Rankai System

The Rankai system is a remote star system located on the fringes of the Outer Rim, steeped in tradition, intrigue, and conflict. Its culture and political structures draw heavy influence from the ancient Sengoku era of Japan, reflecting a feudal system dominated by powerful clans vying for supremacy.

History

The Rankai system is a remote star system located on the fringes of the Outer Rim, steeped in tradition, intrigue, and conflict. Its culture and political structures draw heavy influence from the ancient Sengoku era of Japan, reflecting a feudal system dominated by powerful clans vying for supremacy.

Early Colonization and Development

The Rankai system was first colonized by human settlers during the early phases of the Galactic Republic's expansion. The settlers sought isolation from the Republic’s central authority, establishing a culture rooted in honor, martial prowess, and strict adherence to hierarchical order. Over time, the settlers developed a unique blend of technology and tradition, combining advanced galactic innovations with their ancient customs. The system’s primary planet, Hoshi-no-Kuni, serves as the cultural and political heart of the Rankai system. Several moons and minor planets within the system act as resource hubs or sacred sites. The limited resources of Hoshi-no-Kuni led to constant skirmishes among clans for dominance, solidifying a feudal power structure that persists to the present day.

The Clans and Their Rise to Power

The rise of clans as the dominant political entities began with the Warring Epoch, a 200-year period marked by ceaseless battles and shifting alliances. This era birthed the foundational clans that continue to shape the system:

• Clan Tendou: Renowned for their martial expertise and adaptability, Clan Tendou forged its power through assimilation of smaller factions and outside forces. The Tendou are the strongest military force, even before current events.
• Clan Wakamoto: Known for their mastery of strategy and diplomacy, they often broker alliances to maintain balance. They are the clan with the second most power in most areas.
• Clan Ashina: Guardians of ancient traditions, they are revered for their spiritual leadership and devotion to the Force.
• Clan Kurayama: Merchants and mercenaries, blessed with wealth and a resource rich land. The Kurayama Clan has long maintained their powers through politics and marriages, reinforcing their resources along the way. They also have expanded into being merchants as well.

By the time of the Galactic Republic’s decline and the rise of the Sith Empire, Rankai remained largely autonomous. The system’s relative isolation and its feudal structure made it unsuitable for centralized Imperial control, allowing the clans to flourish unimpeded.

The Galactic Cold War and Rankai's Role

With the onset of the Galactic Cold War between the Sith Empire and the New Republic, the Rankai system’s position became precarious. The Sith and the Republic both recognized the strategic value of the system’s warrior culture and resources. However, the clans remained fiercely independent, resisting both sides while carefully leveraging their interests to secure advantageous trade and protection agreements. Clan Tendou emerged as a dominant force during this period, using underhanded tactics to secure access to key resources and technology from external powers. These developments set the stage for the current tensions that threaten to engulf the system in chaos once again.

Current Affairs

The Rankai system is on the brink of upheaval as Clan Tendou accelerates its plans for total domination. This ambitious clan has entered a shadowy deal with outside planetary powers, acquiring advanced military assets that threaten to upend the delicate balance of power. Clan Tendou has recently secured access to three critical technologies:

• Impure Beskar: Obtained through illicit trade networks, this material lacks the full durability of pure Mandalorian beskar but is still highly resistant to energy weapons and lightsabers. Tendou smiths have incorporated it into armor for their elite warriors.
• 5AM-URA1 Battle Droids: Advanced combat droids equipped with adaptive AI and heavy armaments. These droids are manufactured off-world and serve as shock troops, overwhelming enemy positions with ruthless efficiency.
• Power-Enhancing Suits: Experimental exoskeletons that augment a warrior’s strength, speed, and endurance. These suits grant Tendou soldiers a significant edge in melee and ranged combat.

Armed with these new resources, Clan Tendou has launched a series of calculated strikes against rival clans. Their initial assaults targeted the territories of Clan Ashina and Clan Kurayama, crippling their production capacities and forcing many of their warriors into submission. Clan Wakamoto remains a formidable opponent but has been pushed onto the defensive, struggling to hold key strategic locations.

Sith Involvement and Galactic Implications

Unwilling to settle for domination within the system, Clan Tendou has begun covert communications with the Sith Empire, seeking an alliance. Such an alliance would provide Tendou with further resources and legitimacy while granting the Sith a foothold in the Outer Rim. The prospect of Sith influence in Rankai alarms both the New Republic and the remaining clans, who are scrambling to form a united front against Tendou’s advances. The Rankai system’s future hangs in the balance as the clans grapple with the looming threat of Tendou domination. While Tendou’s technological edge appears insurmountable, the unity of the remaining clans and the intervention of galactic powers could alter the course of events. The system’s fate will likely have ripple effects across the galaxy, influencing the broader conflict of the Galactic Cold War.

Clan Tendou

Clan Tendou is the most militarized and expansionist of the great clans of Hoshi-no-Kuni. Known for their aggressive tactics, disciplined warriors, and technological adaptability, they have risen to prominence through both battlefield victories and ruthless political maneuvering. In the current era, they are widely considered the most powerful and dangerous faction within the Rankai system. Formed during the latter half of the Warring Epoch, Clan Tendou was originally a coalition of warbands and exiled families united under a charismatic warlord. Unlike many traditionalist clans, the Tendou embraced innovation early, merging ancient martial traditions with off-world technology. Through strategic assimilation and targeted conquests, they absorbed smaller factions and consolidated power rapidly.By the end of the Warring Epoch, Tendou had established a reputation for flexibility, pragmatism, and decisive warfare. Their rise was marked by a ruthless efficiency that often left their enemies either absorbed or annihilated.
Clan Tendou emphasizes strength, unity, and victory above all else. While other clans may focus on tradition, diplomacy, or commerce, the Tendou believe in securing dominance through superior force. However, this philosophy is not purely brute strength—their leadership prizes adaptability, innovation, and strategic deception as vital tools of warfare.The clan's warrior caste trains rigorously in both melee and ranged combat, often incorporating modern enhancements such as cybernetic augmentations or neural link gear. Despite their militant nature, the Tendou maintain a strict internal hierarchy rooted in honor, obedience, and merit-based advancement.
Clan Tendou is currently spearheading a campaign to unify the Rankai system under its rule. They have launched precision strikes against rival clans, beginning with Clan Ashina and Clan Tetsukani, crippling their infrastructure and absorbing their outposts. Their relationship with Clan Wakamoto remains volatile, with hasty alliances and political sabotage escalating rapidly. Though feared and often resented, Clan Tendou’s influence continues to grow—setting the stage for a decisive conflict that may determine the fate of the entire system.

Lord Shogun Tendou	First Wife Tsubaki Tendou	Second Wife Otome Tendou	Third Wife Raika Tendou	Fourth Wife Michie Tendou

Fifth Wife Chino Tendou	Sixth Wife Honoka Tendou	Servant Girl Nori Uzaki

Tendou Heirs

General Ren Tendou	Princess Koi Tendou	Raid Commander Oto Tendou	Charity & Outreach Izu Tendou	Strategist Rei Tendou

Assassin Aki Tendou	Intel Jin Tendou	Public Relations Ari Tendou	Warrior Nox Tendou	Slicer Mia Tendou

Public Relations Chi Tendou	Lady In Waiting Aimi Tendou

Clan Tendou Retainers

Stalker Umi Ichikawa	Stalker Emi Ichikawa	Scientist Yohji Nakajima	Tendou Forces Heaven Guard

Contracted Forces

Battle Droid 5AM-UR1	Battle Droid Elite GN-D4M	White Knight Gou Takamachi	Mercenary Forces White Rose Order

Clan Otani

A subordinate clan of the Tendou, among the first annexed in its push for growth. Someone killed its former leader in his own home, leaving its leadership to his young, autocratic heir. Clan Otani is closely connected to the Rankai System's limited interstellar history, with a great emphasis on energy, science, engineering, and technology. It has developed and reverse engineered a great number of advancements for the other clans, making it a priority for Clan Tendou. It's now responsible for keeping the lights on, maintaining the Tendou armies, and its blockade on interstellar communication and interference.

Clan Leader Akage Otani	Bodyguard Goro Mada	Surveillance Youji Hakusan	Chief Engineer Sidni Hakusan	Security Natsu Mada

Engineer Suzuki Uehara	Slicer Yusaku Matsuda

Clan Wakamoto

Clan Wakamoto is the foremost political power on Hoshi-no-Kuni, second only to Clan Tendou in military strength but unrivaled in terms of diplomacy, intelligence networks, and influence. Known as “the Clan of the Quiet Blade,” Wakamoto's strength lies not only in their armies, but in their ability to manipulate the battlefield long before the first strike is made. Clan Wakamoto rose to prominence during the mid-Warring Epoch, avoiding many of the more ruinous conflicts through calculated alliances, well-timed betrayals, and the careful manipulation of rivalries. Originally a minor noble house, they secured their rise through a network of inter-clan marriages and secret pacts, eventually becoming kingmakers and deal-brokers in the region.
Unlike the expansionist Tendou, the Wakamoto built their power through stabilization. They often positioned themselves as arbiters and mediators, gaining influence by appearing neutral while subtly tilting outcomes to their favor. Many of the current power structures on Hoshi-no-Kuni bear the stamp of Wakamoto design. Wakamoto culture places a high value on foresight, patience, and restraint. Their leaders are often trained in both military tactics and political science, believing that victory earned through subtlety is more lasting than one gained through brute force. Loyalty within the clan is reinforced by a code of honor and service, not unlike a more cerebral form of bushidō. Wakamoto warriors are no less skilled than those of other clans, but they are often used in precise, strategic deployments rather than in brute force confrontations.
Their capital, Shiro no Engetsu (Castle of the Crescent Moon), is a fortified palace-temple renowned for its beauty, security, and labyrinthine halls where many of the system’s most critical decisions have been made. In the face of Clan Tendou’s growing aggression, Clan Wakamoto has shifted to a defensive posture. Their diplomats are rallying neutral clans and reactivating dormant alliances, while their spies work to uncover the full extent of Tendou's off-world dealings. Although they have suffered territorial losses and internal sabotage, Clan Wakamoto remains the only power capable of matching Tendou's reach—if not through force, then through influence, subversion, and unity. Their next moves will be decisive—not just for their own survival, but for the balance of power in the entire Rankai system.

Lord Takehito Wakamoto	Lady Kaguya Tsukino Deceased	Lady Elizabeth Legis	Lady Nena Xabi Missing	Lady Kagero Uchiwa

Lady Kayomi Mikagami	Lady Hinoto Xenhua

Clan Wakamoto Heirs

Prince Hideaki Wakamoto House Legis	Prince Ein Wakamoto House Tsukino	Princess Hisako Wakamoto House Xabi	Princess Megumi Wakamoto House Xabi	Prince Jun Wakamoto House Xabi

Prince Shuu Wakamoto House Uchiwa	Prince Raidou Wakamoto House Uchiwa	Prince Midou Wakamoto House Uchiwa	Princess Rin Wakamoto House Uchiwa	Princess Mimiko Wakamoto House Xenhua

Prince Marafuji Wakamoto House Xenhua	Prince Ming Wakamoto House Xenhua	Prince Mifuyu Wakamoto House Mikagami	Princess Mariko Wakamoto House Mikagami

Discredited Heirs

Princess-In-Exile Sagiko Tsukino House Tsukino	Bastard Arisugawa Legis House Legis	Bastard Hiko Legis House Legis

Clan Wakamoto Retainers

Wakamoto Elite Rola	Wakamoto Elite Risa	Wakamoto Elite Cherra	Wakamoto Elite Bella	Wakamoto Elite Waldo Crowley

Wakamoto Elite Ain Bishamon	Wakamoto Elite Sof Bishamon	Wakamoto Elite Aur Bishamon	Wakamoto Forces Shining Moon Guard

House Mikagami Retainers

Mikagami Servant Sirubi Akaei	Mikagami Servant Perisu Asagiri	Mikagami Servant Nene Roshiajin	Mikagami Servant Maki Akaei

Clan Kurayama

Clan Kurayama is the most economically powerful of the major clans of Hoshi-no-Kuni. With vast holdings in trade, mining, and manufacturing, the clan has mastered the art of influence through wealth. Unlike the martial zeal of Tendou or the strategic balance of Wakamoto, Kurayama wields coin and contract as weapons, often backing wars they never directly fight in. Originating from one of the earliest settler families during the colonization of the Rankai system, the Kurayama initially controlled a remote mountain province rich in rare minerals. Though lacking early military might, they quickly grew wealthy by selling materials to both sides during the early clan conflicts of the Warring Epoch. Over generations, they evolved into powerful financiers, arms dealers, and resource managers. Their strategy of marrying into other clans and underwriting their debts allowed them to expand their reach without ever openly seizing territory by force. By the end of the Warring Epoch, few clans could wage war without Kurayama financing.
Clan Kurayama prizes pragmatism, profit, and subtle influence. Their worldview sees stability as a commodity and conflict as an investment opportunity. While other clans speak of honor or tradition, Kurayama courts results. They maintain a merchant-prince structure, where familial ties determine rank, but all advancement is based on results. Loyalty is rewarded with comfort and wealth; betrayal is punished with surgical efficiency. Despite their mercantile roots, many of their elite retainers are skilled bodyguards, enforcers, or bounty hunters—Kurayama never allows its wealth to make it vulnerable.
Clan Kurayama has thus far avoided direct conflict in the brewing war between Tendou and Wakamoto. Publicly neutral, they continue to profit from the instability by selling arms, supplies, and information to multiple parties—often both sides of the same battle. However, Tendou’s rise has threatened the balance Kurayama thrives on. With their trade routes and independent buyers being slowly consumed or intimidated into submission, the Kurayama leadership may soon be forced to choose a side—or risk losing the very system they helped build. Though often underestimated for their lack of ideological passion, the Kurayama possess the means, wealth, and strategic coldness to be the final kingmakers—or destroyers—of Hoshi-no-Kuni.

Patriarch Gensuke Kurayama	Lord Kojiro Kurayama	Second Lady Raya Kurayama	Sister-in-Law Asuna Saionji	Ex-Wife Nakano Kurayama

Clan Kurayama Heirs

Heir Daigo Kurayama	Young Master Shotaro Kurayama

Clan Kurayama Retainers

The Katsura family are long-standing retainers of Clan Kurayama, entrusted with the personal health, financial stability, and private affairs of the ruling bloodline. Though not warriors or politicians, the Katsura have proven themselves indispensable to the Kurayama legacy—serving as the clan’s internal caretakers in a world ruled by contracts, coin, and careful calculation. The head of the family, Dr. Koichiro Katsura, is a refined and discreet physician who oversees the personal health of the Kurayama elite. Educated in both traditional Rankai herbalism and imported Outer Rim medical science, Koichiro is known for his clinical precision and emotionally detached bedside manner. As the only doctor permitted to treat high-ranking Kurayama elders, he is privy to countless secrets—both physical and political. His loyalty is considered beyond reproach, though some whisper that Kurayama’s leaders keep him close not just for healing, but to ensure his silence.
His wife, Kanami Katsura, is the clan’s senior financial auditor and household accountant, managing internal ledgers, profit flows, and resource allocations with cold efficiency. While Kurayama’s external finances are managed by merchant-princes and corporate proxies, Kanami ensures that internal discrepancies are corrected before they become liabilities—quietly erasing inconsistencies, unmasking embezzlers, or arranging "retirements" for those who compromise the bottom line. She is known for her gentle demeanor and razor-sharp attention to detail, often described as "the most polite person you'll ever regret disappointing."
The couple’s daughters, Kotomi and Kimiko Katsura, are currently in private training under Kurayama tutors. Reika, the elder, shows promise as a logistics analyst, already aiding her mother in routine audits. Sayuri has shown an early aptitude for medical studies and is being groomed to one day inherit her father’s role. Both girls are being raised in the Kurayama tradition: to speak little, observe everything, and never let sentiment interfere with duty. The family resides in a modest, high-security estate built into the inner grounds of Kurayama’s central compound. Unlike other retainers, they are not housed far from the main family—they are kept close, protected not out of affection, but because they are too valuable to lose or let out of sight.
The Katsura family represents the quiet infrastructure behind Kurayama's prosperity. They are neither flashy nor feared, but their work ensures the gears of the merchant clan turn smoothly—unnoticed by most, yet vital to all. In a land where battles are often won in ledgers and medical records rather than on the field, their influence is undeniable.

Kurayama Elite Ami Umino	Kurayama Elite Mei Tsuna	Kurayama Elite Koto Maki	Kurayama Elite Kai Chiru	Kurayama Forces Black Mount Guard

Doctor Koichiro Katsura	Accountant Kanami Katsura	Retainer Kotomi Katsura	Retainer Kimiko Katsura

Clan Shiratori

Clan Shiratori are Rankai’s cultural elite. They control rituals, noble marriage rites, love duels, death rites, and even who may be properly mourned. Their women are famed for beauty and education; their men for poisoncraft, matchmaking, and scandal. Any union blessed by Clan Shiratori is seen as legitimate — which gives them terrifying influence. They have no standing army, but everyone dreads their reach. Many die mysteriously after a tea ceremony with a Shiratori host. All Shiratori are taught poison handling, emotional manipulation, and the art of 'graceful execution.' The clan has enough dirt to destroy every other noble family — and might just do so.
Lady Amai - Matriarch, age 48. Ice-veiled, eerily youthful, and respected as "The Night Widow." She has outlived four husbands — all nobles — and is whispered to have murdered at least two. She controls Rankai’s noble marriage contracts and determines the "auspicious pairings."

Clan Leader Lady Amai	Clan Heir Eisuke Shiratori	Lady Rika Shiratori	Lady Mina Shiratori	Lady Eri Shiratori

Lady Rina Shiratori

Shiratori Branch House

The Shiratori Branch House, sometimes known in whispers as the White Wings of Final Mercy, serves as the covert military and defensive arm of Clan Shiratori—an otherwise demilitarized clan of ritualists, poisoners, and cultural arbiters. While the main family exerts power through influence, tradition, and social control, the Branch House exists to protect that power through subtler, colder means. Publicly, members of the Branch House are presented as attendants, mourners, and ceremonial guards—ever silent, ever composed. In truth, they are rigorously trained operatives specializing in silent killings, containment of scandal, and the enforcement of Shiratori authority behind closed doors. Though they do not march to war, their presence is unmistakably martial: disciplined, elegant, and lethal. Where the main house manipulates the heart and the public eye, the Branch ensures obedience in private—with a blade, a vial, or a carefully chosen word.
Unlike most military factions in Hoshi-no-Kuni, the Shiratori Branch House does not employ formations or engage in open battle. Their interventions are surgical. A rogue lord awakens with black blood on his lips; a rebellious retainer’s will is “gracefully” revised; a captured document is replaced before anyone notices it was missing. Their preferred weapons are small: hairpins, cords, incense, or rare poisons only the Shiratori cultivate. Most are trained in dance, court etiquette, and grief rituals—ensuring they can cross any threshold without suspicion.
Members of the Branch House are often drawn from cadet lines, illegitimate bloodlines, or promising children born to Shiratori allies. They are raised apart from the central family but are drilled in loyalty, discretion, and the principle that beauty and death are expressions of the same art. It is said that every Branch member knows how to end a life in a way that leaves no trace—and how to mourn it so convincingly that even the victim’s enemies shed tears. Though rarely spoken of in public, the Shiratori Branch House is feared across the Rankai system. They are the reason no one dares cross the clan’s decrees, no matter how arcane or inconvenient. When a marriage must end, a child must vanish, or a scandal must be buried forever, the Branch House handles it—without noise, without witnesses, and always with elegance.

Branch House Heir Nigai Shiratori	Warrior Kuroro Shiratori	Warrior Shiroku Shiratori

Clan Shiratori Retainers

The Sawagoe family serves as a devoted retainer house to Clan Shiratori, entrusted with one of the most vital and secretive responsibilities in all of Hoshi-no-Kuni: the refinement, development, and controlled deployment of poisons, medicines, and emotional agents used in both ritual and assassination. Unlike more visibly martial or economic retainers, the Sawagoe operate in laboratories, greenhouses, and treatment chambers—where a single droplet can mean life, death, or exquisite control.
House Sawagoe is led by Tomaru Sawagoe, a widely respected and discreet pharmacologist, known among the inner court as the “Breath of Restoration.” Calm, cold-eyed, and clinical, Tomaru is considered irreplaceable within the Shiratori inner circle. He serves directly under the clan’s chief botanist and poisonmistress, overseeing everything from the delicate balancing of tea-ceremony toxins to the formulation of euphorics used in noble mourning rites. His ability to tailor compounds for precise psychological effects—grief, euphoria, forgetfulness, even religious ecstasy—is said to rival that of offworld neurochemists.
Members of the Sawagoe family are rigorously educated in botany, alchemy, toxicology, and clandestine medicine from childhood. They are also trained in etiquette, discretion, and psychological manipulation, ensuring that they remain invisible while standing at the heart of courtly intrigue. Many serve as private attendants to Shiratori nobility, acting as apothecaries, healers, or cosmetic specialists—though always with subtle layers of influence built into their work. Their compound, Kamakura Hollow, is a walled garden nestled within a fog-wrapped gorge near Shiratori territory. Within its shaded courtyards lie medicinal greenhouses, hidden laboratories, and vaults containing thousands of dried herbs, preserved venoms, and experimental mood agents. Access is strictly limited, and the few outsiders who enter do so only by Shiratori command—and always under supervision.
Though the Sawagoe family is not known for combat, their members are lethal in their own right. An improperly administered tea blend, a misread ceremonial balm, or an "accidental" dose of emotion-triggering incense can end conflicts more efficiently than any sword. The family motto—“In the right hand, mercy; in the left, silence”—speaks to their dual role as healers and silencers.

Scientist & Head Tomaru Sakagoe	Third Wife Moeko Sakagoe	Son Makoto Sakagoe	Daughter Itaru Sakagoe	First Wife's Son Ayumu Sakagoe

Second Wife's Son Shun Hazama	Second Wife's Son Kuu Hazama

Clan Hanzo

Clan Hanzo is a legacy of shadow. They serve no throne openly, yet their seal is seen in every court — on folded letters, veiled bribes, and the backs of vanished rivals. Masters of intelligence, assassination, and blackmail, the Hanzo do not win wars. They decide them. Based in the secluded mist-cloaked valley of Kuronami, Clan Hanzo trains spies and courtiers in equal measure. Its scions are taught to smile as they slit a throat or write a poem that breaks a dynasty. Outsiders speak of them as cowards or cowards-in-service — but only once. No clan holds more secrets, and no clan is more feared in whispers. The Hanzo sell information, silence, and disappearances. But recently, they’ve grown bolder — as if seeking not just to influence the tides of Rankai, but to reshape the currents entirely.

Family Head Ryohei Hanzo	Prince Sora Hanzo	First Princess Asuka Hanzo	Second Princess Himemi Hanzo	Third Princess Maya Hanzo

Lord Commander Kagami Hanzo

Clan Hanzo Retainers

The retainers of Clan Hanzo are unlike those of any other house in the Rankai system. Not a bloodline, but a cultivated cohort, these retainers are drawn from promising children across the mist-shrouded valleys of Kuronami and beyond—orphans, vassal kin, and political hostages alike. They are raised side-by-side with Hanzo heirs, forged into mirrors, shadows, and blades. While other retainers serve out of duty or legacy, Hanzo retainers are sculpted to be extensions of the clan’s will—interchangeable, untraceable, and often unknowable.
Known collectively in some circles as The Hollow Kin, these individuals are trained from early childhood in a fusion of classical court etiquette, espionage, disguise, psychological warfare, and assassination. One may become a scribe, another a dancer, a third a body double or poison-runner—but all are indoctrinated in the core Hanzo principle: "Influence is not exerted. It is embedded." By tradition, Hanzo retainers do not take surnames and are discouraged from developing distinct identities outside their function. Some serve their entire lives under assumed names and faces, even within the Hanzo compound itself. Their loyalty is absolute, not because of blood, but because of conditioning, debt, and shared silence. They are not tools—they are believers.
In public, they appear as servants, attendants, secretaries, or couriers. In truth, they are the unseen agents behind many of the Rankai system’s most inexplicable events: a general's sudden retirement, a noble house’s fall from favor, a forbidden affair extinguished before rumor could take root. Most courts in Hoshi-no-Kuni employ at least one aide, assistant, or informant unknowingly trained under the Hanzo eye. Despite their anonymity, the Hanzo retainers have structure. Each is assigned a handler—often an elder Hanzo who ensures performance, discipline, and disposal if necessary. When a retainer outlives their usefulness or becomes compromised, they vanish. No ceremony. No trace.

Espion Sayuri Sanda	Asuka's Bodyguard Tomiki Hakuren	Asuka's Bodyguard Minari Solan	????? ?????	????? ?????

Clan Ashina

Clan Ashina was one of the oldest and most revered clans of Hoshi-no-Kuni, renowned for their deep connection to the Force, their spiritual authority, and their disciplined warrior-monks. Known as “the Clan of the Pale Flame,” they served as moral arbiters and defenders of ancient customs across the Rankai system. But in the face of Clan Tendou’s sudden aggression, the Ashina fell with shocking speed. Their temples burned, their warriors cut down, and their leadership slain—Ashina is now a fractured remnant of its former self. Only a single heir is known to survive, carrying the fading legacy of a once-noble house.
Clan Ashina traces its lineage to the first generation of settlers who colonized Hoshi-no-Kuni. Believed to have been led by Force-sensitive elders who guided early communities, the clan came to embody balance, honor, and spiritual purpose. During the Warring Epoch, Ashina warriors earned respect for their restraint and dueling prowess, often serving as neutral arbiters or protectors of sacred sites. Though never the most militarily dominant, their influence was felt across the system due to their moral weight and ancient traditions. They maintained close ties to shrines, temples, and monasteries across Rankai, acting as stewards of sacred knowledge and Force teachings that differed from the Jedi and Sith.
The Ashina revered the Force as a living balance, neither wholly light nor dark, but something to be studied, respected, and lived in harmony with. Their culture revolved around meditation, ascetic training, and spiritual discipline. Ashina warriors, often referred to as shugonari, trained from youth in both martial arts and the subtle manipulation of the Force, favoring graceful, deliberate combat styles. Pride and ambition were seen as corrosive—duty and serenity were paramount. Clan leadership was traditionally chosen through ritual and vision, not inheritance—though a bloodline of Force sensitivity often emerged among the clan’s elders.
When Clan Tendou began its campaign for dominance, the Ashina chose to stand as a spiritual and martial wall against them. Many believed that Ashina’s calm strength and moral clarity would rally the other clans. But Tendou struck swiftly and without honor—launching a series of precision strikes that overwhelmed Ashina’s forces before they could fully mobilize. Sanrei-no-Tera was bombarded, and most of the clan’s leadership and shugonari were killed in the assault. No reinforcements arrived. The system watched in horror as the unthinkable happened: Ashina fell. One heir survived the massacre—rumors speak of a young warrior or acolyte fleeing into the wilderness, hunted but not captured. Their existence is a beacon to surviving Ashina retainers and sympathizers who now live in hiding or exile. Clan Ashina is no longer a power in the political sense, but its fall has become a symbol of Tendou’s ruthlessness—and a potential rallying cry for those who seek to restore balance to Hoshi-no-Kuni.

Patriarch Isshin Ashina	Lord Masataka Ashina Deceased	Lady Ritsuko Ashina Deceased	Ashina Heir Kuro Ashina	Young Lord Genichiro Ashina

General Gyoubu Masataka Oniwa	Seven Ashina Spears Shikibu-Toshi Yamauchi	Seven Ashina Spears Shume Masaji Oniwa	Doctor Emma	Divine Dragon Guard Decimated

Resistance

The Rankai Resistance is an underground alliance formed in response to Clan Tendou's bid for total domination of Hoshi-no-Kuni. Comprising surviving retainers, scattered warriors, and unlikely allies, the Resistance emerged from the ashes of the Tendou Civil War, uniting those who refused to submit to the clan’s militarized rule and its rumored ties to Sith influence. Though fragmented at first, the movement has since coalesced into a determined and organized force seeking to restore balance to the Rankai system.
At the heart of the Resistance are the Koga and Kusanagi families—two historic Espion clans once bitter rivals, now united in secret purpose. The Koga bring precision sabotage, infiltration expertise, and intelligence gathering to the cause, while the Kusanagi are feared for their mastery of silent strikes, variation of Teras Kasi, and esoteric sword arts. These ninja families operate from hidden strongholds, striking at Tendou supply chains, communication relays, and key personnel under the cover of darkness.
The Resistance also draws strength from remnants of Clan Ashina, whose spiritual doctrine and Force training offer guidance and resilience to the fractured coalition. What few Ashina retainers remain now serve as teachers and guardians, helping to keep the moral foundation of the Resistance intact. Some Wakamoto defectors have offered diplomatic support and smuggling routes, while independent ronin and former mercenaries round out the growing ranks with martial skill and field leadership.
Though vastly outnumbered and lacking formal resources, the Rankai Resistance has become a symbol of defiance across the planet. Their actions are coordinated through a loose council representing the alliance, ensuring anonymity and security in the face of Sith-assisted espionage. Resistance fighters focus on precision raids, information warfare, and the protection of civilians and sacred sites, working to unravel the Tendou war machine from within.
With Tendou forces growing ever more reliant on foreign weaponry and dark side guidance, the Resistance stands as the last hope for those who still dream of an independent and honorable Hoshi-no-Kuni. Though not a match in open battle, they aim to outlast, outwit, and one day overthrow the usurpers—restoring a just order to a world on the edge.

Koga Clan Leader Ko-Ral Koga	Koga Clan Espion Asa-Ri Koga	Koga Clan Espion Reika Koga	Ronin Zenki Getsu	Refugee Chisagi Akarasu

Kusanagi Clan Espion Kouhai Kusanagi	Kusanagi Clan Espion Hitomi Kusanagi	Kusanagi Clan Espion Ayane Kusanagi

Ikeda Raiders

A minor clan that refused Clan Tendou's initial offers of subjugation and collapsed under its martial might. The remnants turned their evacuation and retreat into a harassing, mobile hit-and-fade force utilizing skiffs and armored speeders to skirmish with Clan Tendou. It often raids and pirates other clans' goods, supplies, and wealth to sustain itself. Its leaders' primary goal is to delay the Tendou armies' spread while searching for an opportune moment to take its revenge.

Clan Leader Masaru Ikeda	Heir Riku Ikeda	Bodyguard Saboru Honda	Speeder Captain Ritsu Tateyama	Speeder Captain Sakichi Seko

Clan Tetsukani

One of the Clans independent from the Great Clans, they have become the vanguard of the Resistance. Their main source of financial, resource, and manpower backing. However, they are still a united Clan, not working under or having fallen to Clan Tendou, as of yet.

Lord Kisada Hisa House Hisa	Family Head Iemasu Kaiu House Kaiu	Family Head Suppon Toritaka House Toritaka	Family Head Todori Hiruma House Hiruma	Family Head Tono Yasuki House Yasuki

Stalker Mamoru Hiruma House Hiruma	Tetsukani Forces Iron Berserkers

Unaligned

Mail Carrier Nyuman

Locations of Note

Here are the various locations in Rankai, with always more to be added.

Fushimi City: Known as The City of Accord, Fushimi is the former Imperial Capital of Hoshi-no-Kuni and the ancestral seat of Clan Wakamoto—but more than that, it is the closest thing the fractured world has to common ground. Declared neutral by all major clans during the Warring Epoch, Fushimi has endured as a city where deals are made, not broken, and where even sworn enemies share tea before drawing swords. Built along the shores of the tranquil Aizu River, the city is an architectural tapestry of old-world elegance and modern civility. Towering spires of lacquered wood stand beside glass-domed trade halls; centuries-old shrines neighbor bureaucratic courtyards lined with trade banners and diplomatic crests. Here, warlords walk beside merchants, couriers pass senators in alleyways, and the air is filled with hushed negotiations and ritual politeness hiding sharpened agendas.
Though Clan Wakamoto holds quiet dominion over the city, they do so with restraint and ceremony. Their presence is felt rather than enforced—through subtle guards in crimson-trimmed robes, political overseers, and networks of informants who monitor not with fear, but with flawless records. Most clans maintain secondary estates within the city walls, from austere Tendou outposts to Shiratori tea villas, making Fushimi a microcosm of Hoshi-no-Kuni itself. Fushimi is also a hub of commerce, diplomacy, and intrigue. Merchant houses and wandering scholars rub shoulders with emissaries, black-robed magistrates, and secret messengers from Miho and Haru alike. Every major ceasefire, trade compact, and shifting alliance in the modern age has been inked in Fushimi, often beneath a painted ceiling depicting the ancient Wakamoto sigil—the twin moons in balance.
While many notable figures are known to pass through Fushimi, it is said that here every name carries weight, and even the lowliest courier might shape the future. Indeed, few forget their first encounter with the city’s most famously persistent rider, the eccentric and near-mythical Horsebeast-riding courier, Nyuman, whose arrivals often signal the beginning—or end—of something important. In Fushimi, peace is not a promise. It is a performance, masterfully curated, mutually enforced, and always one breath from breaking. Yet in a world of blood and blades, it remains the last place where all voices may still be heard—if only in whispers.
Rohei City: Called The Heavenly City, Rohei stands as the iron heart of Clan Tendou’s dominion, a towering fusion of ancient honor and modern militarism. One of the oldest settlements in Hoshi-no-Kuni, Rohei was built around the sacred Mount Rohei, whose jagged cliffs rise like a spine through the city’s center. At its summit looms the forbidding bastion of Castle Tendou, carved directly into the mountainside—a fortress that watches the world like a war-god's eye.
Once a city known for its proud martial traditions and artisanship, Rohei has been reshaped into a machine of war. Streets once filled with festivals and banners now bear armored patrols and surveillance pylons. Many of the city’s ancient districts have been repurposed into staging grounds for the Heaven Guard, weapons foundries, and forward command outposts. The presence of the newly established White Rose Knights has only further entrenched Rohei as the nerve center of the Tendou military-industrial revolution.
Security in Rohei is absolute. Travelers are funneled through a labyrinthine series of way stations, checkpoints, and fortified bridges before they can even approach Castle Tendou. Every stone of the city feels watched. Beneath the visible layers of its defenses run hidden transit tunnels, emergency redoubts, and sealed chambers built in preparation for siege. Yet for all its rigidity, Rohei remains symbolically potent—its sheer scale, its mountain-flanked grandeur, and the cold precision of its structure project an aura of unshakable authority. To the Tendou faithful, Rohei is the embodiment of order and divine supremacy. To the rest of Hoshi-no-Kuni, it is a mountain of steel with a soul of fire—imposing, impassable, and always advancing.
Haru City: The Eastern City, and the main home of the fabled Clan Shiratori. Known as The City of Veils, Haru is the ancestral seat of Clan Shiratori, and one of the most enigmatic and culturally influential cities in all of Hoshi-no-Kuni. Built upon a series of layered terraces overlooking the misted Lake Kanzaki, Haru is a place of elegance, silence, and hidden agendas. It is said that every flower planted in Haru blooms for a reason, and every stone is placed to obscure something else.
Haru serves as the ceremonial and cultural heart of the Rankai system, where marriages are officiated, funerals are judged, and noble legitimacy is confirmed. Its streets are narrow, winding, and beautifully kept—lined with white-lantern shrines, ancestral tea houses, and marble-walled pavilions. Beneath its surface, however, is a network of private paths and secluded chambers, making Haru one of the most difficult cities to navigate without local guidance—and one of the easiest in which to disappear.
At the city’s highest elevation rests The House of Pale Orchids, not a fortress, but a walled estate where the Shiratori elders rule through ritual and suggestion. Though Haru has no standing garrison, its true defenses lie in its subtlety—every servant could be a poisoner, every priestess a witness, and every petal a blade in waiting. Foreign envoys tread carefully in Haru, for the city's silence is never empty, and every word spoken beneath its veiled balconies may carry across the entire court system of Hoshi-no-Kuni by nightfall.
Miho City: The Northern City, and the main home of the feared Clan Hanzo. The Kuronami valley where their fortress is has long been regarded as a place of beauty and danger, most of it coming from the Hanzo themselves. Often called The Hidden City or The Silent Cradle, Miho is the elusive stronghold of Clan Hanzo, nestled deep within the mist-laden valley of Kuronami. Unlike other major cities of Hoshi-no-Kuni, Miho does not appear on most official maps. Even those who know of its existence often find it impossible to reach without escort, as the paths to Miho shift with the terrain, the fog, and the will of its guardians.
Built into the natural contours of forested cliffs and blackwater streams, Miho blends architecture with concealment. Houses are often layered beneath hanging gardens or built into stone, their silhouettes designed to resemble the surrounding landscape. There are no public plazas or open courts—only narrow corridors, curtained rooms, and paper-thin walls where nothing is ever truly private. Miho functions less as a city in the traditional sense and more as a living intelligence hub, where informants, courtiers, and covert agents train, recover, and exchange information under the watchful eyes of Hanzo handlers. Its central landmark, the Hall of Reflection, is a polished obsidian structure with no visible entrances, said to be where the clan’s most sensitive secrets are stored—and shaped.
Visitors to Miho are rare, always monitored, and often forget what they saw upon leaving. Deals made in Miho ripple outward like ink on water, affecting decisions far beyond the valley. Though it raises no banners, Miho’s shadow looms large over Hoshi-no-Kuni, for it is here that truths are buried, lies are born, and futures are quietly rewritten.
Ashina, AKA The Ashina Ruins: Once called The Sacred Domain, the lands of Clan Ashina were renowned across Hoshi-no-Kuni for their spiritual serenity, endless hot springs, and breathtaking mountain vistas. Nestled among mist-wreathed peaks and flowering valleys, Ashina was more than just a territory—it was a pilgrimage site, a place where the boundary between the living and the Force felt thin, and where temples clung to cliffside paths like the prayers of the faithful. The region was governed by the Ashina not with force, but with quiet authority. Temples doubled as schools of philosophy and martial refinement, while holy springs were said to possess healing properties both physical and spiritual. Warrior-monks trained in secluded monasteries alongside shrine maidens, and ancient chants echoed across wind-carved ridges. Travelers came seeking clarity, absolution, or silence—and often left changed.
But all that has been reduced to ruin. During the early strikes of Clan Tendou’s campaign, Ashina became the first true target of their new war doctrine. Their elite forces, enhanced by foreign technology and Sith counsel, razed temples, poisoned springs, and shattered the sacred order that had held for generations. Entire sects were lost, libraries burned, and mountaintop sanctuaries now lie buried beneath rubble and scorched earth. What survivors remain have gone into exile or live as refugees, scattered across Hoshi-no-Kuni.
The land itself suffers. What was once vibrant and verdant now lies scarred—ash drifting where petals once fell, and prayers replaced by silence. Rumors persist of Ashina loyalists still hiding in the high passes, guarding the last unbroken shrines or tending to wounded Force-sensitives in forgotten caves, but these are whispers spoken with both reverence and fear. Today, Ashina is a graveyard of beauty, a holy land defiled. It stands as a symbol of what was lost—and, perhaps, what still might be reclaimed. For those in the Resistance, it remains sacred ground, not just for what it once was, but for what it cost them to lose.
Saya Valley: Known in old maps as The Sleeping Fang, Saya Valley is a secluded, mist-choked gorge tucked deep within the mountain ranges of central Hoshi-no-Kuni. Long considered unreachable and uninhabitable due to its treacherous terrain and erratic weather, the valley was abandoned generations ago—its ancient stronghold sealed and left to rot. But in recent months, the valley has drawn new breath. Reclaimed in secret by the Rankai Resistance, Saya Valley has become the heart of their operations—a sanctuary for survivors, defectors, and remnants of fallen clans, all united in the struggle against Clan Tendou’s domination. Hidden behind a labyrinth of crumbling passes and sheer drops, the valley’s only accessible entrance is a narrow, winding gorge easily defensible and near-impossible to find without precise guidance.
At its center lies the Saya Keep, a half-ruined mountain fortress carved into the stone itself, with an enormous subterranean cavern beneath—large enough to conceal ships, refugees, and entire supply caches. Originally designed as a weatherproof staging ground in ancient wars, it is now being painstakingly rebuilt by the Resistance as a headquarters, infirmary, and safe haven for planning their next moves. Life in Saya Valley is harsh. Supplies are limited, and its defenses—though naturally formidable—are still in the process of restoration. Water flows cold from glacial springs, and the echoes of the wind carry both ancient memories and modern anxieties. Yet for those who dwell within, it is more than a base. It is a symbol of defiance, a last bastion where unity has begun to take root among once-fractured survivors.
Though Clan Tendou is aware that the Resistance is mobilizing somewhere, Saya’s obscurity and isolation have kept it hidden—for now. Watchfires are kept dim. Couriers ride under moonlight. And every clang of rebuilding stone echoes not only as preparation, but as promise: that from these broken mountains, resistance will rise.

Space Ports: There are a few Space Ports on Hoshi-no-Kuni, despite its isolation from Galactic society. Currently, all of them have been taken over by Clan Tendou. Their economy is damaged by the embargo on space travel currently enforced by Clan Tendou, as it relies on workers on the asteroids, moons and other planets of the Rankai System to travel to and from there, buying merchandise, and staying at inns and using cantinas.

• Kanto: A small space port, recently acquired by Clan Tendou. It is used as a hub area for the White Rose Knights PMC, and it is monitored by Clan Tendous Heaven Guard. The city's inhabitants have not yet fallen on especially hard times, mostly due to catering to the Heaven's Guard, and their location near Castle Tendou.
• Johto: A larger space port, currently occupied by Clan Tendou. Its economy has stilled, because it was an unaligned town, located near water and away from the larger Clans' influence. The people living there are slowly going bankrupt, having to serve the Heaven Guard positioned there. The city leaders have been petitioning Clan Tendou to make its soldiers stop asking for free room and board, but so far nothing has happened. The prostitution industry has started increasing there, unfortunately.
• Sinnoh: The largest and oldest space port, located near Fushimi. It has not been conquered by Clan Tendou, due to its long-standing alliance with Clan Wakamoto, but to avoid direct conflict, Clan Wakamoto has acquiesced to the Tendou embargo. It is the only currently active, commercial space port in Hoshi-no-Kuni, but its already limited traffic has diminished a lot. A contingent of Heaven Guards and White Rose Knights are located there, "assisting" local border guards to make sure of what comes in and out of the planet. All off-planet workers are routed through here now, which is impractical, but necessary. Clan Wakamoto holds power over the space port, but they are letting Clan Tendou dictate the practices, for now, as an act of good faith.
• Unova: A smaller, but more prestigious space port, located within the territory of Clan Kurayama, Unova has been shut down save for private travel, due to the unofficial alliance between Clan Tendou and Clan Kurayama. If Tendou officials need to travel, they will use Unova, and Kurayama's mercantile empire is left unquestioned, but all other travel from Unova has been shut down. There are very few Heaven Guards here, but they can inspect anything brought in or shipped off the planet by Clan Kurayama. They are otherwise there to act as backup for the local Black Mount Guard.

🌀 Optional Zones of Interest

The Bone Orchard: A forest where plant life has consumed starship wreckage. Trees grow through helmets and armor. Locals believe it is sacred ground, where spirits sleep and must not be disturbed.
The Whispering Caldera: A volcanic basin where voices of the lost echo — some believe ancestors, others think it's madness. Spending too long here can grant visions… or break the mind.

Hoshi-no-Kuni

The Rankai system lies hidden behind a treacherous and ancient asteroid field known as the Tomb Ring — a hyperdense band of wreckage, debris, and volatile anomalies that has shielded the system from the galaxy for millennia. As a result, Rankai developed independently, untouched by the Jedi, Sith, Empire, or Republic. Here, the Force is rare, seen instead through philosophies like “chi,” “kami,” or ancestral spirits. Force-sensitives are shamans, monster slayers, or cursed bloodlines — not Jedi or Sith. Only recently have offworlders begun to breach the Tomb Ring, bringing strange tech and myths that eerily match the locals’ spiritual traditions.

🌱 Flora (Mystical & Culturally Significant Plants)

Spiritvein Trees: *Glowing, root-tangled trees found near ancient ruins or mountain peaks. Believed to “drink the blood of the mountain gods.” Sap used in chi-oil rituals — a stimulant for warriors, secretly enhances Force sensitivity.
Obake Bamboo: Black bamboo that hums at night and induces hallucinations when the wind blows through. Used in ancestor rituals and prophecy-seeking ceremonies. Locals believe the groves are alive and whisper back.
Seikatsu Bloom: A delicate flower that only blooms in the presence of deep inner harmony. Associated with rites of passage and spiritual trials. Sometimes found sprouting from unmarked graves.

🐾 Fauna & Beasts (Spiritual, Dangerous, or Mythic)

Tetsugami ("Iron God-Beast"): Giant, quadrupedal armored creatures, semi-mechanical in appearance. Once war-beasts of a forgotten age; now seen as slumbering mountain deities. Their silver “blood” is sacred and used in smithing rare weapons.
Kaminari-Ryuu ("Thunder Dragon") Long, serpentine sky-beasts that generate storms as they migrate. Viewed as omens of change or divine wrath. Their scales are said to sing when danger approaches.
Yoma Crabs: Massive crustaceans found scavenging crashed starships in the sea. Poisonous and territorial, they are feared and respected. Shell fragments are forged into elite armor or ceremonial weapon cores.

🧬 Notable Races (Native and Isolated)

Oni-Kaji (Rare Survivor Race): Hulking, horned humanoids once enslaved by ancient powers. Now scattered: some are smiths, others temple guardians or hired mercenaries. Horns channel natural energy akin to kyber resonance. Rakkazan (Cliff-Dwellers): Pale, long-limbed people living in vertical canyon fortresses. Use gliding capes and harmonic chants to tame beasts or calm storms. Known as scholars, lorekeepers, and "wind walkers."
Kitsuji (Fox-Souled): Trickster-like beings evolved near crashed Jedi relics. Can psychometrically “read” emotions through scent or touch. Guardians of oral traditions and artifacts, often mistaken for spirit messengers. Hoshidoku (Star-Poisoned): Mutants born near crash zones, marked by strange auras or glowing eyes. Outcast and feared, but often wield hidden Force-like powers. Dream-seers, vanishing warriors, or machine-whisperers.

⚔️ Cultural Frameworks & Mythos

The Five Veins of Chi: Local traditions believe in five universal “veins” of energy that flow through all living things:

• Chi of Stone – Endurance, stillness, legacy
• Chi of Flame – Passion, destruction, fury
• Chi of Wind – Freedom, movement, change
• Chi of Water – Emotion, healing, intuition
• Chi of Shadow – Forbidden knowledge, secrets, and unseen power

These philosophies mirror aspects of the Force (both light and dark), but with no understanding of Jedi/Sith dichotomies.

🏯 Ancient Technology & Legacy Relics

• Buried temples and palaces are sometimes the remains of crashed galactic ships, now half-fused into mountainsides or forests.
• Lightsabers are revered as "God-Forged Blades" or "Spirit Cutters." Often misused or misunderstood.
• Locals have reverse-engineered rudimentary tech from relics, seen as holy artifacts.

Trivia

A lot of this information was pulled from other settings, including Legend of the Five Rings, and some originals. Most of the Clan writeups were done by ChatGPT.

• Thank you ChatGPT.
• Players are encouraged to throw in their hat and create NPCs here.