Kuroshin

Kuroshin Castle is the reclaimed and rebuilt stronghold of the Keibatsu on Kyataru.

Historic

Kuroshin Exterior

Kuroshin Castle, once the seat of power for the Keibatsu bloodline, was decimated nearly a hundred years ago, by a violent coup. The family warlords, away from the politics of the local kingdom, had been unseated, their bloodline reduced to mere Generals of the Emperor.

The castle was razed in accordance with the new emperor's wishes, and the family more or less deposed. The Keibatsu did their best to maintain the enormous castle, but found themselves rather strapped to do so as more and more of the castle fell to age and disrepair.

By the time of Koji Keibatsu's birth, the family had all but retreated from the keep, the children sometimes playing in the wreckage when their parents weren't watching, something that would save at least one of the Keibatsu from certain death. Nekura Manji Keibatsu was studying his swordsmanship up in the ruined courtyard of the keep the day that the Jedi had come to force Koji to sell the mine, resulting in the massacre that made most Kyatarans believe that the bloodline was dead.

Manji's arrival at the Keibatsu estate was too late to save his parents, but not late enough to miss the tragedy. After slicing open the belly of one Jedi, he had dived into the flames, hearing the cries of his youngest sister. The Jedi left, not knowing that the young warrior had found his sibling and dragged her into one of the secret chambers below the house, waiting for the flames to die down before emerging.

And so, from the ashes like a great phoenix, the family rose again.

Reclaimed

The Keibatsu return to Kyataru was more than unexpected. Rallying at the ancient and overlooked ruin, the eldest, Musashi Daraku Keibatsu spent a great deal of time and money, droid workers carrying out his secret plans for the keep.

Kuroshin Exterior

The exteriors of the hold were not changed much, the decrepit facade camoflaging the underground complex from the enemies of the bloodline rather well. The interiors however, were quite another matter. Lavish quarters for the bloodline were made, several training halls and libraries, as well as more than enough barracks and administrative rooms to conduct a viable war were constructed, all under the noses of the corrupt Shogunate.

The crowning touch was the concealed docking bay, where the Fallen Spear would be concealed, awaiting the time when all of the Herald's cards would be called into play, sweeping the foes of the family from the terrain.

It is also rumored to contain extensive alchemical laboratories, including Spaarti cylinders. A state-of-the-art lightsaber construction lab is also present, used primarily by Muz Ashen. Accelerated growth clones were brought in from Camino, cloned from a modified tissue sample recovered by Shin'Ichi Endymiron Keibatsu. Macron also assisted, using the Spaarti cylinders to make his own, altered clones to augment the forces. And thus the Nihilgenia, the neverborn, were formed.

War

Kuroshin Exterior

The Reclamation War seemed not to touch Kuroshin, even as rumours seeped into the populace that the old family had returned to claim it's birthright. Scouts sent to investigate found only the half-burnt and moldy timbers of the ruin, and missed the hidden entrances completely.

Muz's ruse had worked.

Even as the legions of the 'Nihilgenia' poured from the secret entrances to assault the forces of the daimyo, Nagahide's forces scrambled to defend their usurped lands. More and more of the conquered began to rally behind the Keibatsu, remembering stories of the past as the brothers led their troops across their family's ancient holdings.

As the Keibatsu defeated the Nagahide, they also won the support of their people, a trend that was well rewarded by the Keibatsu after they took the capitol, building modern schools and hospitals with the money held in Nagahide's fat coffers.

Rebuilding

Kuroshin's exterior remains mostly the same, the only rebuilt area being the courtyard as of yet. The brothers had agreed to rebuild the family home where they were born and raised first, as a testament to their father, who died in combat to save his children. A bronze statue stands on the spot where Koji had finally fell, the man's eyes glowering southeast, in the direction of the Capitol where Nagahide had planned his death, his sword drawn in defiance of any who would sully the Keibatsu honor.

Rebuilt Kuroshin Courtyard

Several statues have been commissioned for the Kuroshin courtyard as well, monuments to the legacy of the ancient family that will stand in the courtyard of the castle that will be, no doubt, fully restored in time.