VI. Intelligence & Subterfuge 

Not all struggles in Sengoku are fought openly on the battlefield or argued before the courts of Kyoto. Clans also compete through espionage, covert operations, sabotage, political manipulation, smuggling, and the deliberate spread or suppression of unrest.

Agents represent the hidden networks operating behind every major clan, sect, and political institution. These networks may include informants, spies, smugglers, conspirators, monks, corrupt officials, local sympathizers, and other covert operatives working beneath the surface of public politics.

Through agents, clans can gather information, interfere with rivals, influence Locations beyond their direct control, and pursue goals that cannot be achieved through diplomacy or warfare alone.

Covert action is intentionally risky, expensive, and uncertain. Even successful missions may result in exposure, political fallout, injury, capture, or the loss of valuable agents. In many cases, remaining hidden is just as important as accomplishing the mission itself.

Agents

Agents are persistent clan assets recruited, assigned, and maintained through the Sengoku Application.

Once recruited, an agent remains available to the clan until they are killed, captured, permanently compromised, or otherwise removed from play. Agents are valuable and limited resources, and losing one can significantly weaken a clan’s ability to act covertly.

At present, agents are controlled at the clan level rather than by individual characters. Any authorized member of a clan may assign available agents to missions through the application.

During a turn, each agent may either participate in a mission or maintain a local network within a Location. Agents assigned to networks are not available for ordinary missions until reassigned.

Different factions may have different limits, abilities, or special rules regarding agents and covert operations.