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

Tendou Family Tree. Click to Enlarge.

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. 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. 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	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

Lady In Waiting Aimi Tendou

Tendou Clan Forces

Stalker Umi Ichikawa	Stalker Emi Ichikawa	Scientist Yohji Nakajima	White Knight Gou Takamachi	Tendou Forces Heaven Guard

Battle Droid 5AM-UR1	Battle Droid Elite GN-D4M	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 Family Tree. Click to Enlarge.

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	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

Clan Kurayama

Kurayama writeup here.

Patriarch Gensuke Kurayama	Lord Kojiro Kurayama	Lady Rei Kurayama	Heir Daigo Kurayama	Young Master Shotaro Kurayama

Clan Kurayama Retainers

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

Clan Shiratori

Shiratori Family Tree. Click to Enlarge.

Shiratori Clan Writeup Here.

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

Lady Rina Shiratori

Branch House Members

Branch House Heir Nigai Shiratori	Warrior Kuroro Shiratori	Warrior Shiroku Shiratori

Clan Hanzo

Clan Hanzo text goes here.

Family Head  ??? Hanzo	Prince Sora Hanzo	Princess Asuka Hanzo

Clan Ashina

Ashina writeup here.

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

Resistance

Koga Clan Leader Ko-Ral Koga	Koga Clan Kunoichi Reika Koga	Kusanagi Clan Kouhai Kusanagi	Kusanagi Clan Hitomi Kusanagi	Kusanagi Clan Ayane Kusanagi

Ronin Zenki Getsu	Chisagi Akarasu

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

Trivia

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