Night of the Spider

The Night of the Spider, also known as the Night of the Assassins was a night in the Month of the Monkey of 1170 when Daigotsu unleashed a group of assassins throughout the Empire targeting prominent figures of all the Great Clans.The Vacant Throne: Third Edition, p. 130
==Communication==
Part of Daigotsu's plan was to use the khadi Katsu to communicate with all the assassins simultaneously by modifying a ritual once used by Iuchiban, and passed to the Dark Lord by Daigotsu Yajinden. It had been modified to allow Daigotsu to see and hear that which took place through the eyes of those who were bound by it. The Heaven's Will, Part II, by Shawn Carman Hidden beneath the Ruins of Otosan Uchi, Daigotsu issued the command to "kill them all", which Katsu then passed on to all the assassins. The Heaven's Will, Part I, by Shawn Carman Others claimed the Spider passed the communication with more complicate means, through encoded messages in the performance of plays written by Kakita Hiro, who had been blackmailed to produce such texts. Sins of the Father: the Shadows of our Pasts, by Robert Denton
For hours, Katsu sat in a trance constantly muttering a series of dialogues, meshed together in chaos, as the mass of the assassins reported back. Four Chuda spent the time transcribing every word in order to make sense of the reports. 
==The Unicorn and the Scorpion==
As commanded by Daigotsu, the Unicorn Clan were left untouched, while only two people of note were targeted in the Scorpion. The rest of the Clans were hoped to see this as a sign that the Scorpion had barely suffered any attacks, and would therefore be blamed for the murders. The Unicorn, by comparison, had no attacks against them.
===The Ide Daimyo===
After the event, and while the Unicorn were still wondering why they were spared, a group of Spider, led by Daigotsu Susumu requested an audience with the New Khan. They claimed to have discovered a group of assassins just outside the border of Unicorn lands, and managed to kill them at a great loss to the Spider. Among the corpses, a few had been found with a mark that read Loyalty, common to the Scorpion. In addition a scroll had been found; a letter from Ide Tang to Shinjo Nakaga revealing them to be Scorpion spies. Moto Chen immediately arrested Tang, and a warrant for Nakaga's arrest. Tang protested, but was ordered to be executed by means of quartering.
==Known Victims==
* Crab Clan
: Hida Sakamoto
: Kaiu Umasu
* Crane Clan
: Asahina Nizomi
: Doji Jorihime
* Dragon Clan
: Tamori Shaitung
* Lion Clan
: Akodo Hachigoro
: Ikoma Korin
: Kitsu Katsuko
* Mantis Clan
: Moshi Amika
: Tsuruchi Ki
* Phoenix Clan
: Tamori Nakamuro
: Shiba Ritsuo
: Shiba Yoshimi
* Scorpion Clan
: Soshi Uidori
* Unicorn Clan
: Ide Tang
==Known Survivors==
There were not many who survived the attacks if first targeted. Doji Nagori survived thanks to the aid of his wife, Doji Jorihime. The Emerald Champion Shosuro Jimen was also targeted, but survived thanks to the sacrifice of his yojimbo Tsuruchi Ki. The Heavens' Command, by Brian Yoon He commanded Bayushi Makubesu to find the culprits. Some, like Hida Benjiro, were able to kill their own assailants. Isawa Emori, the Master of Earth, was wounded. Fires of the Heart, by Lucas Twyman
== Aftermath ==
Each of the murdered low ranking samurai would be replaced by one of the legion of lesser men and women that the Spider Clan owned in one way or another. Men like Utaku Katiro, who had been the stepping stone the Spider had required to forge an alliance with the Unicorn. 
During the following investigations tracks that led to the Scorpion Clan were found. Preparations, Part I, by Rusty Priske and Shawn Carman
The Clans began to blame one to each other in the Imperial Court, with few advising it was another part of the plot. The issue was quickly forgotten with the announcement of the Celestial Tournament. The Heavens' Command, by Brian Yoon
The ultimate goal of Daigotsu had been that the Clans as a whole might succumb to chaos and confusion, blaming one another and exacerbating their constant conflicts and leading to large-scale war between them, weakening them even further. In this chaotic atmosphere Daigotsu had hoped he could seize and hold the throne, becoming Emperor Daigotsu the First in an Empire devoted to the worship and reverence of Fu Leng. Masters of Court, pp. 124-125
Category:Historic events