PlaneShift
Gameplay => Guilds Forum => Topic started by: Vassago on January 18, 2004, 09:25:12 pm
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\"What the ancients called a clever fighter is one who not only wins, but excels in winning with ease\"
Alignment: Neutral
Goals: To protect the fine arts and maintain greatest possible honour, primarily by fighting.
Leader: Kezuke Minkasen (or just Kezuke)
Homepage: None right now
Contact: berra177@hotmail.com (MSN? Yup!)
\"There are not more than five primary colors (blue, yellow, red, white, and black), yet in combination they produce more hues than can ever been seen.\"
The path of the Daimyo:
To wisely rule and keep together the inhabitants in his realm. (Thats me)
The path of the Samurai:
To follow the will of the daimyo, exel in the art of fighting and be prepared for combat even in the most peaceful of times. (The warriors of The Kezuke Clan)
The path of the Ninja:
To walk unseen in the shadows, spy on the enemies of the daimyo, asassinate your targets, follow the will of the daimyo and most importantly of all: Do not get caught! (the assasins, spies and thieves of The Kezuke Clan)
The path of the Taisho:
To lead the Samurai wisely in battle, keep your head cool even under pressure, fight with honour, and follow the will of the daimyo. (the generals and advisors of The Kezuke Clan)
The path of the Sohei:
To keep up the magical and religous support in the ranks of the warriors, keep up the spirits of the men, follow the will of the daimyo and make the enemies fear The Kezuke Clan! (mages, diplomats, alchemists and doctors of The Kezuke Clan)
\"If a general shows confidence in his men but always insists on his orders being obeyed, the gain will be mutual.\"
Mail me for information and questions!
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hmm, good structure so far. Get a site up and running, and u look promising. :D
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nice lection. Good luck with the guild.
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Wow, somebody else has started a guild with a thought in mind. It has been a while since that has happened. :P So far, the structure is nice and if you just expand on everything there, you should do alright.
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Another neutral guild... more flavor than the others, though. I wish you luck.
Actually, this is Lawful Neutral, if you are counting that.
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well done i thought out guild idea now you have to see if they work :P good luck and all the thingys im supposed to say
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Thanks for all good response! If you wonder about the quotes, they are from Sun Tzus \"the art of war\", i will write more about this guild later, I cant make homepages, so this will be kind of a homepage...
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I can make you a simple homepage after next week if u really want to stay and last and provide me with the data(text, pics...)
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Hmm... It would be interesting to see some Japanese style in PS... Anyway, hello, welcome and good luck!
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Yes, Jap guild is interesting..... maby someday we will have a slavic guild...
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hja well, we\'re not so different from the other westeners(they\'re freakin slow in realizing that, though), so we\'re not so interesting as Japanese.
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the japanese are boring (they even realized that themselves :P, that\'s why almost all their comic/cartoon characters are of european origin I\'m thinking mainly of manga here (although their name might not be))
however japanese culture, and history is very interesting and rich on myths and tales of glory. A Wen-Tsu\'ish enclave in this game could be fun :P
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Heres a little more on the path of the samurai, which will probably be the most numerous:
Each Samurai will start in the ranks of the ashiragu (\"inexperienced\"), when he (or she) has proven his (or her) valour in combat and strengthened his (or her) honour he (or she) will be acepted in the ranks of the samurai. Each samurai will be adressed with one of these weapons:
The sword
Samurai were the only people allowed to carry two swords, a pair called the daisho, (the \"long and short\") as a badge of their unique warrior status. These two weapons, the long katana and the shorter wakizashi, were worn together although rarely used as a pair of weapons in combat. Miyamoto Musashi, the sword-saint and writer of the best-known book on swordsmanship, A Book of Five Rings, was unusual in that his \"Two Heavens\" fighting style did use two swords at the same time. One other sword is worth mentioning at this point, the no dachi. These enormous two-handed weapons were only ever used on foot.
The samurai used the katana to defend as well as attack and as a result never adopted shields, unlike the knights of Europe. They never needed to, because of the superb metalwork in the katana was good enough to act in both capacities
A samurai sword was carefully constructed out of many layers of steel and iron. The two would be hammered out and folded over many times to produce a \"sandwich\" of many layers. Each repeated forging doubled the number of layers of metal in a sword, in some cases 2?? ? 4,194,304 ? layers of metal would be the result. The maximum number of folds recorded is some 2?? (or 10,736,461,824!) layers of forged metal. This gave the sword enormous strength when the iron and steel were welded together. The iron at the sides and back edge gave flexibility to the blade, while the steel core could be hardened to make a perfect edge.
The final process in the forging was particularly clever. The blade was coated with clay built up to a different thickness across the blade: thin at the cutting edge and thick towards the back. When the sword ? in its clay overcoat ? was heated and then quenched, it cooled at different speeds and the metal crystals in each part in the blade ended up as different sizes. They were large where the clay had been thick, which meant that they were flexible, but small at the cutting edge, so they would form a hard edge that could be sharpened. Once the sword blade was polished, the change from the softer steel and the harder edge could show up as the yakiba, a line that resembles a breaking wave. Once the blade had been signed by the smith and hilt and guard fitted, the sword was ready for use.
The result of all of this was a sword that could cut a man in two ? literally. Occasionally condemned criminals were used to test new swords, but it was more common to use a bundle of rushes and bamboo or to use corpses. Some swords had details of their testing carved into the tang (the piece of the sword inside the hilt).
Thanks to the resilience of such a blade, a samurai could block and turn blows that would have shattered any ordinary steel weapon. Its razor sharp edge gave him the ability to cut through an opponent right down to the bone. These two contrasting qualities were the result of the skills and experience that Japanese sword smiths had accumulated over centuries. No other sword, even the famous blades from Toledo in Spain, ever equalled these Japanese weapons. The katana is still probably the best hand-to-hand weapon ever produced.
The Spear and the polearm
The naginata looks remarkably like a quarterstaff with a large sword blade fixed to one end. The sohei warrior monks particularly favoured them, but in the hands of a skilled man (which is to say a samurai) they were devastating against almost any opponent. During the Sengoku period the naginata fell out of widespread use as the yari became a popular weapon with the clans.
As with all Japanese weapons, skilled craftsmen often made yari. The yari?s shaft was often of oak, surrounded by bamboo laminations and then whole covered with weatherproof lacquer. A razor-sharp blade completed the spear. Originally, the yari was about 3 or 4 metres in length, but as the Sengoku period continued, it became longer as the daimyo experimented with its tactical use. The Date family, for example, equipped their men with 5.4 metre (around 18 feet) yari.
The daimyo came to see the yari as a valuable \"offensively\" defensive weapon, the theory being that enemy warriors couldn?t get into close combat past a row of sharp blades at the end of a long spear.
The Bow
Archery was the skill that the early samurai prized above all others, even more than swordsmanship. They even used the term \"The Way of Horse and Bow\" to describe their military calling. This dates back to the time when samurai were primarily cavalry soldiers and fought as mounted archers. Over the centuries two slow evolutions took place so that cavalry became primarily armed with spears and many other samurai took to fighting as foot soldiers. Using the bow well, however, remained the mark of a well-trained and disciplined warrior.
A samurai bow looks ungainly as the handgrip is not central, but two-thirds of the distance along the bow, with the longer section above the handgrip. This odd appearance was quite deliberate, because it allowed a much more powerful bow to be easily used from horseback. The short lower section could easily be swung across a horse?s neck so that the samurai could fire at any target. A symmetrical bow would have been smaller (and therefore less powerful) or been ungainly for mounted use. The bow itself was carefully laminated from deciduous wood and bamboo and then bound for extra strength. The whole thing was carefully lacquered to keep out damp. Stringing a bow could take the combined effort of several men, so the whole bow had enormous power.
The level of skill that a samurai archer could achieve was the product of long years of practice. Samurai were expected to hit small targets while riding at full gallop. This is a skill that is still demonstrated today at yamasame festivals.
Arrows came in many types, but the most unusual were signalling arrows that had a large wooden whistle fitted to the head. These made a warbling noise as they flew through the air and were fired at the start of battle to attract the attention of kami, or spirits, to witness the brave deeds that were about to be performed. Fire arrows were also popular, particularly during sieges.
/thanks for your time
/Vassago
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Well, does anyone wish to join?
The prequisites are:
1. An e-mail adress, and preferably msn.
2. A will to have fun and live long in the mmorpg of planeshift!
3. And of course an interest in the old japanese people and history!
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Very good. Brilliant idea my fellow monk :D
Is good to see a new flavour in our realms ... and your ideas are very good. You earned my respect kido, and that is something.
If you need help with a web site, promoting and recruiting, just contact me.
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I wish to join your guild I have added you to my msn
also I can build the guild a website
and lastly I wish to apply for the title of ninja
my msn is: windfalcon_sa@hotmail.com
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since you did one for samurai I\'m adding one for ninja hope thats ok lol
Swords
The ninja sword (ninja-to) was different than that of the samurai. The long sword that the samurai carried was made of high-carbon steel, and took months to have made. They were hand made specially for each samurai, taking great care to make a very high quality sword. It was so sharp that it could easily cut a man in two, even through their armor. The length of the samurai swords averaged around 26 1/2 to 37 inches.
The ninja sword was considerably shorter, only 24 inches, and the quality of the swords was much poorer. The reason for the poorer quality was the way they used the sword as opposed to the way the samurai used theirs. Samurai would swing their sword, severing limbs and slashing at the opponent. Ninja, on the other hand, used the sword more in a stabbing motion. To use the blade of the ninja sword effectively you would have to use a sawing motion when the blade came in contact with the opponents flesh.
Another reason for the poor quality of the swords is that since ninja were mostly mountain people and outlaws, they could not afford to hire expert sword smiths like the samurai could. Also their own sword smiths did not have access to the right resources to be able to make curved edge swords with well constructed blades. If a Ninja could overcome a samurai he would take his swords, simply because they are better.
Although the ninja sword was smaller and poorer quality, it still had its advantages. The scabbard for instance was made longer than the sword, about 3 to 4 inches longer. At the end of the scabbard there was a hidden compartment that was used to hide small weapons such as spikes, daggers or small amounts of poisons. Another use the sword had was that it could act as a small step by jamming the blade into the ground, the ninja could use the hand-guard as a step to get that extra height needed to scale a wall. Because the blade was not very sharp, the ninja could also use it as a hammer by holding onto the blade (carefully) and hitting with the handle. Also it was common to have the tip of the scabbard come off so it could be used as a snorkel.
Another reason for using the Ninja sword was so that the ninja would be ale to weild it within small corridors on various missions.
Ashiko
The Ashiko were spiked claws that were worn on the feet. This helped the Ninja climb faster and more efficiently on their missions. As well as a great climbing aid, it could also be used in combat to deliver deadly kicks.
Fukiya
The fukiya, or blowgun, was a staple in the Ninja\'s arsenal since it was so versatile.
The fukiya was used to shoot darts (sometimes poisoned) at an enemy from a distance and, since it made almost no noise, the Ninja\'s hiding place wasn\'t threatened by using this weapon. Aside from launching darts, the blowgun could be used as a snorkel while the Ninja was underwater. Since the fukiya was made of bamboo, it blended in with the reeds in the water, therefore enabling the Ninja to stay submerged for hours, if necessary.
Metsubishi could also be delivered through the fukiya by shooting small paper containers filled with pepper and metal shavings at an enemy\'s face.
Shuriken
The Shuriken is the trade mark ninja weapon made famous by the movies and stories about the ninja. The Shuriken was simply a flat piece of metal with sharpened points that were thrown at the enemy.
The Shuriken was not originally designed as a killing weapon. It was mostly used to distract or deter so the ninja could escape. While in the midst of a get-away, the Shuriken could be thrown at the samurai chasing the ninja, possibly making the samurai think twice about continuing the chase.
Although the Shuriken was not intended to kill, it was easily made lethal by dipping the edges in poison. This was effective, but sometimes it backfired when the ninja would accidentally cut himself while digging around for it, thus poisoning himself.
Shuriken were also designed to hit the opponent then bounce away out of sight. This way a ninja could fool an unsuspecting guard or sentry into believing he had been cut by an invisible swordsmen.
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(sorry bout the triple post but i didn\'t know if there is a char limit)
History of the Ninja
The history of the Ninja is hard to trace. This is because there were few, if any records kept of its existance. Most of what is known about the ninja is taken from stories that have been passed down from generation to generation.
Nonuse (\"the art of stealth\") was first introduced to Japan in 522 A.D. as a religion practiced by priests. These priests were not violent people, they were \"mystics\" who gathered and shared information for the ruling classes. The ninja as we know them were not introduced until later.
It wasn\'t until 645 A.D. that the priests perfected their fighting skills and made use of their knowledge of nonuse. This was because they found themselves being harassed by the central government and found in necessary to protect themselves.
In 794-1192 A.D. the new civilization flourished and with it, a new class of wealthy, privileged families. These families fought with one another in attempts to make or destroy emperors. The need for spies, informants and now assassins grew as these families dueled for power. They were suspicious and jealous of one another and would resort to any means necessary to eliminate any possible threats. Therefore, the practitioners of nonuse were in great demand. With this, the ninja was born.
As the ninja gained popularity, so did the stories of their superhuman abilities. This reputation was often encouraged by the ninja themselves. Because they were a relatively weaker people then their counterparts, the samurai, and were vulnerable to attack by the many warring families around them, it was to their advantage to have others believe they had such powers. Powers like having the strength of ten men, ability to turn into animals, fly and become invisible at will. The ninja movies also added to the abilities by having the ninja jump over buildings in a single jump, catch bullets in their teeth and see into the future.
At this point you must understand the samurai to truly understand just why the ninja were so effective and in such demand. The samurai\'s life was to \"live by the sword, die by the sword\", with no fear of death at all. His sword was his whole life, his soul. With this he followed the warriors code of honor, the Bushido. The bushido was to be followed at all times. If a samurai were to stray from the code he would then commit seppuku, another term for hara-kiri. This was a ritual suicide where they would cut their stomach open with their smaller sword.
The ninja followed no such code. Their only code was to do whatever it takes to get the job done. This gave the ninja a great advantage right away, add the use of a wide variety of weapons and you have a superior warrior. Since the samurai could not sneak into an enemy\'s house, because it was against their code, they could not carry out such tasks as assassination and sabotage. This is where the ninja came in. And if that meant sneaking up behind a samurai warrior and killing him before he even knew he was in danger, that was very permissible by the ninja. The bushido would never allow for this. For this reason the samurai were afraid of the ninja. A fear the ninja had earned.
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very nice text up there falconx, interesting read :D welcome to the Kenzuke clan btw ;)
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Hi, im new to this game but should be right in a week or two once I get adsl. Just wondering if I could join this guild if you make it, as im going to be a ninja once I get it up n running anyway as im a ninja in training and love everything about it and japanese history. My msn is shady_876@hotmail.com
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Originally posted by Grim
Hi, im new to this game but should be right in a week or two once I get adsl. Just wondering if I could join this guild if you make it, as im going to be a ninja once I get it up n running anyway as im a ninja in training and love everything about it and japanese history. My msn is shady_876@hotmail.com
actually we need more samurai and politicians before we get more nijas, right now we are 1 daimyo 1 samurai and TWO ninjas
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Well fair enough mate. Guess ill be going out on my own then. Who knows, maybe one day Ill kill the daimyo myself :)
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Vassago, I suggest you dont refuse any more people because they dont chose the path you want them too, you may have already made a dangerous enemy...
The Guild looks great though, nice idea. Just get a good website going and I\'m sure you will be a respected Guild in PS.
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Well here I am. Joined the guild (not officially) as a Suhei alchemist and tinkerer.
I\'ll hopefully be able to provide you with healing salves, better mixtures of steel, and tons of gadgets for you ninja types :)
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Just wants to make people know we\'re still around ;)...
Currently accepting:
Everything!
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Woah, your alive! Your site need updating though...