Takeda - A Shogun 2 AAR (Completed)

[Robin de Bodemloze]

OH! Great improvement, and interesting turn of events. If only you can pull off a battle where both Uesugi and Takeda forces are present. But you can never hope for such things in the campaign map.

I recommend a fictitious custom battle. For more screen shot opportunities.

A Takeda-Uesugi battle sounds very cool conceptually. Let's see where my campaign goes

Hey, those are some good chapters indeed!

Sorry for not commenting in a while, I´ve been busy.

Some of your picture-spoilers didn´t work. I wonder why.

Heheh... "The pointy end, USE THE POINTY END!"

Thanks! Which screens didn't work? I checked last night and they seemed fine

Glad you like the reference to the spear art

More chapters coming tonight or tomorrow.

[rawghi]

I can't stop reading it robinzx... It's an exceptional writing work... I'll follow you!! Great job!

[Robin de Bodemloze]

VIII: He’s doomed us all

1549 - Winter

“My brothers, the treacherous Hojo have declared a state of war between our clans. We had been steadfast allies to them since the treaty drawn by my father, but these dogs of little honour have shown their true colours. So it must be that we make the Hojo pay for their insolence and lack of intelligence. I am filled with both pride and honour for leading you, men of such courage and valour, and your presence fills me with much confidence that we will prevail. We will dine in Odawara, and the riches of the Hojo will be yours!!

Some of us may never see the endearing hills of these lands again, and as your daimyo, I will mourn each of the fallen as my own, for you will have given your life in the name of our glorious clan. You have my word that I will not let your sacrifice be in vain. Now is the time for us to write our history, and to consign the Hojo to theirs. Tough battles lie ahead, but we will overcome all obstacles, and we will conquer, for we are the Takeda!!”

The troops marched out of Matsumoto five days after our return from Echigo. Harunobu had spoken well in front of the troops, and morale was high as we left. A great crowd had gathered in front of the castle to witness our departure, and our first real battle after the annex of Hida was met with a sense of genuine optimism. I had been against marching in the autumn to avoid being stranded in foreign lands in the midst of a harsh winter, but Harunobu’s appeal to the council’s sense of urgency and fighting spirit was rather more successful. We would march quickly to Edo and lay siege, and try to provoke a battle before the winter set in proper. That was the plan, at least. It would not take long for those plans to change.

* * *

“Tono, we have news from the scouts that Kagetora has defeated the main Hojo army lead by Hojo Totome. Two thousand five hundred Hojo men were lost to Kagetora’s four hundred. As we speak Kagetora is two days’ marching from Edo.”

The council was huddled around a steady fire at the centre of the camp. It had been a long day’s march, and we took turns to tell tales of curiosities and our various exploits to entertain ourselves. Kansuke’s entrance was met with mild annoyance that he had interrupted a good story, but soberness quickly descended upon the men. Kagetora was an ally now, but his name still struck more than a few raw nerves among these men.

“Kuruma gakari.”

Harunobu’s assessment of the news was curt, and judging from Kansuke’s concerned expression, an accurate one. Kagetora reputedly had never lost a battle using his blasted chariot formation, but annihilating the Hojo’s best troops with so few losses was impressive even by his standards.

“Tono, we should return to Kofu for the men to seek shelter. Marching through Hojo lands during winter without a target will surely be disastrous.”

A few of us, myself included, nodded in approval at Kansuke’s proposal. There was little for us to do now in Musashi – within the week Edo will fall, and Kagetora would deny us these rich lands. By regrouping in Kofu we would at least be at full strength to launch an assault on Sagami and Izu.

“We march in the morning.” Harunobu’s tone was resolute, and we quietly rejoiced that our daimyo had listened to Kansuke’s advice.

“We head for Odawara.”

“Ridiculous! No!”

Harunobu shot me a cold, dark stare, yielding nothing despite my protest. One of the older generals nearly choked on his sake, and needed assistance from his attendants. The Hojo had lost their daimyo, but could still call on as many troops as we had with us. Not only were we to siege the most formidable fortress in all of Japan, we were going to have to do it in the depths of winter.

My idiot brother has just doomed us all.


Campaign screens

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Map

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Diplomacy

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Arts

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[Erwin Rommel]

Groan. Little action, more suspense I see...

Oh and sprinkle your dialogues with honorifics like Aniki or something of that sort, and no no no no "nii-san"

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Groan. Little action, more suspense I see...

Oh and sprinkle your dialogues with honorifics like Aniki or something of that sort, and no no no no "nii-san"

Patience! There is more! It takes time to do all the screens

Yes even my extremely limited command of Japanese tells me nii-san is not good..thanks for the advice!

I can't stop reading it robinzx... It's an exceptional writing work... I'll follow you!! Great job!

Thanks! Hope you like the new chapters. A bit more action oriented than the last few.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

IX: The art of war

1549 - Winter

We had camped at the foothills of Odawara for almost a month now. We had settled within sight of the castle, which true to legend was a monstrosity. The tall walls and fortified towers would be a daunting prospect should we attempt to storm its defences, but the alternative of a death of cold or starvation would surely bring shame upon the clan, such was the dilemma we were in at this point. As autumn became winter, the weather had deteriorated, but remained relatively kind to us for the most part. Snow had fallen for the first time the week prior, but we were no closer to the victory we so desperately sought. The Hojo defenders were many, and their morale high despite the lack of supplies, seemingly content to sit and watch as the winter took its inevitable toll on our men.

In contrast, whispers of discontent were already being heard amongst our men, frustrated that we would neither attempt to take the castle nor return home, instead residing in a state of limbo on the open plains of a foreign land. Harunobu was as determined as ever to defeat the Hojo though, and finally claim Sagami as our own, steadfast in his belief that his decision to bring us here was the correct one. Members of the council had approached him, urging him to reconsider our dilemma, only to be rebuked fiercely. Harunobu was a skilled fighter and general, but his urge to win would cloud his judgement on occasion, I felt. If only I had been more resolute in my opposition while we were in Musashi.

“Nobushige, the Hojo make no attempt to break the siege, yet we have not nearly enough men to take the castle, not least without sending all of our best troops to their graves.”

“Aniki, for better or worse we are here, and we must prevail. It is not the time to doubt yourself. The clan needs you to be strong and to inspire the men.”

“There is little inspiring to do when we don’t have a foe to fight. The Hojo are holed up in their wretched castle with little will to confront us.”

* * *

“The Takeda are gone! We have triumphed!”

Joy and celebration spread through Odawara castle like wildfire. A sense of gloom had shrouded the Hojo since the defeat in Musashi in which their daimyo had perished, but now it seemed that all was not lost at all, for once again Odawara had proven to be the impregnable fortress it had been since Hojo Shinkuro ordered its construction. The Takeda camp was deserted. Red flags fluttered in the frosty wind, but the customary patrol of guards was gone. In their haste to retreat the Takeda had even neglected to take their supplies with them, as heaps of grain and weaponry remained scattered through the camp.

“We must chase them down! We must teach the Takeda a lesson for encroaching on our lands! Gather the men, we will give chase!”

Yuki Takezo was excited. After the death of Hojo Totome the clan had been left in a vacuum with nobody to lead it. As one of the senior retainers to the late Ujiyasu-sama, he had been one of the regents to the clan for the time being, but now if he was victorious in battle against the Takeda surely the clan would embrace him as…

The troops were gathered quickly and filed out from the castle gates. A good host of men numbering almost two thousand had travelled with Takezo, and he was confident of the victory lying ahead. The Takeda were slow, too slow in getting out of Sagami, he thought, as he caught a glimpse of the red banners in the distance, and ordered his men to double their march.

By mid-afternoon, the Hojo army was a mere thousand paces from the Takeda, who turned to face the opposition, positioned on a gentle hill. Takezo’s heart skipped a beat as he read the words Furinkazan from the largest Takeda banner, positioned to the rear. If he could take the head of Takeda Harunobu then surely he would be famed as the man who had tamed the legendary horsemen of Kai. Takezo ordered his archers forward, followed by spearmen who would advance under the cover of missile fire. It was all rather simple really. In the distance he could barely make out the Takeda ashigaru advancing, forming tighter formations. Idiots, they only make themselves vulnerable to our arrows. This would be over soon, he thought.

The right flank, led by the samurai of Izu, engaged the Takeda first, followed by the center and the left. Fierce fighting ensued under arrow fire from both sides as bodies fell in a blur of red and blue.

Suddenly, the Hojo commander realised that something was not right. The right flank was fading fast, and the samurai he had put his hopes in were beginning to fall back. As the Takeda gave chase, he desperately ordered his infantry to cover the right flank, hoping to rescue a desperate situation, but realised that in his hubris he had forgotten to retain troops as reserves.

At the same time, a unit of Takeda cavalry seemingly appeared from nowhere, storming down the hill towards his archers, sending men flying as they barreled into the flank. These were not men trained in melee, least of all against the famed Takeda cavalry, and resulted in a devastating loss of Hojo men.

Meanwhile, the rout on his right had caused panic among the Hojo. Seeing the bravest of the Izu samurai bested by the Takeda, the rest of the line, consisting of ashigaru – simple farmers drawn from around Sagami province – quickly buckled, and a rout avalanched throughout the Hojo forces. The Takeda, sensing blood, gave chase en masse.

Yuki Takezo stood motionless, oblivious to the desperate attendant stood beside him asking for orders. This was not the way it was supposed to happen. This day would mark the end of the Hojo, he knew, but he had no intention of dying with it. Ronin could easily find gainful employment these days, especially one of his martial expertise. As the Takeda infantry closed in on him, Takezo turned to flee the battlefield when he felt a heavy thud in his back, followed by a sharp pain. Looking down, he was filled with dread as he saw the tip of an arrow protruding through his chest armour, stained red by blood.

As Yuki Takezo’s body sank to the ground, he faintly recalled the last words of Ujiyasu-sama, and with the last ounce of his strength, rolled over as he fell so his face would not be seen.

“Never sally from Odawara.”

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[Robin de Bodemloze]

X: End of an era

1550 – Spring

It had been almost a month since we marched across the border into Izu province. Winter had given way to spring, and the mild weather was welcomed with much appreciation after a long winter. Kagetora had swept through Shimosa and Kazusa, and the Hojo, who not long ago stood haughtily in Matsumoto declaring that they would destroy us, were now confined to Mishima castle. True to form, the fortress that served as the Hojo capital was no less striking than the one we took from them. The tenshu was all of six storeys tall, standing atop two tiers of high walls lined with arrow loops. The slope of the walls were accommodating enough to be climbed, but seemed more like a taunt, daring attackers to ascend while arrows rained down upon them.

Stood at the foot of Mishima castle, we numbered almost three times the Hojo defenders. Despite this nobody was particularly eager to be the first to brave the shower of arrows which would undoubtedly greet us. Joining Harunobu and myself in command of the siege was Yamadera Takanaga, the young son of one of our older retainers. He had distinguished himself at the battle for Odawara, and was promoted and given a bodyguard. At twenty-five years, he was the same age as me and four years junior to Harunobu. He had joined the troops for the march on Takayama, so this would be but his third major battle. Somewhere underneath all the youthful exuberance there was a seasoned warrior, we were told, and so we hoped.

At the sound of our battle horns, the archers advanced to within firing range. The whistle of arrows and twang of hundreds of yumi firing in ensemble filled the air, joined momentarily after by the bloody screams of fallen men. I stole a glance at Takanaga, who was visibly shaken by the massacre. Despite his exemplary performance at Odawara, this one would have a lot to learn before he would be allowed to direct battle by himself, that much was certain.

We had split the troops into two regiments, which had begun the attack from the south and west respectively. The scouts had indicated that the Hojo were short of capable archers, so hopefully by approaching from two sides we would minimise our losses. Egged on by our retainers in charge of each unit, the ashigaru began the deadly ascent to the first tier. Some of the men lost their footing, and fell to untidy deaths, but the dark red mass that was the Takeda offensive made gradual yet steady progress.

Almost two hours passed before our men took control of the south side of Mishima castle. Several of the deadly towers had been subdued, and the Hojo archers had been cut down, ending the threat our enemy posed from distance. Victory was surely close now, but the Hojo had refrained from defending the first tier in melee, and thus took few losses. Now almost the entire defending force were stood beneath the tenshu. For the moment, we made no effort to storm the upper tier of the castle, and the enemy remained still, content to do no more than hurl abuse at us from the ramparts.

“Harunobu-sama, the tenshu is guarded by the remaining Izu samurai and Hojo retainers. They intend to defend to the last man!”

The news from our messenger was not good. We had routed three companies of such samurai at Odawara, but clearly the survivors of that battle now stood against us once more. Most of these men would have served under Hojo Ujiyasu in the campaigns that had threatened our very existence as a clan, and their loyalty to the Hojo was as strong as their martial ability. We had superiority in numbers, but many of our troops were new recruits from around Odawara, and would surely be no match for these men who were determined to die for their clan. To make matters worse, our archers were now running low on ammunition, and we could not rely on peppering them with arrows from afar.

“Aniki, we should hold our advance. There is a train of fresh supplies arriving in the evening, and we should hold our gains and wait until our archers could be refreshed.”

“Nobushige-sama, victory is at hand here! We hold these Hojo vermin by the throat and you ask us to stay our blades? Your pointless caution could cost us. We should storm the tenshu at once and be done with it!”

“Did you not hear that the the tenshu is being garrisoned by the Hojo’s finest men? If we storm the castle now then you will have caused the deaths of countless men who needn’t have been sacrificed. If we allow our archers to regroup, these men become sitting ducks.”

“Nonsense. The Hojo are a spent force, and you ask the men to give up what their brothers gave their lives to gain? To hold still now would…”

“Enough! We allow the men to rest for an hour, and then we take the tenshu.”

Takanaga’s audacity had surprised me as much as his lack of tactical acumen. When Harunobu broke our dispute I had fully expected him to reinstate a sense of reason in Takanaga, but he had inexplicably taken the foolhardy advice of the novice. We would still prevail this day, I thought, but at what cost to our men?

The sun had almost set by the time the last enemy soldier was cut down. The Hojo were no more, but our losses had far exceeded that of our foe. Victory was ours today, but that was all we had to salve our wounds. Blood had been spilt in copious quantities, and had now gathered in shallow streams and puddles in front of the towering tenshu, leaving a sickening odour. Some of our men had pursued the collection of heads with great vigour, believing that it would bring them rewards, or great honour, or both; to me though the sight of brothers, fathers, sons searching for the bodies of their loved ones was a bitter one – made all the more repulsive by the fact that many of our losses today were entirely avoidable. I would remonstrate with Harunobu later. That boy Takanaga should be made to pay.

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* * *

I joined Harunobu in the throne room on the top tier of the tenshu. Old paintings and Chinese texts had adorned the walls of this large room, and I had caught him mesmerised by this extravagant show of wealth that was now ours. It was well known that Izu was home to generous gold deposits, and now we knew what the Hojo did with it, quietly rejoining at their misguided excesses. Had they spent this kind of wealth on warmongering, perhaps our two clans would have been in very different places at this moment.

A small doorway behind the throne caught our eye as we continued our inspection. It was unusual for the throne room to be anything but that, and our curiosity quickly got the better of us. As we entered we were knocked back by the pungent smell of incense and Shinto fragrances – it was where the Hojo kept memorials of their forefathers. Harunobu bowed deeply, showing his reverence for the likes of Hojo Shinkuro, Ujitsuna, Ujiyasu, men whose great courage and honour permeated the partisan rivalry that was typical of this age. Their names would live on, I felt, even as we dismantled the dynasty they had spent generations to build. The demise of the Hojo had served as a sobering warning to Harunobu and myself - the Takeda were not immune to these most fickle of times either. We would need to be vigilant, lest our own befall the same dreadful fate.


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Diplomacy

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Arts

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[Robin de Bodemloze]

Next update might be slower, quite busy at work this week. Please leave a line if you like what's there so far

[Patrician]

Your pen is as sharp as your sword. I salute you!

[heindrich1988]

Nice updates mate... I've started playing the Takeda campaign again... and ur situation in 1550 is much much better than mine currently at the start of 1549... I think the recent update patches have really increased the challenge of the game as it seems to have removed the stupid mistakes the AI used to make... i.e. the AI no longer launches suicide cavalry charges, or deploy their bowmen in siege battles with no yari protection... or build entire armies of bow units. I wonder if patches take affect for existing campaigns...

Anyways looks like u've negotiated the early danger phase... looking forward to the next one.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Nice updates mate... I've started playing the Takeda campaign again... and ur situation in 1550 is much much better than mine currently at the start of 1549... I think the recent update patches have really increased the challenge of the game as it seems to have removed the stupid mistakes the AI used to make... i.e. the AI no longer launches suicide cavalry charges, or deploy their bowmen in siege battles with no yari protection... or build entire armies of bow units. I wonder if patches take affect for existing campaigns...

Anyways looks like u've negotiated the early danger phase... looking forward to the next one.

Thanks! I think the key is to build up a lot of troops early so the AI doesn't randomly go aggro on you for no reason. I got a bunch of coin for selling military access and didn't really build much in the beginning. I haven't really faced any archer spam armies so far.

This campaign is going easier than some of the other Takeda ones I've played, which is quite disappointing from a writing perspective. Maybe I will randomly declare on some clan to make things more exciting

[heindrich1988]

Thanks! I think the key is to build up a lot of troops early so the AI doesn't randomly go aggro on you for no reason. I got a bunch of coin for selling military access and didn't really build much in the beginning. I haven't really faced any archer spam armies so far.

This campaign is going easier than some of the other Takeda ones I've played, which is quite disappointing from a writing perspective. Maybe I will randomly declare on some clan to make things more exciting

Game difficulty does seem a bit fickle sometimes, I've always played the campaign at 'Hard', but a lot depends on your management of relations in the early game, and how the geopolitical situation develops around you (Which seems randomly generated). I've actually played very aggressively in terms of early expansion and troop recruitment (certainly compared with my Chosokabe campaign) and things were going well until 1548 when a 'perfect storm' developed rather rapidly... The Kiso of South Shinano randomly declared war on me, presumably because the AI calculated North Shinano to be relatively weak, as the bulk of my army was fighting the Uesugi/Yamanouchi in Kozuke in the war I chose. I beat them back, only to find the Ikko-Ikki suddenly stomping flat my vassal buffer in Hida... So now having defeated the Murakami, Yamaouchi, Kiso, Anegakoji (Twice) and the main Uesugi army, I've got another Uesugi army marching on Matsumoto against an increasingly depleted defence, whilst my own march on Echigo seems a bit desperate as my main army has been whittled down to around 600 men (just not enough time for units to recover from battles) and there seems to be at least as many defenders. More worryingly still the Ikko-Ikki war machine also seems to be heading my way (they've declared war already) imminently. The Imagawa seems to have fought the Oda to a standstill for now... if they lose and I have to face the Oda too, or win and then turn on me, then I think it'd be gg no matter what I do... Oh I am allied to the Hojo, who are the regional superpower along with the Ikko-Ikki, but they seem more concerned with expanding further east than saving me in Matsumoto. Oh well... I do enjoy a challenge...

Oh yeah, I've always found North Shinano to be a bit of a poisoned chalice... it's not a particularly rich province (though access to numerous trade routes can be quite lucrative)... but it's like the crossroads for every conquering army in the region. I wonder if you've ever chosen not to take it as the Takeda player?

As for bow spam armies, I didn't come across them much with Takeda before either (before the patches)... I think it's cos most of the clans around the Takeda are 'Great Clans', for which the AI has certain builds that are pretty balanced, but take advantage of their superiorities. However, with the minor clans in the West, the AI was a bit bugged in that it either spammed bowmen, or tried too hard to take advantage of local specialities, to the extent that their armies were no longer balanced, so I came across an army very heavy in light cavalry for example, as well as several very bow heavy ones. I hope/think it's been resolved in the recent patches though. The most obvious changes I've noticed is the change in upkeep costs, and that a castle falls immediately if somebody loses a breakout battle.

[Erwin Rommel]

Impressive. Your AAR is evolving to be more awesome, I recommend you take the unexpected route and just do it with Uesugi. Kawanakajima or maybe some inconclusive series of battles around.........Musashi instead of Shinano.

Oh btw, if possible, add some parts on whats going on outside of the Kanto, hearsays, like who is the dominating clan right now in the Kansai. Are there any recently killed ones or any Nobunaga-like factions out there thats just chanting Tenka Fubu....is it the Hattori. Will the Takeda face unknowns west of there borders, how will they react to such factors. When will he change to Shingen, will he get a wife from the Suwa Clan, why is Takanaga acting like an ass, why are the Hatakeyama occupying Iwate, damn you Hatakeyama!!1111

Stay tuned for the next update by Robinzx.

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Game difficulty does seem a bit fickle sometimes, I've always played the campaign at 'Hard', but a lot depends on your management of relations in the early game, and how the geopolitical situation develops around you (Which seems randomly generated). I've actually played very aggressively in terms of early expansion and troop recruitment (certainly compared with my Chosokabe campaign) and things were going well until 1548 when a 'perfect storm' developed rather rapidly... The Kiso of South Shinano randomly declared war on me, presumably because the AI calculated North Shinano to be relatively weak, as the bulk of my army was fighting the Uesugi/Yamanouchi in Kozuke in the war I chose. I beat them back, only to find the Ikko-Ikki suddenly stomping flat my vassal buffer in Hida... So now having defeated the Murakami, Yamaouchi, Kiso, Anegakoji (Twice) and the main Uesugi army, I've got another Uesugi army marching on Matsumoto against an increasingly depleted defence, whilst my own march on Echigo seems a bit desperate as my main army has been whittled down to around 600 men (just not enough time for units to recover from battles) and there seems to be at least as many defenders. More worryingly still the Ikko-Ikki war machine also seems to be heading my way (they've declared war already) imminently. The Imagawa seems to have fought the Oda to a standstill for now... if they lose and I have to face the Oda too, or win and then turn on me, then I think it'd be gg no matter what I do... Oh I am allied to the Hojo, who are the regional superpower along with the Ikko-Ikki, but they seem more concerned with expanding further east than saving me in Matsumoto. Oh well... I do enjoy a challenge...

Oh yeah, I've always found North Shinano to be a bit of a poisoned chalice... it's not a particularly rich province (though access to numerous trade routes can be quite lucrative)... but it's like the crossroads for every conquering army in the region. I wonder if you've ever chosen not to take it as the Takeda player?

As for bow spam armies, I didn't come across them much with Takeda before either (before the patches)... I think it's cos most of the clans around the Takeda are 'Great Clans', for which the AI has certain builds that are pretty balanced, but take advantage of their superiorities. However, with the minor clans in the West, the AI was a bit bugged in that it either spammed bowmen, or tried too hard to take advantage of local specialities, to the extent that their armies were no longer balanced, so I came across an army very heavy in light cavalry for example, as well as several very bow heavy ones. I hope/think it's been resolved in the recent patches though. The most obvious changes I've noticed is the change in upkeep costs, and that a castle falls immediately if somebody loses a breakout battle.

I've never not taken North Shinano. The alternative is to vassalize the Murakami and go at the Hojo, which I feel is a messier opening game. North Shinano offers a lot of diplomatic options (and opportunities for good business), and the Hojo are a tougher proposition than the clans around North Shinano, Uesugi excepted. It's a habit from playing VH and L I guess - Matsumoto is quite defensible and if enemy opposition is strong I tend to fall back to it (upgraded to fortress) and let the enemy impale themselves on the defences.

Impressive. Your AAR is evolving to be more awesome, I recommend you take the unexpected route and just do it with Uesugi. Kawanakajima or maybe some inconclusive series of battles around.........Musashi instead of Shinano.

Oh btw, if possible, add some parts on whats going on outside of the Kanto, hearsays, like who is the dominating clan right now in the Kansai. Are there any recently killed ones or any Nobunaga-like factions out there thats just chanting Tenka Fubu....is it the Hattori. Will the Takeda face unknowns west of there borders, how will they react to such factors. When will he change to Shingen, will he get a wife from the Suwa Clan, why is Takanaga acting like an ass, why are the Hatakeyama occupying Iwate, damn you Hatakeyama!!1111

Stay tuned for the next update by Robinzx.

Well now that you've suggested it it becomes less unexpected doesn't it . It's crossed my mind before, but if I declare on them now the whole of Japan is probably going to hate me. A Takeda/Uesugi dichotomy is not really my idea of an end game either, though, unless it's a Sekigah..never mind.

Some interesting ideas in your second paragraph. I definitely have big plans for Takanaga, so hopefully that will turn out well. As for the Hatakeyama...

And yes, stay tuned The new hotfix made my steam force me to reinstall all 20Gb of my game which will put a slight damper on writing progress..hopefully more chapters before the weekend.

EDIT: Decided to touch up the screens and generally make them smaller. Hope it looks okay

[ReD_OcToBeR]

Ok I've just skimmed over this and all i can say is awesome stuff. I love how you edited the pictures and there is no crappy unit borders or game junk in them. It really makes a difference and the extra effort pays off in presentation. The style fits nicely. Over the next few days i will read this in full. +rep

[Robin de Bodemloze]

Ok I've just skimmed over this and all i can say is awesome stuff. I love how you edited the pictures and there is no crappy unit borders or game junk in them. It really makes a difference and the extra effort pays off in presentation. The style fits nicely. Over the next few days i will read this in full. +rep

Thanks! Look forward to your criticism when you've read in full. Yea took a long time on gimp but it looks better this way I think. Finally got round to writing some more stuff so enjoy

[Robin de Bodemloze]

VOLUME TWO: EDGE OF THE VOLCANO

The sakura falls,
On morning dew,
Our righteous faith

XI: An old friend

1551 – Winter

Yoshinobu’s coming of age was a boisterous and colourful affair, attended by all of the council and anyone of any importance within the clan. The Takeda would have an heir, now, and an able at that. Despite his tender years Yoshinobu was a keen strategist and had a sharp mind. Between Harunobu and I, we had trained him in the arts of the yumi and the yari, and a good Takeda upbringing ensured he was equally skilled at both on horseback as on foot. He had not seen a battle in the flesh yet, but there would be plenty of time for that.

“Tono, the Uesugi have sent a messenger.” Kansuke interrupted our tomfoolery, sombre as always. The man worked endlessly, and treated his role as gunshi with feverish obsession. He was honoured with a high seat at the celebrations, but had left before the drinking started in earnest. A different man may have caused offence, but the clan elders knew too well that our successes would have come less readily without his dedication.

“Our military access agreement with the Uesugi expires in three seasons, and their messenger relays that Kagetora does not intend to renew the arrangement. He did however assure us that he remains steadfast in his word and intended to honour our alliance.”

Concerned looks were passed around. The latest reports from our scouts indicated that the main Uesugi armies were in Hitachi and Shimotsuke provinces, waging war against the Satomi clan. Word was that Kagetora was also at war with the northern Hatakeyama families, who themselves had been driven into the northern wastelands that was Iwate. We reasoned that Kagetora would not be a threat in the near term, but the need to connect Sagami with Kai was a pressing one. One of the elders proposed establishing an arrangement with the Imagawa. Yoshimoto had made Inazawa castle in Owari his new capital, and had begun to view Suruga as something of a backwater. They had been longstanding allies to us and would not object to our demands as long as something suitable was offered in return, it was reasoned.

As the discussions continued into the night, I recalled the face of an old friend. Perhaps there would be another way.

* * *

A thin frost had descended during the day, and now painted the fields a brilliant silver. A brisk wind blew steadily across the paved road to Suruga, and snowflakes swirled lazily around me as I pushed on, a reminder of the fate likely to befall our Kanto possessions if the supply trains were stopped. It would not be a long ride to Mount Kuno, I thought as I urged my horse into a full gallop.

“Nobushige-sama, so good to see you.” The head priest of Kuno-ji greeted my arrival warmly. I arrived at the temple at the crack of dawn, and as young monks milled around us doing their morning chores, it was somewhat unsettling that he did not show a hint of surprise at my arrival.

“Honourable..”

“Please, call me Fuyutsugu. Do not humour me just because I am gaining white hairs in my eyebrows. You must be here to seek a way through Suruga?”

I suppressed the unpleasant feeling of having been pre-empted. The first time we met was when he had come to see father, and encountered Harunobu at our residence. He had been a frequent visitor to Kai as father was in regular contact with the monks at Mount Hiei, and we had grown to know each other. Fuyutsugu was the same age as Harunobu, but always had a serene indifference about him, and exceptional powers of perception and reasoning which belied his years. Perhaps there would be an alternative to bartering an arrangement with the Imagawa.

“You ask me to bring the flames of war to my own people? How could you ask of such a thing?” Fuyutsugu looked angered and perplexed. As he regained his composure I began. To have this man’s support could be paramount to solving our present conundrum.

“Harunobu and I have a vision. We wage war but we do so in order for our kinsmen and those who are loyal to our banner to seek a better life. The fighting has been the only constant in people’s lives for over fifty years now, and yet Kai and now Shinano are prosperious, and safe. The pain would be a short one, followed by lasting peace for the people of Suruga.”

Fuyutsugu looked on, still sceptical but less offended and more intrigued, so I continued. “Our vision is not one of conquest. Clans will fall, but the bloodshed would not exceed that which is necessary. You need look no further than Shinano or the Kanto…”

“You murdered everyone in Mishima castle!”

“Only the Hojo samurai who opposed us. We treated the common people with kindness and justice. The last harvest was good last autumn thanks to our introduction of improved irrigation and the farming terraces. Both were foundations of the prosperity in Kai, yet we’ve shared it with our former enemies, and the people were grateful of our knowledge.”

“Is there no other way?”

“Despite our efforts the Kanto is still in a poor state. In their final years the Hojo had neglected farming, and it was the people who suffered for it. The supply train from Shinano must stay open, or thousands will starve, be they Takeda soldiers or not. We cannot depend on the charity of the Imagawa to maintain our livelihoods.”

“Don’t mention the name. The Imagawa were born from these lands but pay little attention to it. They have forgotten about Suruga. Their ambition is certainly elsewhere now, Kyoto perhaps.” I sensed a hint of sadness in the monk’s voice as he sat up to continue, “Nobushige-sama, please leave now. It would not be good for you to be seen among these lands. The winter looks to be a harsh one, and discontent will not be in short supply among the people. You have my word, so await news and be ready.”

* * *

I opened my arms as I saw Harunobu on the first level of Mishima castle. The midnight trip to Mount Kuno was a fruitful one, and I had much to tell. Something felt wrong though as I embraced him.

“Nobushige, there is word that the Ikko Ikki are on the move again, and our Western borders are scarcely guarded. Take one thousand men to Hida once winter is over. I trust you will not disappoint me. Takanaga will serve under you; the boy has much to learn and your experience may yet make a leader out of him.”

[Robin de Bodemloze]

XII: Oni

1552 - Summer

I had chosen primarily troops who had followed us from Hida and Shinano. These men were eager to return to their home provinces, and to defend their homeland from the disease that was the Ikko Ikki. Morale was high, and we made good progress. Harunobu and I were accustomed to campaigning independently, so the parting was a brief one. We both knew what was at stake, and fully expected each other to do his duty. Harunobu was left with the smaller army, but his ability to inspire men was unparalleled, and soon he would be able to equip them with the best metal from Sagami. With Kansuke and most of the council elders at his side, his impulses would hopefully be held in check.

Despite all my protests, Yamagata Takanaga had travelled with us. I had condemned his recklessness during the siege of Mishima in front of the council, and only his supposed youthful exuberance and a pleading father spared him from immediate demotion. Few words were spoken between us during the march, and he had been keen to remain out of sight, offering to marshal the rear. If he sought to redeem his name he certainly didn’t behave like so. Truth be told, his presence wearied me, almost as much as those rowdy peasants we were soon to face in battle.

We arrived at the Shinano border after ten days’ march. As we marched along Shinano River, I could not help but feel that we were being watched. Several times I scanned the horizon only to see nothing but grass and trees. Dismissing my doubts, I let my mind wander back to whether Fuyutsugu had succeeded and we now had an open road to take Suruga. I had left a letter, and Kansuke had been instructed to ready the men, so if our monk friend had kept his word…

Suddenly there it was again – but this time the shimmer of sunlight against cold steel was unmistakable.

There amongst the sakura trees stood a lone figure in black. Was he a spy? An assassin? I requested one of my retainers lead the march, and urged my horse forward, closely followed by my bodyguard. Whoever this character was he would not escape us now.

* * *

Our captive was brought to me as we made camp that evening. As he stood before me I was shocked to see that he was but a boy. Upon a young face though was etched a pair of cold steely eyes. As I removed the ball of cloth that had served as a gag, the boy let rip with a torrent of expletives.

“Quiet, child. What is your name, who sent you and what do you desire?” I asked, perplexed by the turn of events. If an enemy wished ill upon us surely he would not send someone like this?

Silence.

“Tono, I found this on him when we searched him earlier. Maybe this will cause the boy to speak. He put up quite a fight when we took it from him, so it must mean something.” The guard offered a gold trinket wrapped in a tatter of cloth. The trinket was lavishly decorated, and bore a red and black emblem.

“You stole this?” I asked, and the boy protested furiously, unloading yet another stream of curses. My mind was racing now. I had only seen the emblem once in my life, but the design was unmistakable.

“You are a Hattori?” I asked incredulously. We had heard of the fall of Iga – our Imagawa allies had taken Ueno last year in a bloody attack. Iga was an impoverished land, but its ninja families had offered a stern resistance to Yoshimoto’s incursion, even taking the life of the old daimyo using their dark arts. In revenge the Imagawa had ordered a binge of executions and razed Ueno in its entirety. The leading ninja families, the Hattori being the most prominent, had supposedly been wiped out to the last, yet this…

“Oni is my only name,” the boy suddenly spoke, calmly this time, “I am your prisoner now, but I beg of you to let me my duty before you take my life.” Intrigued, I beckoned him to speak.

Spoiler Alert, click show to read: 

As he finished recounting the murder of his and countless other families, my curiosity had been replaced with disgust and rage. As I beckoned the guards to find the boy a change of clothing and some rations, I began contemplating the appropriate response to the boy's request. While I held little appreciation for the shadowy techniques of the Iga clans, the determination of the boy was admirable, and his skills may yet prove useful one day. I made a note to myself to make enquiries on this ghost of the Hattori, and to double the patrol around my tent at night.

[Davidicus II]

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[Kaiserina Kratos]

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