The Emperor’s Ducks
The night-flying ducks
Dark wings of the Emperor
Whose flaps bring terror
-Anonymous
The Emperor's Ducks are the private intelligence agents of the Emperor of Wamato, and a vital component of the government of the Empire of Wamato, although most of the Empire knows of them only as a rumor and a legend. Their name in Yanjinese is Yami no Tsubasa. Their nickname derives from the belief that they meet with the Emperor when he visits the duckpond on the Palace grounds, which always has seven black ducks in residence. The Emperor makes a point to feed the ducks daily, and some think that he returns from the pond better informed than he was before. Nobody has ever observed Emperor Ariwara speaking with anyone at the duckpond, but the rumors persist.
The Ducks serve the Emperor in many ways. Their primary purpose is to gather information, both within and beyond the Empire. They also act as assassins, thieves, and saboteurs in order to carry out the needs of the Emperor. The Shogun is convinced that the Ducks are always watching him, and will take extreme measures to ensure a private conversation, and frequently dismisses those he suspects of being potential spies. So far he has not revealed any of the Emperor's agents among his officers, but he believes this is due to their skills at deception.
Some of the daimyos of the Empire have imitated the Emperor and formed their own groups of spies and agents. The Ducks take a dim view of these imitators, and has carried out a quiet war in the shadows against them. They refer to these groups derisively as the Dafīdakku, or the Foolish Ones, and none so far have been up to the standards of the Yami no Tsubasa.
Structure
The ducks are arranged into cells, each of which has a contact with a leader in another cell. These cells are arranged hierarchically with the Emperor himself at the top. There are always seven cells who directly report to the Emperor, as there are always seven ducks in the Imperial Palace's duckpond.
Of the seven, there is always one who is considered chief of them all. He bears the honorable title of Ahiru Ojisan (Uncle Duck), while the others are called the Oi, or the Nephews. The identity of these agents are unknown to any but the Emperor and the Kami of Secrets, Kage. They can be of any age, gender, or race, but are almost never drawn from the nobility of the Empire.
History
The Emperor's Ducks have their origins in the early days of the Ariwara Dynasty. During this time, several of the daimyos opposed the ascension of the Ariwara Emperor, instead favoring a new structure centered around the Shogun. The Emperor made the unusual move of recruiting a notorious criminal named Dakkora Hakushaku to his cause. Hakushaku was the second cousin of the Emperor, but of an illegitimate line. His father had disgraced his family name when he brutally slew his elder brother, and he was exiled to Hoshimoto by the last Fujiwara Emperor. As a result, Hakushaku grew up impoverished and far from court.
There, he became a legend. He briefly joined the Yuralin Tabadhik, but left after he broke several of the order's strictures. He was a master of armed and unarmed combat, and had a great love of trickery and stealth. He became a thief, spy, and mercenary, and tales of his abilities reached legendary proportions. Among the peasants, he was a folk hero. Among the samurai and daimyos, he was a monster, and their stories even included accounts of him drinking human blood to gain supernatural powers.
According to legend, the Emperor sought the guidance of the Kami about his challenges with the rebellious daimyos, and was answered by Kage, the lord of hidden secrets. He was instructed to recruit his notorious cousin, and that together they would be able to forge a stronger and more stable empire. The Emperor followed Kage's direction, and went in secret to meet with Dakkora Hakushaku on Hoshimoto. He succeeded in recruiting him, and together they returned to Kojima to make their plans.
Dakkora Hakushaku went on to recruit and train the first of the Emperor's Ducks. His recruits came from the peasants and the criminals of the Empire rather than the nobility who he did not trust. He specifically chose agents from the criminal families of the lower classes, who were known for their extraordinary skills of stealth and unconventional combat. With the funds of the Empire, he was able to provide his agents access to Mahōbori tattoos, enhancing their abilities to supernatural heights. Through a carefully planned campaign of espionage and assassination, the Emperor's Ducks enabled the Emperor to stabilize the Empire and solidify the rule of the Ariwara Dynasty.
I love this. Such a cool idea.