Editing Kensei (section)

===History===
When the universe began the '''Ama''', also called the Celestial Kingdom, was made up of both light and dark with gods and demons as its denizens. The celestial balance ended when the gods, believing themselves to be firstborn in creation, started the Great War to remove the demons from their lands. The demons were expelled and took up residence in the infernal kingdom called '''Jigoku'''. The supreme goddess '''Arimasu''' cried tears of joy at seeing Ama without the demons. These tears fell into the sea of the mortal world (sometimes called the Intermediate World or the Earthly Kingdom), which became the islands of '''Hymukai'''. The gods consider Hymukai a sacred place, and it is the frontline in the war between Ama and Jigoku. 

The history of Hymukai begins when the gods created a woman to lead mankind, the Empress named '''Suiko Tenno''' and gave her four magical objects that would enable her to keep the mortal world safe. The clans of Hymukai swore allegiance to her, each being associated with one of the objects.
* The holy Katana granted the strength to react and attack threats to the world, and the warrior clans came to represent it. 
The noble families who ruled the further, more rural lands obeyed the will of the Kuge and were the first defense against threats. They became the warrior class, the bulk of the samurai, and developed the Bushido code. Samurai could become members of Kuge households or marry into a Kuge family, but the non-Kuge noble clans became known as '''Buke'''. 
* The holy O-Yoroi, samurai armor, grants resistance against adversity and the endurance of tradition and order, with the highest of nobility representing it. Those high nobles who dwelled in Heian-Jo and the nearby regions served the Tenno directly, and had authority over all others became known as the Kuge.
* The Magatama, a collar representing wealth and lifestyle which the mercantile clans became associated with. They are made up of powerful families who run the towns and city infrastructure of Hymukai, as well as all trade. Technically the servants of the Buke, these families are considered low class and often barely better than peasants if even that as the Buke see little worth respect in their way of life. These families are commonly called '''Otokodate'''. They follow their own code called Kikotsu which is based on Bushido. 
* The Kagami, a mirror representing knowledge of oneself and spirituality which the religious clans are represented by. The priesthood of Hymukai enjoy autonomy from the feudal system. They are loyal to the Kami themselves, and the Tenno as a result, through which they distantly serve the Kuge and to a lesser extent the Buke. Priests and nuns are not required to be chaste in most cases, and usually a temple is run by a single family who accepts any of dedication into their clan. Each temple controls lands and peasants to be independent of Kuge or Buke. The religious clans are called '''Sohei'''.
[[File:Empress Himiko.jpg|thumb|left|400px|A representation of what the real life Empress that Suiko is based on may have looked like, courtesy of the Japanese educational magazine Newton, Graphic Sciencee. So what the Empresses of Hymukai probably look like as well.]]
Suiko's reign was one of unrivaled stability and is known now as the "Golden Dawn" due to the wealth and population growth. When she came of age she married a saint, as per the command of the gods who created her. So long as her lineage remained pure the world would be safe from evil with the firstborn child always a girl who would become Empress. Tradition dictated that the Empress remain in the Imperial Palace surrounded by her court until the end of autumn each year when she lead them to the winter residence for six months, the journey being the only time that they could see her realm. Nine generations and 500 years of such peace passed before the reign of '''Empress Jingu'''. 

It was during her reign that the first seeds of evil were sown in Hymukai. The secret ninja clan called the '''Hattori''' saw a great shakeup in power. Previously they were lead by one Grand Master who is served by two subordinate masters, the Master Of Venoms and the Master Of Shadows. The Master Of Venoms named '''Tsi Huann''' created a formula which he claimed would grant eternal life. The Master Of Shadows '''Shisu Kage''' drank it, but instead of immortality he became a living shadow. The Grand Master '''Nagi''' ordered Tsi to continue to refine the formula while Shisu became the ultimate assassin, killing anyone anywhere with no chance of struggle, and was paid in prisoners who's life force he drained while consuming their eyes and tongues. When the formula was perfected Nagi and Tsi drank it, becoming truly immortal. 

Not long after Empress Jingu was attacked by four '''Onmyouiji''' (wizards devoted to one of the aspects of the universe) sworn to the demons, who summoned a small demon force to attack. The (called a throne, referring actually to a "litter" which is essentially a walled carriage carried by four people) of the Empress broke and she fell out, seeing that the battle had left all of her soldiers dead save a single soldier named Tagesho and a giant Oni. Tagesho killed the Oni while Jingu wept for the deaths of her servants. Jingu fell in love with him, and thus broke the covenant of the gods by marrying a mere mortal soldier. 

Three years later she gave birth to twin sons. The people were divided on whether this heralded terrible destruction or beautiful change for their people. Jingu named her sons Sujin and Kogen (Kogen is vaguely analogous to real life Kamuyawimimi, Suijin's story is a combination of multiple figures although primarily Emperor Suizei and Emperor Suijin). Sujin was older and wise, studious, and saintly while Kogen was youthful, athletic, competitive, and hasty. Kogen was the favored son of Tagesho, who took him away from the stifling court to hunt or train in combat and military leadership. After Tagesho died from fever while the boys were 16 they became competitive with each other to be seen as his successor, which only became worse as adults when they competed for the love of a courtier named Saimei. Insult gave way to fighting and grew to true resentment. Jingu was sickened from the spiritual discord in her family, and both brothers sought a way to cure her; Sujin from scholars and Kogen from the faithful. As she grew weaker Sujin assumed her duties at the court spiritually and in regards to external politics while Kogen lead her armies and maintained the internal politics. After two years pacifying the realm Kogen returned and expected a hero's welcome, and instead was merely granted the honors a commoner soldier would receive and was chastised by Sujin for leaving him to run an empire alone, while Kogen responded similarly for Sujin burying himself in luxury while Kogen struggled abroad. When the argument reached a breaking point Kogen left the palace, unwilling to duel his brother to the death on the sacred ground of the palace, instead gathering his armies for a civil war. This shattered the peace of Hymukai and the spiritual destruction resulted in the death of Jingu and the shattering of the magical protection of the gods. 

Meanwhile, the son of the Hattori Grand Master Nagi named '''Saki''' had become skilled and powerful alongside his friend Hamato Yoshi. But Saki couldn't succeed his father if his father was immortal, and he began a hidden civil war of sabotaging missions resulting in the deaths of loyal supporters on both sides. Only with the help of Shisu Kage was Saki able to kill his father. Thus they began their plan to destroy the imperial line. Saki's friend Yoshi had overheard the plan, and he managed to escape them and find refuge among the Sohei. 

Sujin had the elite troops and resources of the empire, while Kogen had numerical superiority and experience but was low on supplies. Both had an equal amount of claim to the loyalty of the great clans. Kogen first won over the clans of the Kuge nobility, seeing advantage in his political ignorance. Choosing to press ahead with a heretical siege of the imperial city left him without time to win over the other three great clans, so he instead decided to send three of his seven most loyal generals, the '''Shichi no Kogen''' to secure their aid should his attack fail. The three appealed to the virtues of confidence, honor, and duty, each swearing themselves personally to the clans in order to begin negotiation for their aid. None of the three were able to secure an alliance in time, since Sujin declared himself Emperor and announced marriage to Saimei in order to enrage his impulsive brother and cause him to attack immediately; it worked. Sato, highest ranked of the Shichi no Kogen, remained as Kogen's second in command. 

At the Sukihoma Plains, 40 km from the capital Hejian-Jo, he set up camp and waited for the Kuge army. Sujin's army had superior arms and the largest gathering of cavalry ever seen, while the Kogen flanked from the north. However the Kuge betrayed Kogen, attacking his army and resulting in a slaughter. Kogven refused to surrender, and once he was wounded Sato appealed to him to retreat to the fortress Kaidan. Kogen refused, and only upon losing unconsciousness did Sato order the retreat. It took thirty days for the army to make it to Kaidan, and for two days Kogen refused to speak and simply gazed while his face was locked in anger. The army prepared to make a stand at the fortress while Sato sent messages to the three Shichi no Kogen ambassadors about what had happened, and to hurry their negotiations. Meanwhile, Sujin utilized Kuge propaganda to instill the idea in the rest of the court that Kogen was a butcher and sinner, Sujin a saint and hero. The Kuge pushed Sujin to declare himself Emperor and marry Saimei for real as soon as possible in order to secure themselves as the only clan with his ear. 

* '''Hikari Ryu''' was the oldest of the Shichi no Kogen, and was sent to the largest of the Sohei clans. He was patient, and best known for training Kogen's recruits. The monks had no love for him or Kogen's plans however, seeing no advantage to be gained personally and the discord from the war as a more pressing concern than the outcome. Hikari was surprised to find the monks were already accomplished warriors due to their disciplined life and work ethic. When message came of Kogen's defeat as well as a request for supplies and aid, he demanded an audience with the Abbot. Rather than his previous appeals to glory and riches, Hikari told him of the Kuge betrayal and that their goal was to disrupt the balance and rule entirely over the other clans and that in exchange for aid he himself would become a monk. The Abbot asked for three days to discuss the matter with the other Sohei clans, but needed only two before informing Hikari that the Sohei were prepared for war. 
* '''Kimura Key''' was the youngest of the Shichi no Kogen at only 17, and was a legendary duelist. Key was without prejudice against the young and progressive Otokodate, and was sent to meet with them. The Otokodate clans were unified under the Regend Board, lead by elders, who mocked him for his youth. Key responded by challenging their best warrior to a duel to the death, which they accepted. His requirement was that with a win they would hear out Kogen's request, and with a loss they would keep his Daisho (sword set) to sell. The next morning on the beach he killed their best in an honorable duel, the two samurai showing each other respect. Key became a servant of the Otokodate, who marched to war in exchange for official recognition among the other great clans and exclusivity in shipping routes. 
* '''Odoka Hiro''' was the most lethal of the Shichi no Kogen, and was sent to the Buke. The Buke had obeyed their oaths, and considered them part of Sujin's army. Hiro was immediately arrested and placed in a cell for execution. '''Tora Tadayoshi''', the young Daiymo of the Buke, was fascinated by Hiro's suicidal actions. When he found Hiro meditating peacefully he was even more perplexed. Hiro explained he was merely following his master's orders, and that his duty in the Bushido code required it above self-preservation. Tadayoshi reminded him that honor was also a part of Bushido, which Hiro responded was the dilemma of the code; duty and honor in balance. Hiro then told Tadayoshi about Kogen, and the nature of the conflict. That Kogen was a warrior while Sujin was a politician, and Kogen becoming Emperor would result in the code of Bushido being codified in Hymukai. Tadayoshi replied that the Buke must serve the throne and that Hiro must be executed. Hiro replied that the duty is the Buke executing him, and their honor is in preserving Hymukai by putting the right ruler on the throne just as his honor was to convince them to join Kogen while his duty was to allow himself to be executed. Tadayoshi contemplated what had been said for an hour in the main courtyard, and in the morning presented Hiro with the option to commit ritual seppuku with Tadayoshi as his assistant rather than an inglorious end at an executioner's hand. With Hiro's honorable death, the Buke marched to war for Kogen. 

Unfortunately Sujin's spies were quick to inform him of the developments, and he made plans to destroy to Kaidan immediately. He sent his best ambassadors to the clans not to convince them to join him, but simply to delay them from joining Kogen. Twenty days later the siege began. Upon being informed that Sujin was near Kogen was awoken from his catatonic state with a scream of rage. He had half the army, many injured, and his forces were staving. His allies would not reach him in time. 
He summoned Sato to his bedchamber to discuss matters, the only sounds being Kogen's outbursts of rage and despair. Finally he appeared at midnight among his men, dressed for war. They did the same, and at sunrise when Sujin's army approached Kogen left the fortress alone to meet them, accompanied by his four remaining generals. Sujin bore the banner of the royal family rather than his own. When Sujin ordered them to throw down their weapons Kogen obeyed and his generals did the same. Sujin dismounted his horse to meet them, but the rest of his cavalry guard remained. Kogen offered forgiveness, and a reunification in the face of a coming darkness. He offered his elite warriors to serve Sujin, and to swear loyalty. Sujin refused, killing the unarmed Kogen and informing him that his name would be stricken from history entirely, then ordered his men to kill Kogen's generals. He returned to his army and ordered them to destroy the fortress and kill everyone inside, leaving the bodies to rot. 

Thirty years later all records of the civil war and of Kogen had been eliminated. Sujin had been unable to produce an heir with Saimei or any of the many other women he bedded. Every year he went on pilgrimage to Nijiyama and spent 40 days attempting to pray for guidance from the gods and Kami. 
The Kuge in the meantime have developed their own secret force. They are the patrons of the Hattori, a ninja clan that does their dirty deeds while they remain seemingly pure. But they are unaware that the Hattori are no longer merely content to work for profit, and now work towards the goals of their demonic masters. 

But on the last pilgrimage Sujin was attacked while crossing the Kashiwara forest. None currently know what has happened to him, with rumor saying he was kidnapped or killed. Immediately the country plunged into civil war over who will rule in his stead. The Kuge are currently lead by a man named Satoshi Asaemon, who has been utilizing the ninja clan called the Hattori. Tora Tadayoshi leads the Buke. The Otokodate are lead by Kimura Key and have made contacts with the Namban, foreign outsiders who have set up settlements on the northern shores. The Sohei are lead by Hikari Ryu, who has trained a generation of monks and nuns into soldiers and has learned from Yoshi that the Hattori are behind the disappearance of the Emperor. Meanwhile the Wako Pirates have attacked the lands to the east, lead by a man named Turgot. Meanwhile, Kogen has returned from the grave leading an army of the undead thanks to a pact with demons; the same demons who also rampage through the lands of the world, disrupting the harmony of the other magical beings. 

tl;dr the world went to shit, and not-Japan is fucked. 

Many clans who have a deep connection to the spirit world have also put their practices into the open as the spiritual unrest has made the favor and politics of the spiritual world as important as that of the mortal one. Those individuals who have a very deep connection to a particular spiritual force are called '''Omnyouiji''', and are sometimes even born of a union between spirit and human. These wizards use their Omnyodo powers to serve their clan openly, for good or ill. 
'''Infernal''' clans are bloodthirsty and use demon pacts with the residents of Jigoku to secure power. Their people live in fear and their enemies are sold as slaves. They have little honor and act with inhuman disregard for their fellow man. 
'''Earthly''' clans revere the spirits of the mortal world, forming a circle of protection for each other. Their people find solace in nature and isolation. 
'''Celestial''' clans revere the Ama and cleanse the land of evil. They revere the god Amaterasu, and they have the divine blood of the first families in their veins. 
'''Death''' clans revere their ancestors and fear neither death nor killing. They will deal with the spirits of the Kami to gain power. 

Opposed to the Omnyodo are the '''Komuso''' monks who believe in the Tao, the balance of the universe. Clans who do not believe in the powers of the Omnyodo are instead patrons of the Tao temples. 

The Kuge called the service of the Buke loyal to them to destroy their rivals for the throne and though some did answer the call, others were occupied by their own war. As stability had broken down, some Buke clans had attacked other Buke to expand their own territory while others declared themselves independent of Kuge rule. Some saw it as a chance to join the ranks of the Kuge, and the most ambitious of them conspired to do away with Kuge and control a complacent Tenno puppet using a Shogun (a Daimyo who executes the will of the Tenno, a position currently held by the entire Kuge caste). 

As the Buke and Kuge battled themselves and each other, higher and higher taxes were raised on the peasantry. Farmers were drawn into Ashigaru (militia, or men-at-arms) forces without choice. Many fled to the Sohei in droves, drawing the religious clans into the politics of war. Temples near battlefields were raided by armies for supplies, and the seemingly endless delay in finding a new Tenno to keep the forces of the Earth in balance offended the Sohei greatly. They began to preach an apocalyptic warning while lecturing on the fate of the soul. Some Kuge and many Buke responded to these calls and removed themselves from the conflict either out of fear or shame, joining the Sohei and bringing with them wealth and a strong warrior base of Ashigaru and Samurai. Now the Sohei seek an end to the war, defending the common people and curbing the ambition of the two castes. Many Sohei have entirely disregarded the imperial system, only obeying the tenants of their faith and new rules for behavior and governance based on it. 

Meanwhile, the Otokodate have risen up against their arrogant samurai oppressors as the past humiliations have compiled with the other three castes expecting the merchants to bear the bulk of the sacrifice for the war efforts through donation or looting. Declaring themselves nobility and forming pacts and alliances, they have formed relations with the outside world to bring allies and weapons they can use to establish dominance. As time has gone on, the Otokodate have begun to resemble more and more the Buke, Kuge, and Sohei castes as they incorporate anything that works into their methods and plans. Beyond that, they have allowed the faith of foreigners into Hymukai in which the castes and Tenno have no place. 

As if that wasn't enough, legend says that Kogen's soul made deals with the spirits he and his brother once kept at bay to lead the Demons and Dead to rule the heavenly realms in exchange for aiding him in taking Hymukai and destroying Sujin's descendants (meaning almost everyone important in Hymukai). These armies all fly the same banner, a mon (symbol) of a black skeletal hand; because of this the Undead are commonly called the '''Kuroi-te''' (or "Black Hand"). 

As Hymukai falls deeper and deeper into war, the criminal underworld has grown bold and can stalk the land. The '''Hattori''' are the ninja clans of Hymukai, previously just the secret agents of the Kuge but now are acting independently of them. The Hattori seem to be minor Clans of artists and courtesans in the open, but any place they can be found in the open there will be an expansive network of spies and assassins hidden. The Hattori who plot against the Kuge have aligned themselves with the Shikomi and the forces of Jigoku. 

Wako pirates, loosely lead by the warlord Turgot, pillage the defenseless of Hymukai while their protectors march against others and the Namban merchants from the far west trade arms and armor to all factions while spreading a new religion in the chaos.