The General of Monsoon

Having restored a sense of purpose and honour to his people, the General of Monsoon has positioned himself as the saviour of the One Land… whether the people want it or not.

by Ali May Sang (the Librarian)
featuring passages from the High Plains Samurai Core Rulebook

Before we begin, I must be clear and open about my connection with General Hoth Kap Sing in both our professional and personal relationship. My research has lead me to Monsoon on many occasions and I would go so far as to call him my friend and ally. That said, what I am going to reveal to you will place both connections at risk for the General is a secretive man suspicious of spies and saboteurs at every turn. Any information about the inner workings of the heart of Monsoon are kept under strict lock and key with the General’s samurai enforcers willing to kill to protect their way of life.

There is no other City in all the One Land that transports me back to the past like Monsoon. My work takes me places from long ago in word only, leaving the rest to my imagination filling in the pieces of debris and detritus. Yet here I can observe it with my own eyes. Monsoon is a city steeped in traditions of the life that was before Chaos’ Wrath. Ancient beliefs and a sense of honour are reflected in Monsoon’s architecture, fashion, and customs as the General has brought his people back from the brink of self-destruction. Underneath it all lies a highly structured military code with soldiers posted at the ready to defend the people from the insurmountable dangers surrounding them. All those within a particular caste – from servants to soldiers to samurai – are equal, regardless of race or gender. In a war against the forces of Chaos, one cannot risk casting aside a single sword.

The General has ruled Monsoon for nearly two decades and gained the people’s loyalty with his devotion to honour and tradition, traits that brought them back from near extinction. No one is safe from this rule of honour as the General staged a coup against the previous warlord of this City, had him arrested and brought to justice before a court on charges of treason. All this after learning she had turned to black magic to gain immortality. While he rules this hidden city as its warlord, the General maintains his commitment as guardian of Monsoon to this day, but has expanded his resources to seek absolution in the teachings of the Elemental Spirits. Including the All-Father, whom the monks of this City regard as a separate entity from Chaos. More than anything, this is what causes great discomfort with the rest of the One Land.

The General believes he is the one who will bring back the One Land to its former glory, even if it means declaring war and conquering it in the name of Monsoon. And it goes so much further. An elaborate network of spies has weaved its way into nearly every other City, even the very xenophobic clans of Khar’tep. While the specifics of their intent remains unknown, the General has taken great pains to dispatch his samurai, engineers, and historians across the One Land on a quest to find the Fallen City deep in the heart of the Wastes. This has lead to the discovery of several watchtowers now buried beneath the earth. The General believes they can unlock to key to restoring this ruined beacon of prosperity back from ruin. And he will not let anyone stand in his way.

It is not his mission that makes him dangerous, though he not one to be taken lightly when armed with a legion of elite samurai warriors and a population willing to die for his cause. It is this madness slowing revealing itself; my time with the General has shown me a man who randomly passes in and out of rage, awareness, and clarity without warning. This madness and the possibility that his exposure to the words of the All-Father has induced it means there is a severe danger of something else driving this quest forward and many warlords believe the General is a man possessed rather than a man driven.