IV. Culture & Behavior

Position

When meeting other clans, players should make a point of announcing their full name and any ranks held. Personal status is of great importance, and a title may well provide an edge over those less well endowed with ancient titles. Players can gain more titles, though this is usually only possible for team leaders. Titles can be acquired through the following means:

• Performing some significant service or act to the benefit of the Emperor. This will have to involve (in-game) personal risk and/or great financial expenditure.

• Performing some service or great act to the benefit of, or in support of, the Shogun. These titles are administered by the Bakufu team.

• Taking over a title by inheritance. E.g., you become the heir of a title holder, who then dies.

The titles you can hold are:

• Daimyo: The primary leader of a great Samurai Clan. This title carries great social status and power (full control over your subjects and estate), but does not grant you official ownership over any territory you currently control via military presence or diplomatic agreements.

• Head Abbot:The head of a great temple. Similar to a Daimyo, a Head Abbot commands great respect from his peers and completely controls income from religious donations. The title of Head Abbot is something of a double-edged sword, however, as many Samurai consider Abbots to have no official bearing outside temple walls, and sect followers are often branded as mere peasant rebels.

• Heir: Purely a title of succession, an Heir is the individual next-inline for command. Should a Daimyo or Head Abbot die or retire, the Heir inherits any titles held by his predecessors. Daimyo and Head Abbots may change their designated Heir at any time and for any reason.

• Constable: This confers taxation, judicial, and military authority in a specific province. Most Daimyo are already Constables of their capital province (but not of any other provinces). This title is conferred by the Bakufu.

• Governor: This is an ancient and revered title traditionally reserved for nobles of the Emperor’s court. It is possible for a Daimyo of sufficiently high status or renown to acquire this title, but it may only be awarded by a Shogun or the Emperor. Daimyo could be both Governor and Constable of a province, but this is rare.

• Court Rank: The Emperor’s Court is unspeakably ancient, consisting of a tiny separate class who are not samurai and lack any real political power or influence, but have massive social status. Daimyo may acquire Court Rank by very exceptional acts or services. There are 10 Court Ranks; “Noble of the First Rank” is the highest and “Noble of the Tenth Rank” is the lowest. A Noble of the Tenth Rank has higher personal status than a Daimyo.

  • Ranks 1 to 5 are nominated by the Emperor only, and are virtually never given to nonmembers of the hereditary noble class.

  • Ranks 6 and 7 can be awarded to Daimyo on recommendation of the Shogun to the Emperor.

  • Ranks 8 to 10 can be nominated by the Bakufu and require a Shogun’s approval.

Each title that a character holds (with the exceptions of Daimyo, Abbot, and Heir) will be represented by a title card for players to collect.

Warning: Do not make up titles or claim those you do not hold. This can be very dangerous (or even fatal).