain of Blood, and Toturi III's rule can not afford to make an enemy of either the Unicorn or the Lion. Instead the Emperor commands the Dragon Clan to enter the fight and deter the Lion and Unicorn from fighting by making it to costly for either to continue. While this is a heavy burden to the Dragon, who are already spread out fighting the new Bloodspeaker threat, Togashi Satsu dispatches Mirumoto Kei with a force to hinder the warring clans.

The Final Fight
Though the Dragon forces cause a great deal of damage to the Unicorn and Lion armies, they in the end are unable to stop the fighting. Both sides knowing that the Emerald Leigons have been sent to stop the fighting move to make their final positioning for the war. The insignificant village Sukoshi Zutsu becomes the Unicorns staging point for the last attack, the Lion receive intelligence informing them of this and take their forces to the Unicorns front door. The Dragon attacks have leveled out the playing field and the armies are lead by their Champions Moto Chagatai and Tamago(who is under the guise of being Matsu Nimruo).

The resulting battle is brutal, and losses are high on both sides. Chagatai engages Tamago in single combat the fight is difficult both men inflict a heavy toll on one another, but Chagatai prevails killing Tamago. The Lion withdraw back to Kaeru Toshi.

Results
In the end the Lion keep Kaeru Toshi. The Unicorn keep control of Sukoshi Zutsu. The Emerald Legion arrive with the Emerald Champion and the fighting ceases.