Lord InabaReport
English：Lord Inaba · Characters
A rarity among the nobility — a Shek high noble — the effective ruler of Stoat and the author of The Blessing Of Slavery, the book in which the Empire argues its own case for slavery.
Lord Inaba is a member of the United Cities Noble Circle: a noble, an author and a military commander all at once. He normally stays in the noble house in Stoat, or walks the town with an escort of five Hooded Empire Noble Guards.
Your stinking rags offend my nose, country girl!
A Shek imperial noble
In an empire dominated by human nobles, Lord Inaba is a Shek — which is unusual in itself. He is effectively the ruler of Stoat, responsible for conscription and for patrol dispatch around Bast; this is not an empty title, and the moment he is captured or killed several samurai patrols in the area stop spawning outright. At the data level he is the only noble who fields the largest "Imperial Legion" squad.
The amusing part is that his personality is set to Fearful: a commander able to mobilise the largest legion available is himself a noble who is afraid of trouble.
The Blessing Of Slavery
Lord Inaba wrote a book: The Blessing Of Slavery, worth 100 Cats and available from booksellers and library facilities throughout the Empire.
The argument comes in two parts. The first is a counterattack: the critics go on buying iron, cotton and chainmail produced by slaves, right down to the ninja rags worn by the rebel ninjas themselves — hypocrites, all of them; and in any case, even if it is immoral, that is the Empire's own burden to carry. The second is blunter: a system this bountiful cannot possibly be immoral, and without slaves who would work the fields? The conclusion is the line that gets quoted over and over — we are what we are because of slavery.
Combat power and gear
| Item | Value |
|---|---|
| Strength | 51.7 – 58.3 |
| Toughness | 56.4 – 63.6 |
| Dexterity | 37.6 – 42.4 |
| Six weapon skills | 47 – 53 |
| Melee Attack | 56.4 – 63.6 |
| Dodge / Martial Arts | 1.6–6.4 / 2–8 |
His weapon is an Edgewalkers-grade Wakizashi worth roughly 18,989 to 20,711 Cats — absurdly expensive for a noble who does not do much fighting. His armour is a Masterwork dyed robe and trousers with Drifter's Boots; he also carries an Advanced First Aid Kit, Bloodrum, cooked vegetables and luxury goods. The real money is that Wakizashi, and players who have no intention of falling out with the United Cities routinely overlook the value of the gear on an imperial noble.
After he falls
Lord Inaba's death or imprisonment triggers a chain centred on Stoat:
- Stoat drops into a half-ruined state; if Emperor Tengu has also fallen it passes to the Tech Hunters, while if Yabuta of the Sands is still around the Yabuta Outlaws take it instead.
- Inaba, Emperor Tengu and Yabuta of the Sands all three down → Cannibal patrols begin appearing in the Great Desert.
- Inaba and Emperor Tengu dead while Valtena survives → Drin is taken by the Holy Nation; otherwise it becomes ruins.
- Imperial patrols in Bast drop by 80%.
- If Emperor Tengu is still around, it can additionally cause the Rebel Farmers to spawn "reinforced heavy squads" in Bast, Heng and on the Stormgap Coast.
- Inaba down together with Tengu, Sanda, Nagata and Yoshinaga → 4 to 13 man samurai ronin patrols appear across seven zones including the Northern Coast, the Great Desert and the Outlands.
Put another way, out of that whole row of switches in the Noble Circle, he is the one that specifically governs law and order around the Great Desert and the manpower supply of Bast.
Miscellany
- Lord Inaba, Lord Yoshinaga and Lord Nagata all three chose the Wakizashi as their sidearm.
- His outfit is identical to Lord Shiro's; the only difference is that Lord Shiro also wears a pair of square goggles.