The Katsumoto Rebellion

[Hauptmann]

This is a historical RPG based around the last rebellion by the Samurai under Katsumoto in the late 1800 against the modern Meiji government.

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History

The Meiji governemnt has only been established for a little while, and already it has recieved much hatred from the Samurai of the old ways. The carrying of swords has been outlawed, and all Samurai powers have been stripped from them. The Meiji Emperor is crazy for all things modern, and his armies are equipt with the newest guns and cannons, but the rebel Samurai Katsumoto has raised an army with which he plans to drive the western ways from the shore of Japan, and re-establish the old ways that had goverened Japan for over a thousand years.
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Katsumoto's Rebels

Katsumoto leads a band of brigands against the Meiji armies. Venarators of the old ways, rebel Samurai, crazed Yakuza all have come under the banner of Katsumoto to fight the Emporer. While they are few in number, they are highly devoted and very skilled, bringing hundreds of years of Samurai sword training to fight the conscript armies of the Meiji government.
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The Imperial Japanese Army

The armies of the Emperor are well equipt and vast in number, but most are peasant conscripts and not very well trained or devoted. The common farmers of Japan have been gathered and trained to fight the Samurai. Most of them would rather fight for Katsumoto, but desertion is dishonor, and even the common farmer cannot live with that.
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The Technology

The technology for Katsumoto is as it has been for a long time. Samurai carry their swords, and the other soldiers fight with spears and bows. While this is low-tech, it is frighteningly effective against the peasants of the Imperial Army.

The Imperial Army has the latest is weaponry. Rifled muskets and breechloading cannons form the base of their equiptment. While this is very good technology and the most powerful to date, they take long to reload. You need not reload a sword.
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Your Part in the Rebellion

You may play as either one of Katsumoto's Rebels, or an Imperial Army Infantryman. Here is the character sheet.

Name:
Age:
Height:
Weight:
Bio:
Side:


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Name:Tejiro Samuro

Age: 38

Height: 5'10"

Weight: 200 Lbs

Bio: Tejiro Samuro was one of the Samurai who originally fought to create the Meiji government, but now he finds himself fighting to destroy it. The Tejiro Family was one of power and skill, training their heirs from age two until death in the way of the Naginata, the ancestral weapon of the family. Samuro is no exception, and he wields the family's heirloom weapon with a vengeance. He was one of the first to join Katsumoto when the Samurai were removed from thier high position. He has been with the Rebellion since the beginning, and as such carries an air of expierience and he demands respect from the other rebels.

Side: Katsumoto's Rebels

Equipment: Tejiro family ancestral Naginata, Katana, Wakizashi, and armor.

[WarBrood]

are females allowed to be Samurai?

[Kazansky]

((I was kicked out of the last historical Japanese samurai RP because I used a gun. Heheheh. I can't join, even though I want to. Academy stuff, you understand... that and my entire family was almost killed by Jap issen gorin in WWII.))

[Hauptmann]

Female Samurai.....seems a bit of a stretch. They were allowed to be Sohei, or warrior monks, but Ill allow female samurai.

[Scauthra]

I think I may join this, as apart of the Imperial Army. I love Samuris, thier awsome, but playing a rival is sometimes more fun.

[Aquarian]

Lol!Hauptmann.Great to see you again.I can't resist war RPs.
And,Warbrood,I don't think there are female,unless you go as a guy or a guy undercover.

Name:Kamatou Liyahata
Age:20
Height:189 cm
Weight:68 kg
Bio:Kamatou was not Samurai born.Because of that,he was often looked down upon.His parent were executed for fighting agaisnt the goverment when he was 18.Only he and his elder sister survived.His hatred for the Meiji Goverment deepened.He left his sister in Edo(Now known as Tokyo) and went to join Katsumoto.
Side:Katsumoto's rebels

[Hauptmann]

[ Katsomoto Keep ]
[ Tejiro Samuro ]
[ Planning next raid ]

Katsumoto Keep was a wooden palisade constructed to be the command post for the rebellion. It was about a hundred square yards, with tents set up inside to house the newest recruits. The largest tent was the command tent from which the leaders of the rebellion planeed their raids. The wooden walls were thick and strong, and towers for archers dotted the keep walls. Samuro went to his own tent after finishing his rice to done his equiptment and report to the command tent.

He opened the tent flap and entered. He went over to his armor rack and began to put on the Tejiro family armor. It was deep purple in color, with black and dark blue accents on the accesories. It was a steel breast plate and back plate, while the shoulders, arm guards, shin guards, greaves were made of cured leather. The helmet was also of steel, with a face plate in the likeness of an angry demon. It helped to terrify the Imperial troops. He stuck his Katana and Wakizashi into his belt, and lifted his Naginata off the rack. He opened the tent falp and proceded to head to the command tent.

He entered the command tent and went to stand at his place, to the left side of Katsumoto as they sat around a map of the surrounding woodland and mountains. There were two other Samurai there, Samuro knew not their names. Katsumoto was the first to speak up.

"Welcome my fellow Samurai. I wish we had meet under different circumstances, but now is the time for planning. There is a village to the east past the crags that has just recieved a fresh garrison of Imperial troops. They are already sending out scouting parties, and it may only be a matter of time before they find the Keep. Samuro, what do you think?"

Samuro studied the map of the territory.

"An attack from the south would be prudent, given the north and west are to open to hide an attacking force. The southern forest can provide us with cover. However a one sided attack also seems in-correct, in keeping with the new Imperial tactic of encircling the opponent."

"Then we do the same to them" Spoke one of the other Samurai "I will lead a force from the east along the river, while a force from the south can draw their attention. This will cut off their retreat and force them to fight on two sides."

"Very well." Katsumoto replied "Samuro and I will elad the beginning assault from the southern forest while Mikhasa and Ichi attack from the east. They attack will begin at dawn, so ready your troops."

With that, the meeting was over and the Samurai left the command tent. Samuro went to his part of the camp, where his troops were, and started to rouse them from their sleep.

"All right you pack of Yakuza dogs! Rouse yourselves!"

The fourt yto fifty men who were his command came out of their tents carrying their weapons and stood at attention, ready for their briefing.

"We attack at dawn from the south."

[WarBrood]

Name: Yasuki(o) Maninonch
Age:18
Height:5'4"
Weight:127
Bio: Yasuki was born to no mother for she died on birth. Yasuki father failed to realize that he had a daughter not a son, or he was just to bitter to believe it. He trained Yasuki to be a warrior. Some nights Yasuki never slept due to harsh training laid upon her. Her father was once a great samurai known by many, some consider him a hero of the nation. Due to his greatness he would not allow his only child to fail him. He trained Yasuki in all the ways of the samurai and then set her on the years journey of creating a sword. Yasuki took the crafting of her sword to heart and spent weeks by weeks by the fire heating it up and hammering it down. Many say a samurai's first attempt at crafting their sword is always a failure, to Yasuki it wasnt. In the final stages Yasuki added copper into the final layer which when put into the fire turned the sword blue. Finaly to top it off she layed down a line of aluminum down the center which melted into a silver line. Finaly she believed her sword was finished, well almost finished, one thing remained to do. Yasuki carved in the words, "To Honor or Death" down the middle and sealthed the sword. She was ready to become a samurai, one thing was left to do. Yasuki quickly unsealthed her sword and held it to her hair cutting to a male length. At that moment her father came out carrying his old Armor. Yasuki changed her name to a male form Yasuko and left home to fight for the samurai way.
Side:Katsumoto's rebels

[kongurous]

I got permission for this, too.

Name: Hansel Schneider
Age: 39
Height: 6'0"
Weight: 178lbs
Bio: Hanz was born in Prussia to a militaristic and traditionalist family. His grandfather was a Cossack during the Napoleonic War and his father was a Prussian Linesman and fought the French during the Franco-Prussian War. Hansel was grown up to be a marksman, and his father made that so. They traveled the world, hunting and learning. He learned from the Dutch, the Russians, the British, the Americans, and came out a good marksman. He learned from the Mongols and the Chinese how to survive in the wilderness. He learned from the Ottomans to be respectful for others, and how to accept other religions. He served as a Janissary for a few years and got free transport to Japan for his services. In Japan, he joined the Prussian forces there, who served as military advisors, and has been been given some grief by these samurai.
Side: The Imperial Army, of course!

[kongurous]

*sorry for the double post*
Hansel Schneider
the village
Training exercises
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"Left! Stab! Forward! Stab! Right! Stab! Breakdown, spar!" Hansel commanded to the garrison of 375 strong. These Japanese were short, yes, but they could take orders very well.

"Now, ready! Aim! Fire at will!" he shouted, as the front rank of soldiers aimed forward, and unloaded their rifles into a row of targets lining the wall. They hurried to the back of the 6-rank deep formation, as the second line advanced and fired. This tactic allowed fire to be laid down consistently, and kicked up quite a bit of a smoke screen in case they needed to retreat.

After the ranks had expended 5 shots each, Hansel ended the practice for the day and told the men to clean their rifles. The Prussian instructor returned to the tavern-turned-command center. There, sat Hansel's Colt Peacemaker in case he was caught with no loaded rifle, and his calvary saber from the Sultan of the Ottomans if he couldn't reload.

Hansel poured himself some lager and took a seat, looking at a map of the area around the village. This was a new map, made that morning. It showed the most up-to-date information, and marked the location of everything near the camp. The most notable addition was the location of Katsumoto Keep, a 6-hour march west if they didn't stop to eat or rest.

Also noted was the southern forest. It was heavily wooded, which put the soldiers at a disadvantage. Of course, it also made using calvary a bad tactic, at least, in the forest. The area north and east was open, and a fordable point in the river to the west was also vulnerable.

Hansel sighed, and took a sip of his drink. Something didn't feel right. He had learned from experience to trust his gut, so he doubled the watch duty on the south and west walls, and had everyone stay on combat alert. The civilians were also to be given single-shot pistols in the event of a breech of the wall. The pistols were single-shot, in case there were Katsumoto sympathizers in their midst. The pistols were notoriously inaccurate at any range, so anyone could be put down quickly.

He stood, finished his lager, grabbed his rifle, and went to the south wall. He contemplated setting fire to the forest, but that would endanger the village and clearing it would take too long. Longer than 6 hours, anyway.

He sighed, readjusted the shoulder strap, and found a post to lean against, tipping his hat down and dosing off.

[BlackHawk]

Female Samurai.....seems a bit of a stretch. They were allowed to be Sohei, or warrior monks, but Ill allow female samurai.

(OOC: There were Female Samurai, they just didn't go into battle, but they still had the status. I'll edit this post with my character in a sec. Edited, also I like the idea of a Naginata, sorry if you feel like I stole your idea).

Name: Omi Serai
Age: 25
Height: 5'3"
Weight: 180lbs
Bio: Omi was born into a fairly wealthy family; however, this family was not Samurai, they were the owners of a tea house. The local daimyo was falling into defecits and so allowed Omi's father to buy his family Samurai status. When Omi was 20 the government removed the special status of Samurai's, his family didn't care, they kept going with the tea house. Omi on the other hand felt that the way of life was changing, he wanted to keep the status his family worked so hard to gain. During the next 5 years of his life he sought out Katsumoto and joined the rebellion.
Side: Katsumoto and the rebellion.
Equipment: Naginata, Katana, Wakizashi, and his armour.

[kongurous]

OOC: isn't 5'11" a bit tall for a Japanese?

[Scauthra]

What is the exact setting of this RP? Are we outside Kyoto? Tokyo? Hiroshima? It will help if/when I write a bio up.

[kongurous]

What is the exact setting of this RP? Are we outside Kyoto? Tokyo? Hiroshima? It will help if/when I write a bio up.

Look up the Katsumoto Rebellion. It's like 1877. Dunno about the location of Katsumoto Keep, though.

[Aquarian]

Kyoto or Edo/Tokyo,if I'm not wrong.