Sengoku Jidai, Japanese interactive History

[Kagemusha]

From Oura,

We will not answer to Date Harumune´s congratulations nor his threats. We do not expect justice from the likes of Date or Mogami, but what we want is for the rest of the Lords of Nippon to know is that trusting those two is perilous.

During the war of Nanbu against Date and their allies. We decided to throw our lot to Date´s side. They promised us independency in Northern Mutsu, but what happened. Not before Nanbu Harumasa´s blood had gone cold, Date and Mogami crossed our borders. Unfortunately they did not send enough men, so i drove them away.

I am not talking to either of them as i dont think they are worth having conversation with. I am talking to Uesugi and Ashina. Think Lords. If Date and Mogami brake their promises so easily. What is there to expect when they will be done with my Clan and they have nowhere to expand? Whose back they will aim their weapons then?

Oura Tameaki

[Monk]

You were valiant and your defense tenacious, Oura, but do not mistake a set back for a defeat. The flesh of my men was striken by cold far often than it was by your steel, however, as the winter drags on I must come to admit that it is I who sit reflecting upon my men's defeat, while you drink victorious sake in a warm pagoda.

You have won this day and perhaps you will win another, but I am a patient man. And I never make the same mistake twice. Savor your victory, Lord Oura, for your mettle will be tested again. Of that you may have no doubt.

Mogami Yoshimori

[Prince Cobra]

My grief knows no limits for I have lost another dear ally. I order the ashes of Kitabatake clan to be buried into the holy land of Kyoto as a recognition for the great contribution of this clan to the power of the Shogunate. I, Miyoshi Chokei, Kanrei of Nippon take the burden to avenge their death and to put to death the rebels from the Asai, Oda, Tokugawa and Iga.

I am also surprised by the violance in the lands of Oura. How shall I interpret this?



Miyoshi Chokei, Kanrei of Nippon

[Revolting Friendship]

I, Miyoshi Chokei, Kanrei of Nippon take the burden to avenge their death

Excellent, I shall be looking forward to your seppuku. I will gladly act as your kaishakunin, Kanrei.

Ôtomo Sorin

[Prince Cobra]

Excellent, I shall be looking forward to your seppuku. I will gladly act as your kaishakunin, Kanrei.

Ôtomo Sorin

I am not a fool to make such wrong moves like attacking my own allies right now, Otomo Sorin. I believe the Kitabatake were assassinated in order to discredit me and to weaken the position of the loyal to the Shogunate forces in Ise. Kitabatake turned out to be good ally who could have been of immense use during the war against the Oda.

At first I suspected the Iga shinobi but now I am not that sure. Maybe your cunning mind plotted this assassination? Or, which is more likely, you are just trying to twist the situation in your favour. Anyway, I hope you have been careful with the sake during the celebrations of your 'victory'.

[Revolting Friendship]

Ofcourse Miyoshi, you gain a province and we gain the blame as murderers. I can see how much we had to gain from this extremely difficult attack on a heavily guarded castle, in a time when we are hardest pressed for money.

Exactly how much more use was the young and inexperienced Lord Tomonori to you aside from his land and his troops? And everyone knows, you would lose nothing of it, should he be killed.

However, I will believe you, if you appoint another man from the Kitabatake clan to rule Ise. I'm sure not all of them perished in that fire. It would be the just thing to do if you are indeed innocent. If you do this, I know you did not assassinate Tomonori...

But If you do not do it, I know it was you. And so will everyone else know.

[Prince Cobra]

3) Ofcourse Miyoshi, you gain a province and we gain the blame as murderers. I can see how much we had to gain from this extremely difficult attack on a heavily guarded castle, in a time when we are hardest pressed for money.

2) Exactly how much more use was the young and inexperienced Lord Tomonori to you aside from his land and his troops? And everyone knows, you would lose nothing of it, should he be killed.

1) However, I will believe you, if you appoint another man from the Kitabatake clan to rule Ise. I'm sure not all of them perished in that fire. It would be the just thing to do if you are indeed innocent. If you do this, I know you did not assassinate Tomonori...

But If you do not do it, I know it was you. And so will everyone else know.

1)Maybe I have to wait for more information about this sudden disaster and its impact (from Kage).

2.1)Hmm, he outsmarted Asai Nagamasa once. He knew Ise well.
2.2) Assassinations and backstabbing can lead to complications if they fail, Lord Otomo. I do not think a friendly province worthed such a gamble.

3) Hm, you forget that there are many Iga shinobi available + each daimyo has trusted men for this purpose.

[Revolting Friendship]

Paid men do not kill themselves to cover their tracks.
If you did not do this, then you have no reason not to give Ise back to the Kitabatake. Am I wrong? The Kitabatake is an old family, there are plenty of candidates for succession.

[Revolting Friendship]

To the Portuguese Governor of Macau, Diogo Pereira.

Most honoured Captain-Major, and in Asia representative of his Royal Sovereign, Philip II, King of Spain and Portugal.

As you know, our country of Japan is currently at war. On one side you have the christian Daimyô of Kyûshû and their allies, whom you trade with through our port at Nagasaki. We have also embraced your faith in God, and his son Jesus Christ, and allow His missionaries to carry out their work in our lands.

On the other side, you have the selfproclaimed Kanrei, Miyoshi Chokei and his supporters, who are declared enemies against God and known persecutors of His believers. I am sure you know of his edicts and the massacres of christians, carried out in his name.

It is therefore with good reason that I now make this request, so that the christian faith may be secured in Japan, and also your continued right to trade with us however you please.
Thus, I ask for the following:

-That your merchants boycott trade with all clans that we are at war with, and only sell guns and cannons to us, our allies and those who declare support for our alliance.
-We also ask that you provide us the assistance of a squadron of your warships, to safeguard our mutual interests in Japan.

-In the return, your ships are allowed to anchor and trade in any of the ports controlled by us, and also those of our allies if they consent to it.
-Furthermore, the continued safety and work of your missionaries will be guaranteed, as long as they abide by the rules of the Daimyô.
-Lastly, you will be granted a lot of land in Nagasaki, where you will be allowed to establish a trading district, as a safe haven for your merchants. This area will be allowed to operate under the laws of your country, for as long as peaceful relations remain between us.

I hope that you, just as I, realize that there are only benefits from this agreement, and that your profits in trading with us will only increase.

your faithful ally,
Ôtomo Sorin

[Rhyfelwyr]

Are there any clans free ATM?

Think I might give this a go, since my last exam will be over by tomorrow afternoon... got to do something besides playing EB heh.

[Kagemusha]

Are there any clans free ATM?

Think I might give this a go, since my last exam will be over by tomorrow afternoon... got to do something besides playing EB heh.

Wellcome Rhyfelwyr. You can see the free clans from my signature. Check the maps from the first page of this thread and pick one. If you are fast i can take you in for this chapter already so you will receive your starting information as the last ones will get their situation reports.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Can I take Yamana? They look like they have some 1 province pickings nearby

[Kagemusha]

Can I take Yamana? They look like they have some 1 province pickings nearby

Allright Yamana then it is.You should get your starting information this evening. Wellcome to the game.

[Prince Cobra]

To the Portuguese Governor of Macau, Diogo Pereira.

Most honoured Captain-Major, and in Asia representative of his Royal Sovereign, Philip II, King of Spain and Portugal.

As you know, our country of Japan is currently at war. On one side you have the christian Daimyô of Kyûshû and their allies, whom you trade with through our port at Nagasaki. We have also embraced your faith in God, and his son Jesus Christ, and allow His missionaries to carry out their work in our lands.

On the other side, you have the selfproclaimed Kanrei, Miyoshi Chokei and his supporters, who are declared enemies against God and known persecutors of His believers. I am sure you know of his edicts and the massacres of christians, carried out in his name.

It is therefore with good reason that I now make this request, so that the christian faith may be secured in Japan, and also your continued right to trade with us however you please.
Thus, I ask for the following:

-That your merchants boycott trade with all clans that we are at war with, and only sell guns and cannons to us, our allies and those who declare support for our alliance.
-We also ask that you provide us the assistance of a squadron of your warships, to safeguard our mutual interests in Japan.

-In the return, your ships are allowed to anchor and trade in any of the ports controlled by us, and also those of our allies if they consent to it.
-Furthermore, the continued safety and work of your missionaries will be guaranteed, as long as they abide by the rules of the Daimyô.
-Lastly, you will be granted a lot of land in Nagasaki, where you will be allowed to establish a trading district, as a safe haven for your merchants. This area will be allowed to operate under the laws of your country, for as long as peaceful relations remain between us.

I hope that you, just as I, realize that there are only benefits from this agreement, and that your profits in trading with us will only increase.

your faithful ally,
Ôtomo Sorin

I am inquisitive to hear the comments of the other daimyo on this. Otomo Sorin, it seems you and your allies are completely unable to do your work alone and now you are begging foreigners for their help. This is a violation of the customs in our Empire and it only shows how stupid you are. I hope a loyal sword to the Shogun and His Emperor will touch your neck soon and relieve you from your pitiful existence on this earth. None of my ancestors have ever seen such a dishonourable act and I believe that the only thing you must do now is to commit seppuku. I believe that your act is so dishonourable that you do not deserve to have even a kaishakunin.

[Monk]

Not even I, master-mind of the daring (if failed) winter assault on the Oura domain, would have stooped so low as to seek the aid of foreigners not of our lands in overcoming my enemies. I sincerely hope the rumors I have heard of Ôtomo's request for aid are nothing but rumors. Surely, such an outrageous tale must be?

Mogami Yoshimori

[Seign Thelas]

I do point out to the Portugese AND Dutch traders interested in trade with Asia, that the Saika mercenary-controlled port near Kumano will always be open to trade, and we will not discriminate based on religion or race. Perhaps these Europeans would like some Japanese-made Saika muskets?

However, Lord Otomo is a dishonorable whelp and will find no quarter or friendly hand in my land, only thousands of muskets pointed at his cowardly family.

Signed,
Lord Suzuki Shigeoki, Lord of Saika Castle

[AggonyDuck]

The Oda clan is disappointed to see the Ôtomo ask for support from the Gaijin. It strikes us as tremendous folly. This is first and foremost a Japanese war and inviting foreign devils to join will bring ruin upon a divided nation. Has the mighty Sorin pondered on the possibility of the gaijin of wanting more than just a trading quarter within our nation, especially when they notice the extent of our internal divisions? But it is with an even heavier heart, that I must admit that I will continue my alliance with the Ôtomo until the defeat of the Miyoshi, because the Oda clan currently cannot afford to lose an ally in our war against Miyoshi.

Oda Nobunaga

[Prince Cobra]

The Oda clan is disappointed to see the Ôtomo ask for support from the Gaijin. It strikes us as tremendous folly. This is first and foremost a Japanese war and inviting foreign devils to join will bring ruin upon a divided nation. Has the mighty Sorin pondered on the possibility of the gaijin of wanting more than just a trading quarter within our nation, especially when they notice the extent of our internal divisions? But it is with an even heavier heart, that I must admit that I will continue my alliance with the Ôtomo until the defeat of the Miyoshi, because the Oda clan currently cannot afford to lose an ally in our war against Miyoshi.

Oda Nobunaga

In other words, Oda Nobunaga will continue to play the role of Otomo puppet.

[AggonyDuck]

Dear Kanrei,

we thank you for your concern, but be assured, there is no need to be worried about the independence of the Oda, for as you may have noticed, we have considerable experience in cutting the strings of would-be puppeteers.

Oda Nobunaga

[Revolting Friendship]

Don't be silly, Nippon is built on the shoulders of foreign influence. Our clothes are foreign, or written letters are foreign, our customs are foreign, our religions are foreign, our war principles are foreign, our court system is foreign. Everything that makes us great has been imported from the continent, from foreigners. You all use teppô and cannon do you not? What is wrong with making alliances and depriving your enemies of their supplies? Is this not strategies you all take advantage of?

I may have done one thing that you would not, and that is to state my intentions openly. Firstly because I'm sick and tired of all the masquerades, and secondly because I want you to know.

Our strenght is in adaptiveness, through this we excell, and the most fundamental principle of a warrior is this; that the main thing is winning, do it by any means nessecary. This is the foundation of the art of war, upon which all strategy rest.

Ôtomo Sorin

[Kagemusha]

Message from the Ishiyama Honganji,

For too long Christian heretics have been tolerated. Now with the open letter of Otomo daimyo. We can see the true colour of Christians. They are nothing more then traitors, ready to submit to foreign devils. From this day on Otomo Sorin can think himself being at war with the pure land sect.

[Revolting Friendship]

Interesting words from a sect that is at war with its own countries religions and practices, a sect that was among the first to show slavish devotion to the "demonical foreigners" weapons. You all amuse me, greatly. Trust me when I say that I already assumed that you were violenty opposed to me, as you're already violently opposed to fellow buddhists, simply for them having different views on indigenous practices!

As soon as I land in Settsu, I shall torch your disgusting fortress and rid Nippon of one of its greatest plagues.

Ôtomo Sorin

[Prince Cobra]

Try to step on any of my provinces, Otomo and I shall show you how I treat traitors. I welcome the support from the Ishiyama Honganji.

[AggonyDuck]

Don't be silly, Nippon is built on the shoulders of foreign influence. Our clothes are foreign, or written letters are foreign, our customs are foreign, our religions are foreign, our war principles are foreign, our court system is foreign. Everything that makes us great has been imported from the continent, from foreigners. You all use teppô and cannon do you not? What is wrong with making alliances and depriving your enemies of their supplies? Is this not strategies you all take advantage of?

I may have done one thing that you would not, and that is to state my intentions openly. Firstly because I'm sick and tired of all the masquerades, and secondly because I want you to know.

Our strenght is in adaptiveness, through this we excell, and the most fundamental principle of a warrior is this; that the main thing is winning, do it by any means nessecary. This is the foundation of the art of war, upon which all strategy rest.

Ôtomo Sorin

It is one thing to adapt their weapons and technology and a completely another thing to invite them into our civil war. We already have their weapons and the ability to produce them ourself. Even now gun factories in Echizen, Kii and Suruga are busy producing these weapons of war and our products are beginning to surpass theirs. It is our ability to adapt the best from foreign, make it ours and improve it that is our true strength. What breaks my heart is that, we did not need them to win this war and in the process you have made my position completely untenable. This request has completely alienated all those who might have been willing to support us in the war against the Miyoshi. I will withdraw into personal quarters now, as I have to meditate on this matter to find the right way.

Oda Nobunaga

[Seign Thelas]

Interesting words from a sect that is at war with its own countries religions and practices, a sect that was among the first to show slavish devotion to the "demonical foreigners" weapons. You all amuse me, greatly. Trust me when I say that I already assumed that you were violenty opposed to me, as you're already violently opposed to fellow buddhists, simply for them having different views on indigenous practices!

As soon as I land in Settsu, I shall torch your disgusting fortress and rid Nippon of one of its greatest plagues.

Ôtomo Sorin

Use what's useful (their weapons), and throw the worthless part out (them).

This is the Suzuki way, and we will follow the declarations of Lord Kennyo until our demise.

[Rhyfelwyr]

Dear Lords,

I am not surprised by the actions of the Otomo clan, I expect that is was either them or Lord Oda who unleashed these Iga ninjas? Is your clan so weak you need to buy the support of foreigners, as if your own blood is too weak to make a real samurai?

Regards,

Lord Yamana

[patdj]

Fellow Samurai,

as I am not a man of words I will keep my contribution to this argument short. Like my ally and friend, Ôtomo Sorin already pointed out, our culture has eversince adapted the foreign to our purposes. And as the Suzuki put it, it is reasonable to make use of the usefull und get rid of the useless. Still, you might come to think of the fact that use is a very flexible measurement and should not be defined to hastily.
If you go back in time, and seek for the roots of our culture you will find nothing but our Emperor, of Divine Decent. He is the only Thing in this world that defines us as what we are, and he is not to be controlled by a minor human being like a Kanrei or a Shôgun. That is, what I live, pray and kill for.

Shimazu Takahisa

[Kagemusha]

From Hojo to Shimazu

If you put Tenno before anything in this world. How can you then accept foreign powers meddling in affairs of Nippon, even more so per request of your ally and friend? What could more harm the divine authority of Emperor then letting these Portuguese, who have their own King to become factor in internal affairs of Japan?

Hojo Ujiyasu

[Revolting Friendship]

Don't be rediculous, Lord Hôjô. What we are talking about here is the cooperation of mutual interests. Japan as ever since it became a nation been forged by numerous religious traditions. Taoism, Buddhism, the teachings of Kong Fuzi. Foreign missionaries have always come to the shores of Japan spreading their teachings. Even the ancient scriptures of Shoku Nihongi speaks of christian missionaries coming here during the reign of Emperor Shõmu, being recieved at his court.

In keeping with the spirit of freedom and adaptability that lives in our people, we are not doing anything that our people has not already been doing for centuries. We are not making ourselves vassals of the europeans but allies, cooperating with them because we have mutual interests. Because we do not believe that our country should be isolated and ruled by cynicism, backwardness and hostility towards other cultures and practices. Such an attitude is arrogant and can only make our nation weaker.

If you want to accuse me of cowardice for seeking alliances over shores, be my guest, but ask yourself this: Is betraying countryman a better way to achieve victory, than allying with foreigners? If our people is so holy, then why do we treat eachother as worthless dogs? If our culture is so superior, then why has it brought about chaos and civil war? We have already been tearing at eachother like rabid dogs for centuries, and still you think what I did is bad? Then you are outrageous hypocrites.

Ôtomo Sorin

[Prince Cobra]

Don't be rediculous, Lord Hôjô. What we are talking about here is the cooperation of mutual interests. Japan as ever since it became a nation been forged by numerous religious traditions. Taoism, Buddhism, the teachings of Kong Fuzi. Foreign missionaries have always come to the shores of Japan spreading their teachings. Even the ancient scriptures of Shoku Nihongi speaks of christian missionaries coming here during the reign of Emperor Shõmu, being recieved at his court.

In keeping with the spirit of freedom and adaptability that lives in our people, we are not doing anything that our people has not already been doing for centuries. We are not making ourselves vassals of the europeans but allies, cooperating with them because we have mutual interests. Because we do not believe that our country should be isolated and ruled by cynicism, backwardness and hostility towards other cultures and practices. Such an attitude is arrogant and can only make our nation weaker.

If you want to accuse me of cowardice for seeking alliances over shores, be my guest, but ask yourself this: Is betraying countryman a better way to achieve victory, than allying with foreigners? If our people is so holy, then why do we treat eachother as worthless dogs? If our culture is so superior, then why has it brought about chaos and civil war? We have already been tearing at eachother like rabid dogs for centuries, and still you think what I did is bad? Then you are outrageous hypocrites.

Ôtomo Sorin

It seems you have completely lost your mind, Lord Otomo.