
A great samurai lord of far-off Nippon.
A samurai lord is a member of the high nobility of Nippon who commands bands of disciplined and utterly devoted martial followers, ranging from lesser samurai to Ninja Assassins and humble peasant Ashigaru.
Role[]

A samurai lord serving as a mercenary captain in lands far from Nippon.
The inscrutable Far Eastern island empire known as Nippon is formally ruled by a reclusive and semi-divine emperor called the "Divine Sun" by his people, but the real power lies in the hands of the many feudal warlords known as "samurai." These warrior-nobles govern large domains and command warrior retinues with which they frequently indulge in private wars among themselves. [1a]
Nippon is an island realm and a notable sea power, and it sometimes happens that a samurai war fleet is dispersed by a typhoon or other such disaster, scattering the ships far from their intended route. Should an isolated ship land upon a foreign shore, the samurai lord will gather his men and march straight to the nearest representative of authority to offer his services as a mercenary in return for food and shelter.[1a]
Sometimes, samurai lords deliberately embark their followers onto ships and set sail towards the rising sun in search of adventure, especially if they have issues with the other feudal clans back home.[1a]
The samurai martial code does not recognise failure and there can be no honour in defeat. As such, samurai lords are much concerned with their personal reputation and honour as warriors and always fight to the utmost of their ability. As befits their elite status, samurai lords can ride into battle atop the mysterious Ki-rin and the hulking stone constructs known as Temple Dogs.[1a]