From:	Tarek Okail Tarek_Okail@**********.com
Subject:	NPC Deckers [was: Construction of items...]
Date:	Thu, 26 Aug 1999 12:09:41 -0400

Kevin--

>If your master dies, you are supposed to commit seppuku and follow
>him into the afterlife, unless you are on a mission to avenge the
>death by dishonorable means of your master, as is the case in the
>tale of the 47 samurai.

From Daidoji Yuzan's Budo Shoshinshu:
"A samurai in service is under a great debt and may think that
he can hardly repay it except by committing junshi and following him in
death. But that is not permitted by law... A man may wish for an oppor-
tunity to do something more outstanding than his comrades, to throw
away his life and accomplish something, and if he resolutely makes up
his mind to do something of this sort it is a hundred times preferable
to performing junshi."
In other words, continuing service to the family of the daimyo
is often preferable to killing yourself. One also has to remember that
if you're a samurai, and your lord dies, and all those bushi who follow
your lord commit junshi, then your lord's house is severely weakened.
It may be admirable to do this, from a samurai's standpoint,
but it is incredibly stupid from a dynastic standpoint, and a forward-
thinking samurai would realize that service to his lord's family took
precedence over any selfish desire to follow his lord into death.
"Ronin" was often a synonym with "bandit," particularily after
the Tokugawa era began. Before then, it was easily possible to be
'ronin' without the shame of also being a 'bandit.' Take a look at "The
Seven Samurai." Six of the seven were ronin, and the seventh... well,
he was a mere adventurer with a sword. And yet, all the ronin lived
up to the code of the samurai.

If you want to call yourself a street sam, then by gosh you'd
better live up to the three principles of Loyalty, Right Conduct, and
Bravery, 2060-style.
Loyalty: Even if the Johnson screws you over, as long as you're
on the job, you do the job to the best of your ability. Save taking
revenge until *after* the job is complete, if at all.
Right Conduct: Don't be a villain. Don't take BTL's, drink
excessively, etc. while you're on the job. Don't do these things at all
if you can avoid it. Don't start unnecessary fights.
Bravery: Don't back down from a fight unless it would be
suicide.
There's more to being a "samurai" than just those three
principles, but that's the core of Bushido.

Of course, in 2050 - 2060, "street sam" is shorthand for "gun-
bunny." Only MCT, Renraku, and Yamatetsu would *expect* a street sam
to follow bushido.

Shadowmage