Erayo
The Whip-Poor-Wils
Clan Status: Major, though waning
Colours: Light to medium grey-blues; gold, white or black highlights; dignified and urbane styles; fashionable but never overly daring
Chief Kannushi: Erayo Kunihiko
Vassal Clans: Aorai (Great Blue Heron), Satsuma (Shield-Headed Salamander)
Reputation: Fair-minded, diplomatic, lawful, naive, passive, trusting, Commonwealth loyalists
Preferred classes: Courtier, samurai, investigator, paladin (Amaterasu, Hanaviri-no-Kishiki, Reiza-no-Mikoto), greyguard (Kagemitsu), ninja
Imagery: Erayo Fashion & Scenery Image Gallery (External)
The Erayo were once a great naval power prior to the Deluge, still united with their once-vassals the Yoisura. The Erayo-Yoisura were superb sailors and naval combatants, so much so that their galleons tipped the balance between nascent Marai and Lichlord Io'a's invading hordes. When the ancient rulership of the Sokenzan began to wane, but before the Deluge kneecapped their dominance of naval trade routes, the united Erayo-Yoisura commonly sat the Plain Pillow due to their cunning, charisma and adaptability.
Also known as the Nightjars or Nighthawks (another name for their clan’s Totem bird), the Erayo are a sort of mirror of the Izuka. Both are skilled diplomats and streetwise politicians, but unlike the politically apathetic Panthers the Erayo are dedicated to the cohesion and well-being of the Commonwealth. Pragmatic and peaceable, the Erayo are often sought after to resolve disputes between clans, and are often considered too passive to be a threat by the more assertive families. They go so far as to cultivate a reputation of outright dopiness and eagerness to trust, often gleaning useful information without a single lock picked.
The Nightjars are, however, anything but simple. Like the Iname, Setsu, Oronaga and Izuka, they are no strangers to the hidden layers of both politics and Waking reality, and deploy bands of ninja in equal parts for espionage / counterespionage and supernatural investigation / spirit hunting, while other clans tend to focus on one. In a sense they also mirror the Iname, as the whip-poor-will (whose darting silhouettes may often be seen in the twilight sky) represents sensitivity to the Veil and to Duskscape influences, similar to spiders. (That said, birds have a better reputation than spiders do, seen as Material guardians as opposed to corporeal yūrei.) They also share the Iname's love of poetry, frequently mentioning the evening dances of their totem bird. The Erayo are a people driven to reconcile the yin & yang, dawn & dusk, both internally and externally. They defend the stability of the Commonwealth, both by daylight and by moonlight.
Sadly, the once major clan has declined significantly, as the Yoisura split off from the Erayo about a century past, and have since climbed in wealth and influence beyond their parent clan. Nonetheless the Nighthawks are still highly esteemed and have often been elected to lead the Shogunate since the Commonwealth’s inception.The Ancient Erayo
Despite their mild reputation, the Nightjars have a darker history than most clans. The ancient, united Erayo-Yoisura Clan is remembered mostly as naval explorers and tradesmen, however in truth the clan was largely just a pirate band. The early Sokenzan likely knew or at least suspected this at the time, but the wealth and territorial power they brought to the Commonwealth was undeniable. Though they had blood on their hands even then, they have an even more well-kept secret: the monstrous, reaving pirate-necromancers, the Shiomi, are also a breakaway remnant of that ancient clan. The Erayo are deeply ashamed of this, and will not rest until every last Shiomi is sent to the Deadlands of O-Inai.The Shan-Setsu Cold War
The Erayo are one of the few clans aware of the "cold war" between the Shan and Setsu, wherein the Tengu are attempting to empower themselves with lost Arakh relics, while the Ermines are maneuvering both to keep power out of Shan hands and maintain a relative peace between the Skylands Arakh and the Commonwealth. They are also one of the few clans who are level-headed enough to understand the benefits of the Setsu's plan, despite the savage reputation of the arakh hordes east of Asura's Wall. Rather than act to directly assist the Setsu (whom they still distrust), they mainly act through the reclusive and independent Naru peoples who reside in the Skylands, with whom the Nighthawks have maintained a loose friendship since the days the Naru were an official clan.
Geography
Profile art credit: Yoshitaka Amano
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