For thousands of years the peoples of East Asia held to one principle: Heaven grants the right to rule only to the virtuous and capable. When floods, droughts, or famine strike a kingdom, the message is clear—Heaven has withdrawn its blessing from the current dynasty. Unrest follows. A new leader must rise. The Mandate does not care about bloodlines or borders; peasants have risen to rule the Middle Kingdom before, and foreigners have sat on the Dragon Throne. In the Sengoku era of Japan, the old order is collapsing—and the question of who Heaven will choose next is entirely open.