Yōkenji

... made of fire and steel.

Created and edited by Acturus Albani, who is on a time crunch.

Yōkenji is the given demonym to the people that are born in, or come from, the country Yōken, situated in the heartland of the continent of Ni'Hel.

A people of great pride, discipline and focus, the Yōkenji spend a great portion of their lives honing their skills to be in the Yōken Empire Grand Army, which encapsulates cavalry, infantry and navy. Scholars have often compared the Yōkenji to a keen-edged blade, and their culture to a perpetual whetstone.

One of the things that stands out the most when talk about the Yōkenji is the fact that most of its military is comprised of female warriors, called the On'nasen. The reason for this dates back to the infancy of the Empire, long before it had the vastness to ever be called as such, when Kaida Sengō single-handedly defeated invading forces after the men retreated, either too injured or exhausted to continue fighting.

This isn't to say their live are dedicated exclusively to the self-coined Path of the Honed Life. A rich trove of sculpture, literature, music and theater exists underneath the bellicose exterior, mostly dedicated to the aspects of life outside the Path. It's common to find many depictions of fate, love, fortune and adventure for the sake of exploration and discovery, although some of these works are frowned upon by members of the Illuminated Imperial Court, with some works being outright banned for portraying war as detrimental.

Some members of this society, however, dedicate themselves to working the fields and providing the Empire with the food they eat, be it by reaping crops, slaughtering cattle, fishing or even hunting for it. These farmers are viewed as priceless in the eyes of the citizens, and most times practice the ways of war with farm implements or old weapons passed down in their family, thinking always of the great honor that is dying in battle.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Most names in Yōkengo, be them male, female or unisex, are usually derived from different combinations in the language and can mean a wide variety of things. Some common female names are Airi, Atusko, Hana, Himari, Kaede, Miho, Sai and Yuna.

Masculine names

Popular male names are Akira, Haru, Hayato, Hiroto, Makoto, Yamato and Yuuto.

Unisex names

Some names have been taken from Yōken history and legend to name newborn babies, regardless of whether the name matches the infant's gender or not. Some of these names are Ahmya, Akiara, Kei, Nozomi, Ren and Ryuunosuke.

Family names

Yōkenji family names traditionally show what that particular family's founder did in its inception. This has lead to many people claiming to be the "original" founder of a given family, resulting in a rather overwhelming variety of names. To combat this, the Empire created the Family Tree Branch Act, wherein a person claiming to have founded a particular dynasty needs to prove that there is little connection to any other registered family or that they pose a significant difference or departure from the original clan that entitles them to a new surname.

Common family names are Kaoukageru, Kenkaji, Ten'ka, Yorokiru and Yumiya.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The major spoken language is Yōkengō, which has an entirely different alphabet from the ones present across the word, consisting of sounds formed from two or more "letters" in different characters. There's another alphabet inside the language that is solely dedicated to representing words in a single character.

Culture and cultural heritage

At the core of the Yōkenji culture is the notion of constant change and improvement, where individuals are (usually) so disciplined that they work every day to perfect their performance in any task they might feel a calling to. For most people, this is the art of warfare and combat.

At this very moment, the Yōkenji are poised to leave behind a legacy of violent and constant conflict, but also a culture that yearns and strives for improvement of the self at every turn of the corner, and one that values each moment before death, wherever and whenever it will arrive.

Shared customary codes and values

Above all else, respect and honor are the two most important values for the Yōkenji, and they will go to great lengths to ensure that neither is lacking from their every day actions and interactions. This extends to the battlefield, where tactical low blows and underhand tricks are rarely used in the belief that every enemy faced deserves respect for facing their advance, and honor for not feeling the engagement. People that act in a cowardly, dishonorable or disrespectful manner are met with violence and scorn, sometimes resulting in a skirmish that ends the accused party's life.

Average technological level

The Yōkenji live in a feudal society, and their technology tends to be more advanced in some areas while lagging behind in others. As such, they are classified as Fundamentally, Advanced by Kryv Mistran's Technological Advancement Scale.

Common Dress code

The dress code varies significantly with social standing and occasion. People from villages are wont to use light clothing consisting of short pants, loose shirts and maybe a vest when working their fields or tending to the livestock, for example, while citizens living in the cities don more complete sets of garments. People belonging to royalty always wear the finest garbs bearing the colors of the Empire, these being gold, red and white.

For more formal occasions, people will wear beautiful two-piece robes called Jōhfuku, colored richly and traditionally made by the person going to wear them, although buying them isn't unheard of.

Art & Architecture

As mentioned previously, most art depict the Yōkenji engaging in acts of combat, conquest or war, adhering to a rather rudimentary form of aesthetics when painting, but with a very characteristic style and flair when writing in either prose or verse. These tend to be detailed in description and rely heavily on similes and metaphors. Sculptures are almost exclusively made to commemorate an important figure, and are made of wood and steel.

Yōkenji architecture is also uncommon. Most houses are built around the principle of combating the elements that might threaten the people that live inside. Therefore, houses in the capital, for example, are built wide, using flexible woods for pillars and with light roofs in case of an earthquake, while homesteads near the coasts have heavy stone covers to fight the winds of seasonal typhoons.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

Yōkenji are very respectful and are prone to apologize often. They bow when greeting and saying farewell, and how low this bow goes depends on how important the person is. It's common for the Yōkenji to talk about themselves in the third person, although this is more present in people of high positions in the government.

The Yōkenji will always, without failing, introduce themselves using their surname first and their given name last, in contrast to how Crendamites or even people from other countries in Ni'Hel say their given name first and their family name last.

By far, the most commonplace tradition is the silent prayer before every important event, be it a meal or a battle. This is done by closing one's eyes and lowering the head for any amount of time deemed prudent.

Birth & Baptismal Rites

Usually when someone is born in Yōken they are welcomed to the world by a group of four midwives and four healers, all bearing a candle or some other fire-fueled implement. Because fire represents light, warmth and constant change, it is seen as unlucky for someone to be born without it being present nearby.

Four months after the child has been born, they are submitted to the Test of Unknowing Will. A healthy baby is expected to extinguish a candle held close enough to its face to cause discomfort and even burns with their cries alone. This symbolizes that it has overcome its first hardship, and that it has taken the first, teeny tiny steps through the struggles of life, and has officially begun walking the Path.

Should an infant fail this test, the burn resulting from it is healed enough for it not to fester or kill the baby outright, but it won't be healed for it not to leave a scar. This way, they are branded for life, and are constantly reminded of their lack of a drive to survive, and find that life is made significantly more difficult on a social level, for they are mocked and ridiculed.

It is worth noting that not a single child has failed the test in over a century.

Coming of Age Rites

Both boys and girls grow up to be men and women, respectively, when they reach sixteen years of age. Regardless of their gender, on the night of their sixteenth birthday, aspiring adults don a black, featureless Jōhfuku and head to the nearby forge or workshop, where they are expected to make something that can be used to protect their family, signifying that they are officially ready to die for the Empire.

Most people that go through this phase craft crude swords that could be used as a last resort, but more creative and cunning minds build knives, arrows or spears, forgoing the need for years of training. Some have even invented new weapons altogether, which in turn draws the interest of army officials, who examine and test the proto-weapon to see if it's viable for greater production. Regardless of if it works or not, these individuals are highly regarded in the military.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Yōken is a country built around fire and war, be it in glory or defeat. The children of the Empire are no strangers to death, so mourning the departure of a loved one isn't uncommon, but it's not the norm, either. 'Peaceful' deaths, meaning any passing not in the battlefield, are a rarity, and are celebrated quietly with a funeral pyre that turns the deceased into fine ash to be spread to the world riding the wind.

Warriors who fall in battle and nobles are a different affair altogether. Near the capital city of Shihouketsu rises the imposing Mount Yuukosen, a volcano that churns scalding hot lava constantly in its bowels. Small rivulets of lava flow out of the mountain and into the lower parts of the capital, which blacksmiths use as a means to fuel their forges and obtain superior results compared to that of a normal furnace.

As such, the bodies of warriors felled in battle and the nobles who served as their masters are taken up the Firepath, a nearly endless staircase that ends at the top of the mound, staring directly into the volcano's core. There, the bodies are lowered with winches and a platform down into the lava in a ceremony referred to as The Last Birth, accompanied by chanting and singing. It is the belief of the Yōkenji that this way, they can become part of the blades of the following generations, cantinuing to perpetuate the glory of the Empire

Common Taboos

• Out of all the taboos in the Yōkenji culture, one of the greatest is homosexuality, as it is considered a form of open indecency and is also viewed as something highly impractical, as offspring is not produced from this union. This has not stopped the people from loving others of the same sex, though it usually results in disaster for the lovers.

• Any form of touching between strangers is considered inappropriate. This extends to friends and even family, if they are in public.

• Disrespecting the deities that guard over Yōken or the Empress is considered heresy and is highly looked down upon.

• Using another's weapon while they still live.

Common Myths and Legends

There are many and more myths surrounding the fabled country, some originating from the countries that share space with it in the continent and other even coming from the other side of the world, in Ar'Nuhûn. The usual menagerie of tales can be found, detailing how the world came to be, or how the sun and the moons came into existence and why the balance between night and day exists and the like. However, there are also tales that speak of extraordinary people and the feats they accomplished during their lives, not necessarily leading to why something is as it is. These figures blur the lines between memory and fiction with such frequency that they are mostly regarded as myths rather than legends. Some of the more renown tales include:

• Ryuunosuke Dragonfist's Thirteen Tasks.

• Hayabusa's Feast.

• The Sword that pierces the Heavens.

• The Wandering Eyeless.

• The Jade Warrior and Princess.

• An Age of Legends.

• Yōkenshi.

Historical figures

Most historical figures from Yōken are female warriors and, in rare cases, mages. As the historical records have largely been tainted by romanticism and wild imagination, this list will only name the people that have been verified by the scholars from around the world.

It is reported that as many as ten of the original texts have survived said tampering, although these are zealously guarded inside the Steel Vault underneath the Imperial Palace in Shihouketsu, and have never been accessible by the public.

Some of these figures are:

• Kaida Sengō, first of the On'nasen and a key figure in the founding of the Empire.

• Shigeko Seisaku, cartographer for the Imperial Navy that discovered Ar'Nuhûn for Yōken.

• Amaterasu Makai, sorcerer-empress that led Yōken through countless victories in the War of the Shores.

• Xelxaquai Senku, master strategist responsible for the continued growth of the Empire.

• Akira Teyō II, current rule of the Yōken Empire, a prodigious magic-user and strategist.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

In the eyes of the Yōkenji, a beautiful woman is one that is strong in body and spirit, fair in skin and judgement, with long hair and memory, standing tall enough to carry herself but not so much as to scrape low ceilings with her head and being slim of waist. They are also expected to be capable of putting themselves on the line for the honor and glory of their family and Empire.

Men are also expected to be just, righteous, honorable and protective while the women are away in battle. Physically, a beautiful man is tall enough to scrape the ceiling, broad of shoulders and of a powerful build, with short hair and sharp eyes.

Courtship Ideals

In Yōken, courting is an activity done by both genders. When someone is interested in someone else, they will proceed to spend time with them, most commonly during hand-to-hand sparring. It is widely believed that this form of interaction shows who the other person truly is. If the attraction is mutual, then the sparring sessions are prone to be more intense. From there, time is spent making each other meals, joining up on special occasions and celebrating each other.

It is important to note that the Yōkenji frown upon the notion of same-sex relationships, as they are considered indecent. Should two people of the same sex be caught in any romantic disposition, they will be publicly ousted, ridiculed and ostracized.

Relationship Ideals

An ideal relationship lasts until either one dies, any even then, it is the surviving member's duty to make sure that the deceased's legacy is never tarnished. Most people are expected to lead a rather bellicose lifestyle, with conscription being optional but expected. As such, most couples never reach the later periods in their relationships, with one, if not both, dying in combat.

Major organizations

With such an expansive culture and territory, the amount of organizations nears the uncountables. However, the largest and most influential of these are:

• The Steelheart Throne, which encompasses all powers vested to the Empress.

• The Illuminated Imperial Court,a council of scholars that dedicate their live to the production, examination, verification and possible censorship of all widespread and printed knowledge in the Empire.

• Dragonfist Monastery, where monks are trained under extreme conditions to become deadly spies or powerful spellcasters.

• Hikenisim, the religion of the Empire, with no real centralized headquarters.

Encompassed species

• Fireclaw