Holy symbol of Yojimbo, ascended Gnomish god of Protection and Responsibility

Yojimbo:
Long ago in the Gnomish lands of Shenzhou, the legendary gnomish warrior Yojimbo (whose name in Coastal Gnomish means “bodyguard”) served as a protector of an influential dignitary whose kindness was viewed as a weakness by others. When a diplomatic mission from the Coastland Nohin to the Mainland Huaxia went terribly wrong after a cart of fireworks mysterious detonated in front in the dignitary, Yojimbo lost his arm. When a priest devoted to one of Shenzhou’s many gods rushed to the guardian’s aid, Yojimbo shoved the man away and summoned his own magics to heal the wound. The priest implored Yojumbo to tell him which Shenzhuan god he prayed to, being that he wore no holy garments. Yojimbo smiled at the man and said, “Myself.” This event hardened the heart of the dignitary who released Yojimbo from bondage, believing a one-armed man could not protect him. Yojimbo scoured the land of Nohin, protecting those who could not protect themselves accepting payment in whatever they could afford, be it money, rice, or gratitude. At some point in his legacy one fateful afternoon, he returned to the dignitary who was now a powerful land baron in Huaxia, taxing the peasantry to the limit of what they could afford and seizing any dissidents. When Yojimbo came before his former master and told him why he had come, to defend the people from his selfishness, the baron called his guards, upon which time Yojimbo tossed a sack to the ground that landed like a bag full of over-ripe melon. Red leaked from the bottom of the bag as Yojimbo raised his katana and cut off the baron’s arm. Believing Yojimbo’s actions to be a full coup, bandits rushed onto the baron’s estate, killing and pillaging. When the bandits came upon the scene of Yojimbo leaving the wounded baron on the ground, they thought to finish the job, but found nothing but Yojimbo’s blade to cut them down. “I gave him a chance. Now I am giving you a choice.” The bandits were bewildered but barely stymied and rushed the warrior, all cut down by his masterful blade. They came and came, stabbing and slashing at him, hurling spears, firing arrows and the bodies piled up, forcing him back into the room as the bandits peppered him as the building burned, letting the war of attrition do the work their blades could not. And then there was the poison Yojimbo surely realized was coursing through his veins. And the smoke through his lungs.
It is said that had the building not crumbled to ash, Yojimbo would have walked out of the rubble and complained about the sun being in his eyes. The baron managed to escape the ordeal relatively unscathed, his own wounds if not Yojimbo’s inspired him to invest his wealth into experimental technology, leading the surge in gearwork and steam-based technology that swept across the continent like wildfire. It is said that, unsatisfied with being dead, Yojimbo ascended, yet chose to live among the people, traveling all over Shenzhou to protect those in need the moment they require it and the next moment moving to the next, leaving his trademark flower in his wake. His endearing legend of self-sacrifice for what is right is merely one of the reasons why this Shenzhuan god has such a small but lively following in the far off Olgantha. It helps that lotus blossoms grow well across the variable Olganthan climate.
Gnomes, especially those born in Shenzhou, tend to be monogamous (officially at least), largely due to the prevalence of arranged marriages for territory, economy, and dominance among castes. Though it is not spoken of as it would be improper, a bodyguard's master (if one is chosen) is often their lover, but it is taboo for them to marry due to separation of castes. However, it is not so rare for a bodyguard's master to be trained martially wherein they may be married, the lower caste member of the couple raised to the higher caste, only when they can protect each other as a couple not merely the protector and protected. More often than not, a bodyguard may protect one of a married couple or both, or two separate bodyguards may protect one partner each. In this latter case, the bodyguards themselves are often married for security and companionship.
Yojimbo, a man of few words, asks little of those with the fortitude to follow in his footsteps:
Defend the weak.
Defend your calm.
 Avoid mindless bloodshed.

Extremists to the cause of Yojimbo have been known to take up retainership for a host or master without the host’s consent. Other times they may be overzealous in their protection, leading to misunderstanding and heartache. A protector may become jealous and controlling of their host and interfere with the life of the person they were meant to protect, using their well-being. As a follower of Yojimbo you must protect the weak from oppressors, but you cannot protect them from living.
Yojimbo has no analog among the savage races, but recently there have been accounts of gnolls donning traditional Nohin garb attacking outer settlements, though this has been connected to actions by the vile Vespida.

Yojimbo @
Artwork by PsykoBruttan
http://psykobruttan.deviantart.com/