House of the Black Lotus
From BelegarthWiki
Contents |
History of the Black Lotus
Generations have long passed since the great Warlords of old first drew their blades, their blood running hot in their veins with both ambition and greed. Hundreds of ruthless warmongers and bands of Ronin all waged war and formed shaky alliances to gain the most power and influence in those tumultuous days. Out of the countless and often short lived factions who's appetites were whetted with the hunger for power and territory there were sixteen clans who dominated, terrorized, and ruled with unquestioned power, these clans became known as the Sixteen Clans. Thus, after all other factions had either been annihilated, assimilated or had simply self-destructed the Great Continent had been carved into sixteen territories.
While some Clans lived peacefully and their Lords content, others plotted and waited for their chance to invade their neighbors. Gradually paranoia gripped the Clans, alliances were broken, old friendships degraded to uneasy unions, and in this time of fear and suspicion, a grave new threat arose from the south and east of the Great Continent. Beyond the Izanami Mountains and the expansive Mire of Quan Suk an army of vile creatures banded together to take land for their demon spawn, and to seek revenge for the generations upon generations of forced isolation the ancestors had pushed them into after The Great Demon War. During this time, the land was ravaged time and again by green skinned red eyed demons who preyed upon men and beast alike. The lords of the time banded together and fought a desperate war of survival and gradually pushed them south and into the mountains. The beasts, broken and defeated retreated far beyond the highest peaks, higher than only a handful of men had ever dared travel, deep into the mountains and beyond the Mire of Quan Suk where no man had ever taken foot and into the unknown. So many winters had passed since The Great Demon War that the tales of the "Creatures of the Marshes" had been thought only as stories to keep young ones from dishonoring their parents, but the nightmare had been all too real, and the Clans were not prepared. The scourge had burrowed through the mountains for many centuries, at the same time mining the mountain's vast stores of iron and copper until they broke their way through the most inhospitable, highest and deadly parts of the range that had once protected the fertile lands to the north, and scaled the rest of the lower peaks until they had finally reached the foothills and invaded the Izanami plains.
The first of the Sixteen Clans to engage the monsters was the Yurikata Clan, who had stationed garrisons in the mountains to root out raiders and bandits. It was because of these soldiers that news of the monsters reached the mainland. Many had grievous wounds and had died the very moment they had told the horrid tales of the beasts to their master, Lord Yurikata Zaito. One soldier being nearly hewn in two had uttered only two words before his eyes lost the light of life... "The Horde". Being a practical man, he found their tales to be somewhat unbelievable, though the dying men before him were proof enough of a threat, be it man or otherwise. His wisdom always overruled his suspicion, and as such he mustered his forces to fight back the scourge that had oozed from the mountains. For an entire summer the brave samurai of the Yurikata Clan fought The Horde until their forward forces had been overrun and were forced to retreat into the territory of their closest ally, the Nakamoto Clan. The Nakamoto Clan had gained renown throughout their history for the legendary accuracy of their bowmen and the reliability, stealth, and lethality of their ninja, and coupled with the stubbornly headstrong and brave spearmen of the Yurikata Clan, they successfully established a solid front against The Horde.
As the combined strength of the Nakamoto and Yurikata Clans had proved more than a match against the individualistic tactics of the Horde, other Clans who were either busy engaging their neighbors or too weak from defending against said Clans had been routed or had fallen to the beasts. The Il Clan of the western border had barely fought off the onslaught while their rival further to the west, the Xing Wo Clan, was nearly completely annihilated. The ninja of the Nakamoto Clan brought news to their lord that despite the common threat of the Horde, there were still Clans engaging each other as well as the beasts. The enraged Lord Nakamoto sent envoys to warring Clans, each envoy carried with him a 3 inch thick scroll bearing a lengthy and scouring tirade both berating his fellow lords for their complete lack of honor and their stupidity, and urging them to stand together against the common enemy. The lords were both so shamed and yet so moved by Lord Nakamoto's words that the surviving remnants of the Sixteen Clans banded together to fight the beasts, and under this banner, the lords founded "Katei no Kuroi Hasu"... The House of the Black Lotus.
Code of the Black Lotus
As set forth by the Great Master, Yamamoto Tsunetomo, father of the most revered script of Hagakure, the Warriors of the Black Lotus shall adhere to the Code that separates those of honorable warrior spirit from mere murderers and savages. This Code, known as Bushido, being carefully and steadfastly taught and practiced shall guide the Warriors of the Black Lotus through this world of darkness and shall make them a beacon of hope to those who live in fear and shame.
Yu - Courage: In the face of adversity, Warriors of the Black Lotus never waver.
Shin - Truth: The lips of every Warrior of the Black Lotus utter no lies.
Rei - Respect: Humility to those above, and more importantly beneath your status and rank.
Jin - Benevolence: The will to protect and the dream of a world without war shall live in the hearts of every Warrior of the Black Lotus; ill intent and malice shall not. Innocent lives shall not be taken, and the lives of the adversary are forfeit only on the glorious field of battle.
Gi - Morality: The Warriors of the Black Lotus bring shame to their House when they bring shame onto themselves. The laws of war and the laws of peace shall not be broken.
Ko - Ancestry: Honor the memory of the ancestors. For their experience, wisdom, and skill have sustained our way, the True Way.
Tei - Kindness: In particular, to those who cannot care for themselves. The elderly have given much for the future of our Way, and the young shall rise to sustain our Way.
Chi - Wisdom: For it is written even in the texts of the religions of the West that "only a fool despises knowledge". And with knowledge, the wisdom to apply one's knowledge for the benefit of himself and all those around him.
Meiyo - Honor: Feats of courage on the field of battle bring glory to the hearts of the Warrior, their Brothers and Sisters in arms, and their Daimyo. Self sacrifice for the cause of the Way is the greatest act of courage.
Chugi - Loyalty: Of all virtues, loyalty is most important. Warriors of the Black Lotus shall not engage one another in battle, and must remain united against all others.
Rank
Daimyo - Leader and administrator of the realm's Black Lotus Clan. Each Daimyo is responsible for the growth of their Clan and the instilling of the Way of Bushido into their Taijo, Samurai, and Ashigaru. The Daimyo must give a monthly report on the growth of their Clan, including the names and ranks of their Warriors. Daimyo must know both how to effectively lead their Warriors in battle, and to be willing to accept the council of their Taijo.
Taijo - Generals and assistants to the Daimyo who provide protection and council. Taijo are the most experienced and ferocious Warriors in the Clan and as such, are responsible for the teaching of fighting styles, battle tactics, and weapon construction to the Samurai and Ashigaru. Taijo are only to be chosen by their Daimyo, and chosen well.
Samurai - Experienced Warriors of the Clan. Samurai must prove themselves through knowledge of Bushido, proficiency in weapon construction and use, and valor on the battlefield.
Ashigaru - Newly conscripted Warriors. Ashigaru hold no rank, have no rights within the Clan and must prove themselves to be worthy of the rank of Samurai through training.
House Rules
Aside from the Code of Bushido that all Warriors of the Black Lotus must adhere to, there are rules for conduct that not only maintain cohesion and respect within the Unit but also builds respect from other Units as well.
General Rules:
1. Though heavily influenced by the Sengoku Jidai period of Feudal Japan and while no specific culture is emphasized, all Warriors of the Black Lotus must be in Oriental style garb and/or armor. "Oriental style" pertaining to any of the major and influential cultures of the ancient Eastern Asian continent i.e Feudal Japan, Dynastic China, Dark Age Mongolia, Dangun Korea etc.
2. All weapons are to be constructed with safety at the forefront and followed by resemblance to Oriental style weapons. Curved single edged weapons, spears, and bladed polearms are encouraged as well as circular shields for Chinese/Mongolian personas. All weapons must pass the criteria set forth by the Belegarth Book of War.
3. In the event of Unit battles Black Lotus Clans shall not engage one another in battle unless agreed upon by the Daimyo of the Clans involved, and only when all other opponents have been vanquished.
Administrative Rules:
1. Each Daimyo of the Black Lotus must give a monthly report detailing the growth and status of their Clan, the names of their Warriors and their rank.
2. Each Daimyo is responsible for the reputation of their Clan. Warriors who break any Event rules, local, state, or federal laws are subject to banishment from the House of the Black Lotus as well as any disciplinary action taken by their home Realm.
3. Taijo are responsible for making sure every warrior beneath their rank are armed with at least one weapon. Taijo are not obliged to construct weapons for their warriors but to enforce said rule. Taijo are also allowed to be given any other specific duty pointed out by their Daimyo if the need arises.
4. A chain of command is essential to maintaining order on the battlefield and honoring the chain of command increases the chance of victory as well as the honor of our Warriors. The chain of command MUST be held intact.
5. Daimyo and Taijo are NEVER to be physically or mentally abusive towards their subordinates.
6. Samurai and Ashigaru must follow all instruction given to them by their Daimyo and Taijo.
Clans of the Black Lotus and membership
The following Clans fight under the banner of the Black Lotus, each within their own home Realm (if there is no Clan in your Realm and if you are interested in starting your own, contact Nakamoto Amuro at amuronakamoto@yahoo.com).
Nakamoto Clan of Dun Abhon.............................Kusaragi Clan of Dol Armoth...............................Samurai of Latnemir
Daimyo - Nakamoto Amuro.................................Daimyo - Kusaragi Ryoma..................................Kaibashi Shintaro
Masamura Clan of Rohan...................................Uramora Clan of the Kingdom of Valdara
Daimyo - Masamura Akira..................................Daimyo - Uramora Rhaszel
Insignia
Each petal of the Black Lotus represents one of the historic Sixteen Clans, all surrounding a black circle with the insignia of the home realm set in the center. The background can be of any color except of course black.
