Ninja-wise

Ok, I know some of you here are ninja-experts so I need your help! (And yeah, I know I'm a pirate and we're supposed to be sworn enemies, but hear me out first before trying to kill me with that shuriken!)

I'm competing in NaNoWriMo again this year and my idea for a story involves ninjas (and pirates!) so I need any references and general information you have regarding ninjas and their ways. For example, what is a group of ninjas called? (Assassins? A clan?) And who (besides pirates) are the sworn enemies of ninjas? (The emporer? The Imperial guard?) I'm going to use the British Navy as the pirate enemy so I need a similar one for the ninjas. Also, are ninjas traditionally only Japanese? And what do ninjas hold sacred, as far as objects go, above all else?

I'm looking for any basic, generic, sterotypical information you have regarding ninjas, their weapons, their fighting styles, their culture, etc. And any links anyone cares to share, although the wikipedia article has already proven useful, would be appreciated. I don't know much, ok really anything, about ninjas so I figured I'd ask experts!

And, *gasp*, I need all this by Friday because NaNoWriMo starts at 12:01am November 1st! <!-- s:? --><img src="{SMILIES_PATH}/icon_e_confused.gif" alt=":?" title="Confused" /><!-- s:? -->

Thanks for any help, I appreciate it!

A group of ninjas is a clan.

Google "Ask a Ninja" and perhaps look for their book. We saw it at Borders a few weeks ago and had some good lulz. It may not be serious but it at least gives good insight into the Ninja Stereotype.

Good luck and we'd love to read it...though probably not 'til December since we're doing NaNo too. *g*

-Val

House Hesson Wrote:A group of ninjas is a clan.

Google "Ask a Ninja" and perhaps look for their book. We saw it at Borders a few weeks ago and had some good lulz. It may not be serious but it at least gives good insight into the Ninja Stereotype.

Good luck and we'd love to read it...though probably not 'til December since we're doing NaNo too. *g*

-Val

I love Ask a Ninja! And the book is now at Borders? Huzzah! I thought it could only be ordered from Amazon. Thanks for the input!

Ninja were basically Japanese peasants who resisted feudal rule. They trained with weapons based on common farm implements or things that could be hidden easily because they weren't allowed to have 'real' weapons. Mostly they're famous for assasinating samurai (Japanese knights) by stealth. Naturally they hid their identities to save their families from reppraisal. (Kinda like Zorro)

Actually, later on they were taken on by one of the Shogun (Japanese fuedal military comanders) as assassins and body guards to him and his allies. Needless to say, there wasn't much serious uprising for a while. This may have been the point at which they became enemies to pirates, as any Japanese pirates at the time were smugglers and Japan was closed off from the world.

vampyre_smiles Wrote:Actually, later on they were taken on by one of the Shogun (Japanese fuedal military comanders) as assassins and body guards to him and his allies. Needless to say, there wasn't much serious uprising for a while. This may have been the point at which they became enemies to pirates, as any Japanese pirates at the time were smugglers and Japan was closed off from the world.

The origins of the ninja-pirate war would make for an awesome story. If we were more knowledgeable about ninjas and pirates, I might be tempted to convince everyone to switch our NaNo story for this year...

-Val

House Hesson Wrote:

vampyre_smiles Wrote:Actually, later on they were taken on by one of the Shogun (Japanese fuedal military comanders) as assassins and body guards to him and his allies. Needless to say, there wasn't much serious uprising for a while. This may have been the point at which they became enemies to pirates, as any Japanese pirates at the time were smugglers and Japan was closed off from the world.

The origins of the ninja-pirate war would make for an awesome story. If we were more knowledgeable about ninjas and pirates, I might be tempted to convince everyone to switch our NaNo story for this year...

-Val

It was actually my husband's idea, so he gets the credit. And I couldn't think of another plot idea that hasn't either been A. done to death already and B. was something I was remotely interested in. And I have a decent enough stash of info on pirates and I think, that is if I finish this story, that I might have a decent shot at actually getting it published because of the interet in ninjas and pirates out there. But I have to actually write something first! *crosses fingers*

*merf* I wish November wasn't going to be freakin' insane. I'd give the writing a try myself. *may ponder regardless...* Anyway, Elinox, try finding Ninja: the Shadow Warrior by Joel Levy. It has a lot of helpful information. And a ninja would consider sacred anything his liege lord told him to. ^_^ (The fun thing about clans of hereditary warriors, though, is you can always fling a random item of religious/occult significance into their family lineage for protection. Just look at the Hayabusa clan! *refers to Ninja Gaiden waaaaaaay too often*) Lemme know how it goes! I'll wanna read!