View source for Hirushi Shotugama

{{InfoBoxCharacter
| image               = Hirushi-Shotugama-warlord.png
| caption             = Warlord Hirushi Shotugama in 3025
| name                = Hirushi Shotugama
| birthdate           = [[2981]]<ref name=HKDC176>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 176</ref>
| died                = 
| othernames          = The Monk
| affiliation         = [[Draconis Combine]]
| rank                = ''[[Tai-shu]]''
| title               = [[Warlord of Benjamin]]
| position            = 
| profession          = 
| parents             = 
| siblings            = 
| spouse              = 
| children            = 
}}
'''Hirushi Shotugama''' was the [[Tai-shu|Warlord]] of the [[Draconis Combine]]'s [[Benjamin Military District]] during the second quarter of the [[thirty-first century]].

==History==
===Early Life and Career===
[[File:University of Proserpina.jpg|left|thumb|The [[DCMS#University_of_Proserpina|University of Proserpina]]]]
Hirushi Shotugama was born on [[Vanern]] in the Benjamin Military District in a Buddhist nunnery, the product of an out-of-wedlock match between a Kuritan [[Nobility|noblewoman]] and a man beneath her station. His mother renounced all claim to him when she joined the order, and he was raised by the thirty nuns of the nunnery. Shotugama never learned which of the nuns was his mother. Showing an early interest and talent in strategy games such as ''go'', the commander of the local garrison saw to it that he received a proper education. He would graduate with honors from the [[DCMS#University of Proserpina|University of Proserpina]] and would then attend the [[DCMS#Wisdom_of_the_Dragon|Wisdom of the Dragon]] school on [[Kagoshima]].<ref name=HKDC176/> 

Originally assigned to units bordering the [[Periphery]], Shotugama was soon transferred to the Benjamin Military District, where his ability rapidly became apparent. Quickly climbing through the ranks, by [[3020]] he was in command of the [[Ninth Benjamin Regulars]] and participated in the recapture of [[Cylene II]].<ref name=HKDCp174>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 174: "Hirushi Shotugama"</ref>

[[File:9th Benjamin Regulars logo.png|right|thumb|[[9th Benjamin Regulars]]]] 
His [[regiment]] participated in the successful conquest of the [[Federated Suns]] world of [[Cylene]], after which he would be awarded the [[Awards#Draconis_Combine|Bushido Blade]] by [[Coordinator of Worlds|Coordinator]] [[Takashi Kurita]] for his success. Also during that operation, he developed a mutual dislike with Warlord [[Vasily Cherenkoff]] of the [[Dieron Military District]]. At some undetermined point in his career, he suffered a serious injury while ejecting from his [[BattleMech]] that left him with a scar along his left cheek and cost him his leg, forcing him to use a prosthetic.<ref name=HKDC176/>

===Warlord===
In the aftermath of the disastrous campaign for [[Galtor III]] in [[3025]], Warlord [[Syovo Yorioshi]] of the Benjamin Military District was forced to resign in disgrace. Coordinator Takashi Kurita required a replacement, and the highly capable Shotugama, whose own Ninth Benjamin Regulars were not involved in the operation, was the natural choice. Shotugama was one of the few commanders in the district left untainted by the debacle, but he faced a significant challenge in restoring morale to the [[Benjamin Regulars]] and other units based in the district.<ref name=HKDC176/> During the early years of his time as Warlord, he also served as commander of the [[Kajikazawa]] Prefecture, and was the commanding officer of the [[Seventeenth Benjamin Regulars]] on [[Benjamin]].<ref name=HKDC137>''House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)'', p. 137</ref><ref name=NAIS4SW2-107>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2''</ref>

In December 3025, Shotugama attended one the Coordinator's "Black Room" meetings of the high council. When he hesitated to report on the recovery efforts of his forces from the Galtor Campaign, he was goaded by his old rival, Warlord Cherenkoff, who referenced Shotugama's monastic upbringing. Shotugama's calm and measured response pleased the Coordinator, who maintained power by encouraging rivalry among his Warlords.<ref>''Wolves on the Border'', pp. 100–107</ref> Shotugama seemed to develop a solid rapport with fellow Warlord [[Kester Hsiun Chi]], then of the [[Pesht Military District]].<ref name=HD281286>''Heir to the Dragon'', pp. 281–286</ref>

===Fourth Succession War===
[[File:Benjamin Regulars brigade logo.png|left|thumb|[[Benjamin Regulars]]]]
When the [[Fourth Succession War]] broke out in [[3028]], Shotugama was fortunate that his District avoided most of the heavy fighting. While the Dieron and [[Rasalhague Military District]]s both faced major invasions and the [[Galedon Military District]] suffered heavily from the Combine's feud with [[Wolf's Dragoons]], Benjamin became a major staging ground for attacks into [[House Davion]]'s [[Draconis March]].

The [[1st Amphigean Light Assault Group|First]] and [[2nd Amphigean Light Assault Group|Second]] [[Amphigean Light Assault Group]] regiments would conquer Galtor and [[Marduk]] successfully. When his troops took Galtor, Shotugama had succeeded where his predecessor had failed, and the conquest of Marduk won the Combine the use of [[Norse BattleMech Works]], an important military industrial center which produced ''[[Griffin]]'' and ''[[Wolverine]]'' BattleMechs.<ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2'', p. 26</ref> On [[Deshler]], the [[3rd Benjamin Regulars|Third]] and [[Sixth Benjamin Regulars]] destroyed the [[First Chisholm's Raiders]] RCT.<ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2''. p. 28</ref>

Matters were less successful on [[Breed]], where the [[Eleventh Benjamin Regulars]] squandered an opportunity to defeat the [[Second Robinson Rangers]] and were finally driven from the planet. <ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2'' p. 27</ref> On [[Klathandu IV]], the Ninth Benjamin Regulars, Shotugama's former unit, was in the process of slowly crushing the planetary militia when the [[AFFS]] troops received reinforcements in the [[Raman Draconis March Militia|Raman DMM]] and the newly-formed [[First FedCom RCT]]. Though they failed to take the planet, the Ninth severely mauled all three opposing forces. <ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2'' p. 29</ref>

Coordinator Takashi, perhaps favoring Shorugama's successes, eventually moved his command center from Luthien to [[Irurzun]] in the Benjamin Military District. There he successfully coordinated the conquest of the remaining worlds of the former Galtor Thumb.<ref>''NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2'', p. 30</ref> Despite significant losses, Shotugama's District had fared far better than much of the rest of the Combine.

===Later Career===
In [[3034]], Shotugama was present at the high council meeting when ''[[Gunji_no_Kanrei#Gunji-no-Kanrei|Gunji-no-Kanrei]]'' and [[Heir-designate#Heir-designate|heir-designate]] [[Theodore Kurita]] announced the birth of the [[Free Rasalhague Republic]], with the Combine supporting the release of most of the worlds of the Rasalhague Military District in a [[ComStar]]-brokered arrangement. This infuriated the Coordinator and led Warlords Cherenkoff and [[Marcus Kurita]] to openly revolt against the "official" Combine position, launching the so-called [[Ronin Wars|Ronin War]]. The younger Kurita also requested advice from Shotugama and Chi on the appointment of Warlord of the new [[Alshain Military District]], made up of twenty former Rasalhague worlds.<ref name=HD281286/> Despite these events, or perhaps because of them, Shotugama seemed to develop a solid working relationship with the Kuritan heir. By [[3035]], Theodore Kurita had located his permanent base on Benjamin.<ref>''Heir to the Dragon'', p. 302</ref>

Shotugama remained as Warlord when [[First Prince]] [[Hanse Davion]] finally launched the [[War of 3039]]. Despite an impressive push by [[Field Marshals|Field Marshal]] [[James Sandoval]] into the Benjamin Military District, the Federated Suns was unprepared for ''Kanrei'' Kurita's [[Operation Orochi#Combine Operations .28Operation OROCHI.29 2|Operation Orochi]] counterattack, and the AFFS was forced to abandon most of their gains.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039''</ref> Shotugama apparently had no objection to Theodore Kurita's creation of the ''[[yakuza]]''-backed [[Ghost Regiments]], as the [[1st Ghost|First]] and [[2nd Ghost|Second Ghost Regiments]] were rotated to the district capital at the conclusion of the fighting.<ref>''Historical: War of 3039'', p. 139</ref>

===Death and Replacement===
At some stage prior to [[3050]], the government of the Combine ruled that the [[Tatikaze]], an organization Hirushi was a member of was to be disbanded and that he was instructed to commit ''seppuku'' by the Coordinator.<ref name=OEc10>''Operation Excalibur'', ch. 10</ref>

[[Boris Petroff]] succeeded Shotugama as Warlord of the Benjamin Military District.<ref>''20 Year Update'', p. 41</ref><ref>''Field Manual: Draconis Combine'', p. 40</ref>

==Personality and Traits==
Raised in the Buddhist tradition, Shotugama's silent demeanor and upbringing led some of his colleagues to dub him "the monk." He was a brilliant strategist, and was an excellent player of many strategic games, including ''go'', ''shogi'', chess, and Dragon Armies. He was an expert in using ''jitte'' knives and in the martial arts and on two separate occasions Shotugama captured an assassin's blades in the prongs of his jitte, breaking their blades with a quick twist of the wrist. He had a short, slim build and quiet manner that led many to underestimate him.<ref name=HKDC176/> Even as late as the War of '39, his confederate, Kester Hsiun Chi, would describe him as "monkish."<ref name=HKDCp174/><ref>''Heir to the Dragon'', p. 307</ref>

==Notes==
[[File:Bushidoblade.png|right|thumb|The [[Awards#Draconis_Combine|Bushido Blade]]]]
* After the conquest of Cylene, he was awarded the [[Awards#Draconis_Combine|Bushido Blade]] by Coordinator Takashi Kurita.<ref name=HKDC176/>
* Also at some point during his early career, he piloted a ''[[Panther]]'' BattleMech, at least up until its destruction in combat.<ref name=HKDC176/>
* The ''[[NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2]]'' erroneously lists Shotugama as a ''[[Tai-sho (rank)#Draconis Combine Mustered Soldiery|Tai-sho]]''.<ref name=NAIS4SW2-107/>

==References==
<references />

==Bibliography==
* ''[[20 Year Update]]''
* ''[[Field Manual: Draconis Combine]]''
* ''[[Heir to the Dragon]]'' (novel)
* ''[[Historical: War of 3039]]''
* ''[[House Kurita (The Draconis Combine)]]''
* ''[[NAIS The Fourth Succession War Military Atlas Volume 2]]''
* ''[[Wolves on the Border]]'' (novel)

[[Category:Draconis Combine Characters|Shotugama, Hirushi]]
[[Category:University of Proserpina Alumni|Shotugama, Hirushi]]
[[Category:Wisdom of the Dragon Alumni|Shotugama, Hirushi]]