The Book of Ronin: Despair

It was during the tumultous period when Rabban had just been elected to the Senate that a young doctor, Shaomian Itaima, attended one of the newly elected senator’s victory speeches. Shaomian had just struggled through a long arduous shift at the hospital, he was exhausted. He thought he would get used to seeing the blood, be able to handle the screams, but it seemed the civil disorder was getting worse and the army was relentless in its brutality on the people.

He had to admit that Rabban was charismatic, his words seemed to hypnotise those present. Although he did not like to see himself as an idealist, the young medic was enthralled. After working, elbow deep in the misery of broken limbs, spilt intestines, ear-shattering screams, Shaomian was looking for salvation.

And here now was a senator that was saying that he wanted a world with no armies, no borders, no nuclear weapons of mass destruction.

By the time Rabban was elected world leader Shaomian had gotten tired and dis-illusioned with medicine, with saving those he could, only to see them on the operating table the next week. He had voted for Rabban but the more he learnt of the iconic leader the more he grew disturbed. A colleague had recently left the profession and joined one of the many new armies that were organising and jostling for power in the emerging chaos. Shaomian joined him, leaving his old life of blood for a new one.

After the fall and arrest of Rabban, Shaomian was fighting in the TLI alliance when he decided to quit and retreat from the world that had become more and more cruel. He travelled far and learnt many ancient secrets. On one such occasion whilst resting near the foot of Mount Fuji he crossed paths with an old monk. Being the only souls that they had seen in many moons they immediately struck up a conversation. It turned out that the monk had in fact not seen another person for 50 years, and was very keen to hear of the news from the life that he too had shunned all those years earlier. In gratitude for the exchange the monk gave Shaomian a map.

“This map,” said the monk “contains the locations of the jewels of life. It is said that whoever finds these jewels will become powerful. And that such a power can bring order to chaos.”