Mareo Hojo

Mareo Hojo, the Lord of the Hojo Clan.

> *"History is written by the victors."*
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The leader of the Hojo clan, Mareo is known by his way of stern ruling. Though many subjects claim that he is a fair and just leader, earning the loyalty of his retinue and subjects by his ways, Mareo is also known by a very few to be a cunning politician. While turbelent times are approaching for the North, Mareo spots a change for the Hojo clan to become greater than they were before. Greater than the other northern clans!

## Personality

Mareo is known by many to be a man of strict principles, discipline and a will that is as strong as steel. Many of his subjects firmly believe that he is a just man, that loves his people and is willing to go to the end for them. However, Mareo is a cunning man with his own agenda. Shrewd in dealings and unforgiven to his enemies, he is certainly not without his pride. It is fair to say that his pride is likely both a source that attributes to his strong will and a flaw.

Mareo is known by his direct contacts to be cold and calculating. Terms as loyalty and blood do mean something to him but they often don't outweigh his ambitions. Though it is known by a handful that he certainly doesn't take joy from being cruel to people. Even killing is something that Mareo is certainly no fan of. Though he has no trouble to dispatch his subjects to do it for him.

If anything, Mareo does have a softer core to him. Mainly to arts and the finer things of life. A fan of poetry and other displays of fine Taika culture, Mareo tends to spend his small amount of free time to attend to such matters.

## History

Mareo was born as the only child of the Lord Hojo, Gihei Hojo. With being the only son of the Lord Hojo, Mareo was expected to be the perfect heir. His father gathered the most capable that he could afford and was able to muster to Kosami's Hold. Mareo was tutored in the many fields such as politics, warfare and understanding how to lead as to rule. Being raised to be proud of his heritage, Mareo took over his father's ideology that the Hojo clan should always strive to become greater.

On the eve of 8th of Juli in the year 448, Mareo would ascend to the leadership of the Hojo clan. His father passed away after a struggle against disease. Right after rising to the leadership of his clan, Mareo started to make clear what kind of leader he was. He set his vassals straight and ruled with even more vigour than his father had done before him. Any doubts that rose if he was capable to lead the Hojo properly were eroded as his rule continued. The first decade of Mareo's rule saw the Hojo becoming more powerful in both military and economical. Not to mention, Mareo seemed to have learned from the mistakes of his father and predecessor - for he would father three sons before the dawn of the Great War.

### Into War

The start of the Great War was met with enthusiasm from the Hojo clan. The idea was that they could gain prestige, wealth and more influence in the aftermath. Rewards that Mareo was willing to sacrifice Hojo lives for. Only the start didn't go as either Mareo or anybody under his leadership had hoped for. With the majority of the forces being led by the Third Raikage, the Hojo didn't manage to see much chances to prove their valour and reap the desired rewards. Using it in his advantage, Mareo would boldly denounce the Third Raikage and increase his support to the Daimyo.

This decision would see him gaining some animosity from the Third Raikage and those loyal to him. But with his importance in the Lightning and Mareo increasing his clan's influence, there was little that the Third Raikage could do. Certainly with the Hojo establishing themselves as the official protectors of the Ranzaki Dynasty.

Eventually, the Hojo clan would be able to prove their valour when the Lightning country made their moves and had to counter some attacks from foreign powers. Only for a few battles was Mareo present to lead his troops personally. And always had he delivered victory - though some of his enemies and rivals declare that he manipulated the odds well enough to secure his own safety and victories. None the less, the Hojo clan was able to gain more influence and prestige during the Great War.

As the conflict would come to a halt, Mareo did regret that it didn't continue for much longer. Some even whispered in the past that Mareo was considering to give cause for another big conflict - all to provide more chances for the Hojo clan to gain more prestige and wealth.

### The Great Ambition

The years that followed the Great War were wisely used by Mareo. He continued to work to consolidate his clan's power and standing in the country. Turbulent times such as the Shoji occupation briefly saw the Hojo clan barring steel and shedding blood but not as much as the other clans. Just enough to protect their own interests. For it was in Mareo's own desire to grow and save the strength of the Hojo clan for future and more fruitful endeavours.

## Skills

To start off, Mareo isn't much of a grand fighter. He is, at best, a decent swordfighter and has seen war with his own two eyes. However, this experience has been years ago and Mareo hasn't raised a blade to train or to fight for a long time. Adjusted to a life of certain luxuries, Mareo isn't thus the most threatening when it comes to combat.

Mareo's is, however, good at other fields. He is a capable ruler that uses a mixture of being just and strict to get what he wants. He is rather quick to understanding people and has a sharp mind. His experience in ruling and managing a Great Clan with various vassal clans underneath its leadership, Mareo is capable of reading people to a certain degree. His ruthlessness has also contributed somewhat to his skills as a leader.