Warhammer Armies: Nippon by tyler stone

Warhammer Warhammer Armies Armies

NippoN

CoNteNts Introduction..................................................3 Kabuzei.......................................................................57 Land of the Rising Sun.........................5 Yokai...........................................................................58 The Empire of Nippon..............................................6 The History of Nippon..............................................7 The Age of Bushido.................................................14 Timeline of Nippon..................................................18 Map of Nippon.........................................................20 The Lands of Nippon..............................................21 Blackrose’s Letter to Marienburg.........................28 Nipponsei Culture...................................................30 The Code of Bushido...............................................36 The Warrior Clans..................................................38 Wargear of the Bushi..............................................41 Army of the Bushi....................................43 Army Special Rules.................................................44 Weapons of the Bushi.............................................45 Commanders............................................................46 Shindo Monks..........................................................47 Onmyoji....................................................................48 Nipponsei Mounts...................................................49 Samurai....................................................................50 Ashigaru...................................................................52 Ronin........................................................................53 Uzabushi...................................................................54 Taiko Drums............................................................55 Shinobuzei................................................................56

Written By: Tyler Stone

Hatamoto....................................................................62 Sotei.............................................................................63 Legendary Warriors..................................................64 Siege Weapons............................................................65 Minamoyo Ittazen......................................................66 Takata Nobuharu.......................................................67 Izeguri Kojiro.............................................................68 Datashi Matsunori.....................................................69 Odai Nasunaga...........................................................70 Miyushiro Masune.....................................................71 Yamakata Masatage..................................................72 Kabukara Gozeimon..................................................73 Hachehiro Takematsu...............................................74 The Lore of Shindo....................................................75 Heirlooms of the Nipponsei.......................................76 Clan Mon....................................................................78 The Nippon Order of Battle............81 Lords...........................................................................83 Heroes.........................................................................86 Core.............................................................................89 Special.........................................................................91 Rare.............................................................................94 Summary..............................................................96

Cover Art: Legend of Five Rings

Art: Legend of Five Rings, Total War: Shogun II, Age of Empires III Cover: Mariusz Kozik vel Lacedemon Rules development: Tyler Stone. Special Thanks to: the community at Librarium-Online.com, Total War Forums, and all of those who playtested or provided feedback on this army, or just had the patience to stick by me while working on it. This book is unofficial and in no way endorsed by Games Workshop Limited. ‘Warhammer Armies: Nippon’ was written and distributed as a not-for-profit venture. Citadel, the Citadel Device, the Double-Headed/Imperial-Eagle Device, ‘Eavy Metal, Games Workshop, Games Workshop logo, Warhammer, Warhammer Online, Warhammer Armies series, Warhammer logo, and all associated marks, names, races, race insignia, characters, vehicles, locations, units, illustrations, and images from the Warhammer world are Copywritten by Games Workshop Limited, all rights reserved.

iNtroduCtioN Welcome to Warhammer: Nippon, a tome of knowledge to unlock the mysterious jewel of the East, and the proud warriors who fight for it’s honor. This book contains all the information you’ll require to collect and play with a Nippon army in games of Warhammer.

Why Collect a Nippon army? Nippon is a tiny island realm adrift upon the Eastern sea. Lorded over by their Emperor and Shogun, the legendary pride and prowess of the warriors of Nippon is a tale shared by traveling merchants and epic poets throughout the world. Forged by the sword-arms of the elite Bushi, Nippon fights against any who would desecrate the secrets of their island realm.

Warriors of Nippon. Every troop type in the army of Nippon is examined here. You will find the full description of each unit, alongside the complete rules for any special abilities or options which they possess. This section also includes the Great Clans of Nippon, detailing the unique clan-based structure of Nippon, the Lore of Shindo, Nippon’s powerful ancestor-magic, and the Heirlooms of the Ancestors, the vault of Nippon’s powerful magical items – along with rules to use them in your games. The Nippon Warhost. This section takes all of the characters, warriors, monsters, and warmachines from the Warriors of Nippon section and arranges them so you can choose an army for your games. Units are classed as characters (Lords or Heroes), Core, Special, or Rare, and can be taken in different quantities depending on the size of the game you are playing.

A Nippon host arranged for battle is an awesome sight. Colorful banners flutter over massed ranks of Ashigaru and elite cadres of Bushi. These proud warriors are supported by all the might of their homeland – terrifying Kabuzei, mysterious Yokai, and orders of devout warrior-monks. The characters of the Nippon host are the most most powerful and eye-catching however, bedecked in colorful Sashimono emblazoned with family crests, each is the equal of a dozen or more enemy soldiers.

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How This Book Works

While Warhammer Armies: Nippon includes all of the

Warhammer army books are split into sections, each of which deals with a different aspect of the army. Warhammer Armies: Nippon contains: Children of the Kami. This section describes the history of Nippon, from it’s creation by the Great Kami in the age before time, through the dark days of The Scouring, and into it’s new era of exploration and expansion.

information that you will need in order to field a Nippon army in your games of Warhammer, there are always more tactics to learn, battles to fight, and new painting techniques to try out. The friendly community of gamers at Librarium-Online is always willing to support both seasoned and beginning hobbyists alike, and aid you in your goal of mustering a Nippon army. Find them, and their forums at: www.Librarium-Online.com/forums

LaNd of the risiNg suN Whispers have been heard, rumors, that beyond the glittering shores of far-off Cathay there lies a small island nation, the last bastion of the race of Man before the rolling expanse of the Far Sea. Tales tell of proud warriors with blades like razors, armor of wood as strong as steel, who cover their faces with shocking masks and wield the souls of their ancestors like a magick. Stories abound of unnatural creatures who call the island home, living and fighting alongside itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s colorful human inhabitants. The truth behind these tales is more fantastic still. An entire culture, thriving under the sun and sequestered from the world by ancient magic, has finally swelled beyond its borders. At last, ships set sails emblazoned with outlandish emblems, and steer for the shores of the Old World. The Empire of Nippon has made itself known, a rumor no more, and the shadows of the world shall bow before the might of the Sun.

the empire of NippoN If one were to sail East from the far shores of Cathay, with any luck, they would find themselves met with a roiling fog bank unlike any they had ever seen. With a little more luck still, and a heart bold enough to continue sailing blindly Eastward, they might eventually wash up onto the shores of one of the three islands of the Empire of Nippon. This is an alien realm, an idyllic paradise spared from the mutating caress of Chaos far longer than the rest of the world. It is a land of extremes, where humans have come to know unbridled passions, but also, terrible tragedy. The three islands of Nippon encompass the flooded marshlands of Hanzu, to the North, the Shadow Island of Hokkai to the South, and at the Southernmost part, the largest island, Ryushu. Once a land of verdant plains, fertile farmland, and rolling hills, Nippon has been transformed into a land of harsh extremes. Mountains thrust up through rocky soil, and lush forests have become ancient, dark, and oppressive. Here and there are dotted the ruins of once-great cities and early temples, now rumored to be the haunts of ghosts and malicious devils. The Northern reaches of Nippon are now perpetually shrouded in darkness, a sky wracked by thunderheads, where raw magic leaks past the great barrier of fog to roll across the landscape in billowing clouds of mutation and decay. When the winds blow strongly, herds of Beastmen from the island of Hokkai, and worse things yet from the marshlands of Hanzu, board ramshackle wooden ships to raid and pillage the shores of Ryushu. Where lesser men would have fled the realm in terror, the people of Nippon have steeled themselves in martial pride, and have staved off the encroaching darkness for millennia, all the while awaiting the return of their gods.

The Keys to an Empire The treacherous politics of Nippon could fill an entire volume on their own. Daimyo – tribal warlords scattered across the lands – vie for power in bloody internal struggles which leave entire tracts of the countryside in ruin. The Emperor is powerless to stop them, sequestered in his palace where he is safe from the violence which runs rampant in his realm. The true power rests in the hands of the Shogun – the master of all Daimyo, enforcer of the Emperor’s law, and the final voice in all matters of court or politics. All Daimyo answer to the Shogun, bowing to pacts of loyalty sworn by their lauded ancestors in the Nippon’s darkest days. When the world outside threatens the shores of the island nation, the Daimyo lay aside their petty struggles, and then is the true might of Nippon fully recognized.

The Bushi, and the Warrior’s Path At the core of every Nipponsei army are the brightly colored clans of the Bushi. Master horsemen, and swordsmen without equal, they march to battle beneath narrow banners which declare the might of their martial brotherhood for all the world to see. As the naginatas of the cavalry scythe through the enemy, and the swords of the Samurai and Kensai reap the heads of their foes like wheat, the Imperial Legion of Ashigaru marches in support. Doing the dishonorable, distasteful, or simply undesired jobs of their Bushi masters, the Ashigaru cover the advance with volleys of arrows, disciplined fire from their arquebuses, and add the weight of numbers to the fight with their naginata and bristling ranks of yari. These mortal forces are not the only foes who must be overcome should a general wish to invade the lands of Nippon. The supernatural denizens of the realm are also more than competent upon the field of battle. Towering Oni trample through regiments of lesser troops like a thundering stampede, and Tengu whirl overhead on the wings of birds, diving down to lash out with talon and dagger. Beautiful shape-shifting Kitsune prey upon the unwary, beguiled by their appearance, while the wolf-like Okami scout ahead of armies on the march and run down enemies who are too cowardly to die on the blades of their mortal allies. On and off the battlefield, these ‘Yokai’ lend considerable weight to the assembled human defenders. Finally, it would be folly not to consider the unaligned forces that can be called into aid. Disgraced Ronin, eager to regain their honor and prove themselves to new lords, and wretched Shinobuzei and their Kabuzei masters assail the enemy from all sides, while Onmyoji channel the supernatural powers of the Yokai through human flesh, and Shindo monks bend the spirits of the departed against the enemy in blasts of eldritch magic.

the history of NippoN The earliest written histories of Nippon come not from the libraries of the island realm itself, but from it’s mainland neighbor – the great Dragon Empire of Cathay. Even the earliest Cathayan records have proven unreliable however, as the Nipponsei archipelago managed to remain hidden even from the talented augurs of the Imperial Court for many hundreds of years. According to the oral histories of the Nipponsei, their island home was the last creation of the Kami. Legend tells that the Great Kami had foreseen the coming of the Great Destroyer, the Four Brothers of Darkness. With this knowledge, he created the Kami – a host of gods and goddesses who were to build the world and fight against the Dark Brothers. The Great Kami then raised the islands of Nippon from the salt of the oceans, and created a paradise for his earthly palace. He shrouded the islands with a powerful magic ward, to render it invisible to the Dark Brothers, and impervious to their magic. Finally the day arrived for the Kami and the Dark Brothers to go to war. Legions of the Dark Brothers’ children dragged down the Kami one by one, and though the Kami slew them by the unnumbered millions, they could not hope to defeat the endless stream of Daemons pouring into their world. As each Kami fell, the Dark Brothers feasted upon its soul, stealing its knowledge, unlocking secrets which could unmake the labors of the Great Kami and destroy the world. Realizing that he had been defeated, the Great Kami retreated to his island paradise. Knowing that the Dark Brothers could not be allowed to steal his knowledge for themselves, he took his own life. As the Great Kami’s blood fell to the soil, the many tribes of Yokai sprang up, and the Great Clans of the Nipponsei were born from the clay. Thus, each tribe of Yokai, and the Nipponsei, bore a small measure of the divine secrets of the Great Kami, to preserve his knowledge.

The world burned as the Dark Brothers hunted down the last of the Kami and searched for the Great Kami. When they withdrew, the world beyond Nippon’s shores was left ruined and mutated, and a dark shadow fell over the age. The last few surviving Kami retreated to their realms on distant planes. Only Izanye remained. Gathering the Great Kami’s body, she carried it with her and made her palace in the sun, where she could watch over the Nipponsei, and where her gaze could burn away the shadow which stretched across the works of the Great Kami.

The Arrival of Cathay Nippon remained hidden for many years, until a Cathayan junk found itself lost in a dense fog, and ran aground on an uncharted island. The land they discovered was unlike anything that they had ever seen before. Crystal water flowed in great rivers, brimming with fish of all varieties. Grains grew on almost every hillside, mingled with groves of fruit. The islands were legendary, they seemed a realm of the gods. They were already inhabited though, by simple but proud tribes of humans. The sailors were welcomed into the tents of the nomadic tribesmen with open arms – they had never seen outsiders from beyond the fog, and were a curious people. After staying for a year, the Cathayans were led by Nipponsei fishermen back through the fog, and returned to their homeland with ships laden with wealth and brimming with tales of their incredible discovery. Upon hearing these stories, the Dragon Emperor of Cathay knew that he must add these lands to his territories. His lifespan was infinite, and he was patient. For now, he would attempt to subjugate the lands through trade, as he had subjugated the tribes of Ind and Khuresh. The Nipponsei accepted these trades with open arms, but it was clear that

the Cathayans could not stay. No ship remained in the Nipponsei ports for more than a single season, and then they were guided back through the fog to Cathay. Moreover, it seemed that not all of the denizens of the Islands were as welcoming as the Nipponsei – reports slowly mounted of wayward Cathayan travelers being torn apart or devoured by savage beasts who lurked in the shadows and isolated glades of the islands. As trade flourished, Nippon caught up with the world beyond its borders. The tribes settled down into Great Houses, large, extended family groups who gradually assumed control over every aspect of life on the islands. Cities sprang up, based upon descriptions of the giant settlements of Cathay. Writing, art, and fashion also mirrored those imported by the Cathayans, and soon, even temples to Cathayan deities were gaining popularity, rivaling the Kami who had been worshipped unanimously by the Nipponsei since their first breaths. It seemed that everything was working according to the Dragon Emperor’s plan.

The Emperor of Nippon What the Dragon Emperor had not counted on, however, was the pride of the Nipponsei, and the greed of his own subjects. Finely made Cathayan weapons fetched hefty sums in the markets of Nippon, despite the Dragon Emperor expressly forbidding the arming of the “simple tribes-people.” Soon, skirmishes were erupting along the borders between the Great Houses, with a growing warrior class in their wake. Among all of the Great Houses, one gained dominance. The Fujibana used a cunning mix of military strategy and politics to gain a firm grasp on the other Great Houses. The Minamoyo House had sworn loyalty to them without raising a blade, and the Tachiwara had only been able to hold their castles against them for two seasons before they too folded under the combined attacks of two rival Great Houses. Only the Tarai stood to oppose the Fujibana. For a year the Tarai waged a bloody war against the Fujibana and their allies. Trade was disrupted as ports changed hands, caravans were sacked, and blockades formed. For his part, the Emperor of Cathay restricted trade heavily, attempting to ferret out the merchants, captains, and pirates who had gone against his wishes and provided weapons to the Nipponsei. The Tarai had the full backing of Cathay, and the constant influx of weapons, armor, medicine, and sometimes even warriors, dragged the war on to a stalemate. The Dragon Emperor refused to allow the Fujibana to unite Nippon under a single banner – to grant his prize jewel sovereignty meant that all hopes of taking Nippon without resorting to force would be dashed against the rocks. It was futile however, as the Tarai eventually relented, and the Fujibana reigned supreme.

Nipponsei Names The Nipponsei place familial loyalty above personal glory, and therefore, always announce themselves or record names by leading with the family name, and then the given name. In the case of the warrior class, youths are allowed to choose a name when they are initiated into the ranks of the Samurai, although this is most commonly a hollow gesture, as their name has already been decided by superiors, to have some significance within clan politics. After discussions with the Shindo Priests, and a handful of courtiers who spoke on behalf of the Yokai, it was determined that the warlord Fujibana Shimmu would be named Emperor of Nippon – in the Cathayan style, and that his reign would be unquestionable, and absolute. For the first time, trade with Cathay was restricted by the Nipponsei as Emperor Shimmu imposed a system of tariffs, taxes, and organized the merchants so that trade flowed only through Fujibana ports. It seemed that now, the Dragon Emperor had a rival across the narrow stretch of sea, and his hold on his crown jewel was slipping. The Dragon Emperor would not strengthen his grip in Nippon for another five hundred years. Shimmu established a cadet branch, the Yakayazuki, and separated himself from the Fujiwara. The Yakayazuki became the official Imperial Family of Nippon, and a successive line of Emperors would continue unbroken from that day forward.

The Heijo Era The next four hundred years are widely considered as the first true golden age of Nippon, begun under Yakayazuki Shimmu, and continued by his daughter, Yakayazuki Gemmae. Gemmae truly defined the era, building the city of Kagyo-Heijo to be her capital city, safe within the Fujibana territory. From the Imperial Palace at Heijo, Gemmae began commissioning several public projects for the empire, using the money built up in the treasury by Shimmu and the trade with Cathay. First, Gemmae used her military ties with the Fujibana to solidify her claim to all the land in Nippon. None of the Great Houses could oppose her. Though the Imperial family now retained the rights to all the land in the realm, Gemmae divided her holdings into Prefectures, based on the original territories of the Great Houses. The first Imperial census – the Fudoka – was implemented shortly thereafter.

When Gemmae passed her rule on to her son, Emperor Shumo, he continued the progress, connecting the Prefectures with an orderly system of roads, bridges, and guard stations. Under Emperor Shumo’s orders, the Cathayan writing system was modified to better fit the Nipponsei language, and work began on a written history of the islands, the Nippon Shohi.

Wars in Khuresh Following rumors of a lost temple of a Kami, and with the intention of establishing a foothold on the mainland, Emperor Hidoshi, Shumo’s grandson, rallied the first large collection of Nipponsei warriors in history, fashioned a small fleet of light transport ships, and sailed for the Hinterlands of Khuresh, a peninsular realm to the south of Cathay. With a core of warriors from the Fujibana Clan, who had the best-trained troops in all of Nippon owing to their role as protectors of the Imperial Family and their history as the first unifiers of the island, Hidoshi landed just one-hundred thousand men in northern Khuresh. Turning his army south, and fanning out across much of the northern portion of the peninsula, Hidoshi and his men effectively cut off any routes of escape for the citizens of Khuresh, and as his armies marched to the south, they squeezed their foes into the narrowing landmass or forced them into sea. It was the first war that Nippon would fight against a foreign enemy, and Hidoshi’s confidence was high. The primitive tribes of Khuresh were able to rally in large

numbers, but their armies were formed of conscripts who could not remember war, and who were little more than simple huntsmen. Their accurate bowfire posed a threat to the invading Nipponsei, but quick and fearsome charges from the Nipponsei warriors often routed them from the field in terror, before any decisive blows could be struck. From his palace in Cathay, the Dragon Emperor could only watch as his Southern allies were crushed under the feet of the invading Nipponsei. He had not counted on the small island empire to be so aggressive. The Dragon Emperor could stand it no longer. For more than four centuries, the Nipponsei had thwarted his attempts to bring their hidden islands into his domain, and now they were marching on his close allies. Under the flag of Khuresh, Cathayan vessels were launched from the ports of the Dragon Emperor and sailed to meet the fledgling Nipponsei fleet docked off the shores of the Hinterlands. After a score of naval battles, Hidoshi’s navy was driven off, and his supply lines were cut. From the North, Cathayan soldiers surged across their border in the hundreds of thousands, overwhelming Hidoshi’s rearguard with a weapon that the Nipponsei had never seen before – gunpowder. Hidoshi soon realized that he had been outmaneuvered, and strong-armed into peace talks with the Cathayans and the leaders of the Khuresh. Ever a wise tactician and diplomat, Hidoshi kept his army in position to cut communication between the two allies, so that he could parlay with each nation independently. From the kingdoms of Khuresh he accepted a heavy ransom, nearly emptying the vaults of their many tribal kings and chieftains. To the

Dragon Emperor, Hidoshi made hollow apologies for his actions. Hidoshi agreed to withdraw his troops in return for a shipment of the early, but powerful, gunpowder weapons of the Cathayans and the right to maintain a small trading port in Khuresh. The Dragon Emperor accepted these terms, under the stipulation that Cathayan ambassadors be allowed into each of Great Houses of Nippon, to remain there indefinitely. Hidoshi agreed, and returned his army to Nippon aboard ships laden with two-thousand Cathayan Uzutsu handcannons, and most of the treasury of Khuresh. For all intents, Hidoshi considered this a successful venture. Upon their return to Nippon, Hidoshi awarded several of his generals with tracts of land taken from their Great House holdings, creating the first instance of ‘Cadet Clans’ within the Great Houses.

inhabitants of the Island. Destroy them, and the barricade would fall, the souls of the Nipponsei would be laid bare to the power of the Raven God, and the island would be ripe for the Dragon Emperor’s picking.

A Plague of Rats The Raven God’s plans were set in motion. The twists of fate coiled around the distant island realm, and the first of many ill tidings came to the shores of Nippon. Secreted away on trade vessels, the Skaven of Eshin Clan – who had long ago infiltrated Cathay by way of their warrens and tunnels beneath the civilized world – arrived in Nippon and began to take hold. Uncleanliness followed in their footsteps, and where they burrowed into the fertile Nipponsei soil, famine and plague erupted like boils on diseased flesh.

The paradise of Nippon had long survived without the dilapidating touch of Father Nurgle, no foreign invaders had tread upon it’s soil. Now, a rash of death and pestilence was While Hidoshi considered the invasion of Khuresh a victory for his young empire, the Dragon Emperor from his defying all the medicines of the Nipponsei priests. palace in Cathay saw the opportunity for even larger gain – Nipponsei progress ground to a halt as they battled against a wave of debilitating diseases. Villages were reduced to with ambassadors in every Great House court, he had a ghost-towns, and entire swaths of countryside were plunged firm grasp on the politics of Nippon, and for the first time into famine as crops failed. In desperation, riots and looting in almost two hundred years, he could steer the island in broke out, and shrines were attacked, overrun by victims the direction which he desired. when they attempted to turn away the afflicted. For the past two hundred years, the Dragon Emperor had War Against the Yokai been unable to make any headway in his occupation of In the courts of the Nipponsei, accusations flew as tempers Nippon. He had cursed entire covens of court wizards skilled in Augury to the brink of blindness by forcing them flared. Blame for the horrible plagues was passed from to gaze into the unnatural mists surrounding the island, but Great House to Great House, and the entire realm prepared for brutal civil war, but nobody was sure whom to attack. It had never been able to break its powerful wards. He had was the Cathayan ambassadors who finally swayed the willed horrible cataclysms, droughts, famines, and verdict. This was a plague of the heavens. The Kami were disasters upon them, but to no avail. It seemed that no angered by the Nipponsei failure to locate the lost temple in amount of magic could penetrate the ethereal walls Khuuresh. Their gods had forsaken them, and blame was surrounding the island. rested squarely upon the shoulders of the Emperor Saitokura, Finally, in the dark of night, the Dragon Emperor was Hidoshi’s heir, and upon the Yokai, who had propagated the approached by an emissary of the Raven-Headed god of spreading disease. the Northern Fates. The strange creature, flickering with The hot-blooded horsemen of the Tarai were the first to unearthly blue flame, told the Dragon Emperor that word mobilize their armies against the Emperor. They had long had reached the Raven God of an island off his coast, trusted the Cathayans over the Emperor, and they still which he coveted greatly. The Raven God could, if the remembered their defeat at the hands of the Fujibana when Dragon Emperor agreed, put events into motion which Emperor Shimmu first took the throne. Their swift moving would deliver him this island within a decade. In return, host was driving into Kagyo province of the Fujibana, on a the Dragon Emperor had to deliver the souls of every inhabitant of the island to the Raven God. It was a simple, direct course for the palace at Kagyo-Heijo. The Fujibana had also fallen victim to the insidious Cathayan officials, and one-sided exchange. An island paradise to be settled by their armies were already deployed to sweep the northern the Cathayans, in return for the souls of every one of it’s forests of Nippon with fire and blade, eradicating the Yokai current inhabitants. The Dragon Emperor agreed without hesitation, and Nippon’s darkest chapter began in the dead who dwelled within. With the Tarai assault, they withdrew a portion of the army from the forest to ring the Heijo palace. of night, in the court of a foreign land.

The Scouring

The Raven God divulged the secret of Nippon’s mystical barrier – it’s power laid with the Yokai, the unnatural

Emperor Saitokura himself further confused matters. His Onmyoji, who had long attempted to be the translators and

ambassadors between the Yokai and human inhabitants, urged the Emperor to call off the attacks on the Yokai tribes. The Emperor consented, and ordered the Fujibana to pull their troops from the forests. The Fujibana took this as an insult, and a betrayal by their Emperor, and refused to pull any additional troops from the attack on the forests. When it became clear that their position at Kagyo-Heijo was untenable without these reinforcements, the Fujibana guards took the Saitokura’s son, Antoku, still only an infant, and retreated to their capital at Kurozawa. The Tarai supported this move, and the future reign of Antoku, and allowed the Fujibana to retreat unhindered. To the south, the Minamoyo Great House had been taking a stance of neutrality in the conflict. They had maintained close ties to the Shindo Priests and the Imperial family, and therefore hesitated to act against the Emperor or the spiritual well-being of Nippon. The Cathayan ambassadors made no headway in talks with Minamoyo Toriyomo, head of the Great House. Shindo monks had already impressed him with their understanding of the plagues at hand, and promised him that there was no reason to believe that the Yokai or the Kami were at fault. When the Fujibana left the Emperor to be captured at Kagyo-Heijo, the Minamoyo mobilized their armies and marched to his rescue, ready to lift the Tarai siege.

The Divine Emperor

base of Mount Tsumeru. Legends spoke of a palace of Yokai which sat at the highest peak of the mountain, although no one had ever survived the climb to see it. If Emperor Saitokura could make the climb, he could plead the case of the humans of Nippon to the Yokai, and perhaps they would lend their aid in the battles to come. The Emperor disappeared into the mountains for nearly a month, as the Minamoyo desperately defended their borders from the Tarai and Tachiwara, and the Fujibana slaughtered the Yokai of the north. The climb was treacherous, as the air thinned so much that the Emperor was left gasping for breath only halfway to the crest, and the winds among the clouds blew so coldly that he thought he would surely freeze. Thus, nearly frozen and half starved, the Emperor reached the crest of Mount Tsumeru. Saitoku never spoke of what he found at the summit. The stories claim that upon reaching the crest, the last Kami – Izanye, who had saved the Great Kami and taken him to her palace in the sun, descended from the heavens on the back of a comet, and imparted a measure of wisdom to the Emperor of Nippon. When Saitoku returned, he seemed more than human. Light streamed from his eyes, and his skin burned with the heat of the sun. When he rejoined the Minamoyo at Khoto, he walked at the head of an army of Yokai half a million strong. The wrath of the Kami had come to the Nipponsei, but dark times still loomed on the horizon.

The Minamoyo army arrived at Kagyo-Heijo just as the Tarai forced their entry. Minamoyo Toriyomo demanded that the Tarai stand down and when their leader, Tarai no Matsunori refused, Toriyomo drew up his host and charged into battle. The streets of Heijo were awash with blood as the two forces raced to find Emperor Saitokura. Making his way through the carnage, it was Matsunori who located the Emperor first, but Toriyomo was not far behind. He slew Matsunori and led the Emperor out of the palace. With their leader dead, the Tarai retreated, but not before setting fire to the palace at Kagyo-Heijo. As their enemy regrouped under Matsunori’s brother, Tarai Setsuhara, the Minamoyo withdrew, retreating back to their territory of Khoto. During Toriyomo’s absence, the Tachiwara had taken the advantage and attacked the borders of Khoto. Toriyomo returned to find his homeland invaded by fresh enemies, while the Tarai still pursued him, never far behind. Many Minamoyo warriors had perished to save their Emperor, and now it seemed that they would be unable to defend him. It looked as if there was only one option left to the Emperor. With the advisement of his last surviving Onmyoji, Emperor Saitokura was secretly transported across Nippon, going from village to village, until at last he arrived at the

The Scouring, and the Treachery of Cathay With the Emperor at the head of his Yokai army, the enemies of the Minamoyo were driven from Khoto. Minamoyo Toriyomo and his warriors joined with the Emperor, and together they marched to retake the capital at Kagyo-Heijo. For the first time during the campaign the Tarai were driven backwards, but the horrors of the war continued unabated. Yokai were slain in their thousands, both on the battlefields by the Tarai, and by the hunters of the Fujibana and Tachiwara. Nearly lost amidst the fires of war, a small parcel arrived from the Dragon Emperor of Cathay to be given to the Tarai. It contained a simple, clay seal, which seemed too outlandish to be of Cathayan origin. The hooded acolyte who delivered the package to Tarai only said that it would banish the Yokai forever and return to Nippon to its former glory if it were taken to the north of the realm and shattered within the Shrine of the Great Kami. The Tarai hardly believed these wild claims, but as their armies were overwhelmed in the field, they became more and more desperate. Finally, driven back against the Fujibana in the North, who saw the Tarai as invaders and attacked them from behind, they realized that they had no choice. The seal was shattered. The effect was almost immediate. With so many Yokai banished from the mortal plane, the barrier raised by the Great Kami was at itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s weakest. The seal unleashed a wave of magic that ripped down the wall. From the blighted Chaos Gate, magic flooded south and tore through the land. The full attention of the Ruinous Powers -the full might of Chaos- hit the island with relentless force. The skies were torn asunder by storms, lightning, tornadoes, and torrential rains. Great waves pounded the shores,

and earthquakes shook the ground as rocky spires burst through the fertile soil, uprooting farmland. A maelstrom was opened in the north of Nippon, and the Tarai realized their folly too late. The northern island of Hanzu was almost entirely submerged in the boiling sea, tidal waves flooding its great forests. Hokkai was nigh obliterated, wiped clean of life in an eye blink. Everything which had survived there was mutated, driven mad by their bestial forms and the touch of unmitigated Chaos. The great island of Ryushu, the seat of power in Nippon, began to slip into the waves as terrible laughter rang through the air. The souls of the Nipponsei were wrenched from their bodies, and Yokai were blasted apart in clouds of mist, food for the terrible gods of the North. Their knowledge was freed, and the Dark Brothers eagerly gobbled up the secrets of the universe. For three days, the northern reaches of Nippon were awash with terrible magic. United in their horror, the Tarai, Fujibana, and Minamoyo laid aside their differences to battle against the tide of Daemons and mutants who spilled out from the storms. At the end of the third day, the Emperor saw what must be done. If the Dark Brothers wanted knowledge, then knowledge he would give them. Climbing onto the back of a Ryujin â&#x20AC;&#x201C; the powerful dragon kings of the Yokai â&#x20AC;&#x201C; Emperor Saitoku hurled himself into the whirling vortex over Hanzu, sacrificing himself. The power he had taken from Izanye was too great for the Brothers to devour at once, and the portal flickered, and then snapped shut. As the combined army of Nippon cut down the final wave of mutants and abominations from beyond, Taira Setsuhara committed suicide, rather than face the horrible consequences of what he had done. Those who survived looked over their empire, now lying shattered and in ruins.

The Wrath of the Shogun Although the portal had been closed, the threat to the Nipponsei was far from over. The magical wall around their island had been utterly destroyed. In the world beyond, the Dark Brothers waited with hungry maws, prepared to swallow down the souls of the Nipponsei. The entire population of the northernmost islands had been transformed into savage Beastmen. In these dark times, there was no leader for the empire. The Emperor was dead, and his son was still far too young to assume control of the realm. Minamoyo Toriyomo wasted no time in placing himself in command of the Nipponsei. The Tarai and Fujibana had witnessed his strength and resolve first hand, on the battlefield against both his fellow Nipponsei and the nightmarish creatures to follow in the wake of the opened portal. None stepped forward to oppose him. Toriyomo pardoned the Fujibana of their ignorance- their Great House was in ruin already, having settled almost entirely upon the islands of Hanzu and Hokkai, now blasted wastelands. For their part, the Fujibana swore to defend the northern region of Ryushu for eternity, both in repentance for their acts, and so that they could be the ones to put the sword to their former kin, now mutated horrors.

Toriyomo found it hard to forgive the Tarai however, and the Tachiwara refused to bow to this new leader. They had claimed much of the Minamoyo homeland for their own, as Toriyomo had again emptied out his defenses to march with the Emperor into the north. To prove their loyalty, Toriyomo commanded the Tarai to pacify the Tachiwara. The Tarai warriors took to the task with fanatical zeal, eager to repay the Nipponsei for their terrible folly. By the next harvest, the Tachiwara Great House was in shambles. The Tarai took no prisoners, driving farmers and warriors alike before their fearsome wrath. The capital of the Tachiwara was burned, their ancestral fields torched, and their people scattered to the wind. The rule of Toriyomo would be absolute. Any who opposed him were hunted down by the Tarai, and he wielded their guilt like a cudgel. A new era had dawned in Nippon â&#x20AC;&#x201C; an age dominated by the warrior class, an age of fire and steel and rage like no other. Nippon would not see itself return to the glory of its golden age for many generations to come. The age of Bushido had begun.

the age of Bushido The age of Bushido began with the Scouring, when Nippon was attacked savagely by the world beyond its borders. In the times since, Nippon has closed its doors and shut out that world, turning its attention inward, strengthening and rebuilding itself internally as a nation of warriors and steely resolve. This age has continued and the isolation of Nippon has remained almost complete until the present, when they are finally taking their first tentative steps back into the wider world. Nippon was not quiet during this long isolation however, and many events came to pass which would shape the island empire forever.

The First Shogun The first act of Minamoyo Toriyomo was to declare himself Shogun – protector of Nippon. By declaring himself protector of Nippon, on behalf of the Emperor, he effectively gave himself license to shape the empire as he saw fit. None could question his actions, because after all, it was the will of the Emperor. Toriyomo sealed the borders of Nippon, closing all trade in or out. By his reasoning, there were enough threats to deal with from inside his realm, let alone dealing with events beyond their shores, or leaving themselves open to more treachery by the devious Cathayans. Toriyomo distanced the Nipponsei as far as possible from the Empire of Cathay. Where during the golden age Nippon had emulated Cathay in nearly every aspect of culture, in the age of Bushi, Toriyomo declared Cathay to be the enemy, a realm of devils and fiends, and all traces of their civilization would be wiped clean from the face of glorious Nippon. In the few cities which had not been obliterated by the Scouring, Toriyomo ordered that the streets be torn up and laid out anew, so that they would no longer mimic the Cathayan fashion. There was a renaissance of sorts, as Nippon reimagined itself with its own unique identity.

Rise of the Bushi Toriyomo’s next act as Shogun was to place power firmly in control of the warrior class. The Minamoyo had not thrived as a Great House, defeated the Tarai and Tachiwara, and maintained a unified Nippon simply through the aid of the Yokai – they had long maintained a dedicated corps of warriors who had trained since birth for the role, and who had sworn fanatical loyalty to the four virtues of the Minamoyo House. These elite warriors were the Bushi. The teachings they followed were The Path of the Bushi, also called Bushido. Toriyomo gathered around him men who exemplified these characteristics. Most of them came from the ranks of the Minamoyo, but also the Fujibana, as they had not turned their backs upon their duty to the Imperial family, however misguided they had been by the liars of Cathay.

The Five Virtues of Bushido Righteousness. Righteousness is to know what is correct. To fight when it is right to fight, kill when it is right to kill, and to die when it is right to die.

Courage. Courage is to act upon what is right, regardless of the consequence. Courage is to stand one’s ground, even in the face of certain death, without flinching or turning away. Austerity. Material ties weaken a man’s resolve. A warrior must be ready to die at any moment. A Bushi needs nothing to live for – a Bushi lives for his lord.

Honor. True patience is to bear the unbearable. A short temper and rash action brings dishonor, not only to the Bushi, but to his family, and to his lord. To be dishonorable is to be worthless, to be worthless, is to die.

Loyalty. Nothing is more important than this. A Bushi does not stop to question his lord, he only acts. A Bushi must be prepared to die at the command of his lord.

The Bushi swore loyalty to their masters. A Bushi was loyal to his Daimyo, the Daimyo, loyal to his Great House, and the Great Houses, loyal the Shogun. Those who were not members of the Bushi were no longer allowed to carry swords. Thus, the sword became a badge of office. Bushi became the penultimate class, allowed to mete out judgment and punishment on any who were below their station, at any time. In the turbulent days after the Scouring this was an important duty – it allowed Bushi to punish thieves, looters, malcontents, and rogue wizards without hesitation. Because Righteousness is one of the Four Virtues of Bushido, a Bushi was expected to know intrinsically the just course of action, and could therefore serve adequately as judge, jury, and executioner. Eventually the Great Houses fell apart and collapsed, shattered by the Scouring. Many small Clans sprang up in their place, led by the Daimyos who continued to live on lands granted to their Great House by the Emperor. These clans would come to skirmish with one another in later eras, but in the years just after the Scouring, all Bushi were united in their defense of the empire, and their duty to the Shogun. Toriyomo established the seat of the Shogunate at Kurakama. The role of Shogun would remain with Minamoyo descendents for the rest of Nippon’s history.

Wars of the Bushi Although the Nippon has continued to live in isolation, it has not necessarily lived at peace. For much of the age, the Shogun have been either unwilling, or unable, to intervene in the small skirmishes and outright wars between the myriad of Bushi clans. Moreover, the wider world was now aware of Nippon – and although the Shindo priests joined forces with the Yokai to rebuild the magic barrier around the island, it is only a fraction of what it once was, and foreign foes have landed on Nipponsei soil with increasing regularity.

The Battle of Azurikaza The first campaign of the new Shogun Toriyomo was to drive out the Skaven who had established strongholds in his lands. In 1131iy, Toriyomo issued a decree that any Daimyo who could bring him a thousand Skaven heads would have his domains increased by three koku – the Nipponsei measurement of suitable farmland – and an additional koku for every five-hundred heads thereafter. The early phases of the campaign were a success as the Skaven were swept from their lairs by fire and steel. The lands awarded as a result of these conquests would give rise to both the Takata and Izeguri clans. The campaign began to lose momentum as the Skaven, who had initially been caught by surprise, were forced into more dense populations in the few strongholds left to them, and began sending agents out into wider Nippon to sow havoc with a string of bloody assassinations and poisonings. Reports also returned to the Shogunate of agents of the Shinobuzei temples working alongside these wretched assassins. Toriyomo called for additional troops from amongst the many Daimyo, and personally led an army to reinforce the domains which had stalled in their battles against the ratmen. Faced with overwhelming numbers, the Skaven were pushed even further to the south, and were eventually cornered in the ruins of the domain of Great House Tachiwara. A number of Tachiwara Bushi, claiming ignorance of the Skaven blight within their realm, met the army of Toriyomo at the border, declaring that his appearance at the head of an army of Tarai, Fujibana, and Minamoyo could only mean that all of Nippon had turned against the Tachiwara. When they would not stand aside, the shabby, impoverished Bushi were swept from the field, and the last vestiges of House Tachiwara were broken for ever. Toriyomo’s army met the Skaven, their Shinobuzei allies, and a handful of the remaining Tachiwara Bushi at a Skaven stronghold carved into the side of Mount Azurikaza. Toriyomo put the entire mountain to siege, hoping to use starvation and fire to drive the vermin from

their warrens. Once more, the horsemen of the Tarai were loosed against the countryside of the Tachiwara, burning everything in their path in a bid to force the remaining Tachiwara Bushi to surrender. With the onset of winter, Toriyomo realized that this siege might continue on indefinitely, and personally led the final assault into the dark heart of Azurikaza. The Ratmen and their allies were slain almost to a man, but the final members of the Skaven were able to slip away into underground tunnels and make their way back to the Old World as Clan Eshin. Toriyomo himself was wounded by no less than three warpstone bullets, from which he would never fully recover.

The Oni War During the chaotic years following the Scouring, the Emperor Antoku signed into existence a large army of Ashigaru foot soldiers to be the sole protectors of the Imperial Palace. It is said that this act not only angered the Bushi, but also a handful of ‘rebels’ amongst the Yokai, who saw the birth of this even larger military force as a sign that the humans of Nippon were becoming too powerful, and that they might one day turn against the Yokai for a second time. Thus, when Antoku’s heir was crowned in the winter of 1132iy, his Yokai bride assassinated him and, shifting into his form, replaced him at court unnoticed. The bride dismissed the Ashigaru, dispersing them as a burden to the Bushi, hoping that the many Daimyo would let the newly drafted army fall into disuse. Instead, the Bushi rebelled against the “Emperor” for this transgression. Initially, the Shogun sided with the Emperor, but when the Emperor dismissed his bodyguard of Hatamoto and replaced them with hulking Oni, it became clear that something was amiss. Sensing treachery afoot, the Shogun cast his lot with the Bushi, and for the second time in Nipponsei history, man marched to war against the Yokai. A small number of rogue Onmyoji mystics rushed to speak on behalf of the remaining Yokai, urging the Bushi to see that this was only a small rebellion. With the counsel of the Minamoyo, who had shared close ties with the Yokai during the Scouring, the Shogun called off the purging of all Yokai, and simply put the city of Khoto to siege. The siege dragged on as the Shindo priests searched for the Imperial heir, and the hulking Oni ‘Takematsu’, called “The Onibushi” by his fearful opponents, reaped a bloody toll among the attacking Bushi. The war came to an end when the Shogun sent the legendary archer Kurano Tayakino to scale the cliffs of Mount Tsumeru and make an appeal to the Yokai to speak with the rebels. Their plea was answered by an enraged Ryujin, who descended from the heavens to scatter the defenders. The many Oni retreated into the east with the spoils of Khoto.

The Great War Against Chaos When the armies of Asavar Kul first Everchosen of Chaos, marched southward, the Old World was not the only realm to be affected. Rather, the whole of civilization dwelling below the Chaos Wastes was thrown into turmoil. Therefore, when the marauder hordes found themselves stalled against the walls of the Great Bastion in northern Cathay, the Dragon Emperor saw an opportunity to finally crush the land of Nippon once and for all. The Dragon Emperor sent agents to spread rumors of a land with mountains of gold and rivers which flowed with silver, lying just off the eastern shores of Cathay. Unable to make headway against the Bastion, the army of Chaos under their warlord Ghobadi K’aan marched to the sea – razing entire forests along the way to build a fleet of ships numbering in the thousands. Many of these ships would be lost, driven off course, or destroyed by storms, seamonsters, or the jagged rocks which surround the Nipponsei coastline, but for every ship sent to a watery grave, a dozen more would skid their corrupted keels to a safe landing on the shores of Nippon. This new foe was like nothing the Nipponsei had seen before – great masses of slavering men armed with vicious axes and shields, as well as mercenaries from the Hinterlands of Khuresh, eager for revenge for the Nippon invasions over a thousand years before surged inland. The army swept through the ruined lands of the Tachiwara like wild fire, and turning North, was only slowed at the borders of Minamoyo territory, where they were met by an army led by the now preeminent Izeguri Clan.

The Emperor called for the assembly of the Imperial Army of Ashigaru, and whole battalions marched southward only to be swept away and utterly destroyed in the brutal battles along the ever-widening front lines. When the Marauders began to extend their flank into Tarai lands, bloody battles erupted on the plains between the skilled riders of the Steppes, and the fierce horsemen of the Takata and Hojyo. Although the scattered clans of Bushi and the Ashigaru were able to halt Ghobadi K’aan’s invading hordes, they were unable to push them back to the sea until the intervention of Shogun Tokiyune and almost the entire Datashi clan, last remnants of the Fujibana, who had cut the bridges leading to their city of Kurozawa in order to defend it against Beastmen invasion in their absence. Tokiyune’s army also brought several Shindo priests, and his Onmyoji were joined by a large force of Yokai while on the march. With this new army, and the Datashi at their fore, the Nipponsei were finally able to begin the long push to drive the invaders back into the sea. On the shores of the port of Kagasagi, the Shindo priests accompanying Tokiyune offered prayers to the ancestors to call down great storms, rousing the Ryujin who slumbered in the depths of the bay. Between the driving winds, crashing waves, and the fury of the awakened serpents, the great fleet of Gohbadi K’aan was sent to the bottom of sea. Their hopes of escape dashed upon the rocks, and their reinforcements drowned, the army of Ghobadi fell into disarray. The Shogun and his army cut them down to a man, and by dawn on the following day, the coastline of Nippon was a forest of severed and impaled Marauder heads.

The Battle of Nushinago The battle of Nushinago marked a turning-point in warfare in Nippon. Thirty eight years after opening trade with the city of Marienburg, Old-World style firearms were becoming more common in the armies of the Nipponsei. For their part, the Bushi hated the weapons. They were loud, they stank, they were inaccurate and dangerous, and they required almost no training to use. A peasant or Ashigaru wielding a matchlock weapon was able to slay a charging Bushi or lay low his horse with a single shot. Though they were much slower and had less range than the bows of the Bushi, they were becoming more and more popular on the battlefield, and Nushinago would play a pivotal role in the adoption of these weapons into the armies of Nippon. Through careful political and military maneuvering, Izeguri Ittazen was able to bring his uncle, the reigning Shogun Minamoyo Mitsumori, to battle on the narrow plain of Nushinago. Here, the two forces arranged themselves in lines and prepared to do battle. Each commander had a corps of Ashigaru armed with newly purchased arquebuses. The forces of Mitsumori had nearly twice the number of weapons, fielding almost fourthousand men equipped with the guns. Ittazen had prepared his army for the battle, and his gunners carried several bails of long bamboo poles with them, which they formed into a staggered network of screens in front of their ranks, to break the momentum of the enemy charge and focus them onto the spears and blades of the Izeguri Bushi, and away from Ittazen’s gunners. Ittazen had drilled his Ashigaru to operate in the tight spaces afforded by the barricades, firing in coordinated volleys by rank. The strategy worked. The guns of Mitsumori never closed to suitable range to penetrate the armor of the Bushi, and could not overcome the cover afforded by the bamboo screens. Mitsunori’s infantry and cavalry charges were gunned down as they attempted to navigate the maze of barricades. By the battle’s end, some thirty-thousand of the Shogun’s Bushi lay dying on the field. Ittazen was declared Shogun, taking the Minamoyo name, and has reigned ever since.

The two armies would meet on the plains of Karakashima, where the Takata horsemen, charging down hill, with the Blood Devils of Yamakata Masatage at their forefront, routed the Izeguri warriors early in the conflict. Undaunted, Izeguri Kojiro would continue to skirmish with the Takata for the remainder of the campaign season, until winter fell. Then, in the following spring, both the Takata and Izeguri clans strengthened their forces along their positions on opposite sides of the plain of Karakashima, and the summer became known as the ‘Second Battle of Karakashima’. Over a period of twelve years, there would be five ‘Battles of Karakashima’ as the string of border forts and the farmland which they overlooked would change hands repeatedly between the Izeguri and Takata. Only the fourth battle was truly decisive, with the Takata forces being routed and retreating to the border forts, where the Izeguri would put them to siege and drive them back into their homeland on the plains of Zai. The Izeguri forces were too exhausted however, and the plains of Zai too favorable to Takata Nobuharu’s expert cavalrymen, for Izeguri Kojiro to risk sending his men to follow up the victories. Therefore, the fifth “battle” of Karakashima would only be a series of minor border skirmishes between the Izeguri and Takata sentries, as the two Clans tested and probed one another’s defenses while remapping the border between their lands. What is more important than the battles themselves however, is the interaction between Daimyos Izeguri Kojiro and Takata Nobuharu. Kojiro openly considered the Takata Clan to be the equals of the Izeguri in the field – the first and only time that the preeminent Clan of the Minamoyo would ever make such an admission about any descendents of the Tarai House. Throughout the war, the two commanders were known to exchange gifts and niceties with one another, and treated even the fiercest of the battles like two old friends engaged in a game of Goh.

“Wars are to be won with Blood, and Steel, not with Rice and Salt.” Letter from Izeguri Kojiro to Takata Nobuharu

The Five Battles of Karakashima In 2504iy Takata forces, drunk with the conquest of the Hojyo, and under command of Daimyo Nobuharu, crossed the mountains along their shared border with Echiko and attacked the small string of border castles. Claiming them for Takata clan, Nobuharu imposed taxes upon the farmlands of Echiko Prefecture below. When Daimyo Izeguri Kojiro sent advisors to investigate the missing revenues from his land, they returned with news of the attacks, and the Izeguri Clan mobilized for war.

This letter is said to have been sent along with a large shipment of rice, and a ceremonial pair of swords, when the Takata lands were suffering from a shortage and fellow Tarai Daimyo of Clan Hojyo refused to send them any provisions of their own.

timeLiNe of NippoN The traditional calendar of Nippon is a very complex, and often fluctuating, method of measuring time. The Nipponsei year, the Koki, is based upon Imperial Court cycles. However, the beginning of a new Era brings the start of a new Koki, even if the previous year had not concluded in full. This make the official calendar a poor measurement of time, and many commoners of Nippon use the cycles of the moon and the seasons to determine the passage of time. Historians and scholars use a similar system, based upon the Cathayan calendar, paired with the Nengo eras of the official calendar. By Nipponsei reasoning, all calendars consider year 1 to be the year of the first rice harvest, roughly 660 years before the coronation of Sigmar. For simplicity, all dates below are given in the Nengo system first, and then in the Imperial system below. -4318ko, -4978iy

The Great Kami forms the three islands of Nippon out of salt from the oceans, to be his paradise and fortress against the Dark Brothers.

-3840ko -4500iy

The war between the Dark Brothers and Great Kami reaches itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s climax, as the Kami begin to flee the world.

-3800ko -4460iy

The Great Kami sacrifices himself to create the Yokai and Nipponsei.

1ko -660iy

The knowledge of harvesting rice is passed to the Nipponsei by the Ryujin Seiryu. This new found stability secures the rise of the four Great Houses of Nippon.

the Prefectures. The Nippon Shohi marks the adoption of the unique Nipponsei system of writing. 1753ko 1093iy

EmperorHidoshi deploys the first grand army of the Nipponsei to the Hinterlands of Khuresh in search of a lost temple of the Kami.

Kohai-Ino Era

1170ko 510iy

The first Cathayans arrive in Nippon. Trade is opened.

1264ko 604iy

Fujibana Shimmu leads the warriors of his Great House on a campaign to unify all of Nippon.

1270ko 610iy

The coronation of Emperor Fujibana (later Yakayazuki) Shimmu, first Emperor of Nippon.

1273ko 613iy

After swearing allegiance to the Emperor, Minamoyo Hanji secretly has the warriors of House Minamoyo swear loyalty only to him, creating the first Bushi.

1767ko 1107iy

Cathayan troops sent by the Dragon Emperor force a stalemate in Khuresh, and Hidoshiâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s army agrees to leave the mainland.

1770ko 1110iy

Skaven hide themselves aboard ships bound from Cathay. Those who arrive in the Old World begin the Black Plague, while Nippon is plunged into disease and famine. Emperor Hidoshi perishes.

1772ko 1112iy

Cathayan ambassadors convince Great House Tarai to march on the Imperial Palace, and turn Nippon against the Yokai, beginning the events of the Scouring.

1778ko 1118iy

Emperor Saitoku climbs to the top of Mount Tsumeru and returns as something neither man nor Yokai.

1779ko 1119iy

Saitoku, and the Ryujin Haishei sacrifice themselves to end the Scouring. The capital is moved from Kagyo-Heijo, to Khoto.

Minamoyo Toriyomo declares himself Shogun of Nippon and declares the isolation of Nippon. The Shindo monks perfect the ritual to preserve the souls of the dead until the return of the Kami.

TennouIchi Era

Senkogujidai Era

Heijo Era

1366ko 700iy

Coronation of Empress Gemmae, completion of the new captial at Kagyo-Heijo.

1780ko 1120iy

1441ko 781iy

Coronation of Emperor Shumo. Construction begins on an Imperial road system connecting

1781ko 1121iy

1792ko 1132iy

The Skaven are driven from Nippon at the battle of Azurikaza.

1804ko 1144iy

Emperor Antoku orders the formation the Ashigaru to repel the Beastmen hordes in the North.

1926ko 1266iy

The Emperor is assassinated and replaced by a Kitsune, the Oni War begins in earnest.

1970ko 1310iy

The Shindo shrine at Iwokuji is destroyed in an earthquake, the released souls reanimate corpses from the mass graves of the Scouring. The dead walk Nippon for two nights before they are brought under control.

2005ko 1345iy

The last Bushi to wear the true Fujibana Mon is slain, marking the collapse of the last Great House.

2993iy 2303iy

The Great War against Chaos. Following rumors from Cathay, Chaos Marauders invade Nippon.

3082ko 2422iy

Emperor Hosune opens the port of Kanasagi to trade with the Imperial city of Marienburg. Handguns arrive in Nippon.

3120ko 2460iy

3140ko 2480iy

Minamoyo Ittazen defeats the army of Shogun Tsukai at Nushinago with drilled arquebusier-fire, becoming Shogun. He imposes crippling taxes upon the firearms trade, to prevent a similar end to his own reign. Datashi Matsunori defeats a Beastman invasion of the city of Kurozawa, becoming Daimyo of the Datashi and heir of the Fujibana in his father’s stead.

3152ko 2492iy

Miyushiro Masune pens his novel, ‘The Five Ring Mastery,’ after defeating master swordsman Datashi Sasako in a lethal duel.

3155ko 2495iy

Odai Nasunaga employs a fleet of pirates to pose as Cathayans and raid the trading vessels of Marienburg, in order to secure weapons for his growing army.

3164ko 2504iy

Izeguri Kojiro mobilizes his Clan to repel Takata Nobuhara from the borders of Echiko – they meet at the first battle of Karakashima.

3167ko 2507iy

Odai Nasunaga reveals his deception, deploying over two thousand Marienburg handguns at the Battle of Gozekihara.

3172ko 2512iy

Shogun Ittazen quells an uprising of Daimyo who seek to overthrow him and end the Isolation. Rumors claim that the Emperor committed several thousand Ashigaru to the effort, as he has long pressed Ittazen to name a successor.

3176ko 2516iy

The fifth ‘battle’ of Karakashima. Izeguri and Takata withdraw after an inclonclusive skirmish.

Shinkinou Era 3178ko 2518iy

Ittazen relents, and allows Daimyo to fund expeditions to the world beyond Nippon’s shores.

3181ko 2521iy

As the shadow grows in the North, Beastmen raids on the shores of Ryushu double in intensity. Shindo Priests claim that the barrier around Nippon is wavering. Ittazen issues a call to arms of all Daimyo in the realm...

the isLaNds aNd prefeCtures of

NippoN Below is a diagram of Nippon as it was at the height of its power during the Heijo Era, when Empress Gemmae first divided the land into the Prefectures. Several of these Prefectures would be divided between the many lesser Daimyo and Taisho of the House, which would later become the territorial holdings of the many Clans which rose after the Scouring, from the remnants of their Great Houses. To this end, the Prefectures have been recolored, so as to show the many political lines of the island. While a particular color (yellow, for instance) does not necessarily represent any single Clan or the holdings of any Great House, it represents a collection of Prefectures under the control of a single Daimyo, or of many allied Daimyo. Note that while the Miyazawa Clan (cadet of the Fujibana) lays claim to the most northern tip of the island of Hokkai, no true Nipponsei actually reside there at this time, and the Miyazawa have â&#x20AC;&#x201C; for all intents â&#x20AC;&#x201C; been absorbed by the Datashi.

the LaNds of NippoN To the outside world, as many would-be invaders can testify, the land of Nippon presents itself as an Empire, unified under the majesty of the Emperor in Khoto and the martial law of the Shogun. The reality however, is much different. Nippon is a fractured land of dozens of Clans, often drawn along familial lines, and each tracing their lineage back to one of the four Great Houses of Nippon. These Clans are each fiercely independent, and highly competitive. The Nipponsei have a deep love for political intrigue, and alliances which blossom might flourish for years or wither in months, as the political tides of court life ebb and flow and Daimyo cast their lot behind the established powers or the newest rising star. These rival Clans are divided along the lines of the Prefectures – ancient divisions of the island put in place by the second Empress Gemmae. Initially these Prefectures were divided evenly amongst the Four Great Houses, but as the Great Houses dissolved, and power shifted between their heirs, the Prefectures have changed hands several times, and have even grown or shrank as individual Daimyo warred to increase their territory. Each Clan of the Nipponsei harbors its own traditions, and places great value in both their own legacy, and in their heritage as part of the Great Houses. They are often openly disdainful of Clans from other Houses, feuding over rivalries that go back a thousand years or more – none more violently than the blood feud between the Tachiwara and Tarai. Even within their own Great House lines the Clans are right to be wary of their neighbors, for war can break out even between old allies with only the slightest provocation. There are many eccentricities, superstitions, and even dialects within Nippon, and they each vary widely from prefecture to prefecture. The farther South you go along the island of Ryushuu, the more civilized the Clans become, and the more they rely on courtly politics rather than the might of their sword arms. This is largely due to their proximity to Khoto, but equally to their distance from the ferocious Beastmen of the North. For their part, the Nipponsei of the North view their Southern comrades as soft, and perhaps even cowardly – accusing them of sheltering in the shadow of the Imperial Palace and it’s legions of Ashigaru. There are even subtle differences between the East and West. Although they will never admit to it, the Nipponsei living along the Western shores of the island are more influenced by their interactions and recently opened trade with the outside world, while the Western Clans remain more true to the earliest traditions of the “pure” Nipponsei culture.

Each Clan has its own soldiers, battle tactics, and distinct heraldry. Just as the Daimyo of each clan has his own unique style of command, idea of warfare, and set of martial values, so too are the armies of Nippon diverse and sometimes disjointed affairs. To the North, the warriors of the Datashi are renowned across Nippon as peerless swordsmen, specializing in the giant two-handed No’Dachi, while the armies of the Odai clan are famous for their hordes of selflessly loyal Ashigaru, who have sworn to die for Daimyo Nasunaga to claw even an inch of ground back from the hated Tarai. For this reason, when the armies of Nippon are joined together for battle, in a formation called a Sonae, they often display a veritable rainbow of color and variety, the Bushi arrayed in the full magnificence of their garish wargear, the Ashigaru grim-faced and accepting of their fates, and the entirety of the host prepared to bring down the martial fury of Nippon upon the heads of their foes.

Cities and Prefectures Once, the only divisions of Nippon were the Prefectures, but over the years, the largest cities have grown in importance and power, becoming nearly autonomous and sharing equal or perhaps even greater importance than any of the surrounding Prefectures. The cities of Nippon are undoubtedly the jewels of the empire, where the Nipponsei’s pride and stubborn will is laid bare for all to see. Towering pagodas are surrounded by many wonders ranging from ancient temples, to gigantic stone memorials, theaters of the arts, and the banner-strewn castles of the Daimyo and their warrior retinues. Crime within the cities is almost unheard of, as the Bushi are the enforcers of the law, and allowed to mete out swift and uncompromising punishment, and the cities are havens for those seeking education or to be on the cutting edge of culture and courtly society, and shelter from the predations of beastmen and brigands beyond the walls.

The Port of Kanasagi Nagasagi is Nippon’s gateway to the world beyond. Opened to trade with the wider world by order of Emperor Hosune in 2422iy for trade strictly between Nippon and the Imperial city of Marienburg, Nagasagi has become one of the most important ports in the known world. Gold flowing out from Nagasagi is largely responsible for the bribing of Emperor Deiter IV by Marienburgers, while arquebuses flowing in from foundries in the Old World have revolutionized warfare on the battlefields of Nippon and raised curiosity about other wonders that might wait in the world beyond.

Eito, City of Bushi Eito stands as the seat of the Shogunate, where the Minamoyo Castle towers over the village and Bushi quarters which sprang up in it’s shadow. Eito exists as a spartan mirror to Khoto. Where Khoto is loud, bustling, and filled with artisans, scholars, and actors, Eito is a quiet, reserved city populated almost exclusively by the Bushi. Those who are not Bushi are their silent, unquestioning servants. Like much of Nippon, the streets of Eito remain unpaved, and the city employs a small legion of peasants whose sole purpose is to sprinkle water upon the wide thoroughfares in order to keep the dust down.

Khoto, the Imperial City In the relative peace and safety of central Ryushu stands the city of Khoto, location of the Imperial Palace ever since it was moved from Kagyo-Heian by Emperor Antoku when he came of age and claimed his place on the throne. The constant bustle of the Imperial Court means that Khoto features a thriving merchant district, as well as many prominent theaters, shrines, and dojos. Khoto therefore attracts a wide variety of individuals from across Nippon. The attention garnered by Khoto is not always positive, however. The constant intrigue of court politics means that there are countless murders and assassinations within the walls of the capital. Pickpockets, conmen, and guttersnipes roam the more shady quarters of the city, and although Ashigaru and Bushi are ever on hand to enforce the laws, the ongoing war between crime and justice rages every day, out of sight and kept quietly hidden behind the opulence of the city. Khoto is a seat of learning, second only to the great temple Toshugokami. Schools of art, letters, and the physical sciences can be found in Khoto, and are open to any who can afford them. An entire district of the city is designated as housing for the many students, and is renowned for it’s many diversions and distracting pleasures. Bushi commonly refer to the student quarters as a “prison,” as the legions of young men who settle there often become difficult to oust, choosing a courtly, studious life, with its many frills and luxuries, over the noble path of the warrior. To the students, this quarter is known as ‘The Floating World’, an isolated safe-haven from the chaos and violence that surrounds them in wider Nippon. Towering over all of this stands the Imperial Palace itself, its pristine walls and tall pagoda spires reaching skyward as a testament to the eternal glory of Nippon. Fluttering banners proclaim the royalty of the Yakazawa Clan, their reign having continued unbroken since their ancestor Yakazawa Shimmu unified Nippon with sword and cunning, and claimed the throne in 610.

Like Khoto, Eito features many schools, but they are entirely dedicated to either Dojos of the Martial Arts, or to schools of military strategy and theory. The only edifice to art or aesthetics are the handful of dedicated swordsmiths and armorers who maintain shops in Eito, catering to the passing Bushi as they make journeys to attend the court of the Shogun. A single Shindo shrine is maintained to the Kami Haksumon, the Kami of war and warriors’ deaths. A veritable forest of short, squat stones surrounds this Shrine, each the resting place of the soul of a Bushi who chose to be buried in the city of his Shogun at the shrine of the Warriors rather than at the shrine of homeland. The monks of Haksumon eschew the traditional brightly colored robes of the Shindo in favor of plain black or white robes, reminiscent of Nipponsei death-shrouds, and often darken their lips, eyes, and cheekbones with ash so that their stern gaze reminds the Bushi to be ever mindful of the constant presence of inescapable Death. Eito knows nothing of crime. The Bushi who reside there are too honor-bound to commit folly, and the servants who attend them live in fear of the absolution of a katana’s sharp steel. Unfortunately, where Khoto mixes it’s assassins with it’s urchins, Eito is a brilliant target for master Shinobuzei, as the price fetched for the head of a ranking Bushi is a high one indeed.

defensive measures against the powers of Magic. Every spring, the trees blossom and No-Nigata is awash with beautiful pink and white petals. The Izeguri who call No-Nigata home are watchful guardians. Theirs stands as the bastion between both the desolate lands of the Tachiwara, who eye the riches of the Izeguri and surrounding provinces with the eyes of starving pariahs, and also the bustling trade port of Kanasagi. Though few foreigners are allowed entry into the city, the imposing skyline of No-Nigata is meant to inspire awe in any who lay eyes upon it, towering on the horizon in full view of the wide-mouthed bay at Kanasagi.

Kurozawa, city of bridges

No-Nigata, home of Shoguns No-Nigata stands as the largest city among the rolling foothills of Echiko, the ancestral home of the Great House Minamoyo. For the last fourteen centuries, since Minamoyo Toriyomo claimed the title, the Shoguns of Nippon have all hailed from amongst the ranks of the Minamoyo. Shogun Ittazen, who has ruled the island for the last sixty years, himself hails from the Izeguri Clan, who are the current wardens of No-Nigata. During the Scouring, the Tachiwara attacked the lands of Echiko while the army of the Minamoyo was away breaking the siege of the Imperial Palace. When the Minamoyo returned to drive the invading Tachiwara out of the region, the occupying warriors put No-Nigata to flame, rather than returning it to their enemies intact. It would take nearly two centuries for the city to return to it’s former glory, so complete was it’s destruction and so severe the ruination of Nippon by the Scouring. When No-Nigata rose from the ashes, it did so as a new model society. Bridging the gap between the stone-faced bleakness of Eito and the regalia and gaiety of Khoto, NoNigata stands as a pinnacle of Eastern civilization. The city is home to the Toshugokami Shrine, the center of the Shindo faith, and it’s largest temple – a city almost in itself. The streets of No-Nigata are newly paved in Western style, winding through a forest of Cryptomeria trees. These trees are not only for the beautification of the city, but also for it’s protection. The wood of the Cryptomeria absorbs rogue magic and draws it in from the air around it. The trees themselves twist and bend as they seek out the blowing magic, and resemble an upturned root system. The Cryptomeria wood is used in the armor of the Bushi, as well as being used for pendants, protective wards, even gates and ocean vessels which might require

Kurozawa is the Northernmost city of Nippon, the last bastion of civilized humanity before the harsh northern coasts of Ryushu give way to the Strait of Devils, across which lies the tortured island of Hokkai. It is a city under siege, waging an endless war against the mutated Beastmen who cross the strait to make landfall on Ryushu’s shores and spread their corruption across the proud empire. There was a time where Kurozawa was a beautiful city, among the greatest in all Nippon. The capital prefecture of Kagyo, once home to the city of Kagyo-Heian and the Imperial Capital, Kurozawa was ravaged during the scouring. The entire province of Kagyo was shattered by mountains, torn apart as the steep ridges burst up from the earth, heedless of the wonders built above them. They soared ever skyward carrying castles, ruined walls, city districts, and whole villages up into the clouds. To this day, Kagyo is a land of rocky spires, narrow ravines, and bottomless crevasses. Folklore of the Fujibana – who once ruled this land – claim that when the wind whistles through the spires and mountaintops, you can hear the wailing of the Fujibana wives and mothers, lamenting that the duty of their husbands and sons is one of endless self-sacrifice. Kagyo is ruled by the Datashi Clan, who over time have come to be the last survivors of the Fujibana. They call Kurozawa their home, as they feel it is their duty to defend their ancestral lands and also to hold back the invading herds of Beastmen, to atone for their part in the Scouring. Their No’dachi are perfectly suited to the narrow confines of their homes, where one tireless swordsman can hold back hundreds of marauding Gors with his constantly moving blade. During times of siege, the Datashi pull up the bridges which connect their broken city and every mountain-top becomes an island in the clouds, a castle alone to fend for itself. In such times every member of the Datashi is a warrior – no child too young, no man too old, and even their women join them in the fires of battle. The people of Kurozawa would have it no other way. Leave mercy, respite, and softness for the people of the South, “civilized” Nipponsei who hide behind the sacrifice of the Datashi.

The Plains of Zai The Plains of Zai are the ancestral lands of the Tarai Great House, and are now the domain of the Takata Clan, under Daimyo Takata Nobuharu. Zai is the largest unbroken expanse of flat-land in all of Nippon, and makes excellent graze-land for the much famed and highly sought after steeds of the Takata. These open expanses come at a price however, as the land of Zai is dry and arid, and yields very little in the way of food. In the hot summer months, the dry plains grasses sometimes alight into a raging inferno, displacing entire villages and leaving only ash in their wake. The Takata capital of Koshu is the only permanent settlement on the plains, towering over the flat, dusty expanse like a shimmering mirage. The inhabitants of Zai live in the same manner as they have existed for over two thousand years – a nomadic people who follow the water, and the herds. For generations, the compromise between prime grazing lands and the poor soil has meant that the descendents of the Tarai were forced to rely on the horse trade to feed themselves. The nature of this trade kept their military force in check, and their constant state of near starvation made them easy to coerce by the Shogunate, who has long used the Tarai’s predicament and blood debt to the Minamoyo to wield them as mere henchmen. With the rise of the Takata Clan, Daimyo Nobuharu seeks to change that, taking up arms against the surrounding prefectures and waging bitter wars for conquest, clawing at whatever arable land he can find. In recent years, the plains around the great castle at Koshu have been rattled by the thunder of hooves, and the sky turned to gold by the clouds of dust raised by the stampedes of Takata cavalry on the warpath.

The Desolation of Tachizen In the far south of the island of Ryushu stands the bleak ruins of the former Great House Tachiwara, in the lands known as Tachizen. The site of Tarai House’s first redemptive campaign at the orders of Shogun Toriyomo, as well as the crowning moment in the war against the Skaven and their traitorous Nipponsei allies, Tachizen was so thoroughly scorched and ruined that when the Marauders of Chaos invaded Nippon, they barely paused to despoil the realm any further. Owing to it’s location on the absolute southern tip of Ryushu, Tachizen managed to escape almost all of the ill effects of the Scouring. Sadly, the devastation visited upon this realm and it’s people has all been at the hands of their fellow Nipponsei. It is whispered that the Tachiwara are cursed, or that they are wicked and deserving of scorn. It is true that no more lawless den of brigands, thieves, and malcontents can be found anywhere on Ryushu, but some speculate that this might be more a result of the constant hardships brought upon the Tachiwara, rather than the cause of them. Whatever the case may be, Daimyo Nasunaga of the Odai Clan has vowed to rebuild both the Tachiwara and the lands of Tachizen as an example of the new era which he hopes to usher into Nippon. To this end, he has rebuilt the ruins of the port-castle Fuwatari to serve as his capital. All the while, Nasunaga has kept a vengeful eye on the realm of Zai, spread along his northern border, waiting for the day that he can sweep across the plains like a wild fire, and guide the Tachiwara like a knife, carving through the Tarai before aiming straight at the heart of Nippon.

Shindo Shrines The shrines of the Shindo priesthood can be found in every prefecture, in every city, at every busy crossroads, and many of the larger villages. Shrines are also erected in more remote locations. Some arrives in these almost inaccessible climes as a result of the tumultuous reshaping of the island during the Scouring. Others were simply built there, in places where spirits gather, or where nature lends itself to deep meditation. While the shrines often vary in their appearance, based upon which Kami they are devoted to, the one common feature to each of them are the enormous red Torri gates. There will always be at least one of these giant structures, a double row of crossbeams, the top one usually arching slightly, erected atop two pillars. A plaque denoting the Kami the shrine memorializes is placed between the two pillars, sometimes replaced by a bell or a gong. The purpose of these pillars is to signify a division in the ritualistic pattern of mental, physical, and spiritual purification that pilgrims and any who enter the shrine are expected to perform. Rustic village shrines might therefore only have a single Torri Gate. The central shrine of Tushogokami in the city of No’Nigata has exactly one hundred and eleven such gates, the largest of which can be seen towering over the city walls.

Villages

Nipponsei villages stand in stark contrast to the vast cities and palatial estates of the higher ranking classes. Peasants live simple lives, and their homes reflect this fact. There is little useable timber in Nippon, and what trees do grow rarely make for good planking. Therefore, Nipponsei homes use only the bare minimal amount of wood, often in the floors and to define corners, roof eaves, and framing of the home. The walls of the house are almost unanimously oiled paper, with thatched roofs. Tiled roofs sometimes appear in The Shrines are not just gathering places for worship. the homes of more wealthy villages. There are a handful of Their grounds include living quarters for the many monks stone buildings in Nippon as well, and some are made from and guardians of the shrines, as well as small shelters for mud brick or mortar. Strangely, in such cases the homes are weary pilgrims or guests of the shrine. Spirit Gardens, collections of stout, inscribed stone pillars set into the earth often treated on the outside with a layer of white-wash, to resemble the simpler paper constructions surrounding them. to contain the souls of departed Nipponsei, are spread out in neatly organized rows around the feet of the main The mix of paper, thatch, and timber means that fire is temple, each tended every day by devoted monks who burn always a serious threat to the people of Nippon. Regardless incense or drip water from sacred springs over their of social standing, all Nipponsei villagers are expected to crowns, and maintain the offerings left by visitors and play an active role in their city or village’s fire brigade. grateful descendents. Fortunately the irrigation systems required for successful rice crops, often established very close to the homes of the villager’s, means that there is always a ready supply of water. Still, it is little comfort – indeed, the few outsiders who have witnessed Nipponsei culture first hand are typically appalled at the fact that they keep use of cooking fires to a bare minimum. Only poultry and beef is truly cooked – rice is steamed with heated rocks, and fish is often eaten raw. Villagers are almost always dedicated strictly to farming. Rice is a temperamental crop, and the elaborate irrigation systems and flooding required to create a fertile rice bed means that villagers often will not see a return on their initial investment in a plot of land for many years. Unscrupulous Daimyo exploit this fact – levying oppressive taxes on their villagers because they know that the farmers have invested too much time into their lands to simply pack up and leave.

The Deep Forests There are many types of flora in Nippon, from the Cryptomeria trees which are grown and cultivated around the many shrines and Bushi cities to be used in their armor, to the groves of bamboo and mango growing in the south. In the north, the forests are dense affairs of pine and other evergreens. The northern forests are often the haunts of Beastmen, remains from defeated raids along the coasts of Ryushuu, who scattered and found shelter in these inland forests. Many times the Datashi or Hatamoto will ride into these forests to sweep them clear, hunting for Beastman stragglers.

The Towering Mountains When the Great Kami created Nippon it was a land of gently rolling hills and wide open grasslands. The only mountain of the realm was gently sloping Mount Tsumeru, home of the Yokai. This would all change during the Scouring. As the souls of the Nipponsei were wracked and torn, so too was their island home. Great spires of rock burst up from below the ground, shattering cities and thrusting their broken remains into the sky. The mountains of Nippon are not the subtly rising slopes like those which ring the Empire in the Old World. They are severe even in comparison to the Worldâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s Edge. While those mountains are truly massive, steep, and rocky, the mountains of Nippon are equally steep, and almost entirely devoid of vegetation. Moreover, the mountains of Nippon are not only steep, but they are also somewhat narrow. They protrude from the earth like blades, or exposed bones. Two mountains might be separated by only a few feet, creating an impossibly narrow pass. Deep, echoing crevasses gape open like hungry maws, threatening to swallow hapless travelers into the dark abyss. The Fujibana lands in the North were the most affected by the eruption of these new mountains â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their cities lifted into the clouds and broken across the pointed spires of rock. The Datashi, their descendents, have continued to live in these broken cities, and narrow rope bridges, some of which stretch for several leagues, function as highways between the isolated castles in the clouds. It is a beautiful, terrifying existence to live so high above the clouds.

Farther south, the forests are safer, though not by much. Many serve as the homes of Yokai, who have maintained their grasp on their homes by becoming capricious and territorial. Every year stories circulate of curious travelers who strayed too far from the clear path, only to be found gored and trampled in the morning. The forests are also considered to be part of the Emperorâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s property, even if they might fall within the parcels of land promised to a Clan. Poaching in these forests is punishable by death, and taking timber from them is a grievous affront. The Emperor maintains a firm grasp on all logging, although the clearing of Cryptomeria trees usually falls within the jurisdiction of the Shogun and the Shindo, and an elder grove of these mystical trees can be a bountiful reward for a Bushi who proves himself in battle.

Hokkai, the Blighted Island

was washed with horrible energies which warped, twisted, and mutated all that they touched. The people of the realm were transformed into slavering Beastmen in an eye blink. Driven insane by their own existence, and only remembering enough of their former homeland to harbor an undying hatred for all Nipponsei, these Beastmen launch frequent raids on the northern shores of Ryushu, where they are met at the shoreline by the stalwart armies of the Datashi.

Just off the northern coast of Ryushuu lies the island of Hokkai. Before the Scouring, Hokkai was in the sole possession of the Fujibana Great House. It was an island rich with the bounties of nature. Fish swam in the many streams and inlets, deer and other beasts roamed the deep forests, and the people who lived there were hearty specimens of the Nipponsei. These individuals never quite settled into the pastoral life of their southern kin, preferring A tear in reality remains on the northernmost coast of instead to live off the land, hunting, fishing, and even Hokkai. Called ‘The Port of Devils’, it was once a Shindo stalking the giant bears of the forest with little more than Shrine, now turned and perverted by the powers of Chaos to crude spears. serve as an infernal gateway. The wailing temple has a strong draw on the souls of the Nipponsei, and when they The Scouring would completely eradicate Hokkai. While die, they are pulled towards this blighted shrine to be the northernmost island of Nippon – Hanzu – was devoured by the hungry Chaos Gods. This is why the submerged in tidal waves and rendered a complete Shindo Monks must defend the souls of the dead at all costs. wasteland, Hokkai was changed and mutated by the relentless forces of Chaos. The forests thickened tenfold, the timbers becoming malevolent and dark, possessed of a No mortal can walk undefended on the tortured soil of Hokkai. Hatamoto are the only wardens of this terrible wicked cunning, they seem to move in order to confuse realm, and they patrol it tirelessly, scattering and destroying intruders. The soil became soggy, the driving rains and herds of Beastmen before they can band together and raid pounding tidal waves turning the island into a marshland. The wildlife was mutated into hideous new creatures, mad into Ryushu with any meaningful strength. Even the Hatamoto are at great risk, and to ward off the evil powers with terror and unnatural ferocity; they haunt their which dwell in the island, they encase themselves in fully shadowy home and kill anything which crosses their path. enclosed suits of cryptomeria armor. There are stories of Hatamoto who’s mempo are full faced even to cover their The worst fate was reserved for the Fujibana who called the island home. As the Winds of Magic and the mutating eyes, lest they be blinded by the unnatural horrors of this accursed island. will of Chaos poured into the lands of Nipponsei, Hokkai

To the trade guild of Marienburg, Though I highly doubt that this letter will reach you with any sort of due haste, if at all, I am writing to inform you of the fate of the vessel Erasmus, which was due to return to port in Spring of 2416 and has no doubt been missed and accounted lost. The vessel ran aground on a previously unmapped bit of island, while enshrouded in dense fog. The inhabitants of the island, humans â&#x20AC;&#x201C; though darker of flesh, hair, and eye â&#x20AC;&#x201C; wasted no time in imprisoning or outright killing my crew. However, it has been my fortune that these strange peoples kept me as a sort of study, and I have since learned their language and assimilated into their culture. Nippon is a large empire entirely extant on one island in the sea. One language is spoken throughout, and it is difficult to learn, being so unlike the languages spoken in the Old World. The Nipponese are very ambitious of titles and distinctions, and think themselves superior to all foreign powers in the virtues of Honor, Strength, and Valor. They prize and honor all that has to do with war, and all such things, and there is nothing of which they are so proud as of weapons adorned with gold and silver. They always wear swords and daggers both in and out of the house, and when they go to sleep they hang them at the bed's head. In sum, they value arms more than any people I have met on my voyages. They are capable archers, and usually fight on foot, though there are some tribes who wage war entirely from the saddle. They are very polite to each other, within their classes, but not to foreigners, whom they utterly despise. Rice is the currency of the realm, and that which they do not consume, they spend on weapons, bodily adornment, a number of attendants, and do not in the least care to save. They are, in short, a very warlike people, and engaged in continual feuds amongst themselves; the most powerful in arms bearing the most extensive sway. They have all one sovereign, although for six hundred and forty years past, the princes have ceased to obey him. The cause of their endless warring, I believe to lie in their strange economy. The warriors rule the realm, existing upon the back of the famers, who in turn detest the merchants. A warrior receives a pension from his retainer, who also houses and provides for him. However, a warrior must always prove himself in battle, or else risk being disowned from his tribe and cast out on his own. As they lack any education in mercantilism or horticulture, and too highly value their Honor to stoop to low thievery, this is a death sentence ~ and indeed, many warriors do seem to choose a most gruesome method of ritualized suicide rather than be cast into starvation. To prove their worth, a warrior is expected to return from battle with the head of an equivalent

rival. If there are no battles, there is no way to prove oneâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s value, and so if the warriors cannot find a suitable proving ground for their value, they seek to create one. This is not difficult, as these people will spill blood over even the slightest of insults or infractions, and it seems for all purposes the law fully permits such blood feuds and lethal duels. It should be noted that all trade conducted in the island is done in terms of rice harvests. While you may find yourself awarded in coin or gold bullion, these tokens are simply viewed as vouchers to be traded for your meals. Therefore, when the Nipponese conduct business, it is as if there are two levels of barter being negotiated at once ~ the value of the goods in question, in terms of grain, and a commensurate value of something which might represent the aforementioned grain. Those who wish to open this island for trade should also take note that the princes have displayed great interest in our firelocks. Indeed, I believe that perhaps the only reason which I was taken alive by my captors was because I was able to produce and fire my own charge at them, killing one of their number outright although they could find no evidence of a projectile from my weapon. Once trained, they have taken to recreating my weapon with gusto, although I fear ~ or am perhaps lucky ~ that their attempts have thus far compared poorly to the original. Although I have enjoyed aspects of my stay in this country, I find it, when considered in itâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s entirety, to be a horrible place, and I hope soon to be free of it. They appear for all intents to be the most civilized realm on the whole of the globe, so thoroughly courteous and honorbound are they, but their lust for war and bloodshed, their unflinching acceptance of bloody death, and their capacity for imagining the cruelest of tortures and punishments, paired with their strict views of righteous morality, complete lack of mercy, and utter disdain for thoughts of remorse, make them unyielding and unpredictable enemies. I have seen them at war with each other, and I tremble to imagine what horrors that these people would visit upon foreign soil. It is well that they remain confined to their island, lacking any seaworthy vessels. They have pressed me, even so far as to threaten torture, to build them a vessel similar to the Erasmus and I have thus far declined. I encourage, nay ~ implore any who make landfall on this country to do the same. Leave your vessels far out to sea, and approach in small boats. Do not let these fiends commandeer a vessel which might bring them to the Old World, for they will judge our society most severely, and I fear their punishment should they find it wanting.

Xavier Blackrose, pilot of the Erasmus, 2418

NippoNsei CuLture The culture of Nippon is a complex and unique system which has grown out of a mixture of both foreign influence, native philosophy, and necessity. While on the surface it shares many commonalities with the feudal societies of the Old World, the social hierarchy, laws, and customs of Nippon are so different as to be almost alien, once a traveler scratches the surface. To the Nipponsei, duty is everything. Even non-warriors are expected to have a deep understanding of their place and their role in wider society. The virtue of duty means that the merchant does not take advantage of his patrons, but the farmer does not bemoan the taxes levied upon him, the warrior does not turn away from battle or rise against the wishes of his lord, and the Monk carries out his daily rites without fail. In a perfect world, this would be all that is needed, but the hearts of men are always easily swayed and there will be dissenters in every society. Justice in Nippon is swift and severe, and those who go against the law often live short, fearful lives leading up to bloody, inglorious deaths. Life in Nippon is divided strictly along class lines. There was a time when any man could rise as or fall according to the quality of his work and the whims of fate. It was Shogun Toriyomo who put an end to such things. One of his first actions, even in the dark times after the Scouring, was to disarm the country – only the Bushi would be allowed to carry a blade, such that it became a badge of office. Those who were not Bushi could never become Bushi. The early warriors of Nippon therefore, were given a choice: become a commoner, and be allowed to live on the land, or become a Bushi, wear the swords of his station, receive a stipend as a warrior, but be forced to live wherever his lord chose to provide him shelter.

The Emperor At the top- and somewhat removed from Nipponsei societyexists the Emperor. Since the reign of Yakayazuki Gemmae the Emperor has held ownership of all the land in Nippon and has maintained the final vote in all decisions which might affect Nippon as an empire. In truth, the Emperor’s power is extremely limited. Since Emperor Saitoku climbed the face of Mount Tsumeru and returned as a divine spirit, the Emperors have been forced into a sequestered life. Each Emperor chooses a Yokai bride, in respect for the union of Nipponsei and Yokai in Emperor Saitoku. The real reason for this is much simpler though – in the time before the Scouring, the Fujibana Great House maintained a stranglehold on Nipponsei politics by marrying off their daughters to the reigning Emperor. Through the virtue of filial piety, they would then command the Emperor’s ear. When Minamoyo Toriyomo gained the Shogunate and took custody of the young Emperor Antoku, he broke the link between the Fujibana and the Imperial throne by espousing the glories of the union demonstrated by Saitoku, and putting forth the idea that the Emperor should ceremonially wed a Yokai from that point forward. All Emperors therefore, after the reign of Antoku, have had a measure of Yokai blood in their veins. There has not been another female heir or Empress since the reign of Empress Gemmae during the Heijo era. If this has something to do with the Yokai, no one can say. The fact that the Yokai are immortal has also raised questions about the legitimacy of this practice, as it would mean that it were possible for a single Yokai to infiltrate the Imperial Family and remain there as the Emperor’s bride for many generations. To knowledge, this has not happened, but the events of the Oni War still prove to be far from reassuring.

The Shogun The position of Shogun is meant to be subordinate to that of the Emperor. The Shogun swears to defend the Emperor as his only master, and to uphold the laws, edicts, and will of the Emperor as he rules over Nippon. In actuality, the Shogun is the power behind the throne. The Emperor lives in seclusion, rarely leaving the Imperial Palace. Many choices in matters of state are abdicated to the Shogun, and even when they are not, the Shogun is able to pass laws into existence simply by stating that they further the Emperor’s vision for the nation, or are in the spirit of his will or protection. Likewise, the management of almost all of the land in Nippon has also been placed in the hands of the Shogun. In this way the Shogun is able to reward capable warriors with land, or back one belligerent or another during interClan warfare by justifying as a Shogunal redistribution of territory. Through the Shogun’s control of the Bushi, and by extension, the military might of the empire, the Shogun controls the whole of Nippon. Some Shoguns attend to this duty only in passing, and their influence is never widely felt, as the clans beneath them war and feud, land changes hands, and alliances are forged and broken. Others, such as Ittazen, do not hesitate to make themselves heard in politics, or even to bloody their hands to see that Nippon moves forward according to their desires. The role of the Shogun is not hereditary. A Shogun may only be appointed by the Emperor. Thus far, only the descendents of the Minamoyo have been able to claim the honor. Thus far, this has owed more to the fact that the Fujibana are rarely able to leave their mountains in the North to make a play in Southern politics, the Tachiwara are almost non-existent, and the Tarai feel that they are forever indebted to the Minamoyo, than it has to the Minamoyo’s ability. Change is in the air though, for Shogun Ittazen is old, and has not declared a favorite for succession. The Datashi of the Fujibana have been seen more and more in the courts, Takata Nobuharu of the Tarai has made it clear that he does not share in the sentiment of indebtedness that has long plagued his Great House, and Odai Nasunaga has sworn to lead the Tachiwara to glory and pacify all of Nippon beneath the heel of his boot.

despite political differences, the fractured Clans will still rally together against a common foe along Great House lines. Bushi also place a great deal of value in their heritage, and although the legacy of each individual Clan might raise aloft a different bunch of heroes, every Clan still idolizes their ancient Great House predecessors. The descent from one Great House or another is rarely left to question – simply walking into a Daimyo’s castle can tell you what Great House he hails from, as each had their own style of architecture, their own preferred strategies in war, and different emphasis on which duty was more important to a Bushi.

The Bushi The power of Nippon rests in its sword arm, and the Bushi are that arm. Raised from the earliest tribal fighters, and warriors of the Great Houses, the Bushi have been turned into something much more than simple soldiers by their adherence to a strict code of honor. Each Bushi is both a warrior and a philosopher. In times of peace, however brief they may be, the Bushi not only hone their martial skills, but also pursue art, literature, philosophy and aesthetics. Though the Bushi only answer to their Daimyo, and by extension, the Shogun, they are wholly reliant on the support of the other classes of the Nipponsei. The Bushi are not allowed to make a living as anything other than a soldier. They cannot farm the land – at the very most, they must employ peasant servants to do such labor. They are not allowed to sell wares or exchange trade goods. Therefore, a Bushi lives in a home provided by his Daimyo, which is provided by the Shogun on behalf of the Emperor. A Bushi survives on a stipend provided by his Daimyo, which is gathered through taxes from the peasants who farm the land. Even if a Bushi is given a measure of land as a reward from his Daimyo, he becomes responsible for employing and defending the farmers, and for providing Ashigaru and other Bushi, as well as a steady flow of tribute to his lord.

Bushi began life as a sort of law-enforcement in their earliest warrior roots, and continue in this role to this day. There are few courts in Nippon, as the Bushi are expected to enforce all laws directly. Questions of law between two Bushi are dealt with by their Daimyo, between Daimyo, the Shogun, The Great Houses and there is only one Shogun. Even the lowest ranking The Great Houses have not existed for 1200 years, since Bushi – the Samurai – may simply kill a lower ranking the death of the last Bushi to call himself Fujibana at the member of society, and provide his reasoning after the fact. hands of a rampaging Doombull. In ancient times, the Bushi who abuse this right often find themselves suffering master of each Great House reigned over all of his from strange “accidents,” but the simple fear of Bushi justice subordinate Daimyo, and answered only to the Shogun. often serves as a deterrent to crime. Even in cases of crime Though these proud establishments have since fractured into the myriad of Clans of today, their ghosts still linger in between two peasants, they will often work things out between themselves, rather than risk the involvement of a Nipponsei society. It is rare that a Clan will go to war Bushi, as even something as petty as an insult could result in against another descendent of the same Great House, and the loss of a tongue, or even a life.

The No’Bushi Below the Bushi are the members of the No’Bushi. In many respects, they are a subsect of the Bushi, with all of the same rights and responsibilities, except that they may not enforce law. The No’Bushi are allowed to carry weapons, and may carry swords if permitted by the Emperor. The No’Bushi are primarily comprised of the Shindo Monks, their guardians, the Onmyoji, and Ashigaru. The Shindo Monks are the most widespread and easily recognizable members of the No’Bushi, thanks to their brightly colored robes and shaved heads. Before the Scouring, they were little more than a cult of soothsayers. In ages since, the Shindo monks have risen to become a cornerstone of Nipponsei society. The most important of the monks’ duties is to maintain the magical barrier around the island. The Dragon Emperor was right to turn the Nipponsei against the Yokai in order to bring this barrier crashing down, as it was the magic of the Yokai that had sustained in. With so many Yokai slain in the Scouring, and more lost in the times since, the Shindo monks have had to bend their considerable skills towards keeping the Winds of Magic at bay. They do this through constant, strict, meditation. The second most important role of the Shindo is to look after the spiritual well-being of the island. Although the barrier around the island was restored, the Scouring has left deep scars on the nation. The souls of departed Nipponsei are still drawn to the dark island of Hokkai, and imprisoned there for eternity, or until the Dark Brothers return to claim them. A worse fate awaits any who are slain beyond Nippon’s borders, as their souls are snatched up more quickly by the powers of Chaos, hungry for the secrets contained in each. The Shindo Priests have perfected rituals to guide these souls into prepared stones, or into weapons and heirlooms for safe keeping.

When the Great Kami returns, these souls will be released, and will join him in the heavens. Until then, it is the responsibility of the Shindo Monks to attend the ‘Spirit Gardens’ around their shrines, which contains the departed souls of both common peasants and great warriors alike.

The Peasantry The peasants of Nippon are further divided into sub classes. At the top are the farmers. Farmers provide the livelihood of Nippon, tending the rice crops which also serve as the currency of the realm. Land is divided in terms of Koku, which is a measure of rice production which can sustain a man for one year. The best land is worth more Koku, even though it may not encompass as much area. The lands of the Tarai, being dusty, dry, and generally poor for farming, are therefore worth very little. The descendents of the Tarai instead measure their land in terms of how many horses it can sustain, with each horse being worth several koku when sold in the markets. Beneath the Farmers are the Artisans. The exceptions to this are smiths who forge the weapons and armor of the Bushi, who are members of the No’Bushi class. The remainder – the cobblers, carpenters, weavers, coopers, and others – are considered to be of secondary importance to the famers. They are a necessary burden upon society, as they cannot produce rice to generate food or wealth, but their skills are required for the ongoing daily life of the realm. The lowest of the low, holding a station barely above criminals in Nippon society, are the merchants. The mercantile class contains inn keepers, traders, and shop owners. They are considered leeches of society. Although a Bushi is expected to pay for his stay in an inn, or for his meal if it is prepared for him, the prices are never suitable. It is not enough for the Bushi to risk his life to defend the merchant, but he must also provide for his livelihood as well. This makes the merchants the weakest of society, and nothing more than a burden.

The World Beyond

The Dominion of the Elves

Nippon has maintained it’s isolation for more than two thousand years, much longer than many nations of the world have been exploring. Historically, the mists surrounding Nippon, a by-product of the powerful wards which kept the island hidden from Chaos, had kept foreign explorers from the shores, and the Nipponsei themselves never ventured farther than the shores of Cathay or Khuresh. Some outsiders were able to make contact with the island, either through trade, limited diplomacy, or outright invasion, but it was not until very recently, when the Nipponsei turned their attentions to the wider world, that their presence has been truly known in the lands beyond their misty isle.

The Nipponsei have had dealings with the Elves longer than with any other kingdom save Cathay. Before the civil-war which tore the Elven nation apart into three separate states and heralded the retreat of the High Elves to their homeland in Ulthuan, the Elves had maintained a tower on a small island to the south of Nippon, the Tower of the Sun. From this island, they watched the Nipponsei and on occasion the Emperor is rumored to have had secret audiences with the tower’s wardens regarding the world beyond. Some point to the Elves as having shown the first Shindo Monks and the Onmyoji the secrets of wielding magic, but the Shindo refute this notion publicly.

The Empire and Bretonnia The Empire was among the first of the nations of the Old World to visit Nippon, when the Marienburg vessel the Erasmus was driven off course by a storm and ran aground on the island in the fog. Two decades later, word of the vessel’s resting place reached the trade guilds of Marienburg via the silk-trade with Cathay, and a trading fleet was sent to open the island’s ports. The Nipponsei were highly interested in the technological items which the Marienburgers had brought from the Empire. They had no interest in cloth, spices, jewelry or gold, but displayed vested interested in Marienburg guns, as well as their books on medicine and the sciences. Wealth from this opened trade eventually provided much of the financial basis for Marienburg’s secession from the Empire. The rightful Empire has held this fact against faraway Nippon ever since, although Nipponsei ambassadors have been seen in the courts of Karl Franz. It took much longer for the Bretonnians to discover the island, and trade with the realm had been made exclusive to the Marienburger’s only. Most interaction between Brettonians and the Nipponsei therefore comes from mercenary Ronin, who traveled from Nippon overland on the Silk Roads to arrive in Tilea. Both cultures have a deep respect for one another, each admiring the codes of Bushido and Chivalry respectively, but Nippon’s arrogance and deeply rooted belief that they alone among humans were chosen by the gods, matched with Bretonnia’s well known haughty pride, has led to stalemates in any diplomatic ventures between the two realms. The handful of other human territories in the Old World, such as Tilea, Estalia, and the Border Princes, have come to know the handfuls of Nipponsei Ronin who traveled to their lands seeking adventure and employment as mercenaries, although some of the southern ports have accepted Nipponsei trade vessels since Shogun Ittazen allowed Nipponsei merchants to trade abroad in 2518.

The Tower of the Sun has fallen into disrepair after it was abandoned during the Elven strife, and is no longer occupied. A handful of Nipponsei have located it, but warn that it has become a haunt of ghosts and terrible specters. The Nipponsei have no knowledge of the difference between the Elves, and to this day, view them all as one nation, a species separate – and therefore inferior – to the human Nipponsei.

The Lizardmen Many tales exist in Nipponsei legend of the ‘Kappa,’ the lizard Yokai of the Great Kami. Strangely, there are no such creatures in Nippon, and it seems that there never were. Depictions of the Kappa, reptilian in nature, were brought back from ruins in Khuresh, when the Emperor Hidoshi sent expeditions to locate a lost temple of the Kami. The Nipponsei stories speak of a race of Yokai that is vastly intelligent, their wisdom passed to them by word from the Great Kami himself. They were the peasants of the Kami, and served him in his house at the dawn of the world, creating the mountains, oceans, and maintaining his will across the face of the world. The stories tell that during the War Against the Four Brothers, these Yokai were separated from Nippon, and were stranded in a land far to the East, beyond the horizon, where the sun rises. In the imperial year 2015, Shogun Kanada and an entourage of his chosen warriors ventured into the open seas in an attempt to locate this land to the East. Kanada was never heard from again, although a blade, thought to be his sword Kusanagi, washed ashore many years later, kissed by the sun itself. Subsequent journeys and attempts to return to locate the lands in the East were only met with failure, and none ever returned from such voyages. The strange Yokai of the East remain a mystery even to the Nipponsei. Elven records seem to indicate that the Lizardmen either lack the means to reach, or lack the knowledge of, Nippon. If the latter is true, then it would prove the Nipponsei origin stories that their island was created some time after the rest of the world, but before the invasion of Chaos and fall of the Gates.

The Dwarfs The Dwarfs have not heard much of the lands of Nippon, except in passing from those few Cathayans who journey through their realm on the Silk Roads. For their part, the Dwarfs see the Nipponsei as just another race of upstart humans, and pay them no mind. The Nipponsei have equally little knowledge of the stout folk who dwell within the mountains of the Old World. Traders from Marienburg have been careful not to divulge knowledge of the Dwarfs, or of their superior warmachines and firearms, for fear that the Nipponsei might approach them for trade. It would be a lucrative deal for both parties, as the Nipponsei value little above quality arms and new technological advances, and the Dwarfs value nothing more than gold. To date, however, the Nipponsei have not made an effort to meet the Dwarfs, and the few Dwarf ironclads operating in the Eastern seas eye the fogbanks concealing Nippon with a superstitious foreboding.

Cathay, and the Ogres The Nipponsei and Cathayans have been at war since the Scouring. The Nipponsei have no question as to who led the Ratmen to their door, who sent the Seal which opened the rift over Hokkai, or who planted the seeds of rumor in the mind of Gobadhi Ka’an. Although both sides have strict orders in place never to trade with their rivals, there are still merchants willing to brave the blockades, shore patrols, pirates and privateers in order to maintain a lucrative black market in both nations. Rice, fish, and gold from Nippon fetches a high price, and without Cathayan silk, Nipponsei fashion would topple. Only the Bushi honor this agreement openly, and rarely wear silks in public, unless they can affirm that the silk was raised by the Nipponsei. Otherwise, the Bushi wear cotton or other materials, both in respect for the trade laws of their Shogun, but also to show humility. The Nipponsei regard the Ogres, who dwell further inland than any Nipponsei has ever ventured, as allies to the Cathayans and therefore equally worthy of scorn. Moreover, they see the Ogres as instruments of the Dark Brothers. Owing to their similar appearance to the Oni of Nippon, they are called ‘False Yokai.’ When Gobadhi Ka’an invaded, he brought a contingent of Chaos Ogres along with his host. The Nipponsei wasted no time in hunting these creatures down and killing them in the most brutal fashions possible, simply to prove that the Ogres were mortal, and bled as such.

The Skaven Skaven first arrived in Cathay by way of their underground tunnel system. It was the infancy of the Clan Eshin who arrived beneath Cathayan society, and set up their first

strongholds there. In the events leading up to the Scouring, the emperor of Cathay turned a blind eye to Skaven infestations within his fleet, and when these vessels docked in Nipponsei ports, the Skaven were free to set up new strongholds in the newly discovered islands. By the reckoning of the short-lived Skaven, they existed in Nippon for generations, always undermining their society, always learning more from the humans dwelling above. After the Scouring, the Skaven continued to exist in Nippon in great quantities for another twelve years, until they were driven out in a bloody campaign of total extermination. Still, the Skaven had learned much from their stay, and when Clan Eshin returned to their homeland, they were masters of stealth warfare in the nature of the Shinobuzei of Nippon and assassin guilds of Cathay.

The Greenskin Menace The Nipponsei see Greenskins in the same light as any nation of the Old World – an unruly mob bent purely on the destruction of all that is orderly and just. Thus far, the Nipponsei have remained sheltered from the Orcs by the Empire of Cathay, with tribes from the Badlands and beyond being stalled and defeated within Cathayan borders. The only time which the greenskins have ever threatened Nippon came after the Grom’s failed invasion of Ulthuan, when a handful of Goblin vessels sailed around the southern tip of the old world and crashed upon Nipponsei shores, where they were met and dispatched by waiting Bushi.

The Undead In Nippon, death is sacred. The body is a vessel for the spirit, and where the body fails, the spirit continues onward. When Nipponsei of any walk of life die, their spirits are guided into stone markers, where they await the return of the Kami. If they were left to roam free, they would be drawn to the vortex, and devoured by the Brothers. By Nipponsei reckoning, the ability to raise the dead through necromancy mean channeling the spirit back into the body, and trap it there, unable to depart its decaying mortal shell. Such a fate would be worse than being devoured by the Dark Brothers, and is abhorred throughout Nippon. This doesn’t mean that Nippon has been without its own restless dead – most notably in 1310, when Iwokuni shrine was destroyed by an earthquake and the spirits housed there escaped to reanimate bodies buried in shallow mass graves from the Scouring, nearby. While the Nipponsei worship ancestor spirits, they do not believe that these ancestors walk among the living as ghosts. Therefore, the Nipponsei make no distinctions between Undead – all are equally insulting to the established laws of life and death. Necromancers in any form are expected to be persecuted with neither mercy nor hesitation.

The Powers of Chaos Though they fight a myriad of foes, as well as battle amongst themselves, the Nipponsei feel that it is their sacred duty to defeat the powers of Chaos, which they refer to as the Four Dark Brothers. The Nipponsei believe that they alone were chosen by the Kami to have the power to defeat this greatest force of evil in the world, and in that respect are far superior to any other race dwelling beyond their shores. Until the Scouring, the Nipponsei were unaware that the forces of Chaos still existed in this world. Their own gods, the Great Kami and his children, had long since fled and were no longer felt by those who were not versed in the ways of the Shindo priesthood. How then, had Chaos survived? Taken unawares during the Scouring, the Nipponsei struggled against the Dark Brothers and ultimately prevailed, although at great personal cost. When the armies of the Dark Brothers attacked their shores again under the banner of Gobadhi Kaâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;an, the Nipponsei proved their mettle and claimed victory for a second time. It was this second victory, and the urging of the Shindo monks to fulfill their sacred duty, which eventually led to the Nipponsei venturing out into the world beyond. Unlike the presence of Undead, the powers of Chaos have a significant presence in Nippon. A hideous portal to the dark abyss of the Brothers exists in a shattered temple in the north of the island of Hokkai. Every Nipponsei alive can feel its call in their blood, the taunts of the Dark Brothers to simply give themselves up, surrender their pointless fight and short, bloody lives, and to be devoured.

The Shindo priests have come to believe that the age of civil war which has so long plagued Nippon is the result of this ever growing urge for the Nipponsei to cast themselves to oblivion. If the Dark Brothers cannot bring their armies to destroy the Nipponsei, then they will drive the Nipponsei to destroy themselves. Hokkai is home to mutants, abominations, and hordes of savage Beastmen. Thus far, incursions from Hokkai have been minor, the forces of evil residing there unorganized and fractured, and the stalwart defenses of the Datashi have been able to hold them back. Yokai are not immune to the maddening calls of the Dark Brothers either, and among the Oni in particular, a strange display of madness can overtake them and make them rabid. Such beasts are the quarry of the Hatamoto, who ride through Ryushu and even into Hokkai, in order to hunt these foul creatures. Recently, a shadow has been growing over the north of the world, and the Onmyoji say that the Yokai whisper of a great battle to come, the Shindo, that the spirits have become restless in their wait for the Great Kami. Shogun Ittazen has agreed to allow the Nipponsei to venture beyond their island, to find suitable allies for this next great war against the Dark Brothers. Although they will have warriors from around the world fighting beside them, and though it will no doubt cost uncountable numbers of lives, possibly the souls of every Nipponsei, the people of Nippon firmly believe that it will be a Nipponsei who deals the final blow which will cast the Dark Brothers from this world forever and restore the lands of the Great Kami to their rightful glory. Across the realm, Bushi solemnly prepare themselves for the events to come.

the Code of Bushido When the first Bushi, warriors of the Minamoyo Great House, swore the oaths which elevated them above all warriors in the realm of Nippon, they did not only swear loyalty to Minamoyo Toriyomo, but also to a strict martial code which would later become known as Bushido. The tenets of Bushido are stern and uncompromising, and it is a Bushi’s sworn duty to follow them unquestioningly. In the generations since the Scouring, Bushido has come to embrace many non-military values, such as education, courtly conduct, and faith. In turn, Bushido has come to be embraced by those outside the true Bushi class as a code of honor and ethics which will preserve Nippon in the dark times to come. The core structure of Bushido has remained the same however, and it is still very much a Warrior’s creed. Whatever a Bushi does, it is justified, so long as it follows the strictures of the code. This is important, as many of these beliefs and practices would be seen as barbaric or even abhorrent by the weaker societies which exist outside of Nippon. This simple fact plays greatly into the Nipponsei world view – to the Nipponsei, Bushido not only makes them superior to the rest of the world, but their ability to uphold the demanding strictures of the code proves it without question. The entirety of the code was, for many generations, only known through the repeated oaths which the Bushi took, its values memorized by and meditated upon every day whether the Bushi was on the campaign trail, or sheltered in his home for the winter. A primary test for initiated Samurai, the lowest rank of Bushi, was to be able to recite the virtues of Bushido in their entirety, all one hundred and twenty of them. Often, they were expected to perform this feat under stress, perhaps while being suspended by their ankles or in the midst of a duel against their superiors. The most severe of the initiation rites is carried out among the Kusonoki Clan of Tarai Great House, who brand the four core virtues of Bushido into the flesh of the initiate, while they recite the thirty minor virtues associated with it. An initiate who falters, cries out, or fall unconscious, fails the test. In 2306, in the wake of the first marauder invasions of Nippon, Daimyo Tamamoyo Tsunejocho penned the seminal book, ‘In the Shadow of Leaves’. The book contained all of the one hundred and twenty virtues of Bushido preserved in writing, so that even if the Nipponsei were wiped out the values of the Code of Bushido would live on. Though each has as many as thirty lesser virtues which are attributed to it, the four core virtues of Bushido have remained the same ever since they were laid down by the Minamoyo Great House. The four virtues are Righteousness, Courage, Honor, and Loyalty.

Righteousness, Yoshi Bushi are the primary law enforcement of Nippon, and as such, they are expected to know, instinctively, the difference between what is right and what is wrong, and to be able to act upon that instinct. The voice of a Bushi is the final verdict in all civil matters which might occur between two of the lower classes. As a Bushi has the right to act as judge, jury, and executioner in the same breath, the Bushi is expected to be capable of reason and compassion in all that he does. The mark of a truly righteous Bushi is the ability to befriend a former enemy in times of peace, and to lay aside ongoing rivalries in times of need. It was the Tachiwara’s inability to follow this virtue which led to their near destruction at the order of the Minamoyo. When Nippon was embroiled in a horrible war and needed its warriors to stand up and bring order, the Tachiwara took advantage of the situation and attacked their rivals in the Minamoyo. Bushi are expected to lay aside any strife between one another, on a personal, clan, or Great House level, in order to serve their superiors. Indeed, many feuds between Clans have been brought to a peaceful resolution simply because the Shogun demanded that the two factions meet peaceably in his court to settle their differences.

Courage, Yuuki Where Righteousness is to know what is right, Courage is to act upon it without hesitation, and without question of personal cost. To the Bushi, true courage is ‘living when it is right to live, and dying when it is right to die.’ This phrase goes far beyond the concept of bravery in the Old World, which is the ability to stand defiant in the face of death, or to greet death wherever it may come. Rather, Bushi accept death as inevitability and strive only to choose when they die. In many regards, a Bushi’s life is not his own, it belongs to his master. The word Samurai – the lowest and most common rank of Bushi – means ‘One Who Serves’. Nippon does not believe in the concept of slavery, but in the simplest sense, the Bushi are slaves. Because of this, Bushi are expected to know when it is appropriate to fight or to die. There are stories of lone Bushi taking to the field against a thousand enemies or more, or allowing themselves to be cut down in a duel without drawing a blade, simply because they felt that it was their time to die. The courage of the Bushi is a fearsome thing, terrifying even to those Nipponsei who fight alongside them. Where even disciplined Ashigaru foot soldiers might turn and flee from a battle, the Bushi will forge ahead, marching into almost certain death if that is what is called for. For those outside of Nippon, this emotionless acceptance of death unnerving, incomprehensible to those ignorant of Bushido.

Honor, Meiyo

Loyalty, Chuuseishin

Honor is of great import to the Bushi. A virtuous Bushi is said to be capable of deceit, but not of lying. A Bushi’s word is his life, for indeed, he gave his word to follow the ideals of Bushido, and if there is no value in his word, then how can it be said that he values Bushido?

The virtue of Chuuseishin, or Loyalty, holds sway above all of the other four virtues of Bushido. All of the righteousness, courage, and honor in the world is worthless if a Bushi does not act upon them out of loyalty and respect for his master. Just as a Bushi must be aware that his life is not wholly his own, neither are his deeds.

Quickness to anger is seen as dishonorable, even if another would insult them, or even their ancestors. It is expected that each Bushi live a worthy and honorable life, so that in the future, there will be no need for his descendents to defend him – he will stand beyond contempt by virtue of his honor in life. This reluctance to act upon provocation or anger, has given rise to the popular adage that “the greatest honor of all, is to bear the unbearable.” The only thing which Bushi are expected to fear is the concept of failure. That this fear hangs over the head of every Bushi is obvious in their ritual of Seppuku, a ritual of terribly painful suicide when faced with grave dishonor. Accepting this pain with dignity, and dying with courage, is the only sure way for a disgraced Bushi to regain his honor. If the Bushi were simply killing himself to avoid capture, or to end his suffering, he would not submit himself to the painful disembowelment of Seppuku. Many had suspected it to be so, but in truth; this final act is done in acceptance of great failure – failing his master and being captured, for example, and is the Bushi’s way of meeting death upon his own terms, and never betraying is master.

Indeed, Loyalty is so highly esteemed that, regardless of crime or misdeed, if a Bushi can prove that he was acting out of loyalty for his master, or upon his master’s direct orders, he is absolved of all guilt, and his master is held accountable in his place. It is in these situations however, when loyalty is revealed most clearly as the double-edged sword that it is, for a Bushi who is loyal to his master would rather die than see his lord disgraced, and will often take the blame upon himself even if he was acting upon the will of his master. There are many ties of loyalty which bind the Bushi. Firstly, all Bushi are loyal to the Shogun, and through the Shogun, their Emperor. Beneath the Shogun, they are loyal to their Daimyo, their Clan, and the ancestors of their Great House. In respect for the Virtue of Honor, a Bushi who has given his word to another is expected to remain loyal to that promise. Often, loyalty can force a Bushi’s hand in certain affairs, and those who understand the culture of the Nipponsei know that this is the truest way to cripple a Bushi – not through a wound dealt by steel, but by forcing the Bushi to respect a vow of loyalty.

the Warrior CLaNs At the foundation of Nippon were the Four Great Houses of the Nipponsei. The Minamoyo, Fujibana, Tachiwara, and Tarai, shared the lands and powers of the island between them as equals. Although feuds and minor skirmishes were not unheard of, none of the clans maintained a designated military branch. It was not until more effective and deadlier weapons from Cathay arrived in Nippon, that a Warrior Class would be born. The expense of these weapons meant that few could actually afford them, and it was this economy that would separate the Warrior from those around him, simultaneously creating the Peasantry as the division widened. Better weapons gave rise to larger armies, and the Fujibana soon unified all of Nippon beneath their blades. With a unified island, warfare in Nippon ceased almost entirely, and instead, armies were sent abroad to do battle in Khuresh and Cathay, rather than against their countrymen at home. Burgeoning military families took control of strings of castles and villages in the name of the Great House, and successful commanders were awarded still more land by the Emperor. When the Scouring came and the power of the Fujibana – now Yakayazaki – splintered, so too did the Great Houses. Much of the farmable land in Nippon had been rendered useless, crops had failed, and refugees from the north placed a heavier burden on rice stocks everywhere. As starvation set in, the smaller familial clans began turning against their distant relations even within their own Great Houses, attempting to take control of as much of the fertile land as possible, and provide food for their vassals and families.

Minamoyo Great House The Minamoyo are the heroes of the Scouring. Where the Fujibana have the honor of giving rise to the Emperor, it was the Minamoyo who had the loyalty to remain with him in the face of the false accusations of the Cathayans, and to march to war at his side when his own House had forsaken him. As their reward, the Minamoyo became the first Shogunal family, and every Shogun since has been of Minamoyo descent. This two-layered loyalty, both to Great House and to the Shogun, means that the Minamoyo are the least splintered of the Great Houses. Under the protection of the Shogun, the Minamoyo Clans turn their aggression outwards rather than against each other. Fortunately, they pay as much loyalty to the Shindo priesthood as they do the Imperial Court, which leads them to live with reason, dignity, and passivity. The greatest descendents of House Minamoyo, and the current lord over all Minamoyo clans, is the Izeguri Clan under Daimyo Kojiro. Shogun Ittazen was also from Izeguri Clan, but Shoguns are expected to cut all ties to their cadet clans, and are the only Bushi who still refer to themselves by their Great House title. The lands of the Minamoyo stretch for a great distance along the Western shores of the island, bordered by the Tarai lands on the East, Tachiwara to the South, and Fujibana to their North. The lands of the Izeguri are more inland, consisting of a single sea-port, and then guarding the whole of the border with the Tarai.

Never again would the Great Houses be unified as a single coherent force. From that day forward, hundreds of minor cadet-clans would divide Nippon between themselves. When Minamoyo Toriyomo began once more to pacify Nippon, he further splintered the Great Houses in order to make it more difficult for rivals to gather a large army to depose him. Toriyomo convinced the Emperor to abdicate control of the land in Nippon to the Shogun, then, rather than acknowledging the territorial borders of the individual clans, Toriyomo only enforced the borders between the former holdings of the Great Houses. This, if any Daimyo wished to expand his realm without inviting scrutiny from the Shogunate, he would be left to fight against his fellow descendents of the Great House from whence he hailed.

To the Northwest of the Minamoyo territory stands the Yumanochi Clan, who share much in common with the Fujibana, often sending warriors North to support the Datashi in their defense of the island’s northern coastlines. For a brief period after the Scouring, the Raizei Clan existed even farther to the North, but was worn down and eventually destroyed by prolonged service in the North as well as frequent border skirmishes with both the Yumanochi and Datashi. The Yumanochi are most widely known for the number of Hatamoto that they provide, having the benefit of both a great deal of experience fighting in the North of Nippon, as well as the Minamoyo’s strong ties to the Shindo, who play a great role in shaping potential Hatamoto candidates and preparing them for the rigors of the soul which accompany any journey into Hokkai.

Wars for territory between two kinsmen, however distant, are seen as being somewhat dishonorable, and this serves to further pacify the island – to an extent. There are still wars along the borders between clans from different houses, none more famous than the ongoing conflict over the fertile valleys of Kanakajima between the MinamoyoIzeguri and Tarai-Takata clans.

On the opposite border, to the South, are the Inukaze. Frequent dealings with the criminals and outcasts of the Tachiwara, as well as the Minamoyo’s deep hatred of all Tachiwara descendents, has made them a strict, totalitarian police force of the South. The Inukaze recently brought great shame to their name however, when they were found employing Shinobuzei to spy on Tachiwara affairs.

Tarai Great House The Tarai Great House was the first to turn against the Yokai and march on the Imperial palace when the Cathayan ambassadors spread their lies throughout Nipponsei courts. Since the end of the Scouring, they have dedicated their existence to righting this wrong, and some have accused them of becoming lap-dogs to the Minamoyo as a result of this. Indeed in the early days following the Scouring, the Minamoyo unleashed the Taira upon the Tachiwara Great House, and they took the task with a zealotry that left the Tachiwara countryside in flaming ruins. The Tachiwara still have not forgiven the Taira for the destruction they wrought. The lands of the Tarai are situated along the Eastern shoreline of Nippon. While the Minamoyo to the West have had much contact with the outside world, and some whisper that they have become influenced by these dealings, the Tarai have remained cut off from the outside. The Tarai Clans claim with pride that they are the truest of the Nipponsei, upholding ancient traditions and rituals that have fallen by the wayside in the more progressive West. Some argue that this has rendered the Tarai backwards, or dated. Others, that this is merely a compensation for the Tarai’s role as the first traitors during the Scouring. However, none can dispute the loyalty of Tarai Bushi. The Tarai lay claim to the best grazing lands in all of Nippon, low, coastal plains which have remained flat and expansive even while the rest of the island was broken by mountains. However, the lands are not perfect – the grass of the plains is coarse and dry, the plains filled with scrub, which grows out of dry, arid soil. The plains of Zai are a dusty realm, almost entirely devoid of useable farmland.

The center of power for the Tarai lies in the city of Khoshu, a monolithic structure erected in the center of the plains of Zai. There, the current patriarch of the Tarai holds his court, and houses his warriors. When a master of Khoshu is slain, a contest is held amongst the Tarai. In this ferocious bloodsport, each Clan sends their Daimyo –who the Tarai called ‘Zoku’, or Chieftain – out into the plains alone to find and slay one of the enormous tigers of the region. The Zoku who returns with the largest specimen is crowned new leader of the Tarai. The current ruler of the Tarai is Takata Nobuharu, head of Takata Clan. Nobuharu has begun to lead the Tarai in a bold new direction, urging the other clans to finally let go of their guilt and to reclaim the lost glory of the Tarai. It is a difficult road however, as Nobuharu has earned the enmity of many of the other Tarai, and has gone so far as to attack Minamoyo homelands. Second to the Takata, and the Clan which occupied the throne at Khoshu longer than any other, are the Hojyo. Fierce horsemen, the Hojyo are stoic traditionalists, and place their debt to the Minamoyo above any other honor. Many Tarai criticize them, saying perhaps the Hojyo wish they had been born beneath the Minamoyo banners. Nobuharu’s first action after superseding the aging Hojyo regime was to bring his Clan and new allies to bear against their tribal lands and further scatter them to the wind. Few Tarai agreed to join in this battle, fearing that the Takata were only a temporary regime and that the Hojyo would retake the throne with a bloody vengeance. Nobuharu silenced such talk when he planted his personal banner at the historic center of the Hojyo lands, and challenged any Hojyo brave enough to dislodge it. None have stepped forward.

Tachiwara Great House

Fujibana Great House

The Tachiwara are the outcasts of the Bushi, and always have been. When Nippon was unified by Emperor Shimmu, he decreed that the capital would be placed centrally to the island – in Northern Ryushu, in the lands of Kagyo. While northern Ryushu enjoyed trade between Hokkai, and improvement by the Emperor to his own lands and those surrounding, farther-flung Tachizen went neglected. While the rest of the empire advanced culturally and technologically, Tachizen was left behind. The warriors of the Tachiwara were little more than peasants themselves, and the entire prefecture eked out an existence as fishermen, always in the shadow of the more powerful houses of Minamoyo and Tarai to the north.

The Fujibana Great House was once the greatest power in all of Nippon. Giving rise to the Yakayazuki Imperial Clan, and then marrying themselves into for generations to ensure that the Emperor remained in their pocket, the Fujibana dominated politics in early Nipponsei history as the first unifiers of the realm. Their lot has changed drastically since then. Having made their homes in northern Ryushu and Hokkai, the Scouring meant that much of the Fujibaba territory was devastated by the rise of the mountains and the massive tidal waves which accompanied them. Entire clans were swallowed up by the vortex, and of those which were not, few managed to escape without succumbing to horrible mutations.

During the Scouring, the Tachiwara saw an opportunity to change their fates. When the Minamoyo marched to rescue the Emperor, it was the Tachiwara’s hope that the battle between Tarai and Minamoyo would deplete their northern neighbors, and that once the Emperor was restored to power, his vengeance would fall heavily upon the Tarai. The Tachiwara risked all, and attacked the Minamoyo while they were battling outside of their realm. Successful Tachiwara attacks swallowed up much of the Minamoyo lands. However, the Tachiwara had not foreseen the establishment of the Shogunate, and the rage they had incited in the Minamoyo soon spilled forth into Echizen - not in the form of Minamoyo warriors, but in the fierce horse-tribes of the Tarai, eager to prove their worth to their new Shogun. For the Tachiwara, it proved apocalyptic, and the Tachiwara house evaporated into little more than shadows and legend.

The lands of Kagyo are situated in the north of Ryushu, and the descendents of the Fujibaba have taken it upon themselves to defend Nippon from the bestial invasions which cross the straits from Hokkai. Only one city of the Fujibana remains, Kagyo-Heijo having been burnt to the ground by the Tarai in the opening acts of the Scouring. Kanazawa, former capital of Kagyo, is perched precariously amongst the jagged peaks of the mountains which tore it asunder. Living among these misty spires are the Datashi, last of the proud Fujibana legacy.

Tachizen, the land of the Tachiwara, is still impoverished, starving, and desolate. Though a handful of Bushi swore loyalty to the Shogun rather than face the swords of the Tarai, and they can still trace their lineage to Tachiwara House, they are no different from the rest of peasant and beggar rabble who occupy the land. Echizen has become a haven for outcasts, lawless Ronin, Shinobuzei sects, and black-marketeers. The Clans of the Tachiwara, if organized at all, are little more than thuggish gangs. One man has taken it upon himself to change this. Daimyo Nasunaga, of Clan Odai, has declared that he will raise Tachizen from the ashes. Conscripting a massive army of Ashigaru, and rallying the remaining Tachiwara Clans beneath his banner, he has rebuilt the Tachiwara through shady blackmarket deals, piracy, cunning, and deceit. Tachizen rises upon the backs of its peasants, taxed beyond the point of starvation to provide the military might which shall fuel Nasunaga’s ambition. With Tarai and Minamoyo descendents now warring against each other in the open, the time is nearing for the Odai, and all of the Tachiwara, to strike from below, like a dagger in the hand of a cruel assassin – aimed straight for the heart.

The Datashi are not wholly alone, the remnants of one Clan still reside in Kawazana alongside them, but they are so depleted that they are not given representation in the Imperial or Shogunal courts, and are for all purposes counted as Datashi vassals – the Miyazawa. The other Clans, splintered off from the Fujibana, succumbed throughout the centuries. Some were worn down on the front lines of the defense of Ryushu. Others, by futile attempts to re-colonize Hokkai, or invade and reclaim it for the empire. More were simply too damaged from the Scouring to survive for long, and their numbers dwindled through political marriages, skirmishes with other Clans, and bloody feuds within their ranks. Whatever the reason, only the Datashi remain. The Fujibana had always been proud to a fault, and stubborn, and the Datashi are no different. Indeed, no Clan in all of Nippon has so carefully preserved the undiluted traditions of their Great House as the Datashi. Their youths are still trained to be experts in wielding the massive no’dachi, and the clan still rarely attends meetings of the Imperial Court, all-but ignores the reign of the Shogun, and views outsider clans with a mixture of distrust and skepticism. The path of the Datashi is one of self-destruction, and many have warned that they are only forestalling the inevitable, that Nippon can fend for itself if the Beastmen invade Ryushu, and that it would be more prudent to withdraw from the coastline. The Datashi see their stubborn refusal of these counsels as a matter of pride, reasoning that only they are strong enough to stay the course and protect the empire.

Wargear of the Bushi Below is a diagram of the wargear common to the Bushi of the modern â&#x20AC;&#x2DC;Shinkinouâ&#x20AC;&#x2122; era.

Kabuto, Wakidate, and Mempo. These three items comprise the headgear of the Bushi. The Kabuto is the helmet, often made from metal, including the Sikoro skirting which protects the neck, while the Mempo mask guards the face. The Wakidate is the crest on the helm, which helps to identify the warrior on the battlefield. Bushi burn incense inside their helmets before battle, and perfume the tops of their heads, so that if their head is taken as a trophy, it will not be unpleasant to the enemy.

The Sode, Kote, and Sitarji The Sode is the elaborate shoulder armor of the Bushi, which are laced over the arms separately from the Kote breastplate. the Sitarji are the armored skirts which guard the upper legs, laced to the Kote. This Bushi has covered the laces with a sash of heavy material, called an Obi, to prevent the enemy from cutting these cords. Often, these portions of the armor are made from Cryptomeria wood, although less affluent Bushi might use lacquered leather.

The Katana, and Wakizashi These two swords form the badge of office for the Bushi. The longer Katana is often removed when entering buildings or taking audience with a superior, but the shorter Wakizashi tucked into his Obi, is worn at all times.

The Arquebus Although an unusual weapon for a Bushi to carry, it is not unheard of. Bushi of the Odai, as well as Bushi chosen to command a regiment of Arquebusier Ashigaru might carry such a weapon into battle. Note the narrow and curved stock of the weapon, which makes it easier to move in and out of the shoulder for reloading, can also be employed as a blunt weapon to club enemies in close combat.

Footgear More unusual than even his Arquebus, are the clog-type shoes of this Bushi. Most likely, these have been imported from Marienburg, as Western styles have become something of a trend in Nipponsei fashion. Typically, warriors will wear shoes called geta - wooden sandals which are raised up on two blocks beneath the heel and ball of the foot. To facilitate the thong running between the toes, the Bushi wear tabi, which are simply socks with a split between the first and second toe of each foot.

army of the Bushi Nippon survives on its proud martial heritage. At the heart of their armies are the Bushi â&#x20AC;&#x201C; swordsmen whose skills are unequaled among all the human lands. However, the Bushi are a precious commodity, and so the ranks are often filled out with disciplined regiments of Ashigaru, and bolstered by Yokai and other more mysterious forces. In this section, you will find details for all the different troops, heroes, monsters and war machines used in an army of Nippon, from Core units to the Special Characters, and from magic items to the unique arsenal of the Bushi.

army speCiaL ruLes This section of the book describes all the different units used in an Empire army, along with the rules necessary to use them in your games of Warhammer. Where a model has a special rule that is explained in the Warhammer rulebook, only the name of that rule is given. If a model has a special rule that is unique to it, that rule is detailed alongside its description. However, there are a number of commonly recurring ‘army special rules’ that apply to several Empire units, and these are detailed here.

continue to trigger the Kei Power at the end of every Magic Phase in which they have not been dispelled. Note that a model or unit must be targeted directly in order for a spell to activate their Kei Power, spells which do not specify a target (such as Comet of Casandora from the Lore of Heavens) will not trigger Kei Powers, even if the model takes damage from the spell.

Warrior Clans

The elite warrior class of Nippon lives by a strict code of honor. The code places the virtues of honor, duty, and loyalty above personal survival and this fact allows to the warriors of Nippon to perform great feats of valor and self sacrifice in battle.

Nippon is hardly a united empire. Below the Shogun, feudal lords and ancient family lines divide the island empire into a myriad of different factions. Alliances change with the tide, and ancient feuds and rivalries often flare into outright war between Clans. All clans however, can trace their heritage back to one of the four Great Clans, and derive great amounts of pride from this family legacy.

Models with this rule must always accept challenges. In the event that more than one model is eligible to accept, the model with the highest Leadership must answer the challenge.

Certain character models have the option to take a Clan Mon, denoting which of the four Great Houses their own clan traces it’s heritage to. The effects of these Mon are given on page 78.

Also, models with Bushido ignore Panic caused by friendly units without this rule, but may not join them (although they may still be joined by non-Bushido models)

Additionally, certain units may also take a Clan Mon. In order to select a Clan Mon, there must be a character in the army with the same Mon. One regiment may select the same Clan Mon as any Hero, and up to two regiments may select the same Clan Mon as a Lord. Clan Mon taken by regiments do not provide the benefits as those listed on page 78, but have the following effects instead:

Bushido

Kei The armor of the Bushi is made from the lacquered wood of the cryptomeria tree, which is not only as hard as steel, but also absorbs the winds of magic. Bushi train to expel this stored energy with simple, focused words of power. As a Bushi gains experience in battle, he learns knew ways to bend this energy to his will. Certain models have special powers listed as ‘Kei Powers.’ This power is activated when the model is the target of a successfully cast spell (friend or foe). Spells which are dispelled will not trigger the power. Once the spell is resolved, the Kei power is triggered, and remains active until the start of the next friendly magic phase. Kei powers may only be activated once in each magic phase, and do not stack. Remains in Play spells will

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Clan Inspiration A model that is within 6” of a friendly character with the same Clan Mon, may use that character’s Leadership characteristic for any Leadership tests they are required to take, just as if they were using the Army General’s ‘Inspiring Presence’ rule. Units which cannot benefit from ‘Inspiring Presence’ for any reason may not benefit from Clan Inspiration.

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Lead From the Front If a unit is joined by a character with the same Clan Mon, then the entire regiment benefits from the Clan Mon as described on page 78.

WeapoNs of the Bushi In this section, you will find descriptions and rules for a number of weapons and upgrades that are available to several units and characters within the Nippon army.

Sashimono The code of Bushido does not allow for cowardice, or hiding on the battlefield. To this end – and also to help avoid confusing friend for foe – many warriors of Nippon go into battle wearing small banners on their backs, called Sashimono. Emblazoned with brightly colored Mon, these banners make an impressive sight, adding to the stature of the warrior and presenting an overwhelming sight to enemies. When a model or unit equipped with one or more Sashimono wins a round of close combat, roll a D6, and add the highest number of Sashimono (to a maximum of 3) in the unit. If the combined total is 7 or more, then the model is automatically assumed to have more ranks than the enemy for the purposes of determining Steadfast. Note that the Sashimono has no effect on combat resolution, nor can it be used if the model equipped with it has lost the round of combat.

Samurai Swords Two blades, the katana, and shorter wakizashi, worn as a pair. Nipponsei swordsmiths have perfected the art of folding and tempering the steel so that it has a hard, sharp outer layer surrounding a softer, flexible core. Only those of the Bushi class may wear blades, but only warriors will wear both weapons of this deadly pair.

Horo Horo are cloaks of stiff fabric, pinned at the shoulders and either the waist or back of the saddle so that when the cavalrymen charges, they billow out behind him. The taut fabric provides some defense against enemy missile weapons, and the large, colorful display makes them easily identifiable on the battlefield. Models equipped with horo gain a +1 armor save against attacks made in the shooting phase.

No’Dachi Most famously used by the Datashi clan, No’Dachi are similar in shape to a katana, but are many times longer, and require a great amount of skill to wield effectively. Treat no’dachi as Greatweapons. No’Dachi also have the Armor Piercing special rule.

Naginata The naginata is a combination of the traditional spear, and a katana. Affixing the sharp, slightly curved blade to a long haft creates as unique slashing weapon. The cavalry of Nippon use this weapon from horseback. A charge made with naganita is a terrifying spectacle, as the blades scythe through the ranks, lopping off heads and limbs with shocking ease. Apart from their differing appearance, Naginata follow all of the same rules for Halberds, as detailed on page 90 of the Warhammer rulebook.

At the start of each round of combat, a model equipped with Samurai Swords may choose them as either a pair of handweapons (gaining an additional attack) or to parry. If the blades are used to parry, then the model gains a 6+ Parry Save as described on page 88 of the Warhammer rulebook. The model does not gain +1 to their armor save however, as they do not carry a shield. Samurai swords benefit from the Armor Piercing special rule.

Kanabo Among the earliest weapons of Nippon. Kanabo are little more than savage wooden clubs, banded with strips of iron affixed by studded screws. Apart from their differing appearance, Kanabo follow all of the same rules for Flails, as given on page 90 of the Warhammer rulebook.

CommaNders The armies of Nippon are lead by warriors who have dedicated their lives to mastering the tactics and techniques of war. These masters of the Bushi were either born into their position, or clawed their way up through the ranks. How they arrived at the post makes little difference, for every commander is a capable warrior in his own right, leading his troops by example in the thickest of the fighting. Chief amongst these leaders are the Daimyo, the feudal lords of Nippon, and often the masters of their clan. As a bushi first and foremost, a Daimyo is expected to never miss an opportunity to lead his warriors into battle, be it against another clan, marauding Beastmen, or invaders from foreign shores. While the Daimyo are largely independent, owing loyalty to their own clan and perhaps other clans descended from the same Great House, all Daimyo are subordinate to the Shogun. As part of their duty to the Emperor, each Daimyo promises to provide a certain number of warriors for the common defense of the realm. When large armies are raised – be they to quell a rebellion, silence threats at home, or invade a foreign land – they are divided into ‘sonae’, an army of 300 to 800 men. Sometimes a sonae is composed of several Daimyo from a wide selection of clans. In these cases, the overall

command of the force falls to a So-Daisho. Other, subordinate Daimyo are then referred to as Karo. The Daimyo has the ability to pass responsibility for a tract of land to a subordinate, called a Taisho. These men are handpicked by the Daimyo, serving as his lieutenants and advisors when he marches to war. Whether gathered into a proper sonae or simply an army on the march, the army is commonly divided into ‘tai’ of 50 to 100 men. It is from this smaller division that the Taisho gets his name. Taisho often command the minor hill-castles that dot the Nipponsei landscape. Small villages often crop up around these garrisons. If the castle is built to guard fertile land, a small community of farmers and sharecroppers will rise around its walls. If the castle is erected to guard a mountain pass, bridge, or important road, trading communities will settle into its shadow. In this way, a Taisho can become something of a minor Daimyo, and in some cases, this small taste of power can lead to a greater hunger. Stories abound of Taisho rebelling against their Daimyo lords, although more stories abound of Taisho being sent on suicide missions or simply dismissed before the sparks of rebellion can become a true flame.

Daimyo Taisho

4 4

8 7

5 4

4 4

3 2

7 6

4 3

9 8

Troop Type: Infantry (Character). Special Rules: Bushido Kei Power: Relentless Spirit. The model gains a 5+ wardsave. If the model already has a wardsave from another source, it is increased by 1, to a maximum of 3+.

Meditation on inevitable death should be performed daily. Every day when one's body and mind are at peace, one should meditate upon being pierced by arrows, or bullets, by being ripped apart by spears and swords, or being carried away on surging waves, being thrown upon a great pyre, struck by lightning, being shaken to death by a great earthquake, falling from thousand-foot cliffs, dying of disease or by committing seppuku at the death of one's master. And every day, without fail, one should regard himself as already dead. -Daimyo Tamamoyo Tsunejocho ‘In the Shadow of Leaves’

shiNdo moNks The Shindo priesthood maintains the spiritual well being of all the citizens of Nippon. They have always existed outside of the jurisdiction of the Shogun or any bushi for that matter. They answer to the Emperor, but above all, they answer to the calls of the Ancestor Spirits. In times of peace, the Shindo guard the shrines scattered in every domain of Nippon, working at intersections of magical power, bending their combined wills towards maintaining the barrier which keeps the mutating winds of magic from flooding into Nippon and warping the entire isle to the whims of Chaos. Those who are not meditating tirelessly to keep the barrier are equally busy guarding the spirit-gardens. In the time before memory, it is said that the spirits of those who died would be taken to live with the goddess Izanami. Warriors would be taken to reside with Izanagi or Hachiman. After the Scouring, the souls of the Nipponsei were left vulnerable. They are snapped up by Chaos, desperate for any scraps of the knowledge that the Great Kami had possessed. The Shindo therefore, have been given the sorrowful task of guiding the spirits to a resting place to await the return of Great Kami. This guardianship is the primary role of Shindo Priests on the battlefield. As much as the code of Bushido emphasizes the ready acceptance of death, a violent death leaves the soul broken and disoriented. It is far more difficult to guide such a soul to rest, and when dealing with death on such a large scale, there is no hope for many of the warriors. It falls to the Shindo to dissipate these souls through the Shindo Lore, or to save them before they are lost to the Chaos gods. The souls of peasants and the poor are often guided into small, square stones placed around Shindo shrines. Bushi, however, often have an item worthy of being heirloom, and it is their sincerest hope that when they die in battle, the Shindo Priest will guide their soul into a sword, helmet, or medallion to be passed down his family. Some heirlooms are said to carry several generations of souls, growing in power with each one. Under the gaze of the Shindo, warriors redouble their efforts, trying to die a glorious death and catch the eyes of the priests, to be enshrined eternally in an heirloom. Often, it is the Daimyo who petition the Shindo to follow them along into battle. In this way, it is not uncommon for two priests to find themselves on opposite sides of the battle, united in their common goal to save as many souls as possible. It is a difficult task, and the priests move among the bloody ruins of men, attending to the dead and dying, Bushi and peasant alike, in whatever ways they can.

Shindo Priest Shindo Monk

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5 4

3 3

3 2

4 4

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8 8

Troop Type: Infantry (Character) Magic: A Shindo Priest or Monk uses spells from one of the eight Battle Magic lores in the Warhammer rulebook, or the Lore of Shindo.

Special Rules: Ancestor Spirits. Shindo Priests, Monks, and any unit that they join, have Magical Attacks in Close Combat. Honzo Masamunei One of the most famous blades in all of Nippon, the Honzo Masamunei has said to have changed hands nearly a thousand times, and many of the those souls still reside in the blade. Unfortunately, the whereabouts of the blade are unknown. It is said that the blade was simple, the sheath unadorned, an early sword by a smith who would only achieve notoriety later in life. It is said that the blade was first used in a duel against Honzo Shigenaga, when it split his helm. He was victorious, and claimed the blade as his own, which is likely where the sword received its name. When Honzo clan folded, the sword was passed to Toratomi Hidestugu, nephew of Shogun Toratomi, before being passed to Shogun Toratomi upon Hidestuguâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death, it remained in the Shogunate until Shogun Ittazen took control, when it was lost once again.

oNmyoji The Onmyoji are a secretive order of monks who are rarely seen outside of the Imperial Palace. Members of the order are recognizable by the strange tattoos on their skin, called ‘horimono’. The process of creating these tattoos is long, arduous, and excruciatingly painful. Unlike the pressed charcoal ink used by similar artisans in the hazy merchant havens of Cathay’s port districts, the ink of the horimono tattoo is rumored to be made of the distilled blood of the Yokai that the tattoo represents. This is said to be the secret of the horimono tattoo – a man branded with such a mark can take on the aspect of the Yokai which has been etched upon his skin. While tradition holds that the Emperor has been at least partially of Yokai descent ever since the first Imperial heir born after the Scouring, as an act of good faith to unite the realms of Man and Yokai, the Onmyoji boast that they have been bridging the gap between man and primal spirit since the first Nipponsei saw the fleeting shapes in the shadows beyond his camp fire. The goal of every Onmyoji is to be accepted into one of the tribes of Yokai, to live among them and learn their secrets, undiluted by clumsy translations or hearsay. There are stories that some Onmyoji have achieved such lofty heights, but none who have left the Imperial enclave have ever returned with secrets to share. Some speculate that this is because the Yokai discover the intruder in their midst and destroy him utterly. Others that the secrets of the Great Kami are too powerful for any mortal man to know without losing every vestige of sanity. The Onmyoji however, when pressed, often whisper that there is only one thing which could turn an Onmyoji from the secrets of the Great Kami – the chance shrug of their mortal shrouds, and live eternally as a pure blooded Yokai.

Onmyoji

Troop Type: Infantry (Character) Magic: An Onmyoji with wizard levels uses spells from the Lore of Beats, Life, or Heavens.

Special Rules: Aspects of Onmyoji. An Onmyoji who chooses one or more Aspects as part of their upgrades may shift into that form as an innate Bound Spell (power level 5). This is treated as an Augment spell with the Remains in Play subtype, which targets only the Onmyoji. Whilst the spell is in effect, the Onmyoji transmogrifies himself into one of the creatures whose Aspects he has selected. If the Onmyoji is in a unit, he can remain within the unit, even though he might now technically be a different troop type. If he cannot be placed because there is not enough room, the spell fails. Whilst transformed, the Onmyoji may still channel and cast spells, but cannot use this power again until he returns to his normal form. During the transformation, the Onmyoji does not benefit from any Magic Weapons or Armor. Any wounds suffered by the Onmyoji are carried over between transformations.

Familiars: Senningama: Whenever the Onmyoji rolls a successful Channeling attempt, rather than adding a dice to the pool, he may choose to recover one wound lost earlier in the battle.

Shinigami: The Onmyoji gains a shooting attack with the following profile: Name____Range____Strength______Special Rules___ Shinigami 24” 3 Sniper, Ignores Armor Characters or Monsters wounded by this attack suffer –D3 Leadership and Stupidity. This effect remains until the affected model successfully passes a Stupidity test. The Shinigami has no effect on models which are Immune to Psychology.

Baku: All casters within 12” of the Onmyoji (friend and foe) suffer a -1 penalty to all Casting and Dispelling attempts. For every model affected this way, the Onmyoji gains a +1 bonus to all Casting and Dispelling attempts, to a maximum of +3.

NippoNsei mouNts The armies and heroes of Nippon ride into battle on a wide array of noble mounts. The most common is the unassuming warhorse, but more powerful warriors might just as easily ride to battle atop a proud and vicious Komainu, while more esoteric Nipponsei can sometimes be found astride the mystical Kirin. Kirin Kirin are a lesser form of Yokai, but are still powerful creatures in their own right. Kirin are not quite equine in nature, and have more trains in common dragons, with scaled hides in a variety of colors, small claws rather than proper hooves, and manes that are reminiscent of strands of sea grass. Like the Unicorns still found in some parts of the Old World, Kirin have a single horn which grows from the middle of their brow, however this horn is often twisted and forked, like the antlers of a stag. Kirin are magic beasts, which attract the winds of magic wherever they go. They are able to fly, carrying their riders aloft, before surging back to earth in an avalanche of razor claws and tearing horn. Kirin are beautiful, but capricious, and they are a rare sight, even on the battlefields of Nippon.

Kirin

Troop Type: Monstrous Beast

Nipponsei Steeds The horses of Nippon are generally smaller, and lighter than their Old World counterparts. This plays a major part in the role and nature of Nipponsei cavalry, as a knight wearing heavy full-plate would be an almost impossible burden for the steed beneath him. Therefore, cavalry in Nippon remains lightly armored, to get the most speed and endurance from their mounts.

Steed

Special Rules: Fly, Impact Hits (D3) Channeling. A Wizard mounted on a Kirin gains +1 to all Channeling attempts.

Troop Type: War Beast Special Rules: Fast Cavalry

Komainu See page 62

samurai Samurai Kyunin

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Troop Type: Infantry Special Rules: Bushido Kei Power: Shout of Strength. The regiment gains a +1 bonus to Combat Resolution.

keNsai Samurai who prove their skill and courage in battle – and survive – often become Kensai. These ‘sword saints’ have elevated the mastery of their samurai swords to an art form. They are often rewarded with positions as the elite bodyguard of their Daimyo.

Samurai are the lowest, and most common, rank of Bushi. They have just set foot upon the path of Bushido, but are by no means novices in the arts of war. There was a time when any man could be elevated to the rank of Samurai, and be counted amongst the Bushi, but since Minamoyo Ittazen took the Shogunate, he has enforced a strict policy forbidding any who are not born into the Samurai class, to become part of it through deed or merit. Because of this birthright, the children of Bushi are brought up with the expectation that one day, they will wear the twin swords of the Samurai. This holds true for both men and women, for although they are not often welcomed onto the battlefield, female Bushi are expected to be able to defend their own honor, and the home of their husbands when they are away on campaign. A Bushi child trains first with the bow, and then the sword, finally moving on to more esoteric weapons like the naginata or no’dachi. They also learn several lessons on military strategy, as well as court etiquette, and fine arts. Due to their long standing rivalry with Cathay, Bushi are literate in both Cathayan and Nipponese. The life of a Samurai is a difficult one. Although Bushi in general look down upon the other members of Nipponsei society, all of the higher ranking Bushi look down upon the Samurai. All Bushi are expected to follow their master’s orders without the slightest hesitation, but a Daimyo will hardly think to spend the lives of one, two, or a dozen lowly Samurai.

In many cases, the duty of the Kensai extends beyond ‘Yojimbo’, the virtue of guardianship. Many Kensai serve as diplomats, attending important functions on behalf of their master. So it is that Kensai have achieved fame and notoriety among the lower classes on Nippon society, their valiant deeds remembered in theater and song, and their arrival celebrated with elaborate meals and festivities. In spite of this, most Kensai continue to lead humble, spartan lives in the service of their lord, but for a few, the fame proves irresistible. Arrogant Kensai are usually dead Kensai, slain in reckless duels against rival Bushi eager to prove their skill. In battle, the kei power of a regiment of Kensai often manifests as brilliant blue flames, flickering along their ornate blades and guiding their keen edges into vulnerable enemy flesh. Kensai are often at the forefront of the fighting, protecting their Daimyo and bolstering the line.

Kensai

Troop Type: Infantry Special Rules: Bushido, Killing Blow Kei Power: Unerring Blade. The model may reroll any ‘To Wound’ results in close combat.

Sword Saints. All Kensai may issue and accept challenges as if they were characters.

Yojimbo. Kensai who are joined by a character with the same Clan Mon, gain the Stubborn special rule.

samurai CavaLry In the early days of the Bushi, warriors fought from horseback, with the bow. Unlike the light cavalry of the old world, the Bushi would not fire while moving, but rather, would ride into range and then exchange accurate volleys of arrows. To this day, all Bushi are measured in terms of Kyuba no Michi, or ‘The Way of Horse and Bow’. Some Bushi have remained traditionalists, choosing to fight on horseback, wielding their bows. Commanders often employ these individuals as messengers or scouts, their skill at archery falling by the wayside in comparison to the speed and extra endurance afforded by their light armor. Still, these horsemen find it hard to resist the chance to loose a volley of unerring, white-fletched arrows into the ranks of the enemy.

NagiNata riders In recent years, the arrival of efficient gunpowder weapons from the Old World has changed the nature of warfare in Nippon. It is becoming more and more impractical for Bushi to ride to the front of the battle and engage in singular duels of archery. While every Bushi is still a skilled horseman, most fight on foot, only riding to battle. Those who choose to remain on horseback have banded together into elite units of shock cavalry. Armed with razor-sharp naginata and wearing ferocious-faced mempo, these horsemen charge headlong into enemy formation, screaming war cries and chopping men down on all sides. No clan is more famed for it’s horsemanship than the Takata. Their armies are almost entire mounted, a luxury afforded by them holding prime graze lands on the plains on Zai. At their vanguard are Naginata Riders known as ‘Blood Devils’. These men lacquer their armor deep red, and sow havoc and devastation among the enemy.

Horseman Horsemaster Steed

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Troop Type: Cavalry Special Rules: Bushido, Fast Cavalry Kei Power: Whisper of True Sight. The model no longer suffers ‘To Hit’ penalties on any attacks made in the shooting phase.

Kyuba no Michi. The model does not suffer the -1 To Hit penalty for moving when making attacks in the shooting phase. If the model did not move in this turn, then it gains the Multiple Shots (2x) Special Rule.

NaginataRider Kyunin Steed

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Troop Type: Cavalry Special Rules: Bushido, Fast Cavalry Kei Power: War Cry. The model gains +1 Attack, and adds +1 to any rolls to determine Pursuit and Overrun distances.

“Move swift like the wind, stay silent like the forest, attack fiercely like the fire, and stand immovable in defense, like the mountains” Furinkazan Slogan of the Takata Clan Horsemen

ashigaru Ashigaru are a result of necessity, and evidence of the changing nature of warfare in Nippon. In the early days, only Bushi would meet in battle, in very formalized, honor-bound combat. The Bushi would ride in front of the assembled forces, state his name and perhaps his lineage, and offer a challenge. An enemy Bushi would accept this challenge, and the two would then single each other out when battle was met. Those who were not warriors – the peasants, farmers, and merchants of Nippon – were not even allowed to carry weapons, on pain of death. All of this changed, however, in the wake of the Scouring. Beastmen, and the other mutant horrors of the blighted northern regions, cared little for honor, or tradition. The assembled Bushi sent to oppose them were overrun and destroyed by a tide of frenzied savages. Additional troops were needed to bolster the numbers in the Nipponsei lines. In return for a handful of rice per day – a rare commodity after the scouring – peasants and farmers could join the newly formed Ashigaru regiments. With only the most minimal training and equipment, those Ashigaru sent to repel the Beast herds were slain by the thousands, but they were successful in turning the tide against the forces of Chaos, and together with the Bushi, were able to drive them back into the northern forests of the island. From that day forward, Ashigaru have been a mainstay in Nipponsei armies. Daimyo are expected to maintain a number of Ashigaru within their domain, who are to be equipped and ready to be called into defense of the empire. Unlike many armies, including those of Cathay, the Ashigaru are not conscripts, but volunteers. The favored weapon of the Ashigaru is the Yari. Similar to the pikes of the Old World, these weapons resemble

twenty foot long spears, with long, narrow blades at their top. The weapons afford an amount of reach, and a well drilled regiment of Ashigaru can more than adequately defend themselves from cavalry, and the frenzied charges of Beastmen. Other weapons also include the traditional spear, the naginata, and longbow.

Ashigaru Gunzo

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Troop Type: Infantry Options: Defensive Screens. A unit equipped with defensive screens deploys them at the start of the battle. The screens are just long enough to cover the entire front rank, and count as a Defended Obstacle, and Soft Cover. The screens are destroyed, however, if the regiment moves for any reason, including Fleeing or Reforming.

Yari. Yari are treated as spears, with the following exceptions: • Yari fight in 2 additional ranks, rather than 1. • In the first round of combat, models equipped with yari are treated as having Initiative 10. • If charged by Cavalry, models equipped with yari gain +1 Strength, for the first round of combat. These rules may not be used if the model is engaged to the flank or rear, or if the model has charged in this close combat phase.

roNiN When a Bushi is cast out from his clan but allowed to live, or his clan is destroyed, or his master dies without an heir â&#x20AC;&#x201C; he becomes a Ronin. Though he retains the rank and privilege of being a Bushi, he is little better off than a beggar.

Ronin

Troop Type: Infantry Bushi survive on stipends from their masters and retainers, and when they are cut off from this, they have no other source of income. Many, therefore, become mercenaries, or brigands. Worse, some wander into the blighted north in their exile, to become Shinobuzei. Wherever there is strife in Nippon, Ronin are never far off. They often wander the countryside, following a powerful Daimyo, or settle down in a castle town, in hopes of being noticed and accepted into service of a new master. Daimyo look upon these men with wary eyes, for where there are Ronin, there are also reports of theft, drunken brawls, duels in the streets, and a growing unease among the lower classes. In times of battle however, there are few more welcome allies than a band of eager Ronin. In their desire to become noticed by their commanders, they will commit to rash acts of bravado that even a fellow Bushi might turn away from. Ronin are always first through the breach in a castle wall, the first to charge into the lowered spears of the enemy Ashigaru, or the waiting gun barrels of a welldefended foe. There is little which dissuades a band of Ronin, for there is much honor to be had by being the first warrior of a host to take an enemy head in battle. The more important the enemy, the better. Many a Kensai or even Hatamoto has had this honor stolen out from beneath him by a mob of Ronin hungry for glory, who swarm over these highranking foes like gulls over an upturned crab.

Special Rules: Bushido, Skirmish Repentant. Models with this rule are Immune to Psychology on the turn that they charge.

The Seventy Four Ronin The most famous tragedy ever committed to stage or song in all of Nippon, is the tale of the Seventy Four Ronin. The legend tells that when their Daimyo was ordered to commit seppuku for a crime which he did not commit, the Seventy Four Ronin vowed to find the true perpetrator, and avenge their masterâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s death. After three years of searching, the Ronin found the true criminal hiding in a well fortified castle. Disguising themselves as guards, peasants, and workmen, the seventy four Ronin infiltrated the outer wall of the castle by nightfall. They had claimed all but the innermost keep, when they were met with the Kensai of the rival Lord, with a force three times their own in number. In the bloody battle that followed, all but five of the seventy four were slain, and the survivors, gravely injured. However, they had claimed the head of the rival lord, and placed it at the memorial of their late master. Then, in accordance with the Bushido Path, the last five of the seventy four Ronin committed seppuku, to be with their master in eternity.

uzaBushi In battle, Uzabushi are an impressive sight to behold. Garbed in colorful skins, war paint, and wielding their enormous kanabo, they evoke images of the earliest tribal roots of the Nipponsei. Uzabushi revel in feats of brute strength and grit, probably owing to their rustic roots. They approach battle with a gusto and joviality that stands in stark contrast to the disciplined ranks of Bushi or grim determination of Ashigaru. Uzabushi are stubbornly independent, which makes them very difficult to control in battle. Many Daimyo have learned to place the Uzabushi in a position which must be defended at all costs, and leave them there until the battle is won. The Uzabushi see this as a duty, and stake the pride of their name upon their legendary history of holding out tirelessly against seemingly impossible odds In 1156, a Shindo emissary to the Datashi Clan was traveling through the mountainous region surrounding the Datashi capital of Kurozawa. Along a narrow mountain pass, the emissary and his thirty six Uzabushi bodyguards were ambushed by a massive herd of Beastmen. The initial attack was repulsed, and the Uzabushi prepared to move onwards when the beastmen struck again, this time, collapsing the rock walls of the pass to trap the company in the narrow ravine.

In the horror following the Scouring, many Nipponsei turned to the Shindo for help. Their homes destroyed, and their kin and loved ones killed in the disaster or the brutal battles of the age, they had nothing left of their former lives. The Shindo monks took in these refugees and waited for Nippon to be rebuilt. For those who had fled from the ravaged north, however, there would never be a home to return to. Even before the Scouring, the northern parts of Nippon were a wild and dangerous place, and the Nipponsei who settled there were hardy folk. As a whole, they often stood nearly a head taller than their southern kin, with swarthier builds. The Shindo recognized the value of these strong and stubborn folk, and to earn their keep, the northerners would serve as the militant arm of the Shindo. Over time, these gruff warriors became known as Uzabushi. By law, commoners cannot carry blades, and this extends to the Shindo and Uzabushi. Therefore, the Uzabushi fight with enormous ‘kanabo’ – a heavy club banded with iron affixed by studded rivets. Instead of the ornate cryptomeria armor worn by the wealthier Bushi class, the Uzabushi go into battle wearing armor made of leather.

When Datashi swordsmen arrived from Kurozawa two days later, they found the Uzabushi surrounding the Shindo priest – bloodied and exhausted. From a distance, the Datashi believed that the Uzabushi were chanting prayers, but when they neared the battle, they were surprised to find that the rustic warriors were singing, and seemed to be enjoying themselves as they crushed the Beastmen beneath their kanabo.

Uzabushi Schuyou

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1 1

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7 8

Troop Type: Infantry Equipment: Kanabo. Aside from the difference in appearance, Kanabo follow the rules for Flails, as detailed on page 90 of the Warhammer rulebook.

Special Rules: Stubborn Uzabushi Ferocity. Unlike standard models equipped with flails, Uzabushi do not lose the +2 Strength bonus for their flails until they are defeated in a round of combat.

taiko drums The Nipponsei use several different techniques to communicate and give orders on the battlefield – from colored fans, to massive banners, to horns made of shell, the methods vary widely. However, none is more widely used, or more renowned, than the Taiko. The Taiko is a massive wooden drum, and is unique in that hide is stretched over both ends so that two players can play simultaneously, from opposing sides of the drum. The drum itself is often larger than a man, and their deep, rhythmic beats can be heard for miles, even over the din of combat. The drums are used in a wide variety of applications, including musical theater, calls to temple worship, and in celebrations. It is their role on the battlefield, though, for which they are most famed. Taiko drummers are highly sought after individuals, yet they are not members of the Bushii class. A skilled Taiko drummer is trained from a very young age, and is expected to learn the battlefield signals of their clan alongside traditional folk music and various temple rhythms, so that they can be called upon to perform any of those roles at any time.

Taiko Drum Drummer Oni Bearers

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3 2

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5 -

3 2

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7 7

Troop Type: Chariot (5+) Special Rules: War Platform. Unlike other Chariots, the Taiko Drums have neither Swiftstride, nor Impact Hits special rules.

Herald of War. At the start of each friendly turn, a Taiko Drum can signal one of the orders listed below. Each drum may affect up to D3 friendly units or characters within 18”. The target of the order must pass a leadership test to be successfully affected by the order. Orders last until the start of the next friendly turn. Taiko Orders Banzai! – One Use Only If one Taiko Drum uses this order, all friendly Taiko Drums must use the same order this turn. Affected units gain Frenzy, may not test to restrain charges, and may reroll any of the dice when determining charge distance.

Kakuyoku ‘The Crane’s Wing’ Affected units may immediately move D6 inches. Follow all rules for normal movement. This free move may not bring them into contact with an enemy regiment.

Tachi Shinu ‘Hold Your Ground’ Affected fleeing regiments automatically rally, and may reroll failed Break and Panic tests.

Gixyakushuu ‘Counter Attack’ Affected regiments that are charged, also count as charging for the first round of combat, when determining Combat Resolution and weapon special rules.

Asenburu ‘Assemble’ Affected units no longer require a leadership test to make a Swift Reform or to Reform Amidst Defeat.

Kuruma Gakari ‘Rotating Attack’ Affected units fight in an additional rank in close combat. Affected ranged units fire with one additional rank in the shooting phase.

shiNoBuzei Shinobuzei are seen as a scourge by the people of Nippon. While the Path of Bushido demands that conflicts be resolved in face to face confrontation, honorable duels, or direct combat on the battlefield, the Shinobuzei believe that if your enemy is even aware of your presence, you have failed. Shinobuzei go against everything that Bushido teaches, and in many ways are the reverse side of that same coin. The skills of the Shinobuzei originated within the peasantry, after the Scouring. With much of the farmland destroyed, and crops failing in the rest, many peasants turned to petty thievery to survive. These peasants banded together in secret brotherhoods to share information, techniques, and to help one another if they were captured by authorities. When Nippon recovered from these dark times, many of these brotherhoods disbanded â&#x20AC;&#x201C; their skills no longer needed for survival. A handful, however, remained. The most accomplished of the brotherhoods had discovered that the skills which had allowed them to eke out an existence stealing rice, also made them expert cat burglars. At some point, one of the brotherhoods took a contract for an assassination. It was the final breaking point for many of the peasants who had regarded the Shinobuzei as sorts of folk-heroes. Perpetrating cold-blooded murder went against not only Bushido, but all of the teachings of Shindo and everything which Nippon stands for. Soon all of the surviving brotherhoods began training not only in stealth, but in also in a wide variety of esoteric weapons, poisons, and unarmed combat styles.

Despite their horrid reputation among the populace, it would be foolish to think that Daimyo are blind to the potential value of a silent assassin who is willing to dirty his hands carrying out missions that no self-respecting Bushi would dare to touch. Many Daimyo reputedly have deals with some of these Shinobuzei Brotherhoods, or even retain a small number of Shinobuzei within their castles. How many poisoned meals then, are the work of Shinobuzei? How many knives in the dark, daggers in the back, or darts from unseen assassins are products of a shadowy deal made in hidden enclaves by greedy Daimyo?

Shinobuzei Soul Eater

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5 5

1 2

7 7

Troop Type: Infantry Special Rules: Skirmish Wretched. Models with this rule may not join, or be joined by, other models who do not also have the Wretched special rule.

Body of Shadow. Models with this rule are practiced acrobats, able to slip away into the shadows. After a round of combat, before Combat Resolution is decided, models with Body of Shadow may elect to break from combat. This is treated just as if they had lost the round and failed a break test. The model flees, and the enemy may Pursue or Reform as usual. Smoke Bombs Small containers filled with sulfur, gunpowder, and often a combination of ground pepper and finely crushed glass, Shinobuzei use these weapons to distract and deter foes so that they can make a quick escape, seeming to vanish in a noxious puff of smoke. Enemy models roll one less D6 than usual when determining the Pursuit distance when pursuing a model armed with Smoke Bombs.

Shuriken Shuriken are small, concealed weapons which are thrown at enemies in close range. They are often fashioned from existing pieces of metal, be they sharpened coins, long needles, iron spikes, or the most famous, cross-shaped stars Shuriken follow all of the rules for Throwing Weapons as detailed on page 91 of the Warhammer rulebook. Shuriken have the Poison special rule. If the Shinobuzei has the Poisoned Attacks upgrade, then the Shuriken will automatically wound on a 5+ instead.

kaBuzei If Shinobuzei are shunned and despised, then Kabuzei are loathed and outright feared. To be Kabuzei is to be less than human, and for many of these wretched souls, that is not simply a turn of phrase. After the Scouring, when magic was forbidden to all except for those with an Imperial pardon, many practitioners carried on with their studies in secret. Eventually, agents of the Shogun, Imperial Court, and Shindo, began to hunt down these rogue wizards. The use of rogue magic in Nippon is tantamount to murder, and many of these hidden practitioners were dragged screaming into the streets and executed with neither jury nor trial. Many of these wizards found refuge in the brotherhoods of the Shinobuzei. Their skills with shadowmancy made them perfect for the sorts of jobs which Shinobuzei gravitated to. Many rose to hold high positions within their brotherhoods, some even becoming heads of the organizations. In the shadowy temples of the Shinobuzei, they continued their study of magic, but their interests took a turn towards the darker arts. They learned that rather than expending monumental effort that was required to draw their magic through the barrier, which would inevitably lead to their discovery, they could fuel their magic on the life essence of others. Soon, the wizards began to feed on the fear of those around them, and when that power was not enough to further their dark machinations, they turned to feeding on raw life force itself. Magical power sustained on blood and terror is not without its price, and it is a heavy toll to pay indeed. As the wizards continued to delve into their studies, their bodies began to twist and change. It was subtle at first, a bluing

of the skin, a yellowing of the eyes. Not long after, their fingers elongated, nails hardening into talons, teeth pointing towards wicked fangs. Their minds already similarly warped, they welcomed these changes. The better to strike terror into the hearts of their victims. They took the name Kabuzei, from the Nipponsei word for ‘fright’. The people of Nippon regard Kabuzei as devils, and to meet one in the dark of night is sure to invite certain death. They are stealthy assassins, but unlike the Shinobuzei, they do not conceal themselves with costumes or dark garments. Rather, they veil themselves in shadow, banishing them at the moment of the kill to reveal shockingly painted faces and brightly colored robes, heightening the flavor of terror.

Kabuzei

Troop Type: Infantry (Character) Magic. A Kabuzei uses spells from either the Lore of Shadows or Lore of Death, in the Warhammer rulebook. Special Rules: Wretched, Body of Shadow, Fear Master of Dark Jutsus. Kabuzei have perfected the arts of Shadow and Death magic, and therefore gain the following bonuses to the Lore Attributes: • Life Leeching – the Kabuzei gains additional dice on the roll of a 4+, rather than 5+. However, only the Kabuzei may use these dice. • Smoke and Mirrors – After resolving the spell, the

Kabuzei may move into base contact with any enemy character within 18,” or join any friendly unit within 18” (following the rules for Wretched)

yokai Nippon is home to a wide variety of creatures unique to the small island realm. For much of their history, the humans of Nippon have lived in harmony with these creatures, regarding them equally as creations of the Great Kami, and believe that as such, they too share a valuable portion of his spirit and wisdom. Yokai are much more than lowly beasts. Many of them possess a vast intelligence, and are able to shape-shift in human form and walk amongst the Nipponsei. There are many legends telling of how to discover a yokai, and trick, coerce, or bribe it into imparting a portion of its wisdom. The Onmyoji have dedicated their entire order to cataloguing not only the many types, but also whatever secrets they can coax from these cunning spirits

Since the time of the Scouring, the Yokai have lived at the top of Mount Tsumeru, where it is said they have an opulent, sprawling, castle among the clouds. This is said to be the seat of their civilization, where they are rumored to hold their court and discuss the fates of the realm of Nippon spread out below them. Yokai divide themselves into ‘families,’ based upon their appearance and nature, and each family is said to possess a different aspect of the spirit, and a small portion of knowledge, of the Great Kami.

Special Rule: Yokai The following rules are assumed to apply to all models with the ‘Yokai’ special rule:

• • • •

Magical Attacks Ward Save (5+) Immune to Psychology Yokai Instability: Yokai are unbreakable, however, they can momentarily lose their hold on their physical form and slip back to the realm of Tsumeru. To represent this, any time a model with the Yokai special rule is defeated in combat, roll a Break Test as normal. If the test is failed, the model takes a number of wounds equal to the amount by which the test was failed. Armor, Ward, or Regeneration saves may not be taken against wounds caused in this manner. If a unit or model is wiped out by this effect, it counts as being destroyed in combat for the purposes of Panic, and for enemy Overrun moves.

okami Okami are Nipponsei wolf spirits. They are a more common form of yokai, and are more akin to nature spirits. Strangely however, the Onmyoji have never been able to learn any of their secrets, so what knowledge they might hold has remained a mystery for thousands of years. The Great Kami did not have a pattern when he imparted his knowledge to the yokai, so it is as likely that these mysterious wolves have only the most trivial of secrets, or they might hold the keys to power beyond reason. Some Onmyoji speculate that the true power of the Okami is language. They have never been seen to change forms, and only communicate in barks and growls like mundane wolves, however, they seem to understand even the most specific commands they are given, be they in Nipponsei or in the language of other Yokai. Okami are eager participants in battle, ranging ahead of the army, their lupine howls filling the air for miles around and unnerving their enemies. It is seen as a good omen for a force on the march to be joined by Okami, and they have been regarded as loyal protectors for many centuries.

Ōkami Kamuy

6 6

3 3

0 0

3 3

1 1

3 3

1 2

6 7

Troop Type: War Beast Special Rules: Yokai

oNi Oni are the most savage of all Yokai, and throughout Nipponsei history, have posed the greatest threat to their human compatriots. Hulking, ogre-like monsters with charcoal skin, sharp horns and boorish tusks, they seem creatures out of man’s most primitive nightmares. Like the Okami, they are unable to change their shape, though Onmyoji doubt they would anyways. Oni represent the primal, base instinct of the Great Kami. Ironically, Oni are one of the few tribes of Yokai who are able to speak in the language the Nipponsei, however crude their voices may sound. Unfortunately, this is likely due to the fact that tribes of Oni abound across the length and breadth of Nippon, rather than staying confined to sacred groves or the peaks of Mount Tsumeru. A single, rampaging tribe of Oni can demolish a village overnight, and often strike with neither warning nor provocation. The Bushi – at the urging of Imperial Court – hesitate to hunt these tribes down and exterminate them, but there have been periods in Nippon’s history marked by outright war between man and Oni, while the more passive Yokai watched curiously from their palace in the clouds.

Oni Berserker

6 6

4 4

2 2

4 4

5 5

3 3

2 2

3 4

7 7

Troop Type: Monstrous Infantry Special Rules: Yokai, Fear, Frenzy Trample. Oni have the Impact Hits (1) special rule. This is increased to Impact Hits (D3) if, when determining their charge distance, they roll a result of 10 or higher (place a suitable marker beside the unit to remind yourself). Oni also add their current rank bonus to the strength of these Impact Hits.

teNgu Tengu are often called ‘the Onmyoji of the Yokai’. Tengu can assume human form, and often will, in order to walk among human society. There are stories of some Tengu maintaining the ruse for centuries at a time. How many wise old monks, or masters of the arts, are in reality immortal Yokai, walking in mortal guise? Yokai have a birdlike form in their natural state, and can sometimes be seen gliding on the thermals around Mount Tsumeru and other remote, high peaks. In human form, they maintain their long, beaklike noses, which makes them easy to spot. They often hide this feature with masks. Able to speak Nipponsei, they are guardians of unparalleled wisdom, but unfortunately, they deliver their knowledge in the form of a riddle. Know as a ‘Tengu Curse’, these riddles can baffle the most adept scholars, until they are driven made trying to decipher its meaning.

Tengu

Troop Type: Infantry Special Rules: Yokai, Fly, Skirmish

kitsuNe Kitsune are fox spirits, and the embodiment of the beauty and cunning wit of the Great Kami. In their true, Yokai form, the Kitsune are gleaming white foxes with multiple tales. For every century that they have been alive, they grow one extra tail, until at last they have nine tails. Ninetailed Kitsune are known as Kyubi.

Still, the greatest strength of the Kitsune is not found on the battlefield, but across it. Using their cunning and charm, Kitsune often infiltrate enemy camps, working their way through important individuals, confusing them and steering them awry, keeping them from the battle at hand.

Kitsune It is when Kitsune assume their human form that they are most dangerous. They become women of peerless beauty, with flawless porcelain skin, dark hair, and golden eyes. Many masquerade as courtesans, or ‘geisha’ – who provide entertainment and a moment’s relaxation for Bushi and those who can afford to stay with them. The cunning of the Great Kami often manifests as a mischievous streak however, and it is not always benign in nature. Kitsune have been known to callously murder suitors who do not please them, as well as using their charm to disrupt important events and lead men astray. Some believe that such delicate forms – both human and yokai – would be of little use in battle, but they are terribly wrong. Kitsune are more than capable as warriors, using fangs and claws with a ferocity masked by their cold beauty. In human form, they are able to wield short knives, wakizashi, and even sharpened hair pins to leave enemies awestruck and devastated in their wake.

Troop Type: Warbeast Special Rules: Yokai, Skirmish Cunning Courtesans. During deployment, before your opponent deploys their characters, roll a D6 for every friendly Kitsune on the table. On a 4+, your opponent must select a character to hold in reserve and deploy from their table edge on the second turn of the battle. If the result is a 6, you may choose the character that is held back. If any of the results are a 1, the opponent may choose one of your characters to be held in reserve.

Stunning Beauty. Enemy models must take a leadership test before attacking a Kitsune in close combat. If they pass the test, they attack as normal, if they fail, they lose 1 Attack, to a minimum of 1.

ryujiN Ryujin are thought to be older even than the Great Kami himself, having lived in the world for eons before his arrival. The presence of the Ryujin was seen as a boon to the Cathayans when they first arrived in Nippon, as they mistook the enormous serpents for dragons, which are not only revered and worshipped, but also integrated into the very flesh and blood of the Cathayan people. If anything however, the Ryujin should have served to foreshadow things to come. When the Great Kami and his children came to the world, it was the ancient race of the dragons who first opposed them. The elders of these beasts were so large that they could be mistaken for mountains, and devour whole Kami in a single gulp. In an act of compassion, the Great Kami stayed his hand, and rather than bringing an end to the war through mere bloodshed, cast a powerful curse which put the many dragons into a deep slumber. This is why, to this day, the dragons sleep in their caves around the known world, and prove difficult to rouse even temporarily. This act of mercy earned the Great Kami the loyalty of a handful of dragons, who swore to fight alongside him against the Dark Brothers, and to guard his creation in his stead. Abhorrent of such a traitorous act, the dragons banished their brothers from the sky, using powerful magic to shorn their wings, and cast them into the oceans. Out of respect for this sacrifice, the Great Kami instilled a measure of his own spirit into each of the Ryujin. Thus, they are not true Yokai – created purely from the spirit of the Great Kami – but are instead the precursors to them, a union of dragon and god, imbued with immortality and powers beyond mortal reckoning, held aloft not by pinions of flesh and bone, but by magic.

in the petty affairs of mere mortals. As kings of the Yokai however, and as guardians to Nippon, they have appeared on occasion to bring change to the island. This last occurred during the Great War against Chaos, when three Ryujin suddenly appeared in the bay of Kagasagi and architected the destruction of Ghobadi Ka’an’s great warfleet.

When the Ryujin were first created, they were only sixteen in number. Nearly three quarters of their number would perish in the fight against the Dark Brothers of Chaos. Those who remained were forced into hiding, becoming creatures of myth even amongst the Nipponsei they watch over. Only four have been seen since, as each makes a symbolic flight over the island with the passage of each season. Seiryu, Ryujin of Spring and Rebirth, Suzaku, the Ryujin of Summer and of Flame, Byakku, of the Autumn and Virtue, and Genbu, the Ryujin of Winter and Time. There are tales of a fifth ‘golden’ Ryujin, Kaamu who carried Izanye and the body of the Great Kami into the heavens to Izanye’s palace in the sun.

The most famous and revered of all Ryujin is Mocharindu, who – along with Emperor Saitoku – sacrificed himself to close the great portal over Hokkai during the events of the Scouring. So great was Mocharindu’s trust in Saitoku, and so desperate the need of the island he had sworn to defend, that Mocharindu allowed Saitoku to ride upon his back in order to reach the portal.

Unlike the dragons of the wider world, the Ryujin of Nippon do not suffer humans to ride them. They are kings of the Yokai, protectors of the realm, and were handchosen to be blessed by the Great Kami. This arrogance makes them aloof, and it is rare that they ever interfere in

Special Rules: Yokai, Fly, Terror, Breath Weapon

Ryujin

W I

A Ld

7 5

Troop Type: Monster (S4), Scaly Skin (3+), Large Target

Magic: A Ryujin that is a Wizard uses spells from the Lore of Heavens, Beasts, or Shindo.

hatamoto The rank of Hatamoto is the highest honor that a Bushii can achieve without becoming Daimyo or Shogun. They are the hand picked by the Shogun to serve as personal guards to both himself, and to the Emperor’s court. Unlike the Kensai, who are very popular and enjoy a great deal of public fame, the Hatamoto are almost never seen, and to the commoners of Nippon, exist only in legend and stories. Their mastery of Kei is almost complete, the culmination of decades of relentless training and dedicated study. Body and wargear are as one, their armor their skin, their blades an extension of their own hands. Indeed, Hatamoto are never seen outside of their armor, and the ornate masks they wear to cover their faces are the only visage they will ever be known by. Rumors abound of what lies within this all-enclosing cryptomerian sarcophogas. Some believe that the Hatamoto are not – and never were – truly man, but instead Yokai, or something altogether more unearthly. Other rumors persist that claim that the bodies of the Hatamoto are pure light, in contrast to the Kabuzei’s bodies of darkness. The duty of the Hatamoto carries him far and wide. They are the watchmen of the northern land, patrolling the bleak wilds and hunting down Beastmen, mutants, and rogues, alone or in small groups. Their armor is the only barrier between them and the ravaging winds of magic, and even then, the Hatamoto cannot stay long in that desolate place. Twice a year the Hatamoto rotate, one arm moving out into the north, the other taking up the defense of the Shogunate and Imperial City. This parade of warriors always brings curious villagers out to the roads, to watch in silent awe as these heroes pass. Every year it seems that fewer and fewer Hatamoto are seen travelling back from the wild reaches of the north, but the number heading into those dangerous lands only appears to increase. What horrorible threat festers in those lands, none but the Hatamoto and Shogun himself are allowed to know, for the nature of this threat means that knowledge of it’s existence alone would be enough to damn the souls of the Nipponsei for eternity.

Hatamoto Torai Komainu

W I

4 4 8

6 6 5

4 4 0

4 4 5

3 3 4

1 1 3

A Ld

6 2 6 3 4 3

8 8 8

Troop Type: Monstrous Cavalry Special Rules: Bushido Kei Power: Blades of Light. The Hatamoto gains the Flaming Attacks special rule, and will automatically wound all opponents on a To Wound roll of 3+, unless they would normally need a lower result.

komaiNu Komainu are a noble family of Yokai. They are manifestations of the warrior spirit and loyalty of the Great Kami. Komainu live in small packs, and rarely travel in groups smaller than a pair. Komainu’s flesh ranges in hue, except when they are slumbering. Komainu are immortal, and can sleep for generations at a time, their flesh taking on a rock-like appearance. They can be roused, however, by a warrior who has a fiery passion for battle, and a pure heart. It is said that in these individuals, the Komainu finds a kindred spirit worthy of its loyalty, and they will serve and protect this friend until death.

Komainu

Troop Type: Monstrous Beast Special Rules: Fear, Forest Strider, Magic Resistance (1)

sotei While the Uzabushi are considered the militant arm of the Shindo House, the Sotei form a much smaller, more elite, and entirely more clandestine sect of warriors. When a youth joins the Shindo temple with the intent of becoming a Priest, his first formal training is not in magic or the tending of souls, but in self defense. Initiate-priests are trained in several unarmed styles of martial arts, and this practice eventually culminates in training with the naginata. For some, this weapons training proves irresistible, and rather than continue on to the study of priestly duties and the use of magic, these youths choose to further their mastery of the naginata and martial combat. The Shindo do not look down on this path, for such warrior-monks are always needed to defend the scattered shrines of the Shindo, and so these young men invariably join the ranks of the Sotei.

Sotei Benkei

6 4

5 5

4 4

3 3

1 1

5 5

1 2

8 8

Troop Type: Infantry Special Rules: Immune to Psychology, Magic Attacks, Magic Resistance (5+) Kei Brotherhood. If a unit of Sotei is the target of a spell, you may select one friendly regiment within 6â&#x20AC;? with the Kei special rule, and activate their Kei Power just as if they had been the spellâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s target. Kei Wardens. Wizards within 12â&#x20AC;? of suffer a -1 to their casting attempts. Shindo Priests who join a unit of Sotei gain +1 to their Dispel attempts.

Sotei are tasked with the important- and often delicatemissions of the Shindo. Typically, they travel with the Shindo Priests in secret, posing as an assistant or apprentice to hide their true identity even from the Uzabushi bodyguards. Less frequently, the Sotei are tasked with ferreting out those who would use magic unlawfully, or divulge the secrets of the Shindo House. Many a Kabuzei or even rogue Shindo Priest has met his end at the tip of a Sotei naginata, for in these cases the Sotei claims the role of judge, jury, and executioner. When they are not serving as bodyguards to the Priesthood, or hunting down enemies of the Shindo, the Sotei are employed as messengers between far-flung Shindo temples. To this end, they are often seen coming and going at the gates of nearly any temple or city in Nippon, instantly recognizeable by their ornate polearms and their white viels. It is on the battlefield, however, that the Sotei are at their best. A true arena in which to test their skills, the Sotei pursue the chance to enter into battle with a fervor unseen among the usually passive Shindo monks, a fiery passion which nearly surpasses the bloodlust of the Bushi themselves. Acting in a similar role to that of the Kensai gathered around their Daimyo, Sotei serve as bodyguards and protectors of Shindo monks as they carry out their duties on the battlefield. Often, this means that the Sotei find themselves embroiled in the thickest of the fighting, where the loosed souls of brave warriors float through the air like falling cherry blossoms. Many Sotei also lose their lives in defense of their charge, but their training allows them to channel themselves into their armor with their dying breath, so that they may continue to serve even in death.

My name is not my own, I borrow it from my ancestors, I must return it unsullied. My honor is not my own, I borrow it from my descendents, I must give it to them unbroken. My spirit is not my own, it is for generations yet unborn, I must carry it with responsibility. -Duty of the Sotei

LegeNdary Warriors In every generation of Nipponsei, a man arises who embodies the martial pride of the Nipponsei. Such men are rare, and come from varied backgrounds – not all such men are Bushii by birth. Whether Bushii or common peasant, these warriors have written their names with steel, and tempered their skill in the blood of their rivals.

Legendary Warrior

After Minamoyo Yoritomo was slain, and his cousin named Shogun, peace reigned over Nippon for a time. During this era, several of the survivors of the terrible battles of the Scouring saw the need to pass on the lessons they had learned in battle, and opened schools for the martial arts. As each school amassed students and followers, they became similar to small clans. The most accomplished – such as the Nitten Sho’Ryu School – eventually did establish themselves as minor clans.

Troop Type: Infantry

Students would travel from across Nippon to learn the secrets of these masters. Over time, various disciplines became recognized, and in ages since, each has produced it’s share of legendary warriors. The most common art taught at the schools is Kenjutsu – swordplay. Though each school teaches it’s own variation and set of techniques, any who train specifically with the blade are considered students of Kenjutsu. Bajutsu is the mastery of horsemanship, and fighting from the saddle with a naginata. Like Kenjutsu, Bajutsu caters primarily to the wealthier Bushii class, who may carry swords and can afford horses. For the commoners, there are many unarmed schools, but the most valuable in times of war is no doubt Kyujutsu – the study of archery. Many common Nipponsei have risen to prominence as master bowmen, and there are few enemies more feared by the Bushii than a trained marksman.

Options. Martial Masteries Legendary Warriors train for decades until they have mastered their chosen martial art- called a Jutsu. Among other practitioners of their style, the Legendary Warrior is without equal. Kenjutsu, Way of the Sword. Masters of Kenjutsu gain the Always Strikes First special rule, and are armed with Samurai swords at no additional cost.

Special Rules: Bushido, Killing Blow Peerless Warrior. Legendary Warriors break Steadfast on the roll of a 5+, just as if they were equipped with two Sashimono. Note that as they are not actually equipped with Sashimono, if there is a model present in the combat that has one or more Sashimono, the roll must be made by that model instead.

Bajutsu, Way of the Rider. Masters of Bajutsu gain the ‘Fast Cavalry’ special rule, and are armed with a naginata, and ride a steed at no additional cost.

Kyujutsu, Way of the Bow. Masters of Kyujutsu are equipped with a Longbow and gain the ‘Sniper’ special rule at no additional cost. Furthermore, their Killing Blow special rule also applies to attacks in the shooting phase.

siege WeapoNs uzutsu

CaNNoNs

Uzutsu are named for their fearsome weapons. Uzutsu means ‘big tube’ in Nipponsei, and these primitive handcannons are precursors to modern, Western matchlock guns. Unlike Arquebusiers, which Bushi loathe, Uzutsu crews are exclusively made up of Bushi. Most commonly put to use in siege warfare, the Uzutsu is a large, manportable cannon, which can lob a shell over a castle wall, or be fired like a traditional handgun for incredible damage at close range.

As evidenced by the Uzutsu hand-cannon, cannonry in Nippon is not a new development. However, the new, bronze cannons delivered from the Old World are vastly more powerful than the traditional Nipponsei weapons, and although only a few have been successfully imported, and fewer still have survived use by rookie crews, western-style cannons have largely phased out the traditional artillery of Nippon.

Uzutsu are loud, dangerously volatile, and smelly – and that’s just the men wielding them. The guns themselves are dangerous in the extreme, but it is the proud ranks of the gunners who are most renowned.

Cannon Crewman

7 3

3 1

- 3 1

Troop Type: Warmachine (Cannon) Uzutsu Gashira

4 4

4 5

4 4

3 3

1 1

4 2 4 2

8 8

Troop Type: Infantry

Option: Flaming Arrows Due to a lack of suitable ore, cannonballs are not as readily available in Nippon, so some cannons fire large arrows wrapped in pitch-soaked cloth, rather than shotte. A cannon with this upgraded only inflicts D3 Multiple Wounds rather than D6, but gains Flaming Attacks.

Special Rules: Bushido Kei Power: Gunner’s Luck. The model may reroll any Misfire results on the artillery die while this power is active. Noisome Brutes. No characters may join a unit of Uzutsu.

Uzutsu Cannon Name__ Range_ Uzutsu 12” Cannon

Strength 5

_Special Rules___ Move or Fire, Slow to Fire Armor Piercing, Barrage

Barrage. As long as there are five or more models in the unit, a unit armed with Uzutsu Cannons may make a single combined attack with the following profile: Name__ Range_ Strength _Special Rules___ Barrage 12-48” 3(5) Move or Fire, Armor Piercing, Multiple Wounds (D3) This attack is worked out exactly as firing a Stone Thrower, as on page 114 of the Warhammer rulebook. If a Misfire is rolled on the artillery die to determine scatter, do not roll on the misfire table, instead, center the template over the firing unit. If there are at least 10 models in the unit, you may increase the size of the Barrage template to the 5” round template, and the Multiple Wounds for the model under the hole to D6.

miNamoyo ittazeN shoguN of NippoN general. Ittazen has sworn that while he draws breath, he will not only defend his master the Emperor, but that he will also defend the way of life of all Bushii within Nippon. Because of this decree, the Izeguri and Takata have come to regard him as a benevolent godfather. To the Odai and Lord Nasunaga, this has made Ittazen a stumbling block, one more hurdle to be overcome on the path to a new and glorious Nippon. The Datashi remain silent on the matter, far away in their mountain homes, but there is no doubt that when the drums of war beat at the gates of the Shogunate, their warriors will be there to help guide the course of history.

Minamoyo Ittazen

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Kei Power: Stern Gaze. Fleeing models within range of Ittazen’s Inspiring Presence special rule may automatically test to Rally whenever this effect is activated. In these troubled times, Minamoyo Ittazen is aged, but unbowed. Having served for nearly seven centuries as Shogun of Nippon, Ittazen has held the position nearly twice as long as any other man in the history of the realm. Such a long reign has been no small feat – in his time, Ittazen has fought against rivals both within and without Nippon, from the Chaos Barbarians and Cathayans from accross the sea, to his own brother-in-law, Ittazen has seen more than his share of bloodshed. Ittazen’s newest rival, however, is change.

Master of Bushi. Minamoyo Ittazen must be your General. His Inspiring Presence special rule has a range of 18”.

Magic Items: Sword of Yoritomo. Ittazen carries the blade of his ancestor, Minamoyo Yoritomo, first Shogun of Nippon. The blade contains a shard of Yoritomo’s spirit, all that could be saved in the early days of the Shindo rituals after the Scouring. The white-steel edge of the blade remains razor sharp to this day.

All around him, Nippon is changing. Guns have arrived from Cathay, and merchants and courtiers from the far-off Old World. Whispers within Nippon speak of the end of the Bushii’s long superiority over the other classes. Twice, the Emperor has prompted Ittazen to name a suitable heir, but both times he would not answer, saying only that no such man had been born in this era. Such bold words in the face of his master have prompted rumors that Ittazen has grown senile in his old age, and that he is unfit to rule even amongst the fading Bushii.

The Pendant or Righteousness. A gift to Ittazen by the Shindo, this pendant was carved from a branch of the oldest cryptomeria tree in the center of the Shindo main temple at Toshugokami.

Ittazen has crushed these rumors like so many troublesome weeds in a garden. His masterful command of his armies has left no doubt that he has not lost any of his ability as a

Talisman. The Pendant of Righteousness grants Minamoyo Ittazen a 4+ ward save and the Magic Resistance (2) special rule.

Magic Weapon. The Sword of Yoritomo counts as one blade in a set of Samurai Swords. All hits from the Sword of Yoritomo wound automatically, with no armor saves allowed.

takata NoBuharu daimyo of takata CLaN Takata Nobuharu is regarded by those outside the Tarai bloodline as a living legend, but to those descended from the Tarai, he is a horrible disgrace. This poor standing began when Nobuharu wrested power from his father, the Daimyo of the Takata Clan. After claiming leadership of the Takata for himself, Nobuharu set about expanding their borders, attacking the neighboring Hojyo Clan, also descended from the Tarai, and driving them nearly to extinction. The final straw in the matter of Nobuharu’s pride among the Tarai, was the day that his rapid expansion brought him to the borders of the Izeguri province of Echiko. Rather than honor the ancestral blood debt of the Tarai to the Minamoyo, Nobuharu launched a series of surprise raids which captured several minor castles along the plains of Kanakajima and sparked a war with the Izeguri that has lasted for the entirety of his lordship of the Takata. That Nobuharu would be so bold came as no surprise to those close to him however. He is often regarded as impetuous and charismatic, although never irational. In battle, he favors the swiftness and ferocity of cavalry charges, leading from the front, astride his massive steed ‘Furinkazan’. Nobuharu despises the repentent nature of the many Tarai descended Clans. Rather than see his Clan bled dry in futile conflicts, or serving as lapdogs to the Minamoyo

Clans in hopes of repaying a thousand year old debt, Nobuharu has chosen to prove the legitimacy of the Tarai name by restoring the former glory of their Great House. Nobuharu refuses to rest until this is accomplished, and rides hard at the forefront of his cavalry, forcing all who oppose him to accept the superiority of the Takata clan, or perish on the tip of his spear.

Takata Nobuharu Furinkazan

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7 4

4 3

Troop Type: Monstrous Cavalry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Kei Power: Tiger’s Roar. Takata Nobuharu causes Fear and enemy models targeting him in close combat suffer a -1 penalty to their To Hit rolls while this effect is active.

Horsemaster. Takata Nobuharu and any unit he joins gain the ‘Strider’ special rule, and may reroll the dice when determining Charge, Pursuit, and Overrun distance.

Master of the Takata. Nobuharu always has the Tarai Clan Mon. Additionally, if Takata Nobuharu is your General, then any number of units may be upgraded to bear the Tarai Clan Mon as well.

Magic Items: The Armor That Needs No Shield. This armor was taken from the Hojyo castle as a trophy after Nobuharu’s successful siege. It protects it’s bearer against ‘dishonorable’ attack. Heavy Armor. The Armor That Needs No Shield grants Nobuharu a 4+ ward save against attacks made in the shooting phase. Additionally, wounds may not be multiplied against Nobuharu.

Takata War-Fan. The Takata are famed for their use of steel war-fans in battle, and none are more famous for this than Nobuharu himself, who used his fan to block a killing blow made by Izeguri Kojiro during one of their many battles. Talisman. One Use Only. Once per game, Nobuharu may use the fan to automatically ignore one hit (of his choosing) suffered in close combat, after which the fan is destroyed.

izeguri kojiro daimyo of the izeguri CLaN The Izeguri are descended from the Minamoyo House, and like their forefathers, share a strong bond with the scholars of the Uzatto. To maintain this bond, the Izeguri send their sons to study at the shrines of the Uzatto until they come of age. As the youngest of four sons, Izeguri Kojiro was expected never to leave the temple, and instead to spend the rest of his life there as a student and monk. Fortunately for the people of Echiko, it was not to be. Kojiro’s proud military career began when his eldest brother Kasure, assumed the mantle of Daimyo of the Izeguri Clan. In a bid to claim the Shogunate, he not only raised the amount owed in tithes, driving many villages to the point of starvation, but also enacted a harsh conscription policy for his corps of Ashigaru footsoldiers. When Kojiro heard of this injustice, he pleaded to be allowed to leave the Shindo temple. His wish granted, Kojiro hurried to rally his two elder brothers and their personal bodyguards, and overthew Kasure, naming himself as the new Daimyo of the Izeguri. With this task complete, Kojiro settled down to repair the Izeguri’s home province of Echiko. Under his brother’s neglectful reign, many of the borders had been pushed back and compromised. The ever-expanding Takata Clan had siezed several major forts on the Izeguri side of the Kanakajima plains, Beastmen raids had increased from the southern forests, and a vicious clan of Shinobuzei had established a stronghold in the mountains to the north. In the battles against these foes, the fruits of Kojiro’s studies under the Shindo became fully apparent. His mastery of Kei was equal to that of any Hatamoto, and he led his battles from the front – charging forward to attack his foes with a combination of cold steel and powerful magic. The Izeguri had always boasted Bushii who were highly skilled in the arts of Kei, but under Kojiro, their powers increased tenfold. Throughout his reign as Izeguri Daimyo, Kojiro has never forgotten his priestly ways, adhering as closely to the teachings of the Shindo Monks as he does to the path of Bushido. When Kojiro marches to war, Yokai flock to the Izeguri banner. This righteous zeal, combined with the numbers of Yokai often found in his army, and his mastery of Kei, has earned Kojiro the title ‘The War God of Echiko’ among his troops and enemies alike. It is a title that he bears proudly, and which carries a great deal of weight both on the battlefield and during heated negotiations in the courts of Nippon. To anger Izeguri Kojiro is to wake a sleeping dragon, and invite only destruction.

Izeguri Kojiro

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Kei Power: Shindo Prayer. As long as this power is activated, all friendly units within 6” of Kojiro may also activate their Kei Powers.

The War God. If Izeguri Kojiro is your General, units of Kensai with the Minamoyo Clan Mon may be upgraded to wear an additional sashimono at no extra cost.

Master of the Izeguri. Kojiro always has the Minamoyo Clan Mon. Additionally, if Izeguri Kojiro is your General, then any number of units may be upgraded to bear the Minamoyo Clan Mon as well.

Magic Items: Shindo Vestments. Kojiro is still a devout practitioner of Shindo, and wears his monk robes both on and off the battlefield. These particular robes were given to him when he first left the temple to face his brother on the battlefield. Enchanted Item. The Shindo Vestments grant Kojiro a 5+ ward save and the Magic Resistance (3) special rule.

datashi matsuNori daimyo of the datashi CLaN the Beastman Herd, and before sunrise on the third day, the severed heads of the Beastmen and their Doombull master stood above the battlements on their own spears, their blood gleaming in the moonlight. From that day forward, Matsunorii swore to avenge his slaughtered kin by eradicating the Beastmen, whatever the cost. The Datashi Clan will not be swayed from this purpose, even if it should bring them to ruin – they are too proud of their legacy of stubborn loyalty to dissuade Matsunorii. Matsunorii himself has taken the symbol of the crescent moon as his helmet crest, to commemorate the way that it’s cold purity shines down on his vanquished foes.

Datashi Matsunori

Datashi Matsunorii is Daimyo of the Datashi Clan of Kagyo, descendants of the Fujibana Great House. Their ancestral homeland lies far to the north of Nippon, and as such, they are ever watchful of attacks by Beastmen and creatures far more vile. Unlike the Izeguri of the South, the youths of the Datashi are trained as warriors as soon as they learn to walk. The Datashi weapon of choice is the enormous No’Dachi, a sword almost twice as large as a traditional katana. In the cramped mountain passes or on the narrow bridges of their capital city at Kurozawa, maneuverability is second to brute killing power, and it is in these narrow presses that the Datashi and their greatswords excel. Matsunorii claimed the seat of the Clan at a young age. Headstrong even among a Clan renowned for it’s stubborn pride, Matsunorii sought to prove his martial skills by seeking out a massive Beastman Doombull that had established a herd in the foothills of Kagyo. The fearlessness and ferocity of Matsunorii’s lone attack was worthy of praise, but he was quickly overwhelmed by the Herd, and barely escaped with his life. He returned to Kurozawa missing his left eye, and badly mauled. As he recovered, the Doombull followed his scent into the mountains and took his home castle by surprise. Matsunorii roused to find that his home was overrun, and his family butchered. The Beastmen were preparing to charge across the rope bridges connecting the castles of Kurozawa. Taking up his father’s No’Dachii, the stillwounded Matsunorii cut the ropes supporting the bridge, sealing himself off from any aid. For three days he fought

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Kei Power: Moon Song. As long as this power is activated, Matsunori and any unit he has joined gain Flaming Attacks. Additionally, The Crescent of Kyushuu (below) has the Multiple Wounds (D3) special rule.

The Vengeance of Kurozawa. Any units with the Fujibana Clan Mon in Matsunori’s army Hate Beastmen. Furthermore, any unit of Samurai or Kensai with the Fujibana Clan Mon may exchange their Samurai Swords for No’Dachi at no additional cost.

Master of the Datashi. Matsunori always has the Fujibana Clan Mon. Additionally, if Datashi Matsunori is your General, then any number of units may be upgraded to bear the Fujibana Clan Mon as well.

Magic Items: The Crescent of Kurozawa. The badge of honor handed down by each Daimyo of the Datashi, this massive No’Dachi was forged for Tachiwara Datashi himself, and contains the spirits of every Daimyo of the Clan to reign since then. Magic Weapon. In combat, Matsunori may choose to use the Crescent in either of two ways; either as a normal No’Dachi which grants Always Strikes First, or as a greatweapon which grants +4 Strength instead of the usual +2. Choose at the start of each round.

odai NasuNaga daimyo of the odai CLaN Among Bushii, Odai Nasunaga is seen as an abomination, a warrior who has lost sight of the Path of Bushido. In a time where blackpowder threatens the Bushii’s very way of life, it was Nasunaga who brought the weapon from Cathay. Amongst the Odai however, Nasunaga is a hero. Before Nasunaga, the Odai had been barely scraping a living as fishermen. Nasunaga rebuilt the Clan from the ground up, raising an army of Ashigaru large enough to carve a bloody, wandering path through Cathay. It was the Cathayan’s who first gave Nasunaga his title – the few Bushii who had attacked the massive Cathayan homeland had attacked specific sites, and then quickly withdrawn. Nasunaga however, wandered the Cathayan countryside with no obvious purpose. His men would freeze during dangerous mountain crossings, only for Nasunaga to turn them around days later to hike back across. Nasunaga was not lost however, his goals were clear – firstly, to cull the weak from his clan before returning to Nippon to make a name for himself, and secondly, to draw out his true target - the guns of the Cathayans. By the time Nasunaga returned to Nippon, he had an entire corps of Arquebusiers, and he wasted no time in using them to rapidly expand the territory of the Odai clan, wiping out several minor Bushii clans in the process. This rapid expansion, aided by such dishonorable weaponry, has earned him the enmity and fear of Bushii everywhere.

Odai Nasunaga

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character)

Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Kei Power: Wicked Overlord. When this power is activated, nominate a friendly unit of Ashigaru within 8”. That unit may immediately move directly forward, treated as a normal move. The unit may not march, nor may this movement bring them into contact with an enemy unit.

Scourge of the Bushi. If Nasunaga is your General, units of Ashigaru Arquebusiers count as Core, and Samurai count as Special. You may not include Kensai or Hatamoto in your army if Nasunaga is your General.

Callous Disregard. If a friendly regiment of Ashigaru is destroyed within 6” of Nasunaga, roll a D6 and add the current turn number. If the total is 6 or greater, a copy of the unit enters play from the friendly table edge as if entering from reserves. This unit has the same wargear, Clan Mon, and command options as the original unit, and is worth Victory Points if destroyed. (The enemy also scores full Victory Points for destroying the original regiment)

Master of the Odai. Nasunaga always has the Tachiwara Clan Mon. Additionally, if Odai Nasunaga is your General, then any number of units may be upgraded to bear the Tachiwara Clan Mon as well. Magic Items: The Oni Skull Mempo. A grisly trophy of from one of Nasunaga’s earliest battles, before he was even Daimyo, this unnerving mask allows Nasunaga to channel the legendary fury of an Oni. Talisman. While wearing the Onii Skull Mempo, Nasunaga causes Fear. In addition, once per game, he may unleash the power of the Onii spirit within. He gains Frenzy, but gains D3 attacks instead of 1. This Frenzy cannot be lost. If Nasunaga rolls a 1 to hit in Close Combat, his attack will target an adjacent friendly model.

miyushiro masuNe the vagaBoNd Miyushiro Masune

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Killing Blow Martial Mastery: Kenjutsu. See page 64 Insolent Vagabond. When Miyushiro issues a challenge, the enemy cannot choose to refuse it. Furthermore, Miyushiro nominates which enemy character will accept – your enemy does not get to choose, as per usual Challenge rules. The Hungry Samurai. Legendary Warriors count as Minamoyo Matsuhashi draws direct lineage back to Minamoyo Sumitomo, the first official Shogun of Nippon. However, his bloodline has fallen tragically far since that auspicious ancestor. Sumitomo’s son Kuriko was reckless, arrogant, and a drunkard. When Sumitomo died in battle and Kuriko attempted to take the seat of the Shogun by right of heritage, Sumitomo’s trusted general blocked the attempt and cast the young man out of the Shogunate. Out of respect for Sumitomo, the new Shogun awarded Kuriko with a large pension and land outside the Shogunate. In the following years, Kuriko continued his drunkeness and revelry, and the expenses of his lifestyle often surpassed even his vast annual stipend. To add to the injury, Kuriko had no less than fifteen sons, and when Kuriko finally died, what little wealth that remained was divided between them – prompting a decade of bloody infighting which silenced the Minamoyo name forever. Out of this chaos, several centuries later, has come Matsuhashi. The young man cannot even call himself a proper Bushii, as his family has fallen far from such an honor. However, he can claim to be a warrior without equal. Dreams of restoring his family name, or claiming the Shogunate for himself, have long faded – if they ever existed at all. Rather, Matsuhashi desires only to study the arts of combat, and to achieve immortality not through carved stone or lengthy titles, but through sheer force of will, and strength of character. To this end, Matsuhashi leads a solitary life, a wandering swordsman in shabby attire, travelling from dojo to temple, uncovering their secrets and mastering each of their styles. on.

Special Choices in an army including Miyushiro Masune and gain +1 to their Peerless Warrior rolls. Additionally, there is no limit to the number of units of Ronin you may include in his army.

Magic Items: The Fifth Ring. Masune claims to have mastery over five legendary rings which existed before the time of the Scouring. However, the true nature of these rings remains a mystery, as nobody has ever set eyes upon them. Enchanted Item. Mastery over the Fifth Ring grants Masune a 4+ ward save while fighting in a Challenge.

Heavenly Bokken. The Heavenly Bokken is an unassuming wooden training sword like those used in the many dojos across Nippon. There is something different about this blade though, it seems – more than it might appear. Magic Weapon. Counts as a Samurai Sword, however, no ward saves may be taken against wounds caused by the Heavenly Bokken.

“Do not sleep under any roof but the stars. Carry neither money, nor food. Go alone to places frightening to those who are stern of heart. Be put in jail without conflict, and extricate yourself by your own wisdom, without bloodshed. From one thing, know one thousand.” -excerpt from Mastery of the Five Rings

yamakata masatage master of the BLood deviLs Yamakata Masatage Matsukaze

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Troop Type: Cavalry (Special Character) Special Rules: Bushido, Kei Martial Mastery: Bajutsu. See page 64 Kei Power: Takata War Cry. Yamakata and any unit that he has joined gains Frenzy and Flaming Attacks while this power is active.

Herald of Nobuharu. Masatage has the Tarai Clan Mon. Also, if Takata Nobuharu is your Army General, then Yamakata must be the Army Battle Standard Bearer, and will carry the Takata Clan Totem at no additional cost. Yamakata Masatage is a member of the Takata Clan, but it was not always so. When Takata Nobuharu plunged the plains of Zai into warfare in his quest for expansion, Masatage was fighting for the Hojyo Clan. Upon their defeat, rather than take Masatage’s head as a prize – as he had done with all of the other Hojyo leaders – Nobuharu admired Masatage’s prowess in the saddle and presented the Bushii and his retainers with the opportunity to join his army. Masatage saw a rising star among the Tarai in Nobuharu, and agreed without hesitation. Since that day, Masatage has been counted among Nobuharu’s most loyal supporters, and peerless generals. Masatage follows orders without question, and has orchestrated some of the most horrific and merciless attacks ever committed by Takata forces. Renowned for his ruthlessness and temper, and prized for his efficiency, Masatage has become the face of the Takata Clan. Often, Nobuharu sends Masatage as an envoy or personal herald. In such cases, no words need be spoken, for the mere presence of such a steadfast and terrifying warrior is a message in itself – Masatage offers no respite, and no surrender. Masatage’s presence alone serves as an unspoken declaration of war by Nobuharu and the entire Takata Clan. In battle, Masatage leads his retainers from the former Hojyo, every one of them adorned in crimson armor and wearing masks meant to strike fear into the hearts of his rivals. This regiment of cavalry is always the first into battle, and the last to return to camp, each warrior carrying the head of a rival champion.

Master of the Blood Devils. One unit of Kensai in Masatage’s army may be upgraded to Blood Devils for +15 points/model. They are equipped with Nipponsei Steeds, Naginatas, Tarai Clan Mon, and gain the Fast Cavalry special rule. Yamakata Masatage counts as a Taisho for the purposes of the Yojimbo special rule.

Magic Items: Dragonfly Lance. This lance is one of the last surviving relics of the Hojyo Clan. Legend tells that its blade is so sharp that a dragonfly once landed upon it, and was cut in two. Magic Weapon. On the turn Masatage charges, he gains +1 Strength and Ignores Armor Saves.

Armor of the Bloodied. The true color of this armor is remains a mystery, as it seems to be perpetually stained with blood. Magic Armor. Heavy Armor. When Masatage is reduced to 1 Wound, he gains a 4+ Ward Save for the rest of the battle.

Takata Clan Totem. When Nobuhara defeated his father and took control of the clan, he burned his father’s banner and replaced it with this powerful symbol of his unyielding will. Magic Standard. Any model with the Tarai Clan Mon within 12” of this banner gains a 5+ ward save against attacks made in the shooting phase.

kaBukara gozeimoN the shadoWmaster Kabukara Gozeimon is the most infamous of all Kabuzei, and the subject of many folk tales of the Nipponsei. Whereas many Kabuzei have faded into nothingness, their bodies replaced with shadowy fog, Kabukara has retained his corporeal form, and some declare that this is a sign that he has not lost his humanity. Kabukara was never a Bushii – he was born into a Bushii family, but his face was horribly disfigured by a birth mark, and his parents left him to die. He was discovered by a clan of Shinobuzei who intended to hold him for ransom. When no ransom was paid, they first used the child as a servant, and then began to teach him the path of Shadow. Gozeimon’s initiation rite was to take revenge on the parents who had abandoned him. Donning an executioner’s leather hood, he secreted himself into their castle and in a single night of savage madness, reduced the entire structure to ash. He returned with his father’s cryptomeria mask as a trophy, and it is this menacing face that he has been known by ever since. From that terrible night forward, Gozeimon excelled along the path of the Shadow. The Shinobuzei moved into the ruins of the castle and began extorting its people. Young Gozeimon refused to participate in these activities, and

when one of the Roninja slew one of the villagers, Gozeimon destroyed the enclave and scattered it to the wind. Without the Shinobuzei clan to support him, Kabukara wandered into the north, and began studying as a Kabuzei. The villagers often paint Gozeimon as a hero, pointing to his destruction of the Shinobuzei clan as his way of protecting the defenseless peasants that his family had ruled over. However, Gozeimon has been neither seen nor heard for several years, despite investigators from the Shogunate believing that he has been responsible no less than a fifty cold-blooded assassinations and murders during the time since his dissapearance. Who funds these heinous crimes has remained a mystery, but to the Bushii of Nippon, Kabukara Gozeimon remains a terrifying specter, able to strike at any moment, without warning, reason, or mercy.

Kabukara Gozeimon

Troop Type: Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Scout, Fear Wretched. See page 56 Master of Dark Jutsus. See page 57 Magic Items: Shinigami Mempo. The Shinigami is a spirit synonymous with murder and death in Nipponsei culture. Shunned by Bushi, it is a creature which inspires dread and revulsion. Little wonder then, that Gozeimon hides his true face behind such a terrible mask. Enchanted Item. Attacks which target Gozeimon suffer a -1 penalty to their To Hit rolls.

Blades of Woe. These twin swords are plain, and unadorned, but possessed of a wicked malevolence all their own. The tortured souls of Gozeimon’s victims cry out from within these blades, eager to add another soul to their prison. Paired Magic Weapons. At the start of the game, nominate an enemy character. Attacks from the Blades of Woe will always wound this character on the roll of a 3+ (unless it would normally be less). The blades also have the Poisoned Attacks, Armor Piercing, and Killing Blow special rules against their chosen target.

haChehiro takematsu the oNiBushi Takematsu was one of the greatest villains of the Oni Wars, and has become something of a bogeyman in Nipponsei folklore ever since. The ‘family’ name Hachehiro is only an invention, taken from the ruined city of Hachehiro, once a part of the Minamoyo territory until it was obliterated during the Scouring. At the end of the Oni War, Takematsu and the rest of his Oni tribe, as well as several others who had come to follow him, retreated to the city and declared the “Oni Shogunate.” Takematsu is a strange example of a Yokai. As an Oni, he is unable to transform himself into a human shape, and could therefore never pass as a true Bushi. Stories of other types of Yokai, most often either Tengu or Tanuke, masquerading as warriors are not uncommon, but Oni are warriors in their own right, and proud of that fact. Onmyoji suppose that Oni – as a higher breed and more intelligent tribe of Yokai – may once have been able to assume human shape, but just as the pride of the Bushi leads them to eschew the trappings of the other classes, the pride of the Oni meant that their transformation abilities went unused, and have since faded from memory. It is surprising therefore, that Takematsu would ever willing emulate the Bushi, rather than living the more common nomadic life of the Oni tribes which exist in small pockets across Nippon. Takematsu was the de-facto “Captain of the Guard” of the Imperial Palace during the war, and armed with a ragged suit of armor and wielding a massive sword, he challenged more than one hundred of the besieging Bushi to duels, and defeated all of them in turn. More than even his Oni

kin, Takematsu seems impervious to harm. In one of the duels, a Datashi swordsmen attacked Takematsu’s exposed throat – a killing blow by all accounts – but the blade simply rebounded from Takematsu’s leathery hide. It was not until a Ryujin arrived to disband the Yokai forces that Takematsu could be defeated, when he simply retired from the gates. Takematsu conducts his small territory like any human Bushi, imposing taxes upon surrounding peasants. These levies are more like protections, and cause great rancor among the actual Bushi clans who lay claim to the land, but when Takematsu rallies his armies for battle, only a fool would stand against him. To this day, if the Shogun makes a suitable offering, and an appeal of great humility at the shattered gates of Hachehiro, Takematsu and his army will march to the aid of the Nipponsei army.

Hachehiro Takematsu

Troop Type: Monstrous Infantry (Special Character) Special Rules: Fear Yokai. See page 58 Trample. See page 58 Shogun of Kyokuni. Oni are treated as a Core choice in armies containing Hachehiro Takematsu.

Magic Items: The Reaping Blade. Takematsu selected this evil looking No’Dachi from the Imperial Armory at Kyokuni. He is able to wield the massive sword in a single hand, its gnarled edge scything down entire ranks of warriors with each swing. This giant sword grants Takematsu +1 Strength. Additionally, Takematsu may forego all of his normal attacks to make a titanic sweep with his blade. All enemy models in base contact with Takematsu must pass an Initiative Test, or suffer 1 automatic wound, with no saves of any kind allowed.

The Immortal’s Armor. Another heirloom confiscated by Takematsu, this ancient suit of armor has been ‘modified’ to fit his gargantuan frame. Magic Armor. The Immortal’s Armor is a Heavy Armor which grants Takematsu the Regeneration (4) special rule.

the Lore of

shiNdo aNCestor magiC, tempLe BLessiNgs

Misogi Harai, ‘Purification of Water’ Cast on 6+ (Signature Spell) The priest rolls a single, crystal clear droplet from an upraised fingertip, to the ground, chanting as it changes course over his body.

Blessing of the Ancestors (Lore Attribute) The Lore of Shindo draws it’s power not from the Winds of Magic, but from the souls of departed warriors and heroic ancestors. Thus, courageous warriors might find themselves granted a boon from proud spirits the beyond. If a spell from the Lore of Shindo would activate a model’s Kei Power, the caster gains a +1 to the Casting attempt.

3. Kenno Hachiman, Hachiman’s Sword Cast on 12+ A ritual involving a dagger, and a pure flame, calls upon the fiery temper of Hachiman, deity of War.

Misogi Harai is an augment with a range of 18”. Until the start of the next friendly magic phase, any Hex spell targeting the unit has it’s casting value raised by +3.

Kenno Hachiman is an Augment which targets a character within 18”. Until the start of the next friendly magic phase, if this character deals a successful wound in close combat, he is entitled to make an additional attack. Attacks generated in this way do not grant further attacks.

1. Shichi Fukujin, the Seven Fates

4. Shirudo Kojiki, Kojiki’s Shield

Cast on 5+ With a clattering and rolling of finger bones, the monk calls on the Luck of the Heavens to guide the weapons of the Nipponsei. Shichi Fukujin is an augment with a range of 24”. Until the start of the next friendly magic phase, the unit has either it’s Weapon Skill, Ballistic Skill, or Initiative increased by D3 (to a maximum of 10). The monk may choose to cast a more powerful version of this spell that instead increases all three characteristics (don’t roll a D3 for each – make one roll and apply it to all three characteristics). If he does so, the casting value of Shichi Fukujin is increased to 10+

2. Odayaka Nashio, Calming Tides

Cast on 10+ The monk closes his eyes, and with his mind, reaches into the souls of the foe, drowning their resolve with calmness. Odayaka Nashio is a hex which targets one enemy regiment within 12”. Until the start of the next friendly magic phase, the affected regiment loses all Psychologybased special rules, such as Hatred, Frenzy, and Stubborn.

Cast on 18+ In a simple and humble gesture, the monk prays to the Great Kami Kojiki, founder and defender of Nippon. Remains in Play. Shirudo Kojiki is an augment which may target a friendly character within 18”. The models gains a 4+ ward save. Additionally, if the model is slain while Shirudo Kojiki is in play, roll a D6. On a 1-4, the model is slain as normal. On a 5, the killing blow is ignored and the model stays in play with 1 wound. On a 6, the model also recovers D3 wounds.

5. Ikari no Izanye, Izanye’s Wrath

Cast on 21+ With sulfur and flame, the monk calls down the fiery wrath of the Sun Goddess above, scorching his enemies. Ikari no Izanye is a direct damage spell with a range of 24”. Every model in the target regiment must pass an Initiative Test or suffer one Flaming wound automatically, with no armor saves allowed.

6. Benzei Tennyo, Gift of Voice

Casting level variable This ritual comes in the form of a poem, spoken by the monk over the fan of a court performer. Snapping the fan closed, the monk sends the blessing on it’s way, granting an ally the words he seeks. Before casting Benzei Tennyo, nominate a character within 18”. The casting value of this spell is equal to the target’s Weapon Skill, +2. Benzei Tennyo is an augment, which lasts until the next friendly magic phase. While Benzei Tennyo is in play, the enemy characters may not refuse challenges issued by the target character, and you may choose which of your opponent’s eligible characters will accept the challenge, unlike the usual rules for challenges.

heirLooms of NippoN On the following pages are magic items available to Nippon armies. These can be taken in addition to any of the magic items listed in the Warhammer rulebook.

Kusanagi

75 points

Magic Weapon When Minamoyo Kanda, fifth successor to Minamoyo Toriyomo, journeyed out into the Eastern seas in search of the home of Izananye, he carried his full set of wargear with him, including this sword. Kanda and the four Daimyo who traveled with him were never seen again,but many years later, this unadorned sword washed ashore in the Eastern realm of Hoshun. Careful inspection showed that the sword had once been covered in beautiful details, but the constant pounding of the waves had since worn away it’s previous oppulence. The simple handle was warm to the touch, while blade glowed with the light of the morning sun, and roared like the crashing tide. Many now believe that Kanda’s quest had succeeded in finding the resting place of the Great Kami, and that this sword was sent back on the tides. The wielder of Kusanagi always counts his Strength as being 2 higher than his opponent’s Toughness, to a maximum of 10. Successful armor saves against wounds caused by Kusanagi must be rerolled.

Murasama

50 points

Magic Weapon Murasama is the first of the Twin Swords of Isai. Forged by the talented but violently mad young apprentice Murasama Sengo from black iron quenched in blood, it is said that this horrible blade has a taste for flesh. Any time it is drawn, a man must die. For many years, this sword carved a bloody path across Nippon – passed from warrior to warrior, as no single wielder lived long in under it’s murderous sway. The bearer is subject to Frenzy, and will never lose it. Additionally, for every wound the bearer inflicts (after saves), he must immediately make an additional attack. This second round of attacks can generate further attacks, and so on. If the bearer is left without an enemy model to target, he will target friends in base contact, or himself.

Masanume

50 points

Magic Weapon Masanume is the second of the Twin Swords of Isai. Forged by the master swordsmith Goro Masamune in a desperate attempt to provide a suitable counter to Muramasa, Masamune forged his blade from meteoric steel, and cooled it in the pure waters of the river which flowed near his home. Legend holds that if the two swords are placed into this river, the hatred and madness of Muramasa will draw fish and leaves towards it’s keen edge, and their deaths, but that the same fish and leaves will flow around Masamune, unharmed by the beuatiful blade. Enemy models in base contact with the bearer lose any additional attacks or rerolls gained as an effect of Psychology (Hatred, Frenzy, etc). Furthermore, enemy models wishing to strike the bearer must first pass an unmodified Leadership test, with no rerolls allowed. If the test is failed, the enemy model loses all of it’s attacks for this round of combat.

Bashiri no Seiryu

40 points

Magic Armor This suit of armor is crafted from the fallen scales of the Ryujin Seiryu. Seiryu is the Ryujin of Springtime, and the Nipponsei view him as a force of fertility, rebirth and of good tidings. Ironically, this has led to Seiryu also being viewed as the ‘Dragon of Love’. This azure-blue cuirass is therefore kept by the Shogun’s most eligible female heir, to be given to a young warrior of her choosing. Imbued with a measure of Seiryu’s legendary regenerative abilities, it has proven to protect the bearer against bullets, sword strokes, and other wounds which would have otherwise slain him outright. Heavy Armor. The wearer of the Bashiri no Seiryu has the Regen (4+) ability.

Kagemusha’s Mempo

35 points

Magic Armor Kagemusha was one of the many body guards of Shogun Tazeo. Tazeo was greatly disliked, and attempts on his life were so common that he kept a retinue of body doubles with him at all times. Kagemusha achieved immortality when thirteen assassins swept into the Shogunate to kill Tazeo in the night. They found the Shogun in his room, surrounded by his geisha, and in his full wargear. The Shogun fought bravely, and slew his attaackers despite being slashed several times by their poisoned daggers. As the Geisha wept over the body of their dying lord, he removed his mempo, to reveal not Tazeo, but Kagemusha. To this day, irreverent Bushi still joke that if a man must die for his master, it is best to die like the canny Kagemusha – in the master’s chambers, in bed with his women. Kagemusha’s Mempo grants a 6+ armor save which may be combined with other equipment normally. Additionally, once per game, at any time, the bearer of the Kagemusha Mempo may reveal his true face. Immediately switch his location with any other friendly character of the same troop type, exactly as the ‘Smoke and Mirrors’ attribute of the Lore of Shadows, disregarding any reference to range or line of sight. Note that this means the Mempo can be used to escape a challenge, or even be used before an enemy models rolls to wound with an attack.

Rising Sun Mon

30 points

Enchanted Item The Mon of the Rising Sun is reserved for penitent Bushii who no longer have a Clan to fight for – either through dishonor, or loss. The burning rage of the bearer is channeled through this sign, his Kei manifesting as blasts of flame and a wreath of fire. Models with the ‘Bushido’ special rule only. The bearer of the Rising Sun Mon may not take any other Clan Mon. When the bearer is targeted by a friendly or enemy spell, rather than activating his usual Kei Power, place a token or other marker next to the model. During the friendly magic phase, the model may discard one of the tokens to cast the Fireball spell from the Lore of Fire in the Warhammer rulebook, as a bound spell. The power level of the spell may be increased by expending additional tokens – two tokens to cast it at 10+, and three to cast at 18+. At the end of each friendly magic phase, the model suffers a Strength 4 hit for each unspent token, as the fires of his penitent wrath burn themselves into his flesh.

Jiyundo Scroll

65 points

Arcane Item Carefully prepared in the Shindo temple of Toshugokami, it is not the words of this scroll which make it unique, but instead, it’s magical wax seal. Once broken, the winds of magic are drawn inexorably to the parchment, draining the battlefield of magic for a brief instant, and putting the user at terrible risk. One use only. When an enemy spell has been cast, a Priest with the Jiyundo Scroll may break it’s seal instead of attempting to dispel the spell. The magic phase ends immediately, without resolving the cast spell, and any Remains in Play spells still in play are automatically dispelled. Once the seal has been broken, the bearer immediately rolls upon the Miscast table, as the scroll becomes a whirling vortex of unchecked magic.

Sashimono of Goumandesu

40 points

Talisman Goumandesu was a master swordsman in the chaotic years after the Scouring. He strode into battle with his head high, carving a path of destruction through his foes beneath a brilliant red sashimono elbazoned with his Mon. This pride was to be his undoing, however, when he charged headlong into an entire warherd of Minotaurs. For all his skill, he could not hope to best them, and when he was slain, his soul was guided into his sashimono for eternity. Counts as a sashimono (a model may not wear more than 3 Sashimono). In addition, the model may reroll any failed rolls To Hit or To Wound in close combat. However, for any of these rolls which still fail, the bearer suffers an immediate Strength 3 hit as the spirit of Goumandesu mocks him from beyond the viel.

CLaN moN of NippoN On this page, details are given for the four Mon of the Great Houses of Nippon. These Mon are available to certain units and characters in the Nippon army list, as part of the options given in their profile. The additional rules for Clan Mon can be found on page 44.

Minamoyo Clan Mon

Tarai Clan Mon

The Minamoyo are regarded as the saviours of Nippon, thanks to the role they played in events following the Scouring. Without exception, all Shoguns have come from branches of the Minamoyo Clan. Currently, the Clan is lead by Kojiro of the Izeguri Clan of Echiko. The Minamoyo espouse Honor, and Duty, above all else.

The Tarai were once the most powerful Bushi clan in all of Nippon, until the events just before the Scouring, when they lost the war to the Minamoyo. Since then, offshoots and cadet branches of the Tarai have tried to regain their lost honor. The chief clan of the Tarai house is now the Takata Clan of Takata Nobuharu.

Models with the Minamoyo Clan Mon may activate their Kei Power, or the Kei Power of any unit they join, as a Bound Spell with Power Level 7. However, if your Army General has the Minamoyo Clan Mon, you may not field any units of Ronin, or any models who have the ‘Wretched’ special rule.

Models with the Tarai Mon gain the Swiftstride special rule from the Warhammer rulebook. Models who already have Swiftstride from another source, may instead reroll any of the dice when determining their charge distance. Models with the Tarai Mon cause Fear on the turn that they charge.

Fujibana Clan Mon TheFujibana once controlled the Emperor through a long series of politcal marriages. The Scouring took a heavy toll on the lands of Kagyo, tearing them asunder with bleak mountain peaks. Now, the Datashi Clan reigns over Kagyo from the broken city of Kurozawa. Models with the Fujibana Clan Mon armed with No’Dachi gain the ‘Always Strikes First’ special rule from the Warhammer rulebook in the first round of each combat, or while they are fighting in a challenge. The Fujibana Clan Mon also grants the Stubborn special rule.

Tachiwara Clan Mon The Tachiwara were all but destroyed in the feirce wars of the Scouring. The many descendants of the Tachiwara were left to live in poverty, eking out humble existences, until Nasunaga of the Odai branch set out to restore the Tachiwara’s former glory. Tachiwara branches often boast the highest numbers of Ashigaru, and through this military might, the Tachiwara slowly tighten their grip on Imperial Nippon. Friendly units of Ashigaru or Arquebusiers may use the leadership of any model with the Tachiwara Clan Mon within 6”. The Tachiwara Clan Mon also grants the Hatred and Wretched special rules.

the NippoN order of BattLe The armies of the Bushi form the backbone of Nippon society, and are all that stands between it, and the utter Chaos of the North. As the commander of a Nipponsei army, it is by your courage and leadership that the warriors of Nippon will claim glory for their Emperor and their Clan, against the myriad of foes arrayed before them. This section of the book helps you to turn your collection of miniatures into an army of the Nipponsei, ready for a tabletop battle. At the back of this section, you will also find a summary page, which lists every unitâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s characteristics profile, for quick and easy reference during your games of Warhammer.

Using the Army list

Unit Categories

The army list is used alongside the ‘Choosing an Army’ section of the Warhammer rulebook to pick a force ready for battle. Over the following pages, you will find an entry for each of the models available to a Nippon army. These entries giver you all of the gaming information that you need to shape your collection of models into the units that will form your army. Amongst other things, they will tell you what your models are equipped with, what options are available to them, and how many points they cost.

As described in the Warhammer rulebook, the units in the army list are organized into five categories: Lords, Heroes, and Core, Special and Rare units.

Samurai Profile Samurai Kyunin Unit Size: 10+ Equipment • Samurai Swords

Each army list entry contains all the information you will need to choose and field that unit at a glace, using the following format.

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 7 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 8

• • •

Special Rules

Bushido Kei Folded Steel

• • • • • •

Name. The name by which the unit or character is identified. Profiles. The characteristic profiles for the model(s) in each unit are provided as a reminder. Where several profiles are required, these are also given, even if they are optional (such as unit champions). Troop Type. Each entry specifies the unit type of its models (for example, ‘infantry’, ‘cavalry’ and so on). Points Value. Every miniature in the Nippon army costs an amount of points that reflects how effective it is on the battlefield. For example, a Samurai costs 12 points, while the Shogun, Minamoyo Ittazen, costs a mighty 340 points.

Army List Entries

14 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options May upgrade one Samurai to a Kyunin......................... 10 points - who may wear a Sashimono.................................... 10 points May upgrade one Samurai to a musician...................... 10 points May upgrade one Samurai to a standard bearer............ 10 points The entire unit may exchange their Samurai Swords for one of the following Naginata.......................................................... 3 point per model No’Dachi....................................................... 3 points per model The entire unit may take longbows................ 2 points per model The entire unit may choose a Clan Crest....................... 15 points

Unit Size. This specifies the minimum size for each unit, which is the smallest number of models needed to form the unit. Equipment. This is a list of the standard weapons and armor for the unit. The cost of these items of equipment is included in the basic points value. Special Rules. Many models have special rules that are either fully described earlier in this book or in the Warhammer rulebook. The names of these special rules are listed in the army list entries as a reminder.

Options. A list of optional weapons and armor, mounts, and other upgrades for units or characters, including the points cost for each particular option. Many unit entries include the option to upgrade a unit member to a champion, standard bearer or musician. Some units may carry a magic standard or take magic items at a further points cost.

Lords Minamoyo Ittazen, Shogun of Nippon Profile M WS

Shogun Minamoyo Ittazen

Equipment Magic Items • Heavy Armor • Sword of Yoritomo • Three Sashimono • Pendant of Righteousness

330 Points BS S T W I A Ld 5 4 4 3 7 4 10 Special Rules • Bushido • Kei • Master of Bushi

Troop Type

Infantry (Special Character)

Options • May be mounted on one of the following: -

Kirin.........................................35 points

Komainu.............................35 points Nipponsei Steed..................18 points -- and wear a Horo................4 points

Daimyo Takata Nobuharu, Master of Takata Clan

Profile Daimyo Takata Nobuharu

Furinkazan

320 Points M WS BS S T W I A Ld Troop Type Monstrous Cavalry (Special Character) 4 8 4 4 4 3 7 4 9 9 4 0 4 5 3 4 3 7 -

Equipment • Naginata • Three Sashimono Magic Items • The Armor That Needs No Shield • Takata War Fan

Special Rules (Nobuharu) • Bushido • Kei • Horsemaster • Master of the Takata

Special Rules (Furinkazan) • Fast Cavalry

Daimyo Izeguri Kojiro, Master of Izeguri Clan Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Daimyo Izeguri Kojiro 4 8 5 4 4 3 7 4 9 Equipment Magic Items • Heavy Armor • Shindo Vestments • Three Sashimono • Samurai Swords

Special Rules • Bushido • Kei • The War God • Master of the Izeguri

290 Points Troop Type Infantry (Special Character)

Options • May be mounted on one of the following: -

Kirin.........................................35 points

Komainu.............................35 points Nipponsei Steed..................18 points -- and wear a Horo................4 points

Lords Daimyo Datashi Matsunori, Master of Datashi Clan

Profile Daimyo Datashi Matsunori

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 8 5 4 4 3 6 4 9

Equipment Magic Items • Heavy Armor • The Crescent of Kyushuu • Three Sashimono • Samurai Swords

Special Rules • Bushido • Kei • Vengeance of Kyushuu • Master of the Datashi

Daimyo Odai Nasunaga, Master of Odai Clan Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Daimyo Odai Nasunaga 4 9 4 4 4 3 7 5 8 Equipment Magic Items • Heavy Armor • Oni Skull Mempo • Three Sashimono • Samurai Swords

Daimyo Profile Daimyo Equipment • Heavy Armor • Two Sashimono • Samurai Swords

300 Points Troop Type Infantry (Special Character)

Special Rules Options • Bushido • May be mounted on one of the following: - Nipponsei Steed..................18 points • Kei -- and wear a Horo................4 points • Scourge of the Bushi • Master of the Odai

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 8 5 4 4 3 7 4 9 Special Rules • Bushido • Kei

290 Points Troop Type Infantry (Special Character)

160 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Options • May be armed with any of the following: - Naginata................................................................... 5 points - No’Dachi.................................................................. 8 points - Long Bow................................................................ 8 points • May be mounted on one of the following - Komainu................................................................. 35 points - Nipponsei Steed..................................................... 18 points -- and wear a Horo........................................................ 4 points • May wear an additional Sashimono......................... 25 points • May choose a Clan Mon.......................................... 50 points • May take Magic Items worth up to........................ 100 points

Lords Shindo Priest Profile Shindo Priest Equipment • Hand Weapon Special Rules: • Ancestor Spirits

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 5 3 3 3 3 4 2 8 Magic A Shindo Priest is a Level 3 Wizard who uses spells from any of the one of the eight Battle Magic lores in the Warhammer rulebook, or the Lore of Shindo.

Mounts Profile Kirin Komainu Nipponsei Steed Special Rules • Kirin: Fly, Impact Hits (D3) Channeling

Options • May be upgraded to a Level 4 Wizard........ 35 points • May be mounted on one of the following - Kirin........................................................... 50 points - Nipponsei Steed......................................... 18 points • May take Magic Items worth up to............ 100 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 5 0 4 4 3 4 2 7 8 5 0 5 4 3 4 3 8 8 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 5

•

190 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Komainu: Forest Strider, Magic Resistance (1)

Troop Type Monstrous Beast Monstrous Beast Warbeast

•

Nipponsei Steed: Fast Cavalry

heroes Miyushiro Masune, The Vagabond

Profile Miyushiro Masune

Magic Items • The Fifth Ring • Heavenly Bokken

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 8 4 4 4 2 7 5 8 Special Rules • Bushido • Martial Mastery: Kenjutsu • Insolent Vagabond • The Hungry Samurai • Killing Blow

Yamakata Masatagi, The Blood Rider Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Yamakata Masatagi 4 7 4 4 3 2 6 4 8 Matsukaze 8 4 0 4 3 1 3 2 7 Equipment • Hand Weapon • Two Sashimono Magic Items • Armor of the Bloodied • Dragonfly Lance

195 Points Troop Type Cavalry (Special Character) Special Rules • Bushido • Kei • Martial Mastery (Bajutsu) • Herald of Nobuharu • Master of the Blood Riders

Kabukara Gozeimon, The Shadowmaster Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Kabukarar Gozeimon 5 8 6 4 3 2 7 4 8 Equipment • Light Armor • Smoke Bombs • Shuriken Magic Items • Shinigami Mempo • Blades of Woe

190 Points Troop Type Infantry (Special Character)

Magic Kabukara Gozeimon is a Level 2 Wizard who uses spells from the Lore of Shadows in the Warhammer rulebook.

175 Points Troop Type Infantry (Special Character)

Special Rules • Scout • Fear • Wretched • Master of Dark Jutsus

heroes Hachehiro Takematsu, The Onibushi Profile M WS BS S T W I A Ld Hachehiro Takematsu 6 6 2 6 5 4 3 5 8 Magic Items • The Reaping Blade • The Immortal’s Armor

Taisho Profile Taisho Equipment • Heavy Armor • Samurai Swords • Sashimono

The Army Standard Bearer •

Unless your army contains Yamakata Masatagi carrying the Takata Clan Standard, one Taisho may be the Army Battle Standard Bearer for +25 points.

•

The Battle Standard Bearer may carry a Magic Standard (with no points limit). A model that carries a Magic Standard cannot have any other magic items.

Kabuzei Profile Kabuzei Equipment • Light Armor • Two Handweapons Special Rules • Fear • Wretched • Dark Jutsus • Body of Shadow

Monstrous Infantry (Special Character)

Special Rules • Bushido • Trample • Yokai • Shogun of Hachehiro

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 7 4 4 3 2 6 3 8 Special Rules • Bushido • Kei

190 Points Troop Type

90 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Options • May be armed with any of the following - Naginata.................................................................... 5 points - No’Dachi................................................................... 8 points - Long Bow................................................................. 8 points • May be mounted on one of the following - Komainu.................................................................. 35 points - Nipponsei Steed...................................................... 18 points -- and wear a Horo......................................................... 4 points • May wear an additional Sashimono.......................... 20 points • May choose a Clan Mon........................................... 50 points • May take Magic Items worth up to........................... 50 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 7 5 4 3 2 6 3 8 Magic A Kabuzei is a Level 1 Wizard, who uses spells from the Lore of Death or the Lore of Shadow in the Warhammer rulebook.

105 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Options • May be upgraded to a Level 2 Wizard............. 35 points • May be armed with Shuriken............................. 5 points • May be upgraded to Poisoned Attacks............. 10 points • May carry Smoke Bombs................................. 25 points • May take Magic Items worth up to.................. 50 points

heroes Shindo Monk Profile Shindo Monk Equipment • Hand Weapon Special Rules • Ancestor Spirits

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 3 3 3 2 4 1 8 Magic A Shindo Monk is a Level 1 Wizard who uses spells from any of the one of the eight Battle Magic lores in the Warhammer rulebook, or the Lore of Shindo.

Onmyoji Profile Onmyoji Equipment • Hand Weapon Special Rules • Aspects of Onmyoji

Options • May be upgraded to a Level 2 Wizard........ 35 points • May be mounted on one of the following - Kirin........................................................... 50 points - Nipponsei Steed......................................... 18 points • May take Magic Items worth up to.............. 50 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 5 3 3 3 2 4 1 8 Magic An Onmyoji with Wizard levels uses spells from the lore of Beasts, Life, or Heavens.

95 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

115 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Options • May take up to two Wizard levels...... 35 points each • May have any of the following Aspects - Aspect of Okami....................................... 5 points - Aspect of Oni........................................... 15 points - Aspect of Tengu...................................... 20 points - Aspect of Kitsune................................... 20 points • May select one of the following Familiars - Senningama.............................................. 10 points - Shinigami.................................................. 15 points - Baku.......................................................... 25 points • May take Magic Items worth up to.............. 50 points

Core Samurai Profile Samurai Kyunin Unit Size: 10+ Equipment • Samurai Swords • Heavy Armor

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 8 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 3 8 Special Rules

• •

Ashigaru Spearmen Profile Ashigaru Gunzo Unit Size: 10+ Equipment: • Hand Weapon • Spear • Light Armor

Ashigaru Bowmen Profile Ashigaru Gunzo Unit Size: 10+ Equipment: • Hand Weapon • Longbow

Bushido Kei

14 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options • May upgrade one Samurai to a Kyunin....................... 10 points - who may wear a Sashimono.................................. 20 points • May upgrade one Samurai to a musician.................... 10 points • May upgrade one Samurai to a standard bearer.......... 10 points • The entire unit may exchange their Samurai Swords for one of the following: - Naginata....................................................... 3 points per model - No’Dachi..................................................... 3 points per model - Spears.......................................................... 2 points per model • The entire unit may choose a Clan Mon...................... 25 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 7

5 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options: • May upgrade one Ashigaru to a Gunzo........................................ 10 points • May upgrade one Ashigaru to a musician.................................... 10 points • May upgrade one Ashigaru to a standard bearer......................... 10 points • The entire unit may exchange their Spears for one of the following: - Naginata........................................................................ 2 points per model - Yari............................................................................... 3 points per model

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 7

7 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Core Samurai Horsemen Profile Samurai Horseman Samurai Horsemaster Nipponsei Steed Unit Size: 5+ Equipment • Samurai Swords • Longbow

Ōkami Profile Ōkami Kamuy Unit Size: 5+ Special Rules:

•

Yokai

Ronin Profile Ronin Unit Size: 5+ Equipment: • Samurai Swords

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 8 4 4 5 4 3 1 4 2 8 8 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 5

Special Rules

• • • •

Bushido Kei Fast Cavalry Kyuba no Michi

18 Points Troop Type Cavalry Cavalry -

Options • May upgrade one Samurai Horseman to a Samurai Horsemaster................................................................. 10 points - who may wear a Sashimono.................................. 20 points • May upgrade one Samurai Horseman to a musician ..................................................................................... 10 points • May upgrade one Samurai Horseman to a standard bearer .................................................................................... 10 points • The entire unit may take light armor.............. 1 point per model • The entire unit may choose a Clan Mon...................... 25 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 6 6 3 0 3 3 1 3 2 7

8 points per model Troop Type Warbeast Warbeast

Options: • May upgrade one Ōkami to a Kamuy........................................... 10 points • The entire unit may be upgraded to have the Vanguard special rule ....................................................................................... 2 points per model

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 7 Special Rules: • Bushido • Repentant • Skirmish

10 Points Troop Type Infantry

Note: The number of regiments of Ronin taken in your army may not be greater than the number of regiments of Samurai.

speCiaL Naginata Riders Profile Naginata Rider Naginata Kyunin Nipponsei Steed Unit Size: 5+ Equipment • Hand Weapon • Naginata • Sashimono • Heavy Armor

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 7 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 3 8 8 3 0 3 3 1 3 1 5 Special Rules

• • •

Bushido Kei Fast Cavalry

Kensai Profile Kensai Unit Size: 5+ Equipment • Samurai Swords • Heavy Armor • Sashimono

• • • • •

Bushido Kei Sword Saints Yojimbo Killing Blow

Ashigaru Arquebusiers Profile Arquebusier Gunzo Unit Size: 10+ Equipment: • Hand Weapon • Handgun

Options • May upgrade one Naginata Rider to a Naginata Kyunin ..................................................................................... 10 points - who may wear an additional Sashimono............... 20 points • May upgrade one Naginata Rider to a musician ..................................................................................... 10 points • May upgrade one Naginata Rider to a standard bearer ..................................................................................... 10 points - may take a magic standard worth up to................. 50 points • The entire unit may take horo....................... 3 points per model • The entire unit may choose a Clan Mon...................... 25 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 5 4 4 3 1 5 2 8 Special Rules

22 Points Troop Type Cavalry Cavalry -

18 Points Troop Type Infantry

Options • May upgrade one Kensai to a musician.................... 10 points • May upgrade one Kensai to a standard bearer.......... 10 points • The entire unit may exchange their Samurai Swords for No’Dachi...................................................... 4 points per model • The entire unit may take an additional Sashimono ...................................................................... 5 points per model • The entire unit may choose a Clan Mon...................... 25 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 6 4 3 4 3 3 1 3 2 7

10 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options: • May upgrade one Arquebusier to a Gunzo................................... 10 points • May upgrade one Arquebusier to a musician............................... 10 points • May upgrade one Arquebusier to a standard bearer..................... 10 points • The entire unit may be take light armor.......................... 1 point per model • The entire unit may take defensive screens................... 2 points per model

speCiaL Uzabushi Profile Uzabushi Schuyou

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 2 8

Unit Size: 10+

Special Rules

•

Equipment • Kanabo • Light Armor

•

Taiko Drum Profile Taiko Drum Drummer Oni Bearers

Uzabushi Ferocity Stubborn

Options • May upgrade one Uzabushi to a Schuyou................... 10 points • May upgrade one Uzabushi to a musician.................. 10 points • May upgrade one Uzabushi to a standard bearer........ 10 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld - 5 5 - 3 3 3 - - 3 1 7 6 4 2 4 - - 2 4 7

Unit Size: 1

Equipment (Drummers): Handweapon

Crew: 2 Drummers

Drawn By: Oni Bearers

Shinobuzei Profile Shinobuzei Soul Eater

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 5 4 3 3 1 5 1 7 4 5 4 3 3 1 5 2 7

Unit Size: 10+

Special Rules

Equipment • Two Hand Weapons

Wretched Body of Shadows Skirmish

• •

•

12 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

120 Points Troop Type Chariot (armor save 5+) Special Rules: • War Platform • Herald of War

14 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options • May upgrade one Shinobuzei to a Soul Eater.............. 10 points • The entire unit may take shuriken................ 2 points per model • The entire unit may take smoke bombs........ 4 points per model • The entire unit may be upgraded to have Poisoned Attacks ...................................................................... 2 points per model • The entire unit may be upgraded to have one of the following special rules: - Vanguard............................................... 4 points per model - Scout..................................................... 6 points per model - Ambusher............................................. 6 points per model

speCiaL Oni Profile Oni Berserker

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 4 2 4 5 3 2 3 7 6 4 2 4 5 3 2 4 7

Unit Size: 3+

Special Rules

• • • •

Equipment • Hand Weapons

Yokai Trample Frenzy Fear

Tengu Profile Tengu

• • •

Kitsune Profile Kitsune

Equipment • Hand Weapon

25 Points Troop Type Infantry

Special Rules

Equipment • Two Hand Weapons

Unit Size: 1

Options • May upgrade one Oni to a Berserker........................... 10 points • The entire unit may have one of the following: - Additional hand weapons....................... 3 points per model - Greatweapons......................................... 8 points per model

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 3 5 3 3 4 2 5 2 7

Unit Size: 5+

40 points per model Troop Type Monstrous Infantry Monstrous Infantry

Yokai Fly Skirmish

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 5 0 3 3 3 5 2 7 Special Rules

• • •

Yokai Cunning Courtesan Stunning Beauty

100 Points Troop Type Warbeast

Options: • May have the Scout special rule........... 25 points • May take Magic Items worth up to....... 25 points

rare Hatamoto Profile Hatamoto Torai Komainu

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 6 4 4 3 1 6 2 8 4 6 4 4 3 1 6 3 8 8 5 0 5 4 3 4 3 8

Unit Size: 3+

Special Rules:

• • • • •

Equipment: • Samurai Swords • Heavy Armor • Two Sashimono

Sotei Profile Sotei Benkei Unit Size: 5+ Equipment: • Naginata • Heavy Armor

Equipment: • Hand Weapon

Special Rules:

• • •

• •

Kei Brotherhood Mystic Wardens Immune to Psychology Magical Attacks Wardsave (5+)

Special Rules:

• • • •

Bushido Martial Mastery Peerless Warrior Killing Blow

16 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options: • May upgrade one Sotei to a Benkei........................... 10 points • May upgrade one Sotei to a musician........................ 10 points • May upgrade one Sotei to a standard bearer............. 10 points - may take a magic standard worth up to............... 50 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 7 5 4 3 2 6 3 8

*Note: each Legendary Warrior counts as a single unit for purposes of deployment and calculating victory points.

Options: • May upgrade one Hatamoto to a Torai...................... 10 points - may take an additional sashimono...................... 20 points - may take a magic item worth up to...................... 25 points • May upgrade one Hatamoto to a musician................ 10 points • May upgrade one Hatamoto to a standard bearer...... 10 points - may take a magic standard worth up to............... 50 points • The entire unit may exchange their samurai swords for one of the following: - Naginata................................................ 5 points per model - No’Dachi.............................................10 points per model

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 5 4 4 3 1 5 1 8 4 5 4 4 3 1 5 2 8

Legendary Warrior Profile Legendary Warrior Unit Size: 1-2*

Bushido Kei Fear Forest Strider Magic Resistance (1)

65 Points Troop Type Monstrous Cavalry Monstrous Cavalry -

50 Points Troop Type Infantry (Character)

Options: • Must choose one of the following Martial Masteries: - Master of Kenjutsu.............................................. 25 points - Master of Kyudo.................................................. 15 points - Master of Bajutsu................................................ 35 points • May take one of the following: - Light Armor........................................................... 6 points - Heavy Armor......................................................... 8 points • If a Master of Bajutsu, may take a horo...................... 4 points • May select magic items worth up to.......................... 50 points

rare Nipponsei Cannon Profile Nipponsei Cannon Crewman Unit Size: 1

M WS BS S T W I A Ld - - 7 3 - 4 3 3 3 3 1 3 1 7

Equipment:

•

Hand weapon

Crew: 3 Crewmen

Uzutsu Profile Uzutsu Gashira Unit Size: 3+ Equipment: • Samurai Swords • Uzutsu Cannon • Heavy Armor

Special Rules:

Bushido Kei Noisome Brutes

Ryujin Profile Ryujin Unit Size: 1 Special Rules: • Yokai • Breath Weapon (S4) • Large Target

Options: • May be upgraded to fire Flaming Arrows................ 15 points • May take defensive screens..................................... 10 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 4 4 4 4 3 1 4 2 8 4 4 5 4 3 1 4 2 8 • • •

18 points per model Troop Type Infantry Infantry

Options: • May upgrade one Uzutsu to a Gashira.................. 10 points • The entire unit may take defensive screens ................................................................ 1 point per model • The entire unit may take a Clan Mon.................... 15 points

M WS BS S T W I A Ld 6 7 3 6 6 4 7 5 9 Magic: A Ryujin that is a Wizard uses spells from the Lore of Light, Heavens, Life, Beasts, or Shindo.

• • •

130 points per model Troop Type War Machine (Cannon) -

305 Points Troop Type Monster

Options: • May take up to two Wizard levels ...................................... 35 points/level

Fly Terror Scaly Skin (3+)

summary Lords Daimyo Datashi Matsunori Izeguri Kojiro Minamoyo Itazzen Odai Nasunaga Shindo Priest Takata Nobuharu -Furinkazan

4 4 4 4 4 4 4 9

8 8 8 8 9 5 8 4

5 5 5 5 4 3 4 0

4 4 4 4 4 3 4 4

4 4 4 4 4 3 4 5

3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3

7 6 7 7 7 4 7 4

4 4 4 4 5 2 4 3

9 9 9 10 8 8 9 7

Heroes Hachehiro Takematsu Kabukara Gozeimon Kabuzei Miyushiro Masune

Yamakata Masatagi -Matsukaze

6 5 4 4 4 4 4 4 8

6 8 7 8 5 4 7 7 4

2 6 5 4 3 3 4 4 0

6 4 4 4 3 3 4 4 4

5 3 3 4 3 3 3 3 3

4 2 2 3 2 2 2 2 1

3 7 6 7 4 4 6 6 3

5 4 3 5 1 1 3 4 2

8 8 8 8 8 8 8 8 7

Core Ashigaru Spearman -Gunzo Ashigaru Bowman -Gunzo

M 4 4 4 4

WS 3 3 3 3

BS 3 3 3 3

S 3 3 3 3

T 3 3 3 3

W 1 1 1 1

I 3 3 3 3

A 1 2 1 2

Ld 6 7 6 7

Ĺ&#x152;kami -Kamuy Ronin

6 6 4

3 3 4

0 0 4

3 3 4

3 3 3

1 1 1

3 3 4

1 2 2

6 7 7

Samurai -Kyunin Samurai Horseman -Samurai Horsemaster -Nipponsei Steed

4 4

3 3

1 1

4 4

2 3

7 8

4 4 8

4 4 3

4 5 0

4 4 3

3 3 3

1 1 1

4 4 3

2 2 1

8 8 5

Special Arquebusier Ashigaru -Gashira Kensai

M 4 4 4

WS 3 3 5

BS 3 4 3

S 3 3 4

T 3 3 3

W 1 1 1

I 3 3 5

A 1 1 2

Ld 6 7 8

Onmyoji Shindo Monk Taisho

Kitsune

Naginata Riders -Kyunin -Nipponsei Steed Onii

4 4 8 5

4 4 3 4

4 4 2

4 4 3 4

3 3 5

1 1 3

4 4 3 2

2 3 1 3

7 8 7

-Berserker Shinobuzei -Soul Eater

6 4 4

4 5 5

2 4 4

4 3 3

5 3 3

3 1 1

2 5 5

4 1 2

7 7 7

Type Inf Inf (SC) Inf (SC) Inf (SC) Inf (SC) Inf MC (SC) Type MI (SC) Inf (SC) Inf

Inf (SC) Inf Inf Inf

Cav (SC)

Type Inf Inf Inf Inf Warbeast Warbeast Inf Inf Inf Cav Cav Type Inf Inf Inf Warbeast Cav Cav MI MI Inf Inf

summary Special

Type

Uzabushi -Schuyou Taiko Drum -Drummer -Oni Bearers Tengu

4 4 6 3

3 3 3 4 5

3 4 3 2 3

3 3 3 4 3

3 3 5 4

1 1 5 2

3 3 3 2 5

1 2 1 4 2

7 8 7 7 7

CH Inf

Rare Hatamoto -Torai -Komainu Legendary Warrior

Type

4 4 8 4 4 6 4 4 4 4

6 6 5 7 3 6 4 4 4 4

4 4 5 3 0 4 4 4 5

4 4 5 4 3 6 4 4 4 4

3 3 4 3 7 3 5 3 3 3 3

1 1 3 2 3 1 5 1 1 1 1

5 5 4 6 3 3 4 4 4 4

2 3 3 4 1 5 2 3 2 2

7 8 8 8 7 8 7 8 8 8

MC MC Inf WM Mo Inf Inf Inf Inf

Type

8 8 8

3 5 3

3 5 4

4 4

3 3

3 4 4

1 3 2

8 6

WB MB MB

Nipponsei Cannon Crewman Ryujin Sotei -Benkei

Uzutsu -Gashira Mounts Nipponsei Steed Komainu Kirin

Troop Type Key: In = Infantry, CA = Cavalry, WB = Warbeast, MI = Monstrous Infantry, MC = Monstrous Cavalry, MO = Monster, CH = Chariot, WM = Warmachine.

Inside you will find:

Nippon Nippon is the last realm of men, a mysterious land to the far East, off the shores of Cathay. It is a realm of constant internal war, though it has turned its eyes to the world beyond its borders. Chaos lays siege to the island kingdom from all sides, as slavering, mutated Beastmen pour from its Northern forests to lay waste to the civilization growing in the South. Despite this constant struggle, Nippon has thrived thanks to the power of it’s loyal and dutiful Bushi, and stands as a realm of fable and wonderment among all the Warhammer world.

•

A bestiary describing every unit, monster, hero and war machine in the army.

•

An army list to arrange your collection of miniatures into a battle-ready force.

•

A history, timeline, and complete back story for the army.

Warhammer: Nippon is one of a series of supplements for Warhammer. Each book in the series descrubes in A detail an army, its history, and its heroes.

A supplement for

English Language .pdf format

The Game of Fantasy Battles You will need a copy of Warhammer to use the contents of this book.

Fan-Made Armies