The Tales of the Ninja Coder

I shall be spending some time with Clan Nettobuku, so it's best if I introduce the people that I am working and fighting alongside. And a note for those who are not familiar with Nippon, or who read my scrolls only rarely and need to be reminded of who's who and what's what: You can always look at the scrolls marked with the kanji for "meta" to see helpful information about what everything means. So if you need to refer to any of my scrolls that describe my clan, or fighting styles, or the geography of Kansai during the Sengoku Jidai, you can find them with that tag.

And now, the people of Clan Nettobuku:

The High Lords

• Lord Reiji: This is the man who started Clan Nettobuku, and who guided it for its first year or two. However, while his vision was clear and his path was sure, his knowledge of combat and how to choose skilled warriors was not as great. Now, the day-to-day leading of the clan falls to...
• Lord Tai: Tai is a wise noble lord, well skilled in the ways of leadership. He does not speak over-much, but what he says is well-considered.
• Colonel Kobushi: The supreme commander of Clan Nettobuku's armies. My boss, just as General Wāro was back in Clan Iwinaga. He spends much of his time with Lord Tai and with Mitsu, but also meets with his fighters frequently to make sure we are practicing and our strategies are keen.
• Mitsu: An abbott of the Tendai branch of Buddhism, he is in charge of the four Nichiren priestesses (see below).

The Other Fighters

• Bunmei: The other ninja working with Clan Nettobuku. He and I get along fairly well, if a bit distantly. (This is okay; it means we trust each other to do things well and properly.) He's not from Iga, but he knows his ninja arts quite well. Like me, he's adept at city fighting and the Pagoda Bearer school of ninja-ken fighting, but he's also skilled in the Aka Hōseki Jōgesen school.
• Captain Tomo: A warrior of diverse experiences and full of calm, competent skill. He seems at home in urban, forest, or plains combat, and is a strong asset to our team.
• Daigo: A mighty fighter, most recently a yamabushi, but looking to move into more of a warrior path. (Sadly, the clan's needs have required him to practice a fair bit of shugendō in the mountains, but he is assured of real fighting once the mountain passes are clear.)
• Ikuya: He is adept in the net- and rope-fighting arts of Shima Province, both in the Mai-Shikuo and Ōraku schools.

The Monk and Priestesses

• Binya: The only Sōtō Zen monk we have (which will likely prove to be a problem later). Another one, Etsuya, fell ill a few weeks back, and is still resting. (We hope for his return, but it is not assured.) Binya is well attuned with Buddha-nature and the ways of harmony, and also has become very familiar with the terrain of Izumi Province.
• Iyona: The wisest and most senior of the four Nichiren Buddhist priestesses who guide our clan in the ways of righteousness and duty. She has a discerning eye and a sure hand, and came to her holy duties only after spending some time as a warrior. Also, she is from Iga, and we have sometimes been at the same pleasure-houses.
• Riruko, Sakura, and Kirika: The other three Nichiren priestesses. Each of them has some function within the temple, but I don't really know the internal details that well. They all seem quite holy, and quite good at their devotions and knowledge of righteousness.

Last, but certainly not least, I would be a fool and an ingrate to leave out Chiyoko. If she had a title, it might be something like "quartermaster" — she ensures that all is running smoothly, that the castle is kept clean, that messengers are met when they arrive, and that weapons are sharpened as needed. She is as the unseen Tao, without which all would stop.

Update, 2008-10-07: We have hired another ninja, named Jimon, who has been placed over Bunmei and me. Also, the Nichiren priestesses have acquired an abbess named Jīya, who helps guide the entire clan in the ways of righteousness. Chiyoko, sadly, has had to leave us, for her home village is too far from Castle Nettobuku.

Update, 2008-11-03: We have hired two more ninjas, named Benjirō and Saimei. Both are young and somewhat untested, but show some promise. We have also just added a yamabushi named Ishin to our ranks. He will be taking over the trail-blazing duties from Daigo, who is pleased to move into more combat-oriented tasks.