Jigoku Gado
The Hell Guard
The Hell Guardo are demons who have sworn fealty to the Gezakt Union and serve as the Elite Bodyguard Unit and Enforcers of the Shogun. Back in the foundation of the Union, the Rozichari Clan conceded a majority of the demonic forces they had summoned during the Blossom Wars to the control of the newly instated Office of the Shogunate, the First Council creating the esoteric-legal framework for rituals in which demons are summoned and employed by the Gezakt Government. The primary purpose of this concession was to ensure that whoever held the Title of Shogun would have the power to enforce and protect their office with a personal military force. Thereby whoever the Clan Lords elected Shogun could never be the puppet of another, even his own Clan. No matter how weak a Shogun’s power base before being elected got into office, the Shogun's will would be fire and brimstone and to oppose the Shogun militarily is to battle Hell itself. However, this power is not absolute. The demons are bound to the laws of Gezakt by occult sorcery, and flagrant corruption of office or abuses of power will compel the Shogun's own demonic army to depose him.Dancing with the Devils
The Gezakt Union is not unique in employing the forces of the damned in their armed forces, but the Union diverges greatly in how their demons are recruited and regulated. For instance, that the summoning process can be accurately called recruitment is massively different from the norm. Most who consort with demons only care about how much power such beings can give them, and so their damned host is given free reign to inflict any horror they please. Not so with the Gezakt Union, their selection process is restrained and well researched. Mystics scour the Infernal Planes, studying the forces of darkness in their own environment. Primarily what they look for in a potential recruit is some shred of honor, some code of conduct the beast adheres to. While all beings posses some level of malevolence towards mortalkind, but this malice takes many forms and has many foundations. The worst of demonkind revel in the defilement of innocence and seek an end to the world of creation, their malice a reflection of pure corruption and evil.
Composition
Equipment
The Armor of the Jigoku Gado are designed to fit individual demons in the Yoroi samurai-style armor. They are hand crafted from the finest steels and materials, but the armor's purpose goes beyond protection. Each plate is meticulously engraved with runic seals and divine script in order to bind the demon to the will of their Gezakt Masters. The armor is crafted prior to the summoning of a new demon as the armor is the centerpiece of the binding ritual, the armor itself acting as the gateway into the Mortal Plane of Existence. Only the most trusted Jigoku Gado may ever remove their armor, and weaker demons may dematerialize if the seals are broken.
Damage to the armor may free a demon from their bindings, allowing them free will. How this freedom is exercised varies greatly, but it often results in demonic rampages or other malicious acts. Usually an unbound demon must be destroyed, but in cases where they return willingly or have not committed a capital crime the armor will be repaired and the demon rebound to the Jigoku Gado. Demons that lack the sentience to comprehend the laws of man are forgiven if they can be successfully be restrained after being unbound, but sentient beings are judged as any man would be judged for what they do while released from their binding.
Weaponry
In many cases the demon itself is the weapon. Demons such as the bestial Chimera fight with tooth and claw, while many higher level demons use infernal magics. Although all demons are a force to be reckoned with even when unarmed, a weapon allows a demon to focus their power. Like their armor, each weapon is individually crafted for the demon, whether it be Yari spear or Tanto knife. These weapons are also crafted with the finest steels before being imbued with the power of the demon that possesses them, and so it is not uncommon for these weapons to penetrate enemy armor as if it were a cloth shirt and slice through other weapons as if they were wooden replicas.
Structure
The hierarchy of demons is one of metaphysical domination, lesser demons are enslaved to the will of greater demons, who are then enslaved to the will of a demon lord. The Jigoku Gado utilizes this chain of dominance to maintain the natural order of the damned. In hell a Ba'al or Infernal Prince stands atop this hierarchy, but named demons summoned by the Union are instead soul bound to the Shogun.
Shogun
The Shogun is the Supreme Commander of the Gezakt Army and the Jigoku Gado are the Shogun's Praetorian Guard.
Otchagado
A High Council of Mages known as the Otchagao, or the Watchers, who have the power to manipulate the demon's bindings. They are technically outside the command structure, acting as overseers to monitor both the Shogun and his demons.
Hiagusha
Demons hand picked by to be soul bound directly to the Shogun are called the Hiagusha, or Consorts. Considered the Eyes and Voice of the Shogun, giving them his authority in matters of war and making them the only demons allowed to command mortals directly.
Oji
Oji, or Princes, are the Generals and Commanders of who lead cadres of demons referred to as Hordes.
Ryoshu
Ryoshu, or Lords, are subcommanders of the Horde that lead individual Cohorts, which are Brigade sized units.
Taii
Taii, or Captains, are the leaders of individual Troupes, or Company sized units.
Senshu
The Senshu, or Champions, are a rank parallel to the Captains. They are individualist warriors that fight alongside the Troupes as they see fit.
Zuiko
The Zuiko, or Attendants, are Battle Mages that act as co-captains and forward observers for the Otchagado. They are a double edged sword, fighting alongside the demonic host and also being responsible for restraining or banishing individual demons if it becomes necessary.
Chiji
The Chiji are Prefects of the Horde and act as the leaders for platoon or squad sized units called Packs. They enforce a semblance of discipline and adherence to the rule of law on their Packs.
Okita
The Okita, or Awakened, are demons that display roughly human level sentience and the ability to comprehend mortal affairs, such as crime. They have no authority but the rank imparts on them the duties and responsibilities afforded to any soldier of the Union Army.
Supon
The Supon, or Spawn, are the bestial beings of the Infernal Realm that are more slave-soldier or warbeast. They have the strongest bindings and are in essence an extension of their master's will. They lack the comprehension to perceive that they are enslaved. To rise above this rank a demon must only demonstrate they have a capacity for complex thought and reasoning, such as by questioning orders.
Tactics
Hordes and Heroes
Although calling them "Heroes" is highly inaccurate, there is still truth to this designation. Hero demons almost exclusively target the "eye of the storm." Mainly this entails targeting the command structure and champions of their enemies. While the main Horde attacks the enemy indiscriminately, the Heroes stalk the key players. Those who survive fighting the Jigoku Gado often claim the only thing more horrifying than being attacked by the Jigoku Gado is when the Jigoku Gado ends their attack. Despite the mindlessness of the Horde they are thralls bound to the will of their masters, and when the order to cease an attack whispers into their being the result is nearly instantaneous. The chaos and horror being unleashed comes to a halt in an instant as the demon's binding compels them to obey.
This mix of overwhelming force and individualistic combatants is also referred to the Spear and Hammer.Although there is significant variation among the numerous demonic entities native to the Infernal Plane, the Jigoku Gado primarily has two categories of demons, hordes and heroes. This distinction essentially boils down to a demon's level of intelligence. A majority of demons are little more than beasts operating on instinct and the will of their master being whispered into their ears. These beastly warriors are referred to as the Horde, a force that is unleashed rather than led. The Horde is used as a blunt force instrument, specializing in mass attacks to overwhelm the opposition in a bloodthirsty tide. It is possible for powerful magic users and demon lords to exert enough control on the Horde for advanced tactics to be utilized, such as false retreats and flanking, but generally this isn't even necessary as the supernatural power of the Horde tends to outmatch adversaries. Horde demons generally don't even comprehend the causes they fight for or their position in Gezakt's armed forces, nor do they care. They are a tide that washes away the Shogun's enemies in waves of blood. Sentient demons are a different matter. A demon that is intelligent enough to comprehend and at least mimic human interaction is classified in the "Heroes" category. The name is an intentional misnomer, as a demon is not motivated by notions of heroism or nobility as a human would understand them. The reasoning is largely psychological, on one hand wanting frame the optics of such a host more positively in the public eye, and on the other hand it's part of an attempt to change demon behavior. Regardless, "Hero" demons are in reality better described as Individualistic demons, as they have a distinct sense of self and intellectual capacity. This individualism manifests in their battle tactics, which of course focus on themselves. Hero demons are complex and diverse in their attitudes, goals and motivations, and as such different Hero demons employ numerous strategies in war. The largest segment operate from within the Horde, allowing their more mindless brethren to occupy the enemy's attention while they take a more calculated approach. When they make their move the Hero demon may rely on stealth, berserk rampages, or magical assaults from a distance, but in all cases there's a distinctly individual aspect to it.
Training
The Jigoku Gado does not train like a normal military unit. Most of the force only posses animalistic levels of intelligence, and none of them require exercise as mortals do. Instead, accompanying magic users have to be taught how to command the Horde with their will, something done with voice, mind and soul. A mortal must see what they intend the demons to do with their minds eye as they articulate their will, and though they speak aloud, the mortal speaks soul to soul. Naturally, allowing your very soul to reach out to demons has a spiritually corrosive effect on any mortal engaging in this activity, and so the main point of these training exercises is to observe the mortal commanders for signs their will has been corrupted or if a demon is attempting to posses their body.
The other main form of training the Jigoku Gado receives is in the form of mock battles. Generally speaking these aren't really battles, but rather a melee where the most bloodthirsty demons of the Horde are allowed to fight amongst themselves to satiate their aggressive tendencies. However, these mock battles also take the form of war games, where two opposing divisions attempt to simulate a real battle. More or less, it is a real battle. Demons are hardy creatures that aren't easily slain and in these mock battles they are ordered not to finish each other of. But demons are nefarious beings, so either by accident or deliberate violation there are almost always deaths involved. This is considered acceptable as it tends to allow the most quarrelsome and aggressive demons to get themselves killed.
Hero demons differ individually. Some do seek training on their own initiative, but more often they are requested as trainers by military units and nobles seeking to attain a fraction of the demon's infernal wisdom.
Logistics
Recruitment
The Seers of Gezakt keep a close watch on the Infernal Realm of Tartarus, observing all that they can of the events of hell. Time moves slower beyond the veil, a Seer that glimpses the Infernal Realm for a moment will have witnessed days in the hells. A Seer must limit how much time they spend in communion as the horror and attrocity they witness alone can easily drive men mad, but beyond that they risk being dragged into the darkness or become possessed by the demons they observe.
While gazing into the pit the Seers observe the demons in their natural habitat, trying to understand their individual nature. Does the demon despise all of creation? Or do they abhor the mortal for their greed, their infidelity, or their lack of honor? These questions determine if the Seer considers it worth the risk to summon one. Additionally, the Seers watch for the barest shred of regret, mercy or compassion, the purpose being more practical than ethical. Demons that posses a modicum of humanity don't fight against their bindings as hard as beings of pure malevolence and corruption.
The next phase of the process is introductions. The Seer must learn the demon's true name in order to have power over it. A wise Seer seeks to discover the demon's name prior to making contact in case things go wrong. This phase is a test, to see how the demon will react. The Seer must tell the demon his own name, creating a connection between them. How the demon uses this connection determines if the Seer will attempt to bind it or build a barrier and lock the demon out.
If the demon doesn't exhibit an unacceptable level of malice then the Seer will prepare a summoning ritual. The Seer dictates the design of the demon's armor, prepares the ritual alter, and prepares their attendants. At the summoning they must be prepared for battle, for deceit is well within the nature of a demon and it is common for a freshly summoned demon to attempt to betray their word the moment they materialize.
Despite the risk, when successful these summoning's provide a great boon. Often summoned demons have lesser demons under their control, usually animalistic beings that are little more than extensions of the summoned demons will. These lesser beings are also considered part of the Jigoku Gado and continue to serve their master in the world of the living.
History
Founding
During the Blossom Wars the Rozichari Clan found themselves hard pressed by the Upatamashi Clan, the Rozichari's few and equally besieged allies lacking the raw manpower to oppose their rival's onslaught. And so they turned to occult means to hold their land. The Daimyo could not bear to see his people fall beneath Upatamashi boot, and so found the men the only place he could, from the Legions of the Damned. However, the Rozichari Daimyo was no fool, he consulted his best mystics and brought in foreign demonologists to bind the demons he summoned with ironclad rites, doing all he could to prevent his devil's bargain from destroying the people he meant to save. Even more, he sought the most honorable of the demons to offer individual pacts, while all demons are malevolent on some level, . This strategy worked, driving back the Upatamashi . Many would try to replicate this success, including the Upatamashi , but their less thorough summonings led more often to disaster than success. While this escalated the Blossom Wars for a time, it directly led to the Unification, bringing the other Clans to the bargaining table with the Rozichari in the position of power. Part of the negotiation ceded control of the majority of the demon forces to the Shogun Elect, and strict protocols were put in place for summoning more. To the surprise of the Clans, most of the demons were banished upon the transference, as the Rozichari knew much of the entities they had conscripted were malicious beings that would turn on them all in a heartbeat once they had the opportunity.
Historical loyalties
As a general rule, loyalty is a foreign concept to the demon. Their bonds are built upon debt, domination, and necessity. Each among them were once the thralls of a greater demon. The majority of the Jigoku Gado were summoned from the Realms of Wrath or Greed, making them former vassals of the Demon Princes Azazel and Mammon, respectively. Demons of these Realms rarely have anything but utter hatred of their former masters. A minority of the Jigoku Gado are spawn of different realms of hell, and generally also despise their former lords.
The Rozichari Clan remain the premier demonologists of the Gezakt Union. A majority of the longest serving demons were summoned by the Rozichari Daimyo during Long Night, and in essence all the Jigoku Gado owe them their presence in the Mortal Realm. This debt is held sacred by the most venerated of them, and many more demons respect the craftiness the Clan exhibited in binding the Jigoku to the sovereign state of Gezakt itself. The rest that are capable of complex thought recognize that those who bound them to this world can unbind them as well.
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