Editing Kensei (section)

==Models==
Note about hats: Some miniatures wear different kinds of hats and for some this can be confusing when deciding which of generic models with multiple options such as Engineers to choose. 
* Some models wear soft black hats called '''Eboshi''', more specifically Hikitate-eboshi, rather than helmets such as the No-dachi Samurai and the Engineer Samurai Daisho. These hats were the preferred hat of most Sengoku Samurai since they maintained an elegant look of nobility while being pliable enough to put a helmet over and large enough to fit various hairstyles in comfortably, and the presence of these hats does not indicate which Clan they should or should not belong to. 
* Most Sohei models wear headscarves called '''Kato''', also called Kashira Tsutsumi, which perform a dual role of keeping the identity of the warrior difficult to discern at a distance (ensuring no personal glory is to be earned from war) and protecting the shaved heads of monks and nuns from the sun although not all Sohei wore them while some actually wore them over helmets; while most Sohei non-Ashigaru non-Samurai wear it, it wasn't exclusive to them and could be worn by any bald person or by the monks which joined all factions in times of war although nowhere near in the numbers that joined the Sohei. 
* Other models such as Ashigaru, Assassins, and the Komuso wear what is called '''Kasa''', which are cheaper hats designed to keep out the weather which are commonly made out of straw or leather with the rare one being metal or bamboo. 
* Ninja re shown wearing '''Zukin''' in stereotypical garb with most of their face covered by it, but the Zukin historically was worn by scholars, artists, actors, politicians including the Shogun as casual wear, many Sohei, and women of all social classes. 

The only hat common to the era which should disqualify some models from being in other factions barring extreme circumstances is actually the '''Kanmuri''', a hat worn exclusively by high nobility which would be reserved specifically for Kuge or any OC Donut Kuge family who joins another faction (religiously joined the Sohei, fell from grace and joined the Buke, cut deals and incorporated economic reforms becoming Otokodate, dying and being reanimated as Kuroi-te)...although this is a moot point since no models wearing a Kanmuri are currently made by Zenit anyway. 

===Common Troops===
The common soldiery, found in all factions other than Kuroi-te and Hattori (unless those Hattori have joined the Kuge). Most come from the class of citizens called Heinin which represent the common workers of cities and the peasantry. Those fielded on foot are called Ashigaru, meaning "soldiers with agile legs". 

Ashigaru in the Sengoku era of real life Japan were technically part of the warrior caste and can arguably be called low-ranking Samurai, prior to the Sengoku era the term Samurai was even more loose and more often referred to cavalry warriors rather than any quality of nobility or armor, in the Edo period after the Sengoku wars ended Ashigaru were locked into the peasant social class). Smart lords don't just send their Ashigaru to die at whim leaving nobody to work their fields, but then again in theory you can afford a few untilled farms if you can take the farms of your neighbors. Ashigaru who perform excellently or are lucky enough to score a kill against an enemy VIP in battle can be promoted to Samurai or even adopted into the Daimyo's own clan as family, and in some clans can even petition for this promotion. Anyone can become an Ashigaru, and many did simply by deciding that working the fields was for the weak and decided to march to a battlefield and wait for one side to gain the upper hand and rush in to kill off the wounded or join a charge using looted gear and were absorbed into the army in the post-battle to earn wages and rewards. In some battles the opportunistic Ashigaru waiting from a hill outnumbered the actual Ashigaru enlisted men enabling the victor to effectively end with double the amount of troops they began with. 

* Hata-Jurushi
Flag-bearers.

<gallery>
Image:Ashigaru Hata.jpg|Ashigaru
Image:Samura Hata.jpg|Samurai
Image:Kuge Hata.jpg|Kuge
Image:Buke Hata.jpg|Buke
Image:Sohei Hata.jpg|Sohei
Image:Otokodate Hata.jpg
</gallery>

* Daisho Yumi
A Samurai Daisho, also called a Mono-gashira, is a Samurai with one or more units under his command who has been proven in battle. They conduct themselves honorably and have veteran status. This Daisho carries a bow. 

<gallery>
Image:Daisho Yumi Samurai.jpg
</gallery>

* Samurai Daisho
A Daisho carrying only a sword. 

<gallery>
Image:Samurai Daisho 1.jpg
Image:Samurai Daisho 2.jpg
Image:Samurai Daisho.png
Image:Date Masamune.jpg|A special miniature produced during the second Kickstarter. Resembles the real life samurai Date Masamune. 
Image:Samurai Daisho Naginata.jpg
</gallery>

* Cavalry Samurai Daisho
A Daisho on horseback.

<gallery>
Image:Mounted Samurai Daisho.jpg
</gallery>

* Daisho Teppo
A Daisho carrying a rifle.

<gallery>
Image:Teppo Ashigaru Daisho.jpg|A Teppo Daisho Ashigaru.
</gallery>

* Ashigaru Daisho
Also called Bugyo, they are Heinin who have impressed their lord and been put in command of one or more non-Samurai units. 

<gallery>
Image:Ashigaru Daisho.jpg
Image:Daisho Ashigaru.jpg
Image:Sohei Daisho Ashigaru.jpg|A Sohei Daisho Ashigaru.
</gallery>

* Kensei
The titular characters available, Kensei are samurai who have attained a reputation across all of Hymukai. Swordsmen at the highest level of skill, masters of the tea ceremony (a MASSIVELY important custom that simply involves preparing and sharing nutritious and delicious tea, symbolizing mastery in all aspects of life from grave to wisdom as well as spiritual fulfillment), artists, poets, writers, sages, and merciful in conflict due to the fact they only fight to '''preserve''' their own honor rather than increase it. Kensei are the ideal of Hymukai society with anyone attaining the title being known across the land, and many respect a hostile Kensei more than the Daimyo they serve. 
Kensei can be found in all walks of life, as likely to be sweeping steps at a Sohei shrine as in the role of an adviser to a Buke warlord, as likely wandering an Otokodate trade road as being a regular in the court of the Kuge. To be able to boast a Kensei in your army both increases your honor and claim to respect as well as gives you access to an INCREDIBLY skilled warrior who can deflect or cut flying arrows with their sword and slice a man clean in half with only their katana.

tl;dr gentleman high-level murderhobos
<gallery>
Image:Kensei-Young.jpg
Image:Kensei-Middle Age.jpg
Image:Kensei-Old.jpg
Image:Kensei-Female.jpg|The special Indiegogo-only female Kensei model. 
Image:Nakano Kensei.png
Image:Nakano Kensei 2.png
</gallery>

* Sensei

<gallery>
Image:Sensei.png
</gallery>

* Kyudo Hanshi Judan
The same as a Kensei, although their art and mastery in combat is with the bow rather than the sword. 

<gallery>
Image:Kyudo Hanshi Judan.png
</gallery>

* Geisha
Geisha are women trained in ways of satisfying the various desires of men. Many function as prostitutes, while others are paid dancers, musicians, poets, and even take on roles such as administering medicine required regularly or in the preparation and presentation of tea. Many lords bring Geishas with them to relieve their minds from the stress of command and battle, to increase the morale of their forces, or to confide their worries and concerns to. Not all can be trusted however, as many function as spies and assassins for their enemies. Still others are absolutely loyal, willing to fight and die for their masters. 

<gallery>
Image:Geishi Loyal.jpg
Image:Geisha Assassin.jpg
</gallery>

* Spy
What did they expect? 
Spies are used both offensively and defensively, either infiltrating the armies or cities of their masters to conduct counter-intelligence or to pose as those unlikely to arouse suspicion like a traveler or monk and blend into enemy camps among drunk and loud-mouthed warriors. Many are kept close by their lords, as a Spy usually the only defense between them and an assassin. 

<gallery>
Image:Spy.jpg
Image:Spy 3.png
</gallery>

* Kabukimono
Kabukimono are lordless Samurai, known as Lunatics and Deviants as well. They contrast between an extremely refined lifestyle by wearing elaborate hairstyles and clothing, and a poor lifestyle by ceasing to shave, being constantly intoxicated, and having absolutely no tact or humility. They challenge everyone they can to martial duels, robbing those who refuse and those who lose. Often these men gather gangs to themselves and represent the bulk of the disorder and misconduct in a village or city.

They do not yet have models. 

* Kagemusha
Body doubles for important individuals, either to prevent assassination or to go about their duties while the actual individual is preoccupied with more pressing ones. 

Kagemusha are represented by the model they are imitating, and thus can by anything fitting.

* Shinobi/Kunoichi
Master Ninja, trained to assassinate enemies. Shinobi are male, Kunoichi are female. All factions will hire their services, although only Kuge will hire them in bulk and field them against regular troops. They may lie in wait on the battlefield for their target, or infiltrate the enemy's own army. Some will cause disarray in the enemy's ranks by shouting that their commander is dead before the assassin actually does kill him in order to cause panic. Kuge have more incentive for taking one than other Clans since taking a Shinobi or Kunoichi allows them to basically merge with the Hattori faction in the same army. 

<gallery>
Image:Shinobi-Young.jpg
Image:Shinobi-Middle Age.jpg
</gallery>

* Ashigaru
Yari Ashigaru are Heinin soldiers who wield Wakizashi, given simple armor to cover themselves with and the banner of their lord to march with. They are equipped with a Hata-jirushi, a suit of light armor. 

* Yari Ashigaru
Ashigaru with a Yari, a type of spear.

<gallery>
Image:Yari Ashigaru.jpg
</gallery>

* Heishi
Heishi are the step below Ashigaru, not trusted yet to be disciplined in the face of the enemy and as a result not as well geared (although some are simply because their lord is too cheap or underarmed to provide it). They are only given a Hara-ate for armor, which covers their abdomen. They are given naginata to fight with.

In real life, Heishi were conscripted soldiers used by the forces loyal to the Imperial Court during the Yamato Period, a term which refers to several smaller periods of Japanese history called the Kofun Period (starting at the dawn of recorded Japanese history via Korean envoys sometime around 250 AD) and Asuka Period (ending in 710); both are grouped as "Yamato" due to that being the location of the Imperial Court at the time (the exact location of the original Yamato is unknown and a matter of intense archeological debate, other cities called Yamato were established later), ending when the capital was moved to Nara. 
Real life Heishi are quite archaic, and represent a very primitive or at least traditional army. The actual word Heishi literally translates simply to "soldier" in English, and doesn't refer to any specific type of soldier. The weapons the Kensei Heishi are equipped with are called Nagamaki, a long-handled katana without a standardized measurement system for make. Nagamaki were an anti-cavalry weapon for infantry that were technically a type of No-Dachi, although usually used by samurai rather than peasant soldiers much less poorer equipped ones which may further support the idea of being based on early conscripted soldiers. 

<gallery>
Image:Kensei Heishi.jpg
</gallery>

* Yumi Ashigaru
Ashigaru armed with bows.

<gallery>
Image:Yumi Ashigaru.jpg
</gallery>

* Katana Samurai
Samurai armed with swords and Hata-jirushi. Not exactly rare as far as Samurai go, although they cost more for a lord to field than Ashigaru. On the plus side, a massacre against you means you still have a backup plan!

<gallery>
Image:Katana Samurai.jpg
</gallery>

* Katana Cavalry
Samurai on horseback armed with Katanas. Many generals ride with them, plunging into the flanks of enemy formations unexpectedly to route them and end the battle. 

<gallery>
Image:Kiba Musha.jpg
</gallery>

* Light Cavalry Yari
Samurai on horseback armed with spears and naginata, the most skilled horsemen among the mounted Samurai forces. They rely on hit and run attacks during the battle.

<gallery>
Image:Yari Kiba Musha.jpg
</gallery>

* Yumi Samurai
Samurai armed with bows. 

<gallery>
Image:Yumi Samurai.jpg
</gallery>

* Ashigaru Slings
Also called Mizumata and Ishitsubute Ashigaru, they are Ashigaru armed only with slings. They are rarely fielded, and usually serve to disrupt enemies moving into melee range while avoiding any actual confrontation. 

According to historian Suzuki Masaya, in battles from the mid-fourteenth to the mid-fifteenth centuries out of 554 examples, the percentage of casualties caused by arrows was 86%, sword cuts 8.3%, rocks 2.7%, spears and stab woounds 1.1%. From the mid-fifteenth to the mid-sixteenth centuries 1461 examples are analyzed with arrow wounds at 41.3%, guns 19.6%, spears and stab wounds 17.9%, rocks 10.3%, and 3% for swords. So in total Ashigaru with slings dealt more damage than Yari Ashigaru prior to guns reaching Japan, and more than swords afterwards. In addition, the general Oyamada Nobushige who served the Takeda clan had a special unit numbering between 300-800 men specifically for the purpose of throwing rocks, albeit with a sling attached to a staff. Unfortunately accounts of actual tactics regarding slings are rare, although skipping stones was a well-known pastime for all classes of society. 

<gallery>
Image:Ishitsubute Ashigaru.jpg
</gallery>

* No Bushi
No Bushi are archers who rely on skirmish tactics, harassing enemy positions and softening up foes before engagement. They come from all social backgrounds and are put into units based on skill alone. 

They do not yet have models.

* Kuro
Peasants not provided any gear, armed only in cloth and farming equipment. They have no discipline or tactics other than to swarm enemies.

Kuro directly translates to "black" in Japanese, and is most likely a reference to the Twelve Level Cap and Rank System created by Prince Shōtoku in the year 603 based on the Chinese concept of the elements. Each social position in Japan was assigned a color, and could not wear colors of a higher rank (similar to the Roman rule of only Patricians wearing purple). Peasants were assigned the color black as their only allowed dye, and although the ranking system was succeeded by other systems and eventually forgotten starting around 647 the cultural symbolism of the colors remained; black is a color of peasantry and the lower classes, but also piety and humility which is why the priestly colors of Japan often includes black. Putting aside the Ikko-Ikki, peasant rebellions happened often throughout Japanese history and peasant militias formed to defend their own villages in times of war when the concerns of their lord were elsewhere, although some Daimyo were eager to use a new source of soldiery when pressed and would send these militias as Ashigaru. 

<gallery>
Image:Kensei Kuro.png
</gallery>

* Onna Komuso
Onna Komuso are highly-trained Batsudo warrior nuns who protect peasants and the roads from bandits while on pilgrimage from shrine to shrine. 

They do not yet have models.

* Bo Hiya
Bo Hiya are Samurai armed with explosive projectile guns.

Use of simply incendiary arrows in Japan dates back to the 6th century in Korea although they were fired by Yumi Ashigaru. The Japanese used gunpowder to fire incendiary arrows for naval combat against the Mongols in the 13th century, but the introduction of matchlock guns by the Portuguese in 1543 resulted in an advancement of the concept to fire a giant winged iron arrow called a "bo hiya" like a rocket, the actual gun itself called a "hiya zutsu" which had the fuse wrapped around the shaft. Hiya zutsu were used often against infantry and were a favored weapon in naval combat due to their ability to light ships on fire; Wako Pirates in particular began using them extensively since they enabled their ships to match the destructive power of the vessels of Samurai clans.

* Taiko
Large drums used both ritually and to command troops or maintain morale in war.

<gallery>
Image:Taiko.jpg
Image:Undead Taiko.jpg|A Kuroi-te Taiko.
</gallery>

===War Machines===

* Engineer
Speaks for itself.

<gallery>
Image:Engie 1.jpg
Image:Engie 2.jpg
Image:Engie 3.jpg
Image:Sohei Engie.jpg|A Sohei Engineer.
</gallery>

* Crew
Likewise. 
<gallery>
Image:HataJurushi Cannon.JPG|A Hata-Jurishi for artillery. 
</gallery>

* OO-Dzutsu
Large caliber siege cannons, reverse-engineered from western shipwrecks off the coast of Hymukai and now produced at home. 

The real life origin of the OO-Dzutsu is exactly the same. Portuguese world explorer Fernão Mendes Pinto had already been selling firearms to the Japanese when he shipwrecked off the Ryukyu Islands, and the locals took the opportunity to strip his ship of everything and begin to replicate what they found from ships to cannons to devices like compasses. The actual word Oo-Dzutsu is the generic word for front-loading cannon in Japanese so technically almost all non-Furanki War Machines are also Oo-Dzutsu. 

<gallery>
Image:Oodzutsu.jpg
</gallery>

* Shibatsuji
A larger version of the OO-Dzutsu, technologically improved by the Otokodate and now sold to all factions regardless of their actual attitudes and policies towards the Otokodate. 

Again, the Shibatsuji differs very little from real history and in fact shares its name with the real life oldest surviving Japanese cannon which was used in the Siege Of Osaka in 1615 by Tokugawa Ieyasu. The cannon itself was named after its creator Shibatsuji Ryuemon Sukenobu. The Japanese adapted quickly to the introduction of firearms by pioneering techniques of manufacturing and battle strategies that took the west centuries to develop, and the most skilled craftsmen were able to create weapons that were far superior to those sold to them. The real Shibatsuji is more similar to the Kensei OO-Dzutsu in size, the Kensei Shibatsuji represents the most advanced Japanese-made cannons which were equals to the largest used by the Dutch themselves. Sadly none of these survive today. 

<gallery>
Image:Shibatsuji Model.jpg
Image:Shibatsuji Real.jpg|The real life Shibatsuji. 
Image:Kuroi-te Shibatsuji.jpg|The Kuroi-te get their own Shibatsuji. 
</gallery>

* Furanki
Defensive artillery on a fixed mount, purchased from Namban Traders. It is reloaded from the rear through an ammunition chamber which is both safer and faster. 

The Kensei Furanki is identical to the real life Furanki in lore and function. Technically called "breech-loading swivel gun", the Portuguese merchants called them "Frenchy Guns" or "Frank Guns" which resulted in the name "Furanki" or "Machine Of The Franks". Furanki were used by westerners as anti-personnel guns mounted on ships but the Japanese preferred to use them in the same role on castles or other fortified positions. Furanki had a maximum firing rate around 3x the speed of all other cannons of the time. One of the few surviving Japanese Furanki belonged to the Ōtomo clan. 

<gallery>
Image:Furanki.jpg
Image:Frenchy Gun.jpg|The real life Ōtomo Furanki. 
</gallery>

* Tahio
Invented in the west but improved by the engineers of Hymukai, the Taiho performs several roles from anti-personnel to siege artillery and is accurate. 

The Tahio was called the Culebrina in the second Kickstarter campaign but after conversations between backers about the historical inspiration of the weapon the name was changed to the Tahio. The Tahio/Culebrina represents the Culverin, the most popular and widespread cannon in the west between the years of 1500-1700 and is the stereotypical cannon most people think of. The "culverin" or "coulevrine" (name originating in the Latin phrase "colubrinus" or "of the nature of a snake")was a handgun invented aroud 1500, which was further engineered into a large artillery piece of the same name by the French which was then adopted by the English and soon after most other European naval powers. 
Tahio/Culverins are smoothbore cannons, usually but not always front-loaded, that fire round ammunition (cannonballs) at long range and flat trajectory. The Japanese purchased great deals of all kinds of these reliable cannons from the Dutch and Portuguese, and made their own in the same style after Oda Nobunaga commissioned them following the Battle of Nagashino in 1575. Most existing cannons of all kinds were purchased by Tokugawa Ieyasu in preparation for the Siege Of Osaka, and he commissioned as many as could be produced as well. 

<gallery>
Image:Taiho.jpg
Image:British Culverin.jpg|A real life (British) culverin. 
</gallery>

* Morutaru
Used by the Sun Empire, adapted by the Hymukai due to its non-linear firing being excellent for sieges and its ability to send smoke signals from long distances.

The inspiration for the "Morutaru" (just Engrish for mortar) has a bit more involved history. 
After the death of Oda Nobunaga, retainer Toyotomi Hideyoshi took control of the Oda clan. After a number of political moves Hideyoshi focused on peacetime pursuits, rather than pursuing the role of Shogun like Nobunaga had done, while preparing his clan for a different kind of war. Rather than attack other clans at home in Japan, Hideyoshi planned to pursue Nobunaga's secondary goal of conquering China. Rather than attempting to directly attack the Chinese coastline, he attempted to negotiate with Korea for access to a port and route into China but was turned down out of fears that China would retaliate against Korea if the war went poorly for Japan. As a result Hideyoshi gathered many different clans towards the same goal and attacked Korea instead in two invasions between 1592 and 1598, both of which went poorly due to the skilled Korean leadership and Chinese aid. During the war the Japanese incorporated many Korean technologies and techniques (Korea had become fairly advanced due to absorbing innovations from the west, China, and further countries like India); despite this the Korean mortar, used often and effectively against them throughout the entire conflict, was only incorporated by a few Daimyo who used them conservatively. When Dutchmen performed a demonstration of what a mortar could really do in 1639, despite none of the payload actually hitting their targets, the Japanese military leaders present suddenly became very interested in them and mortars were both purchased and produced rapidly by many different factions. The Dutch taught them to use more than just the basic exploding shells as well. 

<gallery>
Image:Morutaru.jpg
</gallery>

* Hiya Taiho
A small cannon that fires incendiary arrows to devastate infantry, based on the Bo-hiya. 

The Hiya Taiho is the same as the real life "hiya taihou" (although the model is more decorated than most real life ones would be). Its essentially a mortar that fires the Bo Hiya ammunition instead of the Bo Hiya model which uses a flintlock-like handheld gun. 

<gallery>
Image:Hiya Taiho.jpg
Image:Bohiya.jpg|A real life version. 
Image:Kuroi-te Bo Hiya Crew.jpg|The Kuroi-te crew for when they field a Hiya Taiho.
</gallery>

* Kataparuto
A Kuroi-te specific War Machine who's origins are unknown but it is suggested it came from the north. Its a "siege catapult" which uses corpses as ammunition. 

Real life feudal Japanese of course figured out the catapult, and most nations that engaged in siege warfare used biological warfare to spread disease among enemies as well as demoralize them when sieges go on too long. The significance of the Kataparuto (Engrish for catapult obviously) is more the depravity of the Kuroi-te to use it as a first resort rather than it being used in general.

<gallery>
Image:Kuroi-te Catapult.jpg
</gallery>

* Taiho Yohin
Technically a piece of scenery taken by players as if a model in their army representing extra ammunition. 

<gallery>
Image:Taiho Yohin.JPG
</gallery>

===Kuge Units===
* Kuge Daimyo

Daimyo are the leaders of their clans, and any battle they are involved in are major events. They bear O-Yorai, the best kind of armor available and can be found mounted and carrying many different kinds of weapons. 

Kuge Daimyo represent the more liberal Daimyo of the Sengoku era as well as the forces of the early medieval era such as the Genpei War. Which your army is closer to depends largely on if and how many Teppotai you field. Kuge clans should also have their origins tracing back to the earliest days of Imperial rule, which in real life Japan means their ancestry can be traced back to Kyoto and the nobles who served the first six Emperors, most of whom were related to said Emperors. Their actual ancestry can be forged or questionable, as some Daimyo's claims were based on an ancestor who was a non-inheriting third son of the actual famous clan or could not actually be proven with reliable records. 
Some real life Daimyo who would fit as Kuge include Oda Nobunaga, Imagawa Yoshimoto, and Taira no Kiyomori. Some non-Kuge type Daimyo who could field armies and behave in such a way as Kuge would be Date Masamune and Toyotomi Hideyoshi, whereas Takeda Shingen had the lineage of a Kuge but his army was closer representative of the Buke. 

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Diamyo 1.jpg
Image:Kuge Daimyo 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Kuge Taisho
Also called a Shirei-kan. Second in command of the clan, chosen by the Daimyo as a relative or one of the greatest warriors. 

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Taisho.jpg
</gallery>

* Kuge Hero Katana

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Clan Hero 1.jpg
</gallery>

* Kuge Hero Naginata

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Clan Hero 4.jpg
</gallery>

* Kuge Hero Yumi

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Clan Hero 2.jpg
Image:Kuge Yumi.jpg
</gallery>

* Heroine

<gallery>
Image:Kuge Clan Hero 3.jpg
</gallery>

* Onna Bushi
Onna Bushi are warrior women trained using the Naginata, raised from birth as the servants to the Kuge who possess a degree of loyalty not seen anywhere else in the Buke caste. Their dedication is without compare, sacrificing their lives just to increase chances of victory for their clan. Either out of desire to impress or amazement of their dedication, troops around them are inspired to fight at their best.

In real life the families of many Samurai were expected to do anything the patriarch could do. A son was expected to be able to lead an army from a very young age, a wife was expected to pick up a weapon and march to battle if need be. There was a surprising number of female Samurai who were recorded as taking command and going to war after the death of a father or husband, many becoming folk heroes and a few being worshiped as guardian spirits for the people who's ancestors they fought with/for. Real life Onna Bushi were called Onna-bugeisha if they were members of the Samurai caste by birth or marriage. 

<gallery>
Image:Onna Bushi.jpg
Image:Onna Bushi Real.jpg|An 1851 depiction by Utagawa Kuniyoshi of a real Onna Bushi named Tomoe Gozen, a legendary figure from the Genpei war. 
</gallery>

* Teppotai
Teppotai are Ashigaru equipped with Teppos, also known as arquebus or flintlock rifles. Kuge allow the One God faith to be spread among the peasantry in exchange for the weaponry, allowing their still-loyal peasants to kill the highly trained Buke traitors with ease. After marching to their position, they erect walls of stakes to protect them from cavalry and to duck behind to protect them from arrows while reloading. 

Early on in the history of firearms in Japan the gun was expensive, troops were inexperienced with them, quality was poor, and the Japanese weren't familiar with how to deploy units of them effectively; thus they were mostly given to Samurai, who were prepared by a lifetime training to use literally every weapon available to use the unfamiliar shootas. Twenty years later they were producing their own with improvements to the design and devising complex battle tactics on par with those of any other dakka-using nation. By this point the Ashigaru were often armed with them, since it took a lifetime of training to learn to use a bow effectively and take advantage of the superior range/accuracy whereas mere peasant recruits could be trained to use guns in a short period of time. No Samurai leader took to use of firearms better than Oda Nobunaga, to the degree that (as one anon on /tg/ once stated) "Everyone loved guns, but Nobunaga LOVED guns. As in a thirty year old man with an unhealthy attachment to a body pillow of a fictional prepubescent girl level of love."

<gallery>
Image:Teppotai.jpg
</gallery>

* Kuge Great Guard
Great Guard are the elite among the Buke caste, zealots dedicated to the divinity of the Kuge lines who each hope to become a Tennin. Their ferocity and dedication is such that their foes flee before them rather than face them and their mighty blows in combat. 
Each Great Guard is personally selected from candidates, leading to families who can claim that each patriarch of their line served the Daimyo of the clan. In peace they guard the halls of castles. 

Great Guard aren't based on anything specific in real life, and there's many examples of similar soldiers across Japanese history although in varying degrees of fame. The Oban of the Tokugawa Shogunate are the most famous, and were made up of elite soldiers assigned to defend Nijô castle as well as both defending Osaka castle and policing the sections of Osaka itself where Samurai were prone to making trouble. Their most elite were the personal guards of the Shogun while in Edo. The Oban numbers expanded greatly over the years, being made up equally of some of the most famous and skilled warriors as well as younger samurai who were members of powerful families. 
In general, any elite unit that has been recognized by the leader of the faction they are in would be a Great Guard unit, usually defending an important position or acting as bodyguards in an honor guard capacity. 

<gallery>
Image:Great Guard.JPG
</gallery>

* Onna Kiba Musha
Onna Kiba Musha are Onna Bushi, mounted on horseback. The graceful elegance and classical nature of their tradition makes them a favorite of Kuge lords to show off their superiority to the other castes. Those destined to be Kiba Musha are taken from their family and trained for their entire lives, and are more dedicated and disciplined than any horsemen the Buke can boast. 

The inspiration for Onna Kiba Musha is the exact same as Onna Bushi. Samurai women who serve in battle because they belong to a Samurai family that has need of another warrior or officer. 
<gallery>
Image:Onna Kiba Musha 1.JPG
Image:Onna Kiba Musha 2.JPG
Image:Tomoe Gozen Horseback.jpg|An 1898 portrayal of Tomoe Gozen in battle, created by the artist Toyohara Chikanobu. 
</gallery>

* Ninja
For generations the Kuge clans have been patrons of secret ninja clans who's loyalty is (usually) absolute, and through a sense of mutual advancement the Kuge the can field units of assassins while other castes can only secure the services of a single agent at high cost. They execute their tasks and targets without a hint of remorse or hesitation. Before battles they will hide, waiting for their target to draw close before they leap out and spread confusion using smoke and fire whereupon they slay their foe and quickly vanish once more to pursue other quarry. 

Real life ninja, as most on the internet have discovered, were unlike media depictions of ninja. The only sort who would cover themselves in dark colors would be scouts rather than assassins, which instead would have worn simple and inconspicuous clothing. Most ninja were saboteurs, intelligence gatherers, and bodyguards rather than hitmen. Ninja were historically far more trustworthy than Samurai, to the degree that Tokugawa Ieyasu's life was saved by a small group of ninja who escorted him a great distance back to his people simply because they owed him a financial debt (not an oath or loyalty expected by society, just money) regardless of the fact that they were offered almost literally a hoard of wealth to turn him over. 
Most ninja would actually have been plainclothes civilians, ashigaru, servants, and even sometimes samurai who would develop intelligence networks similar to those today , or would position themselves in a place where they could do damage to a clan (basically as terrorist sleeper cells). The idea of ninja wearing all-black dates back to Kabuki plays where stagehands dressed in black to not be seen by the audience and clever writers used a trick that normally told the audience who they were supposed to ignore to suddenly bring a character into the story and surprise the audience as much as the characters. Real life ninja may have worn black or dark blue to blend in when spying at night while assassins may have used dark red to disguise blood on them, but this was hardly a uniform. Ninja philosophy generally leans on the idea of social mobility, and a deep belief that there was little true difference between the castes of society. 

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Image:Ninja.jpg
</gallery>

* Yabusame
Yabusame are mounted archers, the most skilled and elite there are among their art. Annually the Kuge held festivals where the archers of the Buke would compete, and those who showed the most promise were recruited into the Yabusame ranks. This conflict marks the first time they have been fielded in war. 
They utilize hit and run raiding tactics to diminish the foe. 

To understand what Yabusame is, please note the following. 
Archery is extremely important in Japanese military history. In the earliest wars known to have occurred in Japan, 600 years before recorded Japanese history began, the primary weapon was a bow with spear support rather than spear with bow support like most civilizations. The bow is also used to depict the divinity of the mythological first Emperor of Japan, Emperor Jimmu. Beginning around the year 400 archery was the mark of the noble warrior caste (so proto-Samurai) since it required a vast amount of training to be competent which only the warrior caste had the luxury to attain, and such warriors were the only ones that could afford a horse resulting in most of these early not-Samurai being mounted archers. Samurai duels were more often fought with arrows than swords, being given three each and a horse to ride with the result being whatever the combatants felt satisfied their honor (so a challenge to determine who has superior marksmanship could be used in place of simply killing your opponent). 
Using the katana to represent Samurai is a more modern trope. The katana itself was actually considered the weapon of Ashigaru and other peasant soldiery, Samurai carried a much longer and more curved blade called a Tachi which enabled them to strike easily from horseback although as a weapon of last resort when surrounded rather than one to charge into battle with The katana only emerged around the year 1400 when combat changed to favor speed over reach due to the large number of heavily-armored infantry Samurai deployed in increasing numbers while horses were used far less. 
The preceding information is why when sometime in the late 1100's Minamoto Yoritomo, the future creator of the Shogunate and first Shogun of Japan, noticed that his army was dangerously low on skilled archers he created the custom of Yabusame, which is a religious and sportsman's ritual combined into one which encouraged the military tradition of archery and mounted archery to survive regardless of the current state of war. It should be noted that Yabusame is NOT a type of soldier, it is a type of training/recreation/prayer. 
The following, from Wikipedia, describes the Yabusame ritual. "''A yabusame archer gallops down a 255-meter-long track at high speed. The archer mainly controls his horse with his knees, as he needs both hands to draw and shoot his bow. As he approaches a target, he brings his bow up and draws the arrow past his ear before letting the arrow fly with a deep shout of In-Yo-In-Yo (darkness and light). The arrow is blunt and round-shaped in order to make a louder sound when it strikes the board. Experienced archers are allowed to use arrows with a V-shaped prong. If the board is struck, it will splinter with a confetti-like material and fall to the ground. To hit all three targets is considered an admirable accomplishment. Yabusame targets and their placement are designed to ritually replicate the optimum target for a lethal blow on an opponent wearing full traditional samurai armor (O-Yoroi) which left the space just beneath the helmet visor bare.''"
Yabusame ritual competitors were drawn from all castes of society from peasant straight off the farm to Daimyo's son; whoever was good at shooting and could be trained to ride a horse was eligible. Yabusame is still practiced today. 
 
<gallery>
Image:Yabusame Model.JPG
Image:Yabusame Real.jpg|A Yabusame performed for Ronald Reagan during a trip to Japan.
Image:Yabusame Gear.jpg|The gear of a Yabusame. Even in Minamoto's era this was considered traditional dress. 
</gallery>

===Buke Units===

* Buke Daimyo
Daimyo are the leaders of their clans, and any battle they are involved in are major events. They bear O-Yorai, the best kind of armor available and can be found mounted and carrying many different kinds of weapons. 

<gallery>
Image:Buke Daimyo 1.jpg
Image:Buke Daimyo 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Buke Taisho
Also called a Shirei-kan. Second in command of the clan, chosen by the Daimyo as a relative or one of the greatest warriors. 

<gallery>
Image:Buke Taisho.jpg
Image:Taisho Buke .jpg
</gallery>

* Buke Hero Naginata

<gallery>
Image:Buke Clan Hero 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Buke Hero Katana

<gallery>
Image:Buke Clan Hero 3.jpg
Image:Buke Clan Hero 1.jpg
</gallery>

* Buke Hero Yumi

They do not yet have models. 

* No-Dachi Samurai
Samurai armed with Nodachi, also known as Dai Katanas. The strongest among the Buke families are trained with these weapons, charging into battle in a frenzy. 

<gallery>
Image:Nodachi Samurai.jpg
</gallery>

* Yari Samurai
Samurai armed with spears, far more skilled than any Ashigaru could hope to be. They form the bulk of any Buke army and will fiercely dedicate any officer among them. 

<gallery>
Image:Yari Samurai.jpg
</gallery>

* Ji Samurai
Low rank samurai. Outside of war, they must toil in the fields along side their peasants to survive, which is seen as a great personal dishonor in Buke society as only warriors are worthy of any respect. Without as much wages or time to train, they arm themselves in armor and weapons as best they can and usually carry a spear and a katana, with some having the unusual practice of teaching dogs how to behave in war and using them as a supplementary force, harassing foes and alerting their masters of advancing enemies. 

Real life Ji Samurai (also called "Jizamurai") were the product of a cultural shift to trying to give all sons an equal inheritance. Progressively every generation became poorer as a result, and with less peasants per lord to work the fields the result could be a "lord" being indistinguishable from the peasants during the summer months as he worked the fields out of necessity. Due to the massive numbers of small lords in the far-off rural areas, political positions were created called "Shugo" which were essentially regional governors that answered to the Shogun. As the powers of the Shugo grew, they became rivals with each other and would over-tax or impose strict regulation on their territory in order to fund small wars, which in turn lead to peasants and Ji Samurai banding together to form "Ikki" or a type of protest. Since most Ikki were ignored or suppressed, as time went on they tended to become more and more violent until uprisings of both samurai and peasant were happening within mere decades of each other. The continued politicking of the Shugo, enabled but now beyond the control of the Shogun, resulted directly in the Sengoku wars after four hundred years of corruption and unchecked power. 

<gallery>
Image:Ji Samurai.JPG
</gallery>

* O-Ban
O-Ban are heavy cavalry, with their armor decorated in images of demons to look like Oni. They simply trample lesser foes to engage those worthy of their attention, impaling them with spears called Jumonji Yari tipped with a forked blade. 

These represent the same thing as the Kuge Great Guard. Oban in real life were special troops loyal to the Shogun in the Edo Period. Oban literally translates to "great guard", and their primary role was to serve within Nijo Castle, the Kyoto castle considered the administrative center of the Tokugawa Shogunate, and Osaka Castle, a place of symbolic importance representing the dominance of the Tokugawa as well as a place to test the loyalty of Daimyo by positioning them in charge of the complex (which was a financial burden and required a relocation of their clan for their stay). The highest ranking Hatamoto (bannermen, the retainers of the Tokugawa during the Edo period who numbered approximately six thousand) was the commander of the Oban. 
The O-Ban don't much resemble the real life Oban however, and are more closely inspired by the Takeda Clan. Although most Japanese horses were bred to be small and were favored as light skirmishers and cavalry archers, the horses bred by the Takeda in the Kanto region were favored to be larger and as a result even back in the Genpei war there is references to the cavalrymen of the local clans being famous. In truth, they were the only real heavy cavalry Japan had. 

<gallery>
Image:O-Ban.JPG
Image:O-Ban Hero.JPG
Image:Oban Real.jpg|Real Oban. 
</gallery>

* Kengo
A highly skilled warrior dedicated to the art of Kenjutsu, the pursuit of mastery in swordsmanship. These small bands of warriors travel from village to village in time of peace to challenge anyone of any martial skill to duels, and in warfare seek out the strongest enemy in the field.

<gallery>
Image:Kengo.jpg
Image:Kengo 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Yumi Kiba Musha
Samurai mounted on horseback who are trained in both archery and swordsmanship, switching between bow and katana as needed. They are armed with special arrows that make a much louder noise for intimidation, and have pronged tips to cause worse wounds. 

Most Samurai clans that had access to cavalry would have had more Samurai bowmen on them than any other role, instead of it being unique to the more militant clans. In that respect the Buke clans in Kensei are more true to history here, although to be fair a fully realistic military force would likely incorporate at least one thing from each clan type. 

<gallery>
Image:Yumi Kiba Musha.JPG
</gallery>

* Miutso Sume

<gallery>
Image:Miutso Sume.jpg
</gallery>

===Sohei Units===

* Sohei Daimyo
Daimyo are the leaders of their clans, and any battle they are involved in are major events. They bear O-Yorai, the best kind of armor available and can be found mounted and carrying many different kinds of weapons. 

<gallery>
Image:Sohei Daimyo.jpg
Image:Sohei Daimyo 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Sohei Taisho
Also called Shirei-kan. Second in command of the clan, chosen by the Daimyo as a relative or one of the greatest warriors. 

<gallery>
Image:Sohei Taisho.jpg
Image:Sohei Daisho.JPG
</gallery>

* Sohei Hero Naginata

<gallery>
Image:Sohei Clan Hero 1.jpg
</gallery>

* Sohei Hero Katana

<gallery>
Image:Sohei Hero.jpg
Image:Sohei Katana.jpg
</gallery>

* Sohei Hero Yari

<gallery>
Image:Sohei Clan Hero 2.jpg
Image:Sohei Jumonji.jpg
</gallery>

* Naginata Sohei
From Dragon's Lands temples, these Sohei cover their faces in cloth and train extensively in Naginata weapons to defend peasants against the Samurai, which the believe are decadent brutes. They use Kototama chants to unnerve their foes and increase their own bravery. 

<gallery>
Image:Naginata Sohei.jpg
</gallery>

* Ama Kihei
Dragon's Lands temple Nuns armed with Naginata on horseback. They sing Kototama songs telling of death and the horrors it holds while in combat, terrifying their enemies. 

<gallery>
Image:Ama Kihei Hero.png
Image:Ama Kihei.png
</gallery>

* Mitsu Dogu Sohei
Martial artist monks, armed with Mitsu Dogu (also called torimono sandōgu, or torimono hogu in real life) which are poles with metal spikes and various shaped tips used usually by guards or law enforcement to arrest rather than kill. 
Samurai have no knowledge of nor respect for these weapons, giving the monks an advantage and allowing them to quickly disarm and disable their enemies. 

They do not yet have models.

* Yumi Sohei
Dragon's Lands temple monks armed with bows, trained in the same ways and for the same amount of their life as Samurai. They cover their faces in cloth, and are armed in special arrows designed to ignite or hit with greater force than mere wooden arrows. 

<gallery>
Image:Kensei Yumi Sohei.jpg
</gallery>

* Ikame Bo
Massive and powerful monks trained using Kanabo-tetsubo, or giant clubs with spikes believed to have been invented by Oni. These monks can equal the strength of many men, and crush the bones of their enemies while praying for their souls using Batsudo chants. 

<gallery>
Image:Ikame-Bo.jpg
Image:Ikame Bo 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Teppo Sohei
The monks of the Dogen temples rescued Nanban who were shipwrecked, among them one of the greatest weaponsmiths in the world, a man named Francisco. For one year while he recuperated, he taught the Dogen monks how to create western weapons including firearms, and after he returned to his homeland they spread the knowledge across the entire Sohei caste. Armed with the same Teppo used by Teppotai, although made in Hymukai rather than purchased, these monks bear katanas and wooden shields into battle along with their firearms. 

<gallery>
Image:Teppo Sohei.jpg
</gallery>

===Otokodate Units===
* Kyojin
The first named character and faction leader added after Kogen and Sato, Kyojin is a giant of a man and the military leader of the Otokodate and likely answers to Kimura Key. He is a Ronin with a tetsubo, and has rules for a generic variant as well. 

Kyojin translates to "giant". 

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Image:Kyojin.JPG
</gallery>

* Otokodate Daimyo
The Daimyo of an Otokodate clan.

<gallery>
Image:Otokodate Daimyo.jpg
</gallery>

* Otokodate Taisho
Also called a Shirei-kan. Second in command of the clan, chosen by the Daimyo as a relative or one of the greatest warriors. 

<gallery>
Image:Otokodate Taisho.jpg
</gallery>

* Otokodate Naginata Hero
Also called Busho Hatamoto. Warriors among the Daimyo's army who hold the highest ranks, and are granted the most land. Their job is to command and inspire. They are the lowest rank who can afford an O-Yorai. 

<gallery>
Image:Otokodate Hero.jpg
</gallery>

* Otokodate Katana Hero

<gallery>
Image:Otokodate Clan Hero 1.jpg
</gallery>

* Katana Ashigaru
Peasants armed with the weapons and trained in the ways of nobles. Formerly just city dwellers in various occupations, they seek to join the Buke as equals and emulate them in all respects they know. While they possess the tenacity and drive to strike without fear of death in war, they do not have the refinement of the art that comes from a lifetime of practice among their peers. 

Katana Ashigaru draw entirely from Edo period Japan. All Ashigaru were armed with Katanas and had upwards mobility into the Samurai caste prior to the end of the Sengoku era, the ban on non-Samurai owning katanas and the inability to become one were concessions by the Tokugawa Shogunate to keep the now unemployed Samurai placated. In fact, the katana weapon was originally an Ashigaru one. Called the Uchigatana, they were essentially cheap katanas wheras the Samurai (usually cavalry, almost all bowmen at this point) used a much larger Tachi sword instead. 
<gallery>
Image:Katana Ashigaru.jpg
</gallery>

* Teppo Ronin
Ji Samurai and non-combat servants who's lords were killed during the war. Without option, they flocked to the Otokodate and were armed with Teppo purchased from Nanban traders. Although they believe they have lost their honor, they carry on in want of livelihood. They march to battle armed with wooden shields and their old Katanas. 

Samurai in real life were the primary users of guns starting in 1543 when they were first used in mass (like in Europe, guns existed in Japan before the world hit teen hundreds) due to them being very expensive and techniques such as volley fire not being known yet. Within only twenty years Japan had mastered gun tactics and mass produced improved guns, to the degree some historians believe in this era Japan made more guns than the entirety of Europe was. Since guns were now cheap and formations known, Samurai reverted back to the bow more often than not due to guns taking comparatively little training to use and thus being a waste to equip to lifelong trained warriors. 
Teppo Ronin in real life represent the Samurai who participated in the Samurai uprisings of the Edo period, mercenaries from the end of the Sengoku era from defeated armies (this being the lore basis for Kensei Teppo Ronin), and the Otokodate thugs that harassed peasants using weapons of war in a time of peace. Although Edo period peasants were forbidden from using weapons some including farmers who had to repel wild animals as well as hunters were allowed to keep loaded firearms, and many were used with blanks to simply scare away enemies or send signals. Towards the end of the Edo period small villager militias were formed to defend themselves against Samurai robbers which helped lead poor Samurai to the transition from Otokodate to Isami. 
Bodyguard Samurai were seen equipped with Teppo more often during the Edo period even if they were used less, and Ronins in desperation make good servants to wealthy but lower classes or as members of the young Yakuza organization. . 

<gallery>
Image:Kensei Teppo Ronin.jpg
</gallery>

* Ozutsu
Also called Ozutzu, they are a creation of the Hymukai studying the rifle Teppos purchased by Otokodate, these handheld weapons pack much more force and are considered hand cannons. Only stronger soldiers can be armed with these.

<gallery>
Image:Ozutsu.jpg
</gallery>

* Machi Yakko
Trained warriors who were never part of the Samurai. They keep the peace in the lands controlled by the Otokodate by patrolling roads and guarding cities against the Buke. They are armed with Jumonji Yari, a spear with a special tip consisting of a very large pronged blade. Above all, they will protect their lord and his interests.

They do not yet have models.

* Kyokaku
A new class of warrior, wholly devoted to Kykotsu. They seek to combat the Samurai oppressors and their flawed Bushido code, and dwell in peasant communities as local heroes where they slay bandits and looting Samurai. 

They do not yet have models. 

* Assassins
Rather than hiring the subtle Ninja, Otokodate prefer disgraced Samurai who move in small groups and carry many weapons that their targets are unfamiliar with fighting against. These honorless warriors will travel the countryside inconspicuously and carry out any task given them, usually the elimination of their target while ignoring the interference of his bodyguards. 

<gallery>
Image:Kensei Assassin.jpg
Image:Kensei Assassin 2.jpg
Image:Assassin Kensei Art.png|Artwork of a Kensi Assassin.
</gallery>

* Ronin With Tetsubo

<gallery>
Image:Ronin With Tetsubo.jpg
</gallery>

===Kuroi-te Units===

* Kogen
Leader of the Kuroi-te. 

<gallery>
Image:Kogen.JPG
</gallery>

* Sato
Kogen's second in command.

<gallery>
Image:Sato.jpg
</gallery>

* Taisho Yurei
A ghostly Taisho. 

<gallery>
Image:Yurei Daisho Samurai.png
</gallery>

* Taisho Samurai
Undead Samurai officers.

<gallery>
Image:Undead Takeda.png
Image:Undead Taisho.jpg
</gallery>


* Taisho Samurai On Horse
An Undead Samurai officer on a horse. 

<gallery>
Image:Undead Taisho Horse.jpg
</gallery>

* Clan Hero Yari
A low-ranking officer with a spear.

<gallery>
Image:Clan Hero Yari Kuroi-te.jpg
</gallery>

* Kensei
Undead Kensei. 

<gallery>
Image:Undead Kensei.png
Image:Undead Daisho Samurai 2.png
</gallery>

* Samurai Kumigashira
An Undead Samurai officer.

Also called Go-Gashira, Kumi-Gashira are equivalent to a Lieutenant or a Platoon Commander in a modern military, answering to a Bugyo/Taisho (Captain) and commanding their troops directly. 

<gallery>
Image:Daisho Samurai.jpg
Image:Undead Daisho Samurai 1.png
Image:Undead Daisho Samurai 3.png
Image:Kuroi-te Naginata Hero.jpg
</gallery>

* Ashigaru Kumigashira
An Ashigaru Undead low ranking officer.

<gallery>
Image:Kuroi-Te Daisho Ashigaru.jpg
</gallery>

* Hatta-Jurushi

<gallery>
Image:Katana Daisho Samurai.png|Samurai
Image:Standard Bearer.png|Samurai
Image:Kuroi-te Ashigaru Hata-Jurushi.jpg|Ashigaru
</gallery>

* Tenome
A bizarre-looking elderly person with no eyes on their head, which are instead in the palms of their hands. 

Most people would recognize this as the Pale Man from Guillermo del Toro's movie Pan's Labyrinth. Actually called the Tenome, there are several myths regarding his origin. In one he was a blind man who was killed by a bandit that returned so that his hands could be useful in a fight against him this time around. He wanders roads, using the eyes in his hands to see the face of every other being on the road until he finds his murderer. In another version, a bandit attacked an elderly man who overpowered him, causing the bandit to attempt to seek shelter at a nearby Shinto temple. The monster had eyes in its hands and made a sucking noise as it made chase, and by the time the priest had opened the door for the bandit the monster had stripped the skin and muscle from parts of him down to the bone and eaten the viscera. In a third story a boy who heard the first story was dared to visit a graveyard where the Tenome supposedly resided. The creature made chase, and the boy was forced to hide in the nearby shrine. The next morning the priests found the boy completely drained of blood. In Pan's Labyrinth, the Tenome/Pale Man resides in a giant underground complex seated at a table full of food, stationary until someone eats from it when he seizes his eyes off the plate in front of him and attacks. He exclusively eats children according to paintings of him on the walls, and eats fairies in the movie. 

<gallery>
Image:Tenome 1.png
Image:Tenome.png|The mythological origin.
Image:Tenome Pale Man.jpg|The Pale Man. 
</gallery>

* Yuki-Onna
A ghostly Yokai of a woman.

Yuki-Onna in real life Japanese myth are women who froze to death or died in the mountains. A more popular story, there's many variations from men who marry women and later find they are a ghost to spirits that chase the lost to their death to those that try to lead those who are lost to a more fortunate fate than their own (sometimes accidentally causing it, sometimes with success). In all versions of the story she produces frost, and can cause blizzards. 

<gallery>
Image:Yuki-Onna Model.png
Image:Yuki-Onna Myth.png|The mythological origin. 
</gallery>

* Undead Geisha
A Geisha who is Undead.

<gallery>
Image:Undead Geisha 2.jpg
Image:Undead Geisha.png
</gallery>

* Samurai Katana Cavalry
Undead Samurai Katana Cavalry.

<gallery>
Image:Katana Samurai Mounted.png
Image:Kuroi-te Katana Cavalry.jpg
</gallery>

* Samurai Naginata Cavalry
Undead Samurai Cavalry with Naginata. 

<gallery>
Image:Undead Naginata Cavalry 1.jpg
Image:Undead Naginata Cavalry 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Samurai Yumi Cavalry
Undead Samurai Cavalry equipped with bows.

<gallery>
Image:Undead Yumi Cavalry Hero.jpg
</gallery>

* Yurei Naginata
Ghosts equipped with Naginata.

<gallery>
Image:Yurei Naginata.png
Image:Yurei Samurai.png
</gallery>

* Yurei Nodachi
Ghosts equipped with Nodachi.

<gallery>
Image:Nodachi Yurei.JPG
</gallery>

* Ashigaru Yari Cavalry
Undead Ashigaru cavalry equipped with Yari.

* Katana Samurai
Undead Samurai with Katanas. 

<gallery>
Image:Katana Samurai Foot Models.png
Image:Samurai Living Dead.png
</gallery>

* Yumi Samurai
Undead Samurai with bows.

<gallery>
Image:Undead Yumi Samurai.jpg
Image:Undead Yumi Samurai 2.jpg
</gallery>

* Yari Samurai
Undead Samurai with Yari.

<gallery>
Image:
</gallery>

* Hone Samurai Naginata
Hone Samurai are those who die on the battlefield without having gained honor. They may have shamed themselves in their conduct, made a terrible mistake, or simply lost their only chance for a great victory by dying too soon. Hone Samurai souls remain within the increasingly rotted husk until they finally redeem themselves in a future conflict. 

<gallery>
Image:Hone Samurai.jpg
Image:Honne Samurai.jpeg
</gallery>

* Yari Ashigaru

<gallery>
Image:Undead Yari Ashigaru.png
</gallery>

* Yumi Ashigaru

<gallery>
Image:Yumi Ashigaru Model.png
Image:Yumi Ashigaru Art.png
</gallery>

* Doro-Ta-Bo
Undead Heinen. Basically the same as Kuro, but Undead. 

Based on the legend of the same name, where a farmer who labored his entire life to build a prosperous farm had a lazy and hedonistic son who sold his farm, causing his father to emerge from the mud every night to wander the ruins of the once-great land and wail in lament. 

<gallery>
Image:Doro-Ta-Bo.png
Image:Dora-ta-bo Hero.jpg
Image:Doro-ta-bo Banner.jpg|A Dora-ta-bo Hata-Jurushi.
Image:Dorotabo.jpg|The mythological origin. 
</gallery>

* Goryo

Goryo (also spelled "Gorio") are hate-filled ghosts of nobility, and can be of either gender. 

Their purpose for remaining in the world is to avenge their dishonor, as each was invariably killed in some petty intrigue. Like Onryo though, they're not particular to whom they torture and kill. Bringing a sense of justice to them by enacting suffering on their killer or a descendant is all that can send them on outside an exorcism however. 
By knowing their true names, you can command them. Thus Goryo are not usually eager to tell you their story unless they believe your heart is pure. 

<gallery> 
Image:Goryo 1.jpeg
Image:Goryo 2.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Gaki
Their name means "Hungry Spirits". Gaki are emaciated humans with rotting skin and bloated bellies who walk hunched or on all fours. They have grown fingernails like claws and their sharp teeth are bared whenever they see humans. 

Gaki are souls given a special punishment in the wheel of reincarnation, their sins not terrible enough to be made a demon but they still require penance. When they escape the Yomi they wander the Kuni looking to eat. They can be found anywhere there is manflesh to be had including battlefields, cemeteries, and even villages which aren't secured against the things that lurk in the night waiting to snatch a baby or a drunk, even entire households. 

tl;dr [[Ghouls]]

<gallery> 
Image:Gaki 1.jpeg
Image:Gaki 2.jpeg
Image:Gaki Myth.jpg|The mythological origin.
</gallery> 

* Mekurabe
Ghostly disembodied heads of various kinds.

Originally Mekurabe were skulls that appeared in increasing numbers in the courtyard of the general Taira no Kiyomori, who had survived several bloody wars and managed to instill the first Samurai-lead government in Japan in the 12th century, representing those who's deaths he caused. They along with demons continued to appear to him until when fever took him in old age they were all he could see until he died. 
The reason for the Mekurabe skulls is Namakubi, an important ritual of Japanese warfare of taking the severed heads of foes, especially those in positions of leadership, to present to their own leaders as a trophy. As a result of this many depictions of the ghosts of those who die in battle are merely floating severed heads. 

<gallery>
Image:Mekurabe Model.png
Image:Mekurabe Myth.png|The myth the name comes from. 
</gallery>

* Ukuri Inu
Yokai dogs.

Based on the myth of the same name who behave like wolves that feed exclusively on humans. Yosuzume are black sparrows that appear in swarms at night and find potential prey for the Okuri-Inu. They stalk any travelers the Yosuzume find for them, looking for any sign of weakness. If the traveler stumbles they must look like they did it on purpose, and must maintain a confident gait and exude a lack of fear. Those who can keep the Okuri-Inu at bay have the benefit that the Okuri-Inu will eat any less-confident bandits who may harass the traveler otherwise. Those who successfully leave the Okuri-Inu's territory will never be harmed by them if the traveler thanks them for their companionship loudly, then when they arrive at their destination wash their feet and set out food for the Okuri-Inu.

<gallery>
Image:Okuri-Inu Model.png
Image:Okuri-Inu Myth.jpg|The mythological origin. 
</gallery>

* Jikininki
Ghoul-like Yokai that eat the flesh of the living.

Based on a myth of the same name, where a young traveling priest encountered the ghost of a local priest that had been selfish in life and prized the luxuries of good food and fancy clothing that his position afforded him above all else, even his duties. This resulted in him transforming into a shapeless being after death that was forced to eat the corpses of the nearby village before they could be buried. The old ghost priest begged the young priest to bless him so he could escape his fate, which he was obliged through a Segaki (a ritual where monks set out food for the hungry spirits to help them find peace or perform their duties). 

<gallery>
Image:Jikininki Models.png
Image:Jikininki 2.png
Image:Jikininki Myth.png|The mythological origin.
</gallery>

* Kubikajiri
A Yokai that feeds on human heads. 

Kubikajiri is the Japanese myth of is a headless Yokai that eats the heads of the living, and smells like fresh blood. The headless aspect is never actually portrayed in any images, for obvious reasons. Kubajikiri wander graveyards mostly while trying to find their own head until they find someone else's. 

<gallery>
Image:Kubajikiri.png
Kubikajiri Myth.jpg|The mythological origin. 
</gallery>

* Onryo
Ghostly women who savagely kill the living. 

Onryo are female ghosts that come in MANY different forms, beings who are not being punished but rather are owed a spiritual debt that cannot be repaid by those who caused their suffering. Instead, they cause misery in their own ways to any mortals they come across. Particularly bad hauntings can wipe out entire populations, leaving tainted places full of tortured ghosts from which there is no escape. Many are disfigured, others bring along those who suffered alongside them, most have a gimmick or two that they love to replicate. Some like the Kuchisake Onna are formulaic and have a set pattern to how they find victims and kill them, others like Kayako from The Grudge just kill and kill and kill. Chances are good that if you watch Japanese horror cinema, its almost always going to be about an Onryo.

<gallery>
Image:Onryo 2.png
Image:Onryo.jpeg
Image:Onryo Myth.png|The mythological origin.
Image:Ultimate Showdown Of Onryo Destiny.png|No, this is not photoshopped. This movie really exists. Forget praying, just try to die in something you're okay with wearing forever. 
</gallery>

===Spiritual Characters===
Onmyouiji come in six different kinds (although only four are currently in the game), with the four factions having specific options available. Each type is served by a different kind of Shikigami, and each also has access to one of two spellbooks. The ritual for binding Shikigami differs from discipline to discipline, with some simply being sent by the powers the Onmyouiji serves and others are tricked and lead to trust the wizard, then are beheaded and resurrected as a slave.
* Komuso
Komuso are monks that have set out to restore order to the world by combating the Onmyouiji and sealing away the spiritual where it belongs; in its own realms. 

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Image:Komuso.jpg
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* Celestial Onmyouiji
Worshipers of the power of Ama. They are served by Yataragatsu, the three-legged crow servants of Hikari herself who guide Tenno to her realm and grants the Onmyouiji the ability to see what it sees. Their other is the Kitsune or Kitsume, a fox who's intelligence and magical powers grow as they age and their tail splits into more and can take the form of a human to bolster the forces of a friendly army. Worth noting that this is the only miniature to resemble real-life Kannushi, Shinto temple priests. The visual difference between an Onmyouiji and a Kannushi is mostly that the former generally has more expensive belongings and clothing. 

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Image:Celestial Onmyouiji.jpg
</gallery>

* Earthly Onmyouji
These Onmyouiji are connected to the power of the Kuni, connected to the Kami and Yokai within it. Their first Shikigami is the Kamaitachi, a weasel bearing a sickle for a tail which can whip around the battlefield slicing off heads and limbs without detection. The second is a Kodama, a calm tree spirit who protect the forest and those friendly to it. The miniature takes inspiration from the Ainu indigenous peoples of Japan. 

<gallery>
Image:Earthly Onmyouiji.jpg
</gallery>

* Infernal Onmyouiji
Also called Hell Onmyouiji, who call on the power of Jigoku and Nekara as well as the 80000 Yokai who envy and hate the Kami. Their first servant is an Inugami which is a mortal dog they buried up to their head, starved, then beheaded when it attempted to reach a bowl of food out of it's reach. Inugami are complete slaves to their masters, and have become flaming beasts of spite. Their second is a Tsuchigumo, an evil spider which was a ghost who has been twisted by envy and who weaves webs that protect its master from attack. The miniature represents Kannushi who wear demon masks at certain ceremonies and festivals; in real life this isn't demon worship or dealmaking, and more resembles the old world traditions of Krampus and Mari Lwyd as someone dressing like a monster to interact with people at festive occassions. 

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Image:Infernal Onmyouiji.jpg
</gallery>

* Death Onmyouiji
Onmyouiji dedicated to Emma-O and the Yurei. Their first servant is Nezumi, a black rat who knows black magic from gaining the knowledge contained in books they have eaten and can curse their foes with great misfortune straight out of a horror story (literally). Their second is Nekomata, a cat who can control magic and the dead; they love their owners and are absolutely loyal, but have a mean streak and can eat the dead to take human form when not raising the corpses as servants. 

<gallery>
Image:Death Onmyouiji.jpg
</gallery>

====Creatures====
The mythological beings of Hymukai. 
Note that fans of [[Pokemon]] as kids (and adults) should be familiar with many of the concepts, as quite a few are based on Japanese folklore. 

=====Infernal Creatures=====
Note that many Infernal Creatures were Death in an older edition of the game, a change some preview images doesn't reflect. 

Infernals are Yokai, often demons. They are the Yokai and Shura who belong in the Jigoku or Nekara of Yomi, but sometimes escape and wander the Kuni causing misery. Many have aspirations of breaking into the Ama, but always fail miserably. 

* Amanojaku

Also called Amanoyaku, it is a level 1 Creature. It is a small [[goblin]]-like demon who's name literally means "divine evil spirit". Many on the internet will recognize the name and appearance from the classic hentai (because this is not-Japan after all) Urotsukidōji. If not, you are an individual of virtue. 

Amanojakus are demons of temptation, who intensify the darker feelings and desires of their victims and convince the poor fool to act on them. Every aspect of Amanojaku is a corrupting influence. 

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Image:Amanojaku.jpeg
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* Onibi

Another level 1 demon with a goblinoid appearance. 

Onibi are demons born from corpses of man and beast that seek vengeance for the circumstances of their birth against...well, anyone really. From a distance, they appear to be a friendly spirit with a lantern trying to show travelers the way, or beckon the living somewhere. In reality they seek to mislead those who follow them, and leave them with a cruel fate. 

<gallery> 
Image:Onibi.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Shikome

A level 2 demon, this time resembling a [[Harpy]] or Fury from Western myth. 

They also fulfill a similar role, being winged women who savagely attack any who dare enter the Infernal or demonic parts of the world. There is an ancient Hymukai legend of a hero who attempted to rescue his love from death only to find that her hidden wickedness had turned her into a demon, and when he saw who she really was she called the Shikome to pursue and slay him. 

<gallery> 
Image:Shikome.jpeg
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* Ushi Oni

A level 2 demon. They come in many shapes and sizes (Kensei Ushi Oni come in a pair, as giant spiders with the heads of oxen), sharing only a predilection for human flesh and a habit of collecting bones. 

They prefer to make their homes in caves or nearby the shore, and love setting traps. They are among the cruelest and most merciless beings who exist. See: [[Kobold]]. 

<gallery> 
Image:Ushi Oni.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Oni

A level 3 demon. Oni resemble giant demon ogres. 

Oni are the strongest and most violent of the Yokai. Not exceedingly clever, but sadistic regardless and with a taste for human flesh. The dull intelligence is what keeps them from being the cruelest creature in Jigoku, but they are the most prone to breaking through the Celestial Gates that keep Infernal beasts at bay. They invariably run amok when they get loose, sowing swathes of destruction in their wake. Sometimes the rare Oni will show subtlety, kidnapping and quietly depopulating a village rather than blunder through with a club. 

<gallery> 
Image:Oni Kensei.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Nue

A level 3 demon. A chimera being with the head of a monkey, the body of a raccoon, tiger claws, a living snake for a tail, and wings. 

Although they are as evil as any other Infernal, the primary ill caused by Nue is merely by their presence. They bring GRAVE MISFORTUNE upon those nearby them. Killing them isn't enough to end the miserable luck, every trace of their body must be entirely destroyed. 

<gallery> 
Image:Nue.jpeg
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* Jorogumo

Level 4 demon. Jorogumo has the head and torso of a beautiful woman, but the body of a gigantic spider. 

Hikari was the first Jorogumo, and the rest are her daughters (so [[Tolkien|Ungoliant]] basically). They are among the most dangerous Infernals as rather than just smashing a path of death, or hunting and eating peasants who go too near the forests, Jorogumo exclusively prey on the mightiest of men. They hide their spider bodies and ply seduction that would make an Amanojaku weep for feelings of inferiority, trapping men in their webs before consuming them. To have a Jorogumo as a nemesis is a mark that you are a massively strong-willed badass. 

<gallery> 
Image:Jorogumo.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Hiderigami

A level 4 demon. Hiderigami are cyclopean giants with massive clubs. 

Basically a Nue mixed with an Oni, Hiderigami cause fires, stop rivers, and dry up the rain all merely by existing. Due to economic reasons, finding and killing a Hiderigami is an important task many adventuring parties are called in for, although the desire for human flesh they have makes them deadly foes. 

<gallery> 
Image:Hiderigami.jpeg
</gallery>

=====Celestial Creatures=====
Celestials are the beings of Ten-Do and inhabitants of Ama, and are either Kami or the servants of Kami. 

* Raiju

A level 1 Celestial. Raiju have the appearance of a horned canine with traits of foxes or dogs mainly, and appear to be partially made out of or bathed in electrically-charged clouds. . 

Their name means "Lightning beast" or "Roaring animal". They are entirely made of light, and leap from cloud tops with a bellow on their foes making them seem as if they were sentient lightning. 

The Japanese origin is the animal companion of the Shinto god of lightning Raijin. Raiju is a singular creature but appears as different animals such as cats, dogs, foxes, weasels, and wolves, all made of pure lightning and while flying resembles a lightning ball. Thunder cracks accompany his appearances. Strangely enough he likes to sleep in the navel of humans who sleep outdoors, and the irritated Raijin attempts to electrocute humans he sees from the sky when Raiju can't be found; to avoid getting electrocuted because a god's pet thunderweasel is sleeping in your belly button you apparently must sleep on your stomach. The [[Pokemon]] Raikou, and the three legendary dogs in general, were based on Raiju (much of second generation Pokemon was based on Japanese mythology). 

<gallery> 
Image:Raiju.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Basan

A level 1 Celestial that looks like a large hen, and can grow to be as big as a mountain. 

Rather than clucking, their noise is an onomatopoeia sounding like "Basaibaba". Each time they exhale they shoot flames, although these flames only burn what the Basan wants it to and can never harm a being who is pure of heart. They are nocturnal. 

<gallery> 
Image:Basan.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Komainu

A level 2 Celestial, resembling a giant dog with the head of a lion. 

Komainu are guardians of the Celestial realm, and always come in pairs which stand guard at attention on the sides of doorways or gates. They can be found made of stone, metal, flesh, or even as spirits. 
Shrines often put statues of Komainu at their entrances, and its believed they will come to life and defend the temple if besieged. 

<gallery> 
Image:Komainu.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Tennyo

A level 2 Celestial. Tennyo are four-armed angelic women bearing bows and katanas. 

The female servants uplifted by the Kami, they spend their time in Ama pursuing the tender arts of music, poetry, art, and love. They do not hesitate to do battle with the corrupt, and will fight without fear. 

The mythological origin of Tennyo is divine beings that are similar to angels and fairies that inhabit the heavenly realms in Japanese Buddhism serving the important heavenly entities such as Buddhas and Bodhisattva (ascended mortals), themselves inspired by similar beings in Chinese Buddhism which in turn are inspired by similar beings in Indian Buddhism. Japanese Tennyo sometimes visit the realm of mankind and remove their magical feathered kimono called Hagoromo which allow them to fly. In both legends and in Noh plays there is a story of a fisherman who finds a Hagoromo on the ground near the shore and is then confronted by a naked Tennyo. Depending on the version he either took it intentionally without her knowing and married her then giving it back and allowing her to return to heaven after a long life together, or he took it by mistake and simply asks her to perform a heavenly dance for him in exchange for it back, said dance teaching the human race about the phases of the moon and tides. 
Male Tennyo are called Tennin and are functionally the exact same, only they (presumably) don't marry fishermen. 

<gallery> 
Image:Tennyo 1.jpeg
Image:Tennyo 2.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Byakko

Level 3 Celestial. The spirit of the west, Byakko is a singular entity that appears as a bipedal white tiger. 

He is a being of great power who summons the powers of the sky including wind and electricity in defense of the balance of the world. When not in war, Byakko serves as an advisor to rulers by dispensing his thousands of years of wisdom to them. 

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Image:Byakko.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Kirin

A level 3 Celestial, Kirin combine the roles of Angels and Unicorns in Hymukai myth. 

Kirin have the head of a deer, body of a lion, and dragon scales with an elongated giraffe-like neck. Kirin are beings of utmost purity who avoid the mortal world and its earthly impurities whenever possible. Despite this they acts as messengers for the Kami, and when in need the Kami will call on a Kirin to command their subordinates in battle like a divine Taisho. 

The origin of the Kirin myth lies in China where an emperor sent an expedition to Africa and returned with animals for his zoo. He told the story that his giraffe was a magical being that only appeared for wise leaders and that having his own was proof of this. Its debated whether he believed this story or told it for amusement. Artistic representations combined the Chinese dragon with a deer and an ox tail, the giraffe spots appearing as scales. Buddhists reinvented it as the supreme celestial creature, only below dragons and phoenixes in power, who dwells in the homes or kingdoms of pure beings and will immolate any evil that threatens them while itself walking on clouds out of fear of harming innocent grass. 
The Japanese version is actually the most powerful mythological creature, surpassing dragons and phoenixes. It also lost most of the dragon features, appearing instead as a deer with large horns and a body that glows with small (unless angry when it is surrounded by) flames. 

<gallery> 
Image:Kirin.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Suzako

A level 4 Celestial, also called "Suzaku". Is essentially a Phoenix, although it is immortal rather than dying and being reborn. They appear so radiant, all other beings look common beside them. 

Suzako inhabit and protect the southern prairies of the southern Ten-Do. Their fire not only brings great comfort and warmth to the residents of Ten-Do, but their heat causes seeds to grow more plentiful in the mortal world as well. They are believed to be the servants of the first Empress, Jingu, and guard Umi, the sacred fire of Hymukai. When they appear in the mortal world, either great prosperity or great misery will come. 

Its a Phoenix, Japanese-style. Like Byakko and Genbu, the Suzako (which is its real Japanese name) is one of four beings who rule nature (in this case birds) and represent the four Cardinal Directions, in this case south, and one of the four seasons, summer, as well as the color red, fire, and is important to the concept of balance in Taoism as well as representing 7/28 of the constellations in the night sky. The Chinese version is Zhū Què, or "Vermilion Bird". Early Shinto heavily used the Taoist approach and Kyoto, the traditional capital of Japan, was built to correspond to many of its principles while Suzako adorned gates throughout the city as its protector. 

<gallery> 
Image:Suzako.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Baku

Level 4 Celestial. Baku have lion-like bodies and elephant/tapir-like heads. They are very large, and come in many colors including black and pink. 

Baku eat dreams (again, the Pokemon Drowzee and Hypno were based on them), magic, and curses. They can be invoked as a healer or guardian for the spiritually afflicted. 
They are perhaps the most ardent enemies of evil, causing any Infernal being great fear. Baku normally dwell in the Celestial prairies. 

<gallery> 
Image:Baku.jpeg
</gallery>

=====Earthly Creatures=====
Many Earthly Creatures are Kami, either those who's hedonism or rural behavior got them booted out of Ten-Do, or who prefer to have real jobs. They vary greatly in alignment and behavior. 

* Tanuki

Level 1 Earthly Creature. Those raccoon things Mario turned into in Super Mario Bros. 3. Tanuki are bipedal raccoon men who carry a symbol of each of the eight elements at all times, and are tremendously lucky which also blesses those near them. 

Tanuki are lazy bastards who prefer to guzzle sake and laze about with women while sampling delicious food all day, but are masters of disguise and naturally prone to trickery which they use if upset. 

Tanuki are real life animals in Japan, and in old Shinto were considered the masters of all nature which doesn't directly serve a Kami (so not foxes or crows) although they later got demoted to just a silly minor spirit. They have oversized scrotum, which is exaggerated to the point of ludicrousness in visual depictions. Thankfully the Kensei miniature isn't playing his balls like drums, because apparently that's a thing folklore Tanukis do. 

<gallery> 
Image:Tanuki Single.jpeg
Image:Tanuki Trio.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Kappa

Level 1 Earthly Creature. Pokemon fans will remember Golduck as being a Kappa. Kappas are basically bipedal turtles, and vary in depiction from being just that or having lean bodies and duck bills. Kensei strikes the balance between turtle and [[The Dark Crystal|Skeksis]]. 

Kappas are usually nasty creatures who live in or on the shore of rivers, and are more Infernal than Earthly in behavior. They eat children, rape women, and if they see an exposed anus they use their lightning fast speed to reach into it and pull out intestines to eat raw (no, seriously, look it up). That being said, myths also portray some as kind-hearted or at least True Neutral, with Kappas becoming guardians and friends of people who give them cucumbers or write names on cucumbers and leave them by rivers. Apparently they also taught mankind how to use nets. 

Hymukai Kappa just stick to being baby-eating rapists. 

The top of a Kappa's head is concave, and inside is water like a bowl. They are creatures who value manners and customs greatly, so bowing to one forces them to bow in return which makes the water pour from their head. They become immobilized until the next time their head fills with water, so likely until the next rain unless some kind or foolish soul (depending on the personality of the Kappa) helps them. The other way to defeat them is to lead a cow or some similar animal to the water, as once the Kappa reaches into it's anus the animal's sphincter keeps the arm in place, with the Kappa frantically attempting to free itself until tearing it's own arm off and dying of blood loss. 

<gallery> 
Image:Kappa Single.jpeg
Image:Kappa Trio.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Karasu Tengu

Level 2 Earthly Creature. Identified just as "Tengu" on the model. Tengu are men with the head and feet of crows who carry Naginata. 

Those who pursue great knowledge in life can become a Tengu after death, with Karasu being the lower caste of Tengu who serve the higher caste. Arrogance can also lead to becoming a Tengu, and humans who are arrogant or clever are much more likely to encounter Tengu in their travels. Karasu enjoy partying and practical jokes, being the college fratboys of Tengu. They congregate in mountains, with their lights and drifting sound of drums being the indications they are around. 

<gallery> 
Image:Karasu Tengu.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Dai-Tengu

A level 2 Earthly Creature. The higher class Tengu. They are the greatest scholars who become Tengu, and resemble large red-skinned men with massive and long noses. 

Dai-Tengu are very benevolent beings, who live at the tops of Cedar and Pine trees near places of spirituality and learning, using impressive magic and martial arts skills in defense of these places. They also sometimes abduct human babies, returning them to their parents after only a few years with the child (now only a toddler) having a bright future thanks to their massive intellect and mastery over whatever skills the Tengu saw fit to teach until almost masters of the craft. 

In real life Japan, Tengu are important figures in folklore and Dai-Tengu masks are iconic of the culture. A lot of old fashioned porn also involved Tengu noses being used as dildos. The more you know!

<gallery> 
Image:DaiTengu 1.jpeg
Image:DaiTengu 2.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Genbu

A level 3 Earthly Creature. Genbu, also called "The Black Warrior", is a giant bipedal turtle with a snake for a tail. 

Like Byakko, Genbu is a single being rather than a species. Genbu is the spirit who guards the direction North, and is a symbol of wisdom and longevity. Unlike the more social Byakko, Genbu is reclusive although he freely dispenses his wisdom to any who seek him out. He knows all languages known to humans, and is almost impossible to harm. He also guards the universes greatest treasures and secrets faithfully. 

<gallery> 
Image:Genbu 1.jpeg
Image:Genbu 2.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Sesho-Sekki

A level 3 Earthly Creature. Looks like a naturally-formed golem, covered in moss and growth. Once again, the Pokemon Geodude and their evolutions plus Snorlax are the parallel. 

Sesho-Sekki are called "Assassin Stones" due to being extremely hostile and attacking anything who comes near them with single-minded fury that comes from being disturbed. They are hard to avoid, looking no different than the rest of the landscape until they move. They move far faster than anything made of stone should naturally move, and drain energy from their foe as they fight. Once they destroy their target they return to slumber, although they can fight entire battles without actually waking up fully. 

<gallery> 
Image:SeshoSeki 1.jpeg
Image:SeshoSekki 2.jpeg
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* Mizuchi

A level 4 Earthly Creature. Also called "Misuchi", it's a giant Eastern Dragon (you knew it was coming) with deer horns, whiskers, and a long serpent-like body. Think Falkor, with the habits of Gyarados. 

They breathe poison gas and acid, and sleep at the bottom of large lakes. Mizuchi are the strongest creatures in the Kuni, and taking one on requires a LOT more than one British dude in a metal tuxedo. Mizuchi really represent the massive "fuck you" nature can give if you hassle with seemingly defenseless things, pretending to be a wounded deer and completely obliterating hunters who attack it as a pass-time among other things. 

Mizuchi also control rain. 

<gallery> 
Image:Mizuchi 1.jpeg
Image:Mizuchi 2.jpeg
</gallery> 

* Daidarobotchi

A level 4 Earthly Creature. An EXTREMELY powerful Kami, a shapeshifting spirit who appears to be made out of the landscape and without knowing it a traveller can be on top of one. They can be a mountain, a hill, a tree, a waterfall, or anything else natural. The Kensei model looks like a statuesque treeman. 

Daidarobotchi create life, and can reshape the landscape at will. They hate anything that destroys nature, and everything from ant to yew (even you) is under their protection. They are the parents of all of nature; fuck with the forest, overfish or hunt a region, or reroute a river at your own peril. After they crush you, they'll restore the damage you caused as if you were never there. 

tl;dr the forest spirit from the [https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3eG_O1wEJ40 Fantasia 2000 Firebird Suite] after a few levels in badass

<gallery> 
Image:Daidarobotchi.jpeg
Image:Daidarobotchi 2.jpeg
Image:Daidarobotchi 3.jpeg
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=====Creatures of Death=====

* Jubokko
A giant monster tree with a vertical split mouth in its "trunk" full of teeth. Appearing as if just a tree, Jubokko have developed a vampiric thirst for blood after having so much spilled on them in war. At night it becomes active, draining the juices from men until only brittle bones remain. 

Jubokko myths were common to all regions of Japan, although its been suggested it was invented by folklorists combining similar myths in the more recent era. Basically trees, often but not always, at former battlefields that had so much blood spilled they began to thirst for it. They capture living beings to drain to sate their new thirst. Jubokko always appear to be the healthiest tree around, and if cut bleed like human rather than leak sap. Their "blood" and extracts have healing properties. 

<gallery> 
Image:Jubokko.jpeg
Image:Jubokko Mini.JPG
</gallery>

* Shinigami

A Kami of death, appearing as a rotund giant monk wearing tattered clothing and carrying a pot full of souls. 

The Shinigami seeks ownership of souls, and causes feelings of dread and hopelessness to cause civilians to commit suicide, or soldiers to lose their will to live so it can collect their souls as well. 

Shinigami are popular in modern Japanese fiction (mostly anime), but are a relatively new concept. They appeared in Edo period fiction which dwelled on suicide and accidental avoidable deaths as a supernatural explanation, and many spirits and even gods like Izanami were retroactively considered types of Shinigami. Also thanks to their new nature there isn't a universally agreed-upon version of them; sometimes they are more like ghosts that possess people and cause them to commit suicide in the same way they themselves did, other times they are unhappy or corrupted (such as by pollution of their domain) spirits who cause depressed and suicidal feelings in humans, and very rarely were used as grim reaper figures. The latter is the most popular interpretation today. 

<gallery> 
Image:Shinigami.jpeg
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* Goryo

See Undead army entry above. 

<gallery> 
Image:Goryo 1.jpeg
Image:Goryo 2.jpeg
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* Ao Bozu
A diminutive blue-skinned cyclopean monk. 

Originally appeared as a sketch and the name Aobozu with no attached story in a famous book compiling various rural ghost myths from the late 1700's. Plenty have elaborated on the myth since then, and Ao Bozu can be anything from a child-snatching boogeyman to a monk who mutated due to studying too much or too little to a benevolent Kami. The name refers to the colors blue or green and has symbolic meaning of inexperience. In old Shinto myths, one-eyed beings are usually connected to ancient and cruel deities who were defeated by more benevolent ones and can be warded away by anything with a lot of holes, like a woven basket, since it reminds them of many eyes and either confuses, scares, or angers them. 

<gallery>
Image:Ao Bozu.png
Image:Ao Bozu Myth.png|The original Aobozu depiction. 
</gallery>

* Gaikotsu

A level 3 Yokai. Gaikotsu are giant skeletons animated by the souls of those who starved to death. They haunt the Kuni in search of men to eat. It usually attacks those who are alone or in small groups. Before it attacks, its prey hear a buzzing or ringing in their ears. 

Its name simply means "Skeleton" and it isn't based on any particular myth. Gaikotsu borrows most from the Japanese myth of Gashadokuro/Odokuro, as above in in the Undead army but applied to groups of large skeletons rather than an individual giant. 

The Kensei Gaikotsu wears armor and carries a No-Dachi. 

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Image:Gaikotsu.jpeg
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* Oni
Death also gets an Oni. 

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Image:Undead Oni.jpg
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* Onmoraki

A level 3 Yokai. A dark buzzard-like Yokai born from the suffering of battlefield dead. A being causing immense fear to those who see it, the Onmoraki travels from battlefield to battlefield consuming pain and souls to grow stronger. 

In the origin myth, they are giant birds with black feathers and human faces. They are born when a soul doesn't receive enough funerary prayers, and primarily harass priests who neglect their duties by imitating their own voice and acting as a guilty conscience or otherwise terrifying them. 

<gallery>
Image:Onmoraki Model.png
Image:Onmoraki.jpeg
Image:Onmoraki Myth.jpg|The mythological origin. 
</gallery>

* Gaki
Same as in the Kuroi-te entry. 

* Mekurabe
Same as in the Kuroi-te entry.

* Ukuri Inu
Same as in the Kuroi-te entry.

* Jikininki
Same as in the Kuroi-te entry.

* Kubikajiri
Same as in the Kuroi-te entry. 

* Onryo

Same as in the Kuroi-te entry.

=====Misc Creatures=====

* Bakeneko

The Bakeneko is a naked woman with [[Felinid|cat-like features]]. 

The model was produced for the Indiegogo campaign and was initially only given to those who were early backers. It does not yet have rules, but in theory should be quite strong. 

A Bakeneko is a housecat who has lived long enough to become magical. At their seventh year of life, wicked or mistreated cats will kill their owners and any other humans they wish. At twelve or thirteen years, they become powerful Yokai who can shapeshift, communicate with other supernatural creatures in addition to humans, and bring great luck or misfortune at will. 

<gallery> 
Image:Bakeneko Prototype.jpeg
Image:Bakeneko Art.jpeg
</gallery>

* Undead Ninja
Ninja who are Undead.

<gallery>
Image:Undead Ninja.png
</gallery>

* Kasha
A demonic-looking furry creature with two tails.

In Japanese myth, Kasha are Yokai that steal human corpses for unknown reasons. In many versions of the story the Kasha is just a burning guise Nekomata (old magical cats) adopt to obtain corpses for their mischief. Otherwise, its an unrelated cat-like being. 

<gallery>
Image:Kasha.png
Image:Kasha Myth.jpg|The origin myth. 
</gallery>

* Enenra
A vaporous Undead being in the shape of a man made of skulls. 

Enenra are, strangely enough, not a hostile Yokai in their original myth. They are the spirits who dwell in bonfires, emerging as smoke vaguely in the shape of a human to greet those that are pure of heart. 

<gallery>
Image:Enenra.png
Image:Enenra Myth.png|The original myth depiction. 
</gallery>


* Satiro Kai
A monster of some kind. Origin unknown.

<gallery>
Image:Satiro Kaipng.png
</gallery>

* Akaname
A monstrous humanoid on all-fours who's tongue drags on the ground. 

One of the strangest, and either silliest or most horrifying depending on how its portrayed, creatures in Japanese mythology. Its name, Aka, can mean filth or the color red so most depictions are of it being red or of a flushed skin tone. It looks like a small feral human with a hunch, making it look even smaller. They are completely naked and their skin is covered in sores and grease as they never clean themselves. They  sometimes only have one eye, and between two and ten fingers/toes. 
Using their long prehensile tongue, they consume filth wherever it can be found (although were a person to enter an unlocked outhouse or bath at night when the Akaname is consuming the filth within it won't pass up on the opportunity for fresh meat). That being said, Akaname are mostly just a boogyman used to explain why very small children are afraid of the toilet and are only rarely portrayed seriously. 

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Image:Akaname.png
Image:Akaname Myth.png|The mythological origin. 
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* Gashadokuro
Gashadokuro, also called Odokuro, is a massive skeleton who can reach through buildings like a ghost and pluck samurai from within to eat. Motivated solely by hunger, in some versions a Gashadokuro is born when skeletons of those who starve to death merge. Anytime you hear ringing in your ears, its the sound of a Gashadokuro lurking somewhere in the countryside stalking some prey. In some versions of the myth he has no lower body and drags his spine or pelvis on the ground behind him, causing the ringing despite being otherwise silent. In other versions of the myth he keeps a fake beating heart in his ribcage while his real one is shriveled, looking like a stone set in a ring on his pinky. He challenges would-be attackers to take a free shot at his fake heart before he devours them, while in those stories the protagonist realizes somehow and shoots the real heart. 
Gashadokuro was one of the minor villains of the Laika film Kubo And The Two Strings, and is the largest stop motion puppet ever made at over 18 feet tall. 

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Image:Gashadokuro Kensei.png
Image:Gashadokuro.jpeg|The mythological origin. 
Image:Gashadokuro Kubo.png|The Gashadokuro "puppet" created by Laika. 
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* Abura Shumashi
A short creature that looks like a gray-skinned man in peasant attire. 

Abura-Sumashi are minor Yokai in Japanese myth that only haunt a particular mountain pass near Kusazumigoe in Kumamoto. They surprise travelers or banter with the elderly, but otherwise have no mischief or harm. They are those who were punished for stealing oil (very valuable back in the day) by being reincarnated as a man with stone skin (in some versions, he's made of roots and even potatoes). Now they guard the regions were the leaves the oil they stole is extracted from grow. 

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Image:Abura Shumashi.png
Image:Abura Sumashi.jpg|The mythological origin.
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