Grimjaws/TenThousandSpears

Introduction

Here will be information on playing the first part of my long term Dragon Blooded game. This pert deals with the Usurpation and will take place in the late First ang and run into the establishment of the Shogunate.

Politics

The government is organized in a feudal structure with the shogun at the top and various lords below him. The shogun is the most powerful feudal lord and has won his seat through political and military power. Daimyo are the regional governors of the Shogunate and are divided into many ranks depending on the size of their holdings. A more important social division separating fudai daimyo from tozama daimyo is currently used. The fudai are daimyo who planned and led the Usurpation against the Anathema and control many of the han of strategic value. The tozama daimyo are Dragon Blooded who joined after the Calibration feast and are looked on with some suspicion by the fudai and the shogun. As the Shogunate progresses these daimyo consolidate both civil and military power becoming shugo daimyo, who are the main contenders for the seat of the Shogunate. Kokujin are lords of small landholdings. These lords strive to be as self sufficient as possible and many join together to form mutual defense leagues, ikki, against more powerful daimyo. Hatamoto is the second lowest rank in the Shogunate. These vassals are functionally equal to the gokenin but have the privilege of audience with the Shogun. The hatamoto are divided into two ranks with the kuramaitori serving the shogun directly and the jikatatori who are vassals of daimyo. Gokenin is the lowest ranking vassal of the shogun. These vassals are not allowed audience with the shogun and must find a higher ranking noble to present his petition.

both secular and ecclesiastic and are exempt from direct interference of the shogun. With the collapse of many factory cathedrals a second type of economical model has formed with local daimyos heavily utilizing water power to maintain levels of industry and mass production, especially in the areas of food and military equipment. The urban keiretsu, headed by a bank, controls industries both horizontally and vertically. Trade is conducted by these keiretsu who, initially contracted with local powers for protection, now have strong monopolies and higher hire their own guards.

Society

Heraldry

During the Usurpation the heraldic landscape was much simpler than it is in the Second Age. There were three main ways heraldic devices were displayed in a military setting. The first is the war banner, the Seven Tigers each displayed banners of a distinct color and heraldic animal, usually some kind of dragon or tiger motif. The second place heraldry in encountered was on the cloth enclosures and tents of the command quarters. Third was a garment worn either under armor and showing at the arms and legs. This came to an end when the Empress destroyed the Seven Tigers and established the Realm.

During the reign of the Empress military flags were codified and consists of scarlet, for Imperial legions; another color, typically a associated with the elemental aspect, for individual House legions. The mon itself is usually in black or white ink based on the background color for maximum visibility. The only exception is Empress' own mon which is printed in gold. Immaculate monks do not use personal heraldry other than the squared circle of the Order.

The House crest serves as an identifier of a Great House, each family within the Great House has their own crest that is a variation on the House mon. Though some families, for example the Ledaal Catala family, intentionally take on a crest significantly different than that of the Great House either due to a major change in focus of the family or in a polite rebellion and desire for more independence. A further refinement of the family crest is used by each Exalted individual of the House. Due to the large number of Dragon Blooded the specific refinements can be quite creative. A simple modification would be the subtraction or change in shape of the enclosing circle, with more complex changes possible.

Another significant change has occured only recently with the disapperance of the Empress. While the Empress was on the throne her mon was ubiquitious but used sparingly, and now the Great Houses place thier crests in any concieveable

Comments

See also Moxaine's excellent take on the Shogunate.