Lords of the Rising Sun

[Thlayli]

From: Uesugi Kenshin
To: Ashina Moriuji

We wish to present to you a gift of 5000 koku to show our esteem. Date Teramune and myself have long been occupied with the battle with the Hojo and Takeda, who have dishonored themselves with greed. Please join your armies to ours, and to those of the Satomi and Satake. Let us march to war as equals, taking heads and gaining glory and honor by restoring all of Kanto to the authority of those lords who honor the Shogunate.

The virtuous lords
Drive the usurper to fear
He flees our advance

上杉 謙信

 

[Ninja Dude]

From: Ryuzoji Takenobu
To: Omura Sumitada


You have fought hard, delayed my victory, and many brave men have fallen around Omura castle. Your friends in the ships have proved to be troublesome, even more than expected. You truly have surprised me with your abilities.

But despite this, it is clear that my victory is inevitable.

Your warriors are too few, and will only get fewer as the war rages on. The Christians fight from their ships, unwilling to truly help you. They would rather use you, and arm you to fight their battles. If they could, they'd stab you in the back to maintain their own safety. Sooner or later, they will leave, and then you will be at my mercy.

So what will it be? There is no shame in surrendering, and you can expect mercy from me. You may either hand over your lands to me in exchange for peace and safety, or you may retain some of them in exchange for becoming my vassal, and bringing me the heads of 100 Black Robes.

This offer will only come once. Accept it, or I will be far less merciful when we meet in battle. I suggest you discuss this with your retainers, as they seem sensible, and realize the treacherous nature of the Christians just as much as myself.

 

[kkmo]

From: Uesugi Kenshin
To: Ashina Moriuji

We wish to present to you a gift of 5000 koku to show our esteem. Date Teramune and myself have long been occupied with the battle with the Hojo and Takeda, who have dishonored themselves with greed. Please join your armies to ours, and to those of the Satomi and Satake. Let us march to war as equals, taking heads and gaining glory and honor by restoring all of Kanto to the authority of those lords who honor the Shogunate.

The virtuous lords
Drive the usurper to fear
He flees our advance

上杉 謙信

To Uesugi Kenshin

Your gift is generous. However, we must decline the treasures you send and your offer. Our reasoning is simple: my retainers, however few there may be, do not wish for war. Kurokawa Castle (OOC: In Wakamatsu) has stood for hundreds of years now as a bastion of our influence. With it we have successfully protected our domains and ensured prosperity for those who produce our rice. To take these hands and make ashigaru out of them would be a severe burden on those who trust us. May Hachiman be with you. But we will have no part in this war.

- Ashina Moriuji, Lord of Kurokawa

* * * * *​

From: Ryuzoji Takenobu
To: Omura Sumitada

You have fought hard, delayed my victory, and many brave men have fallen around Omura castle. Your friends in the ships have proved to be troublesome, even more than expected. You truly have surprised me with your abilities.

But despite this, it is clear that my victory is inevitable.

Your warriors are too few, and will only get fewer as the war rages on. The Christians fight from their ships, unwilling to truly help you. They would rather use you, and arm you to fight their battles. If they could, they'd stab you in the back to maintain their own safety. Sooner or later, they will leave, and then you will be at my mercy.

So what will it be? There is no shame in surrendering, and you can expect mercy from me. You may either hand over your lands to me in exchange for peace and safety, or you may retain some of them in exchange for becoming my vassal, and bringing me the heads of 100 Black Robes.

This offer will only come once. Accept it, or I will be far less merciful when we meet in battle. I suggest you discuss this with your retainers, as they seem sensible, and realize the treacherous nature of the Christians just as much as myself.

To Ryuzoji Takanobu

Your words have wisdom and your offers contain sense. Yet wisdom has little meaning and honor contains little sense in the realm of heaven. You, the Bear of Hizen, may have both of these qualities. But what good will it do you when you die, your legacy broken and your greed uncovered? You will never know the work of Jesus Christ. I pity you, Ryuzoji Takanobu. May God have mercy on your soul as you pray at your heathen shrines and worship your grim demons.

- Omura 'Bartolomeu' Sumitada

 

[Birdjaguar]

To: Satake Yoshiaki
From: Hojo Ujiyasu

As yet we have not crossed swords in this failed war by Uesugi Kenshin. If you return to your lands and free Tsuchiura castle and its lands from your grip and make war no more upon us, we will accept 5000 koku from you as a declaration of peace between our clans. The Uesugi have broken their armies upon the swords of Hojo and peace now is your only escape from a similar fate.

OOC: Is Satake NPC?

 

[kkmo]

To: Satake Yoshiaki
From: Hojo Ujiyasu

As yet we have not crossed swords in this failed war by Uesugi Kenshin. If you return to your lands and free Tsuchiura castle and its lands from your grip and make war no more upon us, we will accept 5000 koku from you as a declaration of peace between our clans. The Uesugi have broken their armies upon the swords of Hojo and peace now is your only escape from a similar fate.

OOC: Is Satake NPC?

To Hojo Ujiyasu

To flee Tsuchiura and betray our allies would be dishonorable. Once the peasants of Tsuchiura have been silenced, our katana will be aimed at your army. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield.

- Satake Yoshiaki

Yet Hojo Ujiyasu has heard from spies that Yoshiaki's retainers are dissatisfied and that there have even been desertions in the garrison at Tsuchiura - something incredibly rare in this society of honor. Even if the fight is unjust or has no merit, it is still honorable to fight with your lord. However, central retainers believe the current disaster at Tsuchiura is a waste of talented arms.

OOC: Yes, it is an NPC. Heraclius left it a while back.

 

[skeptikalz!]

Takeda Clan, currently open and available? If so, I'd would like the chance to play them.

 

[kkmo]

Takeda Clan, currently open and available? If so, I'd would like the chance to play them.

This is our OOC thread. Discussion continued there.

 

[skeptikalz!]

The Return of Takeda Clan​

​

"To be Takeda, is to be born in the saddle. We are master horsemen; our cavalry astound all. Let others march... we ride, we fly!

Like stones in the mountain, we thunder in battle! Bishamonten, the war god, has woken. Now is the time to defeat our enemies!"

- Excerpt from Takeda Shingen wartime speech, third battle of Kawanakajima, 1557

{Or Shogun 2, depending on your sources}



flight echoes—
the valley death comes
on swift wings

 

[Thlayli]

What legendary arrogance on behalf of the Hojo, demanding tribute from those they have not even defeated!

It does not matter how many armies of the Uesugi Hojo Ujiyasu destroys. The fighting spirit of the Uesugi will not diminish until the Hojo are broken and scattered across the land.

 

[Birdjaguar]

To Hojo Ujiyasu

To flee Tsuchiura and betray our allies would be dishonorable. Once the peasants of Tsuchiura have been silenced, our katana will be aimed at your army. I look forward to meeting you on the battlefield.

- Satake Yoshiaki

We will grant you an honorable death then and reserve a spike on Mito gate for your head. Those of your retainers who see the folly of your ways and return to their strongholds will be honored by Hojo and allowed to rule their lands in peace.

 

[Birdjaguar]

To: Takeda Shingen
From: Hojo Ujiyasu

In honor of our lasting friendship we will send you 2000 koku.

 

[skeptikalz!]

To: Hojo Ujiyasu
From: Takeda Shingen

This is a grand gift, a testament to our continuing friendship. Will you allow my clan to honor your's with a tea ceremony at my yashiki (mansion) in Kofu? I assure you, we will be safe as if we were in a grand stronghold, as I live in this place, unlike most lords. Will you join us?

(will write a story of the preparation if you agree)

 

[Birdjaguar]

To: Hojo Ujiyasu
From: Takeda Shingen

This is a grand gift, a testament to our continuing friendship. Will you allow my clan to honor your's with a tea ceremony at my yashiki (mansion) in Kofu? I assure you, we will be safe as if we were in a grand stronghold, as I live in this place, unlike most lords. Will you join us?

(will write a story of the preparation if you agree)

Most honored friend, once victory is won there will time for such pleasures, but until then, it is a time for war, the letting of blood and the taking of Uesugi heads.

 

[erez87]

Otomo Clan - Otomo Yoshishige

to Shimazu Takahisa:
Your clan is expanding and becoming mighty and powerful. Yet we are aware that one day we may stand in each other's way and so I suggest we will deal with the situation now. We offer to discuss terms for the peace to remain between our two clans for many years to come.

to Ryuzoji Takanobu:
Our two clans have been in peace for many years and will be in peace for many more years.
We are aware of your clan's dependence on your smaller neighbors for Chinese goods and Portuguese arquebus. We offer ourselves instead of the Omura clan for trade in return for a continued peace on our borders.

to Portuguese merchants:
The Otomo have always been appreciative and welcoming to the Portuguese merchants and missionaries even while it brought distrust among our people. I, Otomo Yoshishige, am striving for a peaceful coexistence of cultures and peoples inside my borders. Yet you have ceased trade with our people after receiving a one time revenue from the Mori who are opposing your missionaries and merchants, stopping them at every corner and attempting to manage their lives while they are in their ports. We give freedom of trade and they give tyrannical trade and yet you prefer them over us for nothing but a one time amount of gold, and amount you can easily make trading with my clan.
I welcome your merchants still, that will not change, and I implore you to support us, the only ones who truly accepts you, in this war, for if we fall, your ability to trade with Japan and spread your beliefs will forever diminish.
I ask to send my heir to your homelands to learn your ways the best one can and to bring much cooperation between our peoples. Will you agree?

OOC: That ok?

 

[Ninja Dude]

From: Ryuzoji Takenobu
To: Otomo Yoshishige

Your proposal sounds rather odd. I do not full understand what you wish for me to do. Rely solely on imports from your lands? In any case, my domain is mighty, and trade flows through it just as strongly as any other. Such deals are unnecessary.

However, I would like to discuss your dealings with the Christians. The Black Robes have made war against me, and I currently do not look kindly upon their allies. Your efforts to appease and align yourself with them have not gone unnoticed, and I urge you to rethink your plans.

 

[kkmo]

OOC: The Portuguese did not stop trade with the Otomo. They simply did not give them cannons to put on their warships for coastal bombardments / possible naval victory against the Mori. It was actually a pretty accurate move by Espoir, because the Portuguese were extremely hesitant when they did historically give naval aid to the Otomo. And since the Otomo lost their first major naval confrontation with the Mori, they would be even more hesitant to help out. Trade with them still flourishes, though, and they are still putting Jesuits in your land (which Otomo Sorin wants). The Jesuits do not feel threatened yet by the war against the Mori (in fact, I am kind of playing it so that they are benefiting from the war between the two large clans - the Portuguese merchants are essentially making a lot of money off of selling arms to both of them). Once the missionaries start to feel threatened by the war, then the Portuguese might be more ready and willing to help you out militarily (and while it wouldn't be grand and all that significant, it would surely help you out). But I can't make any promises on if this aid will occur. I do not "railroad" mod.

Right now the war for the Otomo is not going terribly, by the way. The Otomo have lost a few battles, yes, but they also prevented a massive army from gaining large swaths of land (and thus koku). About the bribe: the Mori inadvertently gave a nice donation to the missions in Kyushu, or perhaps for a captain's night with some geisha.

 

[erez87]

from Otomo Yoshishige
to Ryuzoji Takenobu:
No, that is not our idea at all.

While the Ryuzoji have enjoyed some trade with the Portuguese, their insistence on the presence of Jesuit missionaries has caused them to rely on the Omura for trade goods from China instead of having them directly shipped to Ryuzoji ports

Our idea is but to support you in the supplies of Chinese and Portuguese goods through us rather than through the Omura.

As for our support for the Christians. We are truly sorry you have been attacked by the black robes but I insure you we are not their allies. My ideal is to achieve peace between the cultures and not the preference of one over the other and for that I give support to all cultures within my borders.


OOC: I see. I didn't think they stopped trade with us, just as you said, understood they don't support my side for some reason. I'm still fully behind my diplomacy to the Portuguese. I feel the lack of trade is the Portuguese way of saying they do not wish to trade with us.
And the war is going badly just to match their forces I have to spend SO much.

 

[Ninja Dude]

To: Otomo Yoshishige
From: Ryuzoji Takenobu

Theirs is an inferior culture, and I continue to advise you distance yourself from them. That is all I have to say about this matter.

 

[kkmo]

OOC: erez: The stats you see are from the beginning of our game. Since then, the Ryuzoji have taken dominion over much of Arima and thus have a much better means to trade with China (and Portugal - though now that trade is threatened because the Portuguese will not take too kindly to the Ryuzoji attacking the clan that hosts Yokose, their port-of-call). Trade with China does not include arms, but includes luxury items. So even without this trade, the Ryuzoji are not severely handicapped to the point where they would cooperate with you - though having that current agreement with the Arima is certainly beneficial. In terms of getting guns and goods from Portuguese trade: the adoption of an Arima son has given the Ryuzoji considerable leverage in their dealings with the Portuguese. Now the Portuguese have to deal with the Ryuzoji instead of largely ignore them. Guns are plentiful in Kyushu at this time, and not somewhat coveted, rare commodities as they are further east. Not to mention, merchants coming and going from the Matsuura domain provide less "legal" means to obtaining firearms.

Your role-play of Sorin is good, in that he was sort of both Buddhist and Christian at the same time, attempting to appease many parties. This was also his downfall, though.

The Ryuzoji have every reason to be upset with you for your religious tolerance because they link Jesuits with the Omura, and the current daimyo of the Omura basically threw a bunch of ancient Buddhist relics into the ocean (he is insane). The Ryuzoji and their retainers are strictly anti-Jesuit.

 

[erez87]

OOC: I see. Yeah I'm going to be a mediator of cultures. At least try and I understand about the changing of trade around. I also see why they are anti-Jesuit.

from Otomo Yoshishige
to Ryuzoji Takenobu:
I understand your distaste from the latest actions of the Omura, yet still I will continue to do my best to deal with both cultures in a similar manner. I can only offer friendship towards you as well.