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    NIPPON

    By Mathias Eliasson

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    CONTENTSINTRODUCTION .................................................... 7THE LAND OF THE RISING SUN ....... ........... 9History of Nippon ...................................................... 10

    Timeline of Nippon.................................................... 18

    Culture and Customs.................................................. 22

    The Great Clans ......................................................... 35

    Map of Nippon ........................................................... 39

    The Land of Nippon................................................... 40

    WARRIORS OF NIPPON ................................... 51Army Special Rules ................................................... 52Commanders .............................................................. 53

    Shugenja .................................................................... 54

    Hatamoto ................................................................... 55

    Samurai Warriors ....................................................... 56

    Samurai Cavalry ........................................................ 57

    Ashigaru .................................................................... 58

    Warriors Monks ......................................................... 59

    Yamabushi ......................................................... ........ 60

    Sumo Warriors ........................................................... 61

    Battle Maidens ........................................................... 62

    Kabuki Dolls .............................................................. 63

    Yabusame .................................................................. 64

    Red Devils ................................................................. 65

    Ronin ......................................................................... 66

    Wako Pirates .............................................................. 67

    Ninja ........................................................... ................ 68

    Shinobi ....................................................................... 69

    Great Guard ........................................................... ..... 70

    War Machines ....................................................... ..... 71Mikoshi Shrine ........................................................... 72

    Oni ............................................................. ................ 73

    Tengu ......................................................................... 74

    Kitsune ....................................................................... 75

    Ryujin ......................................................... ................ 76

    Yoritomo Ieyasu ......................................................... 77

    Empress Jungi ............................................................ 78Hitomi Gozen ............................................................. 79

    The Red Ronin ........................................................... 80

    Sarutori Hanzo ........................................................... 81

    O-Sayumi ................................................................... 82

    Lore of the Kami ........................................................ 83

    Clan Mon ................................................... ................ 84Vessels of the Kami ........................ ........................... 85

    Poisons ....................................................................... 87

    THE NIPPON ARMY LIST .............................. . 89Lords .......................................................................... 91

    Heroes ........................................................................ 92

    Core Units .................................................................. 95

    Special units ............................................................... 97

    Rare Units .................................................. .............. 100

    SUMMARY ................................. ............................ 102

    Compiled, Edited & Partly Written by:

    Mathias Eliasson

    Cover Art:Ensemble Studios

    Art:Legend of the Five Rings by various illustrators, Paizo Publishing by various illustrators, Wayne Reynolds, Angus MacBride, Creative

    Assembly, Emilio, Bjrn Hurri, Tom Edward, Genzoman, kerembeyit, Andreas von Cotta, Miguel Coimbra, Michal Ivan, Nate Barnes, Steve Argyle,

    Rowiel, Zvezda, chagan, James Paick, vimark, Sengoku Game, epson361, stevegoad, shima99, ColdFlame1987, alp, BeneOctavian, jgskectch22,

    Dreamlord, vladlegostayev, krypt, GBrush. Mariusz Kozik, Hangman801, DiosdadoMondero, artoflinca, Zenzzen, Wen M, One Vox, vablo,

    camilkou, Neil Bruce, diegogisbertllorens, crutz, reau, agnidevi, raynkazuya, capprotti, MaBuArt, vladgheneli, jubjubjedi, artifart, devjohnson,

    obrotowy, skaya3000, artozi, chaser226. Noah Bradley, sundragon83, Nordheimer, J Wilson Illustration, coolart, clovery, funkychinaman,DiegoGisbertLlorens. Book Design:Mathias Eliasson. Rules Development:Mathias Eliasson. Original Material:Legend of the Five Rings by

    Shawn Carman and others, Andrew Fawcett, Arne Dam, Bill Ward, Shogun: Total War & Total War: Shogun II by Creative Assembly, Aldebrand

    Ludenhof, Tito Leati, Dave Morris, Jamie Thomson, Thomas Heasman-Hunt, Stefan Barton-Ross, Simon Sullivan.

    Special Thanks To: All the players that have contributed with feedback and ideas.

    This book is completely unofficial and in no way endorsed by Games Workshop Limited.The Chaos devices, the Chaos logo, Citadel, Citadel Device, the Double-Headed/Imperial Eagle device, 'Eavy Metal, Forge World, Games Workshop,

    Games Workshop logo, Golden Demon, Great Unclean One, the Hammer of Sigmar logo, Horned Rat logo, Keeper of Secrets, Khemri, Khorne, Lordof Change, Nurgle, Skaven, the Skaven symbol devices, Slaanesh, Tomb Kings, Trio of Warriors, Twin Tailed Comet Logo, Tzeentch, Warhammer,

    Warhammer Online, Warhammer World logo, White Dwarf, the White Dwarf logo, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters,

    vehicles, locations, units, illustrations and images from the Warhammer world are either , TM and/or Copyright Games Workshop Ltd 2000-

    2013, variably registered in the UK and other countries around the world. Used without permission. No challenge to their status intended. All Rights

    Reserved to their respective owners.

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    INTRODUCTIONWelcome to Warhammer: Nippon, your indispensable guide to the mysterious realm of the

    east. This book provides all the information youll require o play with a Nippon army in

    games of Warhammer.

    WHY COLLECT NIPPON?The Empire of Nippon demands much of its samurai:

    service to ones lord, service to ones Clan, and service

    to ones Emperor. Bushidos staunch and unyielding

    code of conduct binds samurai to duty, strengthening

    their character and defining their choices.

    A Nipponese army is a magnificent sight, filled with

    colour and variety. Samurai form the main battle line,

    supported by the lowly Ashigaru and brave Warrior

    Monks. Sumo Warriors march with them, as do the

    Clanss greatest warriors and the mysterious Kabuki

    Dolls. Daemonic Oni summoned by the Shugenjaaccompany them, followed by deadly Ninja. The

    armies of Nippon are lead by the Daimyo and the

    Taisho, the clan leaders, all sworn to the sovereignty of

    the Shogun.

    HOW THIS BOOK WORKSWarhammer army books are split into sections, each of

    which deals with different aspects of the titular army.

    Warhammer: Nipponcontains:

    The Land of the Rising Sun.This section

    introduces the Nipponese and their part in the

    Warhammer world. It includes their society and

    history. You will also find information on the land

    of Nippon, the Emerald Empire of the east.

    Warriors of Nippon. Each and every troop type in

    the Nippon army is examined here. You will find afull description of the unit, alongside the complete

    rules for any special abilities or options they

    possess. This section also includes the Vessels of the

    Kamimagical artefacts that are unique to the army

    along with rules to use them in your games.

    Nippon Army List. The army list takes all of the

    characters, warriors, monsters and war machinesfrom the Warriors of Nippon section and arranges

    them so that you can choose an army for your

    games. Units are classed as characters (Lords or

    Heroes), Core, Special or Rare, and can be taken in

    different quantities depending on the size of the

    game you are playing.

    FIND OUT MOREWhile Warhammer: Nipponcontains everything you

    need to play the game with your army, there are otherbooks and updates to be found. For the other books in

    the series and the latest rules updates, visit:

    www.warhammerarmiesproject.blogspot.com

    http://warhammerarmiesproject.blogspot.com/http://warhammerarmiesproject.blogspot.com/
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    THEL ND OFTHERISING

    SUNA samurai is a servant, fi rst and foremost,

    and according to traditi on, their fi rst andmost sacred duty is to die in the name of their

    lor d if necessary. I t is a fate to which most

    bushi aspire, and even though those who

    fol low the path of a shugenja are ostensibl y

    people of peace, there are many among their

    number who would reli sh a simil arly

    honourable death.

    Fortunately - or unfortunately, depending

    upon whom you ask - the Empire's history

    has been ful l of war and confli ct, giving the

    samurai of Nippon plenty of opportuni ty for

    self-sacrifice.

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    History of NipponLike many peoples, the Nipponese see themselves as

    the children of the gods. Nippon came into being when

    the gods Zanagi and Zanami stood on the bridge ofheaven and stirred the waters of the Earth with a spear.

    The drops of water that fell from the spear tip gathered

    together to become the islands of Nippon. The pair

    then descended and raised the spear as the centre pole

    of their house. Nippon had been created.

    Zanagi and Zanami had many children, which would

    be known and worshipped as the Kami. Amateratsu,

    the Sun Goddess was the first-born of these.

    Amateratsu inherited the earth and would rule Nippon

    and guide its people through her palace in the sky.

    Even so, the land was far from unified, with many

    different clans vying for power and fighting against

    each other for thousands of years.

    THE FOUNDING OF NIPPONAround -13 I.C., Emperor Yamayakyuki was the agent

    of an important change in Nipponese history. Nippon at

    this time was composed of many clans, of which the

    strongest was the Imperial Yamayakyuki family. The

    Yamayakyuki were one clan amongst manybut they

    claimed the right to rule because they were descended

    directly from the Sun Goddess, Amateratsu.

    When Yamyakyuki was finally declared ruler of Usaki

    he was already an imposing man of some thirty years.

    The story goes that on more than one occasion his

    opponents surrendered before a sword was drawn dueto his defeating charisma and leadership alone. But

    already as a young man Yamyakyuki proved himself a

    man second to none. Before his twentieth year he

    ventured alone into the Kanto-Yoshida Mountains to

    the east, where he returned sixty days later carrying the

    Ryatso Katana and flying on one of the legendaryKirin. This wondrous magical mount stayed with him

    until the day he died.

    The Jinto priests took these events as proof of

    Yamyakyuki's ancestry that he was indeed of

    Amateratsus blood. The Ryatso Katana, a sword oftrue craftsmanship lost in the wars against the

    Korgians, was to become the staff of office for all

    future Emperors of Nippon and Yamyakyuki was

    worshipped as the divine descendant of Amateratsu. He

    declared that he had a vision from Amateratsu: he must

    gather all of Nippon into a single empire, to bring

    peace and harmony back to all of the Sun Goddess

    people or die in the attempt.

    Yamyakyuki mustered a mighty army and finally

    conquered all of Nippon, though the campaign took afull twelve years to achieve. The defeated armies were

    given the choice of submitting to the rule of

    Yamyakyuki or die; only in two cases did an enemy

    choose the latter. These were the warlords of the

    Ichymoni and Koijo clans respectively, whose

    warriors, cousins and their families were decapitated indays; it was a blood bath.

    By -1 I.C. resistance had been broken and in the same

    year representatives of all the clans of Nippon gatheredat a coronation feast at Mount Fuji where Yamyakyuki

    was proclaimed the First Emperor of all Nippon. On

    the first day of the coronation Yamyakyuki entered the

    cave in Mount Fuji. When Yamyakyuki emerged from

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    the cave it is said that the sun shone so brightly that the

    gathered masses turned their eyes lest they be blinded.

    During the early period of Yamayakyukis rule theinfluence of the mainland began to be felt in Nipponese

    culture. Cathay had already advanced to a

    comparatively high level of civilisation, and thanks to

    the relative ease of travel and trade from Cathay, iron,writing, literature and philosophy came to Nippon.

    Nippon was divided in ten regions which were further

    divided in a total of 66 provinces. Yamyakyuki ruled

    Usaki, while the rule of the other nine regions were

    given to the most capable and loyal of the Kamato clan

    leaders, who had fought as generals in Yamyakuyukis

    army. The individual provinces remained under the

    rule of the local clans who had accepted Yamyakyuki

    as their liege lord, though one province was given to

    each of the nine region rulers.

    Yamyakyuki retained a firm and just rule of Nipponuntil his death in -12 I.C. His oldest son, also named

    Yamyakyuki, ascended the Imperial throne as

    Yamyakyuki II. Unfortunately, he had not inherited his

    fathers leadership skills. The Daimyo saw the

    opportunity to increase their own power within their

    provinces. The strongest Daimyo, lead by MitsusakiOnokate, pressed the weak emperor to grant them tax

    liberation of their personal lands. Others seeking tax

    evasion became vassals of these governors and thus

    avoided tax payments to the Imperial coffers.

    As the years passed, the loss of tax revenues and the

    increasing strength of governors undermined thecentral Imperial authority. Already during the reign of

    Yamyakyukis grandson, Yamyakyuki III, the emperor,

    though still the formal ruler of all Nippon, only

    effectively controlled the Imperial Province, home of

    the capital Edo. Nippon had dissolved into feuding

    chiefdoms lead by ambitious clan leaders.

    By the 9th century the Emperors were actually pulling

    back from the day-to-day business of ruling a country.

    They were becoming symbols of power rather than the

    wielders of power. As the Emperors retired fromgovernment, control passed to the court officials. The

    Emperors continued to reign, but they no longer ruledthe country.

    This period was a time when Nipponese culture came

    into its own, leaving its Cathayan-dominated roots

    behind. At the same time, this changed the way that

    Nippon was governed. The central government became

    corrupt and weak. Land ownership started shifting to

    great estates. The nobles who held government offices

    were given tax-free hereditary estates as payments.

    Many peasants and lesser landholders were only too

    happy to hand over their property to these estates toescape from the heavy taxes levied on them!

    THE RISE OF THE SAMURAIAt around the same time, the samurai were coming to

    prominence as more than just another group of fighting

    men. Like the knights of the Old World, the samurai

    were the leaders of common foot soldiers. Like theknights it was possible to win promotion to the ranks of

    the samurai. And like the knights, to be samurai also

    implied a degree of service to a superior. In the case of

    the samurai, this service was to the Emperor, a noble or

    a warlord.

    The Imperial government found the samurai incredibly

    useful in putting down rebellions, but with the shift in

    power to mighty land-owners, the loyalties of the

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    samurai also shifted. The samurai came to serve and

    protect the great lords, fighting against other great

    landlords, bandits and rebellious locals. Although some

    of these samurai were from humble families, the clans

    that prospered and attracted allies could trace their

    ancestors back for centuries, often to some (minor)Imperial relative banished from Court to seek his

    fortune elsewhere. Among these clans of aristocratic

    samurai were the Mirumoto in the east and the Hotomo

    in the south west of Nippon. No longer content to

    merely serve, the samurai began to interfere in

    government politics.

    THE IMPERIAL WARIn 1155 there was a crisis in the Imperial succession,

    when the current Emperor was found poisoned without

    a clear heir. This led to heavy arguments of whom

    would take the trone, with the Emperors uncle Go-

    Hirakawa and cousin Jozun being the most suitablecandidates. The Mirumoto supported the cousin and the

    Hotomo the uncle, each of which were positivelyinclined to either clan respectively. That meant that

    whoever would have their candidate become Emperor

    would have a great boon at having their will go through

    at the Imperial Court. Naturally, there would not be apeaceful solution to the matter.

    The Mirumoto and Hotomo were now in open war with

    each other. At the Battle of Hogo, the Mirumoto

    samurai were defeated, with the majority of them being

    executed for their defiance by order of the would-be

    Emperor Go-Hirakawa. Among these were the old

    Emperors cousin and many of the chief members of

    the Mirumoto clan. However, rather than allowing their

    enemies to execute them, they cut their own stomach

    with their swords in the first seen display of seppuku.

    This victory allowed helped the Hotomo clan to rise

    rapidly to power in the Imperial Court, and Go-

    Hirakawa declared himself Emperor. The Mirumoto,

    though beaten, were not defeated, and longed for

    revenge.

    This time, the civil war that followed was a

    straightforward fight between the Hotomo and the

    Mirumoto. Although the war seemed to go well

    initially for the Mirumoto, events soon turned against

    them. The Hotomo attacked the Mirumoto

    headquarters, and then lured them into a counter-attack

    that failed when Mirumoto Yorimasa refused to join in

    because he could not violate his duty to the Emperor.The surviving Mirumoto were pursued and slaughtered

    without mercy.

    Mirumoto Yoshitomo fled with three of his sons one of

    whom, was so badly wounded that he begged his father

    to kill him so that the others could flee with more

    speed. Yoshimoto did this, but to no avail. He was

    caught and murdered in his bath, taken when hethought he had outrun his pursuers. Hotomo Kiyomori

    then beheaded the Mirumoto clanliterally.

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    Hotomo Kiyomori was seemingly unassailable. He had

    beaten his samurai rivals and was now the most

    powerful Daimyo in Nippon. However, he had not

    quite killed all the Mirumoto and in twenty years the

    survivors had become strong enough to challenge him

    once again.

    The Imperial War would last for another five years.

    Once again, the Mirumoto opposed the Hotomo, but

    this time they were supported by the sohei, warrior

    monks from the temples of Kumano. However, the

    Hotomo were initially successful again, defeating the

    Mirumoto army at the battle of Mount Fuji.

    In 1183 the course of the war began to turn for the

    Mirumoto clan under the leadership of Daimyo

    Mirumoto Nobunaga. They won a series of brilliant

    victories, culminating in 1185 with the Battle of Sano-Iru. Both the Hotomo and Mirumoto clans aboard fleetsof warships and headed into the straits north of Usaki.

    In the middle of the Hotomo fleet was the newly

    crowned, Emperor Ontaku. He was still very young

    and the symbol of Hotomo and Imperial legitimacy,

    and thus an important element of the Hotomo claim to

    rule Nippon. What happened at the Battle of Sano-Iru

    was virtually a land battle fought from ship to ship. The

    sea is supposed to have run red with blood during the

    battle as the Mirumoto smashed the Hotomo army. The

    unfortunate Emperor Ontaku was drowned.

    His military victory secured, Mirumoto Nobunaga didnot bother with any of the political manoeuvring at

    Court that the Hotomo had used. His power was based

    on his armies, not on any Imperial family connections.

    The Emperor was forced into retirement, becoming a

    mere symbol. Nobunaga took the title and office of

    Shogun, becoming the true leader of Nippons power.

    Nobunaga also moved the centre of power from Usaki

    to Hyodo. The old Imperial Court was ignored and

    became largely irrelevant to the running of the country.

    The Mirumoto clan would hold Nippon in an iron grip

    for many centuries to come.

    HOBGOBLIN INVASIONIn 1745, the Hung amassed a great horde and assailed

    the Cathayan province of Han Kou. After runnning

    rampart throughout the land, The Hung set their eyes

    upon Nippon. Wanting to conquer all the kingdoms of

    the east, the Hung Warlord ordered his army to

    construct a great fleet of many thousand ships to sail to

    conquer the islands.

    Nippon at this time was still strong under Mirumotocontrol, but severely outnumbered by the Hung. The

    Shogun of the time, a rash man who attacked first and

    thought later, ordered the entirety of the Nipponese

    fleet to meet the Hobgoblins head on. Only a dozen

    ships returned, and the Shogun, shamed by the defeat

    of his mighty fleet, performed seppuku.

    However, not all was lost. The Empress Jungi, though

    but a symbol like the Emperors before her had been for

    many centuries, was an extremely powerful Shugenja.

    With the Shogun gone, she rallied her people and took

    to the battlefield herself. Stunned by this expected

    show of courage, the Nipponese followed her. She tookthe Imperial Ship with her closest bodyguard to protect

    her, and sailed towards the approaching Hobgoblin

    fleet. With all her might, she summoned a huge tidal

    wave that swept across the Hobgoblin fleet, capsizing

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    their ships and drowning the greenskins in the murky

    depths. Over two thirds of the Hobgoblin fleet was

    destroyed in one strike though Empress Jungi almost

    perished from fatigue, for such was the exertion caused

    by the spell.

    She did not let that stop her though, and personally led

    the Nipponese armies against the parts of the

    Hobgoblin fleet that managed to land on the coast.

    Nippon was saved from the greenskin menace, and

    Empress Jungi was hailed as its saviour. The other

    clans rallied behind her and proclaimed her the trueruler of Nippon. The Mirumoto Shugonate was soon

    overthrown, and Empress Jungi would be the first ruler

    in the period that would be known as the Imperial

    Restoration.

    WAR OF THE COURTSThough Empress Jungi did actually restore the Imperialadministrative system and do away with the Shogunate,

    this would not last. When she mysteriously disappearedsome ten years later and the throne was ascended by

    her son Go-Daigo, there was soon talk about rebellion.

    Go-Daigo did not possess the same level of leadership

    qualities as his mother, and some rumours even spokeabout him having her assassinated to get to the throne

    himself.

    The Ujimasa were the first to take advantage of this,

    rallying several of the clans and openly accusing the

    weak Emperor of murder. They drove Emperor from

    Hyodo and set up another Emperor under their direct

    control. The Wars of the Courts" dragged on for 56

    years as Go-Daigo and his heirs fought against the

    Ujimasa and their Emperors. In 1792, however, an

    Ujimasa ambassador convinced the true Emperor to

    abdicate. With the Ujimasa puppets now seen as the

    rightful Emperors, their Shoguns came into their own,but their power was to be relatively short-lived. The

    Ujimasa period was one of great refinement of

    manners, of great art and literary works. However,

    during this period real power passed from the Shogun

    to the other great clans. The Ujimasa shoguns were

    never able to control these clans, and this failure was tolead to a century of terrible violence.

    CHAOS INCURSIONLong ago, a warpstone meteorite had crashed in the

    northern part of Haikido, and the once prosperous

    island instead became a lair of evil. A terrible fate

    began to afflict the people of Haikido as the clouds ofwarp dust blew into the towns and villages. They began

    to mutate and became things much less than human.The castle of Kamakura was inhabited by foul beings,

    with many of the people turning to the worship of the

    dark gods. For millennia, those pure in spirit would

    fight against the Chaos forces of Haikido, holding themoff from moving south into Koshu.

    In 2302, the forces of Chaos were on the march over

    the entire world. Though it was the Old World in the

    west that bore the worst brunt of it, all was not quiet in

    Nippon either. From their Castle of Decay in Haikido,

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    the Chaos worshippers known as the Black Samurai

    marched south, aided by many Oni that were able to

    traverse into the material plane through a newly opened

    warpgate.

    The clans of Nippon would set their differences asidefor the first time since the time of Empress Jungi, and

    gathered to face the forces of Chaos.

    On what would be known as the Fields of Death in

    Haikido, the armies of Emperor Naganori, Shogun

    Ujimasa Horotome and his Samurai would battle the

    largest Chaos incursion ever seen in Nippons history.

    It was a brutal battle as Chaos Warrior fought Samurai

    in bitter combats. For the first time the Nipponese were

    to experience the horror of magic cast by the ChaosSorcerers; many of these foul wizards had come across

    the seas from the West. The Nipponese could not hopeto win being pitched against such a devastating

    weapon. But just when the Chaos forces were to gain

    the upper hand the ground began to rumble as great

    cracks opened up directly underneath the main Chaos

    column. Within seconds the column was swallowed by

    a great earthquake, separating it from the main battle inthe process. The Nipponese saw this as a sign from the

    Kami and fought with renewed vigour as they finally

    destroyed the followers of Chaos. It was a great, but

    costly, victory for Emperor Naganori and Shogun

    Ujimasa Horotome.

    The surviving forces of Chaos retreated back north.

    Unable to pursue them among the warp dust, the

    Nipponese have never been able to fully eradicate the

    forces of Chaos from their position at the Castle of

    Decay. It is said they still plot and plan to overthrow

    Nippon once more, though that day has not yet come to

    pass.

    ARRIVAL OF GUNPOWDERIn 2322 the first Old Worlders arrived in Nippon, when

    a group of Marienburgers traders landed in Konshu.

    The Marienburgers brought with them one thing that

    would greatly affect the future of Nippons warfare:

    effective gunpowder weapons.

    Gunpowder weapons were not a complete mystery tothe samurai. They certainly knew about Cathayan

    artillery, but gunpowder hadntreally arrived inNipponese warfare, until now. The guns that the

    Marienburgers brought to Nippon were handguns or

    matchlocks. They were light enough to be used by one

    man and relatively safe. The handgun had a slow rate

    of fire on the battlefield, but it did have one massive

    advantage that was recognised in Nippon as quickly as

    it had been spotted in the Old World. Training as an

    archer takes years of dedicated work. Learning to use a

    handgun takes days, at most. The Ashigaru were a pool

    of soldiers in every army ready and waiting for an

    easy-to-use missile weapon.

    Given the level of skill that Nipponese swordsmithsand armourers exhibits, its hardly surprising that it

    took remarkably little time before the handgun wasbeing produced in Nippon, and that it was adopted

    enthusiastically by the Daimyo for their armies.

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    However, although everyone could see that the

    handgun was a useful addition to the armoury, it would

    take time before someone would integrate a substantial

    force of Matchlock Ashigaru into his army in a

    tactically effective manner.

    WAR WITH CATHAY

    In 2355, Shogun Ujimasa Hideyoshi became Shogunafter killing his predecessor in a duel. Hideyoshi was a

    ruthless man, who saw the decline of the Ujimasa

    Shogunate and the rivaling Daimyo as a pest that must

    be eradicated. In an effort to once again rally Nippon in

    more than just words of peace on a paper, he called foran invasion of Cathay to increase the borders and

    wealth of his glorious land. Cathay had been hit hard

    by the forces of Chaos during the Great War Against

    Chaos, and had not quite recuperated as well as

    Nippon. Now was the perfect time to strike.

    He constructed a huge fleet of thousands of ships

    which would take his troops across the Far Sea toCathay. Over 250 000 troops was sent across the

    treacherous waters, making landfall near Fu Chow on

    the eastern coast.

    This sudden attack was a large surprise for the

    Cathayans, who where quickly overtaken by the

    Nipponese force. Hideyoshis armies established a

    foothold with Fu Chow as a base from where they

    could take in more supplies and fresh troops from

    Nippon. The Nipponese would prove to be

    unstoppable, beating back every Cathayan army sent

    against them and conquering more and more cities on

    the eastern coast.

    The Cathayans became more and more desperate,

    resorting to hiding in the woods and attacking supply

    caravans rather than facing the Nipponese on the field

    of battle.

    The war would rage on for a total of 120 years, until

    the Cathayans and Nipponese would face off at the

    battle of Xenyong. As the Nipponese forces tried to

    engage the Cathayans, they were constantly lured

    closer and closer into a valley, where the cowardlyCathayans had planned an ambush. As the Nipponese

    cavalry charged into the Cathayan army, they were shot

    down by dozens of rocket batteries, so many that the

    shy could barely be seen for all the arrows that covered

    it. The barbaric Cathayan Emperor even cut of the head

    Hideyoshi who was leading the assault, and sent it to

    Hideyoshis brother who was governor of Fu Chow.

    When news of this defeat reached the rest of theNipponese forces, they began to lose heart. City after

    city was taken aback by the Cathayans, until only FuChow remained. Hideyoshis brother ordered his

    remaining forces to take the ships back to Nippon. The

    war was lost.

    This defeat was the greatest in Nipponese history, and

    would ultimately cost the Ujimasa the power of theShogunate. Sure that they were too weak to lead

    Nippon after the defeat against Cathay, the clan

    Daimyo once more began plotting against each other

    and the Shogunate.

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    THE TIME OF THE WARRINGCLANSIn 2487, Nippon was a powder keg waiting to explode.

    The Ujimasa Shoganate was at an all time low,

    spending more of their time arguing and performing tea

    ceremonies than leading the country. It hardly came asa surprise when full-on civil war broke out.

    The weak Shogun did nothing to prevent this, and soonrioting became prevalent in Usaki.

    It did not take long until the rest of the clans followed

    suit. Each of the great clans attempted to invade their

    neighbours, minor clans were trampled underfoot and

    destroyed, and burning fires could be seen every night.

    As the war spread throughout Nippon, Daimyo took the

    opportunity to settle old scores (and gain territory at the

    expense of their neighbours) with mixed results.

    The central government had, for all intents andpurposes, vanished. The Daimyo were free to wage as

    many wars as they wanted or could afford. The lesser

    samurai families were quite free to dream of greater

    power and steal land from each other as well.

    A shifting pattern of rivalries and alliances emerged.One clan would ally with another against the threat

    from a third, only to find that their allies had become

    just as great a threat, or that previously loyal underlings

    were now more dangerous than any external threat.

    Samurai warfare had always used dirty tricks,

    assassination and outright treachery but during earlierconflicts, such as the Gempei War, the clans who had

    behaved in this fashion were widely regarded as

    villains. In the Warring Clans period, however, all was

    fair in love and war. A quick murder was as acceptable

    as winning a battle. The daimyo, of course, had access

    to the ninja, who saw much use during the war. It was a

    wise man who took precautions against assassination,

    even if he didnt plot the deaths of his rivals and

    superiors.

    YORITOMO IEYASUDuring this time, the Yoritomo clan was another one of

    those small samurai families who had managed to gain

    control of a province during the time of the Warring

    Clans. In 2506, the grim Yoritomo Ieyasu became head

    of the clan.

    When the Batake marched towards Hyodo, taking

    advantage of the fact that the Horumi and Taneka were

    busy fighting each other, they came upon Ieyasus

    province. Fiercely defending his home, Ieyasu decided

    to attack. After a brilliant bit of trickery, he managed to

    convince the Batake that his army was camped in oneplace, and then ambushed the main Batake force in a

    gorge. The battle lasted minutes rather than hours. The

    Batake Daimyo was killed, and only realised at the last

    minute that the samurai who were attacking were not

    part of his own force who were the worse for drink.

    Yoritomo Ieyasu was now a real power in the land.

    The temptation to march on Hyodo must have been

    there for Ieyasu as well, but he bided his time and

    secured alliances with his neighbours by marrying offhis daughter and younger sister. Soon his route to

    Hyodo and the Shogunate was open.

    Yoritomo Ieyasu entered Hyodo in November 2508,

    taking the city with little resistance from the

    Shogunate. Now, all he needed was to defeat the rest ofthe great clans.

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    In 2508, he fell upon the Mushagi and fought the

    indecisive, but victorious Battle of Onogawa. While his

    forces won the day, they didnt crush the Mushagi and.

    Troubles now multiplied for Ieyasu and he rapidly

    found he was facing not only the Mushagi, but the

    Horumi and Taneka as well.

    The Taneka moved against him, almost trapping

    Tokugawa Ieyasu in his castle. Ieyasu was faced with a

    simple choice: stay where he was and fail in his duty to

    prevent the Taneka from reaching Hyodo, or fight. He

    chose to leave the castle and met the Taneka army inthe snow on a stretch of open moors near the

    Ekawasaki River. The battle that followed was a

    triumph for Yoritomo Ieyasu and for the arquebus.

    Ieyasu organised his 3000 best shooters into a single

    unit and placed them in three lines behind a palisade of

    stakes. When the Taneka clan charged across a very

    waterlogged battlefield a blasts of gunfire or so tore

    them to pieces. Those that survived the gunfire were

    cut down by Ieyasus other soldiers. The victory wascomplete. Having heard of his great victory, the

    Horumi and Mushagi soon capitulated and swore fealtyto Yoritomo Ieyasu.

    Ieyasus army now turned its full power towards the

    Ashiwara. He made steady progress, and besieged their

    castle at Izumo. The entire Ashiwara clan gathered to

    try and lift the siege, and Ieyasu summonedreinforcements when he realised exactly what he was

    facing. The Ashiwara were defeated, and they too

    swore fealty to Ieyasu.

    The stage was now set for the confrontation betweenIeyasu and the Daimatzu clan. The battle was fought

    near Nagashige, and when it was over, Ieyasu sat down

    to count almost 2500 heads taken from an enemy army

    of around 9000 soldiers. His armys losses were around

    600 men. With Ieyasus army standing outside their

    city, the Daimatzu surrounded.

    Ieyasu was in a position to conquer the rest of Nippon.

    That he managed this as quickly as he did is a tribute

    not only to his military skills, but also to his political

    skills. When facing the Sheinzei clan, there was little

    point in not fighting to the bitter end in the

    mountainous regions of Haikido. Instead, Ieyasu wasmore political and cunning. He was generous towards

    his enemies, letting them keep their holdings. He left

    them in charge as they had been, having first secured

    their loyalty. As a result, he managed to add the armies

    of the Shinzei to his own forces and grow stronger overtime.

    Now, there was only one clan left to conquerthe

    warlike Uruchi to the west of Koshu. During the time

    of the Warring clans, they had relentlessly been

    attacking the castles of the Batake, but to no avail.

    Even being as outnumbered as they were, diplomatic

    discussion was fruitlessthe heads of Ieyasusmessengers were simply sent back in a basket. Ieyasu

    gathered his armies and prepared for the final

    confrontation.

    In what would be known as the Battle of the Sundered

    Realm, the two sides met, or almost blundered into

    each other in the fog, in damp and miserable

    conditions. Both armies were soaked through and

    neither side could see the other because of dense fog.

    In the early part of the day, however, the fog lifted andthe battle commenced as one huge, mud-soaked brawl.

    The Uruchi, however, were both disorganized and

    outnumbered, and stood little chance against Ieyasus

    disciplined troops.

    By mid-afternoon, Ieyasu was again counting the headsof his defeated enemies. The captured Uruchi Daimyo

    challenged Ieyasu to a final personal duel. Ieyasu

    accepted, and promptly cut his head off. The Uruchi

    immediately submitted afterwards. From this day on,

    Yoritomo Ieyasu knew that he would be the undisputed

    ruler of Nippon.

    In 2517, he was declared Shogun, the title having been

    unused for nearly 30 years after the removal of the lastof the Ujimasa clan. Now, Nippon is officially united.

    Even if enmity and smaller conflicts between the clansstill exists, the land is officially at peace. The courts

    whisper of what Ieyasu will do to keep it, and with that,

    his power. Some even whisper of gathering the armies

    of all clans in a new attempt at invading Cathay...

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    Timeline of NipponTime in Nippon is measured in several ways. The seasons are the most obvious division of time, as the weather in

    Nippon switch from oppressive heat during the summer months to crippling snow in the winter. A more formal

    system of months and days also exists, dividing the year into twelve months of 28 days. Additionally, the years

    themselves can be counted by another system: the Emperor's Right, which refer to the year of the reign of the

    Emperor and is the official method of recording the passage of time in Nippon. For convenience though, all dateshere are written using the Imperial Calendar of the Old World.

    Date Event Date Event

    C-5900 Zanami and Zanagi create Nippon. Theygive birth to many children who would be

    known and worshipped as the Kami, with

    their first born being the Sun Goddess

    Amateratsu.

    C-5600 Amateratsu inherits Nippon, and becomes

    its guide for thousands of years. Though

    the people worship her as the Sun Goddess,

    the many warring clans fight amongstthemselves for territory without a proper

    leader to unify them.

    C-1500 A large Warpstone meteorite crashes in the

    north of Haikido. Humans and animals

    begin to mutate into horrid Beastmen, and

    daemons and chaos worshippers begin to

    spread across the island.

    C-1350 Skaven are first sighted in Haikido. They

    strike a bargain with the predecessors to

    the Shinzei Clan, learning the art of

    Ninjitsu in return for refined Warpstone.

    -87 Dark Elf ships start raiding the coasts of

    Cathay and Nippon.

    -13 Yamayakyuki is declared to be the

    descendant of Amateratsu and begins a

    large campaign of conquest to unite the

    clans of Nippon.

    -1 Emperor Warlord Yamayakyuki founds the

    Imperial Family and unites Nippon for the

    first time as one nation. Jinto becomes the

    state religion.

    8 The Great Temple of Amaterasu is built

    and the Imperial Palace is completed in

    Usaki.

    12 Emperor Yamayakyuki dies.

    753 Dark Elf raiders are sighted off the coast of

    Nippon. Many coastal villages are raided

    and the populace are taken as slaves.

    C850 The power of the Emperors is losing its

    hold. The Emperors are soon rulers inname only, with powerful clan warlords

    taking control instead.

    860 The Dark Elf Black Ark Talon of Agony is

    over-turned and sunk of the coast ofCathay. The people of Nippon believe this

    to be the cause of the Ryujin, summoning a

    massive tidal wave to destroy the invaders.

    1063 An unknown Ronin comes to a town

    divided by two criminal gangs and decides

    to play them against each other to free the

    town. He succeeds in his endeavor, killing

    off all but one of the bandits who lives totell the tale. The Ronin then leaves, never

    to be seen again.

    1103 The Dark Elf Laithikir Fellheart begins a

    century of merciless raids around the coast

    of Nippon.

    1155 The Imperial War. The Mirumoto andHotomo clans fight in civil war, each

    supporting their own candidate for the

    Imperial thrones.

    1162 Battle of Hogo. The Mirumoto samurai aredefeated, with the majority of them beingexecuted for their defiance by order of the

    would-be Emperor Go-Hirakawa.

    1185 Battle of Sano-Iru. The Mirumoto defeats

    the Hotomo in a great sea battle, killing

    their Emperor. Yoritomo Nobunaga

    becomes the first Shogun of Nippon.

    1186 Imperial Capital is moved to Hyodo, with

    Shogun Mirumoto Nobunaga taking up

    seat in Usaki castle.

    1256 A poor village under attack by Beastmen

    recruits seven unemployed samurai to help

    them defend themselves against marauding

    Beastmen. The Samurai all succumb in

    battle, but the village is saved.

    1377 Hitomi Gozen becomes the first female

    Samurai and Daimyo, inspiring thousands

    of women to take up arms and become

    Battle Maidens.

    1442 A group of assassins attempt to kill the

    ruling Shogun. They are ultimatelyunsuccessful and slain during the attempt,

    but the Shogun dies from illness soon after.

    Rumors of this merely being a cover up

    soon spread through the Imperial Court.

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    C1550 Increased raids by Nipponese Wako Pirates

    against Cathayan ports. Cathay blames

    Nippon and demands action to be taken.

    Animosity between the two nations

    increases, with many minor skirmishes

    between them to follow.

    C1600 The famous Ronin Toyotomi Samushi

    wanders Nippon for many years, engaging

    in over 60 duels, winning them all. He

    writes a treatise on war, strategy and

    tactics, rivalling that of the Cathayan Tzu-Sun.

    1745 Hung raiders invade Nippon with

    thousands of ships. However, thanks to

    Empress Jingu, two thirds of the

    Hobgoblin fleets are destroyed at sea, and

    the Nipponese armies are able to defeat the

    remaining forces that manage to land.

    1746 The time of Imperial Restoration and fall

    of the Mirumoto Shogunate. Supported bythe clans, Empress Jungi becomes the sole

    ruler of a unified Nippon, and peace settles

    during her reign.

    1757 Empress Jungi mysteriously disappears.

    Imperial rule is once again weakened.

    1813 The Ujimasa takes control after a coup

    against the Imperial Family and establish

    the second Shogunate.

    1939 74 Ronin set out to avenge the death and

    dishonour of their master. Successful in

    there endeavour, the Ronin then turn

    themselves in to Shogunate forces, where

    they are allowed to perform seppuku like

    honourable Samurai.

    2011 Emperor Mifune is found assassinated in

    his chambers. There is no sign of a break-

    in, and the assassin is never found.

    2387 A Nipponese army is ambushed by Oni

    and Beastmen in Kamayama forest. Theyare mysteriously saved by what appear to

    be fox spirits erupting from the foliage,

    causing disarray among the Beastmen

    ranks, allowing the Samurai to gain the

    upper hand and drive them off.

    2302 Chaos warbands known as the Black

    Samurai from Haikido invade Nippon

    during the Great War Against Chaos. They

    are eventually driven back after a great

    battle on the Fields of Death, and the

    Warpgate used to summon Daemonic Oni

    into the mortal realm is closed.

    2322 Ships from Marienburg arrive in Nippon.

    Gunpowder is introduced, and many yearsof trade ensue.

    2325 Wako Pirates attempt to seize the trade

    cargo of the great "Black Ship" of

    Marienburg. They are ruthlessly dispatched

    by its many cannons and allied Imperial

    Nippon Bune.

    2347 Samurai rebelling against the increasing

    industrial development of Nippon are

    defeated by Shogunate and Marienburger

    forces. The rebels are slain to man using

    the newly introduced firearms.

    2355 Nipponese forces under the second

    Shogunate invade Cathay. Start of 120 year

    war between the two great Empires.

    2392 Evil Necromancers take the opportunity to

    attack while a majority of Nipponses forces

    are fighting overseas. The dead are raised

    from the slumber, and lay siege to Usaki.

    They are defeated by the many Shugenjascurrently residing in the Imperial Court

    who manage to dispel the evil magics,allowing the Shogun's Great Guard to

    break through the Undead hordes with a

    decisive charge.

    2475 Nipponese Shogunate forces are forced to

    withdraw from Cathay after defeat. TheUjimasa Shogunate is severely weakened.

    The Great Clans start plotting for

    themselves on how to increase their

    influence.

    2487 The time of the Warring Clans. Each of the

    Great Clans of Nippon vies for power in a

    bloody civil war.

    2508 Yoritomo Ieyasu captures Hyodo from the

    Shogunate, establishing himself as one of

    the major players among the Clans.

    2516 Battle of the Sundered realm. Yoritomo

    Ieyasu defeats the Urichi clan in a great

    battle, finally ending the time of the

    Warring Clans.

    2517 After 30 years of infighting, Nippon is

    united by Yoritomo Ieyasu, who is

    declared Shogun after emerging victorious

    at the Battle of the Sundered Realm.

    2518 Imperial Capital is moved back to Usaki,

    with Hyodo becoming the seat of the new

    Shogunate.

    2521 Shogunate armies begin to muster for new

    campaigns. Some speak of a new attempt

    at invading Cathay, others that the Black

    Samurai of Haikido are growing in poweronce more, yet others talk of corruption in

    the Imperial Court and that certain clans

    will soon attempt to seize power. Thefuture of Nippon will be decided soon

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    Culture and CustomsSOCIAL CLASSES ANDTHE CELESTIAL ORDERThe Nipponese believe all living beings, indeed all of

    existence, are organized into a hierarchy set in place bythe will of the Celestial Heavens. This hierarchyknown as the Celestial Orderwas revealed to the

    Nipponese by the Kami at the founding of the Empire,

    and they regard it as the sacred and unquestioned

    expression of divine will. To ignore or violate the

    Order is to blaspheme against the cosmos itself. Thus,

    the citizens of the Land of the Rising Sun are organized

    into three distinct castes, each of which is divided into

    several smaller ranks and sub-castes. Typically, a

    person is born into a caste and remains within that

    caste for their entire life, although exceptions are

    possible.

    At the top of the social order are the samurai, the rulers

    of Nippon. They are the only real people of Nippon,

    and have complete power and rights over all below

    them. The samurai caste itself is, of course, divided

    into social ranks of its ownthe Kuge (nobility) and

    the Buke (those who serve). The Kuge include the

    Emperor, the various high Imperial officials and

    daimyo, the Clan Champions who rule over the various

    clans of the Empire, and the daimyo of the various

    families within each clan. All other samurai belong to

    the Buke. Of course, there is considerable socialstriation within the buke as well, ranging from the top

    tier of provincial daimyo and city governors, down

    through magistrates, advisors, military officers, and

    other officials, and ending in the vast numbers of

    simple warriors, courtiers, and priests who serve the

    Empirethe so-called ji-samurai. In general, asamurai is not permitted to question or oppose

    someone of a higher social rank without the strongest

    possible justification.

    Conversely, a samurai can easily lord it over those of

    inferior social rank, and it is expected that such abuse

    will be endured honourably. Samurai are supposed to

    always treat each other with extreme respect and

    politeness, even if they are actually bitter enemies, for

    to fail in public manners is to violate Courtesy andpossibly even loseones face, an unforgivable social

    error.

    Below the samurai are the Bongethe common folk,

    also known as heimin or half-people. These comprise

    the vast majority of Nippons population, and are the

    ones who keep the nation and economy running. They

    are generally not permitted to use weapons, althoughexceptions are made for specific duties such as

    Ashigaru (peasant military levies) or budoka (personal

    armed retainers to samurai). Samurai can demandanything from a heimin without recompense, and can

    kill any heimin who disobeys or fails to show respect.

    However, the Celestial Order also dictates that there

    are responsibilities between the different castes of

    society, something emphasized in writings like the

    Articles of Heaven. So while it is the heimins duty toproduce and obey, it is the samurais duty to protect

    and administer. Nevertheless, the life of the bonge is a

    hard one, full of difficult labour and suffering. Only a

    few commoners are fortunate enough to serve asamurai who truly cares about themfor the most part,

    their lords treat them with indifference, if not outright

    cruelty. Naturally, heimin are always respectful and

    obedient toward samurai, since the alternative is to earn

    their wrath, but they seldom feel anything toward their

    masters other than fear and wary respect.

    However, the rare samurai who goes out of his way tofulfil his duties to the heimin caste will soon draw their

    notice, and such exceptionally compassionate samurai

    are often rewarded in turn by extra loyalty and effort.

    Even within the ranks of the bonge, there are social

    striations. The highest-ranking of the heimin are thepeasants, for they grow the food which all the Empire

    needs to survive. Slightly below the peasants are the

    artisans and craftsmencarpenters, blacksmiths,

    stonemasons, brewers, seamstresses, and so forth.

    Although they do not grow food, these persons still

    create things of use and value, and truly skilled heiminartisans can actually earn the respect of samurai who

    admire their work. (In fact, some samurai are artisans

    themselves, although they pursue rarified arts such as

    painting and sword-making rather than simple things

    like building furniture or forging horseshoes.) At the

    bottom of the bonges ranks are merchants. Merchants

    are regarded with contempt by samurai, since they donot actually make anything for themselvesthey

    simply buy and sell things made by others. However,

    commerce is important to the Empires economic

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    health, and many clans rely on commercial activity to

    swell their coffersa contradiction which troubles

    more than one samurai. To get around this problem,

    some samurai appoint themselves as merchant

    patrons, watching over and supervising the activities

    of commoner merchants, thereby allowing them toconduct commerce without directly dirtying their own

    hands with such distasteful activities.

    Monks occupy a peculiar position within the social

    order. They are not samurai, and by strict interpretation

    of the Nipponese social system they cannot beconsidered anything other than heimin.

    However, their role as upholders of the Empires

    religious traditions affords them a respect which other

    commoners do not enjoy. Most samurai treat monks

    with a certain deference, and prominent members of

    the monks are sometimes invited to court to provide

    counsel and guidance to daimyo.

    If the position of monks is peculiar, that of roninthose samurai who have no lord, no clan or family to

    call their ownis far more difficult. A ronin istechnically still of the samurai caste, but with no lord

    or clan to protect or care for him, he must make his

    own way through the world, tossed by the waves of

    fatehence the name ronin, or wave-man. Since

    ronin cannot rely on a stipend or household, most of

    them are forced to work as mercenaries or bodyguards,earning food and lodging by the strength of their

    swords. Some ronin ultimately must engage in manual

    labour to earn their keep, but as samurai they consider

    this bitterly shameful, and many of them resort to

    crime or banditry rather than live like common folk.

    Below the bonge are the lowest of Nippons social

    order, the hinin or non-people, who are born into

    those tasks which the Nipponese consider to be

    intrinsically spiritually impure. Primarily, this involves

    any activity which leads to touching unclean

    substances such as blood, garbage, or dead flesh.

    Morticians, leatherworkers, and refuse collectors

    (known collectively as eta) form the bulk of the hinin

    caste. Such persons are regarded as less than nothing,

    and even peasants look down on them and abuse them.

    The etas life is bitter and unpleasant, and their only

    hope under the rules of the Celestial Order is to fulfiltheir duties well enough to be reborn into a higher

    station in their next life. The rest of Nippon ignores the

    eta as much as possible. Nevertheless, these people

    have a vital role, performing the unclean jobs no one

    else will touch.

    Although most of the hinin are eta, the ranks of this

    caste also include a few other individuals. Torturers,

    who must constantly inflict harm and touch blood and

    sweat, are also considered hinin, although they are

    permitted to serve samurai more directly than the eta.

    Finally, geishawomen who offer samurai

    entertainment and companionshipare considered tobe hinin, although unlike eta and torturers they are

    accorded certain fame and respect by the rest of

    society.

    RITUALS OF LIFEAll samurai life is ritual, and a samurais standard day

    is simply moving from one ritual to another. This istrue for all samurai, whether they be trained as bushi,

    courtiers, or shugenja.

    Although the rituals may differ from clan to clan and

    family to family, the respect a samurai has for them

    does not. Even a clan as militaristic and pragmatic asthe Crab has all manner of rituals which its samurai

    follow with care and devotion.

    The rituals of samurai life begin at birth. Whenever a

    samurai child is born, special blessings and religiousceremonies are held to ensure that evil spirits are

    driven away, lest they curse the child or bring bad

    fortune upon it. Portents are also taken from the

    positions of the stars, and all possible omens are

    examined for hints at the childs destiny. One month

    after birth, the new samurai child is taken to the nearestshrine to be blessed and recorded in that shrines rolls.

    Nippon does not have anything resembling a true

    census, but a dedicated researcher can learn much

    about a provinces population by consulting the birth

    records at local shrines.

    Children enjoy care-free lives in their younger days,although dedicated parents will make sure to remind

    them of the samurai duties which await when they

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    grow older. They do learn to read and write, as well as

    the basics of etiquette and proper behaviour. A key

    transition point comes when the child is old enough to

    begin training in one of his or her clan schools. This

    usually happens between the ages of 10 and 12,

    although true prodigies may begin their training two orthree years earlier. The decision of which school a

    samurai child should attend is a momentous one, since

    it typically sets the samurais path for life. Almost all

    samurai attend a school, as failure to do so implies a

    lack of the skill and dedication expected of them, and it

    is quite rare for a samurai to be able to switch from oneschool to another. Thus, parents carefully consider their

    familys traditions and the needs of their lord and clan,

    as well as their childs visible talents (if any). Priests

    and astrologers may also be consulted to determine

    where a childs path should lie. The wishes of the child

    are seldom if ever considered. A family which has

    served the clan as bushi for ten generations is liable to

    continue to do so, regardless of what their child might

    wish.

    Schooling typically lasts four years, although it can beshorter or longer depending on the talent of the student.

    When a student has mastered the first Technique of the

    school, he or she is considered ready for agempukku,

    or coming-of-age ceremony, one of the most important

    rituals in a samurais entire life. The gempukku ritual

    varies greatly from one clan, school, or family toanother, but in general, it is both a celebration of

    change (from child to adult) and a testing to prove what

    the child has learned. Typically, the child will be

    expected to demonstrate mastery of the schools first

    Technique, as well as to perform other actions which

    show dedication to family and clan traditions. Once the

    ritual is complete, family and friends offer gifts to the

    newly-made adult, who is permitted to choose a

    personal name. Some prefer to keep their childhoodname, but many take a new name to symbolize their

    hopes for the future or their dedication to family,

    friends, allies, clan, or Empire.

    The next great ritual in a samurais life is marriage. In

    Nippon, marrying is a duty, typically undertaken at thecommand of family or lord. Marriages are treated

    almost as a business matter, and are typically arranged

    (a process called mi-ai) by the parents of the couple,

    often with the help of a middleman, or even a

    professional matchmaker known as a nakado.

    Mi-ai traditionally begins with a formal interview

    between the parents of the prospective bride and

    groom. Samurai seek pairings which can better their

    familys station, increase their lands or prestige, orcement some long-term political or personal goal

    through blood ties, as well as seal bargains or alliancesbetween clans and families. It is not expected for the

    couple to be in love, or even to know one another prior

    to their wedding. The process of arranging a marriage

    can take anywhere from a few months to several years,

    and a mi-ai interview is not considered an immediate

    guarantee of successrather, these preliminarymeetings are done to make sure both sides are

    comfortable with a future pairing, ensuring an

    ultimately successful union. If the two families live far

    apart, a nakado or other go-between will be enlisted to

    help ferry messages and gifts back and forth. Amongtruly high-ranking families it is not uncommon for

    children to be betrothed long before they reach

    adulthood.

    One of the most basic purposes of the Imperial Court is

    to bring people together in marriages that create

    alliances and cement bargains for the following year.

    Fathers and mothers of noble lineage always bring their

    most gifted children to the Imperial Court, hoping they

    will catch some royal eye. Weddings themselves are

    very elaborate rituals, performed with the presence and

    supervision of both daimyo and priests, and many

    blessings and prayers are made to prevent bad fortune,remove evil spirits, and bring harmony and fertility to

    the match. Usually the ceremony is held privately, with

    only the immediate family and a presiding priest, but

    this is followed by an elaborate public reception in

    which guests enjoy a magnificent feast and offernumerous gifts to the new couple. The bride

    traditionally wears white, the colour of death, at the

    beginning the wedding, symbolizing that she is dead to

    her old family. After the ritual is complete and she

    emerges for the reception, she removes the white

    kimono to reveal a red one underneaththe colour of

    life, showing she is reborn into her new family. Once

    the ceremony is done, the newly wedded couple oftenspends a month apart, meditating on what it means to

    be married, before they take up their new household

    together.

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    When a samurai reaches the age of forty, it is

    traditional for him or her to retire from active service to

    the clan. This is not mandatory, however, and samurai

    in the more active and pragmatic clans will often

    continue to actively serve their lords long after

    reaching their fortieth year. High-ranking nobles and

    daimyo also tend to stay active longer than the normaltime. A samurai who does retire will most commonly

    choose to join the monks, taking a new name and

    beginning a new life as a monk or nun. Such retirement

    is accompanied by an extended ritual celebration, in

    which family and friends commemorate the samurais

    deeds and bid him goodbye. At the conclusion of this

    ritual, the samurai shaves his head, a transformation

    symbolizing his entering a new life of religious

    contemplation. Not all retiring samurai join the monks,

    howeversome of them instead remain with theirfamilies or their lords, living quiet but honoured lives,

    and offering advice and counsel when it is sought.

    Retired samurai may also sometimes return to active

    service, taking up their swords once more when a crisis

    or threat requires their attention.

    The last ritual of every samurais life is their funeral.

    These, like everything else in Nippon, follow a strict

    protocol. By Imperial Law, all bodies must be

    cremated. Traditionally, a funeral takes place four days

    after death, and those four days are filled with prayers,

    as well as the burning of special scrolls filled with last

    words which are the final parting words of the living

    to the dead. The body is anointed and purified by eta,

    then kept in state with an honour guard until the day of

    the cremation itself. Special foods are prepared on that

    day, and relatives and friends gather to observe thefuneral pyre, which is also blessed by shugenja and

    monks. Once the body has been burned, even more

    prayers are spoken, to speed the spirit of the departed

    on its journey to the afterlife. The immediate relatives

    gather at the pyre and use special chopsticks to remove

    the remaining fragments of bone from the ashesthese

    are placed in a crematory urn, which is kept in a place

    of honour for 35 days before finally being buried, an

    event accompanied by a final round of prayers, chants,and blessings.

    RELIGIONThe official religion of Nippon is called Jinto and has

    been so for thousands of years. During Nippon's historyit has existed as an amorphous mix of nature worship,

    fertility cults, divination techniques, hero worship, and

    shamanism and unusually it has no recognised founder.

    It is a religion of nature and spirituality and the belief

    that human nature is inherently good, and evil is

    thought to stem from the individual's contact with

    external forces or agents that pollute their pure natureand cause them to act in ways which are disruptive.

    Jinto worship is centred on the reverence of the gods or

    kami. Kami may be anything that is extraordinary and

    that inspires awe or reverence. Consequently, a wide

    variety of kami exist in Jinto: there are kami related to

    natural objects and creatures -- the spirits of mountains,

    seas, rivers, rocks, trees, animals, and the like; there are

    guardian kami of particular locales and clans; also

    considered kami are exceptional human beings,including many emperors. Evil spirits are also known

    in Jinto, but few seem irredeemably so. While a god

    may first call attention to its presence through a displayof rowdy or even destructive behaviour, generally

    speaking, the kami are benign. Their role is to sustain

    and protect.

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    In a way Jinto is similar to the Old World religion in

    that it consists of a pantheon of deities. However, the

    priests of Jinto worship all the gods or kami as one

    rather than there being any single clerics of a particular

    god. Although some gods are more popular than others,

    such as the Sun Goddess Amateratsu for example, it ishighly unusual for anyone to take on a monotheistic

    perspective. There are hundreds, perhaps even

    thousands, of gods in the Jinto pantheon which are

    discussed further in this chapter but suffice to say the

    Sun Goddess Amateratsu is one of the most pre-

    eminent of the kami as well as the divine coupleZanagi and Zanami who were said to have created

    Nippon.

    THE TENETS OF BUSHIDOAll samurai are supposed to live according to a strict

    and demanding set of ethical principles known as

    Bushido (literally, the way of the warrior). Theyquickly came to be accepted by all the clans in Nippon,

    and as the roles of samurai evolved to include courtiersand artisans, the Code of Bushido evolved into a

    complete philosophical view of the role and duty of the

    samurai. In modern Nippon, Bushido is integral to

    almost every aspect of a samurais life, and the properway to uphold the Code is a subject of continual

    discussion and debate among all samurai.

    Bushido is comprised of seven Virtues: Courage,

    Compassion, Courtesy, Duty, Honesty, Honour, and

    Sincerity. These virtues are held to represent the proper

    way in which samurai should live and serve their lords.

    In its ideal form, Bushido values each of these virtues

    equally, and a samurai is expected to adhere to all ofthem with equal vehemence. In practice, however, few

    samurai can live such spotless lives. Moreover, everyclan in Nippon views Bushido in a slightly different

    way, according to their respective views of duty,

    honour, and life. The true nature of Bushido is

    constantly debated within the courts of Nippon, and the

    true way to uphold its Virtues is seldom fully agreed

    upon even within the same clan. Every clan, has itsidealists who try to uphold every Virtue no matter the

    cost, just as every clan contains a few dark souls who

    laugh at Bushido and flout its principles.

    CompassionCompassion teaches samurai that, as the warrior elite

    of society, it is their duty to protect and guide the lesserfolk of Nippon. In its most obvious form, this means

    offering military protection, guarding the commoners

    against bandits, criminals, foreigners, and the monsters

    of Haikido.

    It is this form of Compassion which is most widely

    respected and revered in Nippon, for all clans

    recognize the importance of keeping their peasants

    alive and productive. Bullying or abusing those of

    lower station is an act unworthy of a samurai, even if

    the social order allows it. Some clans take Compassion

    more fully to heart, however, and seek to offer

    guidance and help to the lower castes.

    CourageCourage is in many ways the most basic and universalof all the Bushido virtues, since every samurai is

    expected to be ready and able to die at a moments

    notice. The central importance of courage to a

    samurais life cannot be understated. A samurai must

    be prepared to fight and die without hesitation, whether

    at his lords command or simply due to unavoidablecircumstance. Indeed, it is popular to say that a samurai

    lives at all times three feet from death, since that is the

    reach of a katana. But in truth there is no clan which

    ignores courage. All recognize that courage is

    important if their samurai are to fulfil their dutiesproperly.

    It should be noted that courage does not mean

    foolhardiness. After all, a samurais life belongs to his

    lord, not to him. A samurai who throws his life away in

    a useless and selfish gesture is not behavinghonourably, but rather is failing in his duty to lord and

    clan. Indeed, there are many times when retreatingfrom a fight requires more courage than merely staying

    and dying.

    CourtesySamurai are civilized men and women, not barbarians,

    and are expected to behave with courtesy and proper

    manners at all times. A samurai who shows undue

    emotion or rudeness is not only violating Courtesy but

    is also losing his face (on), disrespecting those around

    him and shaming himself. A true samurai remainscourteous and well-mannered at all times, even when

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    facing his bitterest sworn enemy, or provoked with vile

    insults and malignant behaviour. A samurai who

    openly insults others is showing his own weakness,

    which is why Nipponese courtiers endlessly practicethe art of the subtle and indirect insult. Conversely,

    when a samurai is confronted with failures of Courtesy

    by those of higher station, his own honour is

    demonstrated by his ability to endure suchprovocations and avoid drawing attention to others

    failures. Nipponese as a whole make a point ofignoring those who engage in uncouth and improper

    spectacles, since to draw attention to such discourteous

    behaviour is to make matters even worse.

    As one might expect, those who serve their clans in

    politics and the courts tend to place a very strong

    emphasis on Courtesy, since it is a vital element of

    social and political negotiation. The most heavily

    political clans place a special value on Courtesy,

    although for some this is more for the Virtues tactical

    value in court than due to any moral commitment to it.

    DutyIf there is a Virtue which competes with Courage for

    universal acceptance, it is Duty. A samurai must

    always be ready to serve his lord in whatever way is

    required, no matter what the cost. Death is the least that

    a samurai may facehe must be prepared to endure

    humiliation, dishonour, shame, and failure for the sake

    of Duty. He must remain faithful to lord, family, clan,

    and comrades no matter what temptations may fall in

    his path. A samurai who violates loyalty to his lord or

    clan is violating Duty, and such untrustworthy

    individuals are hardly worthy of the title samurai.Duty is the reason why love is so problematic for

    samurai, since a samurai in love will feel a conflicting

    loyalty to his (or her) beloved which may disrupt or

    diminish the fulfilment of duty.

    HonestyHonesty is in principle the simplest of the virtues ofBushido, but also perhaps the most troublesome.

    Ideally, it would seem obvious that an honourable

    warrior should always tell the truth, and indeed, there

    are some families and clans which embrace Honesty

    with the same fervour as the rest of the virtues.

    Honesty is also strongly associated with justice, andthus tends to be a virtue admired by magistrates (or at

    least by those magistrates who take their duties to

    heart).

    However, many other samurai, especially those whoserve their clans in court, find that Honesty is often a

    virtue which must be danced around, or perhaps even

    violated, in order to fulfil their duties. Almost all those

    samurai who serve in the arena of court and politics

    practice the art of deceiving or manipulating their

    opponents while still remaining technically truthful,and some families make almost an art form of

    employing such tactics while still satisfying themselvesthat they are behaving honourably. Most highly

    political schools and families quietly accept that

    sometimes they will simply have to lie for their clan,

    and therefore tend to emphasize Sincerity far more thanHonesty in their approach to Bushido, counting on their

    adherence to the other virtues to make up for their

    sometimes erratic observance of this one. The

    Scorpion, naturally, ignore Honesty altogether, and

    exhibit almost open contempt for samurai who strive to

    tell the truth or who follow the path of justice.

    HonourBoth the subtlest and the most basic of the virtues,Honour teaches that every samurai stands in judgment

    over himself, at all times. Bushido is not merely

    enforced by social convention or superior authority, butby each samurais own heart and soul. A samurai

    without Honour cannot truly follow the other virtues of

    Bushido, for he is merely acting as others expect, not

    as his own sense of honour demands. Conversely, a

    samurai with true Honour will follow the ways of

    Bushido even when the society around him becomes

    corrupt and his superiors expect him to behave

    dishonourably solely because they command it.

    Almost all samurai in Nippon respect Honour, for it

    lies at the very heart of Bushido.

    SinceritySamurai are taught from childhood that they must

    express absolute sincerity in both word and deed. A

    samurai who speaks on behalf of his lord in court, but

    does so in a lackadaisical or unconvincing manner, is

    serving his lord as badly as if he refused to speak at all.

    A samurai who shows a lack of dedication in his

    actions, who acts and behaves without absolutecommitment, is a samurai who fails his lord and his

    clan. Sincerity is regarded with particular admiration

    by political clans and families, but most samurairespect it.

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    The Concept of FaceFace is a vitally important aspect of samurai culture. Itis intrinsic to the belief that samurai are exceptional

    persons, chosen by birth to serve the Empire in ways

    that mere peasants cannot. A samurai is expected to

    maintain self-discipline at all times, to control himself

    and to never show the sort of open emotions and out-

    of-control behaviour that characterizes lower people.A samurai who cannot control his emotions is a

    samurai who cannot serve his lord with honour and

    trust, for his emotions will override his judgment and

    loyalty. Thus, maintaining dignity and self-control is

    vital to a samurais life.

    The ability to maintain this self-control, never showing

    ones true feelings, is referred to as maintaining ones

    on or face. A samurai who maintains face is a

    samurai who cannot be manipulated, a samurai who

    can deceive his enemies, a samurai who serves his clanwithout fail. By contrast, a samurai who loses face,

    who loses self-control, shames both himself and,worse, his family and clan.

    Face is a purely samurai concept, one that is not

    expected of peasants and other common folk.Maintaining face is sometimes compared to wearing a

    mask, a mask which must be kept on every hour of

    every day, concealing ones true feelings beneath on.

    SHAME AND DISGRACEA samurai who is shamed by dishonourable actions orloss of face will be expected, at the very least, to offer

    deep and sincere apologies for such actions. Typically,

    if the disgrace was fairly modest, the samurai will bepunished in a non-permanent wayassignment to less

    prestigious duties, for example, or expulsion from the

    castle, court, or city where he misbehaved. Althoughsuch punishments are not lethal, they nevertheless

    represent a deep and profound shame for the samurai

    involved, who may well spend the rest of his life trying

    to redeem himself for his failure.

    More extreme failures, such as a violent outburst, an

    attack or serious insult against someone of higher

    station, or a breach of duty or loyalty, are punished

    much more severely. A samurai who commits such acts

    is quite likely to be ordered to commit seppuku (if he

    does not offer seppuku himself out of shame). On other

    occasions, such disgraced samurai may be expelledfrom family and clan, and thus made ronin. A samurai

    may also forsake his fealty and become ronin by his

    own choice rather than face the prospect of punishment

    or seppuku, particularly if he feels he is not actually

    guilty.

    SeppukuSeppuku is a form of ritual suicide which samurai

    perform when they have been irretrievably

    dishonoured. By performing the ceremony and thusdying honourably, the samurai wipes away the stain of

    dishonour and leaves his or her family name clean anduntarnished. It is important to remember that the main

    purpose of seppuku is to protect the family, rather than

    the individual. In Nippon a family is the repository of

    all the collective deeds and accomplishments of its

    members, and it is commonly said, I have borrowed

    my name from my ancestors. I must return it to them

    untarnished. A dishonoured person thus bringsdishonour and shame to the entire family. By

    committing seppuku, a samurai spares his family from

    the shame of his deeds.

    A samurai who is committing seppuku in a formal

    setting dresses entirely in white (the colour of death),and traditionally writes a final poem, a death-haiku,

    before taking up his wakizashi to commit suicide. The

    ritual may be witnessed by the samurais friends or

    relatives, representatives from his daimyo, or other

    individuals. The actual suicide is usually performed by

    means of the wakizashi, the blade which symbolizes a

    samurais honour (although another blade can be

    substituted in a pinch). The samurai kneels and makes

    three cuts across his belly, disembowelling himself. Inorder for the ritual to be properly completed, the

    samurai must not flinch or cry out in pain. Since this isextremely difficult, by long-standing tradition seppuku

    is assisted by another individual, a second, whose

    task is to complete the ritual by beheading the samurai,

    ensuring he dies with honour. Serving as a samurais

    second is an important and honourable task, and the

    sword used to behead the victim is carefully cleansedwith water beforehand.

    Seppuku is usually not something a samurai can do at

    will. Samurai who are facing total battlefield defeat or

    the military annihilation of their bloodline, however,

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    will sometimes commit seppuku immediately rather

    than face the eternal shame of utter defeat. Indeed,

    entire samurai families have been known to commit

    suicide under such circumstances. More normally,

    however, permission to commit seppuku must be

    granted by the samurais daimyo, and cruel orintolerant daimyo have been known to deny seppuku

    and force their samurai to live with their shame.

    Aside from acting to preserve family honour, the other

    form of permissible seppuku is to protest unjust orders

    from ones lord. This form of protesting seppuku isknown as kanshi, and must still be authorized by the

    daimyo. Most daimyo dont care for such an act, but it

    is considered quite dishonourable and ill-mannered to

    refuse ones samurai permission to commit kanshi.

    Women of the samurai caste who are not bushi are

    permitted to kill themselves in a less painful fashion,

    known asjigai, in which they stab themselves in the

    throat with a knife. This is generally reserved forwomen who are courtier or shugenja. Given the chance,

    they will bind their ankles together before performingthis act, so as not to shame themselves with wild

    kicking during their death throes.

    POLITICSThe way of the samurai is often considered

    synonymous with the way of the warrior. But in the

    Land of the Rising Sun, samurai do not serve their

    clans solely on the battlefield. Politics has been a vital

    element of Nippons history since its founding, and the

    negotiations and manoeuvres of courtiers have changed

    the Empire as often as war, if not more so. Indeed,

    skilful courtiers can sometimes alter the outcomes of

    wars after the battles are fought.

    Although some bushi look down on courtiers and thesubtle arts of politics, those who must serve their clans

    in court reject the notion that they are any less samurai

    than their warrior cousins. Courtiers must pursue their

    diplomatic struggles with the same courage and zeal as

    a bushi in combat, for their failures can be as

    catastrophic as a lost war, and their victories can bringglory and success to their clan without the need to fight

    a war at all. Failure in court can mean death as certain

    as failure in combatcourtiers must walk a perpetual

    knife-edge, working to obstruct, undermine, and

    destroy their opponents without falling prey to the

    same fate themselves. Seasoned bushi who get re-

    assigned to court are often forced to admit it is just as

    taxing a field of conflict as warfare itself.

    In Nippon, politics takes place primarily in the various

    courts of the Empire. Every daimyo and governormaintains a court in their castle or palace, inviting

    emissaries and visitors from other families and clans to

    attend and meet as their guests. The higher- ranking the

    host, the more prestigious the court, and the more

    important will be the political discussions and

    negotiations which take place there. The mostprestigious court in the Empire, of course, is the

    Imperial Court, hosted by the Emperor and his chief

    advisors. Many courtiers spend a lifetime trying to win

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    an appointment there. The heaviest political activity

    takes place during the winter, and just as the Imperial

    Court is the most important and prestigious of political

    postings, the Imperial Court is the most desirable of all

    courts to spend the snow-bound months.

    Court, more than any other part of Nipponese life, is

    suffused with delicate etiquette and indirect speech.

    After all, diplomats speak for their clan, and have the

    weight and prestige of that clan behind them. A minor

    daimyo who insults or ignores a courtier without

    legitimate cause could well be forced to commitseppuku for his breach of etiquette. Nor is anyone so

    uncouth as to openly discuss alliances or treaties in

    open court. Trained diplomats employ hints and subtle

    conversational gambits to suggest a possible topic of

    discussion. Much of the truly important and crucial

    negotiation at court takes place in private meetings,

    rather than in open chambers where others might

    overhear it.

    Political agreements in Nippon are seldom expressed as

    written treaties, save when both sides wish to present aformal agreement to the rest of the Empire. More

    commonly, negotiations are handled through personal

    commitment and word of honour. Clans trust their

    courtiers to handle delicate situations, and courtiers in

    turn can call on the trust of their clan to give their word

    great weight. Indeed, minor daimyo or provincialo