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==Setting== [[File:Hymukai.png|thumb|450px|right|The map of Hymukai.]] '''Kensei''' is a setting which is very similar to our world, although the fictionalization allows them to have greater freedom with factions and have their version of Japan, called '''Hymukai''', be lightly anachronistic as well as adding magic elements. Hymukai, also called the "Wa Empire" by other peoples and the Dragon's Empire or Dragon's Islands a few times in the lore, is located off the coast of the '''Ashihara''' (not-Asia) continent. Note that the first edition manual was translated somewhat poorly from the native Spanish language, and as a result had spelling errors in addition to sometimes switching between the not-______ names and the real life name. Second edition, released on May 12th 2017, fixed these errors. ===History=== When the universe began the '''Ama''', also called the Celestial Kingdom, was made up of both light and dark with gods and demons as its denizens. The celestial balance ended when the gods, believing themselves to be firstborn in creation, started the Great War to remove the demons from their lands. The demons were expelled and took up residence in the infernal kingdom called '''Jigoku'''. The supreme goddess '''Arimasu''' cried tears of joy at seeing Ama without the demons. These tears fell into the sea of the mortal world (sometimes called the Intermediate World or the Earthly Kingdom), which became the islands of '''Hymukai'''. The gods consider Hymukai a sacred place, and it is the frontline in the war between Ama and Jigoku. The history of Hymukai begins when the gods created a woman to lead mankind, the Empress named '''Suiko Tenno''' and gave her four magical objects that would enable her to keep the mortal world safe. The clans of Hymukai swore allegiance to her, each being associated with one of the objects. * The holy Katana granted the strength to react and attack threats to the world, and the warrior clans came to represent it. The noble families who ruled the further, more rural lands obeyed the will of the Kuge and were the first defense against threats. They became the warrior class, the bulk of the samurai, and developed the Bushido code. Samurai could become members of Kuge households or marry into a Kuge family, but the non-Kuge noble clans became known as '''Buke'''. * The holy O-Yoroi, samurai armor, grants resistance against adversity and the endurance of tradition and order, with the highest of nobility representing it. Those high nobles who dwelled in Heian-Jo and the nearby regions served the Tenno directly, and had authority over all others became known as the Kuge. * The Magatama, a collar representing wealth and lifestyle which the mercantile clans became associated with. They are made up of powerful families who run the towns and city infrastructure of Hymukai, as well as all trade. Technically the servants of the Buke, these families are considered low class and often barely better than peasants if even that as the Buke see little worth respect in their way of life. These families are commonly called '''Otokodate'''. They follow their own code called Kikotsu which is based on Bushido. * The Kagami, a mirror representing knowledge of oneself and spirituality which the religious clans are represented by. The priesthood of Hymukai enjoy autonomy from the feudal system. They are loyal to the Kami themselves, and the Tenno as a result, through which they distantly serve the Kuge and to a lesser extent the Buke. Priests and nuns are not required to be chaste in most cases, and usually a temple is run by a single family who accepts any of dedication into their clan. Each temple controls lands and peasants to be independent of Kuge or Buke. The religious clans are called '''Sohei'''. [[File:Empress Himiko.jpg|thumb|left|400px|A representation of what the real life Empress that Suiko is based on may have looked like, courtesy of the Japanese educational magazine Newton, Graphic Sciencee. So what the Empresses of Hymukai probably look like as well.]] Suiko's reign was one of unrivaled stability and is known now as the "Golden Dawn" due to the wealth and population growth. When she came of age she married a saint, as per the command of the gods who created her. So long as her lineage remained pure the world would be safe from evil with the firstborn child always a girl who would become Empress. Tradition dictated that the Empress remain in the Imperial Palace surrounded by her court until the end of autumn each year when she lead them to the winter residence for six months, the journey being the only time that they could see her realm. Nine generations and 500 years of such peace passed before the reign of '''Empress Jingu'''. It was during her reign that the first seeds of evil were sown in Hymukai. The secret ninja clan called the '''Hattori''' saw a great shakeup in power. Previously they were lead by one Grand Master who is served by two subordinate masters, the Master Of Venoms and the Master Of Shadows. The Master Of Venoms named '''Tsi Huann''' created a formula which he claimed would grant eternal life. The Master Of Shadows '''Shisu Kage''' drank it, but instead of immortality he became a living shadow. The Grand Master '''Nagi''' ordered Tsi to continue to refine the formula while Shisu became the ultimate assassin, killing anyone anywhere with no chance of struggle, and was paid in prisoners who's life force he drained while consuming their eyes and tongues. When the formula was perfected Nagi and Tsi drank it, becoming truly immortal. Not long after Empress Jingu was attacked by four '''Onmyouiji''' (wizards devoted to one of the aspects of the universe) sworn to the demons, who summoned a small demon force to attack. The (called a throne, referring actually to a "litter" which is essentially a walled carriage carried by four people) of the Empress broke and she fell out, seeing that the battle had left all of her soldiers dead save a single soldier named Tagesho and a giant Oni. Tagesho killed the Oni while Jingu wept for the deaths of her servants. Jingu fell in love with him, and thus broke the covenant of the gods by marrying a mere mortal soldier. Three years later she gave birth to twin sons. The people were divided on whether this heralded terrible destruction or beautiful change for their people. Jingu named her sons Sujin and Kogen (Kogen is vaguely analogous to real life Kamuyawimimi, Suijin's story is a combination of multiple figures although primarily Emperor Suizei and Emperor Suijin). Sujin was older and wise, studious, and saintly while Kogen was youthful, athletic, competitive, and hasty. Kogen was the favored son of Tagesho, who took him away from the stifling court to hunt or train in combat and military leadership. After Tagesho died from fever while the boys were 16 they became competitive with each other to be seen as his successor, which only became worse as adults when they competed for the love of a courtier named Saimei. Insult gave way to fighting and grew to true resentment. Jingu was sickened from the spiritual discord in her family, and both brothers sought a way to cure her; Sujin from scholars and Kogen from the faithful. As she grew weaker Sujin assumed her duties at the court spiritually and in regards to external politics while Kogen lead her armies and maintained the internal politics. After two years pacifying the realm Kogen returned and expected a hero's welcome, and instead was merely granted the honors a commoner soldier would receive and was chastised by Sujin for leaving him to run an empire alone, while Kogen responded similarly for Sujin burying himself in luxury while Kogen struggled abroad. When the argument reached a breaking point Kogen left the palace, unwilling to duel his brother to the death on the sacred ground of the palace, instead gathering his armies for a civil war. This shattered the peace of Hymukai and the spiritual destruction resulted in the death of Jingu and the shattering of the magical protection of the gods. Meanwhile, the son of the Hattori Grand Master Nagi named '''Saki''' had become skilled and powerful alongside his friend Hamato Yoshi. But Saki couldn't succeed his father if his father was immortal, and he began a hidden civil war of sabotaging missions resulting in the deaths of loyal supporters on both sides. Only with the help of Shisu Kage was Saki able to kill his father. Thus they began their plan to destroy the imperial line. Saki's friend Yoshi had overheard the plan, and he managed to escape them and find refuge among the Sohei. Sujin had the elite troops and resources of the empire, while Kogen had numerical superiority and experience but was low on supplies. Both had an equal amount of claim to the loyalty of the great clans. Kogen first won over the clans of the Kuge nobility, seeing advantage in his political ignorance. Choosing to press ahead with a heretical siege of the imperial city left him without time to win over the other three great clans, so he instead decided to send three of his seven most loyal generals, the '''Shichi no Kogen''' to secure their aid should his attack fail. The three appealed to the virtues of confidence, honor, and duty, each swearing themselves personally to the clans in order to begin negotiation for their aid. None of the three were able to secure an alliance in time, since Sujin declared himself Emperor and announced marriage to Saimei in order to enrage his impulsive brother and cause him to attack immediately; it worked. Sato, highest ranked of the Shichi no Kogen, remained as Kogen's second in command. At the Sukihoma Plains, 40 km from the capital Hejian-Jo, he set up camp and waited for the Kuge army. Sujin's army had superior arms and the largest gathering of cavalry ever seen, while the Kogen flanked from the north. However the Kuge betrayed Kogen, attacking his army and resulting in a slaughter. Kogven refused to surrender, and once he was wounded Sato appealed to him to retreat to the fortress Kaidan. Kogen refused, and only upon losing unconsciousness did Sato order the retreat. It took thirty days for the army to make it to Kaidan, and for two days Kogen refused to speak and simply gazed while his face was locked in anger. The army prepared to make a stand at the fortress while Sato sent messages to the three Shichi no Kogen ambassadors about what had happened, and to hurry their negotiations. Meanwhile, Sujin utilized Kuge propaganda to instill the idea in the rest of the court that Kogen was a butcher and sinner, Sujin a saint and hero. The Kuge pushed Sujin to declare himself Emperor and marry Saimei for real as soon as possible in order to secure themselves as the only clan with his ear. * '''Hikari Ryu''' was the oldest of the Shichi no Kogen, and was sent to the largest of the Sohei clans. He was patient, and best known for training Kogen's recruits. The monks had no love for him or Kogen's plans however, seeing no advantage to be gained personally and the discord from the war as a more pressing concern than the outcome. Hikari was surprised to find the monks were already accomplished warriors due to their disciplined life and work ethic. When message came of Kogen's defeat as well as a request for supplies and aid, he demanded an audience with the Abbot. Rather than his previous appeals to glory and riches, Hikari told him of the Kuge betrayal and that their goal was to disrupt the balance and rule entirely over the other clans and that in exchange for aid he himself would become a monk. The Abbot asked for three days to discuss the matter with the other Sohei clans, but needed only two before informing Hikari that the Sohei were prepared for war. * '''Kimura Key''' was the youngest of the Shichi no Kogen at only 17, and was a legendary duelist. Key was without prejudice against the young and progressive Otokodate, and was sent to meet with them. The Otokodate clans were unified under the Regend Board, lead by elders, who mocked him for his youth. Key responded by challenging their best warrior to a duel to the death, which they accepted. His requirement was that with a win they would hear out Kogen's request, and with a loss they would keep his Daisho (sword set) to sell. The next morning on the beach he killed their best in an honorable duel, the two samurai showing each other respect. Key became a servant of the Otokodate, who marched to war in exchange for official recognition among the other great clans and exclusivity in shipping routes. * '''Odoka Hiro''' was the most lethal of the Shichi no Kogen, and was sent to the Buke. The Buke had obeyed their oaths, and considered them part of Sujin's army. Hiro was immediately arrested and placed in a cell for execution. '''Tora Tadayoshi''', the young Daiymo of the Buke, was fascinated by Hiro's suicidal actions. When he found Hiro meditating peacefully he was even more perplexed. Hiro explained he was merely following his master's orders, and that his duty in the Bushido code required it above self-preservation. Tadayoshi reminded him that honor was also a part of Bushido, which Hiro responded was the dilemma of the code; duty and honor in balance. Hiro then told Tadayoshi about Kogen, and the nature of the conflict. That Kogen was a warrior while Sujin was a politician, and Kogen becoming Emperor would result in the code of Bushido being codified in Hymukai. Tadayoshi replied that the Buke must serve the throne and that Hiro must be executed. Hiro replied that the duty is the Buke executing him, and their honor is in preserving Hymukai by putting the right ruler on the throne just as his honor was to convince them to join Kogen while his duty was to allow himself to be executed. Tadayoshi contemplated what had been said for an hour in the main courtyard, and in the morning presented Hiro with the option to commit ritual seppuku with Tadayoshi as his assistant rather than an inglorious end at an executioner's hand. With Hiro's honorable death, the Buke marched to war for Kogen. Unfortunately Sujin's spies were quick to inform him of the developments, and he made plans to destroy to Kaidan immediately. He sent his best ambassadors to the clans not to convince them to join him, but simply to delay them from joining Kogen. Twenty days later the siege began. Upon being informed that Sujin was near Kogen was awoken from his catatonic state with a scream of rage. He had half the army, many injured, and his forces were staving. His allies would not reach him in time. He summoned Sato to his bedchamber to discuss matters, the only sounds being Kogen's outbursts of rage and despair. Finally he appeared at midnight among his men, dressed for war. They did the same, and at sunrise when Sujin's army approached Kogen left the fortress alone to meet them, accompanied by his four remaining generals. Sujin bore the banner of the royal family rather than his own. When Sujin ordered them to throw down their weapons Kogen obeyed and his generals did the same. Sujin dismounted his horse to meet them, but the rest of his cavalry guard remained. Kogen offered forgiveness, and a reunification in the face of a coming darkness. He offered his elite warriors to serve Sujin, and to swear loyalty. Sujin refused, killing the unarmed Kogen and informing him that his name would be stricken from history entirely, then ordered his men to kill Kogen's generals. He returned to his army and ordered them to destroy the fortress and kill everyone inside, leaving the bodies to rot. Thirty years later all records of the civil war and of Kogen had been eliminated. Sujin had been unable to produce an heir with Saimei or any of the many other women he bedded. Every year he went on pilgrimage to Nijiyama and spent 40 days attempting to pray for guidance from the gods and Kami. The Kuge in the meantime have developed their own secret force. They are the patrons of the Hattori, a ninja clan that does their dirty deeds while they remain seemingly pure. But they are unaware that the Hattori are no longer merely content to work for profit, and now work towards the goals of their demonic masters. But on the last pilgrimage Sujin was attacked while crossing the Kashiwara forest. None currently know what has happened to him, with rumor saying he was kidnapped or killed. Immediately the country plunged into civil war over who will rule in his stead. The Kuge are currently lead by a man named Satoshi Asaemon, who has been utilizing the ninja clan called the Hattori. Tora Tadayoshi leads the Buke. The Otokodate are lead by Kimura Key and have made contacts with the Namban, foreign outsiders who have set up settlements on the northern shores. The Sohei are lead by Hikari Ryu, who has trained a generation of monks and nuns into soldiers and has learned from Yoshi that the Hattori are behind the disappearance of the Emperor. Meanwhile the Wako Pirates have attacked the lands to the east, lead by a man named Turgot. Meanwhile, Kogen has returned from the grave leading an army of the undead thanks to a pact with demons; the same demons who also rampage through the lands of the world, disrupting the harmony of the other magical beings. tl;dr the world went to shit, and not-Japan is fucked. Many clans who have a deep connection to the spirit world have also put their practices into the open as the spiritual unrest has made the favor and politics of the spiritual world as important as that of the mortal one. Those individuals who have a very deep connection to a particular spiritual force are called '''Omnyouiji''', and are sometimes even born of a union between spirit and human. These wizards use their Omnyodo powers to serve their clan openly, for good or ill. '''Infernal''' clans are bloodthirsty and use demon pacts with the residents of Jigoku to secure power. Their people live in fear and their enemies are sold as slaves. They have little honor and act with inhuman disregard for their fellow man. '''Earthly''' clans revere the spirits of the mortal world, forming a circle of protection for each other. Their people find solace in nature and isolation. '''Celestial''' clans revere the Ama and cleanse the land of evil. They revere the god Amaterasu, and they have the divine blood of the first families in their veins. '''Death''' clans revere their ancestors and fear neither death nor killing. They will deal with the spirits of the Kami to gain power. Opposed to the Omnyodo are the '''Komuso''' monks who believe in the Tao, the balance of the universe. Clans who do not believe in the powers of the Omnyodo are instead patrons of the Tao temples. The Kuge called the service of the Buke loyal to them to destroy their rivals for the throne and though some did answer the call, others were occupied by their own war. As stability had broken down, some Buke clans had attacked other Buke to expand their own territory while others declared themselves independent of Kuge rule. Some saw it as a chance to join the ranks of the Kuge, and the most ambitious of them conspired to do away with Kuge and control a complacent Tenno puppet using a Shogun (a Daimyo who executes the will of the Tenno, a position currently held by the entire Kuge caste). As the Buke and Kuge battled themselves and each other, higher and higher taxes were raised on the peasantry. Farmers were drawn into Ashigaru (militia, or men-at-arms) forces without choice. Many fled to the Sohei in droves, drawing the religious clans into the politics of war. Temples near battlefields were raided by armies for supplies, and the seemingly endless delay in finding a new Tenno to keep the forces of the Earth in balance offended the Sohei greatly. They began to preach an apocalyptic warning while lecturing on the fate of the soul. Some Kuge and many Buke responded to these calls and removed themselves from the conflict either out of fear or shame, joining the Sohei and bringing with them wealth and a strong warrior base of Ashigaru and Samurai. Now the Sohei seek an end to the war, defending the common people and curbing the ambition of the two castes. Many Sohei have entirely disregarded the imperial system, only obeying the tenants of their faith and new rules for behavior and governance based on it. Meanwhile, the Otokodate have risen up against their arrogant samurai oppressors as the past humiliations have compiled with the other three castes expecting the merchants to bear the bulk of the sacrifice for the war efforts through donation or looting. Declaring themselves nobility and forming pacts and alliances, they have formed relations with the outside world to bring allies and weapons they can use to establish dominance. As time has gone on, the Otokodate have begun to resemble more and more the Buke, Kuge, and Sohei castes as they incorporate anything that works into their methods and plans. Beyond that, they have allowed the faith of foreigners into Hymukai in which the castes and Tenno have no place. As if that wasn't enough, legend says that Kogen's soul made deals with the spirits he and his brother once kept at bay to lead the Demons and Dead to rule the heavenly realms in exchange for aiding him in taking Hymukai and destroying Sujin's descendants (meaning almost everyone important in Hymukai). These armies all fly the same banner, a mon (symbol) of a black skeletal hand; because of this the Undead are commonly called the '''Kuroi-te''' (or "Black Hand"). As Hymukai falls deeper and deeper into war, the criminal underworld has grown bold and can stalk the land. The '''Hattori''' are the ninja clans of Hymukai, previously just the secret agents of the Kuge but now are acting independently of them. The Hattori seem to be minor Clans of artists and courtesans in the open, but any place they can be found in the open there will be an expansive network of spies and assassins hidden. The Hattori who plot against the Kuge have aligned themselves with the Shikomi and the forces of Jigoku. Wako pirates, loosely lead by the warlord Turgot, pillage the defenseless of Hymukai while their protectors march against others and the Namban merchants from the far west trade arms and armor to all factions while spreading a new religion in the chaos. ===Factions=== Each faction is made up of the clans within one of four social positions. Each has reason to make war against themselves, and each has different tactics, army options, and philosophy so don't assume that simply because you choose to play one that you are forced into a cookie-cutter. No examples are given of paintjob or build beyond example models and contents of the army bundles, so a Kuge force of nobles sympathetic to a peasant rebellion, Sohei not-Christians, Otokodate Communists, and [[Awesome|seven Kensei dedicated to protecting a small village]] are all viable backstories for your army. Looking to real life as inspiration is a great way to get into Kensei and decide on your army theme, but its important to remember that each faction is strongly based in a particular part of history that has overlap with all others so for some factions the army list can range 600 years of real history. Its also important to remember that the real life factions used mixtures of what is found in the game, for example almost every faction at least had a few local monks that would fit right into the Sohei fighting alongside them, all factions used guns extensively after 150 while almost none did before 1540. Things exclusive to some factions such as Onna Bushi and No-dachi Samurai would have been found in all armies. Finally the philosophy of many warlords changed throughout their lives; Date Masamune for example can be said to have begun as Buke and died as Kuge, Uesegi Kenshi could be fairly called Sohei and Kuge mixed. Even Takeda Shingen, the best example of a famous Buke, used guns when possible. It should also be noted that real life samurai and ashigaru rarely had matching armor or clothing, to the degree that those who did were known specifically for it such as the Shingen "red fire" cavalry armored in bright red or Date Masamune's army in black with golden helmets. This is due to the fact that most soldiers were expected to supply their own armor and weapons, with a large amount being battlefield salvage. As a result, most of your models should have their own unique colors if you're sticking to history which makes it easier to collect multiple armies; your core section is only different based on what Sashimono (back flag) they are bearing. Woodblock prints and paintings of Japanese warfare favor the colors blue and red, although this is largely because the dyes for those colors were found in abundance in Japan and folks who had never seen a battle or those who lived later in the peaceful Edo period would paint what they knew in the colors they had, in the colors soldiers of their day wore; Edo soldiers didn't need to equip themselves using dead bodies over the course of their career and armies weren't made up of men who's past was "don't want to be a farmer's fourth son, has a spear and pants". This isn't to say those colors were rare by any means, merely that almost invariably an army would be at least partially mismatched. ====Kuge==== [[File:Kuge.jpg|thumb|300px|left]] The upper nobility of Hymukai. Only the highest among the Kuge Daimyos ever actually saw the Tenno, with them ensuring his will was carried out. All Kuge families are directly related to the Tenno line, and each sees themselves as the most legitimate ruler as family lines are extremely blurred as to who exactly the heir should actually be. None are actually interested in reclaiming the four holy treasures, as whoever brings them back would simply be the one doing the dirty work of whoever ends up being the actual heir. Kuge have ample reason to dislike the other factions; internally, every Kuge clan is a rival to the throne, the Buke are made up of low ckass traitors who don't understand politics and broke their oaths, the Sohei are peasants and sometimes heretics that rule by philosophy rather than law, and the Otokodate are Otokodate which is enough of a reason to hate them. Kuge are largely unaware of Hattori who oppose them. Kuroi-te are the greatest enemies of the Kuge. As the Kuge believe their honor is by default unquestionable since they possess divine blood in their veins, they are quick to resort to underhanded tactics, giving orders to their still-loyal Buke commanders alongside Hattori assassins to the great disdain of the former party. While all factions employ spies and hitmen, the Kuge are willing to field hordes of Ninjas to poison and trap the enemy. Kuge also use women in their armies, allowing anyone capable of using a weapon and showing their loyalty they march on their behalf. Kuge are also willing to field men with firearms from foreign lands, an abhorrent thing to the rest of society, although they are unwilling to allow the monotheistic preachers that accompany the merchants to remain in their lands as the faith of the One God does not allow the Kuge to claim their divine right to rule. For similar reasons, the Kuge mostly stick with the Shinto faith as it gives them the maximum authority. In real life, the Kuge castes of society were the dominant rulers throughout Japanese history although their prestige began to fall beginning in the 1200's due to financial problems until they were little more than the court of the powerless Emperor by the 1600's. Technically the Kuge never went away however and regained some power in the 1800's. They still made up the highest ranks of society until the end of World War 2 where the old families used their wealth and control of infrastructure to become the captains of industry in the modern era (so your Toyota truck is a product of the Kuge). ====Buke==== [[File:Buke.jpg|thumb|300px|left]] The warrior castes of Hymukai. Although the Buke clans are also related to the Tenno line, they are bound by oaths and the distance of their territory from the capital not to attempt to claim the position. Instead many clans want to replace the Kuge class entirely with one giant Buke class. Buke are the most strict caste in terms of rank and behavior. Social position is well noted, duties are codified, and dishonor not tolerated by self or others. In terms of the current war, Buke are split between those interested in increasing their own power and those disillusioned with the "supreme divine right" of the Kuge. While Kuge scheme and assassinate over who will rule, the Buke interest and method is more simple; envy your neighbor, march your army and take what is rightfully yours by virtue of your strength, repeat. Kuge are entitled by luxury and arrogance but don't deserve the power the Buke have had to fight and die to preserve. The Sohei, those who should respect their betters, must be taught their place; Buke place Bushido above faith and believe that the Samurai social position above the priest and peasant must be enforced at sword point, although otherwise the Buke and Sohei would be at peace. The Otokodate are barely human as far as the Buke are concerned, representing everything wrong with the world as they bring sinful western influence, are as entitled as Kuge, and behave as pirates and peasants. The Kuroi-te are a challenge the Buke are unafraid of and destroying them is seen as the test that will prove the Buke are superior. Most Buke are unaware of the Hattori and dismiss them as legend, although some Buke are cautious regardless. Buke absolutely refuse to use firearms, as foreigners and their sinful weapons have no place in Hymukai. Archers are more respected, but ultimately the only true art lies in martial combat. They are willing to use spies and some minor assassins although not to the extent of the other clans. Ironically the history of real life Buke began in 702 when the Daijō-kan, or Great Council of State, was established which gave the Kuge powers as the administration of the Emperor. The first armies of professional soldiers were organized and hired, largely composed of archer cavalry nobility on horseback and peasant melee footmen. The cavalry were the predecessors to the Samurai and belonged to low nobility who's purpose in the organization of the government was as professional soldiers that carried out the will of the Kuge. Prior to that Japanese history had largely been a struggle between the Imperial family and clans of warriors; in fact the very first recorded history of Japan is from a Korean diplomat who spoke at length about an Empress who is now forgotten by history that struggled to expand her empire against the many warlords of the countryside. What to that forgotten Empress was an empire became a province in her descendant's empire not even a hundred years later. Despite, or possibly because of, this fast expansion the warlord culture continued to thrive even when subjugated under the rule of the Imperial line, which itself gradually became more and more complex as hundreds of families in the Kuge caste tended to increasingly ritual roles leaving the Buke largely to self-govern. The Emperors themselves began to retire early and become Cloistered Emperors who were the real power behind figurehead Emperors that tended to the mundane duties. When a dispute broke out between a former Emperor named Sutoko became angry that his father Toba had ruled in his stead then put his brother Konoe on the on the throne after forcing Sutoko to retire. The untimely death of Konoe without an heir created a schism in the capital with the Kuge split between loyalty to the last Emperor Sutoko and the grandfather Emperor Toba (who was still the one making the actual decisions) that had put yet another one of his own sons named Go-Shirakawa on the throne. The most powerful Kuge family, the Fujiwara, split in two on the sides of the two Emperors and reached out to two Buke clans called the Minamoto (who sided with Sutoko) and the Taira (on the side of Go-Shirakawa) resulting in the Hogen Rebellion where the capital was burned down. Eventually the Minamoto was defeated and the practice of Cloistered Emperors continued, although the Minamoto rose again soon after in the Heiji Rebellion by kidnapping the current Emperor and the now-Cloistered Emperor Go-Shirakawa who later escaped leading to their defeat by the Taira. The head of the Taira clan named Kiyomori was promoted into the highest levels of government as a reward and married his daughter to an Emperor named Takakura who fathered a son named Antoku. Not long after that Kiyomori removed all his rivals from the Kuge caste (pushing them down into the Buke) and demanded the Emperor step down and put Antoku on the throne immediately to avoid the possibility of one of the boy's uncles becoming an heir instead (which ironically the Kiyamori had fought to continue the practice of) and in doing so created a proto-Shogunate where a small number of Buke clans loyal to him ruled. Most of Japan sided against him, including members of his own clan, and Takakura's brother Prince Mochihito was the face of the rebellion (as Kiyamori had been correct, Mochihito WAS the intended heir to the throne). The Minamoto and Taira waged war against each other in the Genpei Wars which embroiled much of Japan. It culminated in a battle where the child Emperor Antoku and his grandmother Taira no Tokiko were (allegedly mistakenly) killed in naval battle and the three holy treasures of Japan that represent the divinity of the Imperial line via Amaterasu were lost (and two were allegedly recovered, although to this day they have never been studied by archeologists or verified and only Emperors may look upon them). Cloistered Emepror Go-Shirakawa, still the actual decision-maker behind the throne, chose Emperor Go-Toba as the new Emperor gave the head of the Minimoto clan that lead his side to victory, Yoritomo, the right to collect taxes and control the leadership of the provinces of Japan. After Go-Shirakawa's death Yoritomo was appointed the official position of Shogun to rule in the name of the Emperor in all positions other than ceremony and privilege. After that point the Shogunate became the ultimate position of power in Japan and the Kuge were relegated to the attendants of the Emperor, although any clan wanting to be close to the Shogun or even replace him wound up tying their legitimacy to family relation to a Kuge clan or even the Imperial line itself through them. Various Emperors gathered armies to rebel against the Shogun who supposedly ruled in their name and become a supreme leader again, but these wars were usually short and always resulted in a battered but surviving Shogunate who's legitimacy was through a figurehead Emperor. The Buke first formed as professional soldiers with administrative powers in 702, were solidified under the first Shogun Minamoto no Yoritomo in 1192 which was around the time Bushido was in its infancy, and became the dominant force in society in the mid-1500's. They saw a reduction in power beginning in 1873 during which they were renamed to Shizoku and lost most of their power in society along with the abolishment of the Clan system. This lead to the final year of the Buke with the Satsuma Rebellion in 1877 AKA what The Last Samurai '''BADLY''' tried to tell the story of (both sides used guns and cannons until the final battle where the Samurai made a final stand, which only occurred in the first place because they ran out of ammunition and knew they were going to be slaughtered anyway, plus the Samurai side was only fighting to maintain political power rather than a way of life). During World War 2 the concept of the Samurai was used for propaganda although without the Buke connotations, responsibilities, or privileges. Out of the four castes in Kensei, the Buke are the only ones that died out by the modern day. Unless you count reenactments for tourists, or the <strike>possible</strike> guaranteed future of giant robot combat. ====Sohei==== [[File:Sohei.jpg|thumb|300px|left]] Mostly made up of the priesthood and armed peasant rebellions that they support. Sohei are united in theory alone, as each temple is entirely independent of any other authority. In the past, temples have lost priceless relics and destroyed each other in small contained wars over the details in the life of important figures, or in which temple gets to host the local festivals that season. Among the Sohei, gender is a meaningless distinction in terms of duty and both nun and priest fulfill the same roles. The Sohei nuns are aware of the bias of other castes however, and in war will switch between their conservative style at a distance and feminine ways before engagement (such as letting loose their hair) to demoralize foes who may not find slaying a holy woman to be healthy to their sense of honor. In general, the Sohei are at war with any other faction at war. The Kuge bicker like children while the holy relics lay forgotten although Sohei believe their lack of piety and trustworthiness will destroy them in the end. The Buke have refused their sacred duties to the royal line and must be taught humility and that the philosophy of "might makes right" will backfire. While the Otokodate have committed grave acts of heresy by allowing in foreigners, converting to other faiths, and thinking they can simply become part of the nobility without having any of the goddess Hikari's blood in their veins, they are considered by the Sohei to be the lesser of all potential evils in Hymukai and possibly a better model of society. All three sides put all the pressure on the poor to support their endeavors, allowing the children of farmers to starve in order to sell that food to buy weapons to arm the sons of men they left trampled in the mud over an acre of land that regardless of their claims only truly belongs to the Tenno (whoever it may be). When armed samurai covered in blood come to the temple and demand the offerings to the spirits of the harvest to feed themselves because they are strong enough to take it, the response will not be pleasant. Kuroi-te are the single greatest enemy of the Sohei and destroying each and every one of them is the overriding job of all Sohei. Hattori are known to the Sohei, and are considered a great evil. The calls of the Sohei have come to all Hymukai, and many have abandoned their stake in the conflict to swear themselves only to their faith. Men desert their armies and civilians take up discarded weapons to protect the few places of peace there are left in the world. While the Sohei are completely unwilling to convert to other faiths and have no means of trading with the outside world, any firearms that do come to the Sohei are not turned away. Regardless of faith, many foreigners find mercy and kindness when driven to the Sohei by the aggressive Buke or fair-weather friend Otokodate and those not native to Hymukai can be found among the Sohei (as well as their teachings like, how to make new guns). The Sohei in real life were Buddhist warriors that fought against other temples in the 900's over which school of Buddhism was superior and generally anytime an abbot from a different sect was elevated above or placed in charge of their own, although despite burning each other's temple complexes down every so often these skirmishes rarely actually resulted in deaths since most were more brawl than battle. The Buddhists joined in the Genpei wars in the 1000's-1100's as their first military forays. Many sects rose and fell, fought each other and sided in almost any conflict as well as peasant rebellions, until the early 1600's when the last and greatest Sohei military group, the Ikko-ikki, were defeated after becoming a thorn in the side of the biggest warlords of the day and choosing the wrong allies to attempt to find protection. Some small groups survived the slaughter and joined various factions afterwards but never in a major united way. The lifestyles of the Sohei monks survive to this day, although the Sohei as a fighting force wasn't seen again after 1603. The Kensei Sohei also incorporate the Shinto clans, who have a much more storied history. According to Japanese mythology, while Amaterasu hid in a cave from the rage of her brother Susanoo, two men named Futodama and Amenokoyane attended her. When her grandson Ninigi was born, the two attendants were among the five servants that accompanied him down to the Earth to lead mankind. Futodama became the father of the Inbe Clan, Amenokoyane was the father of the Nakatomi Clan. The two clans together were the entire religious faction of early Japan, with the Inbe as their superiors (who interestingly had a cannabis leaf as their clan symbol) that oversaw the most holy of ceremonies and the connection to the Kami, while the Nakatomi saw to the purity of mankind and their relationship to lesser spirits. The Nakatomi grew in prestige and were eventually blessed by Emperor Tenji in the late 600's with the name Fujiwara. The singular Nakatomi split into four different Fujiwara clans plus the pure Nakatomi that ruled them and was eventually absorbed into the Fujiwara in the 1500's. Nakatomi influence continued to grow through intentionally altering the faith and culture of Japan, causing the leader of the Inbe Clan named Inbe no Hironari to petition Emperor Kammu in the 700's to put the Nakatomi in their place via a list of grievances called the Kogo Shūi. Shinto was restored somewhat closer to its original form as a result, and both Clans fought the influence of Buddhism. The Inbe continued to decline until they disappeared from history as a proper Clan and into the lower classes. The Nakatomi similarly vanished into the Fujuwara clans, which had become the bulk of the Kuge cast and the patrons of the Shinto faith as most Emperors married Fujiwara women, causing their children to grow up with the Fujiwara causing the heirs to also marry Fujiwara women in a cycle that maintained the power of the Fujiwara clan. The Fujiwara maintained the chain of succession indirectly when the royal line was broken by the death of the child Emperor Antoku via the coronation of Emperor Go-Toba under the protection of the first Shogunate. This technically makes the Sohei, the Kuge, and the Buke allied victors to the real life version of the Kensei storyline. As for the modern Sohei, there are many monasteries across Japan of both Buddhism and Shinto that are open and preaching to the commonfolk although as previously mentioned the Sohei never became a military force again, and barring the propaganda of Emperor worship during the second World War never became involved in another armed conflict. Regardless they can be said to have won in the end, since the caste system of Samurai and dictatorial rule both fell and the public shares equal rights and freedoms while Christianity joined the two older faiths rather than replaced them. ====Otokodate==== [[File:Otokodate.jpg|thumb|300px|left]] The merchant class as well as the middle-management. Otokodate are made up of any with enough power to rise up, as well as the ambition or outrage to make it worth betraying their superiors. All of their clans are newly formed, and very few if any are of actual nobility as Hymukai perceive it. Otokodate are very diverse and fall into a range of roles; some Daimyo of Otokodate clans believe themselves to be the new Buke, surrounding themselves with Ronin (masterless, usually mercenary, warriors from a samurai background) and wearing expensive and ornate suits of O-Yoroi while intimidating those around them and looking for any excuse to show their power. Some are more humble like the Sohei and subscribe to the code of the Kykotsu which presents a more humane approach towards honor than Bushido, representing the craftsmen and undesirables of society as they attempt to forge a new caste that is free of the use and abuse they have suffered in the past. Still others are prideful and arrogant like the Kuge, believing control of the cash box and the act of finding the holy relics of the Tenno to be all they require to claim rulership of the land. Regardless of their disposition and goals, the Otokodate have access to the strengths of the other clans. Their warriors wield far stronger firearms than the other castes have access to, are far more willing to employ large groups of assassins, and will even use corruption to bribe members of their foe's armies. They have their own samurai as well, and will even arm peasantry and train them in ways usually limited to those of noble blood or wealth which gives the Otokodate a far more diverse fighting force. Otokodate have even been willing to allow foreign settlements, even convert to the strange faiths, just to earn more advantage in their trade negotiations. The Otokodate find enemies primarily in the Buke class, with whom they have the biggest grudge and whom they want to replace by destroying their clans and recruiting their Ronin. Kuge are simply a more distant version of the Buke, and are little different in dealings; their social position is from another era and their way of life is already giving its death rattle. The Sohei and Otokodate have little real reason to come into conflict, since both represent an oppressed lower class although the spiritual weakness of the Otokodate doesn't earn them any favor in the priesthoods eyes, while the expectation that wealth and status be thrown away to serve distant spirits who may not even exist is laughable to the Otokodate; in the Otokodate future the Sohei will end as a caste just like the Kuge. Little thought is given to the Kuroi-te beyond simply destroying them as an afterthought, and the Otokodate don't believe in the Hattori. The core inspiration for the Otokodate caste in Kensei is actually not real life; Otokodate was the name for unemployed Samurai who bullied the lower classes throughout the 1700's until they were suppressed in the 1800's. The populace of Japan was enamored with stories about them being defeated and as a result the term Otokodate mostly refers to a genre of fiction, the closest western equivalent being a combination of Robin Hood and mafia movies, although in tone they are so close to cowboy cinema that many famous Otokodate movies (Seven Samurai for example) were remade shot for shot as cowboy movies (Seven Samurai becoming the Magnificent Seven). Otokodate stories, be they movies (particularly the famed Kurosawa movies of the 50's-80's and the exploitation "pinku" movies of the 1970's) or play (Kabuki theater) are based on the beginning of the end for the Samurai in the Edo period. This was when the lifestyle of the Samurai became unlivable and many were rendered into a bizarre state of poverty while still having substantial powers within society. The merchant class rose to power, and Samurai with no other means were forced to swear loyalty to non-noble non-Samurai to make ends meet...or rob anyone below them in status and privilege (so non-Samurai) that nobody would bother with the effort of defending (so people who paid little in taxes, primarily the middle class in smaller towns and villages). Most Samurai cinema is about this era, when thugs roamed the streets and abused the commonfolk until brave heroes supposedly stepped in to die heroic deaths on behalf of those with no other defense. These brave (almost always fictional or greatly exaggerated) heroes were called Otokodate (a term which in real life basically meant "thug" and referred to both hero and villain), fighting the starved oppressors of society as an equally suffering although vastly more noble remainder of the glorious past. The real life Otokodate "heroes" were actually the predecessors to the Yakuza, running protection rackets in cities while subverting the law and seeing that troublesome Samurai find themselves in duels they can't win if not simply disappearing. By the end of the Edo period the ruling class had established strict control of their territories so a Samurai who robbed a shopkeeper would soon be hauled in by lawmen, similar to cowboy sheriffs dealing with an outlaw. As a result the Otokodate were replaced by "Isami", who were more like smalltime gangs that roamed around looking for fun and to show off their masculinity in fights or competition but not actually kill anyone which would immediately bring authorities down on them; compare modern biker gangs to 1800's bandits. Females sometimes feature in Otokodate and Isami stories as equal warriors among groups of men and were called Onna Dates, although it is debated how many real Onna Dates actually existed. The Otokodate army presented in Kensei is not exclusively the Otokodate of cinema however, it combines several small movements and groups together both from other genres of faux-historical cinema as well as real life history. The martial characters of the Otokodate army are shown wearing Kawari Kabuto (AKA "strange helmets") which appeared during the Momoyama period at the tail end of the Sengoku era and were known for simple and cheap but still effective construction beneath elaborate decoration. The Assassins wear Ronin gasas, woven hats that cover the face but have slits to see through; whether real Ronin actually wore Ronin gasas often is debatable, but many Samurai movies use them to denote an outlaw eager to hide their face or a, well, assassin. Ozutsu were used from the 1500's through the end of the Sengoku era, oftentimes on ships and in sieges. Teppo Ronin are specifically former Samurai who now answer to their societal inferiors among the merchants as mercenaries which strangely follows closer to the real life fate of many poor Samurai. The fate of the real life Otokodate depends on your perspective of the faction; if you view them as the wealthy middle class merchants and later industrialists that changed Japan from Samurai to Napoleonic to Mitsubishi bombers to car and VCR producers, then the Otokodate merged with the Kuge to "rule" modern Japan (and possibly [[Shadowrun|the global economy of the future]]). If you prefer to think of them as brave heroes standing up for the little guy, look to modern social services and good Samaritans alongside Japanese UN workers. Otherwise, the Yakuza are doing fine as always. ====Kuroi-te==== [[File:Kuroi-te.png|thumb|left|300px]] The Undead of Hymukai. They represent Kogen's massive army of the Yomi inhabitants as they attempt to take over both the mortal world and the spiritual worlds to wipe out the descendants of those who sided with Sujin (read: almost all modern-day nobility). Regardless of the clan and beliefs a corpse held in life, all dead bodies where a Kuroi-te army marches rise and join them. The Kuge are the greatest enemies of the Kuroi-te and the death of every one of them is the primary goal of the Undead. Buke are secondary foes, although just as a source of strong warriors to bolster their ranks. Sohei are the antithesis of the Kuroi-te who's very presence and sight harms them. Otokodate barely register to Kuroi-te except as more beings to kill and raise. The Hattori are a rival for domination of the mortal world and are another enemy to destroy. The Undead army has no basis in real life Japanese history (obviously) outside of the conflict between Kogen and Suijin paralleling several real life times of conflict from history, and there's no particular example from Japanese mythology that they come from. That being said, the first account of independent Japanese people from a non-mythological source comes from a Chinese account called ''Records of the Three Kingdoms'' of an Empress named Himiko who struggled against male rivals after succeeding her father in the 3rd century. Mythology as well as conflicts between Chinese, Korean, and Japanese accounts of history as well as political reinterpretation or rewriting of history during certain periods clouds everything about Himiko, but strictly sticking to the Chinese account may provide a basis for the Kuroi-te as the warlord rivals to Himiko and her descendants. ====Hattori==== [[File:Hattori.png|thumb|left|300px]] The ninja clans who have decided to turn their backs on the Kuge and fight for their own gain. Their mysterious leader Saki guides them. While they eventually intend to eliminate all opposition, the ninja clans counted among the Hattori still serve their Kuge patrons with unwavering loyalty in the short term. Buke are not a concern, easily dispatched with trickery despite their strength. Sohei are not a threat, since the Hattori play them against each other over rivalries and interpretations of scripture between temples. Otokodate are even easier, as money rules their decisions. Even the Kuroi-te are not seen as a major threat, since the Hattori believe they can discover the force than animates the hordes and use it to control them. Ninja in general are mostly fictional due to the reality just being assassins wearing plain clothes (sometimes double-sided) or as camouflaged field scouts and spies, so a bunch of demon pact-making assassins in black robes is obviously fictitious. There were many strange cults and in Japanese history, but mostly existed due to isolation from mainstream culture and didn't involve samurai civil war and assassination. The Hattori in real life were a family of Samurai, the most famous of whom was named Hanzo, who served the Tokugawa during and after the Sengoku period. Hanzo became a general in the Tokugawa's service (effectively making him a Buke still loyal to a Kuge in Kensei terms) and employed ninja from his home province of Iga during battle and to gather information; late in life he retired as a pacifist monk and had nothing to do with demons. ===Religion and Magic=== In 1e magic only existed when using Omnyouiji and Creatures. As of 2e it is officially a fantasy setting. ====Religion==== * '''Shinto, The Ways Of The Gods''' Shinto is the original faith of Hymukai. According to Shinto, all things have an intelligent spirit. There is a spirit of each rock in your garden, each turnip that grows in it, each insect that lands on it. There is a complex pantheon of responsibility and strength for each object as well. The spirit of your garden is in charge of the spirit of the biggest turnip in it who in turn is in charge of all the lesser turnips, the spirit of gardens in general controls them both as well as the spirit of all turnips, all four must answer to the spirit of the region you live in, and the spirit of agriculture controls them all with respects towards the spirits of the earth and sun. Far from the occasional ghost, spirit, or monster seen in other mythologies, Shinto spirits outnumber the living in the world and humankind has its place within the hierarchy as well. The farmer must not insult spirits of his turnips as they are his fellow workers of the earth, the spirit of the garden is his equal, the spirit of gardens and turnips are his superiors, and the spirit of agriculture is as important as his local lord. The strongest spirits dwell in a parallel realm called Shinkai, and are called '''Kami'''. Ancestors are also important in Shinto, as they are the connection between the living and the world of spirits. Without any friendly deceased, the world of the living cannot interact with the Shinkai and as such it is important to stay on good terms with a dead person who may have become friends with a spirit you may want to interact with by honoring their memory and invoking it whenever possible. Shinto priests and Shamans can communicate with all kinds of spirits and Kami with proper rituals, the right words, the correct offerings, the precise movements, the required clothing and adornments, and the right location all at specific times. The true name of spirits, which gives a connection to their power, is secret and known only by priests honorable enough not to abuse the privilege. By entering into trances, they commune with intermediary ancestors who can pass messages onto spirits. Shamans fall into three groups; Miko are nuns, Geki are monks, and Shinshoku o Kanushi (both genders) are Shamans powerful enough to call directly on Kami themselves and receive their words in return. Every clan who worship Shinto regardless of their social standing or caste maintains a shrine to an ancestor who has become a Kami, and regardless of relationship with the living family it is VERY bad luck to offend their patron. You can wipe out every man, woman, and child in their lineage without too much trouble from the spirit world, but if you mess up their family graveyard or shrine then you are FUCKED in ways comparable to interacting with the Fey in western fantasy settings. Small shrines to local spirits of things like roads, rivers, a local animal species, and so on can be found almost anywhere, sometimes forgotten and sometimes well-used stops that double as shelters for weary travelers. Many small villages revolve around shrines, having little else to offer besides services pilgrims are willing to pay for. Even Hymukai who convert to other faiths rarely abandon their Shinto beliefs. The faith is fairly adaptable, and although priests of the One God may frown on praying to the first to bear their surname or the spirit of a river that feeds their irrigation, those traditions will remain. * '''Batsudo, The Way Of The Buda''' Batsudo (not-Buddhism) was established in Terai by a man named Sakyamuni (AKA not-Siddhartha Gautama) who abandoned the wealth and pleasures offered by the Shankya dynasty of Licham in order to understand the suffering of the poor and unlucky. He achieved Nirvana/Enlightenment, then sought out a way to pass the teachings onto others in Licham and Angma. Batsudo Sutra (texts and teachings) claim that through sacrifice and contemplation one can enter a Buda state, a level of understanding and freedom from earthly troubles while still alive. Only in this state is one Arhat, or of worthiness and true nobility. Only when the teachings reached the Celestial Empire and Baejke (not-Thailand) did they come to Hymukai through merchants. One of the Tennos saw value in the faith and decreed that Batsudo monks would formally enter the Sohei caste with newly built temples. The Shinto were initially displeased, although as the common folk would visit both kinds of temples and adhere to both faiths the two blended over time. Like its mate faith, Batsudo often merges with any new faiths that come to Hymukai as both have come to represent culture as much as religion. Generally, Batsudo is unpopular with the Otokodate as its scorn of wealth holds little appeal to them. By contrast, Buke who lose devotion to their warrior lifestyles, sometimes due to age or war-weariness, find the abandonment of need for wealth and power to be spiritually fulfilling. Batsudo teaches the world is currently in a 10,000 year long state of Dharmic decline which makes it difficult to achieve Enlightenment. tl;dr using WIS as your dumpstat makes you lose at life * '''Onmyodo''' The native faith of the Celestial Kingdom, written as the Daodejing (Book of the Path and the Power) by the philosopher Laozi. Onmyodo (AKA not-Taoism) is based on the idea that everything is made of an energy called Tao (or Dao) which comes in two forms, the positive and negative Onmyo as the Hymukai call it, or the Yin and Yang as the Celestial Kingdom knows it. It centers around the idea freedom and power are attained by balance of the two forces. A man named Zuang Zi (AKA not-Zhuangzi) expanded on the idea in his own texts called The Interior Chapters which advised on how to balance the forces, including using alchemy (in real life, this is the basis for Chinese herbal remedies and acupuncture). All science, all magic, all matter, all energy, everything comes down to positive and negative energy reacting and seeking balance before and after said reaction. Yin is passive. It is feminine, reacts strongly to the moon, darkness, the cold, is liquid, is introspective, and within living things is a big part of blood. Yang is active, masculine, reacts to the sun, is extroverted, is warm and more fire than matter, and in living things is concentrated in Ki, which can be summed up as the spiritual equivalent to blood. Nothing can exist made up of only one of the two forces, and out of harmony or in a turbulent state nothing good can come of anything. Yin and Yang form the five elements, the seasons, colors, emotions, everything. Endless winter is as bad as only feeling happiness without sadness, as a man without a sensitive side, every blue house needs some red somewhere, and so on. Onmyodo followers are wizards and scientists, the former mixing this belief with others to control Kami or the forces that affect humans. The magic users are called Onmyouiji. The scientists are alchemists. tl;dr being True Neutral and drinking mercury can make you a wizard * '''Shugendo''' Shugendo is the mix of all the faiths of Hymukai into one belief. The followers are called Shugendo as well, or Shugenja, or Yamabushi No-Gyoia (those who sleep below the mountain) for their usual locations. They are hermits who dedicate themselves wholly to the spiritual, revealing themselves slowly to those individuals outside their training sites that they believe are likely to join them at the cost of all worldly ties and belongings. The teachings of Shugendo are called the Shugen. After years of suffering and sacrifice, even the abandonment of the very emotions tied to their pursuit of moral purity (due to desire in any form not being morally pure) along with education in everything from astronomy to psychology to medicine and herbalism, they surpass humanity and overcome all sin or debt from this life or their past lives by feeling the punishments due with humility. At this point, they are a being who is virtually a Kami contained in a mortal shell. The highest ranked Shugendo commune with Kami directly, are in the state of Buda and can actually influence the greater universe, and while meditating alone their soul departs their body to live as an animal in the forest while they sit in unmoving contemplation that can last for days, weeks, or more. The Shugendo primarily work for the betterment of mankind in various ways as they see fit. tl;dr epic level Cleric/Druid Lawful Good murderhobos ====Forms of Magic==== * '''Kototama: The Power of Words''' Kototama is the ability to cause magical effects using the spoken word or sounds. Those trained in this art are called Kototage. Kotomuke is the working of the magic, and the specific spells are Jumon. All religions use Kototama, and even martial artists use them to a degree. Kototama can be used to control minor spirits called Shikigami. * '''Kuj-In: Seals of the Nine Syllables''' Kuj-In combines the essence of Kototama as mantra hymns with hand gestures called Mudra. Kuj-In is primarily used by Shinto, Buda, and Ninjas. Kuj-In invoke the protector forces of the world in odd numbers, or evil if used in even. If the gestures are made in the air they affect the user, if the hand gesture is used on other things (like with ink and paper to draw a spell scroll) they can affect others. The act of performing the gesture is called Kuji-Kiri. Using the right hand is called Takotai and the resulting energy receives, using the left is called Kongokai and emits energy. The gestures are made quickly or slowly based on what Kototama is used. The actual effect of Kuj-In is explained by creating a hole or vacuum in the spirit world which causes a shift in Yin and/or Yang. * '''O-Fuda: Kanji Magic''' O-Fuda is similar to Kuj-In in that it is a written magic, although no particular gesture or vocalization is needed. O-Fuda involves invoking a Kami by writing their name on something. If used in construction, the Kami then may protect the occupants of the building as they see fit. The other use of O-Fuda is making a charm bag called a Omamori which blesses the bearer and can be used to exorcize spirits by placing it in the mouth of the victim or inside the object which is possessed. * '''Onmyodo: The Way of Yin and Yang''' The central ideas of Taoism, applied by Onmyouiji. It consists of all magical practices and all disciplines of science mixed in the pursuit of balance and the intentional alteration of reality. Onmyouiji rarely share their discoveries with written text, preferring apprenticeships to pass on their craft. Becoming pure, only a step below divinity, and mastery of energy are the two main pursuits of Onmyodo. The main reward to skilled Onmyouiji is entering the state of Kenki, which allows them to perceive and interact with both the mortal world and the Shinkai at the same time. They can then banish or summon beings between the two at will, being something more than even an ancestor Kami. Shikigami are inherently loyal to those in Kenki, and Daimyo are always seeking their services to protect them from spirits and advise them. Most Onmyouiji are aligned with the spirits of order, although rare ones exist who sought to become one with the darker sides of the spirit world and curse their foes. ====Reality==== The bulk of creation exists in three regions connected by celestial bridges and gates. * '''The Celestial Plane: Ama''' The ideal world, perfect in every way and full of waterfalls with hundreds of regions with each suited in different ways to provide for every desire regardless of what the desires of that being are, each created when a being becomes a Kami and ascends to it. Those who are the Kami's chosen servants, the Tennin (male)/Tennyo (female), inhabit their celestial lord's land. There is a physical bridge somewhere in the material plane, called Niji, that leads the living to it although it is guarded by celestial entities. * '''The Intermediate Plane: Kuni''' The mortal world, with Hymukai at its heart. Its...pretty good, but its imperfections compared to the Ama cause a small portion of the misery that befalls mankind. It exists in the same space as the Shinkai, which is the spiritual half of the world (the Yang to Earth's Yin) with places in both serving as gateways by virtue of the two forces evenly mixing there as opposed to sitting side by side (imagine an oil sitting on top of a thicker liquid, with those places being where the two have mixed into a solution). Those mixed places are often difficult to reach and amazing to behold, although many lesser spirits inhabit them which tend not to be as friendly as one would want. For those who have seen Spirited Away, those places would be the abandoned theme park. * '''The Underworld: Yomi''' The souls of the dead cross the Sanzu river, a hidden underground river between the Kuni and Yomi. On the other side they are judged for their spiritual debt and actions across all their lives. Those who have lived normally and are in the misdemeanor range of karma are sent back to the Kuni to be born again. Those who have lived amazingly pure lives, free from any sin or debt, ascend to Ama and become Kami. Some beings who preexisting Kami vouch for are also allowed to enter the Ama, usually as a Tennin/Tennyo. The spirit known as Datsue-Ba undresses the soul while his companion Keneo throws the clothes to a branch next to the river. Souls who are nervous can actually gauge how badly they have done by how Keneo does this. Souls then cross the river to meet a spirit named Emma-O who is master of the cycle of reincarnation and the judge of Kuni lives. Those found wanting are sent to Nakara, a kind of spiritual prison full of hunger where they will suffer until their debt is within a range they could feasibly pay off back in the Kuni, and they are sent back to Earth afterwards to do just that. The exceptionally wicked, who's sins are unforgivable, are turned into a Shura spirit and either sent to Nakara as a warden or Jigoku, a place where all Demons are imprisoned. Not all beings must cross the Sanzu and face judgement. Beings who attain divinity in life like Onmyouiji or Yamabushi No-Gyoia simply travel to Ami on their own power. Beings who suffered far more than their spiritual debt required are unable to leave the Kuni and usually become spirits who only know torment and live to pass that suffering onto others. Those tortured souls are called Shiryo, Onryo, and Goryo. ====Reincarnation and the Wheel of Dharma==== The Wheel of Dharma is the cycle of reincarnation that occurs between the Yomi and Kuni, with Emma-O being the master of the process. There are six possible paths that Emma-O may send a soul. Samsara is the name of the actual process of rebirth after judgement. * '''Jigoku-Do''' is the worst possible punishment, where a soul is sent to Jigoku where they languish in every possible kind of misery and never know any form of relief or rest. Here they stay and suffer unless some unbelievably merciful Kami decides to take up their case and work to reform them. * '''Gaki-Do''' is the path where a soul is sent to Nakara. Here, ten kings judge them and mete out different forms of suffering to equal the luxuries they over-indulged in during life. Once the soul is punished adequately they are given a drink which makes the soul forget its suffering and pleasures, effectively striking both off the record. Both Jigoku-Do and Gaki-do involve the soul transforming into a Shura, which is a demonic form. Souls who rebel and refuse to show the humility they deserve often rise up in defiance of the celestial order and become all but certain to bask in their evil ways while suffering eternally. * '''Shikusho-Do''' is the state where a soul is transformed into an animal. As animals have less potential for devilish behavior, this forms a kind of rehabilitation process between Gaki-Do and the states of the Kuni world. * '''Ashura-Do''' is the path of demigods. Beings who reject the system travel this path. The wicked ones become Shura, and hide in the frozen northlands of the Kuni called Meru where they are ruled by kings called Shurendra. Those who remain good but simply desire to cease the pursuit of godliness become powerful spirits within the Kuni, and instead become the patron spirits of various things. In the previously mentioned metaphor involving the spirits of gardens, rocks, and turnips, those who choose the Ashura-Do are the bulk of those spirits. * '''Nin-Do''' is the path of human life. This stage, the lives of you and everyone you know, is not so much a punishment as it is a test to whether they are fit to ascend higher. If you imagine the Ashura-Do as being in the blue-collar workforce, then Nin-Do is college. You can snort crack and bang hookers until you wind up homeless in the back alley then in prison, or you can work hard and study until you pull six digits and spend every other week on the golf course. Or just take a liberal arts course and wind up flipping burgers with the other Ashura-Do. Your choice. * '''Ten-Do''' is the final state, where you have achieved success and made something of yourself by becoming a Kami or Tennin/Tennyo. But that's not the end of the story, as you can overindulge or make bad decisions, and while not a mortal you CAN still die like one. If you die, Emma-O will judge you again and you may not do as well as you did before. Kami who drinkandfightanddrinkandfightanddrinkandfight then drink and fight some more before slipping and breaking their neck may end up reborn as an ant to work off their debt. ====Supernatural Beings==== * Kami Kami are beings at the height of existence. They are extremely powerful, and most dwell in the Ama although some remain in the Shinkai or Yomi to go about their work. Most other cultures would call them gods and demigods, although as Kami are technically beings living and dying in a way similar to mortals they are somewhat below that rank. * Tennin/Tennyo Tennin and Tennyo are similar to Kami, although they did not get into Ama by virtue of their...well, virtue. Rather they were vouched for by a Kami, although within the politics of the Ama they are on equal footing to their Kami fellows. Usually they act as the servants to a Kami. Tennin and Tennyo split their time between leisure pursuits, such as art and music, and martial pursuits as they are the primary soldiers in the wars between the wicked spirits and the Kami. * Yokai Yokai are Kami who have fallen into corruption, either through overindulgence or wicked acts brought about by pride. Some are just Kami who are forgotten by humans which causes them to lose hope or a sense of purpose in their existence. As they continue to lose their purity they are forced to leave Ama and inhabit the Kuni. Not all Yokai are evil however, and many simply take up an immortal life as a mortal. They can take on any form, and if you meet a talking animal or something with very strange proportions it may be a Yokai. Those Yokai who continue their wicked behavior become extremely powerful beings, and would be the villain of your average "hero VS monster" story. * Shura Shura are either the descendants of Iraki, the aunt of Hikari, or are souls currently assigned to punishment. They are demonic beings with wicked, twisted forms based on their behavior and sins (or the descendants of Iraki who are just born that way). Many serve out their time suffering to ascend the Wheel of Dharma, while others (usually warmongers and the power hungry) rebel and form into groups to attack mortals or the Kami. * Yurei Yurei come in two varieties; the souls of the wicked who are tormented by their unnatural sins, and the souls of the suffering who cannot leave the world as they are too burdened by its miseries. They are spirits, usually bound to a specific location or group of people, who cause the same type of suffering they endured or committed to others and although they will actively pursue those responsible for their state they don't stop there and will continue to attack any beings. Most ghost stories involve Yurei spirits. For reference on Yurei, see The Ring, The Grudge, and play Fatal Frame. * Gaki Gaki are souls who suffered from extreme need in life, and their name literally means "hungry spirits". Their form is twisted to their need, with emaciated skeletal frames with large, bloated bellies full of acid and gasses and large eyes always searching for more. They have no scruples, and will even eat their still-living relatives as their first meals before setting out for more. Like Yurei they are bound to the Kuni by their suffering, although for a select few this is a punishment bestowed to them by spirits for being wasteful in life.
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