The Wa

Lookee here: the first draft of the Wa rules. No time at the moment for format editin; sorry, that will have to wait.

Edit: Fixed format junk. Finished paragraph that suddenly cut off because I just forgot to finish writing it... Oops.

Wa Creation

The Wa

While the uji may be the dominant structure in a samurai's life, even more important than his own immediate or extended family, another unit plays a vital role in cementing the complex network of relationships and obligations composing the fabric of life in Hachigoku: the wa. A wa, using the Hachigoku term for “harmony,” is a group dedicated to aid and respect one another, usually centered around a shared goal that lies outside of their uji and family duties. Ideally, these are small, focused associations entered into voluntarily by samurai of diverse backgrounds, whose primary qualification is an appreciation and enjoyment of one another's company.

Particularly famous wa are the subjects of poetry, drama, and fiction throughout Hachigoku. The most admired example is largely considered the archetype: the Seven Thunders. A group of samurai, brought together and sanctified by the holy Shinsei, who complimented one another's strengths with the noble goal of defeating the evil Fu Leng and saving the world.

Sometimes, though, a wa may be ordered to form by their superiors, either in hopes of forging alliances to accomplish specific tasks. Such wa are often rife with discord and prone to a bloody end, but fiercely effective if they can overcome their initial strife.

A wa is not just a loose collection of allies or comrades, however. Like everything in Hachigoku, a great deal of ritual and custom is involved. First, the wa members cannot cross social strata, so a samurai cannot join a wa with non-samurai, although gakusho are an exception as always. Ronin, of course, are samurai. Second, the wa must agree to an oath, a single sentence defining a higher goal as concrete or abstract as the wa feels appropriate, blessed by a gakusho or shugenja in good standing, and certified by a Miya shisha. Should this goal be achieved, the wa is officially dissolved. Third, wa members have responsibilities and natures enhanced by their oaths, corresponding to the Five Rings. Finally, members of a wa are expected to not only support and encourage one another by sharing adventures and resources, but also to chastise and punish members who bring shame to the wa.

While there are no strict rules on the wa membership numbers, it requires at least two (a single member cannot make an oath with himself). The general consensus is that five (a member for each Ring) or seven (evoking the Seven Thunders) are optimum numbers. Four is considered an inauspicious number associated with death, and more than seven unwieldy and unable to effectively remain in communication and cooperation. Wa are rarely composed of samurai who all belong to the same uji; doing so implies there is some potential disloyalty and strife that the members feel only the imposition of a wa can overcome. Those blessing and certifying such a wa would be very cautious and suspicious, and likely deny validation while making sure the attempt was common knowledge by Winter Court.

The wa is to be respected, not abused.

Oh, and a wa should have an imposing, elegant, or even locational name. Like the Wa of Jade Waterfall Village, the Thousand Hungry Lions Wa, or the Wa of Midnight's Vendetta. Maybe something about cherry blossoms, even. People should know what to call your wa when they regale other samurai with your victories and tragedies.

The Wa Rank

A wa is not just a concept, but a game statistic. Like Rings, Traits, and Skills it has Ranks. The wa's beginning Wa Rank is equal to the highest Glory Rank among its members, and can never exceed the highest Gory Rank among its members. It acts as a measure of the bonds between its members and their collective Glory throughout Hachigoku.

• Like Glory, Wa Ranks are not static; they go up and down throughout the game, although a Wa Rank cannot drop below zero.
• Whenever a wa member gains Glory Ranks (not points), the Wa Rank gains the same amount of Ranks.
• Whenever a wa member loses Glory Ranks (not points), the Wa Rank loses the same amount of Ranks.
• At the beginning of the Season, each wa member can spend a Season Action to increase the Wa Rank by +1; all members must individually spend a Season Action in concert.
• If a wa member's Glory Rank is reduced to zero by some high crime or dishonor (being made ronin, exile, murder, maho, publicly touching dead flesh, etc.), the entire Wa Rank is reduced to zero.
• If a Holding protected by the wa is damaged or destroyed, the Wa Rank is reduced by an equal amount. Thus, if a Rank 2 Holding is damaged and reduced to a Rank 1 Holding, the Wa Rank loses 1 Rank. If it is destroyed entirely, the Wa Rank would lose 2 Ranks.

The Wa Giri
Ideally, each member has a giri (“duty”), a broad role within the wa. There are five giri, each associated with a Ring, that provide benefits to the wa. Taking responsibility for a giri is not about giving that member an advantage; it's about giving his fellows the advantage. Traditionally, each giri is also associated with a direction, color, and number. Wa members may attempt to weave elements of these into their clothing, naming, or otherwise use their lifestyle to reflect their giri's influence.

Each member must be assigned a unique giri. If the wa has less than five members, some giri simply go unfilled. If the wa has more than five members, the rest of the wa simply do not receive giri. They are no less valued members of the wa, but their significance may be considered reduced outside of the wa.

Air Giri
Those of the Air are preservers and enforcers of tradition, frequently serving as metsuke (“magistrates”), and even executioners. Such people are often viewed as cold, logical, just, and heartless. Their traditional associations are North, black, and the number 6.

By spending a Void Point, you allow a fellow wa member to add your Air Ring Rank to all their High Skill Ranks for the rest of the Scene.

Earth Giri
Those of the Earth are concerned with the lower castes, harvests, and markets, often acting as agents provocuteur and tending to the harmony and health of the whole. Such people often are comfortable in villages and cities dealing with non-samurai—sometimes too much so. Their traditional associations are East, blue, and the number 8.

By spending a Void Point, you allow a fellow wa member to add your Earth Ring Rank to all their Merchant Skill Ranks for the rest of the Scene.

Fire Giri
Those of the Fire foment change and lead others into battle, acting as dynamic forces in the world. Ever changeable, never predictable, they often find themselves at odds with traditionalists when it comes to following their passions. They often find themselves as leaders, creators, and destroyers. Their traditional associations are the South, red, and the number 7.

By spending a Void Point, you allow a fellow wa member to add your Fire Ring Rank to all their Bugei Skill Ranks for the rest of the Scene.

Water Giri
Those of the Water investigate the mysteries shrouded in darkness and mysticism, interested not only in matters of spirit and magic, but likewise in areas opposed to traditional philosophies or ethics. While they often serve as mystics, endeavors such as spying and assassination are not below their purview. Their traditional associations are the West, white, and the number 9.

By spending a Void Point, you allow a fellow wa member to add your Water Ring Rank to all their Low Skill Ranks for the rest of the Scene.


Void Giri
Those of the Void strive to understand the balance between forces such as yin and yang, purity and Taint, and even flesh and soul. They seek to understand the interaction of such fundamental forces, their duty to uncover—or create—the enigmas of existence. They understand themselves by helping others explore these enigmas. Their traditional associations are the Center, yellow, and the number 5.

Unlike the other giri, you do not spend a Void Point to help them—they help you. Another wa member can freely allow you to spend their Void Points as if they were your own.

Benefits & Holdings

Besides the nature of giri, being members of a wa provides additional benefits. Similar to the Kharmic Tie Advantage, whenever you seek to aid or hinder a member of your wa you gain a +Xk0 bonus, where X is equal to the Wa Rank. This includes group rolls, attempts to protect or heal, or even attack and spellcasting rolls targeting them. Furthermore, you keep one another's secrets. If you witness a member of your wa commit an act that would cause a Glory loss, you do not trigger the loss unless you reveal the act to someone outside your wa.
  
You also can access the Holdings of your wa compatriots. Holdings are sites that your uji, shinden, or otokodate has given you access to and responsibility for. It is important to distinguish between the Holdings you access and the general wealth and property of your faction, because Holdings do not reflect a complete measure of your faction's prosperity or influence. Instead they reflect only the properties you have been entrusted to serve or oversee. So while the uji, shinden, or even otokodate may have dozens of a particular kind of Holding in its domains, your Holding only represents a single site you frequent and are charged with protecting.

Each Holding is measured in Ranks. These do not necessarily reflect the true wealth and prestige of the Holding, but only the relative advantage you can gain from leveraging its abilities. When creating the wa, each member has a number of points for buying Holdings equal to their Glory Rank, and purchasing Holding Ranks costs a point per Rank. Some advanced Holdings may be even more expensive, as they represent vital interests requiring dedicated and proven defenders. These points are spent individually by the wa members, even though all wa members can take advantage of their benefits. Wa members can only combine their points if they share an uji, shinden, or otokodate affiliation. Thus, two members of the wa who both are members of the same uji, with Glory Ranks of 1 and 2 respectively, could pool their points for a Rank 3 Holding, or a Rank 2 Holding and Rank 1 Holding, or three Rank 1 Holdings. However, a Holding can never have higher Ranks than the Wa Rank.

Each Holding confers various benefits. Any member of the wa can access these benefits, but it must be a group decision. If a Holding gives free Season Actions, for instance, then the wa must divide these among themselves as they see fit.

Also, each Holding should be given an impressive name. It might be labeled Shiro Number Four on the map, but who wants to proudly serve there when they could be defending the Harmonious Steel Shiro?

Ashram
The ashram is a monastery where Shinsei no Shinden gakusho hone their spiritual and physical search for enlightenment. Although the vast majority fall under the jurisdiction of the Shinsei no Shinden, independent ashram and some supported by the uji can still be found across Hachigoku.

The ashram can provide shelter, but it is free only for gakusho and shugenja; all others must donate 1 koku for the Season. The ashram provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used to purchase Void Ring Ranks or Kiho.

Blacksmith
The blacksmith transforms metal pulled from the earth into useful tools, strong armor, and deadly weapons. Access to the smithy's forge not only lets you acquire weapons and armor without having to bother your superior over trifling matters, but also allows you to privately arm allies, those under your command, or even give them as gifts.

As a Season Action, you can acquire any 1 weapon, 20 arrows of any type, or 1 suit of armor of any type. For 2 Season Actions, you can acquire any of these items as Fine Quality. You cannot acquire more items in a Season than the Holding's Rank.

Dojo
The dojo is a place for bushi to test their skills and train to improve their prowess. Other sites of training are occasionally referred to as dojo, but this Holding denotes only those that train bushi. This dojo is officially licensed by the Senryuu.

The dojo can provide shelter, but only for bushi. In addition, the dojo provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used to purchase and increase Bugei Skill Ranks or Bushi Okuden.

Fortification
Fortifications can range from lonely outposts to domineering towers, and from bandit hideouts to the imposing walls of a toshi. You serve at such a site, guarding the peace of a region from attack or Trouble. Whether you have command of the fortification depends on your status, and not on the Holding's Rank.

The fortification can provide shelter. In addition, any rolls for Trouble at the start of a Season have a penalty to their total equal to the Holding's Rank. Finally, you can spend koku to hire Ronin Brute Squads at the beginning of a Season. It costs 1 koku per Ronin Brute Squad (6 Brutes each, TR 2), to a maximum equal to the Holding's Rank. Additional koku can be spent to hire Ronin Brute Squads with higher TR's, representing experienced veterans or specific otokodate members. Each additional TR for a Brute Squad costs 1 koku, and must be spent evenly between the total Ronin hired, nor can its TR be greater than the Holding's Rank. Thus, you could spend 12 koku to hire 4 Ronin Brute Squads (TR 4) with a Fortification Holding Rank 4. These Ronin Brute Squads leave at the end of the Season unless you spend more koku.

Gakuen
The gakuen is an academy for the cultural, diplomatic, and intellectual arts of Hachigoku. Such a school is devoted to producing teishin devoted to the welfare of the uji. This gakuen is officially licensed by the Roju.

The gakuen can provide shelter, but only for teishin. In addition, the gakuen provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used to purchase High Skill Ranks or Teishin Okuden.

Gambling Den
The gambling den is a place where criminals, townsfolk, and samurai rub shoulders. It is often a convenient cover for both illegal and covert activity.

The gambling den can provide shelter, but it might cost you. When taking shelter for a Season, you must have at least one koku and roll 1d10, subtracting your Glory Rank from the total but adding the Holding Rank (yes, this die explodes). This is the amount of koku it costs for the season if the result is odd (if this exceeds your koku, you lose all koku), or the amount of koku you gain if the result is even. In addition, the gambling den provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used to purchase Low Skill Ranks. 

Geisha House
The geisha house is a place of art and beauty, where those with wealth relax in the “floating world” created by the grace and wit of Hachigoku's geisha. These women entertain their clients with song, dance, conversation, food, and much, much sake, relieving their patrons of social burdens and loosening their tongues.

The geisha house provides free Season Actions equal to its Holding Rank. These can only be spent to generate rumors. Each rumor is way of stating truths about the setting, and abide by the same rules as Raises do. Each truth thus cannot contain conjunctions or disjunctions (unless combing rumors), nor can it contradict established facts.

Inn
The inn is a ubiquitous site for travelers to rest, and a convenient place to stash inconvenient guests.

The inn can provide shelter, but only at a cost of 1 koku per Season. In addition, the inn provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used to purchase Merchant Skills or Ronin Okuden.

Mine
Mines are worked to produce the minerals valued throughout Hachigoku, including iron, copper, silver, gold, and diamonds. These provide not only wealth in the form of koku, but also give your superiors a steady supply to materials needed for arms production without having to depend on the vagaries of trade.

The mine produces koku equal to its Rank per Season. If you have a Blacksmith Holding, this Holding's Rank are added to those Ranks for determining all their effects.

Mura
The mura (“village”) is the center of a farming community, with rice paddies, wheat fields, and other agricultural facilities. The population is rarely more than a few hundred heimin and necessary hinin, but they are your charges to protect and order.

The mura can provide shelter. In addition, it produces koku equal to its Rank per Season. Also, it produces a number of Ashigaru Brute Squads (6 Brutes each, TR 1) equal to its Rank per Season and under your direct command; these ashigaru end their service and return to their fields at the end of the Season.

Opium Den
A foreign import smuggled into Hachigoku, opium is simultaneously a plague among the lower castes and a potentially hazardous recreation among samurai. Those who savor such narcotics gather in opium dens throughout the land, which range from high class affairs protected by bribed metsuke, or seedy hole-in-the-walls frequented by the desperate. Still, despite its dangers and reputation, opium dens can be incredibly profitable and useful places for intelligence gathering.

The opium den produces koku equal to twice its Rank per Season. In addition, you can spend a Season Action to acquire Blackmail (as described in the Blackmail Advantage) over a patron. You cannot have more Blackmail acquired this way at any one time than the Holding's Rank. Your control over those blackmailed is not as strong as those acquired as Qualities, and dissolve at the end of the Season unless you spend additional Season Actions. Finally, at the beginning of each Season you lose Honor Points equal to the Holding's Ranks.

Port
This can be either a port along the coast crowded with docks for deep sea ships, or river docks and landings frequented by barges, fisherman, and ferries. Such facilities are the outgrowth (or cause) of an urban center nearby. The port not only facilitates trade, but also houses shipwrights.

You cannot purchase a Port Holding unless you already posses a Toshi Holding, and its Rank cannot exceed the Rank of the Toshi. The port produces koku equal to its Rank per Season. In addition, the port can produce ships. You must spend Season Actions to order and oversee the ship's construction. How many Season Actions required depends on the type of ship. Sampans and barges cost 1 Season Action, kobune cost 2, and sengokobune cost 3. An additional Season Action can be spent to make the ship Fine Quality. You cannot spend more than a single Season Action on any one ship per Season, however, thus construction of a Fine Quality kobune requires a total of 3 Seasons, nor can you construct a ship requiring more Season Actions than the Holding's Rank, so constructing that Fine Quality kobune requires at least 3 Holding Ranks.

Sake Works
The sake works take rice and brew it into sake, Hachigoku's most common alcohol, rivaling tea as its most beloved beverage. Another name for it might be “liquid courage.” Access to the sake works allows you to increase the morale of those under your command, and increase the reputation of places like geisha houses and gambling dens.

If you have a Geisha House or Gambling Den Holding, this Holding's Rank are added to those Ranks for determining all their effects. This includes creating rumors, or Season Actions for improving Low Skills. Additionally, you can spend a Season Action to increase the TR of any Brute Squad under your control for the Season by +1 (this will not give them more Okuden, however, only increase their TR). You cannot give any particular Brute Squad more than a single +1 TR bonus, and cannot target more Brute Squads than this Holding's Ranks.

Seido
The seido (“shrine”) is a sacred site devoted to a worthy ancestor or Fortune, a place where the spiritual energies of Hachigoku make contacting and comprehending the kami far easier. Seido are typically cared for by either shugenja or gakusho, and most lie under the jurisdiction of the Shinsei no Shinden. Thousands of major and minor seido cover Hachigoku, however, many under no control at all.

The seido can provide shelter, but only for shugenja or gakusho. In addition, the seido provides free Season Actions equal to its Rank that can only be used for purchasing Spells or for communing with the spirits. Each attempt to commune allows you to pose a single sentence question with a simple yes or no answer.

Then you provide the answer.

Shinden
The shinden is a temple complex devoted to both study and worship, a place where pilgrims, shugenja, and gakusho mingle freely. Large shinden often have adherents prepared to defend the building should it be attacked. Like ashram and seido, most shinden belong to the Shinsei no Shinden, but not all.

You cannot purchase a Shinden Holding unless you already possess either an Ashram or Seido, and its Rank cannot exceed the Rank of the Ashram or Seido (if you possess both, this limit only concerns that with the higher Rank). The shinden can provide shelter. Also, once per Season you can spend a Season Action to procure a gakusho or shugenja advisor with an Insight Rank equal to this Holding's Rank. This is a stock NPC of any shuha or gakusho the shinden can train. The advisor returns to his life at the shinden or abroad once the Season ends.

Shiro
The shiro (“castle”) is a testament to the prowess and authority of your daimyo. It's design and strength dominate whatever landscape it occupies, be it field, forest, or city. This is likely not a daimyo's seat power, but rather another shiro anchoring the defense and administration of the territory. Most uji control perhaps a dozen such shiro, while the largest and oldest uji control shiro by the score. The tiniest may control only one, and still other shiro may lie under the authority of otokodate or shinden, but this is a rare case. You serve at such a site, guarding the peace of a region from attack or Trouble. Whether you have command of the shiro depends on your status, and not on the Holding's Rank.

You cannot purchase a Shiro Holding unless you already possess a Dojo, and its Rank cannot exceed the Rank of the Dojo. The shiro can provide shelter. In addition, any rolls for Trouble at the start of a Season have a penalty to their total equal to the Holding's Rank. Finally, at the beginning of the Season you can spend a Season Action to requisition a Bushi Uji Brute Squad to assist you in your duties; the total number of Bushi Brute Squads assisting you cannot exceed your Glory Rank. Each Brute Squad possesses a Bushi Discipline, and its TR equals the Holding's Rank +1, with a corresponding number of Okuden. Alternatively, once per Season you can spend a Season Action to procure a gakusho, shugenja, or teishin advisor with an Insight Rank equal to this Holding's Rank. This is a stock NPC of any shinden, shuha, or gakuen the uji has access to (a Hida shiro, for instance, will not have access to Togashi ise zume). The Brute Squad or advisor returns to his life at the shiro or abroad once the Season ends.

Silk Works
Silk is the fabric of the samurai. A silk farm in your charge produces enough silk to clothe those of your uji and sell to less fortunate uji... and a little more. This silk works in particular is known for its beautiful, cloud-like productions resulting in artistic wonders. Not only is this useful for providing you access to additional kimono for yourself without bothering your daimyo with such a minor request, but you can likewise quickly provide kimono for allies, those under your charge, or even give them as gifts.

As a Season Action, you can acquire a new kimono from the silk works. These kimono are not only considered Fine Quality, but grant Free Raises equal to the Holding's Rank at the time of crafting. Each Free Raise can only be spent on Social Rolls, and can only be used once per Season. You cannot acquire more kimono in a Season than the Holding's Ranks.

Stables
The stables provide steeds for your people, employing grooms who breed and train horses. Not only is this useful for providing you access to a steed for yourself without bothering your daimyo with such a minor request, but you can likewise quickly provide mounts for allies, those under your command, or even give them as gifts.

As a Season Action, you can acquire a horse. By spending 2 Season Actions, you can acquire a Fine Quality horse. You cannot acquire more horses in a Season than the Holding's Rank.


Tea House
The tea house is a place of gathering, eating, and drinking. In some cases, the tea house may also represent a place where the tea ceremony is practiced and honored as a form of meditation, or house a garden of great beauty.

Whenever you are within the tea house, you gain Free Raises to all High Skill rolls equal to the Holding's Rank. Also, you can spend a Season Action to acquire an Ally (as described in the Ally Advantage). You cannot have more Allies acquired this way at any one time than the Holding's Rank. Your ties to these Allies are not as strong as those acquired as Qualities, and dissolve at the end of the Season unless you spend additional Season Actions.

Toshi
The toshi (“city”) is a larger population center than a mura, ranging anywhere from a thousand to hundreds of thousands of citizens (although only the greatest of Hachigoku's toshi can boast such numbers). It often is supported by numerous client mura clustered nearby, convenient trade routes, bustling commerce, and perhaps stout defenses. You serve in some official capacity in the toshi's bureaucracy, dealing with matters legal and municipal, whether as a metsuke or Warden of the Aromatic Sewers. A low Rank could indicate a lowly position, or even a high position that requires little attention and produces little benefit, and a high Rank reflects a rewarding and demanding post.

The toshi costs twice as much as a normal Holding to purchase or improve, and can provide shelter. In addition, it produces koku equal to twice its Rank per Season. Finally, while in the toshi you have the service of a number of Doshin Brute Squads (6 Brutes each, TR 2) equal to the Holding's Rank at your disposal.

Joining & Leaving Wa
Time changes, and so do alliances, priorities, and friendships. A wa can admit new members, as long as they agree to be bound by the original oath, and again receive blessing and certification by having the entire wa present themselves before a priest and shisha. Admission of a new, untried wa comrade is risky, and lowers the Wa Rank by -1. The burden on the new member is to prove worthy of the trust his fellow samurai place in them. New members bring access to new Holdings with them, too. If they do not already possess benefits from Holdings, they gain points to purchase Holdings according to their Glory Ranks, just as if building a new wa.

Wa membership can overlap. That is to say, you can belong to more than one wa. You could have joined a wa in your youth, a group with lasting friendship that still continues, and much later join a new wa, perhaps a band of heroes bound together in a quest. A wa is not a jealous creature demanding your entire attention, but neither can you spread yourself too thin with obligations; no daimyo wants his samurai divided into too many parts. Thus, you cannot join more wa than your Void Ring. It's important to note that wa are an uncommon phenomenon, and undertaken with due serious consideration. Vast swathes of samurai do not form wa, and wa among non-samurai is even rarer.

Still, you're not playing the game and striving to be average, are you?

Leaving a wa is much more difficult. The bonds between wa members almost are living creatures that can be both fed and starved, but never denied. Even those who die are still members of a wa. Those Holdings they held alone and their claim on a giri vanish, but their Glory Ranks (death may have risen or dropped the Ranks, or even information discovered long after their death may impact it) still affect the wa. A member who is exiled, made ronin, lost to the Shadowlands, or otherwise beyond the scope of play is still a member as well. Hachigoku drama is consumed with stories of samurai who commit seppuku when their cause seems hopeless, if for no other reason than to spare their wa the shame of one man's defeat, and stories of wa who foresee death yet throw themselves into a forlorn hope so that the glory of their wa is a fixed record of heroism.

This leaves only three ways to fully leave the wa:

• Seppuku: If the wa member has done something truly shameful and allowed to commit seppuku, their shame is discharged and any ill effects brought on the wa are erased. They are released from the oath in honorable death, but the wa also abandons them for their betrayal.
• Fulfillment: If the wa fulfills the requirements of its oath, one that was definite and accomplishable, the wa is dissolved at the end of the Season. They can slowly feel a subtle shift in their fortunes as their lives readjust to void the wa once occupied. Every wa member likewise gains a Glory Rank for accomplishing their goals.
• Renouncing: All surviving members of the wa can publicly renounce the wa, certifying its dissolution in the same fashion through a priest and shisha. Every wa member loses an Honor and Glory Rank for abandoning the wa.