Prologue
It began with a failed coup d'état.
Those who orchestrated it were prominent members of affluent noble households in the county. The men sought to gain greater power over the land and people by quietly disposing of the great Emperor, Amanushi, and placing a puppet in his stead. Fate would not see their plans bear fruit; a spy from within their own ranks dutifully informed the Emperor of the traitorous whispers in exchange for a title of his own and all that would come with it.
Emperor Amanushi's justice was swift. Before the conspirators could put their plan in motion they found themselves arrested and sentenced to death. Not without mercy, the Emperor granted those involved the option of honorable suicide. A rare gift, given in acknowledgement of their past services to the throne. Should they choose to decline, however, then their properties would be confiscated and households executed alongside them. Recognizing the option as a generous offer, the disgraced nobles chose the path of suicide. Effectively ending all opposition to Emperor Amanushi's reign. Or so it appeared.
The fault lay with the Emperor himself. By leaving the households alive he let the seeds of discontent and vengeance take hold within the hearts of the dead lords' vassals and remaining family members. For nearly three years they seethed silently, until they could hold it no more and war erupted.
Nearly entirely made up of samurai backed by the great wealth of traitorous nobles, the rebel army proved to be a formidable adversary. Being evenly matched at first, the Emperor's forces began to lose ground to the rebels in the fourth year of war.
The people, already crushed under heavy taxes and famine, could give no more. Nor could the loyalists, as they gave all they felt they could and the Emperor could not ask for more if he wished them to remain loyal. Seeking a new source of funding for his army, Emperor Amanushi turned to the once vilified merchant class. Ever paranoid and filled with greed, the merchants had long ago created stockpiles so they might take advantage of the war economy.
Always looking for power and being no fools, the merchants quickly sided with the Emperor's forces. In return for a wealth, land, and titles the merchants supplied the imperial army with a steady supply of food, medicine and advanced weaponry. Putting both armies back on equal footing once more.
It was during the fifth year that the mass conversions began.
Samurai on both sides began volunteering by the thousands to be converted into giant war machines. Capable of massive destruction and force that left no one safe. Not allies, enemies, common folk, not even the Emperor himself.
After nine years the Great War was declared over. The rebels had lost. The Emperor maimed.
In the years following, Emperor Amanushi buys out the samurai in an act of revenge. Coupled with the dramatic rise of the merchant class the samurai quickly fell from grace. Many becoming vagrants or, at worst, Nobuseri.