Hapushet/Lookshy
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To the Singer of Ten Thousand Midnights, I send greetings.
As per your instructions, please find enclosed my most recent assessment of Lookshy's military, political, cultural and economic status. Though I realize your particular interests are somewhat sepcialized, you paid me to be thorough, and so I have. For the sake of brevity, I chose not to include basic information you undoubtedly already possess from other sources, focusing specifically on details that might have been overlooked by less acute observers.
If I may say so, your instructions were such as to inspire a certain amount of speculation on my part as to your plans for the data herein. At the risk of offering unwanted advice, I should warn you: do not underestimate Lookshy or the Seventh Legion, as have so many before you. And, no matter what you intentions are, good luck.
Sincerely,
Jancir of Chanos
Contents
Lookshy
What was once a simple outpost of the Dragon-Blooded Shogunate has, in the last 700 years, become one of the preeminent military and economic powers in Creation, with might and influence to spare. Though they follow the dictates of a general some three centuries dead, they nevertheless are aware of their power and wield it sparingly, but effectively. Recent evidence suggests that their ambitions may be growing; whether their reach exceeds their grasp, however, remains to be seen.
Military Power of the Seventh Legion
Of course, Lookshy is nothing without the Seventh Legion, and the Seventh Legion is, without doubt, a military force. No consideration of Lookshy's status could pretend to completeness without a thorough examination of the military might that drives the city forward.
The General Staff
As you are of course aware, the Seventh Legion claims, in theory, to answer to the Shogun of the Dragon-Blooded Host, as they do not acknowledge the Empress' right to rule or the sovereignty of the Realm. In the absence of Shogun, however, they act at the direction of the General Staff - the seven-member ruling junta of the Legion, and thus of Lookshy as well. The General Staff is lead by the chumyo, the first-among-equals leadership position given to one member of the General Staff by accord among all seven. The chumyo wields a fair amount of power, but serves at the will of the General Staff - if a clear majority of the Staff desires the removal of the current chumyo, then a formal vote is all that is required to remove them from power. Currently, the makep of the General Staff is as follows:
Karal Linwei, Chumyo of the Seventh Legion
In the middle of her second century, Linwei is one of the youngest chumyo ever to serve, but her position has been little disputed until recently. A longtime veteran of the Legion, the charismatic and keenly inteligent Fire Aspect first rose to prominence in the Fourth Field Force, eventually commanding her own wing, and then was transferred to command of her first dragon in the First at the age of 53. It was in this position that she achieved phenomenal success in the Battle of Aran's Gorge against the Fair Folk, turning back a force of goblins and warrior nobles almost twice her number. She was awarded command of the First in the aftermath and a position on the General Staff as well. Nine years ago, in the wake of the Battle of Mishaka, she successfully campaigned for the position of chumyo and has held it since. Linwei is a staunch supporter of the Mercenary faction.
Recently, however, political difficulties have appeared for Linwei. Rumors began surfacing a little over a year ago that her daughter, a previously-mortal Lookshy veteran named Fire Orchid, had become Anathema. Perhaps in an attempt to forestall criticism over the matter, Linwei successfully persuaded her fellow Staff members to institute Project Heliotrope (see below); though the program has thus far been effective for the Legion, accusations of corruption, nepotism and heresy have all been made - quietly - against her, and several political opponents are moving to take advantage.
Maheka Lespa, Taimyo of the Third Field Force
Lespa is first and foremost among Linwei's political opponents, and he is gaining initiative over his rival. An Air Aspect approaching 170 years old, Lespa's longtime position as commander of the Third Field Force may have colored his attitudes toward Anathema - battling so many, particularly the twisted Lunars, as he has over the years - but his political ambitions have nonetheless been clear for some time. Lespa inclines toward an Interventionist viewpoint; he believes that the dangers of the Scavenger Lands could be most easily tamed if Lookshy were in a greater position of control over the other nations in the Confederation of Rivers. Personally, Lespa has a reputation for ruthless efficiency, boundless ambition and absolute fearlessness. Well-beloved by his men, some outside the Third have doubts about the man's political trustworthiness, but few can question his devotion to his duty. As general concern over Project Heliotrope grows, so does Lespa's support on the General Staff.
Yushoto Jiochu, Commander of the Operations Directorate
Jiochu, the youngest member of the Staff at a mere 133, is Linwei's strongest supporter on the General Staff. The Wood Aspect's focus has always been on his men, and operations that have been suggested and planned by Linwei have some of the best success rates in the history of the Legion, and that's all the evidence Jioshu requires that Linwei is the right person for the job. Project Heliotrope is a point of concern, but Linwei's record seems to be continuing there - Heliotrope-designated operations have a 100% success rate thus far, so as long as the subjects maintain discipline, Jiochu will continue to support Linwei's decision. Jiochu is rather intellectual for a member of the General Staff, and shows no signs of poiltical ambition himself.
Amilar Tendeke, Commander of the Stores Directorate
By contrast, Tendeke is Lespa's right-hand woman on the General Staff, a ruthlessly efficient Water Aspect who is approaching 200 years of age. In anything, Tendeke believes Lespa's plans do not go far enough; she is the most outspoken and political powerful member of the small faction known as the Pursuers of Immaculate Purity, or "Purists." Though Purists as a whole are not regarded kindly by Lookshy society - they are considered the reactionary fringe - Tendeke's phenomenal organizational ability and keen insight into the political uses of her position have earned her a solid position on the General Staff, and the friendship of powerful members of Lookshy society, including the renowned sohei Teresu Gido. Tendeke is a hard woman, and at times the eerie light of the fanatic can be seen behind her eyes. Lespa is careful not to associate himself too closely to Tendeke's strident calls for a "holy intervention" in the River Province, but he is more than willing to use her as a stalking horse in debates, and to rely on her vote when interventionist matters come before the General Staff.
Toriki Ericho, Commander of the Foreign Legions
Ericho is an Earth Aspect and the General Staff member tasked with organizing Lookshy's foreign, or "janissary," legions. As such, she often keeps out of General Staff politics, but her occasional comments are invariably given the most serious consideration, as she is the oldest member of the Staff, approaching her retirement at age 251, and perhaps the most legendary - for Ericho was born a helot, and she combined her Exaltation with phenomenal combat prowess in order to earn a place, not just among the Lookshy Gentes, but on the General Staff itself. Ericho has seen and done everything a Seventh Legion soldier could concieve, and her experience offers insight that none can dispute. She has generally supported Linwei's decisions, but Project Heliotrope appears to have unsettled her, and she has been more withdrawn of late. Rumors are flying that she will choose retirement soon, and the arrival of her replacement might well spell the end of Linwei's term as chumyo.
Yan Tu Shenshu, Commander of the Intelligence Directorate
As the man in charge of making sure Lookshy is prepared to deal with external threats, Shenshu has mixed feelings about Project Heliotrope, but he has thus far supported Linwei for other reasons - namely, because she leaves him alone to do his job, accepts his reports without hesitation and gives his recommendations very serious weight. She has publically referred to him as "the shadow-piercing eyes of Lookshy." This obvious loyalty to her subordinate has kindled the same in kind, and Shenshu thus far as seemed willing to support Linwei for a while longer.
The Fire-Aspected Shenshu is unmarried currently, and has turned down a number of offers since the death of his previous unExalted wife some 15 years ago. Though I will resist the temptation to offer an explanation for this somewhat unusual behavior that would be little more than speculation, it is nevertheless worth noting that Shenshu's loyalty to Linwei seems extremely personal.
Teresu Veriyu, Commander of the Security Directorate
Veriyu was, until recently, a very strong supporter of Linwei as well. Shown almost as much respect as Shenshu in General Staff meetings, the middle-aged Water Aspect nevertheless broke with the chumyo in a fairly public fashion over Project Heliotrope. Veriyu's opinion carries a great deal of weight with the common Lookshy soldier - she transferred to her current position from that of taimyo of the Home Guard. Despite Linwei's previous successes, Veriyu feels that the chumyo is violating Lookshy security for the sake of personal emotions, and she despises what she calls "this weakness in our leadership." It was only when she was allowed to arrange the safeguards for Heliotrope that she consented to the plan originally, and she has clearly come to regret that acquiescence. She has not joined Lespa's faction yet, but the two have been seen talking together more frequently of late.
The Administrative Staff
In addition to the General Staff, the remaining heads of the Directorates and other ranking officers of the Legion comprise what is known as the Administrative Staff, an advisory board of officers that make recommendations to and carries out the directives of the General Staff. Currently, the members of the Administrative Staff are:
Bukane Winter Rose - Taimyo of the Lookshy Manse Guard. Wood Aspect, "woman of the people" type with contacts in every part of Lookshy society.
Chan Dawn Cloud - Commander of the Lookshy Corps of Engineers. Fire Aspect whose talents lie more in inspiring his men to work better than in engineering per se.
Karal Choruzo - Chaplain-General of the Seventh Legion. A devout practitioner of the Immaculate Faith, family loyalty has kept his support directed at Linwei... for now.
Maheka Varil - Taimyo of the Home Guard. Earth Aspected warrior with excellent diplomatic know-how, a political up-and-comer.
Nefvarin Shou-Yu - Taimyo of the Seventh Legion Sky Guard. Air Aspect and renowned adventurer, given to treasure-hunting expeditions on his (rare) leaves of absence.
Sirel Sogrun - Admiral of the Seventh Legion Navy. Water Aspect, of course, but with an unusual interest in artifact-making.
Taroketu Stonefist - Taimyo of the Seventh Legion Reserve (the Gray Legion). A low-breeding Wood Aspect with a certain amount of bitterness over his position.
Teresu Jorokeno - Commander of the Justice Directorate. Earth Aspect with a demonstrable tendency to bend the law to achieve the "justice" she pursues.
Teresu Zen Wu - Taimyo of the Fourth Field Force. Air Aspected sorcerer and phenomonal Gateway player.
Yan Tu Chilozen - Commander of the Directorate of the Adjutant General. Water Aspected bureaucrat with no apparent interests outside her bookkeeping.
Yushoto Marana - Taimyo of the Second Field Force. Hard-nosed Earth Aspect with a peculiar sense of humor.
Yushoto Shi-tso - The Base Liaison Officer, head of the Liaison Directorate. Traditionally the Base Liaison Officer is a member of the General Staff; that Shi-tso is not is a comment on the man's abominable people skills and facility for presenting reasonable policies in a manner that seems expressly designed to produce riots.
The Field Forces
Lookshy's military is split into nine divisions, called Field Forces. Most Field Forces are similar in size and composition to a Realm Legion (the Reserve being the most notable exception - in time of need, the Gray Legion could muster almost 6 full Field Forces' worth of troops), and the rank structure would look familiar to any savant with a passing familiarity with Imperial military divisions. Each Field Force is commanded by a taimyo, or Field Force General, and is typically broken into 5 dragons, 1,250 men each, lead by a kazei (colonel). Each dragon is split into "left" and "right" wings, composed of 625 men, under the command of a shozei (major). The wings have 5 talons each, made up of 125 men lead by a taizei (captain), and each talon is composed of 5 scales, 25-man units commanded by a chuzei (lieutenant). A scale is 5 fangs, 5 men each under a gochei (corporal). Fangs are typically composed of nitei (privates). Gochei and nitei are enlisted; the lowest officer rank in command of a combat force is chuzei. In most scales, one fang will be commanded by a gunchei (sergeant), a senior enlisted in charge of morale, training and discipline within the scale.
Some other enlisted ranks, many of whom are not front-line combatants, include the haichei (technician/specialist), sochei (senior sergeant - usually an assistant to a chuzei) and shonai (technical consultant - usually commander of a support unit or non-combat duty officer, such as a supply clerk or medic). Other officer ranks include the shugan-junai (sorcerer-technician, equal in rank to a taizei) and the wan tan-junai (sorcerer-engineer - artifact artisan and spellcrafter, equal to a shozei). Sorcerers, along with chaplains, sohei and medical personnel, stand outside the usual chains of command - their ranks apply within their own heirarchy, but are not always applicable to regular troops.
Legion unit nomenclature is top-down and follows this pattern: Field Force, (Commander)'s Dragon (Right or Left), (Ordinal Number) Talon, (Color) Scale, Fang (Letter). The colors are red, black, white, blue and green, and the letters are A, Bi, Cho, Du and E. For example, a soldier might introduce himself as, "Nitei Western Coral, First Field Force, Shenzoro's Dragon Left, Third Talon, Green Scale, Fang Du." On the other hand, many of the unit games are dropped in practice, most particularly the "dragon." "Field Force," too, is often changed, but is replaced by "Legion" rather than eliminated entirely. To use the same example, the soldier might simply say, "Nitei Western Coral, First Legion, Shenzoro's Left, Third Green Du," if in a hurry or inclined to informality.
The Field Forces are:
The First Field Force
Commander: Karal Linwei
Makeup: Special forces and reconnaissance units, heavy infantry, medium cavalry. Above-average allotment of Essence weaponry. Most wings have at least one scale of gunzosha, and between two and five scales of ashigaru. All dragons have three warstrider fangs and three Dragon-warrior talons assigned to them.
Current Status: Despite Linwei's political concerns, her reputation as a superb general and leader of men has assured continually strong recruitment for the First, and it is at full operational strength. Given the nature of the First, its units tend to be deployed in smaller contingents than other Field Forces, so most wings have at least a scale of troops on assignment elsewhere. At the moment, one full dragon, under Kirigasa Shenzoro, is deployed in Candess in the Hundred Kingdoms to supplment Candessi militiamen against their southern neighbor Blackrock, and Murobun's Right is deployed to the Nasaru Redoubt as part of a counterespionage operation against Greyfalls.
The Second Field Force
Commander: Yushoto Marana
Makeup: Heavy infantry, mixed cavalry, archers, reconnaissance units. Normal assignment includes one scale of gunzosha per dragon and three scales of ashigaru per dragon. Each dragon includes two warstrider fangs and three dragon-warrior talons.
Current Status: The Second is the Legion's primary fighting force. While the First and the Fourth may acquire more glory, the Second is the Force called on to actually get things done. Developed for open fighting against traditional Second Age opponents, the Second has some of the most experienced soldiers in the Lookshy military - and thus, in Creation. Currently, the approximately half of the Second's combat units are on deployment, including two dragons, under Amilar Tan Jin and Mehela Sharpleaf, in the lands north of Great Forks, attempting to confront the rabble army gathered behind the outcaste demogogue known as Pyre of the Ages, and three scales of ashigaru, from Maheka Sotorin's Right and Teresu Dewaku's Left, tracking slave raiders just across the Yanaze from Lookshy itself.
The Third Field Force
Commander: Maheka Lespa
Makeup: Heavy infantry, heavy cavalry, combat engineering units. Well-above-average Essence weaponry, focusing primarily on ranged Essence discharge weapons. Normal assignment includes one scale of gunzosha per wing and two scales of ashigaru per wing. Each dragon includes three warstrider fangs and two dragon-warrior talons, heavily slanted toward Earth and Wood Aspects.
Current Status: Lespa's personal charisma and strong leadership have guaranteed strong recruitment for the Third; indeed, the Third's recruitment levels are currently the highest in the Legion. The Third's duties appeal to many as well - tradtionally, it has been the Third that is assigned to Anathema hunts, behemoth containment and campaigns against the Fair Folk. It also specializes in siege warfare. At the moment, all but Lespa's personal dragon are stationed at the Marukan Redoubt, engaged in "training manuevers" for the benefit of the Mask of Winters in nearby Thorns.
The Fourth Field Force
Commander: Teresu Zen Wu
Makeup: Mixed infantry, mixed cavalry, additional units of varying type. Normal assignment is one gunzosha scale per dragon and three ashigaru scales per dragon, but this varies widely between dragons and deployments. Each dragon includes at least two warstrider fangs and two dragon-warrior talons, but varies as much as four of one or the other, depending.
Current Status: The Fourth has evolved over the centuries from a baseline fighting force, similar to the Second, to the Legion's preferred home for experimental and unusual units. Even more than the First, then, the Fourth tends to deployed piecemeal rather than in larger sections. Often, individual fangs recieve special assignments or training, and the lessons learned by Fourth through their unique experiences tend to be quickly disseminated through the rest of the Legion. Currently, approximately a third of the Fourth is deployed, though no single deployment is larger than a scale. The Fourth is also noteworthy at present for being the home of the much-disputed Project Heliotrope.
Unique Military Assets
Martial Arts
The Seventh Legion has no access to Immaculate-level Martial Arts, but has several sensei familiar with various secular styles. These include:
Five-Dragon Style
Crimson Pentacle Blade Style
Jade Mountain Style
Blossoming Cherry Tree Style
Elusive Wind Style
Incandescent Razor Style
Whispering Dragon Style
