Bushido

Bushido is the code that Samurai of the Draconic Empire follow in both their daily lives and combat.

This simple moral code is comprised of "Eight Virtues" or tenets of belief that are the basis of how a Samurai acts. Each is less important than the next, leading to the final most important virtue for Samurai.

In times of war, a Samurai must serve their Daimyo as a unit commander and warrior.

## The Eight Virtues

The eight virtues, in ascending order, are a key part of maintaining "face". To lose face is to lose your reputation as a samurai, and is a disgrace.

### Righteousness (Gi)

You must be honest with your dealings with others, and uphold Justice within yourself and your actions. To the true warrior, all points of view about honesty, justice and integrity are to be given due consideration. A warrior cannot back down and must fully commit to their choices and decisions.

### Heroism (Yu)

A true warrior must have courage to face all challenges without fear.

### Benevolence (Jin)

Through training and work a Samurai becomes strong. A Samurai must be compassionate, they must help their felows where they can, and as well as they can.

### Respect (Rei)

A True Warrior has no reason for cruelty. Samurai are respected for their abilities in combat and their personal interactions, regardless of the difficulty.

### Honesty (Makoto)

When a Samurai warrior pledges themselves to a course of action, they will fulfil it or die trying. Speaking and doing are the same for a Samurai.

### Honour (Meiyo)

There is only one judge of your character, and that is yourself. The decisions a Samurai warrior makes and the way they are undertaken are the core of the Samurai themself. They are responsible for all they have done and all that was done for them.

### Loyalty (Chugi)

A Samurai is loyal to the end, even going as far as to die for the sake of what they have pledged themself to- be it a course of action, a Daimyo, or a Shogun. They are also loyal to their soldiers, and will not flee from fighting and dying alongside them. Samurai are loyal to the Emperor and their holy family above all else.

### Self Control (Jisei)

A Samurai must never lose control of themself or their mind, even in states of panic they must remain true to their belief and their code.

## Becoming a Samurai

Samurai are mostly born into Samurai families, and raised from around the age of ten in the arts of both peace and war. Most Samurai families are Dragonborn or Elven.

It is possible for one not born into a Samurai family (Or even born outside of the Empire) to become a Samurai by the orders of the Shogun, but it is incredibly rare. One notable case would be Yasuke, the Goliath, whose status as a warrior in the Empire is legendary and the subject to many children's tales. Others may be Ashigaru who proved themselves formiddable in combat.

A Samurai lives in barracks, in the castle of their lord, or even their own home, but are always at the ready to fight when their master calls.

## The Rank of a Samurai

Like with most social and political positions, Samurai had individual rankings for their own status and position in their master's service.

### Ronin- A Samurai with no Master

A Samurai who has no master- through being forced out of service, the master's death or even the rare, and slightly dishonourable, choice to abdicate from the service of their master- is known as a Ronin. Although considered less favourably than a Samurai with a master, a Ronin is still beholden to the same moral codes as a Samurai serving a Daimyo.

Ronin often travel around righting wrongs, practicing their swordsmanship and duelling those who they see as worthy foes, until they die or decide on a master to serve.

### Gokenin- The lowest of Samurai

Gokenin are the lowest tier of Samurai. Usually living in barracks, a Gokenin is a low-ranking officer of a Daimyo's army.

### Goshi- The Warrior

Although not allowed to wear both swords of a full Samurai, the Goshi were allowed to direct the farming of the lands they were assigned by their Daimyo.

### Hatamoto- The Full Samurai

The highest rank of Samurai, the Hatamoto will often live in their lord's castles and die for them. Loyal and commanding much respect, hatamoto are formidable adversaries.

## At Peace

### Visiting another Samurai

When visiting an ally or friend (Or visiting an enemy to negotiate peace) a Samurai must untie their blade while sitting down and place it sheathed on their right side to indicate a friendly intention. This makes it harder to quickly draw the blade and attack the owner of the property, and shows that you have friendly intentions.

Placing the sword on the left side is mildly hostile, as it shows that you do not trust the person you sit with. This can sour negotiations from the start if you are not careful, as it may throw some dishonour onto the one you dine with to suggest that they would attack you after calling for your presence.

### On Ceremony

A Samurai is expected to understand multiple types of ceremony, including tea ceremonies and other such hospitality.

### Killing peasants

Although usually distasteful and not performed without reason, due to the code of benevolence, if a Samurai feels that a member of a lower social caste than they has slighted them they are allowed to perform an on-the-spot execution. This right is known as the "Kiri-sute gomen".

### Crossing Paths

When two Samurai meet on the road, the less-known Samurai must deferentially bow and step aside in the same way as they would to a Daimyo or other higher class.

However, when crossing paths with a Samurai there is an additional option- should neither back down a duel will commence, which will only end when one submits to the other or lies dead. Regardless of outcome, it is rare for hard feelings to be kept even if a rivalry is born of the duel.

### Wise Teachers

A Samurai is expected to be a wise teacher and advisor to their lands, and to know how best to care for the crops grown by farmers on their lands, as well as other important skills.

## At War

### Claiming of Heads

A Samurai must claim the head of a worthy rival they have personally slain in battle, this beheading is a source of pride and recognition from other Samurai. After the battle, the severed head is washed carefully and the hair is combed, the teeth are blackened with a dye known as o'haguro, and the head (or heads) are carefully arranged on a table for exposure to be seen.

### Weaponry

A Samurai must always keep their weapon in prime condition, cleaning it before sheathing it and not drawing it unless prepared to kill. A Samurai's Katana has, inscribed inside the handle, the name of the warrior who commisioned the blade. The act of Chiburi- to shake clean a blade of any blood before sheathing it- is important in this.

### Armor

A Samurai's armor must be maintained and worn proudly. Frequently this armor is ornate, with many colours and sometimes flags that show your allegiance, family line, and other important details.

## To be dishonourable

Dishonourable actions are those which violate the Eight Virtues, and are considered vile by all Samurai- even those they may have broken the codes to help. Suitable punishments are typically performed by the Samurai themselves, as to shirk from such behaviour is considered a violation of Meiyo- the Virtue of Honour.

Samurai who have not undertaken a fitting punishment may be challenged to a fight to the death-or duel- by another. Duelling to the death is not uncommon, and it is a serious breach of ettiquette to refuse without good reason, a loss of face attributed to cowardice.

The use of weapons other than the traditional Katana, Wakizashi, and Naginatas is a touchy subject- some consider the use of firearms to be inherently dishonourable, while others believe that warfare is an ever-changing beast.

### Seppuku

The act of ritualistic self-disembowlement is the ultimate recompense of a wayward Samurai. This act is performed using one's own blade as the lst means to not stain your family or master's honour through your own misdeeds.

Ideally, a Samurai will eat a meal and dress in white ceremonial clothes before performing the deed, but for failures in places that are not ideally situated to do so these steps can be skipped.

Seppuku requires the help of a "Second" or a Kaishakunin, a friend or ally typically of the Samurai whose duty it is to mercifully end the life of the Samurai with a strike to the neck once disembowlement is completed. A Kaishakunin's duty is not to sever the head completely, the head must remain attached to the body by the thinnest strip of flech possible from a single sword swing- the thinner the remaining strip, the more honour is assigned to the Samurai (Posthumously) and the Kaishakunin.

If, within a day, the victim of the injustice or the local lord grants a pardon, the Samurai may be revived, otherwise their body will be creamted.