Road to Ruin: Previews Week, Day 4

Greetings! We venture deeper into the world of the Scorpion Clan and the Spider Clan during our Road to Ruin Previews Week.

Among the various Clans, none have endured as much suffering as the Scorpion since the Realms merged. The fall of the Seals has enhanced the power of creatures from the Shadowlands, breaching the so-called "Scorpion Wall" and inundating the Clan's territories with unchecked rampaging creatures. The Scorpion forces, still reeling from their previous war with the Lion, faced further losses during the Second Seal disaster, though not as extensive as those of the Crane. In the face of these challenges, Dairuko has called for a final stand, urging the former enemies to unite against Kanpeki at Shamate Pass. However, deep-seated resentments linger, and Nitoshi has his own unorthodox plan for dealing with the Shadow Emperor.

Meanwhile, Kanpeki has a simple yet dangerous strategy—to march towards the capital and force the capitulation of the Iweko Dynasty. His forces are bolstered by the enhanced power of the undead and oni, as well as the surging maho of the Chuda, rendering them nearly unstoppable, especially with the Crab pinned down in their own struggles and unable to join the fight. Now, Kanpeki directs his attention to neutralizing the Second City, leveraging the large numbers of Spider troops in the Colonies.

Troubled by rumors of the Naga's return, he dispatches a force to deal with what may be a minor number of awakened Naga. Moreover, Kanpeki has devised a cunning plan to sow discord among the already strained alliances of the Clans, even as his army prepares for a decisive clash with the Lion Champion. However, he must also contend with discord within his own ranks. The Chuda, whose magic has been instrumental to his success so far, are growing restless. Pushed by the fringe 'Cult of Fu Leng', the Chuda want a corrupted Empire laid to waste, while Kanpeki has a desire to rule more than a pile of rubble.

PLEASE PARDON OUR DUST

This article originally appeared on Facebook, and the cards included used AI procedurally-generated art. The Onyx Lives! Project has made a public statement on our cessation of the use of generative AI art. Such art has been removed from the composited cards which were posted with the original preview article, in an effort to preserve the original text which may have evolved since the previews were first posted -- warts and all.