Cho Guards

*"We serve in the light but are born in the shadows. We are bound to one will but protect the clan. We are the guards of our people and death bringers to those who bare steel against them."*

*- The Vow of the Cho Guard.*

The Cho Guard are the known and esteemed militant organisation within the Cho clan. They are an elite unit within the clan that is trained and tasked with providing security to various prominent locations and people within the Cho clan. Only loyal to the leader of the Cho Clan, they are, however able for hire for a good price. Of course, as long as the leader of the clan agrees with the said price. While they were with much more and operating in many more areas outside of the Cho clan lands, they fell on some rough times as the clan's leadership crumbled. Though it is known to many of the Cho clan that the esteemed organisation is making its return.

## Hierarchy

The top command of the Cho Guard is the leader of the Cho Clan. The clan leader has the absolute command over the Cho Guard and is the one who deems various high priority missions in need to be conducted for the greater good of the clan. Various other duties include that the clan leader delegates various tasks to the various commanders of the Cho Guard. These commanders are second in command, leading their own portion of the guard in the various areas. Most are located within the Cho clan heartlands, which is considered of paramount importance for the Guard.

A commander is a veteran of the Guard. The man or woman has experienced in the variant forms of the martial arts and weapon expertise that the organisation is familiar with. They are to be expected to be masters of various other fields, either combating subterfuge or conducting them. These commanders are in command of the recruiting and training of their portion of the Cho Guard. With the clan leader not always being able to give permission for a mission or operation, these commanders have the heavy responsibility to make decisions from time to time. This autonomy isn't without any risk. If a mission will turn into a disaster or suffer incidents, the commander who gave permission will be severely punished for it as well. This has led that many commanders are very strict and put a lot of time and effort to discipline their subordinates, limiting the chance of failure and incidents to a minimum.

Below the commanders are the captains. These are grizzled veterans who lead other Guards in field operations. Most are capable to hold their ground against strong opponents as they are dabbled in various arts and styles of fighting. Their years of experience in both following and leading making them often the successors of commanders, when the latter retire or find a prematurely end in their profession.

Then come the various trainers, who are masters of their orientation, and the experienced and full-fledged members of the Guard.

## Equipment and Skills

The equipment of the Cho Guard varies. Usually, people expect the members of the Guard to be garbed in the black coloured uniform. The black hooded guards wear a steel arm and shoulder guard on their left arm. Underneath their black hooded shirts, the protection tends to vary. Low ranked members wear some padding for minimal protection while more experienced and higher ranked members of the Guard wear even chainmail vests underneath the black attire as a different style - clearly giving away difference in rank as experience.

The weapons vary from short blades to spears, bows and shields. It is safe to say that the Cho Guard don't rely on one or just a few specific kind of weaponry. Where most are seen to wield edged weaponry, some are geared with blunt weapons.

An utility tool that does seem to be a standard issue is the senbon-guard. It is essentially an armguard around the left arm with some storage for senbon below the wrist. This allows the wielder to quickly grab and throw a senbon in quick succession. Some of the more veteran Cho Guards prepare their senbon with various applications, such as poison to increase their tools efficiency.

Their skills tend to vary a lot among the members as well. The majority is trained and experienced in the use of ninjutsu. Medical, barrier and genjutsu seem to be the most favoured among the ranks of the Cho Guard but elemental or more 'direct offensive' ninjutsu isn't being shunned from. As counter-measure against subterfuge and assassination attempts, the majority of full-fledged members of the guard are trained and experienced in both knowing how to combat as to how to conduct such shady operations.

The fighting styles that the Cho Guard employs and trains their members intend to vary. There are various defensive and offensive orientated fighting. Some are more focused on hand-to-hand combat while others lean towards more armed expertise. What makes the Cho Guard fighting styles different is that they tend to be focused on speed and agility than raw strength and endurance.

A Cho Guard novice, their gear being less elaborate than that of higher ranked Guards.The general uniform of members that passed the Trial of the Beast. Protective gear is still worn underneath the top layer of cloth.Male members of the Cho Guard are differently garbed. Influence from the Grey Guard of the Hon Clan is quite noticeable.
## Recruitment and Training

The recruitment of the Cho Guard members is one done out of very careful selection. Most, if not all, members of the Guard are from origin Cho. There have been various members who were allowed to join by renowned commanders, jarls and clan leaders because, as an example, for a courageous act.  There are also members and recruits who have voluntarily joined the Guard. Much like those who have been selected, they are subjugated to various initial tests to see how strong they are in both will and chakra control. If a recruit lacks in an area, it won't lead instantly to being evicted from further training. Some attempts will be made to help the recruit gain the necessary basic skills and knowledge. If those attempts won't seem to bear fruit, the recruit will be evicted from the Guard.

Once accepted as recruits, they will be put into small groups of six. These groups will be training most often together if their other occupation will allow it. In case that a recruit isn't able to attend the training with their group, they will be expected to keep honing their skills as the Trials will be held with the entire group. Regardless if one or more isn't yet ready to face them. These Trails will determine at what rank the member of the Guard is at.

### **The Trial of the Wind:**

The person becomes a trainee. They learn various basics of the disciples and methods of the Cho Guard. Once they are ready, the trainee will receive some basic equipment as well starting a harsher training regime. While the first Trial isn't as demanding as the others, some trainees are more challenged and tested than others on how loyal they already are. During this training, they will learn the basics of Yakimara, knowledge on some herbs and how to adapt to various situations. Once considered loyal, enough, the trainee becomes a novice of the Cho Guard.

### **The Trial of the Beast:**

During this time, the novice is being educated in more martial skills. The trainers take good care to train the novices in areas they excel in as well to make certain that the novices are aware what their weakness is. While this is done out of good will, the training regime is harsh and demands a lot of effort - even of talented and capable novices. More training with the groups will be deployed. Though they aren't required to bond together, they share training together and often lead to (friendly) rivalries and friendships being formed. The trial of the Beast ends for a novice with a grim test. They will be guided towards a secret location in the Cho compound, being led to an underground hall. There they will be instructed to partake in a battle royal and that only half of them can proceed to the next Trial, while the others have to start back at the Trial of the Wind. While full-fledged members of the Guard are present, to overwatch the test and make certain that casualties as injuries are treated as soon as possible, it is kept secret that some novices wind up dead at the end of the test. In case this happens, the Cho Guard's top covers up and makes certain that the relatives of the deceased novice will have been told something to be proud of and remember their passed loved one as a hero. Those who do pass the test are given a tattoo to resemble that they are now considered members of the Cho Guard, as well as a different outfit.

### **The Trial of Shadows:**

Once half of the grouped novices has passed on to the next Trial, they will be educated by a veteran of the Assassins of the Rose. Learning how to conduct stealth engagements and operations as for how to counter them effectively, the novices also continue the usual martial and intellectual training. Unlike the novices of the previous Trial, there is less freedom for the novices that undergo this Trial. Furthermore, those who have progressed far enough will be trained to endure prolonged mental and physical torture as for how to conduct efficient mental as physical torture to make another spill secrets. Once considered ready, the novice will be given a mission of the Cho Guard. What kind of missions are kept in the dark, for what one can consider a good reason.

### **The Trail of the Rose:**

The last trial is kept even more secret than the Trial of Shadows. During this time, the novices prepare to become full-fledged members of the Cho Guard. They continue to practice and train in the same harsh manners as well being considered eligible for tasks that the Cho Guard wants them to attend to. Some novices are tasked to train and mentor various novices of other Trials as well keeping an eye out on them to not spill any secrets about their organisation.  What makes a novice of this trial being able to become a full-fledged Cho Guard is unknown and it is a secret that every member has been silent about ever since it was founded.

## Techniques

The ninjutsu techniques of the Cho Guard are kept secret from outside clan sources. While they have some history of joint operations and cooperation with the likes of the Grey Guard and Woodland Ravens, the Cho Guard are quite keen to keep most of their secrets as their own trademark than to share them. There are only a very few in the history who were allowed to learn a technique of the Guard.

The members of the Guard learn the knowledge and usage of the techniques throughout their training in the Cho Guard. Novices of the Guard only hear some of the rumours that surround the elite of their organisation while the apprentices slowly learn and master the basics of the lower ranked techniques. More dangerous and obscure techniques are only given as a token of respect and acknowledgement of skill to the most loyal and skilled members.

### Secret Sealing Rose Technique

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### Fire Release: Secret Ashes

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### Secret Technique: Withering Earth

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### Secret Genjutsu: Moonlight Ilussion

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### Shadow Rift Technique

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