The Kingdom of Yari
Stoicism. Resolve. Fortitude. Fearlessness. Such is the way of Yari.
A Stone-Heart Samurai Warrior stands firm amongst the ruins of his master’s temple. Leaves flutter around him, shorn from the trees which wilt with haste just past the shattered terrace. He grips his trusty katana, holds it far out to his side. He looks onwards, resolute. Like Stone made flesh.
In the misty distance, stepping slowly into view another samurai approaches. This one...different. The closer it comes the more grotesque and otherworldly the details seem. Instead of a face, a mass of foam. Instead of muscle, tentacle. The brine oozes between the tattered strips of armor. The same armor the Samurai wears.
Behind it, more. An army. Thousands. They approach silently, but do not stay so. They begin to cry only 30 feet out:
“You let us die. We are your kin....” The masses of horrid mutants gurgle.
The Samurai does not blink. He does not waver.
“Shinzo...your mother...why did you let her die?” Ten feet away now. The salt burns him.
Still the samurai does not budge. He readies his sword. The wood at his feet begins to warp and rot.
Just before he drives his katana deep into the foaming mass, the face rearranges into the visage of his dear mother.
The samurai hesitates, just for a moment, but it is enough. He is slain and the creatures continue forward.
The monsters only make it another ten feet before they meet the next Samurai, still like stone made flesh, resolute. Behind him another. An army. Thousands....
Military
The Empress’ Army
Few people in history have withstood a more truly apocalyptic scenario than the people of Yari. No kingdom expected the island chain to survive even a few years battling against the The Dark Sea. Yari has survived over 45. Much of this is due to the complete mobilization of the Yarese people.
When the horrors of the sea began to flood over The Divide and slaughter all in their path, and when the conventional armies of Old Yari were crushed, nothing stood between Yari and total destruction. Only with the quick reforms of Empress Konya in 730 did Yari survive. By far the most impressive of these measures was the near total conscription of all Yarese over the age of 15.
This army, named after she who created and personally led it, used every able bodied adult to equip, feed, and fight for the war effort. Every time a village was invaded, the villagers formed into their determined ranks, and fought to the death. Every time a city was seized, peasants from all over Yari converged to liberate it. When the Empress’ Castle itself in Tennotoshi was stormed, the people formed mass human wave attacks to save their beloved Empress.
This army, with help from The Samurai, Ninja, and Dojo Monks, were able to repel the invasion and hold for dear survival ever since. To this day the people are still mobilized, in a sense. Society in Yari revolves around supplying and using this fighting force and bolstering it’s morale.
The Samurai
When the wave struck and the horrors came from beneath the sea, it did not take long for the conventional forces of Yari to learn they were far outmatched. The reality warping powers of The Dark Sea wrought havoc on the frightened, fragile minds of the Yarese. A new kind of warrior was needed to fight back against the terror of the sea, one dulled against fear, unmovable like stone made flesh.
One of the first things done during the Konya Reformation of 730 was to recreate The Samurai, a force of nearly superhuman soldiers capable of battling and defeating The Dark Sea. Unlike the poetry loving noble warriors of the original Samurai order, this new iteration would be bolstered by dark magic granted by the god of death to ensure they could stand resolute in the face of a horrifying enemy. Any adult who displays a particular knack for bravery and sacrifice was taken and a deal was made with Graventhor, The God of Death and Fate.
Those chosen to be Samurai would sacrifice half their soul to Graventhor in exchange for inhuman powers of dedication, strength, intelligence, and resilience. The Samurai would retain vestiges of their former identity, wiped of nearly all personality. But with this loss of humanity, they shed their greatest weakness to The Dark Sea. There was no longer an anchor for the horror to latch onto, no entryway into the mind, no morale to break.
The Samurai are heroes and legends amongst the people or Yari and beyond, and were instrumental in pushing the forces of the sea back over the Island Divide, saving Yari. The war has never let up since, and Samurai are created and killed almost daily.
The Ninja Clan
In Old Yari, none were feared as much as the assassin guild known as The Ninja Clan. More than a handful upstart emperors and lords were slain in silence by these masters of shadow. But then the wave came and washed away their ancestral base, along with most of their membership.
Those who survived the tough years directly following the tsunami were brought to light by Empress Konya and her personal army and given a chance at redemption. All past crimes of The Ninja Clan would be forgiven if they fully integrated themselves into The Yarese Defense forces, fighting side by side with Samurai and Peasant Soldier.
A few resisted, and still to this day operate in the shadows all over Yari and beyond, but the vast majority became legitimized.
Though now a publicly known institution, the Ninja Clan still enjoys a great deal of secrecy and autonomy. They are able to choose their own members, and use their dark arts on anyone they deem a danger to the state survival effort.
Where they excel, however, is in combating the forces of The Dead Sea. By sheer accident, the training regiments of The Ninja Clan helped shield them from the mind corruption powers of the sea born monsters, and their prowess in combat keeps them alive even when operating deep in the flooded half of the island.
The Dojos of Monokori
Very few institutions in Yari survived the Tsunami and the reforms, one of these being The Dojos. These pious mountain dwellers once trained themselves in search of peace and harmony, but now use their centuries of accumulated knowledge to aid Yari against the forces of The Dark Sea.
In the Dojos, which are scattered all throughout Yari but are primarily clustered around Monokori, monks spend their lives in solemn ritual and trial. They harden their bodies and minds in ancient forms and techniques. Once ready and fully trained in these mystic arts, Monks leave the safety of The Dojo to find peace in the world. Whether this be in combat with the enemy, or on foreign shores spreading the teachings of the Dojo, this goal of peace may change from Monk to Monk.
Though not as organized or numbered as other defense organizations, The Dojo Monks nonetheless form a critical part of the Yari military. They do not take orders from the Emperor or Samurai, and never have. This is a point on contention, but as The Dojo was never shattered like the other factions, they were able to retain some autonomy. That combined with their propensity for solitary wandering and individual goals ensures that you may find a Monk anywhere, doing what they deem right.
Most Monks find their peace in battle with the evils of The Dark Sea, their training by luck conditioning them perfectly for fighting it.
Few people in history have withstood a more truly apocalyptic scenario than the people of Yari. No kingdom expected the island chain to survive even a few years battling against the The Dark Sea. Yari has survived over 45. Much of this is due to the complete mobilization of the Yarese people.
When the horrors of the sea began to flood over The Divide and slaughter all in their path, and when the conventional armies of Old Yari were crushed, nothing stood between Yari and total destruction. Only with the quick reforms of Empress Konya in 730 did Yari survive. By far the most impressive of these measures was the near total conscription of all Yarese over the age of 15.
This army, named after she who created and personally led it, used every able bodied adult to equip, feed, and fight for the war effort. Every time a village was invaded, the villagers formed into their determined ranks, and fought to the death. Every time a city was seized, peasants from all over Yari converged to liberate it. When the Empress’ Castle itself in Tennotoshi was stormed, the people formed mass human wave attacks to save their beloved Empress.
This army, with help from The Samurai, Ninja, and Dojo Monks, were able to repel the invasion and hold for dear survival ever since. To this day the people are still mobilized, in a sense. Society in Yari revolves around supplying and using this fighting force and bolstering it’s morale.
The Samurai
When the wave struck and the horrors came from beneath the sea, it did not take long for the conventional forces of Yari to learn they were far outmatched. The reality warping powers of The Dark Sea wrought havoc on the frightened, fragile minds of the Yarese. A new kind of warrior was needed to fight back against the terror of the sea, one dulled against fear, unmovable like stone made flesh.
One of the first things done during the Konya Reformation of 730 was to recreate The Samurai, a force of nearly superhuman soldiers capable of battling and defeating The Dark Sea. Unlike the poetry loving noble warriors of the original Samurai order, this new iteration would be bolstered by dark magic granted by the god of death to ensure they could stand resolute in the face of a horrifying enemy. Any adult who displays a particular knack for bravery and sacrifice was taken and a deal was made with Graventhor, The God of Death and Fate.
Those chosen to be Samurai would sacrifice half their soul to Graventhor in exchange for inhuman powers of dedication, strength, intelligence, and resilience. The Samurai would retain vestiges of their former identity, wiped of nearly all personality. But with this loss of humanity, they shed their greatest weakness to The Dark Sea. There was no longer an anchor for the horror to latch onto, no entryway into the mind, no morale to break.
The Samurai are heroes and legends amongst the people or Yari and beyond, and were instrumental in pushing the forces of the sea back over the Island Divide, saving Yari. The war has never let up since, and Samurai are created and killed almost daily.
The Ninja Clan
In Old Yari, none were feared as much as the assassin guild known as The Ninja Clan. More than a handful upstart emperors and lords were slain in silence by these masters of shadow. But then the wave came and washed away their ancestral base, along with most of their membership.
Those who survived the tough years directly following the tsunami were brought to light by Empress Konya and her personal army and given a chance at redemption. All past crimes of The Ninja Clan would be forgiven if they fully integrated themselves into The Yarese Defense forces, fighting side by side with Samurai and Peasant Soldier.
A few resisted, and still to this day operate in the shadows all over Yari and beyond, but the vast majority became legitimized.
Though now a publicly known institution, the Ninja Clan still enjoys a great deal of secrecy and autonomy. They are able to choose their own members, and use their dark arts on anyone they deem a danger to the state survival effort.
Where they excel, however, is in combating the forces of The Dead Sea. By sheer accident, the training regiments of The Ninja Clan helped shield them from the mind corruption powers of the sea born monsters, and their prowess in combat keeps them alive even when operating deep in the flooded half of the island.
The Dojos of Monokori
Very few institutions in Yari survived the Tsunami and the reforms, one of these being The Dojos. These pious mountain dwellers once trained themselves in search of peace and harmony, but now use their centuries of accumulated knowledge to aid Yari against the forces of The Dark Sea.
In the Dojos, which are scattered all throughout Yari but are primarily clustered around Monokori, monks spend their lives in solemn ritual and trial. They harden their bodies and minds in ancient forms and techniques. Once ready and fully trained in these mystic arts, Monks leave the safety of The Dojo to find peace in the world. Whether this be in combat with the enemy, or on foreign shores spreading the teachings of the Dojo, this goal of peace may change from Monk to Monk.
Though not as organized or numbered as other defense organizations, The Dojo Monks nonetheless form a critical part of the Yari military. They do not take orders from the Emperor or Samurai, and never have. This is a point on contention, but as The Dojo was never shattered like the other factions, they were able to retain some autonomy. That combined with their propensity for solitary wandering and individual goals ensures that you may find a Monk anywhere, doing what they deem right.
Most Monks find their peace in battle with the evils of The Dark Sea, their training by luck conditioning them perfectly for fighting it.
Stoicism. Resolve. Fortitude. Fearlessness.
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
The Unswept Islands
Demonym
Yarese
Official State Religion
Location
Controlled Territories
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