[cheekimonk]

Introduction: Part One

The Tokugawa shogunate, whose rule defines the Edo Period in Japan which lasted from 1603 to 1868, was secured not only with military power – most famously in the pivotal, and ultimately deciding, Battle of Sekigahara in 1600 – but intricate political maneuvering. The latter so much so that entire clans were switching sides in the immediate leadup to Sekigahara and even during the battle itself. That, and the rulings of the Shogun immediately following the full consolidation of power in 1603, mean that cracks exist in the loyalty commanded by Tokugawa and that some clans remain openly hostile to the shogunate -with some just as fervently hostile but not openly so.

Rumors of insurrection among the Western clans have become more troubling with the powerful and wealthy Shimazu clan reportedly the leading agitators. As a preemptive move to avoid another bloodly, costly, and unpredictable conflict, the Shogun has commanded a number of his most loyal clans to send one samurai each as emissaries to travel into the heart of Western territories as a warning of the force Edo can wield against any rebellion. However, to avoid provoking a hostile response, the Shogun has stipulated that these samurai be men of low rank, of no great reknown, dressed in neutral, white attire bearing no clan “mon” (crest). It is decided that the men will assemble at a small, non-descript defensive installation on the Western border of Azai clan territory...