Pillar of Flesh

Legend of the Five Rings card from Hidden City

Card Type: Holding
Gold Cost: 5
Keywords: Oni, Retainer, Shadowlands
Card Text: w: Produce 6 Gold and lose 6 Honor which will not be copied or given to another player instead.
Legality: Rain of Blood (Diamond)
Deck: Dynasty

Printings

Rarity: Rare
Flavor Text: "The Bloodspeakers craft abominations of dark magic on the Plains Above Evil," Katamari said. "From them, they cultivate endless legions."
Artist: Jim Pavelec
Card Number: 9
Publisher: Alderac Entertainment Group

Q: I have only a bowed stronghold, a Pillar of Flesh and a merchant caravan in play. I'm holding a 0F, 2F and a 4F card in hand. I know I have to bow the Pillar of Flesh. Do I have to bow the Merchant Caravan? Do I have to discard a card to the MC
A: You have to bow it if you have any cards in your hand, because it can produce gold for the cost. You can, however, bow it without discarding to produce 0 gold, as per the card text. Nothing forces you to optimize the gold produced from your sources. Martin Lund, "Rules for 15 September 2004", 21 Sep 2004
Q: I have a bowed stronghold, a Pillar of Flesh and a Glassblower in play. Do I have to use all 4 of my Glassblower tokens to pay for the canceled Kolat? Do I have to use any of the Glassblower tokens?
A: You don't have to use Glassblower's Reaction, thusly you do not have to remove any tokens from Glassblower. Martin Lund, "Rules for 15 September 2004", 21 Sep 2004
Q: I have an unbowed Temple of the 9th Kami, a Merchant Caravan and a Pillar of Flesh. Do I have to bow my stronghold to make gold even though it makes only 0 gold? (i.e. do I have to try to make all the gold I possibly can even if it's not going to generate any gold in the process)?
A: If bowing your Stronghold - can't - produce any gold towards the payment, you don't have to use the resource, as per Vaughn's ruling back in the days of Oni no Ogon. Martin Lund, "Rules for 15 September 2004", 21 Sep 2004