Uesugi Family

The **Uesugi Family**, a clan of magi that traces its roots to the Uesugi clan from Feudal Japan, is one of the earliest members of Japan's Bureau of Mystics. Blessed by Bishamonten, they were able to get the direct blood of renowned Uesugi Kenshin into their current bloodline, granting its members the prowess and blessings of the War God.

## History

In the year 1551, the head of the Uesugi, Norimasa, was fleeing from a disastrous campaign. The Hojo had expanded and he had failed to stop them. The nearest castle that he could seek refuge in was under the command of the then Kagetora Nagao, a powerful vassal of the Uesugi.

Kagetora was happy to take in her lord and shielded him against any further Hojo advances. Norimasa had no children of his own so out of gratitude he would adopt Kagetora to be his heir, with Kagetora eventually taking on the name of Kenshin. Kenshin would go on to be one of the greatest daimyo of the sengoku period.

However she was not infallible or an immortal as some believed. When the Oda attacked, she went to campaign against them. Even outnumbered she was able to outwit Nobunaga themself and put the Oda on the back foot. She was not able to follow through unfortunately due to an illness that she would ultimately succumb to.

Before Kenshin died, it was her wish that her sons would split the realm equally. Unfortunately this was not to be and within months the two brothers were gathering arms to assert their claim as head of the Uesugi. Although Kagetora initially had an advantage, his inability to gain a decisive victory began to break down trust in him. A few key allies of his betrayed or abandoned him and suddenly the tide of the conflict changed.

After his eldest was killed, Kagetora realized that Kagekatsu intended to decisively end the debate of who is Kenshin's true successor. Cornered, he and his wife enlisted the help of local monks and priests for a ritual. They used their own death to appeal to Bishamonten, the god of war and slayer of evil. He felt some pity and appreciation for this family, descended from one of his most devoted followers.

So Bishamonten took their remaining children away to safety on a divine wind. This wind not only brought them to safety but also changed them, making them even more heirs of Kenshin. Though Kenshin never had children of her own body, her blood now flowed through them. Eternally marking their bloodline as her heir.

The children of Kagetora ended up taking refuge in Hojo lands. By the time of Hideyoshi's death they had come of age and when the country began to split into two they put their support behind the Tokugawa. Thanks to their familiarity with the area, the siblings proved to be of great assistance in the brief struggle against their uncle who had thrown his lot in with the western lords. When he surrendered they went on to serve at the battle of Sekigahara.

In recognition of their contributions, the new Tokugawa shogunate granted them lands in their home of Echigo. They tended to these lands well for centuries and continued their exploration into the secret world of magic. When the isolation of the country was forcefully ended, the Uesugi saw the way the wind was blowing and began converting their feudal holdings into more modern assets.

The Uesugi were amongst the first families to agree to the new organization of magic in Japan. They joined the Shinpi-kyoku during the Meiji restoration and thanks to their earlier efforts to convert their wealth, they were able to contribute to the building of magic schools. The Uesugi have remained members of the Bureau and often contribute their members to it, whether in the Bureau itself or in its sister organizations

## Culture/Beliefs

The Uesugi are a traditional family that still follow many of the old ways. However they do not completely eschew modern technology and values. Their home and their outfits tend to lean towards traditional but there are exceptions and most will wear more modern clothes when dealing with Sleepers.

### Magic

The Uesugi are practitioners of Kotodama, a form of magic that believes words and other sounds have great power. Using this allows one to grant their words great power and puts them in tune with the energy of the world around them. It is a versatile foundation of magic useful for affecting oneself or their surroundings. It is also entwined with martial arts.

## Relationship with Other Organizations

### Takeda

Since discovering each other as mage families, the Uesugi and Takeda have had a rivalry in honor of their great ancestors. It is a friendly rivalry though and the families have even assisted each other on endeavors.

## Estate

The Uesugi household is a very traditional styled manor, combined with its isolation one may initially feel like they have stepped back in time. Officially the Uesugi major falls under the jurisdiction of Joetsu and the family sometimes visits the city for the festivals or other reasons

The property is separated into three buildings/complexes, with many gardens and the like connecting them.

The main building where the family actually lives. It's a large two story building with the bedrooms, bathrooms, kitchen, etc. There are also rooms for entertaining guests and for family meetings or ceremonies

There is the workshops, a complex of buildings. This is where members can learn and experiment with spells. It also contains a forge and other crafting tools for those who wish to try their hand at artificing

The Uesugi dojo is very large for a personal dojo. This is where members of the family learn how to wield the blade. They also somewhat regularly host swordsmanship competitions here, especially with their Takeda rivals.