Ninja

About
Ninjas are a special class of mercenaries originated from the country of JAPAN. While JAPAN has several clans of ninjas, typically working for or affiliated with important families, they are very rare in the main continent. Ninjas are independent of gender and they consider their status as a ninja more important than their gender. Both men and women are equals in this regard. However, there is a sub-class of ninjas called Kunoichis that is exclusively female, but only some women take the kunoichi course.

The functions of the ninja include espionage, sabotage, infiltration, assassination and guerrilla warfare. They are typically incredibly fast fighters and use throwing weapons like kunais and shurikens in combat, along with short swords or knives for close-ranged combat. They also serve as great body-guards. Those that serve an specific family, usually as a tradition of the clan, are absolutely devoted and loyal to their lord and consider themselves tools and weapons to be used for war, holding little value for their own lives. There are also some ninjas that mostly work as mercenaries solely for money and would swap sides immediately if the other party offered a better payment.

In JAPAN, there are several ninja clans that work for generations. They tend to get recruits from a very young age, either lost children or simply by kidnapping them. Ninjas are ranked in three classes: There are also run-away ninjas that abandoned the clan and become fugitives. Even if they didn't abandon it willingly or if they simply lost their way from the clan and couldn't return, they are still treated as traitors and executed cold-bloodedly if they are caught by their former clan.
 * Genin: a low-ranked ninja. They are the most commonly seen and they can take the genin exam at any age, only skill is required to pass. If they do they are given a unique ninja name to represent them.
 * Chunnin: a mid-ranked ninja. They are above average of ninjas and can lead group of ninjas proficiently. They are often more experienced, knowledgeable and skilled than other ninjas. At least a Ninja Lv1 skill level and a lot of effort are required to get this status.
 * Jounin: a high-ranked ninja. These are the ninja masters, the top dogs of the clans. Their experience and skill is superb and are the best ninjas there are. Only those with a Ninja Lv2 skill level or above get to become Jounin ninjas.

Note that not all the individuals that have a ninja skill level are the typical JAPANese ninja and they simply have similar skills, yet it doesn't mean they share rules, methods or anything like the JAPANese clans.

Ninja Lv3

 * Uzume

Ninja Lv2

 * Gekkou
 * Shinobu
 * Suzume
 * Kousaka Yoshikage
 * Inukai

Ninja Lv1

 * Dark Heron
 * Kanami Kentou
 * Oruore the 3rd
 * Kikkawa Kiku
 * Freya Idun (old setting)