Hojo Senryo

"I merely wish to achieve your dream of conquest Emperor Asu...Before the fools take over the world."

Hojo Senryo (千両 北条,Senryō Hōjō) is a major high council member of Sargon. Hojo first desires to prove himself as a worthy heir to the Sargon Presidency and to his late father. After becoming the president of the Council of a New Dawn, the most powerful and secretive organization within Sargon, Hojo sets his sights on reviving the fallen bloodlines from the past and to use their might to aid Sargon into the.

Like his father, Hojo is a poet. However, his approach to the poetic medium was a severe contrast to his father. He doesn't emphasize the decorative or heroic prose as much as his younger brother or father. Several of his compositions hint that he was unattached to Confucianism and he was a natural skeptic. He denounced the existence of immortals and questioned the morality of ancient traditions. The poem dedicated to his father's passing expresses a tone of remorse, but it also criticizes the purpose of digging a grave for a lifeless corpse. It is thought that Hojo overall level-headed and pessimistic nature led to his unpopular reputation, both in literature and -eventually- politics.

The chain of internal rebellions marked disdain for his ideas, Hojo led a relatively peaceful reign. His country did not experience any major revolts, making it a sparse moment of rough stability during his fathers time.

Personality
Hojo is a son who closely follows his father's expectations as he was the previous Senryo Clan leader. Unlike his father, he speaks in a bitter tone and is more condescending to shinobi who he deems inferior. Though a loyal and respectful son, he is also determined to surpass his father's image and realize his own dreams. To this end, he remains apathetic to the other two kingdoms and is unimpressed by their final efforts to oppose him.

Any gentleness or caring feelings he has are usually reserved for his wife, whom he was instantly entranced with upon their first meeting. Though he boldly declares that he fights only for himself, he privately confides that his feats are dedicated to her in her scenario. He fondly calls her "Zhen" in Asian titles, a name which carries over into English. He additionally calls her "My Sweet" or "My Beloved" in English titles.

The Illegitimate Son
Hojo was Huo's third son, the eldest son born from one of his father's favorite concubines. When Hojo was eleven years old, he was enrolled into Sargon by his father Huo. Approximately at the time of his enrollment, his older brothers had already perished. Lady Liu (the mother of Huo's eldest sons) had passed away at a young age and Lady Ding (Huo's actual wife) refused to return to her husband. With these losses, Huo gradually recognized Hojo to be his eldest child. His decision came as a reluctant one since he originally refused to adopt any of his other children into his family line.

The Assistant Chancellor to the Council of A New Dawn
Four years later, he was appointed the titles Fifth Official Commander of the Council of a New Dawn and Assistant Chancellor. Little is recorded of his time in office so it's presumed his service was mainly uneventful. According to his closest friends, at this time he paid a visit to a well versed practitioner of Xiangshu, or a type of divination method for reading a person's future. Hojo was among thirty or so onlookers at the fortune teller's stall. When the teller read his fortune, he said, "You are fated to live eighty years. When you are forty, you will experience a small misfortune that might jeopardize your longevity. I hope that you overcome this minor setback and live your life to its fullest." Apparently the divination was made based on the lines of Hojo's palm.

Poetry
In spite of whatever reaction his poetry invoked, his Yangehang is considered the first poem with seven syllables per line, and it is a rousing piece entailing a husband lost to war. The same composition is also said to be dedicated to the people of the Yan during the Warring States Period of Chinese history, thus making the title roughly translated as "Ballad of Yan". He is praised as being artful yet direct with his words, offering an eccentric "flavor" than his relatives. When not composing poetry, Hojo wrote analytical compositions and other essays for his wife. He has been credited to have been the author to the compiled novel, Lieyizhuan, but recent research draws the centuries year old claims into question.

Intelligence
His fellow high council members stated he showed intellectual promise since his childhood as he divulged himself into his studies. By the time he was eight years old, Hojo was also a talented fencer and was capable with mounted archery. Throughout his life, Hojo was a rather academic man and often retreated to reading or debating in his free time. He expressed an interest in the Zhuzhi Baijia and chose to confide with nearby intellectuals on a regular basis.