• The Okimura hot springs: A small village nestled in the mountains, known for its spas and (formerly) its beautiful geishas.  Previously, Okimura took in lost girls and kept them safe in their geisha house, but since the decline of the clan has left the village vulnerable to bandits, the giesha have sold themselves to the Senshin and left, hoping to find a better life.
• The Crucible Shrine: Morigai has the finest steel in all of not-Japan.  The mystical mountains of Morigai attract the most enlightened minds, and the Crucible Shrine houses smith-priests who have perfected the art of awakening the souls of the swords they forge.  Every legendary Mitsurugi blade was born here.
• the Huddle: at the base of Sword Mountain lies Morigai's largest "city," the Huddle.  This patchwork of huts and hovels grew around the gateway through the pass, part refugee camp, part entertainment for waiting merchants, and part trading post.  The Mitsurugi originally tried to discourage it, knowing that as soon as war reached their fortress, the Huddle and all its inhabitants would be destroyed, but the people of the Huddle proved resilient and pragmatic and so the Mitsurugi turn a blind eye.  There's no better place to acquire the finest of weapons.
• Zen-san: The mountains of Morigai and the Mitsurugi have a strong bond.  Every Mitsurugi daimyo takes a pilgrimage to the Temple of the Heavy Rain Sect and then on to Zen-san, the highest mountain of the range lost in a sea of clouds.  The Daimyo of the clan never speak of what happens there, but they return larger-than-life heroes capable of great feats and wisdom, or they return not at all.

Heroes of the Clan

	Daimyo of the Clan: Mitsurugi Kenta Kenta is the eldest son of Mitsurugi Takehiro.  Like his father, he is strong and excels in swordsmanship, but he lacks the leadership and skills necessary to defeat the army of the Shogunate that marches on Sword Mountain to finish the war that Ryunosuke started.  More than anything, he wishes to avenge the death of his father, and he knows that the Siege of Sword Mountain may well be his last moments.
	Mitsurugi Kyo Kenta's sister, her birth cost her mother her life.  Alone in a castle filled with men, Kyo struggled to find acceptance amongst the chauvanistic warriors of the clan, as well as to find a way to be as feminine as her mother.  She has mastered neither path, and her frustration often boils over when she must deal with her brother's stupidity.  For unlike Kenta, Kyo inherited her father's keen mind.  She keeps her insights to herself, but in truth she's a skilled tactician and enthusiastic Shogi player. Kyo is a lifelong friend with the Senshin Princess, Sakura and the Senshin Swordmaster, Yoshiro, who share her desire to excel as warriors.  To secure an alliance with the Kurosawa clan, Kenta arranged a marrage between Kyo and the second Kurosawa prince, Sano, against Kyo's will.  However, knowing her duty to the clan and the tenets of bushido, she does what she can to fulfill her duty.
	Swordmaster of the Clan: Mitsurugi Yuudai Yuudai served both Kenta and Takehiro before him.  A master of both the katana and the No-Dachi, Yuudai trains and command the elite Mitsurugi Dragon Guard.  Yuudai is known for his quick temper, his loud laughter and his supreme machismo.  He is less known for his skill in origami or his romantic nature.  Thanks to Kenta's generosity, he was able to purchase the contract to the Okimura geisha Aoi, the love of his life, and marry her.
	Warmaster of the Clan: Mitsurugi Susumu Takehiro's brother excelled at politics and administration where his brother excelled at the arts of war, making Susumu less popular than his elder brother.  Still, Susumu survived where Takehiro did not.  Today, he struggles to educate the thick-skulled Kenta in the finer points of negotiation and politics, watching as the boy makes a mess of things.  He loudly criticizes the alliance with the Senshin as a "suicide pact," and those complaints combined with his low opinion of Kenta has led some to suspect he intends to depose his nephew and take control of the clan himself.

Other Notable People

	The Dragon Guard Commander: Mitsurugi Yuudai The personal guard of the Daimyo, the Dragon Guard consist of 300 elite no-dachi samurai, each a legend in his own right.  The Dragon Guard do not have a single, unified training regime and many are recruited after they've already proven themselves skilled swordsman.  The result is a band of impetuous, arrogant heroes often jockeying with one another for position, but they are utterly loyal to the clan, and bound to one another as brothers in arms. Notable Dragon Guard: Shiro: An idealistic young man with a scar across one of his gentle eyes and a ferocious defensiveness of his comrades.  Shiro will endure any wound to protect another.  He has fallen in love with Yukiko.  Whether she shares his affection is unclear. Tsumemo: A fierce, aggressive red-head who has a nearly mystical connection with his weapon and a lethal accuracy with his attacks.  He earned his place when he alone defended a village from a bandit assault by bringing the fight directly to their bandit-lair. Jishi: Famous for his thin pipe and his lazy smirk, Jishi can hardly be asked to train, and always fights in the most conservative manner possible.  "Fight smarter, not harder," as he always says.  His insights allow his allows his allies to get the drop on their opponents and defeat them before they know what's happened, which suits him because he can get back to his nap sooner.
	The Mountain Guard Commander: Smiling Osamu The Mitsurugi expect the peasants of Morigai to see to their own defense and to contribute to the Mitsurugi armies whenever called upon.  The result was the Mountain Guard, a semi-professional army of pike-armed ashigaru.  The Mitsurugi train their ashigaru to perfection, making them the most disciplined peasant levy in not-Japan.  The Mountain Guard take pride in the role, seeing themselves as the peasant equivalent to the Dragon Guard, and go out of their way to train in additional weapons, as well as acquire the finest pikes possible.
	The Mists of Morigai Commander: Mitsurugi Susumu Susumu felt that the Mitsurugi army concentrated too much on infantry and on force.  While cavarly provide little benefit in the mountains, they allowed the Mitsurugi to extend their reach beyond their mountains, and the lightly armed Yari Cavalry proved excellent reconnaissance.  Where the Dragon Guard act as the hammer of the Mitsurugi and the Mountain Guard the anvil, the Mists of Morigai are Susumu's delicate scalpel.
	Master of the Heavy Rain Sect: Brother Sky With the fall of Father Stone at the hands of unknown ninja-assassins, Brother Sky took over the leadership of the Yamabushi sect.  Unlike his former master, Brother Sky is gentle, patient and more than a little niave, but he wields the favor of the Kami with his staff, able to make the earth rise and the skies open up upon his enemies.
	The Heavy Rain Sect Master: Brother Sky A fanatical yamabushi sect, the Heavy Rain Sect protect Zen-san from interlopers and occassionally raid villages they find unfaithful.  They wield naginata with expert skill, and because of their faith, the Kami favor them with a special sort of luck whenever their plight grows desperate.
	Setsuko A maiko (apprentice geisha) of no importance from Okimura, she was purchased along with Aoi as a package-deal.  She lost her family in the first battles of the war, and now travels with the Senshin Yamato, chronicling the adventures of the Cherry Blossom Rain heroes in her diary.

Mitsurugi no Ryu

The Mitsurugi pride themselves as consummate swordsman. Not only do they master the art of swordplay, they also master the art of swordcraft, and have some of the finest smiths in Japan. Many of their swords are Named Possessions and quickly go on to become legends in their own right. The most well known of these is Mountain Splitter, said to have given Sword Mountain is cleft, and has been passed down to each of the Mitsurugi lords for hundreds of years.

The Mitsurugi embody discipline, devotion and nobility in warfare. They do not believe in deception or unnecessary flourishes in their battle. Instead, they stride forthrightly onto the battlefield, shouting their intentions to their enemy and fearlessly throwing themselves into the fray. Those familiar with the school know to take Mitsurugi frankness at face value and to exploit the openings the Mitsurugi fearlessly presents.

Styles: Bajutsu, Jujutsu, Kenjutsu, Sojutsu
Optional Advantages: Daredevil, Enhanced Parry (Katana or All), Fearlessness, High Pain Threshold.
Optional Disadvantages: Code of Honor (Bushido), Fanaticism, Stubbornness.
Optional Cinematic Skills: Immovable Stance, Kiai, Parry Missile Weapon, Power Blow
Optional Perks: Huge Weapons, Penetrating Voice, Sacrificial Parry, Secret Style, Focused Fury, Weapon Bond.

Legendary Katana:

• Mountain Splitter: The ancestral sword of the Mitsurugi clan has numerous legends surrounding it.  According to the founding legend of the Mitsurugi, the sword belonged to the Oni that ruled these mountains before he was defeated by the samurai who founded the clan, whereupon the Mitsurugi founder took the blade, the castle and the Oni's daughter as his rightful winnings.  According to another legend, Mountain Splitter was forged from four blades used to tame the god of Zen-san, melted together into a single blade that weighs four times as much as a normal katana and strikes with four times the force.  Either of both could be true.  Mountain Splitter is an aggressive blade, ripping through armor with ease.  It's also vital for the mysterious rites undertaken by the Daimyo upon Zen-san.
• Current Wielder: Mitsurugi Kenta
• Butterfly: When the master of the Crucible Shrine grew old, he called his two greatest pupils and asked them both to forge a great weapon.  The first forged a mighty weapon that destroy anything.  The second created a blade that only destroyed that which its wielder intended to destroy, proven by the fact that despite the keen sharpness of the blade, a butterfly could land delicately on its edge without harming itself.  This blade was gifted to the Mitsurugi daimyo upon his wedding to a Mizushima princess.
• Current Wielder: Mitsurugi Kyo
• Dragonfly Cutter: The brother-blade to Butterfly, the second of the weapons forged to determine the heir of the Crucible Shrine, it destroys that which touches it, and even a dragon-fly alighting upon it was cut in twain, hence its name.  Because this blade was rejected by the master of the Crucible Shrine, it was given to the Mitsurugi centuries ago, and is traditionally wielded by a Dragon Guard.
• Current Wielder: Mitsurugi Yuudai

Additional Martial Arts Schools

The Heavy Rain Sect embrace the power of the mountain into themselves. They practice their medidation in the sublime, untouched regions of the mountains, and learn the arts of the Nushi as well as grounded, powerful combat techniques. The Heavy Rain Sect often seems magical, but this comes from their deep connection with the spirits of nature and their own inner enlightenment (that is, they are clerics).

The Heavy Rain Sect tends to emphasize independent, self-sufficient combat techniques, and as a result, can get in one another's way. They also tend to study martial arts in pursuit of enlightenment first and as a combat technique later, so those familiar with it can exploit unnecessary, spiritual flourishes.

Styles: Aikijutsu, Bojutsu, Naginatajutsu, Sojutsu
Optional Advantages: Blessed, Contact (Mountain Nushi), Higher Purpose (Demon Slaying), Medium, Power Investiture, Serendipity, Spirit Empathy.
Optional Disadvantages: Disciplines of Faith (Mikkyo), Loner, Stubbornness, Vow(Poverty).
Optional Skills: Axe/Mace, Esoteric Medicine, Meditation,Theology (Shugendo), Survival (Mountain), Thrown Axe/Mace.
Cinematic Skills: Body Control, Immovable Stance, Mental Strength, Power Blow.
Optional Perks: Autotrance, Cloaked, Covenant of Rest, Deep Sleeper, Eye of the Storm, Pebbles, On Alert, Special Exercise (DR 1 with Tough Skin), Special Exercise (Striking ST +1), Style Familiarity (Mitsurugi no Ryu), Sure Footed (Uneven).

Heavy Rain Sect Magic: 

• Power Investiture 1: Final Rest, Seek Pass, Sense Foes, Sense Life, Share Vitality
• Power Investiture 2: Geomancy, Minor Healing, Predict Earth Movement, Predict Weather, Shape Air, Turn Spirit
• Power Investiture 3: Cure Disease, Purify Earth, Rain, Restoration, Shape Earth, Wind
• Power Investiture 4: Bless, Earthquake, Storm, Repel Spirits