Yashiro

The people of Yashiro have a strict militaristic society. They are on constant alert for threats from the Shadowlands to the south of their domain. Because of this every citizen is trained at a young age in the art of combat. Bushido: You gain proficiency with the katana (longsword), wakizashi (shortsword), hankyu (shortbow), and daikyu (longbow). When dealing damage with a weapon you are proficient with you may deal additional damage equal to your proficiency bonus and you add your proficiency bonus to your AC until the start of your next turn. This ability cannot be used again until you complete a long rest.

Naming Traditions

Feminine names

Aiko, Asuka, Himeko, Kagura, Momoko, Natsuki, Omame, Sango, Sanishi

Masculine names

Hironaka, Iehiro, Kagetsune, Kanetsune, Kazuteru, Moronao, Sanenaga, Takamochi, Tamechika

Unisex names

Ichigo, Yuki, Kaname, Yasu, Ryome, Yuri, Kaede

Family names

These names are in the order of family name first, then the personal name. Andou, Chiba, Inaba, Oku, Sagara, Tozawa, Urakami

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The people of Yashiro speak common with a bit of the sylvan language mixed in. This combination makes their dialect seem foreign to anyone not used to hearing it.

Shared customary codes and values

Most Yashirans share a high community oriented outlook. Believing that the needs of the many outweigh the needs of the few. They believe that in taking care of their communities as a whole and that all people should work towards their common goals.

Common Etiquette rules

It is common courtesy to bow in greeting and in parting or as a show of respect or thanks. In fact, whenever one would use a handshake or hug, a Yashiran would bow instead. It is often seen as rude to touch another person unless granted permission first. Yashirans value their personal space. Yashiran people generally refer to each other with their family name and when introducing themselves will give their family name followed by their given name. First name usage is generally reserved for family members or close friends. A final example, it is considered rude that when drinking with another person or persons to pour your own drink. Most Yashirans will pour each other drinks from a shared alcohol bottle and then when taking a sip it is polite to turn away from them.

Art & Architecture

Yashiran artists create beautiful works of art inspired by their unique landscapes, which can only be found here due to the closeness of the fey realm. They have perfected the art of freehand painting on natural fibers with ink. The style of which is only mastered in the region itself. The country is also known for its vibrant natural dyes that artisans use to create some of the most sought after textiles in the world.

Common Customs, traditions and rituals

The Yashiran people have a reverence for nature and display this with the practice of flower viewing in the spring. It is common to see families gathering around nature flowering trees for family outings. It is also a popular custom to hold festivals at certain times of the year that celebrate regionally worshiped deities. These festivals are usually held outdoors and the streets are lines with different vendors and games for people to play and entertain themselves. It is quite common for traditional Yashiran grab to be worn to these celebrations.

Funerary and Memorial customs

Funerals are a very solemn thing for most Yashirans. When a family member dies the closest living relative (usually the inheritor) is given the title of Chief Mourner and organizes a service that many members of the family and community attend. A service is held by a representative of the patron god of the family to send the soul of the deceased to rest. The body is then cremated and interred in a family shrine. Every family has a large hollow stone shrine where deceased member's ashes will be put after services. Smaller shrines are common in individual homes accompanied by paintings of deceased relatives. It is common for family members to make a pilgrimage to the family shrine at least once per year.

Common Taboos

One must remove their shoes before entering a temple or shrine. When offered food you should never eat everything that is given to you on the plate. Doing so implies that the host has not fed you enough. the common practices of shaking hands, hugging or kissing in greeting are seen as rude as people tend to be more reserved. An old tabbo exists, where the birth of twins was thought to be unlucky or bring misfortune to a family. At one time it was common when having twins to keep the first born or male twin and to either abandon or have the child raised outside of the family with no affiliations. in some cases the other twin would be put to death to prevent the family from suffering under the misfortune the birth was said to bring. This has fallen out of practice and few people hold any weight in this superstition.

Ideals

Beauty Ideals

Yashiran view a beautiful woman, as being lithe and almost androgynous of body, with petite features and round faces. Long hair is quite common among men and women in different styles and pale skin is seen as a sign of nobility. Strong and angular facial features are sought after in men.

Gender Ideals

Gender roles are common in Yashiran society, although notable receptions exist.

Courtship Ideals

Courtship and dating are rarely done out of love in the beginning. Most marriages are arranged by the family. Families will commission artists to create prints of the daughters. A letter stating the virtues and skills of the woman is given to other families with eligible men, who then go through the dossier and arrange meetings between the young people to gauge compatibility and to discuss the pros of having the woman marry into the family. After a few meetings and arrangement is reached and the couple are married. The female is added to the family registry and becomes a part of the males family.

Relationship Ideals

Though courtship rituals seem strict, most people believe that they be necessary to creating strong families and producing good offspring. Families often have the best interests of the young couple as well as the family as a whole in mind when arranging the marriage. Separations are rarely seen in Yashiran society, as it is severely frowned upon. Most unions will be viewed as successful if a son is born from the union. Since inheritors are almost always named to be the eldest son of a line. Whilst women are seen as necessary and a means to strengthen the bonds between other families through marriage.

Encompassed species

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