Ashigaru Clan

Long before the formation of the great Shinobi Villages there were a multitude of clans that sought out to become masters of the world around them. Some harnessed the latent power of particular bloodlines, while others mastered their own secret arts and honed special powers. During these times there was great chaos through out the lands all around the nations. Between all the warring clans around them, there came to be a lower class of warriors, who never mastered the great skills of the ninja. Those who found themselves at such an advantage found another way to survive. They began to stick together. 150 years before the formation of the great Ninja Nations, four oppressed families came together for mutual protection.

The four familes of Harutomi, Yazigatsu, Kazemitsu, and Saruichi all were one time at war with each other. The four families lived on opposing shores of a large roundish lake, and battled each other for the resources surrounding it. They battled for thick tree lands as often as they fought for open prairie. They fought over the use of the lake, and warred over ownership of the wandering wildlife in the forest. Like the rest of the small cities at the time, they were suspicious of outsiders, and unwelcoming to all strangers. Such was the way of this dangerous time, and though they had plenty of practice in fighting, they were rules of nothing. All around them, other clans were developing jutsu. Their fighting prowess soon found huge improvement from their mystical techniques, and the lesser clans languished as inferior. Vast sections of land began to be consumed by the fledgling ninja clans.

The wise elders of all four families saw that their downfall would come from the more powerful cities, if they did not find a way to increase their own power. The decades of warring against each other had helped instill the talents they needed, but they had also worked well to thin their numbers. All four elders arrived at the same conclusion, and a grand peace was finally announced. The four nations warred, but had always been a good hostility. All four families had a mind for war, and too many of them saw it as a grand game of strategy. Life spans were counted in a handful of decades for all but the most special of warriors, but none of these people would complain about their lives. These families were warriors through and through, and when their peace was established they chose a new name for their clan. They took the name of Ashigaru, meaning soldier, and have always lived up to the name.

With the great peace, warriors from all the families put down their weapons for one full year. They took up axes and hoes, spades and wagons and put their hands to work on the land. They fell trees to expand on a vast field, and burnt many of them in a massive pyre of celebration. The first pyre was lit on April 27th, and lasted for three days before the last smoldering coals were reduced to just ashes. The three days were full of drunken reverie of all indescribable sorts, and helped solidify the bond of the Ashigaru clan. Once the festival was over, a grand training ground was established on the site of their first celebration, and they still maintain the sight as a fort today. While the clan could have fallen apart after the initial celebrations had faded, such was not the case. Unified by the plight of all the other nations, they found solidarity in a familiar past time.

Though numerous families through out the world made their fortune in selling themselves as blades for hire, only the Ashigaru took it to such an extreme. Thousands of able hands were well trained and armed, and lacking a battle the moment the four families joined the Ashigaru banner and so each of them would find work for someone else. Entire formations of troops could be requisitioned from the Ashigaru stronghold, and though they were lesser ninja, their skills on the battlefield were very well known. Among all the foot soldiers in the world, there were none finer than the Ashigaru. With spears and swords the armies were used to level villages, or defend the same. They swept through the countryside, working on all sides, and battle each other as often as they battled the enemy. Life for the Ashigaru was one of combat, war, and the ever looming threat of an abrupt and violent death.

Of course, this did not phase the proud warrior clan. No, the threat of death was the air in their lungs, and the wounds of battle the meat of their dinner. Without war, members of the Ashigaru Clan are nothing, and that fact is reflected easily enough in their past times. Even in times of relative peace the Ashigaru train their troops as though war was at their doorsteps. Day in and day out this clan practices it’s craft of battle, perfecting both its tactics and also the bodies and minds of their soldiers. To be an Ashigaru soldier is far more profound than being a member of any other clan. Though almost every member of this clan is born directly to Ashigaru parents, every single member of this clan is trained for war.

This clan bears no peace lovers, nor pacifists. There are no gentle souls, nor quiet readers who thrive in this clan. This clan is 100% warriors, and its elders are sure to see that trend continue. This clan knows little of privacy, as entire detachments of soldiers spend their lives in common quarters, bunking with their family all around them. They are taught discipline and stoicism, and bravery is forced into them. The childhood mortality rate of the Ashigaru clan is shockingly high, but members of this clan have no complaints. From the age of five onwards they are force marched on voyages most people would find difficult as an adult, and they do not complain. They simply over come.

As history unfolded across the landscape of the growing Shinobi Villages, the Ashigaru continued to adapt to the time. Though the need for a standing army of well trained soldiers never faded out of the world, As the world turned more and more into a race to be the top ninja, the Ashigaru were not slow to jump on that ship. As villages stabilized and schools dedicated to the ninja trade began to become more common, the Ashigaru turned their kind towards greater things. Understanding that Shinobi were not just the everyman of the war effort, the elders of the Ashigaru clan began to select from its stock the very finest of their warriors. They pulled aside all champions from their ranks, and tested them against each other. Only these greatest of the greats became eligible to be sent off to other villages for shinobi training.

Though both occupations would have people fighting, and killing, the life of a shinobi was one far beyond that of the soldierly life most Ashigaru knew. It actually took quite some time before the Ashigaru managed to make a name for themselves as ninjas, and even then it wasn’t quite as glorious as they had hoped. Though they were fine warriors, few among the clan have any talent for jutsu at all. In fact, among the most gifted of Ashigaru ninja through out all of history, not a one has ever manifested a single elemental technique. While the true geniuses of Ashigaru ninja can eventually display a whole host of elementary disciplines, all of them, even the best, were out shone by a humble genin when it came to ninjutsu. Of course, that is not to say they were useless. Far from it, in fact.

It was quickly learned by all those who observed the clan that though they may lack in jutsu, there are few finer warriors. Ashigaru, every one of them, is hardened, and disciplined. They were an unstoppable force, a blunt, bashing club to be wielded with effect against hard targets. The Ashigaru were obedient to a fault, blindly following any order that did not directly conflict with their Ashigaru Code. Each and every one was willing, and seemed almost eager, to throw their lives away in the pursuit of the most glorious of victories. The more perilous the task, the more eager the soldiers seemed to become. Though these fine warriors lacked in jutsu, they easily made up for their cost with their outright power in combat.

The Ashigaru maintain a grand temple to their fallen soldiers, and a huge catalog of names. Four stone monoliths some twenty feet high and ten feet wide are covered in names, with new names being added daily. The names are all Ashigaru who have died in glorious combat, or training for glorious combat, or from the wounds of glorious combat. Though there are already thousands of names on the walls, it is still the highest honor to have your name written on it. Most clan celebrations center around the four stones, keeping them always fresh in the minds of the Ashigaru. In stark contrast, the wall of shame, so to speak, rests near the main gates to the caste. Day in and day out the vast amount of traffic passes by it, daily examining the names of the few Ashigaru who ever showed fear. Ashigaru who abandon their comrades, flee from battle, or otherwise dishonor themselves have their names carved on this very public wall. There are only some fifteen names to show for a good two hundred years of record keeping, but the Ashigaru regard that as fifteen too many. It is the ultimate shame to be scribed on that wall, and the names on it are never forgotten.