Many moons ago, in the far lands of Japan, there is a tale of Honor, of Vengeance and of the very code of the Samurai. Two Daimyo's, as different as the Sun and the Moon, occupied two halves of a province. The Southern Daimyo, a grim and dangerous man known as Shimazuma Sadayu, was a man who commanded great legions of average soldiers and few Samurai. The Bushido abiding warriors rarely were inclined to be sworn to such a man, so he turned to the Oni and the enslavement and dealings of such beings to provide powerful and dangerous generals and members of his standing forces. He also holds the majority of the land within the province, most of the farm and cities are under his banner, making him a major powerhouse on the larger scale political situation within Japan itself. However, his land is not consolidated under his banner, something that generates a venomous and vile rage within the heart of this already dark, corrupt Daimyo.
The Northern Daimyo, Nakayuki Hattori, was a man of standing conviction and determination within the province and attracted a small core of highly skilled retainers of all sorts, including a small standing guard of Samurai warriors. Enough so that the Daimyo required little in the way of conventional, standing soldiers. Within his holdings, there are enough small farms and unique resources that allow him to provide enough resources to trade and arm his Samurai and retainers with high quality equipment and training. The Southern Daimyo had made several attempts to claim these northern holdings, due to their strategic and mineral value, however, the fortress that the Northern Daimyo constructed and the high quality skill and arms wielded by his retainers and samurai easily trumped the normal soldiers and even groups of lesser Oni sent to try and overwhelm the Northern Daimyo in sheer power. This also failed, so the Southern Daimyo resorted to trickery and underhanded tactics.
A gift was sent to the Northern Daimyo as an offering of peace and repayment for damages caused by the attempts to take the northern holdings that still outlasted the attempts by the Southern Diamyo to take them. For all inspection and analysis, it was an innocent gift. But when the son, heir to Daimyo Hattori, picked up the gemstone, it shattered in a detonation of vile energy. One of the retainers of the Daimyo, a Monk well versed in defeating evil spirits and banishing Oni, saved the boy's life through spirit binding chains. The attempt on his son's life was nothing short of enraging to the Northern Daimyo, and he demanded the Southern Daimyo present himself for punishment. The Southern Daimyo indeed arrived, but it was well beyond just himself and his honor guard, which were replaced with powerful lords amongst the Oni. An army of spirit influenced soldiers, Oni soldiers, and the Daimyo Sadayu himself, in evil armor and bearing weapons of dark power. The clash between the North and South were both massive and impressive, the outmanned forces of the North defending their Daimyo's keep.
In the end of the several day long siege, the blade of an assassin brought the Daimyo Hattori down, a dishonorable strike against the Daimyo. A handful of Samurai and Retainers spirited the son away, new heir to the title of Daimyo, but with his arm cursed, and lord slain in a most dishonorable manner, vengeance was required for the fallen Daimyo Hattori. Honor demanded it now. And it was suspected that the slaying of the Southern Daimyo would lift the curse on the son of Daimyo Hattori's arm, so a matter of survival for the Hattori bloodline, and vengeance for the fallen Daimyo, were involved in slaying the Southern Daimyo, who now claimed lordship over all the province, unaware for now of the escape of the handful of those loyal to the Hattori line, as well as the last remaining heir to the bloodline. These few samurai and retainers were honorbound to stand by the son of Daimyo Hattori in his bid for vengeance and reclaiming his birthright, and for the sake of Vengeance, it was time to make their plans. Gather allies and march on the Daimyo Sadayu, or make the bid alone in a strike against the man quickly. Whatever the plan, it must bring down the Oni Daimyo, as he was now known, for not just vengeance but all of Japan.
So, each player will be a part of the Daimyo Hattori's surviving group of samurai and retainers, who ensured that the son of Hattori would survive to see the light of another day. The role of the son will be played by myself, but beyond that, there are plenty of roles to be filled. However, a few rules on what is being allowed should be discussed real briefly.
1. Oni descent, possession, or otherwise is pretty much a no go. I can make exceptions to this for a few things, such as kitsune, but it has to be a compelling idea. Daimyo Hattori did not tolerate such beings lightly, if at all, so it would have to be quite the exception. And even then, there would not be any full blooded beings within the court, they would be at least partially human, if not mostly human.
2. Firearms, yes they existed in Japan, however, for the given period of time, there are some serious restrictions. They are pretty much the earliest blackpowder weapons to be used, single shot matchlock weapons, with slow reloads and were rather noisy and smokey affairs. There are no cannon or anything beyond that, and blackpowder weapons are still far too rare to be used in any numbers, usually relegated to oddities of foreign warfare.
3. Monks, priestesses, and others who utilize more spiritual approaches to combat and a way of living are perfectly fine. A monk, with his knowledge and skill, did save the Hattori's son after all.
So, beyond that, any questions, comments, concern, please go ahead and ask here or PM me. This shall not be a large group, no more than 5-6 people I intend, so with three or so people's interest I can get a proper OOC drawn up and ready to go.
The Northern Daimyo, Nakayuki Hattori, was a man of standing conviction and determination within the province and attracted a small core of highly skilled retainers of all sorts, including a small standing guard of Samurai warriors. Enough so that the Daimyo required little in the way of conventional, standing soldiers. Within his holdings, there are enough small farms and unique resources that allow him to provide enough resources to trade and arm his Samurai and retainers with high quality equipment and training. The Southern Daimyo had made several attempts to claim these northern holdings, due to their strategic and mineral value, however, the fortress that the Northern Daimyo constructed and the high quality skill and arms wielded by his retainers and samurai easily trumped the normal soldiers and even groups of lesser Oni sent to try and overwhelm the Northern Daimyo in sheer power. This also failed, so the Southern Daimyo resorted to trickery and underhanded tactics.
A gift was sent to the Northern Daimyo as an offering of peace and repayment for damages caused by the attempts to take the northern holdings that still outlasted the attempts by the Southern Diamyo to take them. For all inspection and analysis, it was an innocent gift. But when the son, heir to Daimyo Hattori, picked up the gemstone, it shattered in a detonation of vile energy. One of the retainers of the Daimyo, a Monk well versed in defeating evil spirits and banishing Oni, saved the boy's life through spirit binding chains. The attempt on his son's life was nothing short of enraging to the Northern Daimyo, and he demanded the Southern Daimyo present himself for punishment. The Southern Daimyo indeed arrived, but it was well beyond just himself and his honor guard, which were replaced with powerful lords amongst the Oni. An army of spirit influenced soldiers, Oni soldiers, and the Daimyo Sadayu himself, in evil armor and bearing weapons of dark power. The clash between the North and South were both massive and impressive, the outmanned forces of the North defending their Daimyo's keep.
In the end of the several day long siege, the blade of an assassin brought the Daimyo Hattori down, a dishonorable strike against the Daimyo. A handful of Samurai and Retainers spirited the son away, new heir to the title of Daimyo, but with his arm cursed, and lord slain in a most dishonorable manner, vengeance was required for the fallen Daimyo Hattori. Honor demanded it now. And it was suspected that the slaying of the Southern Daimyo would lift the curse on the son of Daimyo Hattori's arm, so a matter of survival for the Hattori bloodline, and vengeance for the fallen Daimyo, were involved in slaying the Southern Daimyo, who now claimed lordship over all the province, unaware for now of the escape of the handful of those loyal to the Hattori line, as well as the last remaining heir to the bloodline. These few samurai and retainers were honorbound to stand by the son of Daimyo Hattori in his bid for vengeance and reclaiming his birthright, and for the sake of Vengeance, it was time to make their plans. Gather allies and march on the Daimyo Sadayu, or make the bid alone in a strike against the man quickly. Whatever the plan, it must bring down the Oni Daimyo, as he was now known, for not just vengeance but all of Japan.
So, each player will be a part of the Daimyo Hattori's surviving group of samurai and retainers, who ensured that the son of Hattori would survive to see the light of another day. The role of the son will be played by myself, but beyond that, there are plenty of roles to be filled. However, a few rules on what is being allowed should be discussed real briefly.
1. Oni descent, possession, or otherwise is pretty much a no go. I can make exceptions to this for a few things, such as kitsune, but it has to be a compelling idea. Daimyo Hattori did not tolerate such beings lightly, if at all, so it would have to be quite the exception. And even then, there would not be any full blooded beings within the court, they would be at least partially human, if not mostly human.
2. Firearms, yes they existed in Japan, however, for the given period of time, there are some serious restrictions. They are pretty much the earliest blackpowder weapons to be used, single shot matchlock weapons, with slow reloads and were rather noisy and smokey affairs. There are no cannon or anything beyond that, and blackpowder weapons are still far too rare to be used in any numbers, usually relegated to oddities of foreign warfare.
3. Monks, priestesses, and others who utilize more spiritual approaches to combat and a way of living are perfectly fine. A monk, with his knowledge and skill, did save the Hattori's son after all.
So, beyond that, any questions, comments, concern, please go ahead and ask here or PM me. This shall not be a large group, no more than 5-6 people I intend, so with three or so people's interest I can get a proper OOC drawn up and ready to go.
