Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Funny, but no. Also, write-in's aren't gonna count until you make an actual write-up for that.
Nobunaga's Ambition: Tenka Fubu
- Thread starter Leingod
- Start date
- Historic
Funny, but no. Also, write-in's aren't gonna count until you make an actual write-up for that.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Rat and Crane are a possibility if you write something up for them, Salamander... what would you even include for appearance? Monkeys are a no because of Hideyoshi.
A Nation's Virtue
南國山河南帝居
[X] Fox
I'm tempted to go for Boar, but I want to see if SV can actually pull off a smart character.
I'm tempted to go for Boar, but I want to see if SV can actually pull off a smart character.
Alexander89
Pet the pretty kitty? Y/N
- Location
- Italy
[X] Crow
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Not gonna lie, I have a certain fondness for that one. I've got ideas for events and character interactions for all of them, but the one I've in mind for that one is probably my favorite. It'll also take the longest to get around too, though, culminating around the time of Sekigahara, which there's no guarantee you'll reach.
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- Location
- Leeds
A write in you ask for, then a write in you get.
[X] A Mantis Shrimp.
You have very large eyes and are like bright colours and skewering things.
You're a little self conscious of your knees that bend the wrong way and your second pair of arms but mama says thats just what makes you special.
When you grow up you'll be fond of fortunately brief bursts of incredible violence.
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Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
Eeeeeeeeeeeee
INUCHIYOOOO
This right here is fuckmothering Maeda Toshiie.
...Tempted between Crow(heh), Fox or maybe a Write-in.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
As a reminder, omakes or analysis/reaction posts of 500+ words will get rewards from me. We're not quite at the point where you can get boosts to stuff like EXP, but I could at least answer questions and give further information about the consequences of options.
Like, for example, what kind of special reactions a certain choice might get out of other characters (hint hint, unsubtle wink).
Like, for example, what kind of special reactions a certain choice might get out of other characters (hint hint, unsubtle wink).
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Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
Well even if Crow wins. If there is ever a place in the warring states where innovation and adapting to the new is inevitable is under the cheeky waffle in front of us.
Experiences with him and some other future generals can certainly curb an inherent dislike of adopting new policies into one's own strategies...Nobu will probably bully us relentlessly until we adapt anyways.
And the old certainly still has much to teach us as long as we dont ignore the advantages of the present or focus completely in the old to the point of an inability to adapt.
And well....a certain other tall , dark and well-read strategist with a Corvid motif lurks in the future. We'd probably have fun with that.
Experiences with him and some other future generals can certainly curb an inherent dislike of adopting new policies into one's own strategies...Nobu will probably bully us relentlessly until we adapt anyways.
And the old certainly still has much to teach us as long as we dont ignore the advantages of the present or focus completely in the old to the point of an inability to adapt.
And well....a certain other tall , dark and well-read strategist with a Corvid motif lurks in the future. We'd probably have fun with that.
Umi-san
Procrastinating.
- Location
- ꙮ
[X] Fox
For fun:
[] Dog
You're of about average height and build. You'll be a good-looking man in your own way, possessing an attractive balance of unself-conscious physicality and charm with occasional graceless actions and slight flaws. A genuine, warm smile will never go awry, and your voice has a roughened quality to it that many find trustworthy. Regrettably, however, you are in no way attractive enough to immediately stand out - all of these traits require interaction to shine through. Physically, you have endless stamina and impressive grace and agility that allows you to both run and move circles around most men.
In general, your personality will match your appearance, emphasizing amiability, honesty, and loyalty; even as a child, you'd already built up a large group of friends with whom you'd gotten into heaps of trouble yet always resolved as a group. You have a natural ability to build and strengthen ties and to sort others into high-functioning groups. Over time, you'll develop a penchant for profiling that will allow you to predict people's likely reactions, loyalties, and thoughts, which will be handy in all sorts of ways.
As a general, you're likely to become a jack of all trades reliant on your subordinates' skills and your own planning to win the day. Your ability to predict people's actions both as groups and as individuals will serve you very well here; you'll have a knack for knowing what flaws and strengths need to be considered when arranging your forces into the optimal conformation for the battle ahead, and you'll have a talent for sniffing out the particularly sly, steady, or brilliant. When disaster strikes, your tightly-bound ranks and your own intuitive understanding of what adjustments need to be made will soften its blow.
However, this focus on trust and loyalty gives you a weakness. When forced to fight with people you haven't had the chance to learn you will suffer a lack of confidence that will likely infect your troops with low morale, and make defeat all the more likely.
*throws popcorn*
For fun:
[] Dog
You're of about average height and build. You'll be a good-looking man in your own way, possessing an attractive balance of unself-conscious physicality and charm with occasional graceless actions and slight flaws. A genuine, warm smile will never go awry, and your voice has a roughened quality to it that many find trustworthy. Regrettably, however, you are in no way attractive enough to immediately stand out - all of these traits require interaction to shine through. Physically, you have endless stamina and impressive grace and agility that allows you to both run and move circles around most men.
In general, your personality will match your appearance, emphasizing amiability, honesty, and loyalty; even as a child, you'd already built up a large group of friends with whom you'd gotten into heaps of trouble yet always resolved as a group. You have a natural ability to build and strengthen ties and to sort others into high-functioning groups. Over time, you'll develop a penchant for profiling that will allow you to predict people's likely reactions, loyalties, and thoughts, which will be handy in all sorts of ways.
As a general, you're likely to become a jack of all trades reliant on your subordinates' skills and your own planning to win the day. Your ability to predict people's actions both as groups and as individuals will serve you very well here; you'll have a knack for knowing what flaws and strengths need to be considered when arranging your forces into the optimal conformation for the battle ahead, and you'll have a talent for sniffing out the particularly sly, steady, or brilliant. When disaster strikes, your tightly-bound ranks and your own intuitive understanding of what adjustments need to be made will soften its blow.
However, this focus on trust and loyalty gives you a weakness. When forced to fight with people you haven't had the chance to learn you will suffer a lack of confidence that will likely infect your troops with low morale, and make defeat all the more likely.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Well, not every one of Nobunaga's major generals is as adaptable as he is. One of them in particular is going to have a character arc based around his own feelings of being left behind by Nobunaga and the world he's creating. The Crow would probably be in particularly good company with him.
Crow
Falling is a Pleasure. Regardless of its Fate
Corvids are resourceful and in some media Nobu possesses a Raven Motif!
Annnd....dont have much more arguments for either one. I like both with Crow coming up ahead for....obvious reasons.
Poor old man though, he's a cool guy, too bad about his stubbornness and pride.
- Location
- I think somewhere. I might be nowhere though
[X] Fox
There are far too many people who remind me of the boar and crow in the more popular sides of the Edo Period for me to go with either of those two.
There are far too many people who remind me of the boar and crow in the more popular sides of the Edo Period for me to go with either of those two.
Mikawa, 1542 - The First Battle of Azukizaka
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
11 Tenbun (1542)
Although Matsudaira Kiyoyasu's death had come 6 years earlier, a campaign into Mikawa had been difficult and slow going. A myriad of difficulties arose for Oda Nobuhide, ranging from increased tension with his nominal masters in Kiyosu to movements from the Toki clan in Mino Province to the north and to the sheer difficulties of invading Mikawa itself. Though long divided, the soldiers of Mikawa were regarded as some of the finest in the land; though much of this was exaggeration, it was a true enough statement to make Nobuhide's advance difficult.
2 years ago, however, Nobuhide had taken Ansho Castle, a key to keeping hold of westernmost Mikawa and only a stone's throw away from Okazaki. In desperation, the Matsudaira were forced once again to beseech their "allies" the Imagawa for assistance.
---X---
Suruga Province, Sunpu Castle
Imagawa Yoshimoto entered the small room adjoining to garden to find his mentor, adviser and general, Taigen Sessai, meditating.
"Thinking of Nobuhide again, Master?" Yoshimoto asked. His mentor had insisted on repeated consultations and planning sessions regarding the upcoming campaign in Mikawa to check the spread of the Oda and secure further dominance of the Imagawa in the region. "Your expression tells me that there is something deeper weighing on you than the campaign itself."
To anyone else, Taigen Sessai would seem exactly as he always did; a stoic pillar of a man, as though carved from stone. But Yoshimoto had known his uncle and mentor since he was a small child, torn away from his family and sent to a temple in the mountains. To him, even the slightest change in the man's countenance was as obvious as though he acted it out on stage.
"Indeed," Sessai affirmed. "Though there has never been any evidence to come to light, I am convinced that it was Nobuhide who enacted Kiyoyasu's death those 6 years ago. Or even more concerning, that he merely gave a subtle push, that none would be able to connect it to him. Men call him a tiger, but if this be true, then he is a snake as well, and thus twice as dangerous.
"It is… frustrating," he confessed. "I do not know Nobuhide's mind. I cannot grasp what he is truly like, what he is after. I trust that you recall what Master Sun said on this matter?"
"'To know oneself and one's opponent is to be sure of victory. To know yourself but not your opponent is to be half-sure of victory,'" Yoshimoto recited.
"And we must do nothing by half-measures," Sessai affirmed. "If we are to neutralize the threat Nobuhide represents, we must be sure of his strength."
"Well, we will never learn any of those things sitting around here," Yoshimoto pointed out. "It seems we'll have to learn his capabilities ourselves. Or rather, *I* will, unless you'd rather we trade places?"
Sessai frowned, thinking for a moment, before shaking his head. "No. The Hōjō are the greatest threat; I must make sure they and the Kanbara remain where they are. I will entrust Nobuhide to you. Take his measure, however you must. Losing this battle will set us back, but unless the tiger has grown wings and venom both, we have already won the war."
"Very well, I will see for myself just what the tiger can do on the battlefield," Yoshimoto said airily. "After all, the Matsudaira are so eager for our help."
"Good. This is the proper way of war. 'A good general attains victory, then seeks battle. A poor general enters battle, then seeks victory,'" Sessai quoted. "We have already won the war for Mikawa. The result of this battle is immaterial."
---X---
The Oda army met the combined Matsudaira-Imagawa force at Azukizaka, just southwest of Okazaki Castle. Though his enemies had a slight advantage in numbers, Oda Nobuhide had small numbers of men hide in ambush to attack from the flanks, causing confusion in the enemy ranks. Though the actual damage done was minimal, this action and the conspicuous bravery of several of the Oda's samurai managed to break the enemy morale.
---X---
From a hill where his command tent had been established, Imagawa Yoshimoto watched the battle with a cool eye.
"Ah, it seems this battle has gone against us. How unfortunate," he said airily.
"Lord Imagawa, please, you must take the field!" pleaded Matsudaira Hirotada, the young lord of Okazaki.
"And why would I do that now? The battle has already been decided," Yoshimoto replied. "But have no fear, young Hirotada; we have nothing further to fear from Nobuhide after this battle."
Hirotada studiously ignored the disrespect he was being shown, as Yoshimoto referred to him simply by his given name as though he were a mere retainer. "Lord Imagawa, I fail to see how us being crushed in this battle will in any way keep us safe!"
"A victory can be as ruinous as a defeat," Yoshimoto said cryptically. "Nobuhide has more than just us to deal with. But if your mind simply can't be set at ease, I suppose I can station more troops here in Mikawa, if that would help?"
Hirotada swallowed the bile in his throat at the thought of giving the Imagawa even more control over Mikawa. But how else was he to survive? What other choice existed? He realized now that Yoshimoto had made sure to put his own Mikawa soldiers at the front and sides, where they'd be in the most danger; he'd taken most of the casualties in this farce of a battle, then had to run tail between his legs to beg this fop for more aid!
"I will… consider your generous suggestion, Lord Imagawa," the young lord answered, though both knew what his answer would be.
---X---
Oda Nobuhide commended seven of his men who had shown the greatest courage and ferocity in the battle above all the rest, and awarded them with the title of "The Seven Spears of Azukizaka." These men were:
1. Kanma Harutaka
2. Kanma Harutoki
3. Oda Nobumitsu
4. Okada Shigeyoshi
5. Sassa Masatsugu
6. Sassa Magosuke
7. Shimokata Sadakiyo
Each of these men was rewarded with land, and those who were not already were made hatamoto, favored retainers who were allowed to request audiences with him and to come and go from his castle at Nagoya without having to request prior permission.
But though he presented it to his men as a great victory, in truth the battle at Azukizaka had caused serious casualties in the Oda ranks, such that Nobuhide could no longer be sure of successfully besieging and taking Okazaki before reinforcements from the Imagawa could arrive.
And so, Nobuhide's eastward expanse was checked despite his victory, and the two sides settled into a stalemate…
---X---
In the aftermath of the battle, the Imagawa presence in Mikawa only grew, while the power of the Matsudaira shrunk ever further. Truly, their relations began to show as those of master and servant, though the polite fiction of an alliance of equals was maintained for the moment to allow the men of Mikawa to save face.
All of this had been relayed to Sessai by the time Yoshimoto had returned, but he made sure to listen to his student's first-hand account all the same.
"Your plan has gone off almost perfectly, Master," Yoshimoto said. "Nobuhide won't even be able to touch Mikawa, and poor Hirotada won't be able to even consider independence."
"As expected. But how were Nobuhide's troops?" Sessai asked. That was a far more uncertain thing, and would be far more important to the Imagawa's long-term strategy.
"Them? Oh, they were strong. Quite strong indeed," Yoshimoto said, sounding almost bored. "He trained them well, led them well. He's crafty, too. The Tiger's name is well-earned; he's both powerful and cunning, just as a tiger ought to be. A true leader.
"But he doesn't hold a candle to you, Master," Yoshimoto said with a grim smile. "After all, this age has no shortage of tigers."
"Then we shall hunt the beast eventually," Sessai said decisively, already accounting for his student's appraisal of the man. "But not now. We have far greater prey to deal with."
"The Hōjō, correct? Fair enough," Yoshimoto said. "We'll organize Mikawa for battle and let the situation develop. Nobuhide's a mere retainer, with only half of Owari in his grasp; I can't imagine he'll do well in a war of attrition."
"Indeed not. And when he has run himself ragged trying to keep hold of every scrap of land he's extended himself so far to take… that is when we shall put an arrow between the eyes of the tiger," Sessai declared coolly.
With the Hōjō ever a threat in the east, the Imagawa could not throw all of their might at Owari. Nobuhide, as well, would find that he could not find the chance to devote the resources necessary to stage another invasion of Mikawa for years, and in that time, he would find himself facing a threat just as terrifying as the Imagawa.
Although Matsudaira Kiyoyasu's death had come 6 years earlier, a campaign into Mikawa had been difficult and slow going. A myriad of difficulties arose for Oda Nobuhide, ranging from increased tension with his nominal masters in Kiyosu to movements from the Toki clan in Mino Province to the north and to the sheer difficulties of invading Mikawa itself. Though long divided, the soldiers of Mikawa were regarded as some of the finest in the land; though much of this was exaggeration, it was a true enough statement to make Nobuhide's advance difficult.
2 years ago, however, Nobuhide had taken Ansho Castle, a key to keeping hold of westernmost Mikawa and only a stone's throw away from Okazaki. In desperation, the Matsudaira were forced once again to beseech their "allies" the Imagawa for assistance.
---X---
Suruga Province, Sunpu Castle
Imagawa Yoshimoto entered the small room adjoining to garden to find his mentor, adviser and general, Taigen Sessai, meditating.
"Thinking of Nobuhide again, Master?" Yoshimoto asked. His mentor had insisted on repeated consultations and planning sessions regarding the upcoming campaign in Mikawa to check the spread of the Oda and secure further dominance of the Imagawa in the region. "Your expression tells me that there is something deeper weighing on you than the campaign itself."
To anyone else, Taigen Sessai would seem exactly as he always did; a stoic pillar of a man, as though carved from stone. But Yoshimoto had known his uncle and mentor since he was a small child, torn away from his family and sent to a temple in the mountains. To him, even the slightest change in the man's countenance was as obvious as though he acted it out on stage.
"Indeed," Sessai affirmed. "Though there has never been any evidence to come to light, I am convinced that it was Nobuhide who enacted Kiyoyasu's death those 6 years ago. Or even more concerning, that he merely gave a subtle push, that none would be able to connect it to him. Men call him a tiger, but if this be true, then he is a snake as well, and thus twice as dangerous.
"It is… frustrating," he confessed. "I do not know Nobuhide's mind. I cannot grasp what he is truly like, what he is after. I trust that you recall what Master Sun said on this matter?"
"'To know oneself and one's opponent is to be sure of victory. To know yourself but not your opponent is to be half-sure of victory,'" Yoshimoto recited.
"And we must do nothing by half-measures," Sessai affirmed. "If we are to neutralize the threat Nobuhide represents, we must be sure of his strength."
"Well, we will never learn any of those things sitting around here," Yoshimoto pointed out. "It seems we'll have to learn his capabilities ourselves. Or rather, *I* will, unless you'd rather we trade places?"
Sessai frowned, thinking for a moment, before shaking his head. "No. The Hōjō are the greatest threat; I must make sure they and the Kanbara remain where they are. I will entrust Nobuhide to you. Take his measure, however you must. Losing this battle will set us back, but unless the tiger has grown wings and venom both, we have already won the war."
"Very well, I will see for myself just what the tiger can do on the battlefield," Yoshimoto said airily. "After all, the Matsudaira are so eager for our help."
"Good. This is the proper way of war. 'A good general attains victory, then seeks battle. A poor general enters battle, then seeks victory,'" Sessai quoted. "We have already won the war for Mikawa. The result of this battle is immaterial."
---X---
The Oda army met the combined Matsudaira-Imagawa force at Azukizaka, just southwest of Okazaki Castle. Though his enemies had a slight advantage in numbers, Oda Nobuhide had small numbers of men hide in ambush to attack from the flanks, causing confusion in the enemy ranks. Though the actual damage done was minimal, this action and the conspicuous bravery of several of the Oda's samurai managed to break the enemy morale.
---X---
From a hill where his command tent had been established, Imagawa Yoshimoto watched the battle with a cool eye.
"Ah, it seems this battle has gone against us. How unfortunate," he said airily.
"Lord Imagawa, please, you must take the field!" pleaded Matsudaira Hirotada, the young lord of Okazaki.
"And why would I do that now? The battle has already been decided," Yoshimoto replied. "But have no fear, young Hirotada; we have nothing further to fear from Nobuhide after this battle."
Hirotada studiously ignored the disrespect he was being shown, as Yoshimoto referred to him simply by his given name as though he were a mere retainer. "Lord Imagawa, I fail to see how us being crushed in this battle will in any way keep us safe!"
"A victory can be as ruinous as a defeat," Yoshimoto said cryptically. "Nobuhide has more than just us to deal with. But if your mind simply can't be set at ease, I suppose I can station more troops here in Mikawa, if that would help?"
Hirotada swallowed the bile in his throat at the thought of giving the Imagawa even more control over Mikawa. But how else was he to survive? What other choice existed? He realized now that Yoshimoto had made sure to put his own Mikawa soldiers at the front and sides, where they'd be in the most danger; he'd taken most of the casualties in this farce of a battle, then had to run tail between his legs to beg this fop for more aid!
"I will… consider your generous suggestion, Lord Imagawa," the young lord answered, though both knew what his answer would be.
---X---
Oda Nobuhide commended seven of his men who had shown the greatest courage and ferocity in the battle above all the rest, and awarded them with the title of "The Seven Spears of Azukizaka." These men were:
1. Kanma Harutaka
2. Kanma Harutoki
3. Oda Nobumitsu
4. Okada Shigeyoshi
5. Sassa Masatsugu
6. Sassa Magosuke
7. Shimokata Sadakiyo
Each of these men was rewarded with land, and those who were not already were made hatamoto, favored retainers who were allowed to request audiences with him and to come and go from his castle at Nagoya without having to request prior permission.
But though he presented it to his men as a great victory, in truth the battle at Azukizaka had caused serious casualties in the Oda ranks, such that Nobuhide could no longer be sure of successfully besieging and taking Okazaki before reinforcements from the Imagawa could arrive.
And so, Nobuhide's eastward expanse was checked despite his victory, and the two sides settled into a stalemate…
---X---
In the aftermath of the battle, the Imagawa presence in Mikawa only grew, while the power of the Matsudaira shrunk ever further. Truly, their relations began to show as those of master and servant, though the polite fiction of an alliance of equals was maintained for the moment to allow the men of Mikawa to save face.
All of this had been relayed to Sessai by the time Yoshimoto had returned, but he made sure to listen to his student's first-hand account all the same.
"Your plan has gone off almost perfectly, Master," Yoshimoto said. "Nobuhide won't even be able to touch Mikawa, and poor Hirotada won't be able to even consider independence."
"As expected. But how were Nobuhide's troops?" Sessai asked. That was a far more uncertain thing, and would be far more important to the Imagawa's long-term strategy.
"Them? Oh, they were strong. Quite strong indeed," Yoshimoto said, sounding almost bored. "He trained them well, led them well. He's crafty, too. The Tiger's name is well-earned; he's both powerful and cunning, just as a tiger ought to be. A true leader.
"But he doesn't hold a candle to you, Master," Yoshimoto said with a grim smile. "After all, this age has no shortage of tigers."
"Then we shall hunt the beast eventually," Sessai said decisively, already accounting for his student's appraisal of the man. "But not now. We have far greater prey to deal with."
"The Hōjō, correct? Fair enough," Yoshimoto said. "We'll organize Mikawa for battle and let the situation develop. Nobuhide's a mere retainer, with only half of Owari in his grasp; I can't imagine he'll do well in a war of attrition."
"Indeed not. And when he has run himself ragged trying to keep hold of every scrap of land he's extended himself so far to take… that is when we shall put an arrow between the eyes of the tiger," Sessai declared coolly.
With the Hōjō ever a threat in the east, the Imagawa could not throw all of their might at Owari. Nobuhide, as well, would find that he could not find the chance to devote the resources necessary to stage another invasion of Mikawa for years, and in that time, he would find himself facing a threat just as terrifying as the Imagawa.
- Location
- Virginia
[X] Fox
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Just to be clear, it's only accurate in the broadest strokes, and there's debates as to whether stuff like the "Seven Spears" were a real thing or just a fiction invented by the Edo Period, who just loved coming up with lists like that.
- Location
- Leeds
I'll do my best but I'm not sure I'll manage it.
Theres a joke to be made about the Japanese being distant parents. Not sure I want to make it though.
The irony.
About being outwaited, I played a lot of strategy games particularly Total War, patience is no replacement for skill.
I tend towards aggressive strategies so I don't like this one all that much, however with the rise of matchlocks I suspect that this is quite a powerful character.
I like the adaptability of this choice he seems equally adept at all scales of combat from duels to managing whole campaigns. Of course he'll lose to the others in their specialities and possibly the fox almost always unless we really think things through. The in ability to come up with novel tactics isn't so much of a handicap, examples of most everything have been tried and recorded apart from gunpowder. Generally we're just going to be fitting together which tactics are the best.
Oh oh oh...
Awwww, Booo Hiss. Although for the record China knew of Giraffes, although they thought they were Qilin
Its rather interesting how the Oda always seemed to be walking a much finer tightrope between success and failure than others appeared to.
Out of interest, do you have a particular fondness of Nobuhide? I can't help but notice he's in all of your sidestories.
Bearing in mind how little I know about Japanese literature and feudal culture. This whole thing strikes me as an incredibly Japanese tragedy.5 Tenbun (1536)
Imagawa Ujichika had been one of the greatest daimyō of his day. From the Imagawa clan's traditional heartland of Suruga, he had expanded into Tōtomi and Mikawa, and by the time of his death held a tenuous hold on parts of Owari, which he attempted to strengthen in the 5th year of Daiei (1525) by building a castle at Nagoya. So great was his power that in the 3rd year of Entoku (1491), he provided shelter to the Shōgun Ashikaga Yoshizumi when violence in the capital forced him to flee and then restored him to his rightful place, a feat his grandson would one day attempt to repeat.
However, the year after his construction of Nagoya Castle, Ujichika died of illness at the age of 54, and the clan's tenuous hold on their conquests in Mikawa and Owari practically evaporated overnight. Ujichika had six sons, three of which he had sent off to become Buddhist monks to ensure that his eldest, Ujiteru, would not have to fear rebellion by his own kin.
Unfortunately, though remarkably intelligent and likable, Imagawa Ujiteru was sickly and weak, often incapable of managing the clan's affairs. Much of the clan's administration fell to Ujiteru's mother, who herself had taken vows as a Buddhist nun and the name Jukeini; so great was the authority she wielded over the clan's internal affairs that Jukeini was called "the Lady Daimyō." In war, the duties of the clan's head fell to the Fukushima clan, who grew to make up the backbone of the Imagawa military.
Ten years after his ascension to the head of the clan at the age of 14, Ujiteru finally passed away of his sickness without having fathered an heir. His second brother, Hikogorō, died in suspicious circumstances shortly after, leaving the clan's succession in dire straits.
Two of Ujichika's sons who had been sent to Buddhist monasteries turned their backs on the vows they had made and returned to the material world to claim to position as the 9th head of the Imagawa. These were the 3rd son, who had been called Etan Genkō but was now known as Imagawa Yoshizane, and the 4th son, who had taken on the Buddhist name Shōhō Baigaku but was now Imagawa Yoshimoto.
Imagawa Yoshizane was the eldest living son of Ujichika, and was noted as a fierce and courageous man with a reputation as a great archer. But he was an illegitimate son, and showed disdain for those pursuits which were not related to either religion or warfare.
Imagawa Yoshimoto was also a reputed warrior and skilled archer, though perhaps not so much as Yoshizane. Though younger, he was the son of Ujichika's legal wife, and could hope for some support on that ground. Further, he had a great love of the aristocratic culture that his brother shunned as unsuitable for samurai, taking on many of the affectations of that class.
Throughout the Sengoku Jidai, one could find ideas of what were proper pursuits for a samurai to be in flux. While some believed that samurai should be men of culture as well as warfare, writing poetry, reading works of fine literature and playing games to help sharpen mind and body in times of peace, others believed such things wholly unsuitable for a martial class. Perhaps none would go further than Katō Kiyomasa, who in his clan's code of conduct would lay out that the punishment for any samurai of his domain who patronized or engaged in dance or theatrical performances would be summary execution.
Perhaps as a result of these clashing ideals, or simply to protect their military dominance within the clan, the Fukushima clan and other key Imagawa retainers supported Yoshizane.
On the other hand, while Yoshomoto commanded the loyalty of a few retainer clans, such as the Asahina, his chief supporters were his mother, Jukeini, and the abbot of the temple he had been sent to as a child. This man, who had spent time as a mountain mystic (yamabushi), was the younger brother of the late Imagawa Ujichika, but his nephew and student knew him as Taigen Sessai.
---X---
Planning military strategy to oust his brother in the temple grounds of Rinzai-ji, Shōhō Baigaku - Imagawa Yoshimoto, he reminded himself - could not help but laugh.
"You laugh at a time like this?" his Master admonished sternly. "Are you truly so sure of your victory?"
"Not at all," Yoshimoto chuckled. "But how can you not laugh, when you think of the people involved in this absurd feud?"
"Absurd?" Jukeini repeated, arching an eyebrow in that disapproving way he remembered quite well from his early childhood.
"Of course! We have you, Master, and you, Mother. We have my brother Yoshizane, and myself, Yoshimoto. Each and every one of us has sworn vows to leave the impure world behind for the service of the Buddha.
"And yet, here we are, squabbling over a matter as material as the succession of a clan. Is that not absurd? Does it not amuse you? It must amuse me, for if not a comedy, then this is surely a tragedy beyond compare!" As he spoke, Yoshimoto's voice grew louder, almost frantic. He could feel a stinging in his eyes.
"Yoshimoto."
At that single word, spoken clearly and loudly, his Master called all attention to himself. "You would do well to keep one thing in mind."
"Oh? What is this? A lecture, Master?" Yoshimoto asked. It had been some time since he had had one of those.
"No matter how chaotic the world may become, the Buddha's teachings are the truth. But in this age of war, there are no buddhas."
"I see. So there are nothing but demons here," Yoshimoto said with a wry, mocking smile.
Sessai continued, in the lecturing tone he had employed when Yoshimoto was his student. "Learn from the Buddha, but do not let yourself become a buddha. It may go against everything you have ever learned in the temple. But sometimes, to allow for the peace and prosperity that gives others the chance to rise above the impure world, one must put aside the possibility for himself, and take on the sins of the world."
Yoshimoto turned away, looking out at the familiar greenery of the mountain temple, where he had spent so many years of his life. How long ago it already seemed…
"I see. To save the people, then, I must become a demon, and win no matter what it takes. Is that correct, Master?"
Sessai did not answer aloud, but his silence spoke volumes.
Yoshimoto chuckled. "So be it, then. If only a demon can quell this chaos and allow others to seek the Buddha, then a demon I shall be!"
He turned back to Sessai, and cocked his head quizzically. "One last thing though. Master, Mother, tell me: would you perhaps have any idea as to what happened to Hikogorō? I've been wracking my brain as to who may have been to blame for his death, but for the life of me I can hardly think as to who might have had the will and power to do so. Perhaps one of you might have some nugget of wisdom to pass on to me that will reveal the truth?"
His mother had the grace to adopt a look of profound shame, but Sessai remained a stoic pillar of Buddha-like restraint. "Were you to discover their identity, would it change anything?" he asked.
Yoshimoto laughed once more. "Why no, Master, I suppose it wouldn't. As I said: surely this can only amuse me!"
---X---
Kai Province, Tsutsujigasaki Palace
Takeda Nobutora, the infamous daimyō of Kai, feared and hated as a ruthless and brilliant general. During his reign he had seen many bouts of war with the Imagawa as both attacker and defender. No one thought for even a moment that he would not make some kind of move now that they were engaged in civil war. The only question was: how would he move?
Nobutora and his advisers swiftly dismissed the idea of conquering Suruga. Currently, they were engaged in war over Shinano to the north and Sagami to the south; to take Suruga would tie up their forces for too long to be feasible. Thus, they needed to choose which side to support, to ensure they could get their hooks into the Imagawa by backing the winner.
At a council with his closest retainers, Nobutora laid down his decision: to ally with Yoshimoto. When his retainers asked his reasons, Nobutora grinned.
"I suppose I could say that it's because he's the 'rightful' son, but that's only half-true," he answered. "That boy sprung from the womb of that sly little fox Jukeini, and I've no doubt he inherited her cunning. If we can secure an alliance with him now, I can just imagine the look on Ujitsuna's face!"
"I see, my lord wishes to limit the movements of the Hōjō," mused Amari Torayasu, one of Nobutora's chief generals. "A most excellent plan."
"Isn't it?" Nobutora grinned. "Nobukata, I'll be sending you to help little Lord Yoshimoto out and secure our alliance."
Itagaki Nobukata, known as one of Nobutora's best advisers and a skilled general in his own right, nodded. "Aye, my lord!"
Secretly, though, Nobukata harbored doubts about his lord's plan.
'It is true that an alliance with the Imagawa will limit the movements of the Hōjō,' he thought to himself. 'But why must we continue this fruitless war with them at all, rather than focusing our efforts on Shinano? Lord Nobutora's personal vendetta against Ujitsuna causes us more grief with each passing year.'
Regardless of Nobukata's misgivings, he successfully concluded an alliance with Imagawa Yoshimoto and assisted him in besieging Yoshizane's forces at Hanakura Castle. As a result, Yoshimoto agreed to marry one of Nobutora's daughters. In return, Taigen Sessai paid a visit to the imperial court, and secured a marriage to a child of a noble family for Nobutora's eldest son, Harunobu.
---X---
Sagami Province, Odawara Castle
Hōjō Ujitsuna, the powerful daimyō who exerted near-complete control over Sagami and Izu Provinces, was famous not just for his skills as a commander and a strategist, but for his amazing talent and compassion as a civil administrator, working tirelessly to ensure the safety and prosperity of his people in these times of chaos and war.
Ujitsuna's father, Hōjō Sōun, had been the founder of the clan, and his meteoric rise to power from obscure origins through means both fair and foul gave him a reputation to later generations as the "First Daimyō." Sōun had been a vassal of the Imagawa - Ujitsuna's mother, in fact, was of that clan - and this relationship still nominally existed in Ujitsuna's time. For this and more pragmatic reasons, Ujitsuna had a keen interest in who would take over in the Hanakura Revolt.
He, like Nobutora, had decided early on to assist Imagawa Yoshimoto. But when he heard that Nobutora had offered military aid, and that Yoshimoto had accepted it, he was forced to reevaluate his strategy.
Ujitsuna's son and heir, Hōjō Ujiyasu, nodded in confirmation as he read the report. "Aye. Not only that, Nobutora has even offered his daughter as Yoshimoto's wife."
Ujitsuna scoffed. "Preposterous. So he thinks that's all it takes to get the upper hand against me?"
"What shall we do, father? Support Yoshizane instead?" Ujiyasu asked.
"No. The forces against Yoshizane are not something he will be able to counter with mere military might, even if we assist. He will not win," Ujitsuna said, not a shred of doubt in his voice. "If Nobutora has offered his support to Yoshimoto, then I must go a step further.
"We will recruit the aid of the Kanbara clan, and threaten Suruga itself. We'll drive a wedge between them before their alliance is fully settled."
Though he gave his support to Yoshimoto as he had already decided to do, Ujitsuna used the opportunity to take lands in eastern Suruga, and would prove almost impossible to dislodge. It would be many years before he would be convinced to give them up, in return for Imagawa assistance against the Takeda.
---X---
Only a short time after it had begun, the succession crisis later known as the Hanakura Revolt was resolved. The forces of Imagawa Yoshizane were defeated with assistance from the Takeda and Hōjō. Yoshizane and many of the Fukushima were killed, including the clan's head, Fukushima Masashige; the rest were scattered. Masashige's son made it to Sagami, where he married the daughter of Hōjō Ujitsuna and adopted their name as his own, becoming Hōjō Tsunashige, the man who would be his brother-in-law Ujiyasu's greatest general.
But this was all in the future. Right now, Imagawa Yoshimoto stood at the burnt ruins of his brother's castle. Only 18 years old, he had triumphed in war, slain his brother, and taken full control of the Imagawa clan. It was, in all respects, a glorious victory for the 9th head of the Imagawa.
"Hmph. The Takeda are using me against the Hōjō, the Hōjō steal land from me to turn me against the Takeda… I wonder if you're laughing at me right now, Brother?" he said wistfully. "Perhaps you await your reincarnation as we speak, waiting to be born to a happy family in peaceful times?
"I hope so. Perhaps you can live as a monk again in your next life, and pray for us all. As for me… there will be no happiness in my next life, I fear. Not with the karma I will surely accrue in this one…"
With the exaggerated movements of a performer in Nō theater, Yoshimoto threw open his arms and pointed at the sky. "But so be it! This age demands a demon to bring it to heel, and a demon I shall be! Watch me, Brother, for both Heaven and Earth will tremble at my deeds! This land will know peace because of me!
"After all," he whispered to himself, as the wind picked up and carried the ashes of Hanakura Castle to the sea, "How else would it all make any kind of sense?"
---X---
Imagawa Ujiteru: 1513-1536
LEA 58, VAL 14, INT 83, POL 88
Imagawa Yoshizane: 1516-1536
LEA 77, VAL 93, INT 68, POL 45
I'm having a hard time expressing just why though.
Wikipedia article here is a stub. Battle of Azukizaka (1542) - Wikipedia Literally a third of it is about how it set the stage for Nobunaga. Half of it is an extremely bare bones follow up. And the rest is Nobuhide defeated Imagawa.
Care to give me some sources I can look up on this, kind scholar?
When you get this in your sig. This is your tag line.
Frighteningly true, I'm trying to think of comparable times and given that I know The Three Kingdoms is significantly exaggerated in parts I'm really struggling.
Also screw off. You said [ ] Tiger wouldn't be an acceptable vote because we don't know what a tiger is.
E: Oops forgot some things
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Umi-san
Procrastinating.
- Location
- ꙮ
@Leingod Criticism plz <3
[] Dog
You are of average height and build. You have the kind of handsome visage made all the more approachable by slight flaws, the kind of un-self-conscious physicality made all the more charming by the occasional graceless slip. A genuine, warm smile will never go awry, and your voice has a roughened quality to it that many find trustworthy. Regrettably, however, you are in no way attractive enough to immediately stand out - all of these traits require interaction to shine through. Physically, you have the endless stamina and impressive grace and agility that allow you to both run and step circles around most men.
Your personality accents your appearance, emphasizing amiability, honesty, and loyalty; even as a child, you'd already built up a large cohort of friends with whom you proceeded to fall into and get out of trouble as a group. You have a natural ability to build ties and create high-functioning groups. Over time, you'll develop a knack for people that allows you to predict their likely reactions, loyalties, and thoughts, which will be handy in all sorts of ways.
As a general, you're likely to become a jack of all trades reliant on group cohesion and your subordinates' skills. Your ability to predict people's actions as groups and as individuals will serve you well, letting you know what flaws and strengths will allow you to place your ranks into the optimal conformation for the battle ahead. Your understanding of people and familiarity with your subordinates means you'll have a talent for sniffing out the particularly sly, steady, or brilliant. When disaster strikes, your tightly-bound ranks and your own intuitive understanding of what adjustments need to be made will soften its blow.
However, this focus on trust and interpersonal loyalty gives you a weakness. When forced to fight with people you haven't had the chance to learn you suffer a lack of confidence that will likely infect your troops with low morale, and make defeat all the more likely.
[] Crane
Physically, you are tall and slender, the very definition of "the nail that pops up." With a rice-dusted complexion, sharp but elegant eyebrows, and a high-bridged nose, your handsomeness - though many would call it beauty - stands out with its grace and delicate splendor. While your looks accent both cutting words and thoughtful poetry, they also create a sense of distance and a certain lack of strength. And indeed, while you are not the weakest of men neither are you the strongest. Instead, your strength lies in a finely honed sense of balance, impossible speed, and astonishing agility.
In general, you have allowed your tatemae to reflect the impressions caused by your features - you cultivate an image of being knowledgeable, well-spoken, and detached.Others' perception of this outward appearance often leads them to think of you as something akin to a snapping turtle - to be stepped around but otherwise passive. Any close intimate or careful watcher, however, will notice that while your honne does have a tendency towards careful reflection and seeing widely, when a decision has been reached you commit with alacrity and deep passion. If you are passive, it is by choice.
As a commander, you are best when it comes to managing supply lines and organizing swift, deft strikes that will leave your enemies dead, confused, and on the back foot. While not the best at organizing solid defenses or relentless assaults, your keen awareness of the dance of war tells you how and when to advance or retreat, allowing you to circle, fragment, and break any opponent with a keener intellect than your own.
A great intellect and a deep pool of knowledge can be their own weaknesses. When faced with unpredictable opponents, your reliance on planning could lead to your downfall if relied on too heavily. When faced with opponents about whom you know little, you feel uncomfortable acting without more information.
[] Rat
It has often been noted that you stand out little from the common folk - rough features, bowed shoulders, dusky skin. What does stand out, however, are your sharp eyes and large ears. This unique caricature of a figure often leads to being underestimated and scorned by your peers. Physically, besides having gifted senses you are otherwise well-rounded.
In general, you prefer to watch and wait. While never out of place in a gathering of those of equal station, your strongest ties are with the common people and those of ill-repute. These ties allow you to learn things others would never hear, to set off actions from five provinces away, and to know that your own servants would never similarly betray you. You have a natural gift for sniffing out secrets, weak points, and lies. Over time, you'll develop a web of contacts among merchants, artisans, and lesser clans which stretches over the whole of this land. You'll learn your opponents down to their bones without ever looking them in the eyes. You'll raise this country up and with it those loyal to you.
As a general, you are best when you never have to land a blow. While not helpless in direct combat, your enemies have a tendency to suffer setbacks in the form of "bandit" attacks, bad trails, food sickness, and misplaced supplies that result in direct combat never truly occurring. You, on the other hand, never suffer such accidents. When your supplies are low the common people always find something to give; when you meet a bandit you find common ground; when you face an obstacle you find a way past it.
Unfortunately, your reliance on information and on ties with the lower classes leaves you nearly unable to deal with those who inspire in their subjects either great loyalty or great fear of reprisal. Given time, you can find a way past this problem. Without it, well, there's a reason cats have started to spread out from the capitol.
[] Dog
You are of average height and build. You have the kind of handsome visage made all the more approachable by slight flaws, the kind of un-self-conscious physicality made all the more charming by the occasional graceless slip. A genuine, warm smile will never go awry, and your voice has a roughened quality to it that many find trustworthy. Regrettably, however, you are in no way attractive enough to immediately stand out - all of these traits require interaction to shine through. Physically, you have the endless stamina and impressive grace and agility that allow you to both run and step circles around most men.
Your personality accents your appearance, emphasizing amiability, honesty, and loyalty; even as a child, you'd already built up a large cohort of friends with whom you proceeded to fall into and get out of trouble as a group. You have a natural ability to build ties and create high-functioning groups. Over time, you'll develop a knack for people that allows you to predict their likely reactions, loyalties, and thoughts, which will be handy in all sorts of ways.
As a general, you're likely to become a jack of all trades reliant on group cohesion and your subordinates' skills. Your ability to predict people's actions as groups and as individuals will serve you well, letting you know what flaws and strengths will allow you to place your ranks into the optimal conformation for the battle ahead. Your understanding of people and familiarity with your subordinates means you'll have a talent for sniffing out the particularly sly, steady, or brilliant. When disaster strikes, your tightly-bound ranks and your own intuitive understanding of what adjustments need to be made will soften its blow.
However, this focus on trust and interpersonal loyalty gives you a weakness. When forced to fight with people you haven't had the chance to learn you suffer a lack of confidence that will likely infect your troops with low morale, and make defeat all the more likely.
[] Crane
Physically, you are tall and slender, the very definition of "the nail that pops up." With a rice-dusted complexion, sharp but elegant eyebrows, and a high-bridged nose, your handsomeness - though many would call it beauty - stands out with its grace and delicate splendor. While your looks accent both cutting words and thoughtful poetry, they also create a sense of distance and a certain lack of strength. And indeed, while you are not the weakest of men neither are you the strongest. Instead, your strength lies in a finely honed sense of balance, impossible speed, and astonishing agility.
In general, you have allowed your tatemae to reflect the impressions caused by your features - you cultivate an image of being knowledgeable, well-spoken, and detached.Others' perception of this outward appearance often leads them to think of you as something akin to a snapping turtle - to be stepped around but otherwise passive. Any close intimate or careful watcher, however, will notice that while your honne does have a tendency towards careful reflection and seeing widely, when a decision has been reached you commit with alacrity and deep passion. If you are passive, it is by choice.
As a commander, you are best when it comes to managing supply lines and organizing swift, deft strikes that will leave your enemies dead, confused, and on the back foot. While not the best at organizing solid defenses or relentless assaults, your keen awareness of the dance of war tells you how and when to advance or retreat, allowing you to circle, fragment, and break any opponent with a keener intellect than your own.
A great intellect and a deep pool of knowledge can be their own weaknesses. When faced with unpredictable opponents, your reliance on planning could lead to your downfall if relied on too heavily. When faced with opponents about whom you know little, you feel uncomfortable acting without more information.
[] Rat
It has often been noted that you stand out little from the common folk - rough features, bowed shoulders, dusky skin. What does stand out, however, are your sharp eyes and large ears. This unique caricature of a figure often leads to being underestimated and scorned by your peers. Physically, besides having gifted senses you are otherwise well-rounded.
In general, you prefer to watch and wait. While never out of place in a gathering of those of equal station, your strongest ties are with the common people and those of ill-repute. These ties allow you to learn things others would never hear, to set off actions from five provinces away, and to know that your own servants would never similarly betray you. You have a natural gift for sniffing out secrets, weak points, and lies. Over time, you'll develop a web of contacts among merchants, artisans, and lesser clans which stretches over the whole of this land. You'll learn your opponents down to their bones without ever looking them in the eyes. You'll raise this country up and with it those loyal to you.
As a general, you are best when you never have to land a blow. While not helpless in direct combat, your enemies have a tendency to suffer setbacks in the form of "bandit" attacks, bad trails, food sickness, and misplaced supplies that result in direct combat never truly occurring. You, on the other hand, never suffer such accidents. When your supplies are low the common people always find something to give; when you meet a bandit you find common ground; when you face an obstacle you find a way past it.
Unfortunately, your reliance on information and on ties with the lower classes leaves you nearly unable to deal with those who inspire in their subjects either great loyalty or great fear of reprisal. Given time, you can find a way past this problem. Without it, well, there's a reason cats have started to spread out from the capitol.
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- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
I figured. But, as someone who knows basically nothing about Japanese history, this is all SUPER INTERESTING. I'm going to need to get some books on the Warring States period at some point.
Also, I'm kinda getting the impression that Edo Period writers were all huge weebs.
- Location
- Leeds
For some reason I can't seem to edit my last post again.
So I'm going to drop these here and leave,
I'm worried about the Fox because the thing is you can't micromanage things when running a battle and that means any complex traps could come undone because of subordinates pulling it off wrong. On the other hand that seems like a rather mean spirited thing for Liengod to pull when he was the one who offered the character concept.
Also behold the Qilin in all its glory.
And nowhere near 500 words. GG no re.
So I'm going to drop these here and leave,
I'm worried about the Fox because the thing is you can't micromanage things when running a battle and that means any complex traps could come undone because of subordinates pulling it off wrong. On the other hand that seems like a rather mean spirited thing for Liengod to pull when he was the one who offered the character concept.
Also behold the Qilin in all its glory.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
I could definitely be persuaded to switch from Fox to one of these. I especially like Rat...
Umi-san
Procrastinating.
- Location
- ꙮ