Wuren (woo-ren)

“The Ashigaru are the backbone of any army, and truly on the path of the Superior Being. They are those within every family that is willing to take up arms to protect those members that cannot. To defend the core of society from the depredations of others, be they northern barbarians or other monstrous creatures.”

Sage, Tong Zhao-zi

Career

Qualifications

Most people within the empire meet the minimum qualifications for this occupation through the empire's Conscription Act. This is a law which states that any able-bodied adult who has reached their age of majority (which is 20 for humans) must spend no less than two years within the Imperial Army. The conscripts are trained in the basics of hand-to-hand fighting, swordsmanship, and polearms. They are also trained in basic marksmanship with crossbows, military drills, woodcraft, and athletics.
The person seeking to enter this occupation should have the basic abilities and physique to effectively use a melee weapon.

Career Progression

As a basic Occupation, it has six Ranks, after which most people chooe to specialize in one of the Promoted Occupations. The first Ranks of this Occupation is the person moving beyond the basics of using a weapons and into being a warrior. The following Ranks would be considered a middling warrior and would need to move into the Promoted Ranks and specialize in a weapon to ever be considered a Master. Most people, even soldiers, do not move beyond the Basic Ranks.

Payment & Reimbursement

As most of the people who fall into the Occupation are soldiers or wandering warriors, the reimbursement can be quite discrepant. In organized military units, such as provincial armies, the pay is quite regular, but the work is dull and very often training is not offered or expected. While, with the wandering warrior, the work is rarely dull, but the pay is anything but regular.

Other Benefits

Wuren gain more abilities and learn more Techniques as they move up in Rank. Eventually moving high enough to become legends in their own right.

Perception

Purpose

Wuren, also known as wushi or bushi when they are professional soldiers, are the primary foot soldiers of the empire. Whether they're being used in mercenary units by the various Takaixue Houses in their internecine conflicts, or bolstering the numbers of a provincial army, they often form the backbone of any fighting force. When fighting for order and law, they are the common foot soldier, or even general, of an Imperial Army. When fighting outside the law and civilization, they are a common mercenary or a bandit captain. They are the "People of War" and their purpose is to fight.

Social Status

The status of any individual Wuren is dependant upon their rank and where they serve. Most wandering warriors and mercenary soldiers are looked at askance by the general population. They may be looked upon as ruffians or criminals either due to their rootless nature or the fact they take money to fight. While professional soldiers of legitimate militaries, such as the Imperial Army, with their (usually) highly polished armor, are looked upon with no small amount of awe and respect by everyday people.

History

Warriors are one of the oldest professions within the Middle Empire. They aren't just older than the empire, they are even older than the Human Era. Going back into the mists of time into the First Ten Thousand Years of Peace and the Age of Breath to the Beast and Spirit Era.
The first warriors, of course, began as hunters by the various peoples of the earliest ages to hunt down the beasts needed to survive. Others became warriors through other necessities such as defending themselves and their homes from attacks by hungry beasts. Later, when people began to fight amongst themselves for land, resources, or for honor and vengeance, the warrior profession grew out from the hunters and defenders. It gained status, trappings, and prestige, and could even rule over small enclaves of warriors.
After the coming of humans, with their greater populations, these warriors grew into their own social caste and grew to dominate entire societies, ushering in what is now known as the Age of Bushi. During this Age, the warriors became the leaders and rulers of large swaths of the imperial population. Even superseding the rule of the emperor and empress when they first came into power. It was a tumultuous period of warring states, a time of near-constant civil wars and social upheaval before the two highest clans garnered enough power to put the warring factions into a stalemate.
The Age of Bushi lasted for several centuries before the descent of Susano-O and the beginning of the Kami Daisensō. Many of the current Takaixue Houses can trace their lineages back to this Age when their fortunes were at their peak. After the Kami War and the emperor and empress asserted their power and took hold of their empire, the great houses' fortunes fell in tandem with the rise of the Imperial Bureaucracy and the civil service. 
In the modern era, the Wuren straddle the line between legitimacy and illegitimacy, rich and poor, itinerant and settled, hero and villain, and everything in between.

Operations

Tools

The standard equipment of any Wuren is a weapon or weapons and armor of some sort. The most common equipment carried by a foot soldier of any army is a polearm or a crossbow. Sometimes both. Therefore, many of the Wuren who wander the empire are at least familiar with these weapons and often carry them. Though, a Wuren may be skilled with nearly any weapon under the Sun.

Workplace

For the more sedentary warrior, their workplace, and even home, may consist of a barracks of one form or another. Whether that's the more cushy barracks within the local Yamen or the often cramped, musty barracks so often built into a city's defensive walls, or the standard sleeping halls used by mercenary units, or the Imperial or Provincial-level armies.
Meanwhile, those wandering warriors will not have a set "workplace" and will ply their trade wherever it is needed.

Provided Services

Protection are the services most often provided by this profession. The most standard form this takes, of course, is in the literal sense through the city guards, police, and armies. Mercenary companies or wandering Wuren may be recruited to protect people traveling from one place to another. While other may find their protection in the form of clearing out nests of Susano-O's creatures which pocket the hinterlands of the empire, or taking care of a threatening monster, yokai, spirit, or demon.

Dangers & Hazards

Death and bodily injury is the greatest, inherent danger to a Wuren. For wandering warriors, the threat of starvation or privation is also an ever-present danger for one who lives from one job to another.

Alternative Names

Bujin, Wushi (professional), Bushi (professional), Mu'in (dwarven), Chien binh (elven)

Type

Military

Demand

The demand for this Occupation is sporadic. Mercenary units are nearly always happy to have new recruits. The wandering warrior can be a welcome sight in far-flung villages.

Legality

While professional soldiers like wushi or bushi are all perfectly legal within the eyes of imperial law, the wandering Wuren often operate within a legal grey area. As it's still officially illegal for a commoner to own, or carry, a sword, this is most often interpreted by imperial magistrates to be the katana of the ancient samurai class, and rarely bother to enforce said law upon those warriors carrying dao or jian. That being said, many wandering Wuren still tend to only openly carry other weaponry such as spears, staves, or clubs.

Wuren Level Progression

The Wuren is the general warrior who specializes in combat with one or two specific weapons. Wuren gain the following at Lesser First Rank:


Health Points: +5 Health Points.
Face: +2
Arts: Wuren gain one point and are adept in two Combat Arts of the player's choice. Wuren also gain one point in each of the following Arts: Athletics, Vigilance, and Woodcraft.

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Rank	Attacks	Abilties
First Lesser	1	Weapon Technique: Beginning at the Lesser First Rank and every Lesser Rank up to Sixth Rank, a Wuren acquires a Weapon Technique. These Techniques are drawn from the lists of Martial Arts Weapons Techniques.
First Greater	1	Martial Aspect: Beginning at the Greater First Rank and every Greater Rank up to Sixth Rank, a Wuren acquires a Martial Aspect.
Second Lesser	1	Weapon Technique
Second Greater	1	Martial Aspect
Third Lesser	1	Weapon Technique
Third Greater	1	Martial Aspect
Fourth Lesser	2	Extra Attack Phase: At the Lesser Fourth Rank, the Wuren gains an extra Combat Phase to be used for the Attack Action. Weapon Technique
Fourth Greater	2	Martial Aspect
Fifth Lesser	2	Weapon Technique
Fifth Greater	2	Martial Aspect
Sixth Lesser	2	Weapon Technique
Sixth Greater	2	Martial Aspect
		Martial Aspects
		Weapon Mastery: The Wuren gains a +1 bonus when using the weapons they are Adept with. At Rank 3, this bonus increases to +2, and +3 at Rank 6.
		Oni's Strike: The warrior can choose to sacrifice an extra Combat Phase in order to perform a more powerful attack with a handheld weapon. On a successful hit, the attack does an extra d6 worth of damage.
		Kamaitachi's Claw: The Wuren can choose to sacrifice an extra Combat Phase in order to perform a precision attack with a ranged weapon such as a crossbow. On a successful hit, the attack does an extra d6 worth of damage.
		Tactical Scholar: The Wuren gains a +1 to Fleetness for the purpose of determining Initiative.
		Defensive Stance: The warrior sacrifices one Phase to enter a defensive stance, gaining a +2 bonus to Passive Defense for the next Turn. This bonus does not stack with a Total Defense Action.
		Armor Expert: The Wuren is proficient with a specific armor type and may reduce any armor penalties by 1.
		Kaibyo's Grace: As long as the Wuren is using a weapon with which they are Adept, their Lucky Numbers are 7 or 8.
		Veteran's Mien: The Wuren gains a +1 bonus to the Coerce Art. Alternatively, during combat, the warrior may sacrifice a Combat Phase to Chill any enemy within their Control Range.
		Chigaeshi's Resolve: The warrior gains +1 to resist Coerce and fear effects.
		Sprint: The Wuren sacrifices a Combat Phase to double their Fleetness for the current Turn.
		Warrior's Focus: The Wuren gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls using Weapon Techniques with their Adept weapon.
		Zone Defender: The Wuren may sacrifice a Combat Phase to strengthen their Control over an area. While in Control, they gain a +1 bonus to Passive Defense.
		Tortoise Defense: The warrior may sacrifice 2 Combat Phases to move while maintaining Control over an area. The Wuren may only move half their Fleetness in this way.
		Great General's Banner: Allies adjacent to, and behind, the warrior's Controlled space gain a +2 to their Passive Defense.
		Tactical Supremacy: During an attack roll, the warrior may sacrifice the damage done to an opponent to reposition their enemy within the Controlled area. Possibly leaving the enemy vulnerable to incoming attacks.
		Controlled Assault: The Wuren gains a +1 bonus to attack rolls within a Controlled area.
		Genbu's Stronghold: Enemies attempting to move into the Wuren's Controlled area must make an Athletics check against a DV of the warrior's Passive Defense. If the roll is failed, the enemy fails to move into the area and have their Passive Defense halved for the next turn.
		Bishamon's Shield: The Wuren sacrifices their actions to go into Total Defense. For the next turn, the enemies within the warriors Controlled area suffer a -1 to their attack rolls against the warrior or their allies.