The Military
The military structure of Hisari is a top-down hierarchy. Those above command those below, and orders are final. One of the key characteristics of all of the ranks of military order is the concept of honor: you do what you are told in deference to the many battles fought and won by those of higher station than you. To argue is a direct criticism of the leadership of your senior, and therefore is a criticism of the very system that is in place. Those who are discharged for dishonorable conduct are known as ronin, samurai without lords. Ronin are seen as the lowest of the low, people who worked to earn the right of carrying their blades yet shun the honor of putting your life on the line for your lord.
Rising up through the ranks is a purely merit-based system, and one that is followed without question. Only a samurai of at least two ranks higher can promote one of lesser standing, ultimately leading to the Daimyo themselves being the only one who can make the judgement for a hatamoto to rise up beyond the common military.
While technically holding the lofty title of "samurai", they were often not considered to be one yet. Instead they were seen as trainees, people who would one day hold the sense of duty and responsibility within themselves but do not yet. Most gokenin were former militia members, being called up due to a shortage of numbers in the province or as a precaution against a future threat. They commonly held a sense of arrogance within themselves, expecting to garner large amounts of respect from the normal populace -- a trait that would quickly be extinguished via punishment of menial labor by their superiors.
The normal citizens tend to view gokenin with slight disdain due to their arrogant behavior. However, as people who hold the title of samurai, any orders given by a gokenin to a commoner must be followed. The military upheld the law, and by proxy that meant that a gokenin's word was law.
Gokenin tend to enlist and be recruited in batches, usually under one goshi. The goshi was expected to hand out assignments, give punishments, and train both the bodies and the spirits of the gokenin. A large number of gokenin would leave within the first few weeks, being unable to cope with the rigorous training regimens and strict hierarchical structures that the military enforces.
It was mandatory for the gokenin to wear the crest of the daimyo on their person at all times; it was a symbol of their dedication to their lord and their promise to uphold the laws passed down. If a gokenin were to attempt to arrest someone or were even seen in public without the clan crest, it was grounds for immediate dismissal. It was that large of a betrayal to the concept of trust in the military.
The highest ranking of the samurai, they are all warriors of incredible reputation and are seen as heroes in their own right. Upon becoming a hatamoto, they swear on their second blade that their life was no longer their own; rather, they were expected to fight and die for their lord's interests without question.
It is incredible uncommon to see a hatamoto, as they are often on their own far-reaching assignments in dangerous locales. If one is in a city or village, they are likely only there for a short period of time, or there is something or someone in that settlement that they are searching for. To see an idle hatamoto was even more of a rare sight, being known to always be working.
Hatamoto are samurai who have been recognized by the daimyo themselves, and as a result are often crowned upon the daimyo putting out a special request to the military that his own baishin are not necessary for. When one of these missions are made, it is often a scramble for the goshi to maintain their usual responsibilities while attempting to find reason that they should be picked to undertake the assignment.
They pass down and create most assignments for the goshi from higher up, usually entailing events or missions that are above that of the day-to-day. These assignments are largely more dangerous than solitary gokenin can handle, and are often farther-reaching than a few days time. As a result, these missions require extremely careful judgement from the goshi, but a good performance can gain the eye of the hatamoto for the lucky (or unlucky) gokenin who are chosen to step up to the task.
Common Militia
The common militia is the "entry-point" to the military, and by default the most lax of definitions. Most villages have their own form of a militia, being the most able-bodied of residents who either are naturally fit for combat or have past combat experience. They do not have any true authority over people, but are often given respect regardless due to their job in keeping the rest of the village safe. When samurai from the province's military come to villages it is often to recruit people who make up a village's militia into the ranks, and as a result are simultaneously seen as good omens for individuals who wish to rise up and gain respect while also being a symbol of weakening the village itself. The common militia of a province are not true members of the military. Rather, they are an informal collection of individuals who, when necessary, can be called to fill the roles that the samurai require. They informally are commanded by the gokenin, the first true members of the title "samurai".
Gokenin
While technically holding the lofty title of "samurai", they were often not considered to be one yet. Instead they were seen as trainees, people who would one day hold the sense of duty and responsibility within themselves but do not yet. Most gokenin were former militia members, being called up due to a shortage of numbers in the province or as a precaution against a future threat. They commonly held a sense of arrogance within themselves, expecting to garner large amounts of respect from the normal populace -- a trait that would quickly be extinguished via punishment of menial labor by their superiors.
The normal citizens tend to view gokenin with slight disdain due to their arrogant behavior. However, as people who hold the title of samurai, any orders given by a gokenin to a commoner must be followed. The military upheld the law, and by proxy that meant that a gokenin's word was law.
Gokenin tend to enlist and be recruited in batches, usually under one goshi. The goshi was expected to hand out assignments, give punishments, and train both the bodies and the spirits of the gokenin. A large number of gokenin would leave within the first few weeks, being unable to cope with the rigorous training regimens and strict hierarchical structures that the military enforces.
It was mandatory for the gokenin to wear the crest of the daimyo on their person at all times; it was a symbol of their dedication to their lord and their promise to uphold the laws passed down. If a gokenin were to attempt to arrest someone or were even seen in public without the clan crest, it was grounds for immediate dismissal. It was that large of a betrayal to the concept of trust in the military.
Goshi
The responsibilities place on a goshi are immense, but they suffered the fewest freedoms of all the samurai. The goshi are the first samurai who have complete dominion over those below them, and as a result they were expected to take on multiple roles at the same time. They were expected to schedule and enforce training regimens to prepare the gokenin to fight both man and beast. They were responsible for ensuring that a gokenin has the requisite skills necessary in order to keep both themselves alive and whatever person they were in charge of securing or protecting. Within these training regimens the gokenin were expected to also learn how to work in a team, for if they were deployed to cull a wild beast or monster it would be a job too great for one samurai. They are also responsible for breaking the gokenin's rebellious natures. In order to become a goshi, one must be ready to bear the cross of both responsibility over a commoner's life, but also the life of any gokenin that they would command. To rise in the ranks of the military, one must be prepared to not only gain more respect but also more duty to ensuring the safety of all. If a gokenin were to make errors in judgement or perform poorly in an assignment, it would often be seen as a reflection of their goshi's failure. Despite all of this, to rise to the rank of goshi is an incredible honor. It requires a hatamoto to see you while you are a trainee, hear of many successfully executed assignments, and be willing to stake their reputation on you being a person worthy of the title. The common citizens treat goshi with the utmost respect, rivalling that of the hatamoto, as it is incredibly rare for someone to rise to goshi without being someone of exemplary reputation. While goshi and hatamoto carry themselves in similar fashions, it is clear to tell which is which. Goshi were not allowed to carry the standard katana and wakizashi that a hatamoto may, rather being only allowed to carry a single blade. It was a symbol that though they had earned the right to be seen as a true samurai, they were not yet seen as having the dedication to carry the blade which represented one's willingness to stake their life for their lord.
Hatamoto
The highest ranking of the samurai, they are all warriors of incredible reputation and are seen as heroes in their own right. Upon becoming a hatamoto, they swear on their second blade that their life was no longer their own; rather, they were expected to fight and die for their lord's interests without question.
It is incredible uncommon to see a hatamoto, as they are often on their own far-reaching assignments in dangerous locales. If one is in a city or village, they are likely only there for a short period of time, or there is something or someone in that settlement that they are searching for. To see an idle hatamoto was even more of a rare sight, being known to always be working.
Hatamoto are samurai who have been recognized by the daimyo themselves, and as a result are often crowned upon the daimyo putting out a special request to the military that his own baishin are not necessary for. When one of these missions are made, it is often a scramble for the goshi to maintain their usual responsibilities while attempting to find reason that they should be picked to undertake the assignment.
They pass down and create most assignments for the goshi from higher up, usually entailing events or missions that are above that of the day-to-day. These assignments are largely more dangerous than solitary gokenin can handle, and are often farther-reaching than a few days time. As a result, these missions require extremely careful judgement from the goshi, but a good performance can gain the eye of the hatamoto for the lucky (or unlucky) gokenin who are chosen to step up to the task.
Baishin
The baishin were the rear vassals, also known as the retainers of the daimyo. They rarely left the daimyo's side, and when they did it was considered a matter of national urgency. They were expected to have 100% compliance for anything they asked for with no questions asked, and had the full authority equal to the daimyo themselves. Their primary purpose was to act as a private guard for the daimyo. Any of their family members were also given this treatment, being given their own personal baishin from birth to keep them safe. In some provinces, this practice was extended to have even a baishin's children take up the mantle for a child of noble lineage. They were raised with the express training and intent to lay their lives down for the noble child, often becoming good friends with them in the process. While baishin specialized in defending their charge, they also have to take on other responsibilities. Namely, intelligence gathering and counter-intelligence. In order to most effectively defend the lord that they have sworn their lives to, they had to be capable of infiltrating potentially dangerous groups, gaining the reputation of master spies. All of these facets combined meant even though the ultimate task was "guard the daimyo with your life", the roles that the baishin have to uphold are more than any other role.
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