Haakuma (派悪魔)
The Haakuma (派悪魔, Demon Group/Demon Faction) are a humanoid race with physical traits resembling Oni. They are natives of Hinomoto and, just like most other nonhuman races on Hinomoto, the Haakuma are an extreme minority, but they have had the most contact with humans. The Haakuma has faced intense racial prejudice due to their similar biology to Oni but also due to the belief that they were the ones who caused Goryu-Ten, and thus live faraway from the reach of Humans.
Table of ContentsOrigin
History
Biology
In the year 844 Ki-nai the Emperor saw it necessary to appoint a grand commander for the army, creating the position of Sei-i Taishōgun (征夷大将軍, "Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians"), or in short "Shogun"(将軍). However, the first few Shogun would be appointed from the aristocracy rather than military minded individuals, leading to a few spectacular defeats at the hands of the Haakuma.
It wasn't until the appointment of Amano no Mamoru (天野の守) from the Amano clan of thEnkoju Ujithat the imperial army would start winning battles against the Haakuma. On top of Mamoru's military expertise, a large factor in each battle was Mamoru's own warriors. His professionally trained warriors was arguably the rise of the Bushi warrior class.
Finally in 857 Ki-nai, with the continued victories of the imperial court under Amano clansmen, some Haakuma saw the eventual victory of the Ohirume and decided to surrender and ally themselves with the Hinomoto army. These Haakuma were called Mekata (味方, ally). This was a decisive moment in the war, as nearly half of the Haakuma tribes became Mekata. And after 38 years of resistance, the Haakuma wars would come to an end in the year 871, with the remaining Haakuma tribes, called Deki (敵, enemy) that didn't surrender retreating to Hokuhyuushu.
The Haakuma age at the same rate and live for as long as humans do. On average, they are taller than humans (between 5'9" and 6'1"), and are a bit stockier; a trait they undoubtedly acquired from the Onijin. They also share the same skin palette. At first, early humans in Hinomoto believed that the Haakuma had skin tones in shades of red, but eventually it was shown that Haakuma came in shades of blue, gray, and very rarely green. Some Haakuma also have very similar skin tones to humans, with the only distinguishing feature on a flesh-colored Haakuma was their horns.
Another trait that the Haakuma possess is the ability to see in the dark, like Onijin and even Oni do. Their eyes can either be a solid color in shades of yellow, black, or white with no visible sclera or pupil, but they can also be similar to human eyes. Lastly, and most remarkably, the Haakuma are not affected by Taint, allowing them to venture out into the Kuramoto with virtually no recourse from Taint. It is that immunity to taint, supplemented by the many anatomical similarities, that the Haakuma (and subsequently the Onijin) are believed to be somehow related to Oni. The Haakuma seem similar to the western Tiefling.
Table of Contents
Origin
It is believed that the Haakuma are descendants of the Onijin (鬼人), a Kodaijinshu. When the first humans arrived on Hinomoto, it is believed that those who settled in the northern regions of Hinomoto cohabited with the ancient Onijin tribes and the first Haakuma were born, though there is little archaeological evidence of this. The Onijin have died out a long time ago, leaving the Haakuma their only possible descendants.History
The first mention of the Haakuma in Hinomoto records was in 460 Ki-nai as the "red barbarians", in reference to their red skin and less advanced society. Historical accounts and records of the Haakuma remained scarce and were largely anecdotal up until the 38 years war in 833, thus not much is known about their early history. Much of what is known is that they lived in numerous tribal societies led by chieftains. Similar to early humans in Hinomoto, they were hunter gatherers and lived deep in forested areas. The early Haakuma largely avoided major human settlements, only coming into contact with smaller villages and hamlets in the fringes of society. Relations between the Haakuma and the early imperial courts were less than friendly, although there was no records of conflict.38 Years War
In the year 833 Ki-nai, the imperial court began a military campaign in northeast Hinomoto. The imperial court had expanded its control up to the southern regional border of the Tohoku (東北) region, where the court had met stiff resistance from the Haakuma people, this marked the beginning of the 38 years war, or the Haakuma Wars. For a decade or so, the Haakuma forces successfully beat back the larger imperial army using guerrilla warfare and shock tactics against the heavy infantry of the imperial army. The imperial army was similar to the armies of the Shenzhou empire, and where conscripted foot soldiers rather than professional soldiers.In the year 844 Ki-nai the Emperor saw it necessary to appoint a grand commander for the army, creating the position of Sei-i Taishōgun (征夷大将軍, "Commander-in-Chief of the Expeditionary Force Against the Barbarians"), or in short "Shogun"(将軍). However, the first few Shogun would be appointed from the aristocracy rather than military minded individuals, leading to a few spectacular defeats at the hands of the Haakuma.
It wasn't until the appointment of Amano no Mamoru (天野の守) from the Amano clan of thEnkoju Ujithat the imperial army would start winning battles against the Haakuma. On top of Mamoru's military expertise, a large factor in each battle was Mamoru's own warriors. His professionally trained warriors was arguably the rise of the Bushi warrior class.
Finally in 857 Ki-nai, with the continued victories of the imperial court under Amano clansmen, some Haakuma saw the eventual victory of the Ohirume and decided to surrender and ally themselves with the Hinomoto army. These Haakuma were called Mekata (味方, ally). This was a decisive moment in the war, as nearly half of the Haakuma tribes became Mekata. And after 38 years of resistance, the Haakuma wars would come to an end in the year 871, with the remaining Haakuma tribes, called Deki (敵, enemy) that didn't surrender retreating to Hokuhyuushu.
The Confluence
After the Mekata defected to Hinomoto, the Haakuma slowly integrated themselves into the lower classes of Hinomoto society. Eventually, more and more Haakuma started living in human settlements, and at the peak of integration (arounf 873-875) some Haakuma held low governmental positions and were part of some clan armies. All of that would come crashing down after Goryu-Ten struck. A rumor spread that the Deki caused The Confluence in a desperate attempt to stop the advance of the Kisei Campaign. Animosity toward the Haakuma started to fester, until finally in the fall of 878, a "witch hunt" targetting Haakuma people started taking place in a number of towns in Tohoku. These witch hunts would persist for a year, until Haakuma people were forced to live faraway from human settlements.Grim Scouts
After five centuries, there was no word of the Haakuma, as most of them would have lived far enough so that humans would pay them no mind. However, a small tribe of Deki approached Otorii Kabe from Kuramoto seemingly unaffected by the Taint prompted the Morigani Uji to use them as scouts that patrol the Shadowlands, garnering the informal title "Grim Scouts". This enticed some Haakuma people in self-imposed exile to return to human settlements, though usually one individual or family at a time, as well as only in Morigani lands, as the Morigani are the only ones who are willing to tolerate, and in rare cases, befriend Haakuma.Biology
The Haakuma largely share their basic anatomy as humans-two arms, two legs, etc. thought there phalanges range from 3-5 on each hand/foot-save for one physical feature, horns protruding from a Haakuma's head. These horns can take many different shapes and forms. They start out small, little more than stubs, but by the time a Haakuma reaches its early adolescent years, they begin to grow out.The Haakuma age at the same rate and live for as long as humans do. On average, they are taller than humans (between 5'9" and 6'1"), and are a bit stockier; a trait they undoubtedly acquired from the Onijin. They also share the same skin palette. At first, early humans in Hinomoto believed that the Haakuma had skin tones in shades of red, but eventually it was shown that Haakuma came in shades of blue, gray, and very rarely green. Some Haakuma also have very similar skin tones to humans, with the only distinguishing feature on a flesh-colored Haakuma was their horns.
Another trait that the Haakuma possess is the ability to see in the dark, like Onijin and even Oni do. Their eyes can either be a solid color in shades of yellow, black, or white with no visible sclera or pupil, but they can also be similar to human eyes. Lastly, and most remarkably, the Haakuma are not affected by Taint, allowing them to venture out into the Kuramoto with virtually no recourse from Taint. It is that immunity to taint, supplemented by the many anatomical similarities, that the Haakuma (and subsequently the Onijin) are believed to be somehow related to Oni. The Haakuma seem similar to the western Tiefling.
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