Bushido is a game of savage battles, of cunning stratagems and last-ditch defences, and where debts of honour are paid in blood. In Bushido, the fate of the world hangs not on armies but on individual heroes, men and women of extraordinary capacity, attuned to the all-permeating life force known as Ki. This force is the very fabric of the universe, and those with the appropriate training or natural talent can tap into this energy source and gain seemingly superhuman powers. In the world of Bushido, the delicate tapestry of Ki – and thus the universe itself –is threatened by the forces of imbalance, and it is up to you to protect it – or help rip it apart. In a game of Bushido, nothing less than the universe itself is at stake. Are you ready for the challenge of the Way of the Warrior?

There are currently nine factions at war within the Jwar Isles:

The prefecture of Ryu
The Dragon Clan won the rights to colonize the Westward Isles in a series of duels with their rivals, the Shiho Clan. However, when the Emperor's vessel expired, and his young heir, too young and inexperienced to concern himself with the petty disputes at the fringes of his lands, the promise of sole settlement rights died with him. The newly formed Prefecture of Ryu found themselves yet again in conflict with their old enemies, the Shiho Clan. Now, the Prefecture’s grasp of power is weakened, due to the recent Tsunami. Their forces are in disarray, they are fighting on all fronts in the aftermath of the disaster. But still the men and women of the Dragon are ready to take their place at Destiny’s table, uniting the human world by defending it against all threats.

The Temple of Ro-Kan
The serene martial artist masters of the Ro-Kan have long viewed themselves as above all mortal and mundane conflicts. Now, following the Han civil war, the rise of the Cult of Yurei, and the incursion of the Savage Wave, the monks of Ro-Kan are being dragged into the clandestine wars of universal balance – a war in which they will reluctantly turn out to be key players. The monks follow an age-old path and know the secrets of Ki better than any others, but they are few and divided – will they be able to unite and join forces before it is too late?

The Savage Wave
They take the form of evil creatures of myth and folklore. From where they come or why, no-one knows, but one thing is for certain, the wave crushes everything in its path. The Oni and Bakemono demon-creatures that make up the bulk of the Savage Wave appear bent on the destruction of humankind and all that is holy, but they are not mindless – as many opponents have found out at great pain, the Savage Wave is cunning and organized, and it operates according to its own weird and unknowable logic. Some mad hermits and outcast scholars whisper that this is not the first Savage Wave...

The Cult of Yurei
In the shadows and dark corners of the world, the worshippers of Yurei are gathering force. The many members of this Cult may not even be aware that they are serving the same dark masters, but serve them they do – the Yurei Bargain, which in its various forms allows control over life and death, has proven a temptation to many different people who would otherwise have nothing in common. In the Cult of Yurei, you may think yourself the master of your own Fate but you are always advancing the unfathomable goals of dark unseen masters. Even a puppet master has someone pulling his strings...

The Ito
The Ito have long been the laughing stock of the ruling clans. Never quite able to understand that it is their own flaws which hold their greater ambitions back. Being untrustworthy is synonymous with the Ito in the Jwar Isles; their support of the Shiho’s rise to power followed by their treacherous role in the Dragon Wars against the very same clan, highlights their fickle nature. Now though the Ito on the island of Izu have gone through a transformation, their alliance with an age old and powerful Kami has imbued them with a new found strength. If it was the Kami that caused the snake like changes or whether it has simply exaggerated the Ito’s natural affinity is unknown. What is sure is that the Ito finally have the power to rise against the other clans and avenge the mockery and mistreatment they have suffered. Will this venomous clan prove to be one dose of poison too much for the Jwar Isles?

Silvermoon Trade Syndicate
The thriving port of Jima is the beating heart of the Silvermoon Trade Syndicate’s operations. For generations the merchants of the syndicate have been the trade life blood of the Jwar isles. From the great gambling halls, where fortunes are won or lost, on the roll of a single dice or the draw of a card. A bustling and bountiful harbour brimming with exotic goods and rare delights. Famed arenas where colossal Jumo warriors clash in a brutal dance, or an array of fighting beasts struggle in a battle to the death. Water houses where ones wildest fantasies can become reality with the touch of a Rose. Their power lies not the in military might of the Ito, Takashi or Minimoto but in the stranglehold they have on trade. And not only the trade of goods, but of the secrets and whispers of even the most pious. Some would liken the Silvermoon to the flip of a coin. Pay your debts and you come up in the sun with the fortunes smiling, cross or try to cheat them and you’ll be in the dark and covered in dirt.

Tengu Descension
For countless cycles the elders of the mountain have watched and waited, their quiet vigil in the high places of the world unbroken. Silently they have over seen the rise and fall of innumerable clans, the petty squabbles of mortals bare no relevance to their goal. Gifted with generations of knowledge passed down through the written teachings of the Karasu Shugenja and oral histories of the Koroko Shisai the Tengu hold the secrets of the world in the their high homes.

Now stirred into action, one can only imagine the danger that looms that has rustled the Tengu to war.

Jung Pirates
When years passed without word of the Jung, they were considered lost, their return under the mon of the giant squid surprised everyone. They have reaped what they need from the traders on the seas of the Jwar Isles, forcing the Shiho to label them pirates. Their fleets are faster and their knowledge of the Isles’ waters are unparalleled by all but perhaps the Carp clan, allowing them to evade the larger, less experienced junks of the Prefecture. Long years away from the courts of the Jwar Isles have left the Jung rough around the edges but they have not forgotten their ancestry.

Kage Kaze Zoku
The Kage Kaze Zoku (Shadow wind clan) are deadly ninjas with a grudge against just about everybody.

Bushido (Second edition)