Lore Nutshell

On Boi'cer, it is said that Honor is the one thing that a Highstorm cannot wash away. While even the finest Shardbearer can bend and break in the heat of one battle, the Malipian Empire’s society has been built on politics and war for more than a thousand years, and it has not yet broken. Boi'cer is a land of strict social stratification, where an improper look at the wrong time can mean death. Face- the concept of a samurai’s stoicism and outward self-control- is paramount. To lose one’s face is to lose one’s status and reputation in society, and potentially one’s life.

The White Narwhal is an allied organisation of Samurai on Boi'cer. Their headquarters are centred at Malipia, but they live all across Boi'cer. They consider it their duty and privilege to stand vigilant at preventing a third Oni War. The order is unique in that, it considers Kamikakushi to be refugees and exclusively seeks them out to offer them sanctuary and support.

Malipia is a feudal society: all of the land belongs to the Emperor, who bestows the rights of stewardship on champions and lords within the White Narwhal, who in turn pass on the tasks of administration to lesser-ranked samurai. All Imperial authority and patterns of life proceed from the Emperor. Members of the White Narwhal and their representatives vie for dominance in the courts of these daimyō, prevailing over others with silk and spheres.

The root of the word samurai is, literally, “one who serves.” The samurai in the Malipian Empire rule as nobles and lords, but they also serve others- whether the common people below or those samurai who sit as lords above them. Most samurai fall into one of three broad categories: bushi, who train their martial skill; courtiers, who engage in deadly political games; and shugenja, who serve as priests and conduits between the mortal and sacred realms.