Leingod's Ideas Thread
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
First of all, here's the map again:
Just some ideas on how to implement systems, characters, etc. Gonna be taking a lot of inspiration from the more recent Nobunaga's Ambition games.
One thing that I like in that the more recent games, both characters and clan have a "Tenet" category that denotes their feelings toward innovation. On the clan level, this affects what policies the daimyō can implement, while on the personal level it affects loyalty. The three categories are pretty self-explanatory: "Progressive," "Neutral" and "Conservative." A clan's Tenet is decided (not factoring in special buildings and whatnot) by the Tenet scores of all the clan's members, though the daimyō obviously carries much more weight than any individual clansman or retainer.
There are also "Ideals," which denote a character's motives for what they do. In-game it just affects loyalty, but it's also a good insight into character. The Ideals are Fame, Clan, Profit, Justice, Talent, Mastery, and Spirit. Also Ambition, but only one character has that (no guesses as to who that is).
Anyway, first I'm going to think about how to portray certain characters in the Chūgoku region.
The borders on the map mark the modern-day prefectures, BTW, not the old provinces.
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The Mōri will get their own thing later.
Just some ideas on how to implement systems, characters, etc. Gonna be taking a lot of inspiration from the more recent Nobunaga's Ambition games.
One thing that I like in that the more recent games, both characters and clan have a "Tenet" category that denotes their feelings toward innovation. On the clan level, this affects what policies the daimyō can implement, while on the personal level it affects loyalty. The three categories are pretty self-explanatory: "Progressive," "Neutral" and "Conservative." A clan's Tenet is decided (not factoring in special buildings and whatnot) by the Tenet scores of all the clan's members, though the daimyō obviously carries much more weight than any individual clansman or retainer.
There are also "Ideals," which denote a character's motives for what they do. In-game it just affects loyalty, but it's also a good insight into character. The Ideals are Fame, Clan, Profit, Justice, Talent, Mastery, and Spirit. Also Ambition, but only one character has that (no guesses as to who that is).
Anyway, first I'm going to think about how to portray certain characters in the Chūgoku region.
The borders on the map mark the modern-day prefectures, BTW, not the old provinces.
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Lifepsan: 1458-1541 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Spirit
LEA 88, VAL 77, INT 99, POL 88
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
It would be easy to write Tsunehisa as nothing but a greedy, backstabbing schemer. As anyone who knows my writing can guess, I don't like taking the easy route with characterization, and while they usually go for the low-hanging fruit in Samurai Warriors, Koei tends to agree with me when they write Nobunaga's Ambition. They've made Tsunehisa someone who I don't really understand, but am intrigued by, which I think is the point.
First of all, note his Ideal. I'm actually not sure what "Spirit" means, but Tsunehisa shares it with people like Takeda Shingen and Date Masamune. I think it might denote fighting for a cause or belief that's more spiritual/conceptual, rather than something more personal or concrete like "Clan" or "Profit" are. Both Shingen and Masamune made great sacrifices to try to bring peace and prosperity to their people, even killing members of their own family; the only way to really make that palatable is to give them some higher purpose they're fighting for.
So what's Tsunehisa's ideal? I don't really want to make the things Tsunehisa does justified, per se, nor even understandable, but they should be something that makes him interesting.
I think I want Tsunehisa to be a man who has willingly chosen to embody the chaos of the Sengoku Jidai. He's survived and thrived because he, more than anyone of his time, has taken to heart the lessons of his era, and even revels in it and finds it admirable. In the Sengoku Jidai, power and success are the ultimate signifiers of righteousness; concepts of honor and loyalty are to be held only by those without the power and the will to subvert them.
To pursue the goal of being a "Sword Saint," many swordsmen cut down people who had never done them any harm, not because they bore them ill will, but because that is the Way of someone who pursues true mastery of the sword. As the "Saint of Schemes," Tsunehisa, I think, will approach his schemes in a similar way. He doesn't do what he does for profit, or out of malice; he does it because it is his Way There's no hard feelings for the people he crushes, they're just steps on his road to perfection of his Way.
In most cases, but Motonari will evoke a different response. I plan to portray Motonari as the greatest strategist of the Sengoku Jidai (meanwhile Shingen will be the greatest general, Kenshin the greatest warrior, and Ujiyasu the greatest civil official), and as such he becomes the one rival that Tsunehisa feels any strong emotion towards. Being significantly older than Motonari (30+ years) and given geography, I think Motonari will have learned much of his early schemes and tactics from stories of Tsunehisa's exploits. Tsunehisa will recognize this, and also that Motonari threatens to not only match him as a schemer, but surpass him, and will single him out to the exclusion of all others. Even when the Mōri are just minor Aki daimyō serving as lackeys to the Ōuchi, Tsunehisa will recognize them as his greatest threat. His death will coincide only with the failure of his very last scheme to kill Motonari, and he will die not with bitter words, but by saying that he will live on in the schemes of Motonari and anyone inspired to plot and conspire because of him, and a request for Motonari to continue to "walk the path of conquest with me."
At the same time, Tsunehisa isn't totally inhuman in his behavior; he recognizes the awfulness of the times he lives in, even as he embraces them. When his grandson and successor Haruhisa returns from killing his own rebellious uncle (Tsunehisa's 3rd son Okihisa) and tries to act like it doesn't affect him, Tsunehisa will chide him for it, saying that it's important to recognize the inherent foolishness and difficulty of fighting your own kin, but at the same time telling him that this is a task that the head of a clan in these times must be able to bear. And when Haruhisa falls short as a schemer (albeit only compared to Tsunehisa and Motonari themselves) and suffers defeat, Tsunehisa will offer him comfort and assure him that he still has time to grow. Even as Tsunehisa discards his own siblings and sons for the sake of his schemes, he does everything in his power to protect Haruhisa, and Motonari notes at times that it would help his schemes more not to do so. No matter how he tries to discard his feelings to better encapsulate the Way of a schemer, Tsunehisa will always have a soft spot for his grandson.
LEA 88, VAL 77, INT 99, POL 88
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
It would be easy to write Tsunehisa as nothing but a greedy, backstabbing schemer. As anyone who knows my writing can guess, I don't like taking the easy route with characterization, and while they usually go for the low-hanging fruit in Samurai Warriors, Koei tends to agree with me when they write Nobunaga's Ambition. They've made Tsunehisa someone who I don't really understand, but am intrigued by, which I think is the point.
First of all, note his Ideal. I'm actually not sure what "Spirit" means, but Tsunehisa shares it with people like Takeda Shingen and Date Masamune. I think it might denote fighting for a cause or belief that's more spiritual/conceptual, rather than something more personal or concrete like "Clan" or "Profit" are. Both Shingen and Masamune made great sacrifices to try to bring peace and prosperity to their people, even killing members of their own family; the only way to really make that palatable is to give them some higher purpose they're fighting for.
So what's Tsunehisa's ideal? I don't really want to make the things Tsunehisa does justified, per se, nor even understandable, but they should be something that makes him interesting.
I think I want Tsunehisa to be a man who has willingly chosen to embody the chaos of the Sengoku Jidai. He's survived and thrived because he, more than anyone of his time, has taken to heart the lessons of his era, and even revels in it and finds it admirable. In the Sengoku Jidai, power and success are the ultimate signifiers of righteousness; concepts of honor and loyalty are to be held only by those without the power and the will to subvert them.
To pursue the goal of being a "Sword Saint," many swordsmen cut down people who had never done them any harm, not because they bore them ill will, but because that is the Way of someone who pursues true mastery of the sword. As the "Saint of Schemes," Tsunehisa, I think, will approach his schemes in a similar way. He doesn't do what he does for profit, or out of malice; he does it because it is his Way There's no hard feelings for the people he crushes, they're just steps on his road to perfection of his Way.
In most cases, but Motonari will evoke a different response. I plan to portray Motonari as the greatest strategist of the Sengoku Jidai (meanwhile Shingen will be the greatest general, Kenshin the greatest warrior, and Ujiyasu the greatest civil official), and as such he becomes the one rival that Tsunehisa feels any strong emotion towards. Being significantly older than Motonari (30+ years) and given geography, I think Motonari will have learned much of his early schemes and tactics from stories of Tsunehisa's exploits. Tsunehisa will recognize this, and also that Motonari threatens to not only match him as a schemer, but surpass him, and will single him out to the exclusion of all others. Even when the Mōri are just minor Aki daimyō serving as lackeys to the Ōuchi, Tsunehisa will recognize them as his greatest threat. His death will coincide only with the failure of his very last scheme to kill Motonari, and he will die not with bitter words, but by saying that he will live on in the schemes of Motonari and anyone inspired to plot and conspire because of him, and a request for Motonari to continue to "walk the path of conquest with me."
At the same time, Tsunehisa isn't totally inhuman in his behavior; he recognizes the awfulness of the times he lives in, even as he embraces them. When his grandson and successor Haruhisa returns from killing his own rebellious uncle (Tsunehisa's 3rd son Okihisa) and tries to act like it doesn't affect him, Tsunehisa will chide him for it, saying that it's important to recognize the inherent foolishness and difficulty of fighting your own kin, but at the same time telling him that this is a task that the head of a clan in these times must be able to bear. And when Haruhisa falls short as a schemer (albeit only compared to Tsunehisa and Motonari themselves) and suffers defeat, Tsunehisa will offer him comfort and assure him that he still has time to grow. Even as Tsunehisa discards his own siblings and sons for the sake of his schemes, he does everything in his power to protect Haruhisa, and Motonari notes at times that it would help his schemes more not to do so. No matter how he tries to discard his feelings to better encapsulate the Way of a schemer, Tsunehisa will always have a soft spot for his grandson.
Lifespan: 1513-1560 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Fame
LEA 94, VAL 85, INT 90, POL 89
Tactic: Crack Troops - Raises melee ATK and SPD and destroys stockades
Haruhisa is a young man (just 22 at the time he kills his own uncle and becomes his grandfather's heir and general) who lost his father before he ever knew him, and so in lieu of him idolizes his grandfather. He doesn't really understand Tsunehisa, and believes that when Tsunehisa talks of being "above" petty evil (speaking of the fact that he schemes because it is his Way and not for profit or malice), Haruhisa takes it to mean that his grandfather's schemes are for the greater good. After all, his scheming has ensured Amago rule over many provinces that now don't fight each other constantly as they did before his rule.
Haruhisa lives in his grandfather's shadow; though very intelligent as a strategist in his own right, he's really more a commander than a schemer and just doesn't measure up to his grandfather or his grandfather's great rival Motonari. He's thus driven to recklessness in his drive to make a name for himself, to prove to the world that he truly is Tsunehisa's heir. He leads the Amago's march toward the capital with great skill, getting as far as Harima (after that, the only thing standing between him and the capital would be Settsu Province) before being forced to turn back when the Ōuchi and Mōri threaten the Amago lands.
Haruhisa will at first be dismissive of Motonari, seeing only his lack of real power, but Tsunehisa's constant admonitions against this kind of thinking, and comparisons Tsunehisa will make to Motonari and Haruhisa, will make him Haruhisa's special target when he returns from his aborted campaign. His numbers will make him confident, but Motonari's unconventional tactics will slow and weaken his much larger army until Sue Harukata sweeps in with reinforcements, dealing Haruhisa a humiliating loss.
Incidentally, this will also lead to the last stand of Harukata's uncle, Amago Hisayuki. Hisayuki will argue against Haruhisa's protracted campaign in Aki and urge him to retreat, leading the brash Haruhisa to mockingly name him the "Coward of Yashū" and expel him from his council. When the tide of the battle turns, Hisayuki and only a handful of soldiers will volunteer to guard Haruhisa's retreat. Hisayuki will swear to take as many of the enemy with him as he can and refuse to think of retreat or surrender, and will urge his men to do the same by asking them if they have less courage than the "Coward of Yashū." They all die to a man, but stall the enemy long enough for Haruhisa and the bulk of the Amago forces to retreat back to Izumo.
Haruhisa will be very changed by this campaign, carrying heavy regrets about both the foolishness of his campaign and his terrible treatment toward his uncle, who sacrificed his life for the ungrateful boy who called him a coward. When the Amago's enemies counterattack, Haruhisa will have learned his lessons well: not only is he less brash and reckless, less desperate to make a name for himself, he also learns the lesson that numbers don't replace tactics, adapting Motonari's own tactics to wage asymmetric warfare against a numerically superior opponent. That said, it's still Tsunehisa's schemes that ultimately turn the tables in the Amago's favor, as he engineers a mass defection of the Ōuchi allies that sends them into a bloody rout. Seeing this plan his grandfather had cooked up even before Haruhisa's botched campaign into Aki and with his own contributions to the Amago's defense completely overshadowed by it, Haruhisa will begin to despair of ever matching up to either Tsunehisa or Motonari.
"Despair" pretty much is going to sum up the rest of Haruhisa's life. Again and again, he's outwitted by Motonari, who engineers betrayals and deaths to keep the Amago paralyzed while he devours the Ōuchi lands and then turns to the Amago themselves, eventually causing Haruhisa's suicide in battle. Haruhisa's son, even more out of his depth than his father was, will die when the Amago do, as the Mōri devour them whole.
From a very young man, eager to live up to the legacy of his beloved grandfather that he thinks the world of, Haruhisa's life will be one long string of defeats, humiliations and loss. By the time he takes his life in his 40s, he will be a mere shell of who he once was, driven to the very brink by Motonari and his sons.
LEA 94, VAL 85, INT 90, POL 89
Tactic: Crack Troops - Raises melee ATK and SPD and destroys stockades
Haruhisa is a young man (just 22 at the time he kills his own uncle and becomes his grandfather's heir and general) who lost his father before he ever knew him, and so in lieu of him idolizes his grandfather. He doesn't really understand Tsunehisa, and believes that when Tsunehisa talks of being "above" petty evil (speaking of the fact that he schemes because it is his Way and not for profit or malice), Haruhisa takes it to mean that his grandfather's schemes are for the greater good. After all, his scheming has ensured Amago rule over many provinces that now don't fight each other constantly as they did before his rule.
Haruhisa lives in his grandfather's shadow; though very intelligent as a strategist in his own right, he's really more a commander than a schemer and just doesn't measure up to his grandfather or his grandfather's great rival Motonari. He's thus driven to recklessness in his drive to make a name for himself, to prove to the world that he truly is Tsunehisa's heir. He leads the Amago's march toward the capital with great skill, getting as far as Harima (after that, the only thing standing between him and the capital would be Settsu Province) before being forced to turn back when the Ōuchi and Mōri threaten the Amago lands.
Haruhisa will at first be dismissive of Motonari, seeing only his lack of real power, but Tsunehisa's constant admonitions against this kind of thinking, and comparisons Tsunehisa will make to Motonari and Haruhisa, will make him Haruhisa's special target when he returns from his aborted campaign. His numbers will make him confident, but Motonari's unconventional tactics will slow and weaken his much larger army until Sue Harukata sweeps in with reinforcements, dealing Haruhisa a humiliating loss.
Incidentally, this will also lead to the last stand of Harukata's uncle, Amago Hisayuki. Hisayuki will argue against Haruhisa's protracted campaign in Aki and urge him to retreat, leading the brash Haruhisa to mockingly name him the "Coward of Yashū" and expel him from his council. When the tide of the battle turns, Hisayuki and only a handful of soldiers will volunteer to guard Haruhisa's retreat. Hisayuki will swear to take as many of the enemy with him as he can and refuse to think of retreat or surrender, and will urge his men to do the same by asking them if they have less courage than the "Coward of Yashū." They all die to a man, but stall the enemy long enough for Haruhisa and the bulk of the Amago forces to retreat back to Izumo.
Haruhisa will be very changed by this campaign, carrying heavy regrets about both the foolishness of his campaign and his terrible treatment toward his uncle, who sacrificed his life for the ungrateful boy who called him a coward. When the Amago's enemies counterattack, Haruhisa will have learned his lessons well: not only is he less brash and reckless, less desperate to make a name for himself, he also learns the lesson that numbers don't replace tactics, adapting Motonari's own tactics to wage asymmetric warfare against a numerically superior opponent. That said, it's still Tsunehisa's schemes that ultimately turn the tables in the Amago's favor, as he engineers a mass defection of the Ōuchi allies that sends them into a bloody rout. Seeing this plan his grandfather had cooked up even before Haruhisa's botched campaign into Aki and with his own contributions to the Amago's defense completely overshadowed by it, Haruhisa will begin to despair of ever matching up to either Tsunehisa or Motonari.
"Despair" pretty much is going to sum up the rest of Haruhisa's life. Again and again, he's outwitted by Motonari, who engineers betrayals and deaths to keep the Amago paralyzed while he devours the Ōuchi lands and then turns to the Amago themselves, eventually causing Haruhisa's suicide in battle. Haruhisa's son, even more out of his depth than his father was, will die when the Amago do, as the Mōri devour them whole.
From a very young man, eager to live up to the legacy of his beloved grandfather that he thinks the world of, Haruhisa's life will be one long string of defeats, humiliations and loss. By the time he takes his life in his 40s, he will be a mere shell of who he once was, driven to the very brink by Motonari and his sons.
Lifespan: 1507-1551 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Fame
LEA 84, VAL 60, INT 84, POL 98
Tactic: Caution - Lowers SPD, but raises DEF
A recurring theme that I'll be having with the characters in this quest, I think, will be the comparisons and contrasts between parent and child, and how the parents influence their children. As I mentioned before, Yoshitaka's father Yoshioki was an incredibly successful military man, even taking control of the capital and the Shōgun during his lifetime. But at the same time, Yoshioki's life was essentially a constant battle, always on one campaign or another (Incidentally, though he's dead from the start, Yoshioki's stats are: LEA 93, VAL 91, INT 86, POL 82).
Yoshitaka will have seen the way a life of constant battle wore his father down day after day, year after year, and while he'll respect his father enormously and try to expand his clan's power, he's never going to be as aggressive about it as he could be. Even before his crushing defeat against the Amago leads to the death of many of his friends, retainers, and even his only son and saps his will to expand militarily, he'll always be a man of culture over war. In his mind, his father spent his whole life making the Ōuchi strong, but never got to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. Is it wrong for Yoshitaka to enjoy the results of his father's hard work that was passed on to him? Especially when he still adds to it, albeit in a different manner.
In that capacity, he'll be amazing. In Yoshitaka's time, his capital at Yamaguchi flourishes not just economically but culturally and artistically; while the Ōuchi samurai grumble at his unwarlike pursuits, the farmers, merchants and artisans will all be singing his praises. In a more peaceful time, Yoshitaka would have gone down as a truly great leader.
But the Sengoku Jidai is not peaceful, and a man who is unwilling to don the tool of the military when prompted is not likely to survive.
Sue Harukata was actually once Yoshitaka's closest friend, and the two were raised alongside one another; in fact, before he revolted and placed a puppet at the head of the clan, Harukata's name was Takafusa, a sign of his master's great esteem for him. The betrayal he feels when his once fondest friend turns on him… In the end, Yoshitaka will serve partly as an example of what a different place the Sengoku Jidai is. The ideas of what makes a good leader are very different in this time, and no one is really successful enough to escape the warfare and violence of the times.
LEA 84, VAL 60, INT 84, POL 98
Tactic: Caution - Lowers SPD, but raises DEF
A recurring theme that I'll be having with the characters in this quest, I think, will be the comparisons and contrasts between parent and child, and how the parents influence their children. As I mentioned before, Yoshitaka's father Yoshioki was an incredibly successful military man, even taking control of the capital and the Shōgun during his lifetime. But at the same time, Yoshioki's life was essentially a constant battle, always on one campaign or another (Incidentally, though he's dead from the start, Yoshioki's stats are: LEA 93, VAL 91, INT 86, POL 82).
Yoshitaka will have seen the way a life of constant battle wore his father down day after day, year after year, and while he'll respect his father enormously and try to expand his clan's power, he's never going to be as aggressive about it as he could be. Even before his crushing defeat against the Amago leads to the death of many of his friends, retainers, and even his only son and saps his will to expand militarily, he'll always be a man of culture over war. In his mind, his father spent his whole life making the Ōuchi strong, but never got to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. Is it wrong for Yoshitaka to enjoy the results of his father's hard work that was passed on to him? Especially when he still adds to it, albeit in a different manner.
In that capacity, he'll be amazing. In Yoshitaka's time, his capital at Yamaguchi flourishes not just economically but culturally and artistically; while the Ōuchi samurai grumble at his unwarlike pursuits, the farmers, merchants and artisans will all be singing his praises. In a more peaceful time, Yoshitaka would have gone down as a truly great leader.
But the Sengoku Jidai is not peaceful, and a man who is unwilling to don the tool of the military when prompted is not likely to survive.
Sue Harukata was actually once Yoshitaka's closest friend, and the two were raised alongside one another; in fact, before he revolted and placed a puppet at the head of the clan, Harukata's name was Takafusa, a sign of his master's great esteem for him. The betrayal he feels when his once fondest friend turns on him… In the end, Yoshitaka will serve partly as an example of what a different place the Sengoku Jidai is. The ideas of what makes a good leader are very different in this time, and no one is really successful enough to escape the warfare and violence of the times.
Lifespan: 1521-1555 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Talent
LEA 96, VAL 89, INT 92, POL 88
Tactic: Pierce - Briefly but significantly increases melee ATK
Only a few characters will be presented as truly evil, and while Harukata isn't quite there, he's definitely going to be one of the most selfish and morally gray characters.
Harukata is essentially born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father was one of Yoshioki's top generals, and he was raised alongside his eventual master Yoshitaka, who trusted him completely and made him his chief general at a very young age, a promotion he justified with a string of early victories.
As the "Talent" Ideal shows, Harukata is mainly motivated by his pride in his own skills. He takes his title as the "Peerless General of the West" very seriously, and is always eager to prove it. He's good at the more civil side of governance, but his mind is always on warfare, where all the glory and adulation is to be found in a samurai culture.
Like Amago Haruhisa, Sue Harukata will be driven to recklessness in his eagerness; not out a drive to prove himself worthy, but to prove that he's the best. Harukata has been praised and adored for his skills his entire life, and never intends for it to stop. He's at the top of the Ōuchi, and plans to take the Ōuchi to the top.
But then Yoshitaka loses his nerve for fighting, and ignores military matters entirely. Harukata finds himself obsolete in his own clan, finds himself rapidly losing all his influence and favor, losing all the praise and adulation and reward he's grown accustomed to. Motonari, of course, will fan the flames, since weakness in the Ōuchi means opportunity for the Mōri to grow and expand their influence. But in the end, the decision to rebel, to kill his master and closest friend simply so that he can continue to live a life of praise and influence, is all Harukata's.
After gaining real control over his clan, Harukata will completely reverse Yoshitaka's policies, launching full-scale militarization of his domain (which leads to serious economic problems that Motonari and his sons are going to take al ong time sorting out). Recognizing Motonari's skill and growing power, he tries to put him down, but is outplayed at Itsukushima, completely ruined in a battle that, until the very end, he believed would be just one more of the great triumphs that have followed him around his entire life.
During his last campaign, Harukata will repeatedly feel unease, feel like he's walking into a trap he has no hope of escaping, but will dismiss it each time. His entire worldview is built around him being the "Peerless General of the West," after all. He betrayed his master and best friend just to keep that title. If some no-name clan from Aki can get the better of him… what was it all for?
As his defeat grows more and more apparent, as the net closes tighter and tighter around him, Harukata breaks down completely at the gulf that exists between him and Motonari. What drives him to suicide isn't just that he's lost and has no hope of escape, but the simple knowledge that it was all for nothing. His ego destroyed, his motivations rendered moot, his accomplishments undone in a single day, Sue Harukata dies knowing that he'll be nothing but a footnote to Motonari's triumph.
LEA 96, VAL 89, INT 92, POL 88
Tactic: Pierce - Briefly but significantly increases melee ATK
Only a few characters will be presented as truly evil, and while Harukata isn't quite there, he's definitely going to be one of the most selfish and morally gray characters.
Harukata is essentially born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father was one of Yoshioki's top generals, and he was raised alongside his eventual master Yoshitaka, who trusted him completely and made him his chief general at a very young age, a promotion he justified with a string of early victories.
As the "Talent" Ideal shows, Harukata is mainly motivated by his pride in his own skills. He takes his title as the "Peerless General of the West" very seriously, and is always eager to prove it. He's good at the more civil side of governance, but his mind is always on warfare, where all the glory and adulation is to be found in a samurai culture.
Like Amago Haruhisa, Sue Harukata will be driven to recklessness in his eagerness; not out a drive to prove himself worthy, but to prove that he's the best. Harukata has been praised and adored for his skills his entire life, and never intends for it to stop. He's at the top of the Ōuchi, and plans to take the Ōuchi to the top.
But then Yoshitaka loses his nerve for fighting, and ignores military matters entirely. Harukata finds himself obsolete in his own clan, finds himself rapidly losing all his influence and favor, losing all the praise and adulation and reward he's grown accustomed to. Motonari, of course, will fan the flames, since weakness in the Ōuchi means opportunity for the Mōri to grow and expand their influence. But in the end, the decision to rebel, to kill his master and closest friend simply so that he can continue to live a life of praise and influence, is all Harukata's.
After gaining real control over his clan, Harukata will completely reverse Yoshitaka's policies, launching full-scale militarization of his domain (which leads to serious economic problems that Motonari and his sons are going to take al ong time sorting out). Recognizing Motonari's skill and growing power, he tries to put him down, but is outplayed at Itsukushima, completely ruined in a battle that, until the very end, he believed would be just one more of the great triumphs that have followed him around his entire life.
During his last campaign, Harukata will repeatedly feel unease, feel like he's walking into a trap he has no hope of escaping, but will dismiss it each time. His entire worldview is built around him being the "Peerless General of the West," after all. He betrayed his master and best friend just to keep that title. If some no-name clan from Aki can get the better of him… what was it all for?
As his defeat grows more and more apparent, as the net closes tighter and tighter around him, Harukata breaks down completely at the gulf that exists between him and Motonari. What drives him to suicide isn't just that he's lost and has no hope of escape, but the simple knowledge that it was all for nothing. His ego destroyed, his motivations rendered moot, his accomplishments undone in a single day, Sue Harukata dies knowing that he'll be nothing but a footnote to Motonari's triumph.
Lifespan: 1545-1578 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Justice
LEA 92, VAL 96, INT 86, POL 50
Tactic: Crescent Moon - Lowers DEF, but greatly raises ATK
Shikanosuke considered the crescent moon his guardian (he was born under one), and prayed to it at his every trial. When the Amago suffered loss after loss to the Mōri, he prays not for salvation, but to endure trial after trial, so that he might gain the strength to revitalize his liege's clan.
The defining facet of Shikanosuke's life is his unswerving loyalty to the Amago, and he never, even for a moment, gives up on fighting to restore their faded glory. By the time he's a man fully grown and ready to fight, the war is pretty much over, and the Mōri are entrenched in their power. Even though Motonari is already dead by this point, his two extraordinarily talented sons and the simple fact of the horrible disparity in power between the two forces makes his battle hopeless, but he never despairs.
But he fails. He sweeps through Izumo and takes it almost overnight, but the moment the Mōri retaliate, even his great might on the battlefield can't save them. The Amago Restoration Army is crushed by the overwhelming Mōri forces, and he's captured after he stays behind to hold back the enemy to let his lord, Amago Katsuhisa, to escape.
Impressed by his abilities, the Mōri try to recruit Shikanosuke, pointing out that the Amago are finished, no matter what he does: why fight against reality, when he could become one of the top generals for one of the most powerful clans in Japan? But again, Shikanosuke is defined by loyalty; in later days, he'll be one of the samurai the Edo Period obsesses over as they try to retroactively change what samurai were like in the Sengoku Jidai.
Being clever as well as brave, Shikanosuke manages to deceive his captors and make his escape, returning immediately to his lord's side to try once again to restore the Amago. He secures the aid of Oda Nobunaga, who at this time is campaigning against the Mōri, and with the aid of Hashiba Hideyoshi they once again begin to take castles in Izumo. But Nobunaga is a disinterested ally in best, and while an army of 30,000 attacks the Amago, Nobunaga orders his forces to use this opportunity to attack them elsewhere rather than support the Amago. Besieged with no hope this time of securing escape, Shikanosuke surrenders and agrees to serve the Mōri in exchange for his lord's life, only to find that Katsuhisa has killed himself in the castle. The Mōri take no chances with Shikanosuke, and arrange his murder.
In the end, Shikanosuke deconstructs the "one-man army" idea. A single warrior, however brave, cunning and determined, is not enough to decide the outcome of a war. Shikanosuke hoped that the trials he endured would give him the strength to make the Amago great again, but no matter what trials one undergoes, a single man is just a single man. His loyalty was admirable, certainly, but would he and the Amago have been better off accepting the inevitable?
LEA 92, VAL 96, INT 86, POL 50
Tactic: Crescent Moon - Lowers DEF, but greatly raises ATK
Shikanosuke considered the crescent moon his guardian (he was born under one), and prayed to it at his every trial. When the Amago suffered loss after loss to the Mōri, he prays not for salvation, but to endure trial after trial, so that he might gain the strength to revitalize his liege's clan.
The defining facet of Shikanosuke's life is his unswerving loyalty to the Amago, and he never, even for a moment, gives up on fighting to restore their faded glory. By the time he's a man fully grown and ready to fight, the war is pretty much over, and the Mōri are entrenched in their power. Even though Motonari is already dead by this point, his two extraordinarily talented sons and the simple fact of the horrible disparity in power between the two forces makes his battle hopeless, but he never despairs.
But he fails. He sweeps through Izumo and takes it almost overnight, but the moment the Mōri retaliate, even his great might on the battlefield can't save them. The Amago Restoration Army is crushed by the overwhelming Mōri forces, and he's captured after he stays behind to hold back the enemy to let his lord, Amago Katsuhisa, to escape.
Impressed by his abilities, the Mōri try to recruit Shikanosuke, pointing out that the Amago are finished, no matter what he does: why fight against reality, when he could become one of the top generals for one of the most powerful clans in Japan? But again, Shikanosuke is defined by loyalty; in later days, he'll be one of the samurai the Edo Period obsesses over as they try to retroactively change what samurai were like in the Sengoku Jidai.
Being clever as well as brave, Shikanosuke manages to deceive his captors and make his escape, returning immediately to his lord's side to try once again to restore the Amago. He secures the aid of Oda Nobunaga, who at this time is campaigning against the Mōri, and with the aid of Hashiba Hideyoshi they once again begin to take castles in Izumo. But Nobunaga is a disinterested ally in best, and while an army of 30,000 attacks the Amago, Nobunaga orders his forces to use this opportunity to attack them elsewhere rather than support the Amago. Besieged with no hope this time of securing escape, Shikanosuke surrenders and agrees to serve the Mōri in exchange for his lord's life, only to find that Katsuhisa has killed himself in the castle. The Mōri take no chances with Shikanosuke, and arrange his murder.
In the end, Shikanosuke deconstructs the "one-man army" idea. A single warrior, however brave, cunning and determined, is not enough to decide the outcome of a war. Shikanosuke hoped that the trials he endured would give him the strength to make the Amago great again, but no matter what trials one undergoes, a single man is just a single man. His loyalty was admirable, certainly, but would he and the Amago have been better off accepting the inevitable?
Lifespan: 1529-1581 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Talent
LEA 90, VAL 84, INT 97, POL 89
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
Ukita Naoie is kind of the Edmond Dantes of the Sengoku Jidai. His family were retainers of the Uragami, a powerful clan that ruled Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. When he was just 6 years old, his family's suspicious master and jealous rivals assassinated his grandfather and slandered his father, leading to his disgrace, exile and eventual death after years of wandering in poverty.
Nevertheless, Naoie returned to serve the Uragami with his brilliant intellect, becoming a key figure within the clan. But he had not forgotten, or forgiven. Naoie treated the betrayal of his grandfather and father by the people who they had sworn loyalty and companionship to as an object lesson on what life in the Sengoku Jidai is. His kin's murderers had prospered greatly for what they'd done, and Naoie basically went Count of Monte Cristo on all of them, engineering their deaths one by one; framing them, driving them to suicide, whatever it took to destroy them and take their lands and influence for himself. He even married the daughter of one of them and took his lands after forcing him to commit suicide after framing him for attempted revolt.
The whole time, Naoie denies being driven by vengeance. The lesson he took from the demise of his grandfather and father was that trusting in others is weakness. The only thing that matters in life is strength, and the only true strength is one that relies on no one. Naoie doesn't care about revenge, he claims; like Tsunehisa before him, he claims to be above such petty things. All Naoie wants is to gain the power to never rely on another person again.
When the neighboring Mimura clan of Bicchū Province allies with the Mōri and their leader, the supposedly matchless general Mimura Iechika, begins to make moves to take his newly-stolen territory, Naoie foregoes all notions of fairness or honor and simply has Iechika assassinated by gunshot while on the toilet; this is actually the first recorded instance of an assassination involving firearms in Japan.
With his fame and influence in Bizen-Mimasaka at an all-time high, Naoie makes a secret deal with the neighboring Akamatsu clan of Harima to take power from his lord, Uragami Munekage. But the Akamatsu welch on the deal due to infighting, and Naoie's first rebellion fails. But Naoie had foreseen the possibility, and through bribery, blackmail and propaganda did everything he could to drum up as much support among the Uragami retainers and the people of Bizen as possible; Munekage couldn't execute him without ensuring years of unrest, and forgave his rebellion.
And yet, Naoie despises having to make such a move. He had to rely on his connections to others to survive, betraying his own principles. He berates himself for relying on others to succeed as well; to make up for his mistake, he resolves to destroy the Akamatsu as well.
After breaking the power of the Akamatsu (but not destroying them completely), Naoie turns on his master a second time. This time, there are no allies to fail him at the critical moment; Naoie's revolution is entirely internal, and entirely successful. Uragami Munekage flees his former domain forever, and Naoie takes power quickly and ruthlessly, even managing to add Bicchū Province to his holdings despite attempts by the Mōri to keep him out.
When Oda Nobunaga launches his campaign against the Mōri, Naoie sees which way the wind is blowing, and immediately allies with them. The Ukita become one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's most important supporters; at the Battle of Sekigahara, his son Ukita Hideie would be one of the key commanders of the Western Army.
"Loyalty is not to be clung to. Masters are not to be relied upon. Retainers are not to be depended upon." This is the credo Ukita Naoie lives his life by, to great success. In many ways, he was a reprehensible man, abandoning all morality in the pursuit of greater power. But Naoie understood firsthand, from a very early age, the brutality of the age he lived in, and he chose to embrace it to survive and grow strong.
LEA 90, VAL 84, INT 97, POL 89
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
Ukita Naoie is kind of the Edmond Dantes of the Sengoku Jidai. His family were retainers of the Uragami, a powerful clan that ruled Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. When he was just 6 years old, his family's suspicious master and jealous rivals assassinated his grandfather and slandered his father, leading to his disgrace, exile and eventual death after years of wandering in poverty.
Nevertheless, Naoie returned to serve the Uragami with his brilliant intellect, becoming a key figure within the clan. But he had not forgotten, or forgiven. Naoie treated the betrayal of his grandfather and father by the people who they had sworn loyalty and companionship to as an object lesson on what life in the Sengoku Jidai is. His kin's murderers had prospered greatly for what they'd done, and Naoie basically went Count of Monte Cristo on all of them, engineering their deaths one by one; framing them, driving them to suicide, whatever it took to destroy them and take their lands and influence for himself. He even married the daughter of one of them and took his lands after forcing him to commit suicide after framing him for attempted revolt.
The whole time, Naoie denies being driven by vengeance. The lesson he took from the demise of his grandfather and father was that trusting in others is weakness. The only thing that matters in life is strength, and the only true strength is one that relies on no one. Naoie doesn't care about revenge, he claims; like Tsunehisa before him, he claims to be above such petty things. All Naoie wants is to gain the power to never rely on another person again.
When the neighboring Mimura clan of Bicchū Province allies with the Mōri and their leader, the supposedly matchless general Mimura Iechika, begins to make moves to take his newly-stolen territory, Naoie foregoes all notions of fairness or honor and simply has Iechika assassinated by gunshot while on the toilet; this is actually the first recorded instance of an assassination involving firearms in Japan.
With his fame and influence in Bizen-Mimasaka at an all-time high, Naoie makes a secret deal with the neighboring Akamatsu clan of Harima to take power from his lord, Uragami Munekage. But the Akamatsu welch on the deal due to infighting, and Naoie's first rebellion fails. But Naoie had foreseen the possibility, and through bribery, blackmail and propaganda did everything he could to drum up as much support among the Uragami retainers and the people of Bizen as possible; Munekage couldn't execute him without ensuring years of unrest, and forgave his rebellion.
And yet, Naoie despises having to make such a move. He had to rely on his connections to others to survive, betraying his own principles. He berates himself for relying on others to succeed as well; to make up for his mistake, he resolves to destroy the Akamatsu as well.
After breaking the power of the Akamatsu (but not destroying them completely), Naoie turns on his master a second time. This time, there are no allies to fail him at the critical moment; Naoie's revolution is entirely internal, and entirely successful. Uragami Munekage flees his former domain forever, and Naoie takes power quickly and ruthlessly, even managing to add Bicchū Province to his holdings despite attempts by the Mōri to keep him out.
When Oda Nobunaga launches his campaign against the Mōri, Naoie sees which way the wind is blowing, and immediately allies with them. The Ukita become one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's most important supporters; at the Battle of Sekigahara, his son Ukita Hideie would be one of the key commanders of the Western Army.
"Loyalty is not to be clung to. Masters are not to be relied upon. Retainers are not to be depended upon." This is the credo Ukita Naoie lives his life by, to great success. In many ways, he was a reprehensible man, abandoning all morality in the pursuit of greater power. But Naoie understood firsthand, from a very early age, the brutality of the age he lived in, and he chose to embrace it to survive and grow strong.
The Mōri will get their own thing later.
Aioria
The Gold-fanged Lion
First of all, here's the map again:
Just some ideas on how to implement systems, characters, etc. Gonna be taking a lot of inspiration from the more recent Nobunaga's Ambition games.
One thing that I like in that the more recent games, both characters and clan have a "Tenet" category that denotes their feelings toward innovation. On the clan level, this affects what policies the daimyō can implement, while on the personal level it affects loyalty. The three categories are pretty self-explanatory: "Progressive," "Neutral" and "Conservative." A clan's Tenet is decided (not factoring in special buildings and whatnot) by the Tenet scores of all the clan's members, though the daimyō obviously carries much more weight than any individual clansman or retainer.
There are also "Ideals," which denote a character's motives for what they do. In-game it just affects loyalty, but it's also a good insight into character. The Ideals are Fame, Clan, Profit, Justice, Talent, Mastery, and Spirit. Also Ambition, but only one character has that (no guesses as to who that is).
Anyway, first I'm going to think about how to portray certain characters in the Chūgoku region.
The borders on the map mark the modern-day prefectures, BTW, not the old provinces.
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Lifepsan: 1458-1541 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Spirit
LEA 88, VAL 77, INT 99, POL 88
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
It would be easy to write Tsunehisa as nothing but a greedy, backstabbing schemer. As anyone who knows my writing can guess, I don't like taking the easy route with characterization, and while they usually go for the low-hanging fruit in Samurai Warriors, Koei tends to agree with me when they write Nobunaga's Ambition. They've made Tsunehisa someone who I don't really understand, but am intrigued by, which I think is the point.
First of all, note his Ideal. I'm actually not sure what "Spirit" means, but Tsunehisa shares it with people like Takeda Shingen and Date Masamune. I think it might denote fighting for a cause or belief that's more spiritual/conceptual, rather than something more personal or concrete like "Clan" or "Profit" are. Both Shingen and Masamune made great sacrifices to try to bring peace and prosperity to their people, even killing members of their own family; the only way to really make that palatable is to give them some higher purpose they're fighting for.
So what's Tsunehisa's ideal? I don't really want to make the things Tsunehisa does justified, per se, nor even understandable, but they should be something that makes him interesting.
I think I want Tsunehisa to be a man who has willingly chosen to embody the chaos of the Sengoku Jidai. He's survived and thrived because he, more than anyone of his time, has taken to heart the lessons of his era, and even revels in it and finds it admirable. In the Sengoku Jidai, power and success are the ultimate signifiers of righteousness; concepts of honor and loyalty are to be held only by those without the power and the will to subvert them.
To pursue the goal of being a "Sword Saint," many swordsmen cut down people who had never done them any harm, not because they bore them ill will, but because that is the Way of someone who pursues true mastery of the sword. As the "Saint of Schemes," Tsunehisa, I think, will approach his schemes in a similar way. He doesn't do what he does for profit, or out of malice; he does it because it is his Way There's no hard feelings for the people he crushes, they're just steps on his road to perfection of his Way.
In most cases, but Motonari will evoke a different response. I plan to portray Motonari as the greatest strategist of the Sengoku Jidai (meanwhile Shingen will be the greatest general, Kenshin the greatest warrior, and Ujiyasu the greatest civil official), and as such he becomes the one rival that Tsunehisa feels any strong emotion towards. Being significantly older than Motonari (30+ years) and given geography, I think Motonari will have learned much of his early schemes and tactics from stories of Tsunehisa's exploits. Tsunehisa will recognize this, and also that Motonari threatens to not only match him as a schemer, but surpass him, and will single him out to the exclusion of all others. Even when the Mōri are just minor Aki daimyō serving as lackeys to the Ōuchi, Tsunehisa will recognize them as his greatest threat. His death will coincide only with the failure of his very last scheme to kill Motonari, and he will die not with bitter words, but by saying that he will live on in the schemes of Motonari and anyone inspired to plot and conspire because of him, and a request for Motonari to continue to "walk the path of conquest with me."
At the same time, Tsunehisa isn't totally inhuman in his behavior; he recognizes the awfulness of the times he lives in, even as he embraces them. When his grandson and successor Haruhisa returns from killing his own rebellious uncle (Tsunehisa's 3rd son Okihisa) and tries to act like it doesn't affect him, Tsunehisa will chide him for it, saying that it's important to recognize the inherent foolishness and difficulty of fighting your own kin, but at the same time telling him that this is a task that the head of a clan in these times must be able to bear. And when Haruhisa falls short as a schemer (albeit only compared to Tsunehisa and Motonari themselves) and suffers defeat, Tsunehisa will offer him comfort and assure him that he still has time to grow. Even as Tsunehisa discards his own siblings and sons for the sake of his schemes, he does everything in his power to protect Haruhisa, and Motonari notes at times that it would help his schemes more not to do so. No matter how he tries to discard his feelings to better encapsulate the Way of a schemer, Tsunehisa will always have a soft spot for his grandson.Lifespan: 1513-1560 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Fame
LEA 94, VAL 85, INT 90, POL 89
Tactic: Crack Troops - Raises melee ATK and SPD and destroys stockades
Haruhisa is a young man (just 22 at the time he kills his own uncle and becomes his grandfather's heir and general) who lost his father before he ever knew him, and so in lieu of him idolizes his grandfather. He doesn't really understand Tsunehisa, and believes that when Tsunehisa talks of being "above" petty evil (speaking of the fact that he schemes because it is his Way and not for profit or malice), Haruhisa takes it to mean that his grandfather's schemes are for the greater good. After all, his scheming has ensured Amago rule over many provinces that now don't fight each other constantly as they did before his rule.
Haruhisa lives in his grandfather's shadow; though very intelligent as a strategist in his own right, he's really more a commander than a schemer and just doesn't measure up to his grandfather or his grandfather's great rival Motonari. He's thus driven to recklessness in his drive to make a name for himself, to prove to the world that he truly is Tsunehisa's heir. He leads the Amago's march toward the capital with great skill, getting as far as Harima (after that, the only thing standing between him and the capital would be Settsu Province) before being forced to turn back when the Ōuchi and Mōri threaten the Amago lands.
Haruhisa will at first be dismissive of Motonari, seeing only his lack of real power, but Tsunehisa's constant admonitions against this kind of thinking, and comparisons Tsunehisa will make to Motonari and Haruhisa, will make him Haruhisa's special target when he returns from his aborted campaign. His numbers will make him confident, but Motonari's unconventional tactics will slow and weaken his much larger army until Sue Harukata sweeps in with reinforcements, dealing Haruhisa a humiliating loss.
Incidentally, this will also lead to the last stand of Harukata's uncle, Amago Hisayuki. Hisayuki will argue against Haruhisa's protracted campaign in Aki and urge him to retreat, leading the brash Haruhisa to mockingly name him the "Coward of Yashū" and expel him from his council. When the tide of the battle turns, Hisayuki and only a handful of soldiers will volunteer to guard Haruhisa's retreat. Hisayuki will swear to take as many of the enemy with him as he can and refuse to think of retreat or surrender, and will urge his men to do the same by asking them if they have less courage than the "Coward of Yashū." They all die to a man, but stall the enemy long enough for Haruhisa and the bulk of the Amago forces to retreat back to Izumo.
Haruhisa will be very changed by this campaign, carrying heavy regrets about both the foolishness of his campaign and his terrible treatment toward his uncle, who sacrificed his life for the ungrateful boy who called him a coward. When the Amago's enemies counterattack, Haruhisa will have learned his lessons well: not only is he less brash and reckless, less desperate to make a name for himself, he also learns the lesson that numbers don't replace tactics, adapting Motonari's own tactics to wage asymmetric warfare against a numerically superior opponent. That said, it's still Tsunehisa's schemes that ultimately turn the tables in the Amago's favor, as he engineers a mass defection of the Ōuchi allies that sends them into a bloody rout. Seeing this plan his grandfather had cooked up even before Haruhisa's botched campaign into Aki and with his own contributions to the Amago's defense completely overshadowed by it, Haruhisa will begin to despair of ever matching up to either Tsunehisa or Motonari.
"Despair" pretty much is going to sum up the rest of Haruhisa's life. Again and again, he's outwitted by Motonari, who engineers betrayals and deaths to keep the Amago paralyzed while he devours the Ōuchi lands and then turns to the Amago themselves, eventually causing Haruhisa's suicide in battle. Haruhisa's son, even more out of his depth than his father was, will die when the Amago do, as the Mōri devour them whole.
From a very young man, eager to live up to the legacy of his beloved grandfather that he thinks the world of, Haruhisa's life will be one long string of defeats, humiliations and loss. By the time he takes his life in his 40s, he will be a mere shell of who he once was, driven to the very brink by Motonari and his sons.Lifespan: 1507-1551 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Fame
LEA 84, VAL 60, INT 84, POL 98
Tactic: Caution - Lowers SPD, but raises DEF
A recurring theme that I'll be having with the characters in this quest, I think, will be the comparisons and contrasts between parent and child, and how the parents influence their children. As I mentioned before, Yoshitaka's father Yoshioki was an incredibly successful military man, even taking control of the capital and the Shōgun during his lifetime. But at the same time, Yoshioki's life was essentially a constant battle, always on one campaign or another (Incidentally, though he's dead from the start, Yoshioki's stats are: LEA 93, VAL 91, INT 86, POL 82).
Yoshitaka will have seen the way a life of constant battle wore his father down day after day, year after year, and while he'll respect his father enormously and try to expand his clan's power, he's never going to be as aggressive about it as he could be. Even before his crushing defeat against the Amago leads to the death of many of his friends, retainers, and even his only son and saps his will to expand militarily, he'll always be a man of culture over war. In his mind, his father spent his whole life making the Ōuchi strong, but never got to enjoy the fruits of his efforts. Is it wrong for Yoshitaka to enjoy the results of his father's hard work that was passed on to him? Especially when he still adds to it, albeit in a different manner.
In that capacity, he'll be amazing. In Yoshitaka's time, his capital at Yamaguchi flourishes not just economically but culturally and artistically; while the Ōuchi samurai grumble at his unwarlike pursuits, the farmers, merchants and artisans will all be singing his praises. In a more peaceful time, Yoshitaka would have gone down as a truly great leader.
But the Sengoku Jidai is not peaceful, and a man who is unwilling to don the tool of the military when prompted is not likely to survive.
Sue Harukata was actually once Yoshitaka's closest friend, and the two were raised alongside one another; in fact, before he revolted and placed a puppet at the head of the clan, Harukata's name was Takafusa, a sign of his master's great esteem for him. The betrayal he feels when his once fondest friend turns on him… In the end, Yoshitaka will serve partly as an example of what a different place the Sengoku Jidai is. The ideas of what makes a good leader are very different in this time, and no one is really successful enough to escape the warfare and violence of the times.Lifespan: 1521-1555 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Talent
LEA 96, VAL 89, INT 92, POL 88
Tactic: Pierce - Briefly but significantly increases melee ATK
Only a few characters will be presented as truly evil, and while Harukata isn't quite there, he's definitely going to be one of the most selfish and morally gray characters.
Harukata is essentially born with a silver spoon in his mouth. His father was one of Yoshioki's top generals, and he was raised alongside his eventual master Yoshitaka, who trusted him completely and made him his chief general at a very young age, a promotion he justified with a string of early victories.
As the "Talent" Ideal shows, Harukata is mainly motivated by his pride in his own skills. He takes his title as the "Peerless General of the West" very seriously, and is always eager to prove it. He's good at the more civil side of governance, but his mind is always on warfare, where all the glory and adulation is to be found in a samurai culture.
Like Amago Haruhisa, Sue Harukata will be driven to recklessness in his eagerness; not out a drive to prove himself worthy, but to prove that he's the best. Harukata has been praised and adored for his skills his entire life, and never intends for it to stop. He's at the top of the Ōuchi, and plans to take the Ōuchi to the top.
But then Yoshitaka loses his nerve for fighting, and ignores military matters entirely. Harukata finds himself obsolete in his own clan, finds himself rapidly losing all his influence and favor, losing all the praise and adulation and reward he's grown accustomed to. Motonari, of course, will fan the flames, since weakness in the Ōuchi means opportunity for the Mōri to grow and expand their influence. But in the end, the decision to rebel, to kill his master and closest friend simply so that he can continue to live a life of praise and influence, is all Harukata's.
After gaining real control over his clan, Harukata will completely reverse Yoshitaka's policies, launching full-scale militarization of his domain (which leads to serious economic problems that Motonari and his sons are going to take al ong time sorting out). Recognizing Motonari's skill and growing power, he tries to put him down, but is outplayed at Itsukushima, completely ruined in a battle that, until the very end, he believed would be just one more of the great triumphs that have followed him around his entire life.
During his last campaign, Harukata will repeatedly feel unease, feel like he's walking into a trap he has no hope of escaping, but will dismiss it each time. His entire worldview is built around him being the "Peerless General of the West," after all. He betrayed his master and best friend just to keep that title. If some no-name clan from Aki can get the better of him… what was it all for?
As his defeat grows more and more apparent, as the net closes tighter and tighter around him, Harukata breaks down completely at the gulf that exists between him and Motonari. What drives him to suicide isn't just that he's lost and has no hope of escape, but the simple knowledge that it was all for nothing. His ego destroyed, his motivations rendered moot, his accomplishments undone in a single day, Sue Harukata dies knowing that he'll be nothing but a footnote to Motonari's triumph.Lifespan: 1545-1578 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Justice
LEA 92, VAL 96, INT 86, POL 50
Tactic: Crescent Moon - Lowers DEF, but greatly raises ATK
Shikanosuke considered the crescent moon his guardian (he was born under one), and prayed to it at his every trial. When the Amago suffered loss after loss to the Mōri, he prays not for salvation, but to endure trial after trial, so that he might gain the strength to revitalize his liege's clan.
The defining facet of Shikanosuke's life is his unswerving loyalty to the Amago, and he never, even for a moment, gives up on fighting to restore their faded glory. By the time he's a man fully grown and ready to fight, the war is pretty much over, and the Mōri are entrenched in their power. Even though Motonari is already dead by this point, his two extraordinarily talented sons and the simple fact of the horrible disparity in power between the two forces makes his battle hopeless, but he never despairs.
But he fails. He sweeps through Izumo and takes it almost overnight, but the moment the Mōri retaliate, even his great might on the battlefield can't save them. The Amago Restoration Army is crushed by the overwhelming Mōri forces, and he's captured after he stays behind to hold back the enemy to let his lord, Amago Katsuhisa, to escape.
Impressed by his abilities, the Mōri try to recruit Shikanosuke, pointing out that the Amago are finished, no matter what he does: why fight against reality, when he could become one of the top generals for one of the most powerful clans in Japan? But again, Shikanosuke is defined by loyalty; in later days, he'll be one of the samurai the Edo Period obsesses over as they try to retroactively change what samurai were like in the Sengoku Jidai.
Being clever as well as brave, Shikanosuke manages to deceive his captors and make his escape, returning immediately to his lord's side to try once again to restore the Amago. He secures the aid of Oda Nobunaga, who at this time is campaigning against the Mōri, and with the aid of Hashiba Hideyoshi they once again begin to take castles in Izumo. But Nobunaga is a disinterested ally in best, and while an army of 30,000 attacks the Amago, Nobunaga orders his forces to use this opportunity to attack them elsewhere rather than support the Amago. Besieged with no hope this time of securing escape, Shikanosuke surrenders and agrees to serve the Mōri in exchange for his lord's life, only to find that Katsuhisa has killed himself in the castle. The Mōri take no chances with Shikanosuke, and arrange his murder.
In the end, Shikanosuke deconstructs the "one-man army" idea. A single warrior, however brave, cunning and determined, is not enough to decide the outcome of a war. Shikanosuke hoped that the trials he endured would give him the strength to make the Amago great again, but no matter what trials one undergoes, a single man is just a single man. His loyalty was admirable, certainly, but would he and the Amago have been better off accepting the inevitable?Lifespan: 1529-1581 Tenet: Neutral Ideal: Talent
LEA 90, VAL 84, INT 97, POL 89
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
Ukita Naoie is kind of the Edmond Dantes of the Sengoku Jidai. His family were retainers of the Uragami, a powerful clan that ruled Bizen and Mimasaka Provinces. When he was just 6 years old, his family's suspicious master and jealous rivals assassinated his grandfather and slandered his father, leading to his disgrace, exile and eventual death after years of wandering in poverty.
Nevertheless, Naoie returned to serve the Uragami with his brilliant intellect, becoming a key figure within the clan. But he had not forgotten, or forgiven. Naoie treated the betrayal of his grandfather and father by the people who they had sworn loyalty and companionship to as an object lesson on what life in the Sengoku Jidai is. His kin's murderers had prospered greatly for what they'd done, and Naoie basically went Count of Monte Cristo on all of them, engineering their deaths one by one; framing them, driving them to suicide, whatever it took to destroy them and take their lands and influence for himself. He even married the daughter of one of them and took his lands after forcing him to commit suicide after framing him for attempted revolt.
The whole time, Naoie denies being driven by vengeance. The lesson he took from the demise of his grandfather and father was that trusting in others is weakness. The only thing that matters in life is strength, and the only true strength is one that relies on no one. Naoie doesn't care about revenge, he claims; like Tsunehisa before him, he claims to be above such petty things. All Naoie wants is to gain the power to never rely on another person again.
When the neighboring Mimura clan of Bicchū Province allies with the Mōri and their leader, the supposedly matchless general Mimura Iechika, begins to make moves to take his newly-stolen territory, Naoie foregoes all notions of fairness or honor and simply has Iechika assassinated by gunshot while on the toilet; this is actually the first recorded instance of an assassination involving firearms in Japan.
With his fame and influence in Bizen-Mimasaka at an all-time high, Naoie makes a secret deal with the neighboring Akamatsu clan of Harima to take power from his lord, Uragami Munekage. But the Akamatsu welch on the deal due to infighting, and Naoie's first rebellion fails. But Naoie had foreseen the possibility, and through bribery, blackmail and propaganda did everything he could to drum up as much support among the Uragami retainers and the people of Bizen as possible; Munekage couldn't execute him without ensuring years of unrest, and forgave his rebellion.
And yet, Naoie despises having to make such a move. He had to rely on his connections to others to survive, betraying his own principles. He berates himself for relying on others to succeed as well; to make up for his mistake, he resolves to destroy the Akamatsu as well.
After breaking the power of the Akamatsu (but not destroying them completely), Naoie turns on his master a second time. This time, there are no allies to fail him at the critical moment; Naoie's revolution is entirely internal, and entirely successful. Uragami Munekage flees his former domain forever, and Naoie takes power quickly and ruthlessly, even managing to add Bicchū Province to his holdings despite attempts by the Mōri to keep him out.
When Oda Nobunaga launches his campaign against the Mōri, Naoie sees which way the wind is blowing, and immediately allies with them. The Ukita become one of Toyotomi Hideyoshi's most important supporters; at the Battle of Sekigahara, his son Ukita Hideie would be one of the key commanders of the Western Army.
"Loyalty is not to be clung to. Masters are not to be relied upon. Retainers are not to be depended upon." This is the credo Ukita Naoie lives his life by, to great success. In many ways, he was a reprehensible man, abandoning all morality in the pursuit of greater power. But Naoie understood firsthand, from a very early age, the brutality of the age he lived in, and he chose to embrace it to survive and grow strong.
The Mōri will get their own thing later.
I kinda want to join the amago now, just to avoid Haruhisa's fate.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Well, you're born in 1540, so even if I made that an option it's not very likely you'll be able to change anything until after his death. Though you might give him some hope for his clan's future, at least.
EmpirePlayer
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A pattern that almost always happens in stories of the Sengoku Jidai. Clan A attacks Clan D an is currently winning overwhelmingly. Clans B and C, A's rivals, promptly seize the chance and attack Clan A's territory. Clan A has to retreat, and Clan D breathes a sigh of relief.
So he's does what a spymaster does because he likes doing spymaster-y things and just because he can? (And will benefit him)
Translation: Beware of his character. Smart enough to not get known as a Lu Bu wannabe, and picks his moments for maximum cover to prevent the guy he is defecting to from executing him for being too suspicious.
Motonari is gonna be feeling kinda annoyed at that, won't he? After all, if he beat the Ouchi while Yoshitaka was still in charge, he would have been in a better economic position.
That's your instincts yelling at you. Ignore at own peril.
Kinda smart of Nobunaga. Cold, but smart, as expected.
It's kinda because he didn't have the support. Put a guy like that in the Takeda or Uesugi or any of the more historically successful clans, and he would have possibly turned tides.
So he does not want to be without power or control. Got it.
Well, that and he was not a maverick who rebelled just because he saw something fancy. And he knew when to just fold his cards and not try anything funny.
Not an enviable position, to be honest. Like, okay, how are we supposed to reverse the tide while remaining in Chugoku? Simple, we don't. Problem? Otomo and Shimazu are busy with each other, so don't bother trying to secure substancial aid from Kyushu. Shikoku? There is no prominent clan there by 1560, though the Chosokabe would eventually dominate, that's way later. Kansai? Now that's possible place to look for allies. But then the Oda will come stomping in after a bit and all the clans there will be too busy to help with any war. (Though I know nothing about the region before Nobunaga got his game on and actually managed to take Kyoto, but eh)
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
He does it for the same reason that, say, Miyamoto Musashi spent much of his adult life wandering aimlessly around Japan fighting 50+ duels to the death with anyone who was up for it who seemed like he knew his way around a sword.
But on the other hand, it made them easier to take over once Harukata was dead, and he could score points with the people by making Yamaguchi prosper again (albeit not as much, since Motonari just wasn't a patron of arts and trade on the level of Yoshitaka).
Nobunaga kind of encapsulates both the benefits and drawbacks of a true meritocracy. On the one hand, he doesn't care who your dad is or whatever; if you can make yourself useful to him, he'll employ you to the best of your abilities and reward you accordingly. On the other hand, as Sakuma Nobumori discovered, he doesn't care how long and how loyally you've served him; if you don't continue making yourself useful to him, he will toss you aside without regrets.
Then again, by our standards at least Nobumori largely brought his fate upon himself.
That's kinda the point. One man, however skilled, can't turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless war all by himself.
Among major clans, the best bet would probably be the Miyoshi, but they're kind of busy crushing the Hosokawa, taking control of the capital, and then imploding after Matsunaga Hisahide does what he does best. And man is he gonna be fun when I get to him.
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You know, the portrait makes him out to be very menacing and all that, while I am just stuck thinking 'Damn's he probably just got a very nice tea set if he's smirking like that.'
But yeah, on one hand, interesting exploring other parts of Japan in Sengoku Jidai. On the other hand, part of me still wants to keep the MC embroiled in intrigues around Kansai-Chubu. There's precious few stories actually featuring Nobunaga that I'd jump on a start that leads to exploring Nobunaga's character.
EDIT:
So, if he sees an interesting intrigue action, odds are he might let it happen and see the follow-up instead of quashing it completely?
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Aioria
The Gold-fanged Lion
He does it for the same reason that, say, Miyamoto Musashi spent much of his adult life wandering aimlessly around Japan fighting 50+ duels to the death with anyone who was up for it who seemed like he knew his way around a sword.
But on the other hand, it made them easier to take over once Harukata was dead, and he could score points with the people by making Yamaguchi prosper again (albeit not as much, since Motonari just wasn't a patron of arts and trade on the level of Yoshitaka).
Nobunaga kind of encapsulates both the benefits and drawbacks of a true meritocracy. On the one hand, he doesn't care who your dad is or whatever; if you can make yourself useful to him, he'll employ you to the best of your abilities and reward you accordingly. On the other hand, as Sakuma Nobumori discovered, he doesn't care how long and how loyally you've served him; if you don't continue making yourself useful to him, he will toss you aside without regrets.
Then again, by our standards at least Nobumori largely brought his fate upon himself.
That's kinda the point. One man, however skilled, can't turn the tide of a seemingly hopeless war all by himself.
Among major clans, the best bet would probably be the Miyoshi, but they're kind of busy crushing the Hosokawa, taking control of the capital, and then imploding after Matsunaga Hisahide does what he does best. And man is he gonna be fun when I get to him.
What did Nobumori do?
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
In fact the games divide items into grades based on value, with 1 being highest and 10 being lowest; that particular teapot is a Grade 1 item.
It's definitely something I'd like to write when I can actually devote the time to it.
Well, Musashi didn't beat Kojirō by letting him use his best moves. But it's not entirely out of the question for him to let his curiosity get the better of him.
In the 1570s Nobunaga was facing enemies on all sides, so he assigned his best generals to take on various enemies; Hideyoshi fought the Mōri, Mitsuhide took over Tanba and other places near the capital, Katsuie fought the Uesugi, etc. In 1576, Nobumori was assigned to deal with the rebellious monks and zealots at Ishiyama Honganji. Nobumori was given command over a larger army than any of his comrades, but unlike all of them, he made absolutely no progress the entire time, and in 1580 (4 yea Nobunaga had the emperor mediate a truce with the monks, essentially giving up his 10-year war against them.
The same year, Nobunaga drafted a document containing a 15-point accusation against Nobumori for, among other things, incompetence and negligence. Nobumori and his son were banished to a Buddhist temple at Koyasan, where Nobumori died of illness the next year.
Some have used this incident to paint Nobunaga as cold-blooded and quick to turn against even his oldest retainers, to underscore his failings. Really, though, Nobumori was a complete louse, never devising any overarching strategy for subduing Ishiyama Honganji and spending most of his time holding tea ceremonies. In four years and with the armies of seven different provinces, he never made the slightest bit of headway, meaning he was either grossly incompetent or completely negligent.
Even before this, he was called "Retreating Sakuma" because of his cautious tactics and quickness in retreating. While knowing when to cut and run is a valuable skill for a commander, when that's your most notable skill to the point that it becomes your nickname, it kind of implies certain things about you.
EDIT: In fact, if choosing to be a vassal of the Oda, the PC might get the assignment to besiege and subdue the Honganji in place of Nobumori.
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lel. So he actually cost Nobunaga a lot there. I can kind of see why he cut the guy loose.
It would be a very interesting, if particularly bloody, assignment. Besieging and defeating religious zealots will be one which will take a heavy toll on the army and morale, which explains why he got so many more men. Well, unless you starve them out or use unconventional tactics.
EDIT:
I presume that Nobunaga won't cut someone loose just because of a small mistake if they did everything well previously? It takes big fuck-ups and no making up for it for him to turn on someone?
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
It'd definitely be a hard thing to do successfully while keeping any kind of good reputation intact. Hopefully you won't just copy Nobunaga and go full Mt. Hiei.
Nobunaga's not unreasonable, and he's willing to forgive failures every now and again. All of his best generals suffered major or minor setbacks at one point or another (except Niwa Nagahide, which is part of why he has a reputation as "the reliable one"), but although he reprimanded them when it was their own fault and sometimes reduced their fiefs if the failure was especially bad, he tended to be pretty reasonable about it overall. Nobumori was a special case because his failure was caused at least partly by his own inaction.
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Well, Mt. Hiei is kinda hard to match. Like, burning the entire fucking mountain. Not easy to top that. Maybe half-Mt. Hiei?
I can't see too many alternatives without knowing more, but yeah. Any actual plans will have to need IC info.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Well, there's some evidence that the extent of the burning (and the massacre) was exaggerated, possibly to a great extent, and in fairness most of the people writing about the event had something to gain from casting Nobunaga in a bad light. Even Hideyoshi and Ieyasu had something to gain from presenting Nobunaga as fatally flawed despite his virtues and accomplishments, since it lent legitimacy to their supplanting of the Oda. Hideyoshi especially, since he immediately took a much more moderate, conciliatory approach to the powerful Buddhist temples.
Not that I'm arguing that Nobunaga was above massacring innocent people occasionally when he believed it was necessary, and did exactly that more than once.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
First of all, I should make clear that when I'm talking about the timeline of events and even the events themselves in the characters' lives, these aren't actually matching up with history (or at least apocryphal folklore); unless I indicate otherwise, I'm talking purely in terms of storytelling, not what actually happened or even what I think is likely to have happened. Some events are put in different orders or have motives ascribed to them that have no evidence either way historically, or are altered to fit characters' personalities and portrayals or just to make a better story, and so on. Some of it's just sh*t I make up.
Okay, now for the Mōri clan. This is a good opportunity to bring up the fact that I'm going to be expanding the role of women in the story, because not only does it make things more interesting, it's also actually more true to life. Women are, and have always been, half of the human population, and just because official power and influence has been denied to them doesn't mean they played no role. Especially when we're talking about samurai, who have a culture where women are expected to be able to defend the home while the husband is out fighting wars.
And women did play a role on the battlefield as well. Case in point, Ikeda Sen, daughter of Ikeda Tsuneoki (Nobunaga's milk brother, i.e. his mother was Nobunaga's wet nurse) and wife of Mori Nagayoshi (Ranmaru's older brother) led a Teppō (musketeer) unit made up of 200 women, and is confirmed to at least have fought at major battles such as Shizugatake, Komaki-Nagakute, and Sekigahara.
Anyway...
Okay, now for the Mōri clan. This is a good opportunity to bring up the fact that I'm going to be expanding the role of women in the story, because not only does it make things more interesting, it's also actually more true to life. Women are, and have always been, half of the human population, and just because official power and influence has been denied to them doesn't mean they played no role. Especially when we're talking about samurai, who have a culture where women are expected to be able to defend the home while the husband is out fighting wars.
And women did play a role on the battlefield as well. Case in point, Ikeda Sen, daughter of Ikeda Tsuneoki (Nobunaga's milk brother, i.e. his mother was Nobunaga's wet nurse) and wife of Mori Nagayoshi (Ranmaru's older brother) led a Teppō (musketeer) unit made up of 200 women, and is confirmed to at least have fought at major battles such as Shizugatake, Komaki-Nagakute, and Sekigahara.
Anyway...
LEA 97, VAL 85, INT 100, POL 96
Lifespan: 1497-1571 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
The Mōri was a small clan in Aki when Motonari was young. He was never meant to be head of the clan, but when his father and brother died he became his young nephew's guardian and ruled in his name, and once said nephew died (some claim Motonari murdered him) he became the clan's official head.
In his early years, Motonari increased the Mōri's power and prestige to make them the foremost clan in Aki, but still far from rulers. Like every minor clan in the region, he was sucked into the ongoing conflict between the Ōuchi and Amago clans, and was forced at various times to serve one or the other to ensure his continued survival.
I've already talked about Motonari's rise to power by talking about how he defeated Sue Harukata and the Amago, so I'll skip to talking about Motonari himself. In contrast to Tsunehisa and Harukata (and also in contrast to Haruhisa to some extent), Motonari fights almost exclusively for the sake of his clan. In that way, he very much embodies the feudal nature of Sengoku Japan; he fights and schemes not out of basic, selfish greed, but also not out of some high-minded ideal or compassion for his people. Motonari, at the very end of it, only really cares that his clan survives and thrives, and he has no problem with causing untold misery to his enemies to ensure this (just ask Haruhisa).
This attitude isn't just to those related by kin; a clan is as much the trusted retainers who serve it as the people who have the actual family name, after all. To a lesser extent, Motonari also cares about the people he rules, but it's less out of compassion (though he's not heartless or cruel without reason, so compassion does factor in somewhere) and more the fact that his clan can continue to grow and prosper only because of their labor, and if they're safe and happy then they're more productive and unlikely to rebel.
As for his personality, Motonari is a very stern, demanding man. He has very strict ideas about how one's time should be spent and what pursuits they should enjoy, and in all is a very controlling parent and lord. He's a patron of the arts, but only actually appreciates those that he finds in some way useful to him, and he has no respect at all for samurai who neglect their martial duties for anything, especially on things he finds frivolous. For obvious reasons, even before Ōuchi Yoshitaka loses all interest in military endeavors, Motonari has absolutely no respect for the man.
This disinterest in pursuits he considers unsuitable for a daimyō is also why Yamaguchi is never as prosperous under Motonari as it was under Yoshitaka's rule; though he can recognize the practical value of things like commerce, art and entertainment, he has no appreciation of them for their own merits and isn't as effective or motivated in trying to encourage them as Yoshitaka was. He sees much more value (and effectiveness) in stimulating agriculture and the like, so that's what he focuses on economically.
As for Amago Tsunehisa and Haruhisa, and Sue Harukata? Even though all three men hold some very strong and very personal feelings toward Motonari, the man himself really thinks of them less as people and more as obstacles to his clan's rise to power.
Being the family-focused man he is, Motonari cares greatly for all of his children, and takes a serious interest in their education and well-being. This isn't always expressed in a particularly kind or helpful way because of his personality, but he always has their best interests at heart, and he does his best to foster their own talents as best he can. He's more successful with Motoharu and Takakage than with Takamoto, whose virtues he tends not to understand or appreciate compared to the more obviously useful martial prowess of Motoharu and cunning of Takakage.
Lifespan: 1497-1571 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: Trick Master - Greatly weakens enemies in front
The Mōri was a small clan in Aki when Motonari was young. He was never meant to be head of the clan, but when his father and brother died he became his young nephew's guardian and ruled in his name, and once said nephew died (some claim Motonari murdered him) he became the clan's official head.
In his early years, Motonari increased the Mōri's power and prestige to make them the foremost clan in Aki, but still far from rulers. Like every minor clan in the region, he was sucked into the ongoing conflict between the Ōuchi and Amago clans, and was forced at various times to serve one or the other to ensure his continued survival.
I've already talked about Motonari's rise to power by talking about how he defeated Sue Harukata and the Amago, so I'll skip to talking about Motonari himself. In contrast to Tsunehisa and Harukata (and also in contrast to Haruhisa to some extent), Motonari fights almost exclusively for the sake of his clan. In that way, he very much embodies the feudal nature of Sengoku Japan; he fights and schemes not out of basic, selfish greed, but also not out of some high-minded ideal or compassion for his people. Motonari, at the very end of it, only really cares that his clan survives and thrives, and he has no problem with causing untold misery to his enemies to ensure this (just ask Haruhisa).
This attitude isn't just to those related by kin; a clan is as much the trusted retainers who serve it as the people who have the actual family name, after all. To a lesser extent, Motonari also cares about the people he rules, but it's less out of compassion (though he's not heartless or cruel without reason, so compassion does factor in somewhere) and more the fact that his clan can continue to grow and prosper only because of their labor, and if they're safe and happy then they're more productive and unlikely to rebel.
As for his personality, Motonari is a very stern, demanding man. He has very strict ideas about how one's time should be spent and what pursuits they should enjoy, and in all is a very controlling parent and lord. He's a patron of the arts, but only actually appreciates those that he finds in some way useful to him, and he has no respect at all for samurai who neglect their martial duties for anything, especially on things he finds frivolous. For obvious reasons, even before Ōuchi Yoshitaka loses all interest in military endeavors, Motonari has absolutely no respect for the man.
This disinterest in pursuits he considers unsuitable for a daimyō is also why Yamaguchi is never as prosperous under Motonari as it was under Yoshitaka's rule; though he can recognize the practical value of things like commerce, art and entertainment, he has no appreciation of them for their own merits and isn't as effective or motivated in trying to encourage them as Yoshitaka was. He sees much more value (and effectiveness) in stimulating agriculture and the like, so that's what he focuses on economically.
As for Amago Tsunehisa and Haruhisa, and Sue Harukata? Even though all three men hold some very strong and very personal feelings toward Motonari, the man himself really thinks of them less as people and more as obstacles to his clan's rise to power.
Being the family-focused man he is, Motonari cares greatly for all of his children, and takes a serious interest in their education and well-being. This isn't always expressed in a particularly kind or helpful way because of his personality, but he always has their best interests at heart, and he does his best to foster their own talents as best he can. He's more successful with Motoharu and Takakage than with Takamoto, whose virtues he tends not to understand or appreciate compared to the more obviously useful martial prowess of Motoharu and cunning of Takakage.
LEA 64, VAL 64, INT 94, POL 94
Lifespan: 1499-1546 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: Encourage - Raises ATK of allies in front
Myōkyū (which is almost certainly a posthumous name; I'd use her original name, but it's been lost to time. That's going to be a recurring thing) is Motonari's first wife, and the mother of his three oldest sons and two oldest daughters. She was of the Kikkawa clan, an influential minor clan on the Aki/Iwami border, and despite the political nature of the marriage they seem to have truly loved each other; after her death, Motonari apparently mentioned her frequently in his letters, even sometimes responding to difficulties by saying that they wouldn't have happened if she were still alive. He also doesn't seem to have taken any concubines until after her death.
And that's all history has to say about Myōkyū, so the rest is me filling in blanks and fleshing out a character. For one, I'll be using Motonari's statements about how much he depended on her to extrapolate that in his early years he relied on his wife to help him with the day-to-day administration of the clan; while Motonari is scheming for power and expanding their influence through warfare and deceit, Myōkyū will be growing their power through domestic means, including being a big part of the clan's diplomacy, albeit unofficially.
Within the family, Myōkyū will be the kind maternal counterpart to Motonari's stern paternalism, and when Motonari is away or busy, she's the one who takes up the slack of guiding and teaching their children, being just as responsible for their education as Motonari himself. As such, her death from illness at age 48 is very painful to both the clan's administration and her family.
That's not to say she's some kind of angel; she is Motonari's wife, after all. Myōkyū is just as clan-centric and just as cutthroat as Motonari when it comes to advancing their interests. The plan to have Motoharu and Takakage succeed the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa clans and make them vassals of the Mōri, though carried out after her death, will be masterminded by Myōkyū herself, even though the plan calls for the forced retirement and very possibly the death of her own brother, Kikkawa Okitsune (who Motonari does in fact have killed). Her reasoning for this will be that Okitsune's bad leadership (though an exceptional warrior, Okitsune is easily manipulated, quick to lash out at those who anger him and quick to betray his allies) would likely destroy the clan of her birth at some point if he was left in power.
Lifespan: 1499-1546 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: Encourage - Raises ATK of allies in front
Myōkyū (which is almost certainly a posthumous name; I'd use her original name, but it's been lost to time. That's going to be a recurring thing) is Motonari's first wife, and the mother of his three oldest sons and two oldest daughters. She was of the Kikkawa clan, an influential minor clan on the Aki/Iwami border, and despite the political nature of the marriage they seem to have truly loved each other; after her death, Motonari apparently mentioned her frequently in his letters, even sometimes responding to difficulties by saying that they wouldn't have happened if she were still alive. He also doesn't seem to have taken any concubines until after her death.
And that's all history has to say about Myōkyū, so the rest is me filling in blanks and fleshing out a character. For one, I'll be using Motonari's statements about how much he depended on her to extrapolate that in his early years he relied on his wife to help him with the day-to-day administration of the clan; while Motonari is scheming for power and expanding their influence through warfare and deceit, Myōkyū will be growing their power through domestic means, including being a big part of the clan's diplomacy, albeit unofficially.
Within the family, Myōkyū will be the kind maternal counterpart to Motonari's stern paternalism, and when Motonari is away or busy, she's the one who takes up the slack of guiding and teaching their children, being just as responsible for their education as Motonari himself. As such, her death from illness at age 48 is very painful to both the clan's administration and her family.
That's not to say she's some kind of angel; she is Motonari's wife, after all. Myōkyū is just as clan-centric and just as cutthroat as Motonari when it comes to advancing their interests. The plan to have Motoharu and Takakage succeed the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa clans and make them vassals of the Mōri, though carried out after her death, will be masterminded by Myōkyū herself, even though the plan calls for the forced retirement and very possibly the death of her own brother, Kikkawa Okitsune (who Motonari does in fact have killed). Her reasoning for this will be that Okitsune's bad leadership (though an exceptional warrior, Okitsune is easily manipulated, quick to lash out at those who anger him and quick to betray his allies) would likely destroy the clan of her birth at some point if he was left in power.
LEA 88, VAL 82, INT 88, POL 90
Lifespan: 1523-1563 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's eldest son and heir. After Ōuchi Yoshitaka's failed campaign to defeat the Amago once and for all fails spectacularly and he loses all interest in military affairs, Motonari sees his opportunity to expand his power in Aki and Bingo Provinces. He does this by presenting it as him securing these provinces for the Ōuchi's benefit as well as his own, and uses his sons to cement the illusion that he's still loyal; Takamoto's role in this is to serve as a "guest" (i.e. hostage) of the Ōuchi. Yoshitaka takes a liking to Takamoto (even marrying Takamoto to his daughter), and in his time at Yamaguchi Takamoto gains a deep appreciation for the arts that his father finds irritating.
Though very accomplished in his own right, Takamoto has always been a step behind his more talented younger brothers, which has colored their relationships with each other their entire lives. Takamoto feels inadequate not just when compared to his father, but also when compared to his brothers, who themselves sometimes either resent his status as the heir despite both of them being more accomplished or condescend to him for being less talented than them.
Takamoto is motivated, just like the rest of his family, by the best interests of his clan. He's actually similar to Haruhisa in his idolization of Motonari and his fears of inadequacy, but he also feels something similar in regard to his brothers, feeling he never has as much to contribute as the two of them.
As well as being merely "clever" in a family of geniuses, Takamoto also stands out for being compassionate, even idealistic, amidst a family of pragmatic schemers who rarely shy away from being cutthroat to advance their family's interests. Though he rarely succeeds, Takamoto is always the one who argues for peace over war, cooperation over manipulation, and mercy over ruthlessly crushing the competition. With both the Amago and the Ōuchi, Takamoto will be the one arguing for doing something like they did with the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa, leaving the clans intact as vassals of the Mōri instead of just destroying them utterly. He volunteers to lead a solo campaign to subjugate Izumo Province once and for all, without any assistance from his brothers, for exactly this reason, but his death under mysterious circumstances while on the way there seals the Amago's fate (which is ironic, because one of the leading theories is that the Amago assassinated him). Though once he defeats the Amago once and for all, to the surprise of everyone (including his surviving sons), Motonari very pointedly does not kill Amago Yoshihisa (Haruhisa's son), but rather lets him retire as a monk, possibly out of respect for Takamoto's wishes.
As well as the conscience of the Mōri as a whole, Takamoto is also the family's emotional center, especially after Myōkyū dies. When Motoharu and Takakage start to drift away from their family and Motonari gives his famous "three arrows" lesson to snap them back, it's not either of his more clever brothers that immediately grasps the lesson and explains it to the others; it's Takamoto. Neither of the younger brothers will understand how much Takamoto does to keep the family united and strong until he dies and they have to guard the family's interests as the guardians of Takamoto's young son, Terumoto.
Fun fact: at Sekigahara, Terumoto is one of a trio of people who, IMO, are ultimately primarily responsible for the Western Army's defeat at Sekigahara, though of the three Terumoto bears the least responsibility in my mind. The other two are also members of the Mōri faction.
Lifespan: 1523-1563 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's eldest son and heir. After Ōuchi Yoshitaka's failed campaign to defeat the Amago once and for all fails spectacularly and he loses all interest in military affairs, Motonari sees his opportunity to expand his power in Aki and Bingo Provinces. He does this by presenting it as him securing these provinces for the Ōuchi's benefit as well as his own, and uses his sons to cement the illusion that he's still loyal; Takamoto's role in this is to serve as a "guest" (i.e. hostage) of the Ōuchi. Yoshitaka takes a liking to Takamoto (even marrying Takamoto to his daughter), and in his time at Yamaguchi Takamoto gains a deep appreciation for the arts that his father finds irritating.
Though very accomplished in his own right, Takamoto has always been a step behind his more talented younger brothers, which has colored their relationships with each other their entire lives. Takamoto feels inadequate not just when compared to his father, but also when compared to his brothers, who themselves sometimes either resent his status as the heir despite both of them being more accomplished or condescend to him for being less talented than them.
Takamoto is motivated, just like the rest of his family, by the best interests of his clan. He's actually similar to Haruhisa in his idolization of Motonari and his fears of inadequacy, but he also feels something similar in regard to his brothers, feeling he never has as much to contribute as the two of them.
As well as being merely "clever" in a family of geniuses, Takamoto also stands out for being compassionate, even idealistic, amidst a family of pragmatic schemers who rarely shy away from being cutthroat to advance their family's interests. Though he rarely succeeds, Takamoto is always the one who argues for peace over war, cooperation over manipulation, and mercy over ruthlessly crushing the competition. With both the Amago and the Ōuchi, Takamoto will be the one arguing for doing something like they did with the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa, leaving the clans intact as vassals of the Mōri instead of just destroying them utterly. He volunteers to lead a solo campaign to subjugate Izumo Province once and for all, without any assistance from his brothers, for exactly this reason, but his death under mysterious circumstances while on the way there seals the Amago's fate (which is ironic, because one of the leading theories is that the Amago assassinated him). Though once he defeats the Amago once and for all, to the surprise of everyone (including his surviving sons), Motonari very pointedly does not kill Amago Yoshihisa (Haruhisa's son), but rather lets him retire as a monk, possibly out of respect for Takamoto's wishes.
As well as the conscience of the Mōri as a whole, Takamoto is also the family's emotional center, especially after Myōkyū dies. When Motoharu and Takakage start to drift away from their family and Motonari gives his famous "three arrows" lesson to snap them back, it's not either of his more clever brothers that immediately grasps the lesson and explains it to the others; it's Takamoto. Neither of the younger brothers will understand how much Takamoto does to keep the family united and strong until he dies and they have to guard the family's interests as the guardians of Takamoto's young son, Terumoto.
Fun fact: at Sekigahara, Terumoto is one of a trio of people who, IMO, are ultimately primarily responsible for the Western Army's defeat at Sekigahara, though of the three Terumoto bears the least responsibility in my mind. The other two are also members of the Mōri faction.
LEA 95, VAL 95, INT 92, POL 70
Lifespan: 1530-1586 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's second son, he became head of the Kikkawa in 1550, when Motonari incited angry Kikkawa retainers to force the current head, Motonari's brother-in-law Okitsune, to adopt Motoharu as his successor and then immediately retire. Then he had Okitsune killed, just in case.
After Motonari engineers the takeover of the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa and turns them into Mōri vassals, they become known as the "Twin Rivers" (a play on the "kawa" in their family names, which means "river"), and Motoharu and Takakage very quickly become the two most important of the Mōri retainers/kin. Of the two, Motoharu is the military powerhouse, essentially serving as the Mōri's commander-in-chief, though he usually isn't at the head of naval engagements. He's also the clan's main military strategist, as Takakage usually puts his own brilliance to use in espionage and diplomacy.
Part of Motoharu's military prowess comes from when Motonari was using his sons to secure the permission of the Ōuchi to expand his clan's power in Aki and Bingo. To secure Sue Harukata's support, Motoharu is married to Harukata's sister, making the two brothers-in-law, and Harukata takes Motoharu under his wing, teaching him a lot about military strategy and command while Motonari's busy expanding his power.
In his early years especially, Motoharu is a man who very much enjoys military pursuits, and despite being a very accomplished strategist will sometimes let his desire for a good fight overcome his better judgment, though he's a skilled enough warrior and commander that he usually pulls out a win anyway. If any of the three brothers can be called hot-headed or rebellious, despite all of them being very intelligent and analytical, it'd be Motoharu; he's the only one of the three who is willing to openly defy Motonari, which causes the two to butt heads often. He's also much more straightforward than the other two, though that's not to say that he's incapable of deception.
Motoharu is also the most conflicted with the Mōri's rise to power. Unlike Takamoto, who is kept in the dark about the fact that Motonari is planning the Ōuchi's downfall from the beginning to keep him from getting cold feet (he's only told after Yoshitaka is already dead), Motoharu is fully aware of his father's plans, even as Sue Harukata, whose death he will eventually be party to, weds his sister to Motoharu and treats him like they're really brothers. Family is important to all of the Mōri, and in Motoharu's case he'll have a choice of which family he supports. Ultimately he'll stick with the family of his birth, largely due to Takamoto, who is perceptive and empathetic enough to understand his dilemma and talks to him openly and without judgment about it. At Itsukushima, Motoharu spends the entire campaign trying to find some way to let Harukata live; you can guess how successful that is.
Fun fact: his son and eventual successor, Kikkawa Hideie, is the second of the trio of people from the Mōri clan who are ultimately responsible for the defeat of the West.
Lifespan: 1530-1586 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's second son, he became head of the Kikkawa in 1550, when Motonari incited angry Kikkawa retainers to force the current head, Motonari's brother-in-law Okitsune, to adopt Motoharu as his successor and then immediately retire. Then he had Okitsune killed, just in case.
After Motonari engineers the takeover of the Kikkawa and Kobayakawa and turns them into Mōri vassals, they become known as the "Twin Rivers" (a play on the "kawa" in their family names, which means "river"), and Motoharu and Takakage very quickly become the two most important of the Mōri retainers/kin. Of the two, Motoharu is the military powerhouse, essentially serving as the Mōri's commander-in-chief, though he usually isn't at the head of naval engagements. He's also the clan's main military strategist, as Takakage usually puts his own brilliance to use in espionage and diplomacy.
Part of Motoharu's military prowess comes from when Motonari was using his sons to secure the permission of the Ōuchi to expand his clan's power in Aki and Bingo. To secure Sue Harukata's support, Motoharu is married to Harukata's sister, making the two brothers-in-law, and Harukata takes Motoharu under his wing, teaching him a lot about military strategy and command while Motonari's busy expanding his power.
In his early years especially, Motoharu is a man who very much enjoys military pursuits, and despite being a very accomplished strategist will sometimes let his desire for a good fight overcome his better judgment, though he's a skilled enough warrior and commander that he usually pulls out a win anyway. If any of the three brothers can be called hot-headed or rebellious, despite all of them being very intelligent and analytical, it'd be Motoharu; he's the only one of the three who is willing to openly defy Motonari, which causes the two to butt heads often. He's also much more straightforward than the other two, though that's not to say that he's incapable of deception.
Motoharu is also the most conflicted with the Mōri's rise to power. Unlike Takamoto, who is kept in the dark about the fact that Motonari is planning the Ōuchi's downfall from the beginning to keep him from getting cold feet (he's only told after Yoshitaka is already dead), Motoharu is fully aware of his father's plans, even as Sue Harukata, whose death he will eventually be party to, weds his sister to Motoharu and treats him like they're really brothers. Family is important to all of the Mōri, and in Motoharu's case he'll have a choice of which family he supports. Ultimately he'll stick with the family of his birth, largely due to Takamoto, who is perceptive and empathetic enough to understand his dilemma and talks to him openly and without judgment about it. At Itsukushima, Motoharu spends the entire campaign trying to find some way to let Harukata live; you can guess how successful that is.
Fun fact: his son and eventual successor, Kikkawa Hideie, is the second of the trio of people from the Mōri clan who are ultimately responsible for the defeat of the West.
LEA 93, VAL 74, INT 95, POL 95
Lifespan: 1533-1597 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's third son, he was adopted into the Kobayakawa because they were honestly running out of options; they'd gone through several clans heads that they lost to violence and bad luck, and their leader at the time was both too young and blind, so it was actually an easy sell for said head to adopt Takakage as his heir and enjoy a peaceful retirement.
Of the Mōri's Twin Rivers, Takakage is the brains to Motoharu's brawn (even though both of them are both very intelligent and excellent military leaders); he's the diplomatic mastermind of the clan, their intelligence expert, and is usually the one who has command in naval warfare, as the Kobayakawa navy is the nucleus around which the Mōri navy is built (with much of the rest coming from the Murakami clan, who are essentially a bunch of pirates who control the many small islands between Chūgoku and Shikoku). He's also very active in the clan's civil administration, and when need be can fill in for Motoharu as both a general and strategist. Not for nothing does Hideyoshi later personally give him 350,000 koku of land and later plan to name him one of the "Six Elders" slated to act as Hideyori's regents until he comes of age (this plan is foiled when Takakage dies of old age, meaning there's just five elders).
Takakage is the most like his father of the three. He's a very quiet, private person and a master of hiding what he's thinking of feeling, making even his own brothers frequently question just what's going through his mind. He's the most devious, of course, and just like Motonari he schemes and plots pretty much as a matter of course. He's also the most selfish of the three brothers; where Takamoto is the one most likely to disapprove of his father's actions and Motoharu the one most likely to defy him, Takakage is the one most likely to go behind his father's back. He's still got the good of the clan in mind, but he sees no conflict in also looking out for his own benefit and that of the Kobayakawa, hence his getting so close to Hideyoshi and gaining a great deal of power independent of the Mōri, eventually making the Kobayakawa a close ally of the Mōri rather than a vassal clan. Which makes it either ironic or appropriate that the Kikkawa survived to the Meiji Era while the Kobayakawa didn't even outlive Takakage by 5 years.
Fun fact: his adopted son and successor, Kobayakawa Hideaki, is the third of the trio of people from the Mōri clan who are ultimately responsible for the defeat of the West, and is in fact the most culpable. Not that I'm saying the West was at all guaranteed to win without these three f*cking them over, but their actions definitely sealed its loss.
Lifespan: 1533-1597 Tenet: Conservative Ideal: Clan
Tactic: The Three Arrows - Chance to confuse enemy when shooting
Motonari's third son, he was adopted into the Kobayakawa because they were honestly running out of options; they'd gone through several clans heads that they lost to violence and bad luck, and their leader at the time was both too young and blind, so it was actually an easy sell for said head to adopt Takakage as his heir and enjoy a peaceful retirement.
Of the Mōri's Twin Rivers, Takakage is the brains to Motoharu's brawn (even though both of them are both very intelligent and excellent military leaders); he's the diplomatic mastermind of the clan, their intelligence expert, and is usually the one who has command in naval warfare, as the Kobayakawa navy is the nucleus around which the Mōri navy is built (with much of the rest coming from the Murakami clan, who are essentially a bunch of pirates who control the many small islands between Chūgoku and Shikoku). He's also very active in the clan's civil administration, and when need be can fill in for Motoharu as both a general and strategist. Not for nothing does Hideyoshi later personally give him 350,000 koku of land and later plan to name him one of the "Six Elders" slated to act as Hideyori's regents until he comes of age (this plan is foiled when Takakage dies of old age, meaning there's just five elders).
Takakage is the most like his father of the three. He's a very quiet, private person and a master of hiding what he's thinking of feeling, making even his own brothers frequently question just what's going through his mind. He's the most devious, of course, and just like Motonari he schemes and plots pretty much as a matter of course. He's also the most selfish of the three brothers; where Takamoto is the one most likely to disapprove of his father's actions and Motoharu the one most likely to defy him, Takakage is the one most likely to go behind his father's back. He's still got the good of the clan in mind, but he sees no conflict in also looking out for his own benefit and that of the Kobayakawa, hence his getting so close to Hideyoshi and gaining a great deal of power independent of the Mōri, eventually making the Kobayakawa a close ally of the Mōri rather than a vassal clan. Which makes it either ironic or appropriate that the Kikkawa survived to the Meiji Era while the Kobayakawa didn't even outlive Takakage by 5 years.
Fun fact: his adopted son and successor, Kobayakawa Hideaki, is the third of the trio of people from the Mōri clan who are ultimately responsible for the defeat of the West, and is in fact the most culpable. Not that I'm saying the West was at all guaranteed to win without these three f*cking them over, but their actions definitely sealed its loss.
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Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Going back to the Naruto quest, according to a spinoff book Itachi Shinden: Book of Bright Light, there is at least one distantly related branch family of the Hyūga called the Kohinata. A member of this family, an ANBU named Mukai, was able to awaken a single Byakugan as a "genetic throwback" and used a possibly self-taught variation of the Gentle Fist. Mukai was in his mid-30s during Itachi's tenure as an ANBU captain, and was killed (with some difficulty) by Itachi and Shisui working together, as Danzo suspected him of being a double-agent for Kirigakure.
I might include the Kohinata as one of the "minor clans" I give the option of being born into, with the possibility of awakening the Byakugan. Full-blooded Hyūga aren't going to be an option for various reasons.
I might include the Kohinata as one of the "minor clans" I give the option of being born into, with the possibility of awakening the Byakugan. Full-blooded Hyūga aren't going to be an option for various reasons.
- Location
- The Middle of the Howling Wilderness
Wait. Itachi and Shisui were basically S-class ninjas, right? Like, Itachi defected from Konoha and basically walked onto the Akatsuki roster. And Shisui was similarly strong? How ridiculous was Mukai?
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
They were good, but they definitely weren't S-rank during this time. Itachi only unlocked the Mangekyo Sharingan and its Tsukuyomi powers upon Shisui's death, and when he killed the Uchiha clan it was with Obito's assistance and he had the advantage of none of them suspecting him. And while Shisui attained a certain level of fame for his skills, that doesn't mean he was S-rank, either, at least not without his Mangekyo and its power, Kotoamatsukami.
Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir Quest
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Miraculous. A name for ancient gems inhabited by benevolent guardian spirits known as Kwami. Dating back to the dawn of humanity, the Miraculous, worn as jewelry, have granted incredible power to their wearers, each based around the real or imagined characteristics of a certain animal. Many were chosen by the Miraculous themselves to become champions of good and guardians of humanity, and in this way they have been the inspiration for tales of heroes, demigods and half-animals throughout history.
But occasionally, it is by chance or even by theft that one becomes master of a Miraculous, and either great good or great evil could come from this acquisition, depending on the person in question. Some of the greatest heroes attained their Miraculous without ever being chosen… as have some of the greatest villains.
When the world does not truly need their guidance and protection, the Miraculous enter a period of dormancy, with only a single Miraculous - the Turtle - kept awake to keep watch over its slumbering kin. So it has been for many years… until now. One of the Miraculous has been stolen, and its wielder has turned it toward evil ends. The aged master of the Turtle, unable to combat this evil himself, has begun to gift the Miraculous to worthy chosen wielders to combat this evil. In Paris, France, heroes and villains battle for the incredible power of the Miraculous.
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Basically, Miraculous: Tales of Ladybug and Cat Noir (often shortened to Miraculous Ladybug or just Miraculous) is a Magical Girl/Superhero CG cartoon that's a joint production between a Japanese animation studio and a French one. It's got a big budget ($11 million, 4-5x the normal budget of an anime and 1.5-2x that of most Western cartoons), which gives it really good animation and special effects for a CG cartoon, but the show itself is fairly stock for the most part; if you like the genre, you'll probably enjoy it. The backstory behind the premise is interesting enough and the characters (mostly) likable enough that the cheesiness of it all is usually charming rather than grating, and the powers are often unique and used creatively enough that you don't spend every fight facepalming at the enforced stupidity to keep the plot going. Anyway…
There are seven known Miraculous: the Ladybug and Cat (used by the two protagonists), which are considered the most powerful (representing creation and destruction respectively, as well as good and bad luck) and will supposedly grant ultimate power if used at the same time by the same person (and thus the villain wants them), the Butterfly (used by the villain), the Turtle (used by the wise mentor character), the Fox and Bee (under lock and key by the mentor character and destined for certain other characters), and the Peacock (spoilers).
Each Miraculous enhances physical attributes (how much and which ones depend on the Miraculous in question), and gives access to a unique (unbreakable) weapon and one primary unique superpower and possibly a few secondary ones; the primary one uses up a lot of power, and can usually only be used once per transformation, after which the transformation wears off after about 5 minutes and the Kwami needs to recharge (usually by resting and eating) before it can transform the user again. To give an idea of where the power scale falls, here's a rundown of the ones whose powers we know:
Ladybug: Physically, it grants enhanced speed, agility and reflexes, and to a lesser extent enhances endurance and strength. Its weapon is a yo-yo that never seems to run out of string, which when combined with the agility and reflexes allows for what's basically web-slinging. Its unique power is "Lucky Charm," which creates an item that can help the user accomplish whatever their current goal is… if they're creative enough to figure out how to use it. It also seems to have the power to purify corruption and cure the damage that said corruption has caused (i.e. it allows for Magical Girl-style erasing of all consequence after the villain is defeated). Its transformation command is "Spots on!"
Cat: Physically, it grants enhanced speed, agility and reflexes, and to a somewhat lesser extent enhances endurance and strength; in this quest at least, it also enhances hearing and night vision and imparts the ability to move more quietly. Its weapon is a staff that either contracts into a Daredevil-style cudgel or extends to great lengths; it also has retractable "claws" in the hands. Its unique power is "Cataclysm," which can damage or destroy whatever the user touches (unfortunately, because it's being used by a hero against brainwashed and transformed humans, it's user needs to be more clever than you might think in how he uses this). Its transformation command is "Claws out!"
Butterfly: Unique in that it doesn't grant its power directly to the user, but instead gives the user the ability to grant powers to their own chosen champions, who become its loyal followers, giving them powers based on their own skills and personalities. To seek out the proper candidates, the user can sense powerful emotions both positive and negative. The villain, Hawk Moth, has twisted this power to his own ends; rather than choosing righteous champions to empower to fight evil, he finds people at their most vulnerable and affected by negativity and twists them into powerful but wicked mockeries of their former selves, which are (loosely) aligned to his will. Its transformation command is "Dark wings, rise!"
Turtle: Hasn't been seen in action, but seems to grant longevity and healing powers.
The Kwami of these Miraculous are respectively called Tikki, Plagg, Nooroo and Wayzz. The Bee, Fox and Peacock Miraculous have all been seen but haven't been used yet (though the users of the former two have been revealed). The naming rule for Kwami is apparently that the names have to be short and have double letters.
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Anyway, some ideas for OC Miraculous, and ideas for the character who uses them.
[] Horse
The Horse Miraculous is one of the most straightforward, and is built mostly for direct combat. It provides greatly enhanced speed, durability and strength, and also enhances agility to a much lesser extent. Its unique weapon is a lance, which can grow in size and weight to add more power behind a charge or leaping thrust. Its unique power is also simple; "Charge," which propels them forward at great speeds and with equally great force; if used alongside their lance, it allows for a single virtually unstoppable attack. The default name for the wielder of the Horse Miraculous while transformed is "Warhorse," and the default transformation command is "Let's ride!"
By default, the wielder of the Horse Miraculous is very driven and passionate, as well as honest and straightforward. They don't fear or avoid hard work or even danger if they feel it's something that must be done (and in fact often thrive on it), and their loyalty to those they care about runs deep. On the other hand, they can be very stubborn once they've made up their minds about something. When transformed, their personality is largely unchanged, though they play up their courage and drive to inspire the civilians and keep them from getting scared when things seem to be going badly.
The wielder of the Horse Miraculous comes from a relatively humble background, and though hardworking, they don't have much in the way of personal ambition and aren't much concerned with things like status or material goods.
[] Snake
The Snake Miraculous enhances speed and agility, and to a lesser extent durability and strength; it also grants incredible flexibility, making the user's movements while transformed seem almost boneless (which can be more than a little disturbing). Its unique weapon is a whip that can constrict something it's wrapped around with crushing force. Its unique superpower is "Snakebite," which imparts a kind of mystical "venom" onto anyone or anything the user touches or strikes with their whip, which can do anything from paralyze an opponent to causing hallucinations to causing inanimate objects to break down as though scoured with extremely powerful acid, al at the user's will. The default name for the wielder of the Snake Miraculous's transformed state is "Whitesnake" (good luck trying to sue you), and their default transformation command is "Fang, bared to strike!"
By default, the wielder of the Snake Miraculous is handsome, cunning and calculating to the point of cold-bloodedness, keeping their calm under pressure to a startling degree. They are outwardly very polite and charming, though it sometimes comes off as almost predatory to some people. They constantly size up those around them to various ends, and have no problem with using people to get what they want. But while manipulative, even ruthless, in the pursuit of their goals, they're not actually malicious, even toward people they don't like, and while selfish, they're not above caring for some people. Their motives for protecting Paris are mostly self-interested, and the Snake wielder is the most likely of the options presented here to use the power of their Miraculous for selfish gain.
The wielder of the Snake Miraculous is the younger child of André Bourgeois, three-time mayor of Paris and very likely to be reelected for a fourth term soon, and the fraternal twin of Chloe Bourgeois. They have no compunctions against using the resources and connections of their doting father to advance their own future, and have made convincing him to let them do so an art form. Their future, in whatever field they choose to take up, is likely to be very bright.
[] Owl
The Owl Miraculous enhances speed, agility, durability and strength in roughly equal amounts; it also enhances hearing and night vision, and imparts the ability to move in complete silence, even more so than the Cat Miraculous. Its unique weapon is the feathery "cloak" that's attached to the arms of the costume; the feathers can become as hard as steel to become a powerful defense, and can be launched like throwing knives. The cloak can also stiffen into a glider that allows for silent gliding over significant distances. Its unique power is "Nighteye," which allows the user to see through all manner of obstructions, from lies to illusions to solid objects; it even occasionally allows the user to glimpse the past or future to better guide them to the answers to their questions. The default name for the wielder of the Owl Miraculous is "Night Owl," and the default transformation command is "Silent wings, rise!"
By default, the wielder of the Owl Miraculous is very reserved around others, rarely showing emotion or speaking unless spoken to; combined with good looks and good grades, this gives them a reputation as cool and unapproachable. In reality, this reservation is largely a response to self-consciousness and social awkwardness. Despite pushing others away, the user is interested in people, and often observes their goings-on around them. Because of this and a practiced talent for spotting minor details (thanks partly to a love of mystery novels), the user can recognize and identify even very minor personal habits, tics and patterns of behavior, and can analyze the meaning of them with surprising accuracy. On the rare occasion someone goes to them for help, they usually try to help to the best of their ability, and actually have a reputation for being wise beyond their years and giving good advice, even though they often aren't speaking from any kind of experience and just try their best to muddle along when giving advice. Despite not speaking up or acting unless approached first most of the time, the user has very strong opinions on right and wrong and hopes to be a detective one day. When in their superhero identity, the anonymity allows them to be more bold and sure of themselves, but they remain quiet and stoic. The reasons, however, are different; the user of the Owl Miraculous is a big fan of a superhero known as the "World's Greatest Detective," and tries to consciously emulate them.
The user of the Owl Miraculous is the grandchild of Mr. Damocles, the beleaguered headmaster of the high school the protagonists attend (mostly because Damocles's design very consciously evokes an owl). Mr. Damocles is a very fair man, however, and while he loves his grandchild he is very scrupulous in not allowing for any kind of special treatment due to family ties, not that the user would exploit them either way.
- Location
- Leeds
I'd have to look up the show but could you just say how you'd be expecting this to play as a story?
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Basically, it'd be balancing out the show's Monster of the Week shenanigans and "normal" problems that come from being a superhero with a civilian life, and in-between that (the focus it gets depending on the voters) trying to learn more about the Miraculous themselves; their history, their origins, the true extent of their power. There's also potentially investigations to make tied to the Miraculous, but any more than that would be spoilers.
There'd probably be relationship stuff, too, considering how quests tend to go.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
Well, the siege of Ishiyama Honganji is actually quite interesting, as is Honganji Kennyo (more properly known as Kennyo Kōsa) himself. Suffice to say, the religious landscape of Japan at the time was... complicated. I'll try to keep it simple. Key word: try.
During the Sengoku Jidai many people turned to religion to deal with the world of chaos they found themselves in. This led to a revival of Buddhism and the creation or revitalization of many sects and an emphasis on individual salvation, not entirely unlike the Protestant Reformation in Europe. Some of these groups became quite radicalized. The most important of these branches was the Jōdo Shinshū ("True Essence of the Pure Land Teaching"), which was founded during the Kamakura Shōgunate (1185-1333) by the Buddhist monk Shinran (1173-1263). At the site of Shinran's burial temple was built a temple, called Hongan-ji ("Temple of the Primal Vow"). The 8th Head Priest of this temple, Rennyo (1415-1499) used the chaos of the Ōnin War and the subsequent early years of the Sengoku Jidai to unite most of the disparate sects of Jōdo Shinshū temples under the leadership of Hongan-ji, as well as reforming the sect's liturgy and practices to broaden their appeal among many different social classes, particularly the lower classes. For this reason, Rennyo is hailed as the "Second Founder" of Jōdo Shinshū, which is today the most widely practiced sect of Buddhism in the country.
That leads us to the Ikkō-ikki; mobs of peasant farmers, Buddhist monks, Shinto priests and local nobles who rose up against the rule of daimyō. The Ikkō-ikki were believers of Jōdo Shinshū, most particularly the part of it that claims that all human beings are equally saved by the grace of Amida Buddha. The rise of the Ikkō-ikki can be directly traced to Rennyo's efforts to popularize his teachings, and despite preaching pacifism he had a very ambivalent and pragmatic relationship with them, frequently using them to defend his temples from aggression while simultaneously keeping a level of plausible deniability about his influence over them. In 1486 they did something completely unprecedented: they overthrew the Shugo (governor) of Kaga Province and took over, creating the first government in Japan's recorded history that wasn't ruled by nobles or samurai (later there was also the merchant city-state of Sakai).
The Ikkō-ikki continued to spread even after Rennyo's death, and Hongan-ji established branch temples (which were as fortified as castles) throughout the country, but most famously at Nagashima on the border of Owari and Ise Provinces, as well as in Mikawa.
Which brings us to the 11th Head Monk of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, Kennyo. First of all, I should note that Kennyo was a direct descendant of Rennyo, as were the 9th and 10th head monks, and the 7th head monk was Rennyo's father; just as with both the early Christian church and the Protestants, different sects of Buddhists at the time had different notions about priestly celibacy, and some sects just flat-out ignored them; in powerful temples and sects especially this made the leadership every bit as feudal as every other form of government in Japan at the time. This also opened them up to things like marriage alliances, which is where Kennyo gets involved in Oda Nobunaga's rise to power.
In 1570 Takeda Shingen waged war on the Oda and their allies, the Tokugawa, and had been in a long-standing conflict with the Uesugi. Kennyo was his relative by marriage, and so he asked Kennyo to leverage the Ikkō-ikki to support his efforts. Kennyo did so, convincing the Ikkō-ikki in Kaga to attack the Uesugi, relieving Shingen of pressure to the north so that he could attack the south and west. That very same year Nobunaga began the longest siege in Japanese history on Ishiyama Hongan-ji.
Ishiyama Hongan-ji had been built up over the years into a fortress, believed to be nigh-impenetrable, and Kennyo made an alliance with the Mōri, whose fleet had established near-total control of the Inland Sea between Shikoku and Honshu; this allowed Kennyo to continually receive supplies even while besieged. He also established alliances with many of Nobunaga's other enemies, particularly the Asakura, the Azai, the Miyoshi, the warrior-monks of Mt. Hiei, even the Uesugi that he had incited his followers into attacking. Finally, he also urged his many temple-fortress outposts to fight against Nobunaga, particularly at Nagashima. At Ishiyama Hongan-ji alone Kennyo had an army of 15,000 religious fanatics under his direct command. And he also had reinforcements from Kii Province.
The Saika are often portrayed as mercenaries in fictional media, but in fact the Saika-ikki were one of many groups of Ikkō-ikki, and along with the allied Negoro-ikki virtually ruled Kii (between Kaga, Kii, and Settsu, the home of Ishiyama Hongan-ji, Kennyo essentially held control of three provinces). The Saika-ikki and Negoro-ikki both supported Hongan-ji during its siege, each providing about 3,000 elite arquebusiers.
With all these defenses, Nobunaga was unable to directly take Ishiyama Hongan-ji. So he turned over the actual siege to Sakuma Nobumori while he set about making Sakuma's job easier; he attacked Hongan-ji's other outposts, particularly at Nagashima, and after a long siege he completely butchered the defenders; all told, 20,000 men, women and children, as an object lesson. He crushed the Hongan-ji's allies one by one, and when he destroyed the Asakura of Echizen he began pushing into neighboring Kaga, where Hashiba Hideyoshi and Akechi Mitsuhide saw some success before being reassigned elsewhere; Echizen Province and the offensive against Kaga were given over to Shibta Katsuie in 1576, and by 1582 the last of the Ikkō-ikki were wiped out by Katsuie, despite assistance from the Uesugi.
In 1574 Nobunaga enlisted the aid of Kuki Yoshitaka of Shima Province. The Kuki were minor daimyō who had a reputation for piracy, and were also the headmasters of their own school of martial arts, called Kukishin-ryū ("Nine Gods Spirit School"), of which Yoshitaka was the 9th master. When Nobunaga invaded Ise Province, Yoshitaka supported him, and used his naval experience to prove invaluable in training the until-now fairly weak Oda navy, where they first proved invaluable in destroying Nagashima-ji. In 1578 the Kuki-led navy (now equipped with new iron-clad ships envisioned by Nobunaga) finally defeated the Mōri navy and broke their control over the Inland Sea, also cutting off Ishiyama Hongan-ji's supply lines. Despite this, Sakuma Nobumori was still completely unable to crush the Hongan-ji once and for all, and in 1580 Nobunaga, who was fighting on basically all fronts, had to make a peace brokered by the emperor; this must have really stung, since Hongan-ji was basically on the ropes by this point.
It wasn't a complete loss. The whole reason Nobunaga had attacked the Hongan-ji so fiercely, besides their military power and resistance to him, was economic and political. Under the lead of ambitious, pragmatic Head Monks at Ishiyama Hongan-ji, the temple outposts had been established very strategically. Ishiyama Hongan-ji and other temple-fortresses lay across major trade routes and controlled strategic locations that Nobunaga considered key to control of central Japan (in fact, the site of Ishiyama Hongan-ji would later be the site of Ōsaka, which to this day is one of the most important cities in Japan and throughout the Edo Period was by far the wealthiest); just about every road into the capital from the west was controlled by the Ikkō-ikki, and their populist roots allowed them to receive massive donations from the people that gave them huge economic clout. Nobunaga only accepted the peace deal brokered by the emperor (who received a lot of funding to support the imperial court and its expensive rituals and such from both Nobunaga and Kennyo) because one of the key terms was that Ishiyama Hongan-ji would be demilitarized and abandoned (once the monks were gone, the temple "mysteriously" burned down).
After Nobunaga's death, Kennyo, in a bid to regain some of the strength and influence he'd lost in his war with Nobunaga, courted Hideyoshi, using his power over the remaining Ikkō-ikki (including the Saika and Negoro in Kii Province) to get them to lend Hideyoshi military support in several major campaigns, and was rewarded with a new temple in Kyōto, Nishi Hongan-ji, which exists to this very day and is still more or less the leader of the Jōdo Shinshū sect of Buddhism.
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Huh. So Shingen tried to go South into Hojo lands, and West into Nobunaga's affiliated clans while Uesugi is busy? It is more of a calculated move than I thought.
So, the siege is from roughly 1570 to 1580 historically. Let's take a look at the most salient developments. That would influence the time for an assault and what to achieve to win the siege.
*Armchair Planner/General Mode Activates*
Keyword: Believed. No fort is truly invincible, but the problem is more of a morale issue. Depending on how the men are perceiving the General/MC, you would have to persuade them to actually be willing to charge into the jaws of death that they might think is unbreakable. Maybe siege weapons will help improve morale by knocking down parts of the fort, but there must have been a reason why they didn't shell the Fortress outright in the 10 years.
Maybe it's because any Shelling will be indicative of an attack, because to not attack would mean the men would get even more discouraged?
Regardless, the 1st Salient Point is that there is a belief that the Fortress is inassailable.
The 2nd Salient Point is that they had a stream of supplies. I assume the port is built-into the Fort itself? Unfortunately, barring some good deals, it would be very hard to secure actual naval artillery/cannons to use as a coastal battery for punishing any ship trying to sail through the area.
Actually fairly meaningless,when one considers the situation of the siege. Everyone elsewhere will be dealing with the other enemies, so we don't have to worry about them in context of the siege.
3rd Salient Point. Roughly 21,000 troops at least, with likely more non-fanatics/militia. Its the 6k arquebusiers that are going to be problematic. Fanatics might fight hard and not break easily, but numbers will eventually overcome them. The problem is that the guns are very good at repelling any direct attacks. Knowing the defender is not a fool, I would expect the arquebusiers to be more spread out but not completely spread out. Assuming Hongan-ji has 3 separate but equally viable directions for an attack to come (the 4th being the sea), I would assume each side would have 2k Arquebusiers, ready to fire or move to concentrate firepower the moment an attack comes. An alternate arrangement would be 4k guns on the central area, ready to move to reinforce either flank.
Best way to overcome this would be to make the guns a non-issue until the men are in the fort itself, where the guns would be much less effective. As they say, Threaten in the East, Attack in the West. Trick the enemy into deploying their guns on the wrong side, and close in before they can redeploy more guns on time.
Then again, I would expect the leader to not be an idiot here, so at the very least expect him to still leave some guns on the other sides.
Which is why someone has to do the job for him. Nobunaga has more things to do than stare at an enemy castle all year long.
Not a really important development, but this means enemy morale will start dropping in 1576. If a surrender can be secured...
Which means their gunpowder stores are now limited.
2 years. He had 2 years and could not persuade a surrender or win an assault. Yeah, I can kinda get why Nobunaga's pissed.
Leingod
Immaculate Blooming Lotus
He was attacking the Tokugawa to the south, actually. But yes, Shingen's campaign was very calculated. He always made sure to face Nobunaga while his forces were divided dealing with other things. Not that that was hard; from 1570 onward Nobunaga pretty much always had to be fighting on at least two fronts.
Cannons took longer than muskets to spread throughout Japan; Portuguese traders weren't as willing to traffic in heavy artillery, and the technology wasn't as easy for the Japanese to figure out. The Japanese had to work out how to make their own cannons, and even then it took until 1575 for light cannons to be used in a major battle in Honshu (the Battle of Nagashino, incidentally, where Nobunaga's forces made use of a few bronze two-pounders). A few breech-loading swivel guns were also used, but that's about it.
It wasn't until the Dutch started trading in Japan in 1600 that Japan was able to get its hands on some serious artillery, when 19 bronze cannons were sold to the Tokugawa, who used it in the Sekigahara Campaign. Even then, they were mostly used for naval combat and in fortifications. It wasn't until the Summer Siege of Osaka in 1615 that they were used to great effect in destroying fortifications at Ōsaka Castle, at the time the greatest and most well-defended castle in Japan.
Speaking of which, it gets a lot less attention than Sekigahara here in the west, but the Siege of Ōsaka is perhaps the most badass last stand in Japanese history, and I'm not just talking about Sanada Yukimura.
Anyway, after the Tokugawa Shōgunate banned most foreign trade, cannons were basically only used in coastal defenses and were just as outdated as their guns when Matthew Perry and his ships steamed into Edo Bay in 1853.
The value of those alliances was mostly to relieve pressure on their temple-fortresses elsewhere, like Nagashima and in Kaga.
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Leingod's Idea Thread: aka Three Kingdoms and Warring States Story Discussion Thread.
Seriously though, kinda surprised there are no Tags for either.
Seriously though, kinda surprised there are no Tags for either.