Abukojura. "Twisted Order"

The young Lords tumbled out of the taverna and onto the street. Shouting boastful claims of who won the games, drinking contests and could defeat the most opponents while pushing at or dancing with each other. The landlord knew better than to chase them for his payment. A quick way to the Underworld, that.
One of them turned and rushed back in to grab a serving girl. He wore his hair, like several others in his party, in a noble woman's style. Like them also dressed a flamboyant robe in yellows and blue geometries and of indeterminate style as a man or woman's with a silver white citizen's sash of Gentry status. With one hand on the girl, he used the other to pull a pouch from behind his double belts and sash, beside the double length silver filigree white sheath of a long sword that would have to be at least 5 ft long.  A few shakes of silver Talents fell out. "We're renting this!"
The girl squealed and protested.  The Young Lords outside roared with laughter.  Someone outside confronted them - a traveler, because no one local would have been so foolish. War whoop calls and a short clash of metal on metal were followed by the "thump" of a body hitting the street.  More laughter as the girl was carried out over the shoulder of her captor and another Lord in a wide lapeled outfit of light green and orange slapped the upraised bottom.  "Good flesh in the local stock!"

Structure

The local gang of Boyos come from surrounding Noble houses and their landed servants and gentry, or from the officials and gentry of towns and free cities. The Local Boyo's are under their Ochon Boss. Several Ochon may be in a city or large town, while smaller villages and settlements may have one or none. Ochon report to the Gira or Region Boss. Ochon work to keep the appearance strictly local while drawing off members with "Promotion" to other operations. The Abukojura are actually a complex organization. The Gira are under the Province Khun Bosses. The top boss of a province is a Sobo. The top are the Kiamso Group and their advisors, the Gingsi. They want to establish independent kingdoms. Toward this end the Khun and above have hidden fortresses staffed with bandits and criminals and low status persons given elevation to "peasants" and oversight of slaves to produce foods and craft goods. They will also frequently have Official Status and residence parents or family holdings. The petty noble lords form a ruling warrior class immediately under the Bosses. Betrayal of the Abukojura results in murder of friends and siblings and eventual capture and public torture in the hidden fortresses.
Gira and higher bosses may appear as regular members or wear veils or cloth over the face to hide features.  They will also have either a badge or secret marks that indicate status.


Culture

The Abukojura are local gangs of young bored petty nobles and displaced children of officials and gentry. They present themselves as "clubs" of men or sometimes Quol "boyos" under an Ochon boss and as "taking back their rights as Nobles". Their style is extravagant, dramatic and mocking. Bright colored clothes, of men, women's or neutral/ indeterminate styles with exaggerated lapels, belts, hems or sleeves or elevated platform shoes or boots. They wear their hair in men or women's styles, sometimes even painting their faces white, transgressing the Quol and Lolak status and rules. The rules don't apply to them, they are better than that.
They tend to carry weapons that are also exaggerated - super long swords or whip swords worn as sashes. Axes or hammers with oversized heads. Crazy ornate weapon claws.
The Twisted do as they please - which is mostly loud, disruptive, disgraceful and disrespectful. They drink, dance, sing, rob, rape, wrestle, fight and brawl. They kill anyone of lesser status on any insult or resistance. They frequently don't pay landlords of inns and taverns for what they eat, drink, use and destroy. They also clear out quickly if someone of higher status with a unit of warriors is sighted or heard.

Public Agenda

Outwardly they are excessive, abusive exploiters of noble power and privilege. They are out to have "fun" in whatever way amuses them and is against tradition and civility generally, except when lessers are uppity. This is their recreational "free time" image. There are also those who adopt Abukojura stylings as a popular cultural fad. The Ochon encourage this. They are also recruiters and frequently fighters for clans pushing for political and territorial position in the Frontier provinces of Eseret. They form squads of bandits and raiders supporting semi-independent/ autonomous lords and attacking the barbarian Bahku and Minotaur or other local lords

Cover image: https://azgaar.github.io/Fantasy-Map-Generator/ by mutterwolf
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Comments

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Jan 16, 2021 16:39 by Dr Emily Vair-Turnbull

Yikes. What horrible people.   I do like their subversion of dress code, though.

Emy x
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Jan 16, 2021 18:59

They are based on the 1500's Japanese Kabukimono and fused a bit with Yakuza and Crime Triads. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kabukimono