Empire of Kantō
Bushido
The code of Bushido is the code the samurai lives by. He is expected to uphold these ideals and follow them to the best of his ability, even when these codes may conflict with one another. A warrior is not only expected to follow these core beliefs, but also to fight against their mortal desires to uphold the code. It takes a very strong warrior to resist mortal temptation and give themselves fully to the code. The code can be broken down to eight core values:Structure
The emperor is the spiritual power of the land, however in truth the true power of the land is the Shogun, the military dictator of the land. The shogun has the power to wield the might of all samurai clans, and all clans must obey the shoguns orders lest they be branded traitors. However, instead of simply imposing power over the Emperor, the Shogun and all samurai still respect the Emperor, and are overwhelmingly compelled to listen to what ever the Emperor orders. For the Emperor was blessed by the Kami to rule, and as such despite technically being fully able to simply ignore the emperor in theory, in reality many samurai scream praises to the Emperor as they charge in battle. Below the Shogun are the Daimyō, rulers of the great clans. They rule the samurai clans with absolute authority
Culture
In the lands of Kantō, there is a strict set of social stratification laid down by the blessed Kami Gods. At the top is the samurai, those who serve. This class, as well as every other class, consists of multiple sub categories such as the Kuge, who encompass the Emperor, the imperial bloodlines, imperial high officials, Shogun, and Daimyō. All other samurai belong to the Buke, such as the warriors, courtiers, and shugenja (priests serving the empire). In general, a samurai is not allowed to question or oppose someone of higher social rank without the strongest possible justification. Conversely, a samurai can easily lord it over those with inferior social rank, and this abuse is expected to be endured honorably. Thus below the samurai, lie the heimin peasants, or "half-people". These include the farmers who lie at the top of the heimin (though this isn't saying much), the blacksmiths and other artisans below the farmers, and then the merchants at the bottom, who are regarded with contempt by samurai for they do not make anything like the artisans and farmers. Even below this lies Hinin, or "non-people", who encompass those who have to be in proximity to death and dishonorable acts, such as criminals, torturers, undertakers, butchers, and tanners. Many peasants seek to interact with Hinin as little as possible, and no one would bat an eye if a samurai killed a Hinin, even other peasants. Geisha technically count as Hinin, but are afforded more respect as samurai can lower their "face" while around geisha. Those that fall outside the hierarchy are monks, who while they aren't samurai and are technically heimin, they also keep the religious practices of the Empire alive, and so are afforded more respect. Additionally, rōnin fall under no category at all for while most of the time they used to be samurai, now they simply follow the waves of fate. As such, reception of rōnin can vary from person to person. While the image of rōnin is most commonly associated with fallen samurai, in truth it is more of a term that encompasses mercenaries or those that fight without a master. However, a large portion of rōnin are indeed fallen samurai.
To be a peasant in Kantō is to live a life of toil and strife, full of difficult labor and suffering. Their job is to work and only to work to produce the goods that keep the Empire of the Rising Sun running. Samurai conflicts regularly can engulf villages and fields in fire, and as such many heimin are killed regularly. Heimin are always respectful and obedient toward samurai, for to do anything else would incur the wrath of the samurai upon them and their family. However, heimin are to be protected under the codes of Bushido, and are afforded the defense of samurai. However, they are not given any real legal protections, not truly allowed to carry any weapons, and a samurai can ask of anything of a heimin, and can be killed on the spot for not showing proper respect. Due to all this strife, many peasants will do one of three things: Ashigura levies, become a criminal, or even become a rōnin.
The people of Kantō are highly spiritual and superstitious, for how could they not be when the divine helped shaped their land. Yokai have become a part of everyday life in Kantō, and while some are more dangerous than others, many Yokai live in harmony with other mortals. All Kantōnese have personal shrines in their home, and many who seek to travel from town to town (truly a rare thing since most peasants are too poor to leave the cities they are born in) they bring shrines with them. Ancestor worship is highly common, especially among the samurai of Kantō. Nearly every house has an ancestral shrine in Kantō. the Kantōnese also worship the spirits of the land, for they embody life as we know it. However, due to the mist, much of the priests and monks now seek to try and comfort the people, for not only do many have to live in fear of samurai conflicts encompassing their villages, but also the corrupted Yokai of the mist coming to rampage and slaughter their friends and family
History
According to the many texts of the Kantōnese at first there was nothing, save for the five elemental dragons, constantly circling around each other. The dragons, earth, water, air, fire, and the void, lived in harmony. However, the dragons of earth, fire, water, and air, got bored with there being nothing except for them, so they devised an idea. They went to their brother Void and said that perhaps they could be allowed to try and summon a beautiful maiden who may shape a realm of life. Void was apprehensive, as he loved the nothingness, but eventually they came to a deal that outside the planes, he would inhabit everything around that, as well as the astral plane. With the deal struck, they cast a spell mixing their elemental powers, and suddenly the most beautiful woman came into being. This being was Armanotsa, the beautiful sun goddess. The dragons were in awe and told her that the world be in her debt if she bestowed upon them a realm of possibilities. She was flattered, and then made the mortal realm and life with the help of the Creator God Izano who she created, and the dragons could now have fun watching life. While Armanotsa made not only the other gods and other beings of the world, she was particularly found of the Kantōnese, so pure and hardworking. She was also fond of the many different Yokai that came into being. So Armanotsa and her fellow Kami gods watched over the Kantōnese diligently, eager to see what would happen.
Time passed, as the Kantōnese grew, and developed cities and farming, as the Kami gods whispered wisdom in their ears and talked with the many monks of the land. However, great strife would come when a contingent of High Elves and Minotaur would invade the land seeking to conquer the land of Kantō and set up a foothold into this newly discovered land. The people of Kantō would take to arms, but be pushed back. The High Elven armies would push to the Emperor's seat of power, and besiege it, where all hope had seemed lost. A little before this, however, a man by the name of Takenaka Nobumasa would be traveling the land, hoping to find a mountain to observe the battle on, when he encountered a Kitsune. This Kitsune, named Kira Imako, would tell Takenaka to travel with her up the pathway to the mountain to help her save the Emperor. He would follow her out of curiosity, and what followed next is the Seven Great Feats, where the Kami Gods would test Takenaka in multiple qualities, with the last one being overseen by the Kami God of War Hachi himself. Once he completed the final Great Feat, he would travel with Kira to the Imperial Palace, where they would face the army of High Elves and Minotaur head on. Kira would move into the palace to save the emperor, while Takenaka would keep the army at bay. It is said that one swing of his sword would slay a hundred warriors in his path, and soon the army had been entirely destroyed, and the emperor saved. After this, the Emperor would also be touched by the Kami, and would create a demi-plane where he would move his grand imperial palace and then ask for two things: For Takenaka to become the new military leader of the Kantō Empire as the Shogun, and for Kira's hand in marriage. To this day, the partner of a Kantōnese Emperor/Empress has always been a yokai. Takenaka would eventually form the Samurai Clans, with having them follow a code he would call: "Bushido" which he based off of the Great Feats he had to go through.
However not all was well, as a few hundred years after the people of Kantō would rebuild. The Weeping Lands would be formed. No one knows truly how they came to be, but what is known is horrifying Oni and undead would pour from the Weeping Lands, forcing the Horii Clan to take heavy losses as they eventually held the tide back. The Clans would suspend their constant warring with one another to build the Wall of Heroes, a great wall that protected the land from the influence of the Weeping Lands. One detachment of the Kayashi Clan would swear to make a base in the Weeping Lands and take the fight to the enemy, which would eventually turn into the Teukai Clan. However, before they were able to complete the wall, a strange mist would flow into Kantō. Initially this mist didn't do anything and so it was assumed harmless. Then came the Long Night of Slaughter, where it turns out the mist could corrupt weak willed Yokai, and so these corrupted Yokai would strike out from the forests and homes and massacre scores of villages. It would take all night for the samurai clans to quarantine and eliminate the corrupted Yokai. However, now this just reveled to the Kantōnese, that this mist would bring death and dismay, as now the mist is a part of Kantō, making travel between villages incredibly dangerous.
A thousand years after the Long Night of Slaughter, the Kantōnese would raise their war banners under the Shogun Kujo Nariie to invade the Grand Empire of Catai, initiating the Great Jade Dragon War. While morale would be high at the start, and may victories had been won, losses started to mount. The great distance needed to travel meant reinforcements were hard to get to position, and soon the samurai were forced to retreat. The clan known as the Sagami Clan would vow to stay behind and hold the line. They would be wiped out to the man, with the last survivor committing seppuku, but they held back the steppe nomads and the Catai forces.. While the Jade Dragon War was lost, many riches and glories were won, and so the clans were content to return to their warring with one another for the title of the Shogunate. However, soon after a massive vikingir raiding fleet would be spotted rapidly approaching Kantō. Many would prepare for the worst, but the Emperor at the time would beseech the storm god Raiden, and with his divine power, a great wind known as the Kamikaze would wipe out the fleet, revealing to the Kantōnese their new defense in the form of the divine wind.
To this day, the people of Kantō toil and survive from the many threats that assail the land blessed by the Sun Goddess. What's worse is it seems the Weeping Lands dark powers are slowly sapping away at the very essence of the lands. The divine wind has now gone out of control, and many fleets of trade ships are lost, and almost all but cutting off the outside world to the continent of Orliea. The samurai clans still war with each other, fighting over land where millions of warriors have fought and died on already in the years past. What's worse is that the most recent Shogun was assassinated by shinobi, along with the rest of his family, and as such there is no legitimate claim to the position fo Shogun. As such, the clans now compete in the battlefield and in the political courts for more power. Truly, Kantō, the land where honor is stronger than steel, is a realm that despite the countless horrors it has to face, it prevails all the same
Demography and Population
Humans, and Yokai are the most numerous. Ever since the High Elven invasion of early Kantō and the Jade Elves of Catai, small portions of elves also exist in Kantō. Dwarves are a bit more of a rarity in Kantō, and it is truly rare to find many of the other races found east of Kantō.
Territories
The land of Kantō in eastern Orliea have been the home of the people of the Kantō Empire for as long as time has existed
Religion
The Kami gods are believed to be the creators of the world and of Kantō. Perhaps the most central to this pantheon is the goddess of the sun itself, Amanotsa, for it is she that the empire earns its nickname as the Empire of the Rising Sun. She is the most beloved of the gods by far, and as long as the sun rises every morning, the people of Kantō know they can prosper under her gaze. Then there is her brother, Tsukuyon, god of the moon. He keeps light when his sister rests for the day to meditate. He embodies chaos her sister would not fondly look upon, and so his worshipers tend to be strange chaotic moon cults. Then there is Raiden, god of the storms and thunder. He is the one who some believe blessed the Emperor Kudo Kazunobu to summon the divine wind, Kamikaze, to strike down invaders. He watches over the borders of the land while also summoning fourth kamikazes with his large drums of thunder. Then there is Hachi, god of war. War is needed to keep the people of Kantō strong, for people without war breeds weak individuals, and the followers of the Kami must be strong to resist invasion. Then there is Izana, goddess of death, for life and war must have death. She lives in Yomo, the realm of the dead, and rejected coming back from the dead with her husband, Izano, the god of creation and the one whom she and Izano originally made the world and gifted it to Amano and Tsukuyon to look over.
Foreign Relations
The Kantō empire is fairly xenophobic, for its many battles with outside forces have hardened its people against outsiders. Due to this, foreign relations barely exist, as not only does the out of control Kamikazes make traveling to Kantō very dangerous but they people of the Kantō empire rarely willingly engage in foreign political discussion unless there's no other option, However, sometimes a fleet from the mighty Kantōnese navy will travel out to fight other nations for honor and glory.
Trade & Transport
While foreign relations are next to nonexistent due to the rather xenophobic nature of the Kantōnese Empire, trade still exists thanks to the Kamakiri Clan. However, trade with the land is highly dangerous thanks to the ever chaotic waves off the coast of Kantō, and so many trade ships are lost. However, those who do make it to and from Kantō, make it out with some of the richest spoils to ever greet a merchant sailor.
"sonnō jōi" -Revere the Emperor, Expel the Barbarians
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
Glorious Kantō, The Empire of the Rising Sun
Demonym
Kantōnese
Government System
Dictatorship
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Official Languages
Neighboring Nations
