#Factions and the World (勢力と世界)
Setsuna and Mina belong to Kagura Domain. But they do not yet know what Kagura Domain is, or why it fights.
#Scent — What a Domain Is
The night after the battle. Setsuna and Mina sat facing each other in a guest room at a mountain temple. A map was spread between them. A Sengoku map drawn in ink on old paper. Faction borders were divided by hatching.
"I don't really know what Kagura Domain is," Setsuna said.
Mina pointed at the map. "Here. The Kinai region. Near Kyoto. A warrior faction specializing in exorcism. Its official mission is to hunt yoma and seal Spirit Realm fractures."
"But?"
"But the surface is exorcism, and the underside is territorial expansion," Mina said quietly. "They enter other factions' domains under the pretext of hunting yoma, then absorb the region under the name of 'purification complete.'"
Setsuna touched her scabbard. "Then am I on the side of justice, or not?"
Mina tilted her head. "Both. Exorcism itself is necessary. Yoma really do kill people. But behind it lies the lord's ambition."
Setsuna looked at Kagura Domain's territory on the map. Not a large domain. Around it were the Hiei League, Sakai Guild, Ikko-ikki — other factions surrounding it.
"That temple faction?"
"The Hiei League. Armed Buddhist warrior monks. Extremely hostile to yoma, but they also suppress heresy. And the Sakai Guild is a merchant alliance — they buy and sell war with money. Ikko-ikki are peasant uprisings — people who raise blades while chanting Amida Buddha."
Setsuna pointed to one side of the map. An area painted red. "This?"
Mina's expression darkened. "Shuten Mountain. The mountain of oni. A yoma faction."
Setsuna looked out the window. The moon hung over the mountain ridge.
"So war is not only among humans. We fight yoma too."
"Yes. And some factions even join hands with yoma," Mina said. "Cults like the Hannya Altar. Yoma who negotiate with humans, like the yoko of Biu Mountain."
Setsuna set down her blade. "Complicated."
"Complicated," Mina agreed. "But your reason for taking up the blade can be simple. Rebuild your house, or protect people."
Setsuna nodded. "I rebuild my house. That is my path."
Mina folded the map. "Then our path begins here."
The map was folded. But the world is open. 13 factions. Humans 7, yoma 6. Between them, the story of Setsuna and Mina flows.
#Law — Session Transcript
Kuro: "Factions. This is how a GM creates factions, and also how players understand where their characters stand."
#13 Major Factions
Kuro: "There are 13 major factions in the world of Konsei Reiyotan. Humans 7, yoma 6."
| Side | Faction | Core |
|---|---|---|
| Human | Kagura Domain | Exorcist warrior house. Surface 忠, underside 覇. |
| Hiei League | Buddhist warrior monks. Surface 慈, practical 覇. | |
| Sakai Guild | Merchant alliance. 無心. Money is everything. | |
| Fuma Band | Shinobi group. 魔. Freedom and instinct. | |
| Ikko-ikki | Peasant uprising. Between 慈 and 覇. | |
| Kunitomo Guild | Teppo artisans. 眞. Technical progress. | |
| Enryokan | Yoma research institute. 眞. Seeking coexistence. | |
| Yoma | Shuten Mountain | Mountain of oni. 覇. Might is law. |
| Biu Mountain | Phantom mountain of yoko. 魔/無心. Deception and manipulation. | |
| Hannya Altar | Cult of resentment. 魔. Curses. | |
| Muhyeon Band | Tengu/kotengu alliance. 眞. Observing humans. | |
| Ibuki Garden | Mixed yoma. 虛. Seclusion. | |
| Throne of the Spirit Realm | Spirit Realm beings. 魔. World erosion. |
Hana: "Kagura Domain is Setsuna's faction, right? What is a faction trait [aptitude]?"
Kuro: "Each faction has a passive trait called a 'faction trait.' It comes built into Minion~Elite ranks, and PCs(Lord-rank) learn it by spending 1 trait slot. Kagura Domain's faction trait is 'Regular Military Discipline.' Squad Cohesion +1, and additional Domination +1 on successful command."
Mei: "What about Enryokan's faction trait?"
Kuro: "'Yoma Observer.' Yoma negotiation +3. Automatically identify yoma weaknesses. If Mina takes the Enryokan faction as an onmyoji, she specializes in talking with yoma."
Mei: "...Appealing. But if she belongs to Kagura Domain, she can't use Enryokan, right?"
Kuro: "Right. Only one at a time. She could abandon Kagura Domain and join Enryokan, but the narrative cost would be large."
#Creating a GM Faction
Kuro: "If the GM wants to make their own faction, use 5 steps."
| Step | Content |
|---|---|
| 1. Identity | Name, region, scale, what it pursues |
| 2. Three Ways and Six Hearts | The faction-wide way(道) and heart(心). Distinguish surface from reality. |
| 3. Leader | Name, class, rank, personality. This person is the face of the faction. |
| 4. Troops | Minion/Veteran squad composition. Unique weapons/armor/tactics. |
| 5. Relationships | Alliances/hostilities/neutrality with other factions. |
Kuro: "For example, I'll make a faction for a scenario called 'Akagi Domain.'"
Akagi Domain (赤城藩)
Identity: A small domain near a volcano. It worships the volcano's heat.
Three Ways and Six Hearts: Way of Mystery(眞). Seeks truth, but risks falling into fanaticism.
Leader: Akagi Enzo — feng shui master 5th dan. Researcher of the volcano spirit vein.
Troops: Fire soldiers(火兵, Minions) — gunpowder spear equipment. Volcano monks(Veterans) — exorcism+flame.
Relationships: Allied with Kagura Domain(shared exorcism). Tense with Hiei League(suspected heresy).Hana: "A volcano-worship faction... It could show up as an enemy or an ally."
Kuro: "Right. Depending on the faction's way(道), it can clash or cooperate with the PCs. If Setsuna is Way of Rites 忠 and Akagi Domain is Way of Mystery 眞, the directions differ, so tension appears."
Kuro: "Summary. Three cores of the faction system:
- Faction Trait [aptitude]: A passive trait granted by the faction you belong to. PCs spend 1 slot.
- Three Ways and Six Hearts and Factions: If the faction's way/heart matches the PC, synergy; if not, conflict.
- GM Faction Creation: Create an original faction in 5 steps(identity→three ways→leader→troops→relationships)."
13 banners stand across the Sengoku. Setsuna stands beneath Kagura Domain's banner — for now. But banners can change.