V. Diplomacy

Hostages

In Sengoku-era Japan, hostages were exchanged to ensure that very important agreements were upheld. The hostage would be treated as a member of the host-clan and might even take a position in their leadership. Should the agreement be broken, the hostage would be at the mercy of their host.

Hostages cannot rejoin their team unless allowed to do so by their keepers, but they may freely pass written messages home. Hostages must be taken from a lord’s immediate family, usually his heir or wife.

This is regarded as a major personal defeat, but by the same token it would be a great loss of Honor to have a hostage killed due to a breach of treaty.

Where hostages are not represented by players, the NPC card is taken and then displayed openly at the hostage keeper’s table. The fate of this hostage is important, and if they are moved (for example into the keeping of another clan) the card must be moved too.