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------------------ The heavy scent of some strong herbal tea wafts from a large, decorative porcelain and jade teapot. Bowls of stew and noodles lay half full or empty on the corner of a short wooden table. Quickly whisked away by a woman dressed in silks. A blue-clad warrior who sits on his knees places an empty teacup down upon the wooden table. His back straight and head up in a naturally commanding demeanor. A group of his companions, dressed in outfits both strange and familiar and speaking in wildly different accents have been spending the night in jolly conversation and companionship. Soon the warrior raises his hand and the room falls silent waiting for him to speak. ------------------ "My good friends. Finally the completion of our goal is on the horizon. Although we have faced many hardships and troubled times, we have held firm and weathered the storm. With the destruction of the fortress all those years ago, and the denial of our past success by much of the newer noble families, but the time for change has come. With the defeat of those who conspired and succeeded to assassinate my father and grandfather all those years ago, and by the grace of the wise Caliph Faiz who has named me Daimyo in defense and protection of his eastern territories, I can see that soon all that we have hoped for is to come to fruition. Our fortress school; Kasai is to indeed come to pass." -Post Battle Meditation Clan Yoshida is slowly being returned to it's proper state. Starting with a fortress and martial college dubbed Kasai. Taking many true warriors and masters from many different cultures and ways of thought, Clan Yoshida wishes to once again bring back honor and grace back to this once great noble house. As it was once known as a glorious sword house, it will once again. Once again will it be taking outsiders. Noble sons, and even lower born promising warriors who will be able to compete in entry tournaments. Training is started as soon as one is accepted to the school. They are given a Gi and will begin training on certain major different martial skills and mental-spiritual philosophies and teachings. Such as unique and powerful styles of Archery, Equitation, Swordsmanship, and unarmed martial arts. The spiritual lessons begin by going over ancient traditions and strategies designed to meld the student into a better person and excelle as a warrior while feeding them information that may help them deal and learn about creatures of the world along with kami, Spirits, and unnatural beings known as Yokai. Once students master certain core prospects they will be tested to see their place and how well they have retained their skills and teachings. Once a student completes his training, he will be given a set of swords and a title based on the position they have managed to achieve in training and learning. Beyond all that, there are other traditions such as tea ceremonies, proper temple and shrine tending, and many other minor bits that while small, are none the least important out of everything. For as it is tough to properly train a real priest or temple priestess, they are a valuable asset for dealing with and settling spirits and appeasing the ancestors and gods. A Way of Life Through all of time, men and mer have followed certain laws set in place by those around them. These laws are meant to make sure the barrier between man and beast remains. Some follow the laws of gods, others the laws of kings, Still other the laws of nature and the spirits that guide it. It is not often that someone may choose which they will follow, and this is true in all aspects of life. No one man can have control in every way they desire. There are those who understand that; and instead follow the code of honor. The way of the warrior. Righteousness: The truth in one's actions and the trust and faith that one is justified and the action is pure. This is a core virtue of any true warrior. Oftentimes righteousness is disguised as a blessing from a deity, but the only true faith one should have when dealing with matters of life and death is that of your own true self. Courage: Fearlessness to act when one is in need. The willingness to act in the face of any danger and fear not any form of intimidation. When a warrior is facing down an army or a rain of arrows, or even a trek across town in the snow. Courage is one of the most important aspects of any true warrior. Benevolence: Being charitable and honest. When one lives in service to higher powers, or to one's self they must be able to show benevolence even in the face of hardship such as poverty or famine. One must be able to eschew unneeded thoughts when it comes to showing it, as it is only natural to someone true of self to be able to show this. Respect: Often times mistaken for a love or certain less form of admiration, respect is on a different level from others. A warrior must always hold respect for their masters and nations they are sworn to protect. Even if there is no true love. Respect is needed for someone to truly understand another being, as if you show someone respect they will come to respect you. Sincerity: This is the virtue of being able to speak and act truly about one's beliefs, thoughts, or emotions. Not to be mistaken for righteousness. This virtue if strictly followed will show the world that you are a proper being of truth and discipline. This virtue goes hand and hand with respect, as you should be sincere, but be respectful at the same moment as it is the virtue of knowing your true place. Honour: The virtue of self-worth, respectability, self evaluation and social standing that has an effect on everything about the warrior's life. To be without honor is akin to being less than human or whatever respective race you were. A warrior who lives his life honorably is blessed with grace by his ancestors and may even be honored after death by his own descendants. A dishonored warrior can only save himself from disgrace by falling to his own blade. Loyalty: The faith and faithfulness in one's master, country, and to one's self. Loyalty is almost directly a measurement of one's worth as a warrior. Second to honor. This virtue is indeed important, as once your master or leader has commanded you to do something, it must be done, unless of course it goes as far as to dishonor you or break your own honor. Examples of this are few and far between however. Self-control: The power to control one's emotions, actions, and thoughts is very important to a warrior. Especially when in the heat of a most glorious battle. Self-control is a most powerful and needed virtue. One to be learned first virtues trained and learned, it is most often refined by meditation and practice. Those who lack the self control of a true warrior will never truly be as mighty as them. Other important virtues: Filial Piety, Wisdom, and Fraternal Respect. -A warrior clears his head before a battle For those that wish to join into the folds of the warriors within Kasai, you must seek them out RP to see if you can fit in an entry tournament! {Reserved for further edits!}