Without question the most elite and prestigious military unit in the Colonies is the Second City Guardsmen. They were formed early in the colonization of the former Ivory Kingdoms, when the Second City was little more than a village of tents and ramshackle buildings. Agents of the Cult of Ruhmal, still active in the region, attempted to assassinate the group of military officers who formed the fledgling city’s leadership (at this point the position of Imperial Governor had not yet been created). The attack was thwarted by a handful of sentries and vigilant samurai in the area, and the cultists were slain to the last man. The highest-ranking officer in the city immediately ordered these samurai to form a new unit, one solely tasked with ensuring the safety of the city and all within it. Decades later, the Second City Guardsmen are revered throughout the Colonies for their near-flawless track record, protecting the city and its inhabitants from all manner of threats. However, this record suffered a severe blemish when the previous Governor was assassinated. In the wake of his death, the commander of the Second City Guardsman, Akodo Tsudoken, took control of the city until a replacement Governor could arrive from the Empire. Anguished over his failure, Tsudoken instituted several draconian measures intended to root out any remaining threats within the city; these alienated the populace and tarnished the repute of the unit. Comparisons to the Seppun family’s failure to protect Emperors in previous eras became common. Even after the source of the attack was finally revealed, the Second City Guardsmen continued to suffer a damaged reputation for quite some time.
It may be noted that the Second City Guardsmen include shugenja in their ranks; however, since they are primarily a military organization and the vast bulk of their ranks are bushi, the only actual Technique they have developed is a bushi Technique.