The discovery of CORUM, a never seen before energy source, led to a bloody world war for its control. After years of destruction, the Lords of the Lands agreed to negotiate a ceasefire for lasting peace. The BLADE FORGERS TREATY was born from that meeting. This treaty established that the mining of Corum would be centralized through one government, led by a neutral Emperor. The Emperor would have to be a BLADE FORGER, a mystical swordsman, and claim the title in a tournament called The Tournament of the Five Rings. Every five years Blade Forgers from every corner of the Empire would fight for the possibility of becoming the new Emperor. A young Blade Forger named Owada challenges the Emperor in the name of the forsaken people. This is the story of what happens next.