kensei 2015 core rules

8/17/2019 Kensei 2015 Core Rules

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CHAPTER 1: HYMUKAI

RULEBOOK 2.0


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INDEX

CHAPTER 1: HYMUKAI......................1

WARRIOR'S CREED..........................10

GONGYE CHANG'S LETTER TO HSIANG, DUKE OF SUNG. 11

HYMUKAI........................................13

RYUNOKANI....................................13

THE “TENNO”..................................14

THE SAMURAI.................................14

HEIAN-JO, THE CAPITAL..................15

THE CLANS.....................................15THE KUGE.......................................16

THE BUKE........................................18

THE SOHEI.....................................20

THE OTOKODATE.............................22

RELIGION IN HYMUKAI....................26

SHINTO "THE WAYS OF THE GODS"...26

BUTSUDO "THE WAY OF THE BUDA"...26

SHUGENDO.....................................27

THE ONMYODO................................27

FORMS OF MAGIC............................28

KOTOTAMA: THE POWER OF WORDS...28

KUJI-IN: SEALS OF THE NINE SYLLABLES 28

O-FUDA: KANJI MAGIC.....................29

ONMYODO: THE WAY OF YING AND YANG29

THE THREE PLANES..........................30

THE CELESTIAL PLANE: AMA.............30

THE INTERMEDIATE PLANE: KUNI......30

THE UNDERWORLD: YOMI.................30

REINCARNATIONS AND THE WHEEL OF DHARMA 31

SUPERNATURAL BEINGS...................32

KAMI..............................................32

TENNIN..........................................32

YOKAI............................................32

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SHURA...........................................32

YUREI.............................................33

GAKI..............................................33

BASIC RULES..................................34

WHAT DO I NEED!..........................34

THE UNIT .......................................34

PROFILE:........................................35

ATTRIBUTES...................................35

AT ATTACK.....................................35

DF DEFENSE...................................35

W WOUNDS....................................36

KI SPIRIT .......................................36

HR HONOR......................................36

IN INITIATI"E...............................36

FORMATION...................................36

DC COMBAT DICE............................37

DD FIRING DICE.............................37

PM COMMANDMENT POINTS............37

AC ACTION POINTS........................37

"IEWING ANGLE.............................37

LINE OF SIGHT ...............................38

TYPES OF ROLL...............................38

ATTRIBUTE TEST ............................38

ATTRIBUTE ROLL.............................38

MO"EMENT ROLL.............................38

OPPOSED ROLLS..............................38

MEASURING....................................39

THE BATTLE...................................40

PHASES AND TURNS........................40

DEPLOYMENT OF TERRAIN PIECES....40

DEPLOYMENT OF THE ARMY.............40

COMMAND ROLL..............................40

ORDERS AND ACTIONS PHASE.........40

COMBAT AND RESOLUTION PHASE...41

"ICTORY CONDITIONS....................41

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DEPLOYMENT ..................................42

HIDDEN DEPLOYMENT ......................42

DEPLOYMENT CARD..........................42

DEPLOYMENT ROLLS........................42

DEPLOYMENT $ONE.........................42

DEPLOYING CARDS..........................43

CHARACTERS' DEPLOYMENT .............43

OCCUPYING TERRAIN.......................43

ORDERS AND ACTIONS....................44

ACTI"ATE TAISHO ABILITIES.........44

REGROUPING UNITS RUNNING AWAY 44

STRATEGIC ORDERS........................45

DELI"ERING A WARNING ORDER......45

GENERIC ORDERS............................45

COUNTERMANDS.............................45

GENERAL RULES..............................46

ACTIONS........................................46

ACTION POINTS %AC&......................47

ACTI"ATION ORDER........................47

OCCUPYING.....................................47

BUILDINGS.....................................47

SPECIAL ABILITIES.........................47

ACTION OF OPPORTUNITY...............48

COMPLETING ACTIONS....................48

MO"EMENT .....................................49

PERFORMING THE MO"EMENT ..........49

SPECIAL MO"EMENTS......................50

HARASSERS AND LONELY CHARACTERS 50

MO"ING THROUGH UNITS...............50

O"ERCOMING AN OBSTACLE............51

INFANTRY UNITS...........................51

CA"ALRY UNITS..............................51

SHOOTING.....................................51

LOADING WEAPONS........................51

SHOOTING.....................................52

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FIRING DISTANCE..........................52

FIRING DICE %DD&...........................52

FIRING ROLL...................................53

GREATER PRECISION.......................53

MULTIPLE SHOT ..............................53

MO"EMENT AND SHOOTING............53

DEFENSE TEST ................................53

DAMAGE ROLL.................................54

CRITICAL DAMAGE..........................54

REMO"ING LOSSES.........................54

ACCUMULATED DAMAGE...................54

THE SPIRITUAL ACTION..................55

SPELLCASTING................................55

KI TEST .........................................55

CONCENTRATION............................55

MEDITATION..................................55

RESULT OF THE SPELLCASTING........56

BLOCK............................................56

KI TEST .........................................56

DURATION......................................56

EFFECTS.........................................57

TYPES OF ROLL...............................57

THE CHARGE...................................58

DECLARING THE CHARGE..................58

REACTION TO THE CHARGE..............58

WITHSTAND AND COMBAT ..............58

WITHSTAND AND SHOOT ................58

THE COUNTER(CHARGE....................58

RUN AWAY.....................................59

BONUSES GRANTED BY A CHARGE....59

TYPE OF UNIT ................................59

PERFORMING THE CHARGE...............59

TYPES OF CHARGE...........................60

DIRECT CHARGE..............................60

INDIRECT CHARGE...........................60

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$ONE OF CHARGE............................60

CHARGE TOWARDS A DIRECT $ONE. .61

CHARGE TOWARDS AN OBLI*UE $ONE 61

RULE FOR THE IMPACT ....................61

$ONE OF CHARGE AND HARASSERS. .62

DIRECT $ONE.................................62

OBLI*UE $ONE...............................62

FAILED CHARGE..............................62

POSTING THE UNIT ........................62

MULTIPLE CHARGES.........................63

CHARGE AND OBSTACLES.................63

NORMAL AND HIGH OBSTACLES.......63

"ERY HIGH OBSTACLES:..................63

IMPASSABLE OBSTACLES:................63

COMBAT .........................................64

COMBAT SCHEME............................64

ACTI"ATION OF ABILITIES.............65

DEFENSI"E POSITION.....................65

RESOLUTION OF THE INITIATI"E...65

INITIATI"E ROLL...........................65

THE ATTACK...................................66

DC COMBAT DICE............................66

MODIFIERS TO DC..........................66

COMBAT DICE DISTRIBUTION..........66

CHARGING UNIT .............................66

FOCUSING YOUR DC........................67

LONELY CHARACTER........................67

THE ATTACK ROLL...........................67

DEFENSE TEST ................................67

THE DAMAGE ROLL..........................67

REMO"AL OF MINIATURES..............68

ACCUMULATED DAMAGE...................68

DESTROYING A UNIT ......................68

RESTRUCTURATION.........................68

COMBAT RESOLUTION.....................68

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CONFRONTATION "ALUE.................68

DAMAGE DIFFERENCE......................68

RESULT OF THE COMBAT .................69

"ICTORY.........................................69

DRAW.............................................69

DEFEAT ..........................................69

RUN AWAY.....................................70

THE UNIT DOES NOT REGROUP........70

AS A REACTION TO A CHARGE.........70

BECAUSE OF ENEMY FIRE................70

DEFEAT IN COMBAT ........................71

CHASE............................................71

DESTROYED....................................72

CLASH WHILE RUNNING AWAY........72

LEA"ING THE BATTLEFIELD.............72

TYPES OF UNIT ...............................73

INFANTRY......................................73

CA"ALRY.........................................73

HARASSERS....................................73

CREATURES.....................................73

CHARACTERS...................................74

TYPES OF CHARACTER.....................74

OINING OR LEA"ING A UNIT .........75

CHARGE..........................................75

REACTION TO THE CHARGE..............75

SHOOTING AND CHARACTERS..........75

FIRING CHARACTER.........................75

CHARACTER TARGETED BY SHOTS....75

CHARACTER IN COMBAT ..................76

CHARACTER'S DC.............................76

DAMAGING A CHARACTER................76

SUR"I"ING THE UNIT .....................76

RUN AWAY FROM COMBAT ...............76

CHARACTER'S CONFRONTATION......77

DECLARING THE CONFRONTATION...77

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LONELY CONFRONTATION...............77

THE CONFRONTATION....................77

REECTING THE CONFRONTATION...78

END OF THE CONFRONTATION........78

THE TAISHO...................................79

COMMANDMENT POINTS %PM&..........79

POSITION OF CONTROL..................79

TAISHO'S DEATH............................79

TAISHO ABILITIES.........................80

GENERAL ABILITIES........................80

FOREST OF SPEARS.........................80

BAN$AI..........................................80

ASHIGARU'S GENERAL.....................80

MASTER IN CALLIGRAPHY................80

KUGE TAISHO.................................80

FULFILL YOUR DUTY........................80

CLANDESTINE PRACTICES................80

BUKE TAISHO.................................81

EPERT STRATEGIST .......................81

BUSHIDO LAW................................81

SOHEI TAISHO...............................81

THE WHEEL OF DHARMA..................81

DI"INE WIND.................................81

OTOKODATE TAISHO.......................81

BUYING THE ENEMY........................81

HATE TO SAMURAI.........................81

TRAIT ............................................82

COMMANDMENT ..............................82

HEININ..........................................82

DUELIST .........................................82

SAMURAI........................................82

PROECTILES..................................82

LONER............................................82

SOHEI............................................82

ASSASSIN......................................83

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GREAT WARRIOR.............................83

LEGENDARY.....................................83

RONIN...........................................83

BOW MASTER..................................83

HIDDEN..........................................83

NINUTSU......................................83

NO COMBAT ....................................83

MARTIAL ARTS...............................83

FLYING...........................................84

FEAR..............................................84

ETHEREAL.......................................84

TERROR..........................................84

SMALL............................................84

BIG................................................84

UNDEAD.........................................84

WEAPONS AND ARMORS..................85

WEAPONS AND E*UIPMENT .............85

BOW..............................................85

O$UTSU.........................................85

SHURIKEN......................................85

SLING %ISHITSUBUTE&.....................86

TEPPO.............................................86

BLOWPIPE.......................................86

FIRETHROWER................................86

TILLAGE.........................................87

ONAGAMAKI...................................87

UMONI YARI...............................87

ONO %AE&......................................87

NAGINATA.....................................87

OMI YARI.......................................87

YARI..............................................88

KATANA.........................................88

INGAMA.......................................88

BO.................................................88

SHINOBI GATANA...........................89

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MITSU DOGU..................................89

SABER............................................89

KANABO(TETSUBO..........................89

IGNEOUS ATTACK...........................89

WAKI$ASHI....................................89

CLAWS AND AWS..........................90

NO(DACHI......................................90

KUSARIGAMA..................................90

HATA(IRUSHI...............................90

ARMOR...........................................91

AR ARMOR......................................91

ARMOR TYPES.................................91

SPELLS...........................................92

SPELL PROFILE................................92

ONMYOUI SPELLS..........................92

CELESTIAL SPELLS..........................92

BOOK OF LIGHT ..............................92

S34 56 78g9 %S79; 7; L"2.........................................93

Pa9 95 %S79; 7g 5>9 L"1.........................94

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Ca>>7 56 683 L"2...........................95

Ra8> 56 755; L"#.............................96

D67ag3a985> L"...............................96

BOOK OF RAGE ................................96

T5>g@ 56 ;493@985> %S79; 763>a7 75485> L"#.......................97

Sa3868 L"...................................97

EARTH SPELLS................................98

BOOK OF ANIMALS..........................98

P5845>5@4 35987 %S79; 798a7 >3g? L"1.........................98

FLYING L"2....................................98

B579 9 5@>9 L"2...........................98

Ca778>g 9 83;4 L"#.........................99

S=a3 56 8>494 L"........................99

BOOK OF NATURE...........................99

T35=8>g 495>4 %S79; 7g8>g >a9@3 L"2..........................100

Fa;4 L"2..........................100

S9a78>g >3g? L"#..........................100

F534 56 >a9@3 L"........................100

DEATH SPELLS................................101

BOOK OF SHADOWS........................101

La44 56 ;a3 >3g? %S79; 7 L"..................102

BOOK OF THE DEAD.........................102

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Wa>44 L"1..................................102

S83?5 L"2......................................103

M@a3 L"2..................................103

O>8>g 9 Na3a L"#....................103

B3a9 56 9 ;a; L".....................103

TERRAIN PIECES.............................104

TYPES OF TERRAIN.........................104

CO"ER............................................104

SHOOTING.....................................104

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SELECTING A WAY..........................110

LE"EL OF THE BATTLE.....................110

"ALUE IN KOKUS............................110

LIMITATIONS.................................110

UNIT LIMITS..................................111

UNITS: BASIC, SPECIAL, CREATURES AND ELITE. 111

CHARACTER LIMITS.........................111

"IRTUE OF THE WAY.......................111

GAME WITH MAGIC.........................111

SPIRITUAL CHARACTER....................111

CLANS AND HIDDEN POWERS...........112

LIMITATIONS.................................112

TWO ONMYOUI IN THE SAME ARMY 112

TWO ONMYOUI WITH THE SAME KNOWLEDGE 112

LE"EL OF THE SPIRITUAL CHARACTER 112

LEGENDARY CREATURES...................113

TABLE OF LE"EL, KOKUS, UNITS AND CREATURES. 114

TABLE OF LE"EL AND LIMITATIONS OF CHARACTERS 114

UNITS' PROFILES...........................115

BASIC UNITS..................................115

YARI ASHIGARU %ASHIGARU WITH SPEAR& 115

HEISHI %LOW RANK WARRIORS&.......115

YUMI ASHIGARU %ASHIGARU WITH BOW& 115

KATANA SAMURAI %SAMURAI WITH KATANA& 116

YUMI SAMURAI %SAMURAI WITH BOW& 116

KIBA MUSHA %CA"ALRY WITH KATANA& 116

YARI KIBA MUSHA %LIGHT CA"ALRY& 116

ISHITSUBUTE ASHIGARU %ASHIGARU WITH SLING& 117

NO BUSHI %SKIRMISHER ARCHERS&...117

KURO %PEASANTS&...........................117

ONNA KOMUSO %WARRIOR NUNS&....118

KUGE UNITS...................................119

KUGE SPECIALS ...............................119

ONNA(BUSHI..................................119

TEPPOTAI %ASHIGARU WITH TEPPO&. 119

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KUGE GREAT GUARD.........................120

ONNA KIBA MUSHA.........................120

ELITE KUGE ....................................121

NINAS..........................................121

YABUSAME......................................122

BUKE UNITS...................................123

BUKE SPECIALS ...............................123

NO(DACHI SAMURAI %SAMURAI WITH DAIKATANA& 123

YARI SAMURAI %SAMURAI WITH YARI& 123

I SAMURAI...................................124

O BAN............................................124

BUKE ELITE .....................................125

KENGO............................................125

YUMI KIBA MUSHA..........................125

SOHEI UNITS.................................126

SOHEI SPECIAL ...............................126

NAGINATA SOHEI %MONKS WITH NAGINATA& 126

AMA KIHEI %NUNS ON HORSEBACK&..126

MITSU DOGU SOHEI %MONKS WITH WEAPONS MITSU DOGU& 127

YUMI SOHEI %MONKS WITH BOW&....127

SOHEI ELITE ..................................128

IKAME BO %TERRIFIC BON$O&..........128

TEPPO SOHEI %MONKS WITH TEPPO&.128

OTOKODATE UNITS.........................129

OTOKODATE SPECIAL ......................129

KATANA ASHIGARU %ASHIGARU WITH KATANA& 129

TEPPO RONIN %RONIN WITH MUSKET& 129

O$UTSU %OTOKODATE WITH CANNON& 130

MACHI YAKKO.................................130

OTOKODATE ELITE ..........................131

KYOKAKU %DEFENDERS OF PEOPLE&....131

ASSASSINS....................................131

CHARACTERS...................................133

BUSHI HEROES...............................133

DAIMYO.........................................133

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SHIREI(KAN...................................133

BUSHO HATAMOTO.........................134

SAMURAI DAISHO...........................134

ASHIGARU DAISHO %BUGYO&............134

SPECIAL CHARACTERS......................135

KENSEI..........................................135

GEISHA..........................................135

SPY................................................136

WEAPON MASTER %SENSEI&..............136

KABUKIMONO..................................137

KAGEMUSHA...................................137

KYUDO HANSHI UDAN...................138

SHINOBI KUNOICHI.....................138

SPIRITUAL CHARACTERS..................140

THE ONMYOUI..............................140

THE SHIKIGAMI..............................140

CELESTIAL ONMYOUI....................141

SHIKIGAMI.....................................141

YATARAGATSU................................141

KITSUME........................................141

EARTHLY ONMYOUI.......................142

SHIKIGAMI:....................................142

KAMAITACHI..................................142

KODAMA.........................................142

INFERNAL ONMYOUI.....................143

SHIKIGAMI:....................................143

INUGAMI........................................143

TSUCHIGUMO..................................143

ONMYOUI OF THE DEATH..............144

SHIKIGAMI:....................................144

NE$UMI.........................................144

NEKOMATA.....................................144

CREATURES.....................................145

INFERNAL CREATURES .....................145

AMANOAKU %L


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ONIBI %L


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TAISHO MARKERS............................162

ACTION MARKERS............................163

REACTION MARKERS........................164

RUN AWAY MARKER..........................164

ALERT MARKER................................164

MAGIC MARKERS..............................165

DEFEAT MARKER..............................165

REMOVING MARKERS........................165

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WARRIOR'S CREED

I have no parents, I make the heavens and earth my parents

I have no home, I make awareness my home

I have no life or death, I make the tides of breathing my

home

I have no divine power, I make honesty my divine power

I have no means, I make understanding my means

I have no magic secrets, I make character my magic secret

I have no body, I make endurance my body

I have no eyes, I make the flash of lightening my eyes

I have no ears, I make sensibility my ears

I have no limbs, I make promptness my limbs

I have no strategy, I make "unshadowed by thought" my strategy

I have no designs, I make "seizing the opportunity by the forelock" my design

I have no miracles, I make right-action my miracles

I have no principles, I make adaptability to all circumstances my principles

I have no tactics, I make emptiness and fullness my tactics

I have no talents, I make ready wit my talent

I have no friends, I make my mind my friend

I have no enemy, I make carelessness my enemy

I have no armor, I make benevolence and righteousness my armor

I have no castle, I make immovable-mind my castle

I have no sword, I make absence of self my sword

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GONGYE CHANG'S LETTER TO

HSIANG, DUKE OF SUNG.Sir, I have been away from the green prairies of Shenshi for 23 years, wandering through this wide world

full of perils !our maesty cannot imagine how I yearn to see the gardens bloom in the summer palace

and to feel your august presence #ot a day goes by that I do not wipe away my tears with my sleeves

recalling my children and my yearned wife #ow my feet have brought me to the kingdom of $a, alsoknown as the %imukai &mpire 'as its inhabitants call it since they believe themselves the center of the

world(, which is in the archipelago known as )yunokani or the "*ragons+ )ealm" he ehaustion before

so much misfortune and the latest events that have taken place in these lands make me beseech him, beg

him, to allow me to come back to Sung and to free me from the eile, which I was deservedly punished with

.s !our &cellency knows, the kingdom of $a '%imukai( has lived indifferent to the rest of the world and in peace for innumerable centuries, governed by Suin, heir of the divine blood of the empress /ingu, who

he succeeded when he ascended the 0elestial )ealms .ccording to the elders, this emperor has lived for

more than a thousand years, and nobody has lived enough to check it 1rom palace, .kai guaranteed that

the darkness and the beings from the underworld remained confined further away the Infernal ates his

provided the )yunokani lands with such prosperity that the arts flourished and the great capital of %eian- /o became one of the most gleaming places of .shihara 'as the Intermediate $orld is known in the

language of the Isles( In this sparkling city, nobles spent their time enoying the luuries offered by a life

devoted to the court and great celebrations In the meanwhile, merchants sent their ships further away the

.ncient &mpire and increased their wealth both eporting and importing all sort of eotic items &ven the

peasants enoyed the abundance of food It was known even in the distant lands of #ishi %owever, as we

all know, this city could never be compared to our marvelous capital, o !ang, which, with its wisdom, glows over all the cities in the Seven )ealms and it is even admired in the 0elestial 4rairies In this

situation, nobody could presage that prosperity and stillness was ending, for the reat Spider never stop

weaving 'pray the gods to keep her away from our beloved lands( hen, he narrated the events that have

taken %ymukai to the present situation

&very year, Suin, the considered 0elestial Sovereign 'enno(, went on a pilgrimage to the #iiyama

5ountain, where he spent forty days in solitude in the temple of the "Sacred $ell" '5i( to enter in contact with the 6ami $hen he was returning from his last trip, the imperial convoy disappeared without a trace

when crossing the 6ashiwara forest 0onfusion spread through the &mpire like a virus .ccording to the

rumors, the emperor had been assassinated, and that the four sacred treasures had disappeared

In view of this unepected event and the suspicions that Suin was dead, the 6uge families, the rightful successors to the emperor and lords of the %ymukai lands, plunge themselves in a long argument over

who would be the rightful successor, who would have to recover the sacred obects and if the same person

would be the one to carry out both responsibilities %owever, there was no hero among the courtiers,nobody brave enough to carry out both tasks7 despite of this, the different candidates strived bitterly to

become the chosen one .ll of them wanted to be appointed enno '0elestial Sovereign(7 all of them

desired the power and none the responsibility that would endanger their comfortable lives hus a power

vacuum etended more than anyone could have desired

It was then when the 8uke, indignant about the situation and the weakness showed by the 6uge, stopped

paying tributes to the court and started organizing their own armies, with whom to defend what theycalled "their lands" he first independent lords started to arise hese, from their new castles, wished

more and more power and started to dream about their neighbors9 lands #ow, the different clans previously united under the same banner, started living under the sign of distrust #obody seemed to

remain loyal to his lord anymore, and the invisible threads, which kept cordiality and respect, blended in

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a fire of colossal dimensions, which threatened to spread through every nook and cranny of the

consciences he laws of %eaven started not to be observed and when this happens, disaster is reaped

- hey have gone too far: It is time to crush these rebels and force them to retreat, or else we risk losing

everything:; these were the words of some of the most respected 6uge %owever, it was too late, damage

had already been done, and they would never be able to impose order

hus, after several months of deliberation, and fearing the loss of all their belongings, the Suin

descendants gave up any hope of achieving an agreement and they came back to the lands they still

dominated to stifle rebellion 5ost pull themself together in the cities, from which they controlled tradeand purchased new devices for the forthcoming war here they had palaces where they could imitate the

life in court Soon, that gentle peace of yesteryear had been replaced by fear and, even more rapidly, the

war drums started to roll7 this sound would ride with the wind all over %imukai, announcing the

desolation of the islands by the ruthless clutches of death

8efore this chaos, the Sohei, the monks that gazed at the world from their temples, started to preach the

advent of a new era of darkness and to create their own feuds here they protected the old faith and the

peasants from the abuse of the *aimyio and the advance of darkness . lot of 8uke, disillusioned byeverything around them, clipped their hair and become monks who oined forces he previously modest

temples soon became fortresses, and mere monks became fierce warriors oined in armies under the

banners of the different sects

.fter the heat of a thousand battles already carried out and others to come, the territory has inevitably

divided in small Shugo 'feuds( selfgoverned by a family or clan '


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HYMUKAI

RYUNOKANIHymukai is "the sun-kissed land," whose fate was regulated by the Emperor or "Tenno." This Empire is

on the Ryunokani archipelago, formed by a series of islands isolated from the Ashihara continent. Thishas caused their culture to withdraw into itself, conditioning their whole world.

The main island is called hikotan and has a central moon-shaped bay granting natural protection to thecapital, He!ian-o, and the main harbors against any possible approach of an enemy fleet from the sea.

This is due to the narrow entrance that grants access to the inner bay and the rapid spread of the news

about the attack. At the center of the bay, there is a small sacred island where the temple to Hachiman,

the #efender, raises.

The $ath of the %orth is a spit of ice connecting the continent, surrounded by a wall of mountains&

crossing this fearsome path take the terrible hura to the land. The constant scourge of the fro'en windand the presence of these terrible creatures turn it into a (ery dangerous place which nobody dares to

walk through. These mountains and (alleys are inhabited b the Emishi people, who praise the )ami of

wind and snow, and who were forgotten by Ayanami.

*n the southeast of the main island, there are other four great islands+ Awa!i, mi, %aru and )ikai. The

latter is on the sacred hill of %i!iyama, one of the Emperors sites of pilgrimage. To the northwest there

is a desolated island, called iyako, with an acti(e (olcano and whose only inhabitants are the monks

and the poor peasant that work for them, in addition to some hidden /ako harbors. *t is belie(ed that

this place was inhabited by the terrible snake sore and thus, the ground is poisoned and almostnothing grows on it.

There is a (ast number of small islands in the archipelago that do not appear on the maps and that ha(e

ne(er been e0plored. ome pirate clans take ad(antage of them to hide themsel(es or as starting point

for their incursions.

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THE TENNOThe Emperors lineage was linked to Hikari, the 1oddess of 2ight& thus, he was considered a )ami, sohe was worshipped as such and was treated as sacred. Almost no one has seen him in person and he

hardly e(er appeared in public. 3rom his imperial palace of Akai in the capital and from Asai insummer, which hides in the center of a lake surrounded by mountains, he go(erned deli(ering his

orders to a bunch of priests and nobles.

He offered protection against the hidden forces with his predecessors four sacred ob!ects, which he

kept+ the )atana, which represents the strength to reply and attack any threat& the -4oroi, which

represents the kingdoms endurance against ad(ersity, the preser(ation of traditions and the establishedorder& the oyel, symbol of the wealth of the Empire& the irror, with is the knowledge of oneself, the

spirituality without which it would be impossible to rule. These symbols also reflect the four main

classes of the Empire+ the 5uke, the )uge, the tokodate and the ohei.

THE SAMURAIThe samurai are warriors who protect the interests of the lord they ser(e. These are the main class o(er

the other inhabitants, submitted to the established laws in their territories.

Thanks to their belonging to the clans and the possibility of sharing their e0periences, these fierce

warriors turn into an elite with the passing of time, for they spend generations transmitting their

wisdom from father to son. Among the knowledge in which they stand out, there are the arts of war, theuse of weapons and the way of the warrior or "5ushido," a strict code of honor.

The samurai can reach his status by birth or for his feats on the battlefield. *n the first case, his trainingin the clan starts in the from early childhood, moment when they begin being taught the 5ushi (alues

and they are trained in martial arts. 5y the age of 6, their master gi(es them a wooden saber in aceremony and by se(en, they already master a number of skills, among others, archer and hunting.

#uring this time, the child has to suffer gra(e depri(ations and make continuous combat e0ercises. The

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aim of these is increasing control o(er themsel(es, (igilance and calm. Thus, he is depri(ed of food for

long periods of time and must o(ercome the fear of death watching the e0ecutions and tortures of the

captured enemies. The last ceremony, called 1enpuku, takes place when they turn 76, when the

teenager is gi(en his first katana, symbol of the spirit of the samurai and which he must bear his wholelife.

Thanks to this strict formation the samurai become lethal warriors who do not fear fighting an opponentin close combat. Thus, it is fre8uent that they compete with each other to enter in combat first or that

they make the eppuku to repair an action of dishonor. The latter is a ritual by which the samurai

commits suicide with a short sword, while an assistant chops his head. The saber must penetrate the

womb from left to right and after raising up to the heart. This is hardly e(er necessary, for the assistant

will pro(ide relief to the man long before. *n the case of children, the sword is usually replaced by a fanwhich they must use symbolically.

/ithin the clans there are different status established according to the position of responsibility held bythe samurai. imilarly, this difference in status is also present between clans, depending of the clans

potential influence. %ormally, in times of piece, the samurai are in charge of the administrati(e

management of a piece of territory or other works for the clan, so they recei(e a stipend with whichthey are rewarded, without diminishing their military training.

*n this era of peace, to show the class to which they belong, they always bear two swords at his waist+

the katana and the waki'ashi. *n times of war, the best of these warriors ride their horses and bear

katana, bow and arrows. oreo(er, the samurai usually ha(e a(ailable infantry soldiers that do not belong to their class, called Ashigaru.

E(entually, the warrior caste has been imbuing all the spheres in the life of the Hymukai& step by step,they ha(e reached positions of power, so many ha(e become lords by heritage, by marriages and

military rewards. Additionally, many of the old families ha(e adopted the samurai way of life and

(alues. This has turned the samurai into the main class.

HEIAN(O, THE CAPITALThis is the capital of the Hymukai Empire. A symmetrical city where most buildings are made of wood.

The *mperial $alace is at its center and around it the main )uge families ha(e their great mansions.

e(eral temples rise in the city, each dedicated to a different )ami. oreo(er, at the outskirts, in thenearby mountains, the two principal temples of Hymukai are, whose monks are famous for their

ferocity and for confronting each other in numerous combats, the Ho!on-i and the 9acuten-i.

The city of Heian-o has always been the center of trade and culture of the islands, focusing and

accumulating in them the riches coming from e(ery corner of the Empire.

THE CLANSThe clans are the most important social organi'ation in Hymukai, these are led by a lord or #aimyo,

who all those in his domains owe loyalty. At the same time, he owes (assalage to the Emperor or other

2ord to whom he owes his position. Thus, it is highly hierarchical, so that each member of the clan

knows the status and the position of the others.

/hen the Empire was unified by Ayanami and it started to organi'e, it soon arose a nobility from the

Empresss descendants. This nobility started to occupy the positions of the go(ernment and to feel

superior o(er the rest of the population in the islands. ome of these nobles, who fall from grace beforethe Emperor for conspiring or any other cause, were e0pelled to manage regions far away from the

capital as a punishment and ended up becoming rural families.

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Thus, the Empire soon di(ided into noble and rural families who soon after needed warriors to protect

their interests and keep control o(er the peasant population. This ga(e rise to a new warrior class that

started to gather around this powerful families, who, in e0change for their protection, were gi(en lands

and sustenance. This led these new groups to become out of the Emperors control and caused theappearance of the clans. This was how it soon emerged an elite of warriors called samurai.

The territory of the Empire is di(ided into administrati(e regions controlled by the 5uke, )uge andohei clans. The )uge court class was bound to the Emperor by ancient lines of succession& this entails

that it holds greater go(ernment posts and it is the only one who is allowed to be in the presence of the

Emperor. These gather in the capital and spend most of their time li(ing in the court, where they en!oy

all the pleasures. 3rom there, they rule trade through the networks of todake trading clans, while the

5uke clans do the hard work of the fields, the militar training and to collecting the tributes from the peasant population, part of which they send to the capital to maintain the its inhabitants way of life.

The ohei are an independent power in itself, these ha(e their own lands with which they pro(ide for

their monasteries, from which they keep ali(e the Empires spiritual traditions. These monasteries are

independent from one another and each of them worships a different )ami or deity, causing numerous

conflicts among them.

THE KUGEThe )uge consider themsel(es the head of go(ernment. Together with the emperor, whom they were

related to, they made the great decisions on the fate of the Empire. They ha(e dominated the trade

routes and the diplomatic relations with distant places for years gone by, so most of the big cities wereunder the )uge families rule.

The )uge clans assure that they are direct descendants of the Emperor and, while he was ali(e, they

went with him around the :ourt in the *mperial :ity spending most of their time with court intrigues.They were ser(ed and maintained by the ta0es payed by the 5uke and the ohei from rural areas. Thus,

they got rich thanks to trade and speculation and fatten up at the e0pense of others work.

After the Emperors death, their e0cessi(e ambition and the arrogance due to their belie(ing themsel(es

superior pre(ented them from reaching an agreement. tep by step the trail of death and betrayal in the

*mperial :ity forced them to trust nobody. They all went back to their respecti(e hometowns and to the

lands they ruled from a distance to isolate and protect themsel(es from the intrigues of the rest of their caste. They built their own palaces at those rural redoubts, where they imitated life in court, and

surrounded themsel(es with (assals who know how capti(ate them with their praises. There they li(ed,

each of them belie(ing themsel(es to be the chosen one to succeed to the golden throne.

The )uge consider themsel(es to be honorable simply because di(ine blood flows through their (einsand they are certain of their not ha(ing to pro(e their honor. Thus, they will not doubt to use the most

dishonorable methods to reach their goals.

They are e0perts on intrigue and on the use of nin!as, who seek protection behind darkness to carry out

their plans. oreo(er, to obtain foreign weapons, they ha(e started to to let 1ai!in preachers in the

islands, and these bring with them a strange religion based on sacrifice, and weapons from the distant %ishi.

There are fi(e )uge clans who accumulate power and who are the most decisi(e families. At the sametime, other minor clans who ha(e to bow down to them belong to these families. These fi(e families

are+

The )uro'uka, who spread their power o(er the central lands near lake mi. These also control the

Takame harbor.

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The unemori, one of the oldest families, belie(e that Takeshi unemori is the Emperors legitimate

heir and, although he is !ust a child, they protect him in their fortress of oda from any possible attack

from other clans.

THE WAY OF THE KUGE %ikary !aku tied his soft, ocher-colored silk obi, fitting in his daisho before going out onto the

nightingale floor of the hall in front of his personal chambers %e was wearing his mempo depicting an >ni+s face, which was his *aimyo+s personal present, and which honored him with his complete

trust among the other vassals 5oreover, he was allowed to wear bangs and a long ponytail /ust

twelve samurai had been granted the privilege to bear that venerable mempo, and !aku was one of

those proud to be chosen #evertheless, his willingness, attitude and epression were totally different

to that of the other distinguished 6uge %e had devoted his whole life to 8ushido, becoming the butt of most of his kind+s okes

he 6uge had weaved, from the founding of the &mpire times, an intricate web of lies, manipulations

and riches from which no inhabitant in the nation could run away 5ost trade, positions in the court and travel taes belonged to them, thus being immensely rich In addition, they did not hesitated

when the time came to use those resources to hire armies entirely made of mercenaries, supply their

troops with the infamous aiin gunpowder or pay assassins to do their dirty work %owever, !aku

was born a samurai and, being a rare individual in his clan, he has deeply assimilated the teachingsof the way of the warrior .lthough he did not agree with the methods of his lineage, his great sense

of honor made him look after any obscure issue his *aimyo could hatch *ue to this, he had become

the right-hand man of his lord

%e had been called for at those ungodly hours in which wind whistled in a strange way, in the

darkness of the night $hen he reached 5unemori+s private chamber, he knelt before him, leaving

his katana at his right side and he bowed until he touched the floor with his forehead 6urozuka

5unemori, a lean man of sharp and bright eyes, waited for his loyal vassal, seated and pensive %ewatched him as he bowed with satisfaction, thinking on his place in the proect approaching he

6urozuka family had governed the province of


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- he Saotome clan has served the 6urozuka family loyally since they gained control of Suzu %onor

your lineage - 5unemori said

he mission had been entrusted, the nina ust needed to hear the few phrases that !aku and the

*aimyo echanged 8efore any of them could notice the eact moment in which the discussion had

finished, he left to fulfill his duty

he samurai had witnessed the brief encounter with disgust, but he would never dare to @uestion his

lord+s will 5oreover, that was why 5unemori valued so much having !aku at his service . lot of

6uge samurai plotted under the table to usurp the prominent positions, but the strict code of honor of the bearer of the mempo made him stupidly predictable, and that was something to be appreciated

among vassals %e smiled looking at him as he fanned himself

- $ar will soon break out, !aku-san hat province hides something invaluable to me Something

that will raise me over common men and that will raise my name to the highest position I want you

to start organizing our army to face the conflict %ire pirates, buy gunpowder, do anything but I

want akara under my control before the following season

!aku looked at him for an instant with those deep dark eyes that gazed from his fearsome mempo,

which depicted the aws of an oni

- hat will be done

hen he bowed again until he touched the mat with his forehead and he moved backwards picking up

his katana %e stood up and turned around in order to leave

%e had a task, and he was to be the only one among his family to carry that burden with absolute

and unswerving loyalty %e would be the only one to lead the !ami towards the victory his lord

longed for #evertheless, his heart was only filled with clouds of sadness

THE BUKEThe 5uke ha(e protected and farmed for centuries the land of the islands, paying (assalage to the

Emperor. They were considered the arms of the Empire, the strength and the sword. ince most of them

were rural samurai, a class lower than the )uge, they were despised. /hile the Emperor was ali(e, they

were honored simply because they could ser(e him, bound by their strict code of honor. 5ut after his

death they were taken aback.

After much discussion on who should be the following emperor, a lot of )uge re-considered their

loyalty, and this led, o(er time, to the appearance of new clans go(erned by the 5uke families. Thesenew rebellious #aimyo started to act on their own, stopped paying tribute to the )uge and pulled

themsel(es together in their territories.

%ow, these new #aimyo are imposing the belief that the )uge are corrupted and weak. They ha(e

started to build great castles to protect themsel(es from the old lords and from others like them. 3rom

their walls, they ga'e at their neighbors lands and plan their con8uer to increase their power. They are

resol(ed to start a new era in which the samurai go(ern the islands, a new order in which the Emperor

would be a mere puppet managed by the warriors real strength.

These rural samurai are tough fighters, hardened from life in the mountains, who follow the ancestral

warriors code, the 5ushido. As children, they are trained in the art of swordplay and they consider theuse of foreign firearms dishonorable. They are great riders and archers& one of the most fearful warriors

in the *ntermediate /orld.

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THE WAY OF THE BUKE

he rain was falling on the battlefield, covering the inert corpses in mud, as well as the bodies of

those standing on them he roar of the drops falling on the battlefield, together with the spine-

chilling sound of bolts, could suffocate neither the groans of the dying, nor the metallic din of theweapons colliding he eplosions thundered, surrounded by the fog condensed in the dark dusk,

when the coward 6uge used the infamous aiin gunpowder, in a futile attempt to compensate their

mediocre competence for weapons he brooks evaded the corpses, collecting the water spilled and

accumulating it under the soles of those who were still able to take up their weapons

.mong them, in the middle of the battlefield, %oshi akeshi was standing on a mountain of corpses

he %oshi family had served the Siraki with fervent devotion for several generations 8eing the

second son of this lineage, he was called that way because of his great constitution and terribletemperament . young and promising man, famous for his strict performance of the 8ushido code

and for his eplosions of violence

%e gave a powerful war cry as he attacked the enemies that crowded the right flank of his line of attack %e let the tip of an accurate spear slip through the epaulet of his thick armor and he took up

his ancient 6ohaku katana with both hands he blow he gave threw the entrails of that wretch over

the ground and he sent him with the other corpses to the )ealm of the *ead $hen the blade had ust

come out of his body, the soldier umped forward and buried his katana deeply in the rear lancer+sleft shoulder . third one fell to the ground with a leg severed under that maelstrom of fury and steel

akeshi felt the warm blood together with the rain drops splashing his face, his heart beating in histemple %e looked around with his eyes popping out of his head due to the euphoria, raising his

katana, and he pointed at his enemy

ear them to pieces: - he roared at his men Inflamed by his commander+s performance and courage,

they roared forward and into attack with renewed energy %e gazed at his samurai with satisfactionhe 8uke embodied the harshest, the most martial and the most aesthetic aspects of the Samurai

0ode7 they were all willing to give their lives for the sole purpose of honoring their 0lan

akara had become a flaming hell since three nights ago the warlord Siraki .tasuke had been

dishonorably assassinated while he was sleeping hose cowards knew that if they had faced him

honorably, they would have been annihilated hus, they decided to blacken the name of the samuraicaste sending their infamous assassins he Siraki+s response came swiftly he oldest brother of the

%oshi family must occupy the position of his deceased *aimyo since three years ago he had married

Siraki 6eiko, lord .tasuke+s only daughter akeshi, as the second in the line of succession, was at

the command of the armies .fter being sworn in as )ikugunshokan, the first order given by his

brother had been taking eemplary reprisals against the province of akara, where suspicious

movements had been detected among the 6uge he cowards were waiting for their movement 'onemore clue of their guilt in akeshi+s eyes(, but his first incursion had been a complete success hey

could incur as many despicable tricks as they wished= assassins, gunpowder, pirates the 8uke+s

iron martial discipline, wrought for centuries by their ancestors, would override any shameful trick

ittle by little, the enemy redoubts disappeared or left for positions that were more favorable In less

than an hour, they had vacated the 6urozuka troops and they had pulled themselves together in thenorthern area of akara

%owever, the counterattack would arrive sooner rather than later, and akeshi knew it he 6urozuka had not post those troops and ordered them to assassinate lord .tasuke if they had not a

plan hey always were always working on a trick and their coward tongues were sharp .s the

storm abated until it became a soft drizzle, the )ikugunshokan raised a prayer thanking his ancestorsin the tent and head@uarters where he rested his luckily unimportant wounds

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In silence, three men waited for him to finish paying his respects %otaru 6ei, 6awanamiya+s sensei7

6osuke 5asato, *aisho of cavalry7 and Shunsuke %iroki, *aisho of the wilight uard hey set up

the eneral+s %igh 0ouncil, and although they had washed themselves to have an appropriate

appearance, they all bore their own battle marks

- he assault is a complete success, great akeshi sama .lthough keeping such an important detachment away from the capital will re@uire great resources, - %otaru started In general, he had the privilege of speaking the first, in respect of his being the oldest counselor

- In that case, we should soon gain the control of the lands surrounding the province he peasantswill do their duty and feed the samurai for them to be ready for battle

- $e must deal with that issue urgently - %iroki continued with a pensive look - he >yuki emple isnearby, controlled by the 0hiharu sect

he 0hiharu were well known in the area because the most fearful Sohei were in their ranks .lthough they were peaceful people in general, their religious fervor and their etravagant 'and, for

the 8uke and the 6uge, sometimes insulting( belief about social order could turn them into a

dangerously unstable people

he )ikugunshokan banged his tessen on his seat

- I will not let a handful of mad monks prevent the peasants to do the duties imposed by %eaven:

hese will feed this war and, in echange, they will have our protection, as it has always been and

will continue to be

he council agreed, tense but satisfied hings should return to normal whatever the price

THE SOHEIThey consider themsel(es the heart of the Empire. *n the #ragon;s *slands, the ohei ha(e always been

a separate power, keeping their pri(ileges in front of the )uge and the 5uke. 3or se(eral centuries, theyha(e trained warrior monks to protect them from any interference they consider as opposed to their way

of life or their morality.

/hen the conflict between the )uge and the 5uke started to de(astate the fields, the peasants, helpless,had to seek shelter and beseech ohei monasteries and temples to help them. As they contemplated the

peoples suffering they started to position themsel(es beside them, "in fa(or of the most

disad(antaged". Then they started to preach about a new era of darkness and about the need to protect

themsel(es from that era. Thus they were increasing their power and attracting more and more peoplewho entrusted the )ami of that temple with their souls. They imposed their own rules o(er their

territories, based on religion, and the stopped following the *mperial 2aw. ome 5uke #aimyo, sorry

for their way of life !oined their cause and they were ordained monks, built temples on their fields and

gi(e shelter to the refugees coming from other lands. The first ohei clans were arising.

The ohei consider themsel(es the protectors of faith and tradition in the #ragons *slands as opposed

to foreign preachers, who sell firearms to the )uge, and the 5uke oppressors, who belie(e themsel(es

superior to the Heinin. 5ut these clans are di(ided into uncountable sects, who struggle amongthemsel(es for tri(ial issues such as who is to be in charge of the performance of the spring ritual. *t is

famous the confrontation between the main temple comple0es in the Heian-o mountains to see who

was in charge of the Ayanami millennial rites. A lot of temples were burnt to ashes in this clash, some

of the most famous rooms and the 1reat tatue of Ayanami. oreo(er, more than fi(e thousand bon'e, both men and women, died, most of them because of the blade of the spears. *t was an irre(ersible lossfor both the temples and the art in the islands.

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THE WAY OF THE SOHEI

6aneda was born into a 8uke ronin vassal family .s their descendant, he learned everything about

war and its arts 8lessed with a natural passion, he had devoted himself to everything he has found

in his life with perseverance and wishes to improve %e had been proud, that is right $ho was not in youth? hirsty for glory, he had traveled to countless battlefields in search for their rewards In

search for his own satisfaction, he had snatched dozens of men+s lives using those arts they have get

to manage so magnificently >ne day, when he was twenty-one, he was walking to the province of >-

5asu, after two weeks of rest in the .ka-5on )ed *istrict #othing pleased 6aneda more than being

surrounded by sake and beautiful women after getting the rewards for the blood shed by his katana %e had never refused any pleasure this world could give him, but it was rumored that, at 5asu, a big

8uke army was gathering with the aim of crushing the peasant+s rebellion in the province he young

ronin knew it would be an easy ob, and the reward would be high

.s he predicted, the battle soon went from a conflict between two factions to a massacre %owever,

the peasants, harsh people used to suffering, could not e@ual the discipline and techni@ue of men that

had devoted their whole life at the control of weapons >ne by one, they fell under the spears, bowsand sables, while they brandished farm tools and the few weapons they could steal 6aneda had already finished eight of them when he saw a small chapel entrusted to the oddess of the %arvest

here great @uantities of food were often stored to honor the powerful spirits7 the plunder will be

substantial

%is hands covered with blood left blurred red prints in the doors when he opened them to enter the

place >nly one person kept it, an old monk too worn out to fight by time, too wise to be willing to do

it %is wrinkled eyes fied on those of 6aneda, who could barely feel the weight of the spirit,

- $ho are you? - he asked with a harsh and severe voice

he young samurai was really taken with the figure, but that ust made him show more eternal anger

- I am 6aneda . samurai: . 8uke: $e have come to restore reason and remind you about your

place:

he old monk went on looking at him in the same way for some @uiet seconds in which the air

seemed warmer and stickier

- Samurai? !ou are not a samurai

6aneda seemed to burst into anger at the hearing of those words, putting curses on the air while

holding his katana in a threatening way, walking towards him

- %ow is that you dare to @uestion me, old man: I have killed more than twenty men and been

involved in more than eight duels: *o you say I am not a samurai?:

he monk saw the boy+s gestures and heard his words without turning a hair %e went on looking at

him with a severe epression

- hat is not being a samurai !ou do not understand the meaning of that word !our heroic deeds

ust turn you into a strong man hat is what you are a strong man %owever, as the years go by

and strength made room for old age tell me what will you be then?

6aneda stopped, looking at him %e felt that behind the old man+s words there was a truth hidden

beyond what he could understand %e was not a wise man, he was so young for that %owever, he

was selfless and perceptive, and there, under that roof of planks and poor straw, he felt as looking his own soul face to face

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.lmost twenty years had passed since he left the old man+s chapel with his tail between his legs %e

had seen the destruction caused by the army in the village hose women who had survived death

and sacking were crying regretting their fate of their husbands and children he cries of the dying

and the smell of blood he had felt them dozens of times but he had never paid attention to them %orrified, he suddenly decided to pilgrimage throughout the whole country in search for his place

1inally, he arrived to the emple of >yuki, where his martial abilities and his willingness for inner peace were accepted warmly %e decided to shave his head and to be ordained a monk in order to

find harmony Since then he has gone on practicing the arts he knew, among many others, either

related or not to the world of war or only to the world of men %e reflected on all those eperienceswhile the relentless and freezing waterfall fell on his naked body here, in full lotus position and

with his eyes closed, he had been meditating since dawn #ow, by nightfall, the voice of one of his

apprentices took him out of the trance he was plunged into %e opened his eyes to gaze at the boy+s

pale and altered face %e felt a miture of anger and worry

- 5aster 6aneda, akara has witnessed a slaughter between armies of the clan 6urozuka and the

clan Siraki: #ow they are advancing in order to try to share out the province to supply their armies,

plundering our peasants 5en and women have come to us willing to fight as we had taught themhey beg for our help

6aneda nodded, getting up slowly $hile living in the world of men, it was necessary to look after the problems of men hey could not stay inactive while peasants died and paid for the egotism of

those around them %e walked on saying nothing while the apprentice run after him waiting for his

instructions %e went into his chambers, looking at his sharp naginata, 0hiheisen, a gift from lord

%otaitaka

- $arn our allied samurai clans $e will organize a resistance and gather our levies and ashigarus

he boy rushed out the moment he received his orders, crying throughout the temple while the monks

got moving 6aneda bore 0hiheisen, feeling its weigh .fter almost twenty years, he would brandish

his weapons against living men oday, it was a sad day

$ar had started

THE OTOKODATEThe time of samurais and aristocracy has ended and a new class arises from the ashes of old clans thatha(e disappeared because of the war. any port cities ha(e risen up against their lords, declaring their

independence and that of the surrounding lands. These new regions are ruled by old families of

Hymukai traders who ha(e taken ad(antage of the power (acuum created by the disappearance and

weakening of many lords.

The samurai ha(e always considered traders a wretched class and they ha(e committed all sort of

abuses against them. %ow, in order to a(oid the increasingly fre8uent looting and attacks they ha(e

organi'ed into family clans called tokodate. ome of them e(en ha(e their own moral rules, differentfrom 5ushido, known as )ikotsu. Their main aim is to grant safety and trade, e0panding their power as

a web which their enemies cannot escape from. The constant threats ha(e led to the creation of their

own armies, which defend the new laws passed for their personal con(enience.

*n general, the tokodate blame the samurai for the oppression and chaos in Hymukai, but they do not

hesitate to use those who ha(e become Ronin and adopt their same beha(ior. The Ronin, or lord-less

samurai, are abundant in a time in which families rise and fall at the same speed as seasons change.

The tokodate ha(e long controlled trade with faraway lands and ha(e granted Hymukai wealth. any

ha(e already sa(ored the sweetness of power and now they dream of go(erning Hymukai& in order to

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achie(e that, they will not hesitate in using anything at their disposal. They will not fear facing the

samurai armies to carry out their plans.

THE WAY OF THE OTOKODATE

Several months had passed since the battle of akara, after which many samurai where ended lord-

less with the disappearance of the .rakawa clan, annihilated by because they were a nuisance for

the 6urozura and Siraki clans he death of lord .rakawa )itsuo granted #obuyoshi with the perfect opportunity to seize complete control over the city of %iguchi and its harbor, as well as the

surrounding lands o do that, he only had to eliminate the few men who were still loyal to the clan

and one of his sons together with his whole family he rising was @uick and easy because, de facto,

he dominated the city already he men who came back from war had little choice but to enter the

service of this small men who never belonged to the samurai class and who now dressed up and behave as one of them .fter this, Ikeda #obuyoshi had proclaimed himself *aimyo of the province,

something unprecedented that only an era of great upheaval could have allowed, and it seems that it

was taking place in other provinces dominated by big traders $ithout the emperor and lord-less, a

new power was rising and proclaiming its place in %ymukai against the traditional samurai powers

#obuyoshi contemplated the garden calmly while his servant, 6aito, stood at his right, almost

immobile, with a brush in his hand which slided on the papyrus, moved by the words of his lord he

letter was addressed to 6amo Satsuma, a trader from the island of ne of the sailors walked off the bridgewith an elaborated wooden bo and after him, *oi the interpreter, a converted native who had become 1ray eopold+s favorite *espite he had sold weapons to the Ikeda clan a couple of times, he

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had never visited the city and met its lord #obuyoshi he first transactions were carried out thanks

to eopold and his monks, who had already achieved to build a small church with the consent of the

Ikeda clan, establishing a web of informants and a stable link for commerce In reality, this last

reason had been the only cause for the open attitude of lord #obuyoshi

he convoy escorted by four soldiers of the guard, captain &rnesto and his two crewmen went over the streets of the city until they reached the entrance of the stunning castle It was magnificent, itswalls made it seem impregnable and had several defense towers and inner rings he walk seemed

labyrinthine until they eventyally arrived to the main tower, where they were asked to take off their

shoes and, after passing several halls, they reached the entrance of the reception hall wo guards

opened the sliding doors for them and move to the side by stepping into the room Ikeda #obuyoshi

stood at the end of the big hall, sitting on a flooring that put him over the other men, who sat motionless from right to left 1rom there, he watched them enter in silence >ne of his men

approached him and, kneeling, he invited the guests to come in hen, with a gesture #obuyoshi told

captain &rnesto to come closer heir rough movement, the smell and dirt that pervaded them did not

go unnoticed by any of those present, who look at them patronizingly and with some disgust,

although their faces did not seem to reflect that- Salute, my lord #obuyoshi, my name is &rnesto )odrAguez, captain of the 8lack Scorpio and

servant of his imperial maesty 1ernando It is my honor to meet you in person- %e bowed at #obuyoshi taking his hat 5any were surprised by this sudden gesture, moving imperceptibly "I am

thankful and glad about being able to call you friend and trade partner and I hope to be able to

fulfill your epectations with this new delivery" %e made a gesture with his hand for his man to

approach with the cargo

$hile the interpreter was still translating, his companion moved forward with the wooden bo in his

hands and placed it on the floor he guards moved with the intention of intervening, but #obuyoshi stopped them with a little gesture, feeling curious he man went on abruptly opening the bo and

taking out a hand-carved musket with golden inlays &rnesto delivered the order and the man started

to load his teppo skillfully and @uickly hose who sat both sides took their swords and suddenly

stood up7 while #obuyoshi stepped back, the guards moved forward to cover their lord he only

sound heard was one similar to that made by the wind when moving along a narrow place and, in theblink of an eye, the sailor was lying on a crimson puddle, headless >nly 6aito stood net to his body

while the bloody katana was dripping still warm blood $hen &rnesto realized his mistake, he paled7

deep inside him he knew that could mean his and his men+s death he interpreter, who was also

terrified, remained knelt without lifting his head from the floor #obuyoshi regained composure and

told them to bring him the weapon 6aito picked up the teppo and crossed the room to hand it to hislord

he sovereign took the weapon and aimed at the place where &rnesto was he captain could do

nothing, he felt an idiot and his mouth seemed sealed by terror hen an eplosion was heard and hethought that his time had come .s in a dream, he heard a cry of pain7 then he turned his head to

have a look and he saw *oi, the interpreter, knocked down in a ridiculous posture7 the man was

holding his abdomen and moaned he musket was emanating smoke and #obuyoshi looked at it

impressed

- Bery well, how much? -said #obuyoshi in aiin &rnesto was surprised that he spoke his

language, unaware that #obuyoshi got advantage of his monks to learn more about the aiinculture and that, in this way, he prepared himself for a possible future confrontation

- hree hundred as ordered, with them, we deliver thirty barrels of gunpowder7 besides the transfer of a little terrain net to the church to create a small monastery in your city - &rnesto said, ignoring

the event that has ust taken place and controlling himself

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- %is monks are a nuisance, but that won+t be a problem I+m impressed, 0aptain7 if the whole load is

of the same @uality, I see a long and profitable business relation, as long as you don+t do anything

like what you+ve done today - he smiled slightly - earn some manners if you want to be alive for a

long time in these lands - %e handed in his musket to one of his men who was already kneeling net to him - 0aptain, I hope that you enoy your residence in %iguchi, have a bath and enoy the

company of one of our geishas !ou are my guest, so don+t hesitate to eplore the castle and the city7 you can stay here as long as you wish, I would like to talk someday and that you tell my stories of

your land >ne of my servants will take care of all your needs and wishes 4lease, ecuse me now,

for there are urgent matters that need my time - &rnesto bowed and vanished with politenessracefully, he wore his hat back and left the chamber, escorted by two guards %e felt he had been

born again, but his feelings were contradictory, they went from gratitude to cholera and incredulity

his way he cursed the barbarians he could not understand yet he closed the sliding doors behind

him

- 6aito, make sure to check the weapons and pay this man as usual %e and his crew must get the

best Sake in %iguchi and, as a gesture of his gratitude and friendship, they will receive twenty units

of purple silk - he looked at the two men who were lying on the tatami - ive the monks the sailor+scorpse7 regarding that, use him to try my new katana #o wicked man will help the aiin again

without my permission - hen he left to the indoor gardens

>guro #etsuma entered the calm garden and he approached his lord making enough noise to make

his presence felt

5aybe, >guro was one of his lord+s few confidants and one of his most loyal servants, together with

!asuhiro 6aiito %e was an ugly and thin man whose face had several scars %e was orphaned of

father and her mother had committed suicide after being repudiated by her family, so, although he

had samurai origin, he would have never been able to claim a position higher than that of informant #ow, by the side of #obuyoshi, he had achieved a certain status and his lord considered him the

leader of the clan+s assassins and spies 8etween them there was no need of behaving for they knew

their origin and they had been friends since they could utter a single word %e assassinated Shiro

.rakawa and ended with the remains of his family hat way he helped the Ikeda clan, which had

adopted him since his childhood, gain power over the city 5any considered this man almost asdangerous as #obuyoshi himself

- So *id he bring enough? - he asked straight away

- !es, he did all in order #othing to complain about, at least in this

- he son of his cousin Ikeda 6iohiro arrived one hour ago .re you sure that he still wants me to

direct his forces against the buke clan *azai? 5aybe

- !es, I+m sure: - he interrupted - you know, I saw this type of weapons in the battle of akara 5enwere brushed aside, even great samurais perish not even entering in combat he *azai won+t have a

chance against their destruction and we cannot afford to waste this advantage In the meanwhile, you must go north to meet the clan Saeki and offer them an alliance If lord Saeki wants a reliable

proof, I can reward him with a high position in my army and give him the 6aimei castle 5y

authority still walks on a thin layer of ice and I must reinforce it It is imperative that we end up with

the *azai and that we establish a natural frontier in river 5egumi

Inspired and based on he rade by /an Cimmer

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RELIGION IN HYMUKAIagic and religion in Hymukai are closely connected and one is not understood without the other. *n

Hymukai there are se(eral sects and beliefs of (arious types, which also come from different religioustrends, some of which are 8uite (iolent and others which de(ote themsel(es to contemplation and peace

of mind. riginally, the main religion in Hymukai was the hinto religion, which claimed the belief that e(erything has a sacred spirit and that hundreds of )ami look after e(ery li(ing being& but trade

and migrations with the :elestial Empire and 5ae!kes kingdom ha(e brought other religions from

beyond the sea, such as the 5odhisat(a Amitabhas butsudo teachings and the mystic belief in 4ing and

4ang energies spread by 2ao'i and 9huang'i. These ha(e become ingrained and ha(e fused in manycases with the old hinto beliefs, creating a comple0 web of sects and religious groups. Therefore,

disputes among these groups are not infre8uent and it is e(en usual that blood is shed. *n many cases,

monasteries of ri(al sects ha(e been burnt to ashes and all the inhabitants ha(e been killed.

/ith the arri(al of the %amban, apart from bringing their precious fire weapons and some new

technologies, the onks of the ne 1od, who preached that there is only one god and that the worldhas a beginning and an end planned by him. These beliefs ha(e become ingrained into the hearts of

some of the islands inhabitants and some #aimyo ha(e adopted it as official religion, something thathas granted them a relation of pri(ilege with the %amban against their ri(als. 5ut this has had a cost for

them, for the clans despise them and the inhabitants of their lands often lea(e them. Howe(er the work

of the %amban monks has achie(ed to create a tide of fer(ent belie(ers ready to die, not only for their

lord, but for their religion too.

SHINTO THE WAYS OF THE GODS*t is the ancient religion of Hymukai. According to it, any natural ob!ect or element is bestowed a spirit

and it can be worshiped as such. Thus, e(erything has an inner intelligence, a di(ine spirit which canmanifest by means of the appropriate rituals and the in(ocation of its actual name. ome of these are

considered )ami and are in a parallel plane called hinkai, thanks to which they connect with the

world. These are hundreds of gods with whom on can interact by means of priests who intermediate

between them and he who needs their help.

Apart from this, the hinto religion belie(es in the direct interrelation between the world of the li(ing

and of the dead, as well as in the state of trance to communicate the different planes of reality and in the

possibility of the abandonment of the body by the spirit during sleep. The cult to the )ami promotes theworshiping to the ancestors and the spirits who rule the different places.

Their main priests are hamans who connect the world of the spirits and the )ami with the world of the

li(ing by means of rituals, dances and hymns. 5etween them there are the iko


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lea(e e(erything behind, his family, his palace, his belongings and riches, to start a new inner search to

get away of his suffering. Therefore, after a long time and great hardship, he became the first human

being to reach the %ir(ana or Enlightenment, achie(ing spiritual peace by means of the remo(al of the

three causes of suffering, both from his mind and from his heart& this way he reached the 5uda state andcould be considered Arhat, "worthy or noble." nce at this le(el of conscience and this knowledge, he

went back to the mens world and he started preaching around the )ingdom of Angma and 2icham.After his death, his followers spread his teachings, compiled in the sacred te0ts, called utra, in other

lands such as the :elestial Empire and 5ae!ke. Then, from there and on merchant (essels, the first

5uddhist monks arri(ed in Hymukai.

*t became ingrained thanks to the emperor > permission, who created se(eral official positions and

allowed the monks to create its monasteries and temples, from where they impart their teachings to theinhabitant of the empire. This religion spread rapidly in the territory and monastic communities started

to emerge, organi'ing around the temples. 3or a certain time there were some conflicts with the hinto

sects, until each of them occupied their place. /ith the passing of time, this led these beliefs to merge

and it was not rare for someone to belie(e in the )ami and in akyamunis teachings at the same time.

ome sects e(en merged the teaching of other religions.According to their beliefs, Hymukai is in a era of #harma decline, and this makes that, although 5udasteachings spread, beings are unable to reach Enlightenment. This is an era which lasts more than ten

thousand years and makes the world become a place of corruption.

SHUGENDOhugendo is a kind of magic which borns from the merging of the butsudo tendency with the influence

of taoist alchemy and hinto magic. Those who practised this knowledge are known as hugendo or

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e0istence of two opposing forces in nature which complement each other and which form e(erything in

our reality& with them, there is another force which contains them, the Tao. 5y means of the control

o(er these forces, human beings can carry out incredible feats, such as controling reality. These are

known in Hymukai as nmyo forces and in the :elestial Empire as 4ing and 4ang. 9uang 9i wouldwrite "The *nterior :hapters" which increased the knowledge about these forces& moreo(er, many other

books dealt with the alchemy of these energies to achie(e greater powers.

#ao manifests itself both in the body and in the uni(erse in the form of these two forces, which are

complementary and, at the same time, opposing. These two forces are always in interaction, searching

e8uilibrium in constant mo(ement& when one of the forces decrease, the other increase and so on. Thus,

they combine with certain demonstrations in the cosmos and in the beings. The 4ing is associated,

among others, with passi(e energy, the moon, the feminine, darkness, intro(ersion, cold and water, andit is inside the human being combined with blood. *n the opposite side, the 4ang associates with the

acti(ity, sun, the masculine, e0tro(ersion, warmth and fire and in the human being it relates to the flow

of the (ital )i energy. All beings and elements ha(e both forces. That is why these two energies are

relati(e forces that cannot e0ist without the other.

The fi(e elements which integrate any form of life are composed by the 4ing and the 4ang. The fi(eelements associated to the seasons of the year, colors, internal organs, tastes and e(en emotions. 5othhuman )i and its state of health are linked to the e8uilibrium of these fi(e elements.

*n the lands of Hymukai these teachings ha(e been absor(ed by some highly intelligent people and

when mi0ing with the other hinto and 5utsudo beliefs ha(e gi(en rise to a new class of wi'ards who, by means of these techni8ues, make powerful spells, in addition to making works of di(ination and

in(ocation of the )ami. These are the masters of the 4ing and the 4ang, called nmyou!i.

FORMS OF MAGIC

KOTOTAMA: THE POWER OF WORDS/ords are powerful, they can change reality and be used magically to achie(e the goals proposed by

the spiritual character. ystical powers in Hymukai are in words. Their sound can change reality and

affect ob!ects magically. )ototama is the use of the spiritual power of words. To in(oke their hidden power by means of the enhancement of the ")ototages" (oice, their direct use to achie(e the

")otomuke" submission, and its use to perform "umon" incantations and spells. All those who use the

hidden powers use this knowledge to carry out their magic, the nmyou!i, the hinto monks and the

followers of 5uddha, in addition to many warriors in the use of martial arts.

5y means of combinations of mantras, the nmyou!i can in(oke the worlds hidden powers and attract

their energy and use it in their fa(or or to help those by their side. imilarly, with these words theycontrol their hikigami and can use them.

KUI(IN: SEALS OF THE NINE SYLLABLES

The )u!i-*n, or "seals of the nine syllables," are the nine "mantra" hymns and "mudra" hands postures,

by means of which incantations are performed. These are used by the hinto and 5uddhist priests, as

well as the nmyou!i and the nin!a. *n practice, the )u!i-*n symboli'e all the forces in the uni(erse and

their union against e(il& thus, people often use it as a protection, but they can also been used

maliciously, depending on the number of symbols used, odd or e(en.

These nine seals are created either with the right or the left hand and can be made in the air, as well as

on a paper or ob!ect with a brush& in this latter case, it is normally used to sei'e control of the person or ob!ect and to grant protection or magical power by performing magical gestures and inscription of the

seals on the person or ob!ect.

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The performance of the gestures related to the symbols either in the air or on a paper or ob!ect with a

brush is called )u!i-)iri. 5oth hands ha(e their importance and their function. /hereas the left hand

"Takotai" has a recepti(e nature, the right hand ")ongokai" is of emitting nature. This gestures are

normally made continuously and coordinated with the syllables with which they relate lengtheningthem if necessary so both last the same. 5y its combination, the priest or nmyou!i can create an

opening in the reality and other planes of e0istence and conscience. Thus, he gets to in(oke the power and energy of the !aho "4ing" or the kobudera "4ang."

O(FUDA: KANI MAGIC

The -3uda is a form of magic that is used by the hinto priests, the nmyou!i and the 5uddhist

monks. *t is a type of holy writing, which grant protecti(e powers by the used of talismans and papyri.

*t consists on engra(ing the name of a )ami which one wants protection from on a paper or on a piece

of cloth, wood or metal. This protects the place where the -3uda is, either a temple, a house, a specific

place or a person. Then, the -3uda protects all his family and anyone li(ing in this place. *t is also

used to pre(ent illness and to heal the ill. Apart from being used to repel the 4okai and e(il spirits, or e(en to pre(ent fires.

Another form of -3uda is the mamori, which can be carried in a bag with inscriptions and was

created by the nmyou!i, although it is e8ually used by priests. This is used more as an element

granting benefits to its bearer. /ith them it is also possible to e0orcise the 4okai and the 4urei as long

as he can place himself inside his body.

ONMYODO: THE WAY OF YING AND YANG

The magical deri(ation of the taoist knowledge is alchemy, which includes cosmological theories, rules

for the maintenance of health, chemistry, metallurgy and esoteric traditions, destined to ease

communication with the )ami and the ac8uisition of supernatural powers. *n Hymukai these techni8uesha(e been absorbed and applied by the nmyou!i

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