Byakko Squads

[Kitsune Hajime]

That is a conversation that would have a lot of ellipses.

[Shosuro Zhelazo]

And dreadfully dull for me, I am afraid. But I should ask, keep the social disadvantages coming.

[Yoritomo Amano]

So, what's the verdict on our squad arrangement?  I'm considering throwing my hat in the ring to be a nikutai.

[Ujina Kyotsu]

I haven't submitted yet, but I'm working on a Hare character that would be a scout.  Is there any particular niche we need filled?  I'd be willing to step up for the 2nd Nikotai role if we thought it was better than giving the role to an NPC.

My feeling is that squads should be formed based on what our actual responsibilities will be.  Realistically, what are we going to be asked to do as a unit?
1. Keep vigil for spirits or advancing forces?
2. Forage/scout for supplies?
3. Perform flanking maneuvers?
4. Find a route home?

If we can get a list of specific responsibilities, it might be easier to divide them among the two squads.

[Seppun Shin]

I'll cling to the last option I offered.

One squad would be charged with scouting around the main force in a somewhat close-medium range. They wouldn't be guards, but spotting enemy advances and scouts would be their primary role. With traps and possibly other guerrilla tactics to make sure any possible enemy is harassed enough when he reaches our troops. They could also harass the enemy troops during a battle proper, with precise archery attacks and ambushes, especially when on defense. If you like persecutions with you trying to catch enemy scouts, putting up traps and setting up ambushes, this would be for you.

The other squad would have the duty of scouting further ahead, spotting enemy encampments and traps, and path-finding. They would need a deal more stealth and speed expertise since they would be active a lot closer to enemy lines. During battles their duty would be to deliver messages among the different units, intercept the enemy messengers. Their stealth and speed could also make them the perfect lookouts. If you like long journeys towards enemy territory, old school mud-on-your-face and persecutions with you trying to get as far away as fast as possible or marathons through a battlefield without attracting too much attention, this one's for you.

A subgroup of the two squads, identities unknown to all but the commanding officers, would be in charge of the most discrete operations besides their normal duties. Infiltration, assassination and other underhanded tactics so necessary to avoid the loss of much more lives. Operating outside an official line of command, these guys would have to talk to either the GMs or myself and get a bit organized. Wouldn't expect this to be more than three PCs. If you want to be on the dark side of warfare, performing morally ambiguous tasks in the name of a greater good and being told off and probably executed if you ever as much as mention your "glories", you could try this out.

I don't think spirits of any kind should be a worry for the Legion. We're here to fight the yobanjin, and we're good at it. Supplies are also unnecessary since we're provided by the Dragon, and keeping track of the supply lines is the duty of the quartermaster and his staff anyway. Flanking maneuvers could fall under squad 1, although if parts of squad 2 aren't busy elsewhere during combat they should have the capacity of acting as a general-purpose infantry (because horses are expensive although it should be cavalry) unit, perhaps with a bit more emphasis on support and quick strikes. Finding a route home... we have one. It's just snowed in.

A lot of all this is just for show, anyway. The campaign is over and we're about to head home. The first squad should still have some scouts around the valley every now and then, but with all the routs inside being blocked by snow there isn't much need for constant vigil. Shin will make you sweat and train and work anyway and send those who misbehave to scout around the woods anyway, so cheer up!

[Ujina Kyotsu]

Shin will make you sweat and train and work anyway and send those who misbehave to scout around the woods anyway, so cheer up!

Excellent. Just what I signed up for.

You're in charge. I think part of your privilege is structuring your squads.

[Evil Bob]

A subgroup of the two squads, identities unknown to all but the commanding officers, would be in charge of the most discrete operations besides their normal duties. Infiltration, assassination and other underhanded tactics so necessary to avoid the loss of much more lives. Operating outside an official line of command, these guys would have to talk to either the GMs or myself and get a bit organized. Wouldn't expect this to be more than three PCs. If you want to be on the dark side of warfare, performing morally ambiguous tasks in the name of a greater good and being told off and probably executed if you ever as much as mention your "glories", you could try this out.

Approved

That said there are a few guidelines I'd like you to follow.
1. The Chui himself is responsible for the team and it's missions.  Orders may come down from on high, but the Chui takes the fall if there is no way to disavow.
2. All missions will be disavowed at all ranks.  If you're caught, please be team player and kill yourself (this is not a suggestion).
3. Unless specifically on a mission, you obey the lines of command as is.  No exception.  When on mission, you only obey the structure of command set up by the mission itself.
4. No one, not even their immediate commanding officer should know of the missions.  Cover stories should always be a part of the mission.
5. Anyone that breaks any of the above rules will be considered rouge, hunted down and killed.

All 5 points are individually against at least one tenant of bushido, so all parties will probably lose honor for taking a mission.  This should only be used when other options don't seem viable to the officers (Chui and above rank).  Probably other stuff I'm missing, but I'm posting this in the middle of the night.

[Kitsuki Masakaze]

A subgroup of the two squads, identities unknown to all but the commanding officers, would be in charge of the most discrete operations besides their normal duties. Infiltration, assassination and other underhanded tactics so necessary to avoid the loss of much more lives. Operating outside an official line of command, these guys would have to talk to either the GMs or myself and get a bit organized. Wouldn't expect this to be more than three PCs. If you want to be on the dark side of warfare, performing morally ambiguous tasks in the name of a greater good and being told off and probably executed if you ever as much as mention your "glories", you could try this out.

Approved

That said there are a few guidelines I'd like you to follow.
1. The Chui himself is responsible for the team and it's missions.  Orders may come down from on high, but the Chui takes the fall if there is no way to disavow.
2. All missions will be disavowed at all ranks.  If you're caught, please be team player and kill yourself (this is not a suggestion).
3. Unless specifically on a mission, you obey the lines of command as is.  No exception.  When on mission, you only obey the structure of command set up by the mission itself.
4. No one, not even their immediate commanding officer should know of the missions.  Cover stories should always be a part of the mission.
5. Anyone that breaks any of the above rules will be considered rouge, hunted down and killed.

All 5 points are individually against at least one tenant of bushido, so all parties will probably lose honor for taking a mission.  This should only be used when other options don't seem viable to the officers (Chui and above rank).  Probably other stuff I'm missing, but I'm posting this in the middle of the night.

I think this doesn't have to apply to all missions. The Daidoji reguarly ambush people moving to and from battles and that isn't dishonourable. Blowing them up like the harriers did was. Setting traps or attacking with bows from a hill-line and from bushes as Hiruma scouts or Tsuruchi archers would isn't so bad. I think it'd have to depend on the mission surely?

Infiltration isn't dishonourable by itself and neither is assassination necessarily - it depends on the circumstances. Putting someone in the enemy camp to listen to count their numbers isn't a bad thing. It's on the edge of being dishonourable. Sneaking it to kill someone is. Sneaking to the outskirts of the camp and shooting their commander while he gives a speech? Probably on the edge but okay. Shooting him while he slept? Dishonourable. All of these wouldn't be that glorious but some are hardly morally ambiguous - the enemy are to blame for not guarding their camp better. If a small group can get in and attack - and WHILE they attacked they just happened to spot an enemy commander and shot most of their arrows at him before falling back to report the enemy commander's death (as that is a higher priority than fighting to the death) - then who can blame them? In fact I would call that glorious and honourable! Especially if they passed a sincerity (deceit) roll if the mission was originally just "kill him while he sleeps" and that instead killed him while he gave a speech or something.

I'd urge you to consider each mission carefully. If it is obviously a no-no according to bushido then maybe ask for volunteers and say that seppuku is the only choice if you are caught. If it is just morally grey but not dishonourable - such as a simple ambush or very close scouting to the enemy base or setting traps on the field of battle - then that isn't seppuku worthy. It probably doesn't even have to be secret. Samurai who die to an ambush or a trap aren't prepared enough. It would be the same as if they walked past someone in town who drew a weapon on them and attacked. A samurai should always be aware of their surroundings and prepared. Of course that isn't the reality of life but that is what samurai aspire to so there is no shame in ambushing an enemy. It is just attacking in a way that isn't the norm. It isn't honourable but it isn't quite dishonourable. None of the Rokugani books on fighting or warfare instruct students to attack the enemy head on every time and not consider their weaknesses

[Yoritomo Amano]

Amano will be a member of squad 1 and request permission to be part of the double secret probation team.

[Seppun Shin]

I'll edit my first post in this thread (and I think it's the second post overall) with squad lists. You can post here what squad you would like to be a part of, and either PM me or post here whether you would like to take part in any underhanded operations. Now, I'll write a thing or two about the operations themselves.

As you can see, tactics rudimentary to warfare such as booby trapping, ambushes and precise strikes (an example of this would be storming an enemy camp by surprise with a small group of quick troops in order to kill strategic figures, for example) are all part of the duties of the squads. Most of them aren't glorious (safe perhaps the precise strikes), and some might go against certain tenants of Bushido (traps and ambushes against Courage, precise strikes against Courtesy and Rectitude), but their benefits have led them to be more or less acceptable within the rules of warfare. They can still be frowned upon. Some of the strategies of the Crane are frowned upon, as are those of the Scorpion, for example, but there's nobody splitting up their bellies because of it.

The sort of operations the select few who compose the more secretive group lie even lower. They aren't just against some of the tenants. I'm not talking about A-Team "blow shit up, save hostage" kind of operation. I'm talking about taking hostage or assassinating civilians either connected to enemy generals or supplying the enemy troops. I'm talking about poisoning the enemy water supply. I'm talking about attacking the enemy troops during a truce. I'm talking about orchestrating attacks on our own resources either to eliminate incompetence in time of crisis or boost morale. I'm talking about torturing prisoners of war and even civilians to get intelligence in the field without resorting to an eta. It's going far beyond what duty calls to ensure that the Empress will sit on her throne. You won't be expected to commit seppuku if you are discovered. You will be expected to grab the nearest sharpest object and stick it into your throat. Because if you won't, the integrity of the whole Legion, and the Empire by extent, will fall into question. We would have to hunt you down and kill you, later to expose you as an honorless dog, with your name most probably stricken from the records of your family. Heck, your family might have to commit seppuku on your behalf. You would have near complete autonomy when issued an order. The details of your operation must not question the honor of your superiors. Your superiors would deny the existence of any special group, and if needed be Shin himself is ready to commit seppuku as a last resort to burn all the bridges. But the price of failure is high, so it is nowhere near James Bond or anything vaguely similar.

Then again, let's be realist. We have been fighting the yobanjin, or whatever are the barbarians that inhabit the north now. Most probably, we didn't have to make use of this team. Maybe to burn down a yobanjin village behind enemy lines or poison their supply, but I don't think there would've been need for any more drastic measures. But most probably you've served within the Legion for some time now, and there's a number of atrocities you probably already performed. If you still want to be a part of such a team, PM me. The character should possess expertise extremely valuable to the team, because its size should be maintained as small as possible. And most probably be quite a dangerous sociopath to boot.

[Ujina Kyotsu]

I'm interested in Squad 2. Does it require a horse?

[Seppun Shin]

A horse is welcome, but not mandatory. In the mountains of the Dragon it's not of much use, with a heavier reliance on running and climbing.

[Kitsune Hajime]

If a horse is not required, Hajime is up for squad 2.  He's very athletic you see.

Also you know...double secret probation squad.

[Evil Bob]

I'll get Neidermeyer on it.  He lives next door.

[Akodo Inuichi]

Inuichi could fill probably any position we need for a scout. Precision strikes would be very much down his alley. He probably won't be in the secret squad as he's a gunso. I could be the face scout.