Kyokoku 虚国
The Chrysanthemum Foundry
Introduction
A bustling civilization on a temperamental world, Kyokoku is the crown colony of the reformed Japanese Empire. The aquatic world of Ebisu serves as the Chrysanthemum Foundry, cultivating the arms and armor required for a country in a decade-long war. With three hazardous worlds and unpredictable wildlife on the fourth, Kyokoku as a whole proves dangerous to the uninitiated. Those who respect the risks are presented with a thriving colony rich in resources, watched over by the largest aether-craft ever constructed.
History
A Dangerous New Realm
After decades of technological catch-up, Japan turned its gaze to colonial efforts in the stars. In 1915, a combined effort of the Imperial Japanese Army and Navy yielded the Shin-Tokaido-Mon, a Jump Gate utilizing a streamlined iteration of the American Concord Gate’s design. The gate was made more efficient using technology stolen from the Russian gate program in the Russ0-Japanese War. A colony fleet was sent through in the following months, establishing an outpost on a small, iron rich planet in the system. In an Imperial address early the next year, the system was dubbed Kyokoku. The colony in its initial stage was far from profitable, with any resources extracted going towards the construction of the return gate.
Kyokoku was established in the Amatsuhikone System, a series of four terrestrial planets orbiting a star several times larger than that of the homeworld. Three of the system’s four worlds are uninhabited, save for very dangerous expeditions. The first planet, Enma, is incredibly close to the sun, and is nearly impossible to observe in any meaningful fashion. Likewise, the Shin-Tokaido-Mon deposits gate travelers very close to the orbit of Enma, and on some occasions aether-travelers have been caught in this fiery deathtrap. The third and fourth worlds are both prohibitively cold, though thought to be wealthy with rare metals. Nesaku’s atmosphere generates remarkably strong electromagnetic storms, which have fried all observation devices sent into its orbit. Kuraokami is covered in a thick layer of ice, making Japanese mining efforts difficult and expensive.
The second planet, Ebisu, is the primary focus of colonization efforts, and the only planet with a habitable climate. While liveable year-round, the planet is subject to extreme temperature swings, which coincide with a reduction of the ice caps. This melt in conjunction with extreme rainfall results in roughly two-thirds of the planet’s land mass sinking beneath the sea in the wet season. The flooding also results in very fertile farmland, as well as many ore veins exposed by rapid erosion. With the world also teeming with life, Ebisu can appear to be a beautiful garden world, even if only for half of the year. When the first monsoons arrive, the terrestrial flora enters the end of its life cycle, and the predators of the lowlands climb to higher ground, preying on grazers (and unaware settlers) unable to escape to other landmasses.
Colonial History
Two years after the gate’s activation, the Imperial Navy finished construction on its crown jewel, the Yamato, a massive flagship designed to be a floating citadel watching over their new colony. The ship is manned by over 5000 crewmen, with a complement of 100 pilots, and a battalion of marines living aboard. It served as the unofficial first capital of the colony, coordinating all government actions from above. Since its construction, the commanding officer of this castle in the sky has been Rear Admiral Murakami Sōzen, a lord from a less than reputable clan. His calculative demeanor has allowed him to largely ignore the political quagmire of the homeland in favor of interclass harmony in his domain.
Not long after the construction of the Yamato, the Japanese Civil War broke out. Due to the incomplete status of the return gate, Kyokoku was unable to respond to the conflict in any capacity, and was only made aware by a recorded message delivered through the gate along with supplies. This navy shipment was unfortunately the last official delivery made by the government for some time, thanks to IJA’s occupation of the gate facility. Kyokoku was left without government aid for seven long years. The only thing that kept the colony afloat in the meantime was the completion of the return gate in 1919. With the way home open, Murakami was able to broker a deal with several private firms and the IJA to allow supplies to be transported by non-government entities. In exchange, Murakami nominally surrendered to the authority of the Samurai faction in Edo, and vowed to remain at his post in the colony system. The IJA also sent displaced populations from the civil war through the jump gate, removing many of the growing pains of the ensuing refugee crisis. Most of these refugee families would make up the bulk of the first real communities on Ebisu, with thousands settling in what would eventually become Haikyō, the colony’s first true capital.
Murakami was able to acquire many benefactors during the war, with a majority of them coming from the upper echelons of American and British society. After an analysis of local plants revealed a creeping vine that had a high concentration of isoprene, a key component of rubber, the American machine magnate Henry Ford poured tens of millions of dollars into the cultivation of this new source of tires. Ebisu’s excess grain production was exported to Canton and several British holdings in Asia. In 1921, Colonists at the settlement of Obomachi discovered a whale-like creature with sharp protrusions sticking from its flesh. The creature contained a similar oil-like substance to its earthly counterparts, sparking a trade in the hunting and harvesting of these Hakujira. While less efficient as fuel, the substance proved as an excellent machine lubricant. The oil was sold in large quantities to the British, as well as the Holy Roman Empire via the Imperial Ostend Company.
With the discovery of large iron deposits under the ocean, the colony proved instrumental in the reconstruction of the nation’s military following the civil war. While settlements were too young to provide many soldiers, Ebisu’s food and raw resources helped the crippled homeland. As the Navy gained access to the aether again, the Yamato served as a makeshift harbor for the colonial fleet's operations. It is a common sight to see smaller aether-worthy vessels docked along the length of the hull, with many ships in the midst of construction. A formal colonial government was finally established in 1925, a full decade after the initial construction of the Shin-Tokaido-Mon. They adopted a governing body similar to the diet back in Japan, with Admiral Murakami holding a permanent advisory seat. A year later, several rebellions destabilized the Joseon regime, causing a wave of panic in East Asia. Many Han Chinese refugees from central China and Canton fled the fighting, and were given special permission from the Japanese government to settle on Ebisu. These new settlers formed the community of Shin-Kanton, and were given land lease rights over one of the smaller continents on the planet.
With Japan spending the next decade at war with the Koreans, Kyokoku’s economy flourished. The demand for steel skyrocketed, and many new settlements were established in order to meet the need for raw iron. By 1930, the fledgling steel foundries of Terashioka exported more material to the Japanese shipyards than all native foundries in Japan. While traditional mines were found in abundance around Terashioka and Miruda, a majority of iron extracted on Ebisu was found in deep sea trenches and deposits exposed by extreme erosion. Engineers from Miruda tried many methods to ease extraction at high pressures, including heavy diving suits and submarine-mounted drills. The eventual solution was the Heike Mobile Extraction Craft, an amphibious crab-like vehicle with powerful arm attachments, including claws strong enough to rip bulkheads, plasma torches for spot repairs on other vessels, and construction quality explosives for removing obstructions. The mining vehicle’s hull was pressure rated for 45 atm, and with minor modifications was operable in space to aid in ship repairs.
With the end of the Korean ceasefire in 1936 starting the eastern theater of what would become the Great War, Kyokoku would finally contribute manpower to the military. The first generation of Kyokokujin finally came of age, forming special colonial units for both the Army and Navy. Many young men familiar with the fledgling aether fleet proved themselves as invaluable supply runners on the battlefield, and Colonial Army corps were deployed to aid the defense of the now British-governed Canton Economic Zone. A Kyokokujin engineering student named Kaida Goro proposed a radical idea on how to innovate the Navy’s approach against Korea. While attending classes at Todai, Kaida proposed a modified version of the Heike mining craft for deployment as a military vehicle. This proposal quickly reached the ears of the IJN, who devised the design for the Heike Amphibious Assault Craft, a tank-like mech utilizing a combination of military armaments and a light combat shield. The machine was tested in a live combat scenario, where it performed remarkably with the element of surprise. The shield additionally improved the craft’s ability to maneuver in water, allowing it to ascend and descend at crushing rates.
Ebisu-1938
As of 1938, Ebisu serves as the driving force behind Japan’s current military success, supplying the homeland with rations, raw material, and experimental weapons. The colony provides opportunities for families who would have nothing back in Japan, and the people live passable, albeit hazardous, lives. Most settlements are constructed with the wet season in mind, either constructed above the upper limit of the yearly floods, or with technological countermeasures in place to coexist with nature. The city of Obomachi for example was built well within the flood range, and all of its buildings were constructed to be watertight, with accessways located along the rooftops. During the wet season the settlement resembles a field of metallic rafts from above, but from below can be seen as a glowing forest of aquatic structures. The great manufacturing city of Miruda was similarly built in a floodplain surrounded by two river deltas, but created a series of giant levees to regulate water levels. These levees also allow the city to utilize limited hydroelectric power.
A majority of Kyokokujin can be found amongst five Japanese cities across Ebisu, in addition to the settlement of Shin-Kanton, and the thousands of Naval personnel and their families living in the Yamato flotilla. Each city elects representatives to the diet, with the exception of Shin-Kanton. The Chinese settlement is largely allowed self governance, and does not participate in Japanese politics. The populace continues to be mixed on the current conflict in China, as many residents sympathize with the Joseon government. A group of more extreme supporters formed a small insurgent faction known as the Chilong, which operates within the city.
The many cities of Ebisu were all established to perform specific roles within the maintenance of the colony, and prioritize different industries in order to reduce inter-colonial competition and maximize profit. The capital city Haikyō serves as the primary aether-port on Ebisu, and also runs the only fuel refineries in the system. The aforementioned steel foundries of Terashioka largely support the Navy’s construction projects, but the city also mass-produces the armor utilized by the IJA infantry. Miruda’s role in the design and construction of military assets cannot be understated, however the city also is home to many research labs, as its location on Ebisu’s largest continent gives them special access to land-based wildlife. Obomachi’s semi-aquatic location makes it the prime headquarters for fishing and whaling. The city is also home to the Unhari Co., a canning company that emphasizes the exportation of exotic and high quality meat to the affluent. The northern town of Taiyama is the newest settlement in Ebisu. Built on the highest point on the planet, the community was constructed around a small shrine, and has gained a reputation as a luxurious resort town with beautiful vistas.
The Yamato remains an integral part of the survival of Kyokoku, serving as the main defense of the system from any danger. The aging Admiral Murakami remains very cautious of foreign threats, especially after growing unrest and the formation of the Chilong. In May 1938, the insurgency attempted the unthinkable. Chilong operatives hijacked an oil shipment enroute to the gate, and rigged it to explode. The vessel docked on the Yamato, and moments later detonated its payload. Three hundred Navy personnel died in the blast, with at least a dozen vessels, including the flagship, receiving damage. The pro-Korean organization wished to send a message to the Japanese on the tenth anniversary of the war’s start, one that was certainly received. The colony’s commitment to the war-cause only increased, and heavy resentment formed against the citizens of Shin-Canton. While Murakami continues to maintain peace with the Chinese refuge, it is only a matter of time until the Chilong makes that impossible.
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