The Crimson Blades

The Crimson Blades

Where order falters and shadows manipulate, the Crimson Blades charge with fire and steel. This mercenary brotherhood is forged from desperation and survival: humans scarred by war, oni exiles seeking redemption, yokai warriors spurned by their clans, even kami-touched wanderers who abandoned shrines. United not by blood or law, but by battle, they are Yamato’s wild card—unpredictable, untamed, but undeniably effective.

Clad in deep red armor that gleams like spilled blood, they strike terror in foes and reassurance in those who hire them. Their weapons, often enchanted or forged from rare spiritual alloys, allow them to fight yokai, spirits, and mortals alike with brutal efficiency. Unlike the samurai of the Shogunate, bound by honor and hierarchy, the Crimson Blades answer only to their captains and contracts. Coin buys their loyalty, but shared survival forges their true bond.

They are mercenaries, yes, but not mere sellswords. Many towns owe their survival to the Blades’ intervention when yokai raids or rogue kami struck and no samurai came. Their reputation as ruthless protectors makes them both admired and feared. To enemies, they are butchers without honor; to those they shield, they are saviors clad in crimson.

Their camps are melting pots where oni drink beside humans, kitsune play tricks on goliaths, and camaraderie is forged in firelit songs. Yet unity masks volatility: feuds between members often spill into violence, and betrayal is punished swiftly, often fatally.

The Crimson Blades are a storm—never still, always dangerous, and impossible to ignore. They thrive in chaos, carving their own code of honor: loyalty to comrades, fulfillment of contracts, and vengeance upon betrayal. Their red banners are both a warning and a promise: hire us, and your enemies will bleed.