The Zansha, a class of warriors in feudal Yoroda, play a pivotal role in the country’s social, political, and cultural landscape. These aristocratic warriors are not only skilled in combat but also deeply influence the fabric of Yorodan society. They are the most feared warrior class in the Taohuan Realms, with a reputation that extends across Kethos. At the heart of their role, Zansha protect their lords’ lands and people, defending against external threats and maintaining law and order within their domains. With unwavering loyalty and a code of honor known as Zanshinjo, the Zansha uphold the stability of the modern feudal system. The following list includes the most significant Zansha clans in modern Yoroda.
Major and politically important clans
Ashima — Ruling clan of the Third Daizanate and the dominant power around Seihanto. Powerful but increasingly dependent upon alliances and provincial cooperation as the succession crisis deepens.
Baisato — Major Nanto Rusak house that absorbed substantial territory after defeating the Kujima. Its authority extends over several provinces and important island possessions.
Chozama — Maritime clan ruling the Yamakai Islands and parts of southern Komosa. Of claimed Semanjong ancestry, with a capable navy and enough independence to balance between Yamachi and Ashima interests.
Hokome — One of the Three Great Clans, based in Hozoku. Wealthy bureaucratic power brokers whose strength rests on administration, finance, law, trade, and extensive influence at Seihanto.
Karabei — Yamachi-descended rulers of Fuyosaka who have become effectively semi-independent. Their strained relationship with the Yamachi main line makes them an important political wildcard.
Kyozen — Old and sophisticated Yamachi vassal house based around Kinbai. Its political and religious influence extends into Ashima territory, making Seihanto wary.
Maetoshi — Loose confederation of Zansha-descended maritime houses ruling Nakabayu. Part traders, part pirates, they dominate local channels and extract tolls and “escort fees” from shipping.
Samekoro — Maritime Ashima cadet house ruling Gozashima. Naval-minded, decentralized, and associated with piracy and irregular warfare as well as legitimate sea power.
Sogami — Mountain clan associated with Ozanjo, enchanted weapon manufacture, wizard-smiths, and religious specialists. Generally aloof from ordinary politics, though internally divided over the influence of its magical craftsmen.
Takamori — Important Betasho house exercising authority over Yorodan settlements amid a difficult relationship with indigenous populations.
Uragane — Rulers of Hanteni from Noshigawa. A solid regional house whose authority depends heavily upon controlling river traffic, ferries, roads, and trade rather than great military power.
Yamachi — One of the Three Great Clans and a conservative, militaristic power associated with Mingawa and the Kawato Court. Led by the volatile Yamachi Kaito, the “Devil Monk.”
Yuzan — Dominant house of Suonaga, ruling most of Fuyora and Fuyusai. Rose dramatically during the Xintao invasions and now controls important mineral, industrial, and strategic territory.
Provincial and lesser ruling houses
Akarami — Rough frontier clan based at Saizanjo, known for raiding, military discipline, and control of important highland passes.
Amagura — Ambitious cadet branch of the old Ogura house, based at Takare and pursuing regional territorial claims.
Azukyodai — Local clan locked in an uneasy and sometimes violent relationship with the Takamori; disputes over land and authority remain unresolved.
Beshori — Martial, culturally distinctive clan of Zushinjō with acknowledged Chigtei ancestry and a reputation for independence.
Danami — Minor western Fu-Iro clan caught in an unstable frontier zone where loyalties regularly shift.
Dokai — Historically prestigious house associated with the overthrow of Mingawa’s Blood Lords and the rise of the Ogura Daizanate; still involved in regional territorial claims.
Ezugane — Small western Fu-Iro house, politically opportunistic and caught between stronger neighbors.
Gando — Functionally independent offshoot of the Michinari. A hard maritime house centered on Kakurijo, defined more by seafaring than by its ancestral connections.
Hayamoto — Zansha lineage also associated with the shadowy history of the Mukoshi.
Honjori — Declining displaced house whose present holdings represent only a remnant of its former position.
Kanburi — Yamachi cadet branch that seized its territory from the Ashima-aligned Azeru. Generally isolationist but reliably supports Yamachi interests when necessary.
Kawabe — Danzen-based clan whose domain extends around Kenbu Bay beyond the formal provincial boundary.
Kiranata — Southeastern Fu-Iro house controlling fertile land and the approaches to the Nankembu Hills.
Kokuji — Minor regional clan appearing in the provincial political geography.
Makiba — Lesser clan mentioned among Yoroda’s numerous local houses.
Matsuaki — Provincial Zansha house with local territorial importance.
Michinari — Declining old house of Akamure claiming descent from Suba-Iyo court families. Famous for breeding excellent war ponies and for its longstanding hostility toward the Yamachi.
Noribashi — Minor military house based at Tazudajo, traditionally loyal to the Ashima. Its current leadership has become increasingly uncomfortable with Daizanate politics.
Oemuro — Lesser provincial Zansha house appearing among the numerous regional powers outside the Great Clan heartlands.
Okishima — One of the more prominent minor houses in a poorly controlled region, although its practical authority rarely extends far beyond its fortified strongholds.
Satomura — Ashima cadet branch involved in the increasingly violent politics of Tsusaki; conflict with Hokome vassals threatens to drag the Great Houses into open warfare.
Sayashi — Minor, loyal Ashima vassal house governing Kentajima. Respectable and dependable rather than especially powerful.
Senji — Lesser clan appearing in the book’s regional clan politics.
Shibami — Small western Fu-Iro clan whose loyalties shift according to the local balance of power.
Takare — A clan appearing in regional disputes over maritime rights and islands.
Watarabe — Middling house ruling Iroguchi in the Fu-Iro basin. Its defensible harbor, port duties, coastal trade, and small shipbuilding industry give it influence beyond its modest lands.
Yatsushika — Old clan based at Koenji that rose through shrewd diplomacy and aggressive land acquisition; controls some of the Fu-Iro basin’s best farmland.
Zembachi — Local house associated with one of the fortified centers in the fragmented interior of its province.
Former, displaced, or historically important clans
Amegata — Former rulers of Fuyusai and Kotajiro. Weakened by poor alliances and displaced by the rising Yuzan during the upheavals surrounding the Xintao invasions.
Azeru — Ashima-aligned former rulers displaced by the Kanburi during a succession war.
Kujima — Seafaring Zansha clan destroyed by the Baisato. Survivors became displaced clandestine warriors and eventually contributed to Mukoshi traditions.
Minowara — Great Hozoku warrior house that destroyed the Ogura regime and established the succeeding Minowara Daizanate.
Ogura — Former ruling dynasty of the Ogura Daizanate. Established much of the classical military order of Yoroda before being overthrown by the Minowara.
Sadaku — Powerful house that effectively captured the late Minowara government through marriage and regency. Destroyed when Go-Kawami and Ashima Takamido seized Seihanto.
Zakaru — Ancient lords of Seihanto before the Ogura Restoration. Their strongholds among the “Bones of the Earth God” predate the capital’s present political order.
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