Jean Otus
Would-Be Prince
After the end of the of Japanese Warring States period, the island nation knew many years of peace and prosperity. While the emperor continued to reign as a figurehead in Kyoto, the Tokugawa Shogunate in Edo held true power. In some ways, the strict rules imposed by the military government promoted the growth of the nation, though in many more they oppressed and limited the lives of many. Most importantly, the Tokugawa Shogunate cut off the country from any foreign contact, save for a handful of Dutch goods allowed to be traded off the southern tip of Kyushu. In spite of this, or perhaps because of it, there were many instances of corruption, smuggling, and organized crime during this era. The rapid transition from a system of independent fiefdoms to a unitary feudal system caused many with a more roguish outlook on life to chafe and resist the new rules, hiding in the wilderness or shadows of the rapidly growing cities.
The country was turned on its head; however, by the arrival of a small military force in 1854. The small fleet of black warships from the western nation known as the United States of America. Normally any fleet, let alone a western fleet, with the gall to force its way into Japan would have been met with cannon and fire. The western technology far surpassed that of the Japanese, and it was under these guns that the Shogun signed the rights to trade over to the western powers of France, England, Russia, and the United States.
In some ways the trade enriched the lives of the Japanese, in others they found themselves at the mercy of the unequal treaties signed under the shadow of the western guns. In 1863, using what little power he had left, the Emperor made an order to expel these treacherous westerners so that the Japanese people might be protected from the poorly negotiated treaties. Reeling from this display of rebellion, the Shogun contradicted this order, hoping to salvage his foreign relations and pull the country firmly under his control. Several clans; however, such as Choshu and Satsuma supported the Emperor's edict and ignored the Shogun's orders. Suddenly a movement sprung to life in the south of the country, with the rallying cry of "Revere the Emperor! Expel the Barbarians!" they stood in open revolt against the Bakufu.
Political activists from all over the country flocked to the imperial city of Kyoto to rally and promote their radical ideas of overturning 600 years of rule by military government. As these Ishin Shishi worked in Kyoto imperial armies formed in the rebellious provinces to the south. To pull the imperial city and hopefully the nation under his control, the Shogun employed a secret police force in the streets of Kyoto. This force, known as the Shinsengumi, were drawn from dojos and clans with a unique mastery of the sword, and a fanatical loyalty to the Shogun. As this secret police force brought violence against the ishin shishi they too employed master swordsmen.
Soon, the streets of Kyoto were painted with blood every night; assassinations, raids, and open battles raged between the supporters of the emperor and the servants of the shogun. It is here that our story finds us, in the middle of this bloody gang war between the Ishin Shishi and the Shinsengumi, our characters must find a way to survive, to live for their ideals, and to come of age with their nation.
It is the spring of 1865, blood-soaked cherry blossoms clot the streets...
For over two hundred years, the islands of Japan were locked away from the world, with the Shogunate, which came to be known as the Bakufu, reigning supreme over even the divine emperor. For over two hundred years clans in opposition to the Bakufu have slowly disappeared, with only the greatest of the clans surviving the withering effect of the Shogun's spite.The country was turned on its head; however, by the arrival of a small military force in 1854. The small fleet of black warships from the western nation known as the United States of America. Normally any fleet, let alone a western fleet, with the gall to force its way into Japan would have been met with cannon and fire. The western technology far surpassed that of the Japanese, and it was under these guns that the Shogun signed the rights to trade over to the western powers of France, England, Russia, and the United States.
In some ways the trade enriched the lives of the Japanese, in others they found themselves at the mercy of the unequal treaties signed under the shadow of the western guns. In 1863, using what little power he had left, the Emperor made an order to expel these treacherous westerners so that the Japanese people might be protected from the poorly negotiated treaties. Reeling from this display of rebellion, the Shogun contradicted this order, hoping to salvage his foreign relations and pull the country firmly under his control. Several clans; however, such as Choshu and Satsuma supported the Emperor's edict and ignored the Shogun's orders. Suddenly a movement sprung to life in the south of the country, with the rallying cry of "Revere the Emperor! Expel the Barbarians!" they stood in open revolt against the Bakufu.
Political activists from all over the country flocked to the imperial city of Kyoto to rally and promote their radical ideas of overturning 600 years of rule by military government. As these Ishin Shishi worked in Kyoto imperial armies formed in the rebellious provinces to the south. To pull the imperial city and hopefully the nation under his control, the Shogun employed a secret police force in the streets of Kyoto. This force, known as the Shinsengumi, were drawn from dojos and clans with a unique mastery of the sword, and a fanatical loyalty to the Shogun. As this secret police force brought violence against the ishin shishi they too employed master swordsmen.
Soon, the streets of Kyoto were painted with blood every night; assassinations, raids, and open battles raged between the supporters of the emperor and the servants of the shogun. It is here that our story finds us, in the middle of this bloody gang war between the Ishin Shishi and the Shinsengumi, our characters must find a way to survive, to live for their ideals, and to come of age with their nation.
It is the spring of 1865, blood-soaked cherry blossoms clot the streets...
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