The leader of the wielder half of House Reticulum, one who has won the right through besting the previous Asura, either in a duel at the behest of the Diet Assembly, or at the Asura Tournament that is held once every four years.
Guardians of the Four Gates[]
The Asura nominates four trusted wielders to serve as the Guardians of the Four Gates of Xinjing. Traditionally the masters of each gate’s guard, the four guardians have come to serve an additional purpose as gatekeepers to challenging the Asura to a duel. To earn the right to challenge the Asura, one must first defeat one of their champion Guardians.
The Guardian of Alvero - The gate of Xinjing that looks upon the sunrise. The guardian of this gate is traditionally considered first amongst the four, both in skill and authority.
The Guardian of Phio - The gate of Xinjing that looks upon the arc of Phio’s orbit. Much as Phio’s role is that of target, the Guardian of Phio is traditionally an expert marksman.
The Guardian of the Mountains - The gate of Xinjing that faces towards the highlands. The guardian of this gate is related to mentorship, either the one who trained the Asura, trained alongside them, or was trained by them.
The Guardian of the Waters - Smallest of the gates, standing as gateway to Xinjing’s ports. Since the waters immediately around Xinjing have long since been tamed, this Guardian’s role has grown to also encompass the spaceport.
Challenging the Asura[]
With the assent of the Diet Assembly, a prospective candidate may challenge the Asura to a duel in order to forcibly seize the office. First, the challenger must defeat one of the Asura’s four guardians in a duel at least to first blood. The Asura chooses which of the four guardians one will fight, and sets the terms of the duel. In the event a Guardian is indisposed, or the seat is left vacant, the challenger can bypass them and directly progress to dueling the Asura.
Challengers who fail are prohibited from facing the same Guardian again, although they may make up to four total attempts, provided the Diet Assembly assents to their repeated challenges.
If the guardian is defeated, the challenger can then go on to face the Asura. This fight must always take place in the Budokan, in plain view of the House, so as to make the results indisputable. The fight is almost always a challenge for both contenders, as the Asura’s four guardians are often quite close to them in terms of skill. If the challenger manages to defeat the Asura, they win the office and title from them, and serve until the next tournament.
The Asura Tournament[]
Every four years the best of House Reticulum’s fighters gather for a massive tournament of skill and prowess in order to determine who is best fit to lead the wielders of House Reticulum as Asura.
From around Aomori the Kimpurusha, champions of the various islands of Aomori, gather for a mix of direct dueling tournaments, individual challenges, and displays of skill. While many of those assembled opt for more direct displays of force in the tournaments, some find their talents in other kinds of demonstrations. Preorganized mech jousts, displays of marksmanship, artillery bombardment of Phio.
The Order of the Blue Forest scores the performance of the individual participants in the Asura tournament, rarely deviating from the results of the main tournament in the event. Then the highest scored candidate is given assent by the Order to challenge the Asura for their seat. If the Asura is the highest scored candidate, they simply maintain their office without challenge.
Although once the tournament always concluded with a final duel between the challenger and the Asura, it has become a custom for the Asura to cede their office to the victor of the tournament without struggle. One of the Asura’s guardians concedes their duel with the challenger, and allows them to immediately progress onwards. In their duel with the challenger, the Asura bares their chest in a rare display of vulnerability, giving the challenger opportunity for them to draw blood and claim the office for themselves.
The new Asura is named by the Naishinnō then and there, before all those gathered in the Budokan for the culmination of the tournament.
Kimpurusha[]
The Kimpurusha are the two hundred participants in the Asura Tournament, and are the best fighters from around Aomori. Each island is responsible for selecting their own, finest wielder for nomination. The exact traditions vary by local custom, although the vast majority hold tournaments of their own. The Order of the Blue Forest passes preliminary judgement on these champions, shortlisting them to prevent the innumerable candidates from across the planetwide archipelago from overwhelming the tournament.
The custom originates alongside the Asura. It is held that at one time, on ancient Aomori, the Asura was simply the best fighter in the capitol at Xinjing. As the House’s control spread out across the planet, so came with it other major settlements, islands with champions of their own. It wasn’t long until the first of these came to challenge the Asura in Xinjing, beginning a tradition of champions from across Aomori vying for the title.
Major centers, like Xinjing, Terrata Prime, and Kahaka, have rarely failed to produce a Kimpurusha, the prestige of those seats attracting many who would vye for the opportunity. In contrast, the remainder of the seats have shifted across Aomori as the years pass. Some linger on an island for a few decades, until the local champion dies or retires, others never grace the same location twice. Islands that once used to be proud bastions, home to schools that produced dozens of champions, have since been all but forgotten.