INFORMATION
I�m going to hate myself in the morning because of this page. Hopefully this will unconfuse you.JAPANESE
This is set in Japan, so customs will be more Eastern. Surnames come before first names (Katsura Natsuko as opposed to Natsuko Katsura, where Natsuko is the given name and Katsura is the last name), so that�s why it might seem �backwards�. The Japanese believe in multiple gods (I think there are more than eight thousand O_o;), so remember that [this is a good source for their deities]. Also, I�m going to end up using some Japanese in my posts, but I�ll put translation notes at the end. I expect you to do the same if you�re using a language other than English. You could also do some research on more modern Japanese culture/behavior, since the characters would not act as they did in the actual Heian period.
One more important thing is how you address someone. Using someone�s first name denotes closeness and so it is considered impolite if one is called by such by someone they are close to them. Also, keep in mind the use of honorifics:
-san: Mr./Ms./Mrs. Term of general respect.
-sama: Lord/Lady, etc. Expresses high respect (an honorific used for imperials).
-chan: An affectionate suffix, it denotes closeness to the one being called such.
-kou: Honorific for a Prince when a name is used. The user would either be introducing him or it would show less distance. The more respectful name by which a Prince would be called is Ouji-sama.
-hime: Honorific and also a synonym for a Princess. They could be addressed as Hime-sama or Oujou-sama.
There are more honorifics, but these are the main ones that will probably be used. They are added on the end (e.g. Katsura-san). You can use the translator from the Rules page to search for more.HISTORY
Heiji proceeded his father as the Emperor, and being a rather open-minded man, he gave people more freedom - mainly women (some would argue that this was partially because he was henpecked husband). Needless to say, this gave him much popularity with the citizens, along with his impeccable manners. Nobles or imperials from neighboring areas visited him often and were obviously pleased with his demeanor. Since Ikemoto, his elder son, had chosen a route in religion, he named Kiyotaka, the younger one, as Heir Apparent. At any rate, Kiyotaka displayed more interest and talent in his father�s profession, so he was the better choice.
Kiyotaka ascended to the throne when he was seventeen, about a year younger than his father had been when he took up the position. Although young, he proved to be a successful ruler and upheld the same policies of freedom his father had. He then married a highborn woman from a nearby province by the name of Mariko. She bore him a daughter, Minako, two years later, and there seemed to be much celebration. Even though both sexes were generally equal, it was tradition that a male offspring was the next to reign as Emperor. Kiyotaka and Mariko attempted for a son, and they succeeded once, but the child was stillborn.
This event caused the Empress much distress and depression, but she did not dwell on it very long. She returned to her duties and did not grieve any longer; there would be no point in it. However, the birth had been hard on Mariko�s body, so she caught illness very easily and was a bit frail, even though she only smiled in spite of her not-so-obvious pain. When Minako was four and the Empress twenty-three, Mariko was assassinated. Whoever had done the deed was widely speculated, but no one was ever named as the killer. The then twenty-five year old Kiyotaka was stricken by the tragedy, and he followed a path similar to Mariko�s after the birth of the stillborn child, but he only let himself mourn in private.
The Emperor had been too attached to his wife, so he refused to find a new one. Since the leader of the land could only be a direct blood-relative of the previous ruler, Kiyotaka named Minako as Heir Apparent. It may have been a change from the norm, but the Princess seemed a delightful child, and there was little dissension on the decision. Emperor Kiyotaka did his best to pique Minako�s interest in the government, but the fact that she would prefer a different lifestyle became apparent as she aged.
It was true that she did not really want to become the next monarch, but her aversion to the idea only began to show when she was in her teens. Minako would deliberately disobey Kiyotaka often and engage in activities �not fit for a Princess� and such. Unfortunately, when Minako was fourteen, an attempt was made on her life, and she disappeared. Some rumor that the killer was successful, but others, like the Emperor, believe that she was only kidnapped. In actuality, those such as Kiyotaka were correct: she was kidnapped-slash-ran away with the Goaku, who were supposedly those who had made the try of assassination.WHERE THE HELL IS MINAKO?
Right now, she lives with the Goaku in Nejiro. To avoid being discovered as the missing Heir Apparent, she is masquerading as a boy, namely Haku Soh, since Kiyotaka would only be looking for a girl. Only the members of the Goaku know who she is, seeing as they are providing care for her.
Ask me before you character figures out that Soh�s actually female, and you need a good reason for that, too. And no, no one will know who she is until I say so.GOVERNMENT
Eh, go to this page for all the terms and descriptions and stuff. If you have any further questions, contact me somehow.THE GOAKU
The Goaku are a ninja-esque clan of�people. The current Okashira [Leader] is Katsura Natsuko, or Hotarushi. Goaku are the five sins of Buddhism: murder, theft, falsehood, adultery, and drink. The clan was originally named that because its founding members were rather unsavory people and indulged in the said wrongdoings. The previous leader, who is only referred to as Kusoshi [literally shit-poem�] practiced the said things, but he was killed by his daugher, Natsuko, two years ago. Kusoshi was the one that engineered the plot to assassinate Minako, but that was when Natsuko killed him and took the leading position and Minako ran away with them and joined the Goaku for her own reasons.
There are only five members of the Goaku at this time: Katsura Natsuko [Hotarushi], Takematsu Shigure [Tsuyushi], Okimasu Tohru [Sorushi], Haku Soh [Kureshi], and Mouko Kai [Zokutoshi]. Their headquarters in located in Nejiro under the guise of a small village on the outskirts of the City. Those who know of the Goaku may try to employ them for personal use, as in information-gathering or assassinations, though they do that much less than before. No one aside from the actual Goaku members know them as the people outside the concealing ninja garb.
Your character may try to join the Goaku, but there are rules for the group (�The Precepts�):
i. Respect towards the Okashira is not optional while acting as a Goaku member.
ii. Refer to the others by their Goaku name while acting as the Goaku (being dressed in the concealing clothes). Refer to the others by their real names while acting as normal citizens.
iii. Do not reveal any members� identity as a Goaku member while they are acting as a citizen or vice-versa. Do not reveal that you belong to the Goaku to anyone.
iv. Do not reveal any inside information unless you were hired to find said information. Do not tell any of the Goaku�s secrets to anyone.
v. The Goaku will be your highest priority. Your personal life will not be considered more important than Goaku business.
vi. Assume an honorable manner when acting as a Goaku member.
vii. Once a Goaku, always a Goaku�you�re stuck once you join, unless you die.
That�s all I can think of now, but if you have suggestions for more Precepts, tell me. Punishment for disobeying the rules can be rather severe, and Natsuko doesn�t allow people who aren�t willing to commit their life to the Goaku to join. If your character wants to join, have them contact Hotarushi. If they are accepted, they will have to adopt a Goaku name and be trained in the use of a few weapons. The Goaku have a habit of naming their favored weapons, and the members use the following weapons:
Hotarushi: Metal fan [Hachidori no Kireaji], fukidake (blowpipe), explosives.
Tsuyushi: Katars [Tougen and Kyuusen], shuko/ashiko.
Sorushi: Shoge [Touhansori], manrikigusari, naginata, kaginawa, etc. (basically chained/roped weapons or halberd-type weapons).
Kureshi: Bladed tonfa [Kenshou and Gen�you], shuriken.
Zokutoshi: Nekode claws [Hakage and Akki], shuriken, ninja-tou.
For information on those weapons, search for them or visit this site. Your character should also pick an Eastern-type weapon. The Goaku name should be a Japanese word with shi [poem] tacked on the end; examples for you are the current members� names.UM, OKAY.
That should be all the information you need; request further info by contacting me.