The Clans of Kina
- The Toh Clan:
- Toh
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Military
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Toh initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- Departure: You may leave if wanted, but you will be deemed family to the Tobinara unless you prove that you have not honoured those familial bonds.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: The Toh has quite a tumultuous history, filled with ups and downs. One of the first clans to reach and gain control of Kinan lands, they took pleasure in their vast rice fields, with fertile grass to feed their cattle and springs to wash their bodies. Their location was key to their livelihood, but also their downfall. They were so focused on their own business that they did not anticipate other clans seeking their lands. Indeed, when Kina fell into its civil war, they found themselves a vassal clan under the Hinamoto, providing for their massive agricultural empire.
They would find themselves lost, their old clan banner was disgraced as they were forced into more submissive rules, giving up their peace and joys so that other clans could enjoy their riches. However, around five years ago, the Toh found fate turning in their favor. The young clan-head, Toh Tobinara, had spent most of his life kept as a pawn in another clan's army but he had learned to fight in this time, learned to lead, learned to understand that others would follow his ambitions. Upon the death of his father, he levied what little troops their clan had and began a series of battles and skirmishes to remove those that occupied Toh lands.
After the Red Lotus incident, however, the Toh would find their fortune was even more favourable. Rallying the smaller clans under the Toh banner, Tobinara would demand better treatment from the larger ones. With the Kazeharu and Hinamoto on their side, the Toh would reform the Clan system into the current Summit government and Tobinara would be elected as the first shogun of this new Kina for his efforts. He was not done, however, since he knew that there were still clans who oppressed and were oppressed. He needed to show the people of the lands, those who came to fight with them and anyone else, that oppression would burn and smolder. For that fire would warm the hearts of Kina’s youth, allowing them to become better than their elders.
Leader: Toh Tobinara- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Toh Tobinara
Tier: A Tier
Damage Required to Defeat: A Tier
Description: A ferocious, but somewhat small, twenty-five year old man. Wearing a red coat and jacket, he wears the slimming uniform of his personal design made for officers and light-armored troops. He carries himself with a joyful demeanor, his tenacious eyes often looking up and down to examine people upon their first encounter. With a boisterous voice, the red-eyed Kinan had spent most of his youth fighting on the front lines for other clans. He believes wholeheartedly in his people, having heard stories from his father of what it was like when the lands were peaceful and their bounties could be enjoyed. While he wishes for his lands to belong to his people, he believes anyone can be ‘his people’. Learning to give trust to those others would not and offering a hand where others need it, he puts his life on the line to make his country like the peaceful paradise he believes it can be.
- Entry: You must complete the Toh initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- The Kazeharu Clan:
- Kazeharu
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Religious
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Kazeharu initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- Departure: You may only leave if the Kazeharu deem you able to defend yourself, often requiring a meeting with the clan-head.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: It was only two generations ago that the Kazeharu were just a small clan in the middle of nowhere, presiding over a small mountainous area. In two generations, however, they have expanded themselves dramatically, taking advantage of their forces to the fullest and securing dominion over a large swathe of southern Kina. That does not mean that their forces are larger than other clans, but rather that they are kept well-equipped through the active political and economic lifestyle of their clan. With access to minerals and lumber, the southern Bodaze province was already prosperous, but the Kazaharu have furthered that wealth with their clan-owned merchant companies that import and export goods throughout the region.
In addition, the Kazeharu have used their wealth to fund the research and development of magical technologies that would help them manage their region. On one hand, this had led to their forces gaining useful magical tools. On the other hand, the clan-head Kazeharu Ichika has decided that their technology should only be used for the betterment of people, and not destruction. As such, using her position as a shrine maiden, she has begun spreading magical tools through her region and further in an attempt to encourage unity and prosperity between Kina’s clans. As proof of this ideal, she has joined the Toh and Kazeharu together in marriage, taking their leader Toh Tobinara as her husband.
Leader: Kazeharu Ichika- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Kazeharu Ichika
Tier: A Tier
Description: The twelfth daughter of Kazeharu Ichigo from his thirteen children, she was never considered in line for the position of clan-head. However, tradition dictates that one may only ascend to the position of leader after they have defeated the previous in a triathlon of events considered vital to their clan. Her father never lost to her older siblings but, through years of practice and cunning, she stayed under the radar and one day challenged her father out of the blue. Winning every event easily, she was made the clan-head, stealing it from under her older brother Ichiro who swore to be her right hand. As the clan-head, she now carries a magical bow that is seemingly connected to her horns - a magic item of their own. Despite their mysterious origin, she claims they are from her mother, a shrine maiden who received them from the spirits. This has gone hand in hand with her spread of shrines that provide a safe house for merchants and tourists. For this not only spreads her region's affluence, but it allows her to further her secondary goal of pushing magical goods into all Kina.
- Entry: You must complete the Kazeharu initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- The Shikizui Clan:
- Shikizui
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Military
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Shikizui initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- Departure: You may leave if wanted, but you will be deemed a friend of the Shikizui unless the Shikizui have a reason not to deem you a friend.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: A hundred years ago, the Shikizui were smaller than their neighbours, but their fields would always yield more crops. As such, they grew and grew in land and wealth, such that even the Hinamoto were investing in their fields. Over time, however, the Hinamoto would discover that the Shikizui had another resource better than their neighbours: their citizens. Indeed, their work had trained able-bodied warriors without the privilege of better-funded clans. As a result, the Shikizui would soon become known as the warrior clan, whose samurai were better trained than all other clans, honed with work and battle.
Since then, the Shikizui have assimilated many of their neighbours through trade and skirmish, expanding themselves into one of the largest clans. Indeed, they place great importance upon the bushido code, a set of samurai-centric beliefs that prioritise one’s strength and integrity over all else. As such, in peace-time, the clan-head Shikizui Yoshihiro has encouraged his citizens to focus their battle-lust into a love for kendo and sumo. In spite of this, however, they have not forgotten their roots as a farming clan, producing much of the crops eaten throughout Kina. Some even call the Shikizui the foundation-stone of Kina itself.
Leader: Yoshihiro Shikizui- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Yoshihiro Shikizui
Tier: A Tier
Description: The great and revered leader, Yoshihiro Shikizui, is a rough and tough man who has braved many battlefields. Yoshihiro is responsible for training many great warriors, hailing from a great family line of warriors himself. It is said nobody can match his brute strength in Kina, not even many fanalis, however, it is but a rumor and folktale. It has been verified by other samurai that the man has fallen to others before, but has always rebound and furthered himself to be even stronger and more durable for the next battle. It is this battle mentality and respectable nature of his that had him meet the previous Emperor of Kou and come to have mutual respect with one another.
It is said Yoshihiro's family line are the direct ancestors of Yoshiro Zu, the very Emperor of Kou today whom abolished slavery and corrected many evils of the nation. Yoshihiro is an elderly man who's vigor and strength has not wilted with the years, being very capable of a battle at anytime it is necessary for his people. His vassals and vassal clans have great loyalty to him and the Shikizui.
- Entry: You must complete the Shikizui initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- The Morihana Clan:
- Morihana
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Religious
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Morihana initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- Departure: You may not leave on friendly terms with the Morihana.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: The Morihana were once the most revered clan in all Kina, feared for their control over the island-nation from its mythical past to the fall of the Hanamo shogunate. They were uncontested within the eastern Ozai province, ruling from the old capital city of Kyuha, but lost all their status when the Hinamoto changed the capital. In time, however, the Morihana clan-heads increased and encouraged spiritual tourism to Kyuha, causing the city to be renovated and reimagined into a modern capital. Indeed, the Morihana took advantage of their history to regain control over many of Kina’s spiritual centres, installing their native Kusanagi religion in the shrines and temples.
In recent years, however, the Morihana have become feared for something else entirely. Under the guise of ‘entertainment’ and ‘spirituality’, the Morihana magicians created human-monster hybrids known to the layfolk as mononoke. The previous clan-head, Morihana Abe, would utilise the mononoke as threats and warnings, ensuring that citizens and vassal clans fell in line. Indeed, there are few who would dare oppose the Morihana, since there are none alive who have tried. In recent years, however, the current clan-head Morihana Jin has put his magicians to better use, producing useful magical tools for farming and transportation. In addition, he has tried to rehabilitate the mononoke that his father created, but it has not exactly saved the Morihana's reputation. After all, who are the real monsters: the mononoke or the Morihana who created them?
Leader: Morihana Jin- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Morihana Jin
Tier: A Tier
Damage Required to Defeat: A Tier
Description: The current head of the Morihanai clan, a dual master in magic and body manipulation arts. With a well-built body enhanced through magical ‘ceremonies’, he has gained a unique mononoke physiology. He has a very eccentric and open personality, admiring strength of any kind more than anything and wishing to make a nation for those who excel through physical, spiritual, political or magical means. He has a deep but teasing voice, often playing around whenever he talks, which clashes with his role as one of the two highest-ranking priests of the Kusanagi sect. Indeed, his casual manner of speech contrasts with battle-worn appearance, having one arm, but he offsets this with his autumn-inspired robing.
- Entry: You must complete the Morihana initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- The Onigaku Clan:
- Onigaku
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Military | Social
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Onigaku initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan. You will be favoured if you are a dungeon beast or mononoke.
- Departure: You may leave if wanted, but you will be deemed a friend of the Onigaku unless the Onigaku have a reason not to deem you a friend.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: The Onigaku are a curious clan, neither old nor new, whose role in Kinan society has changed drastically in the last few years. They were a vassal clan of the Morihana, owning much of their arable land, but they were not treated well by their parent clan. Every year, they were taxed more than they could afford until they were only reliant on the Morihana’s relief funds. In this way, they became dependent on the Morihana, despite having so many resources available. In addition, their citizens were often volunteered for the Morihana’s magic ‘ceremonies’, producing human-monster hybrids known as mononoke. Filled with poverty and outcasts, the Onigaku would not survive another generation of this abuse.
In the last few years, however, their clan-head Onigaku Amida and Morihana Jin have allied themselves together, exposing the lies about mononoke from the previous Morihanan clan-head. Since she has become a mononoke herself, Amida has invited other mononoke to find refuge in the Onigaku’s territory, where citizens are not prejudiced against the mononoke. In addition, since he recognised their efforts, the emperor Hinamoto Akihiko granted them the status of an unmeichi clan, allowing them to stand on their own two feet without Morihana support.
Leader: Onigaku Amida- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Onigaku Amida
Tier: A Tier
Description: As a mononoke, some would call Amida monstrous, her veins protruding and her eyes slitted, but most see her for the gentle woman that she is. Polite and calm, she will always put others before herself. There is an element of sadness that hangs about her person at all times, however, since she hates that she had no choice in receiving her horns and tails. This has resulted in her valuing freedom over all else, meaning that she does not like staying in one place for too long. Indeed, she is well-travelled, more than any other Kinan, visiting Kou and the Plains every month or so.
- Entry: You must complete the Onigaku initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan. You will be favoured if you are a dungeon beast or mononoke.
- The Kogata Clan:
- Kogata
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Military
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Kogata initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- Departure: You may leave in an official capacity but you may be deemed an assassination target if you have learnt the Kogata’s secrets.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: If one asked the other clans about the Kogata, the response would label them ‘snakes’ or ‘lowlifes’. Indeed, the Kogata have spent their centuries-long existence as a mercenary clan, offering weapons and information in return for protection against their many enemies. Indeed, they came from disenfranchised Hinamoto samurai who decided that they would turn their weapon from sword to secret, becoming the first shinobi in Kinan history. Each generation afterwards, the Kogata would take a new form, whether arms-dealers or brothel-owners, until the previous clan-head Kogata Fumiko would reform them entirely.
Fumiko would formalise the Kogata into a information-brokering service, openly offering secrets in exchange for money and samurai. After all, in the dangerous environment of Kinan politics, they would have no shortage of deals. She would also establish a black market that imported foreign goods and exported Kinan wares to the outside world. Rumours say that such wares include slaves but, since the Kogata have their lips fully sealed, they would remain rumours. Indeed, many citizens consider the Kogata immoral and most clans are hesitant to make their associations public.
Ever since Fumiko’s connection with the Red Lotus incident was made known, however, the Kogata’s reputation has gotten worse. Their land has been redistributed amongst other clans, their goods seized and weapons confiscated, and Fumiko has been replaced by a shogun-affiliated clan-head. Yamada Tsuneoki. He keeps a close watch on the Kogata’s shinobi, ensuring that they cannot access their black market contacts. In particular, he has made sure that Fumiko could not contact the Kogata, asking that the shogun issue a death sentence against her. Indeed, since it was passed unanimously in the Summit, the Kogata have become captives within their own territory. But if there is one thing that snakes like them can do? That would be escaping a cage…
Leader: Yamada Tsuneoki- Spoiler:
Name: Yamada Tsuneoki
Tier: A Tier
Description: A slender man with the handsome looks of a well-dressed noble, marred only by some deep scarring upon his chin. Though his lean physique seems weak for a seasoned warrior, he holds himself with a degree of pride which suggests his status as a samurai. Indeed, he has worked hard enough that the Summit entrusted him with the difficulty of keeping the Kogata in check. His clan were once vassals of the Morihana, but they made themselves independent after the Red Lotus incident when knowledge of their association with the Kogata became public. He has a burning hatred of the Kogata and Fumiko herself because he believes that their connections with the Lotus led to many of his friends and comrades losing their lives.
- Entry: You must complete the Kogata initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan.
- The Yokuzawa Clan:
- Yokuzawa
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Military
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must complete the Yokuzawa initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan. You must become initiated into the Aomori organisation.
- Departure: You may not leave in any capacity and you will be deemed an assassination target for knowing about the Aomori organisation.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: There are many rumours about the Yokuzawa. None of them are true, however, for the truth is worse than rumour. They were a small clan affiliated with the Aomori organisation, a criminal syndicate with ties to the Kogata and Kina’s black market. In the last decade, the Aomori was forced to disband after the Kogata betrayed them to the Hinamoto authorities, but they have regrouped under the Yokuzawa name. Knowing their mistake was exposing their identity, they have ensured that no ties to the Aomori organisation could be connected with their new name. But make no mistake: this is the same criminal syndicate that once sold slaves and stolen technology to the outside world, tearing Kina apart in the process.
After the Red Lotus incident, however, they have become even stronger after filling their ranks with Kogata and Lotus forces. Using their new assets, they have spread their influence throughout the regions within the southern Daisa province, assimilating other clans through persuasive means. As such, they have become the de facto representative of the Daisa province, becoming an unmeichi clan without the Summit knowing anything about their Aomori connections. If their criminal dealings were not bad enough, however, higher-ups within the Yokuzawa cannot agree upon their clan-head. Some say that they are a man. Others say that they are a woman. Everyone agrees that they are not to be trifled with.
Leader: Unknown - Entry: You must complete the Yokuzawa initiation. You cannot be within another unmeichi clan. You must become initiated into the Aomori organisation.
- The Hinamoto Clan:
- Hinamoto
Affiliation: Kina
Type: Political | Social
Status: Open
Requirements:- Entry: You must impress a high-ranking Hinamoto individual.
- Departure: You may not leave and expect friendly terms with the Hinamoto.
- Activity: No check required.
Description: The Hinamoto once founded the modern nation of Kina, drawing together the various clans under a single banner. They were feared then for the famous tale that their divine blood could control the island itself. The other clans now use this convenient myth to maintain the fragile balance of power between each other, following the now weakened clan to ensure that no single clan has decisive control. Imprisoned within the capital Hakyu and their samurai removed, the Hinamoto became glorified puppet-kings with their strings operated by the other clans.
At least, that seemed true for the past few generations. But they had truly been spreading their roots deeper into the foundation of Kina’s politics, carefully growing a garden of lies. This spy network which had formed soon bore fruit under the clan’s current matriarch, Hinamoto Manami, giving her indirect influence over the other clans. This ruling clan may seem to be kept prisoner within their own capital, but they are actually the prison-guards of Kina. Their subtle influence within the clans has prevented the island nation from interacting with the outside world, lest the clans side with an external power and invite a foreign ruler into their capital. They lived in relative comfort, paid tribute with riches by their vassal states, and were complacent about domestic affairs.
At least, until the emperor Hinamoto Akihiko decided that Kina’s prosperity would not continue unless international trade was opened. As such, he allowed the Hinamoto’s power to be relinquished to the office of the shogun and their new government, so that Kina’s clans had enough power to feel confident on the global stage. After all, whether the crown sat upon their head or laid at their feet, Kina would always be the Hinamoto’s.
Leader: Hinamoto Akihiko- Spoiler:
- Spoiler:
Name: Hinamoto Akihiko
Tier: A Tier
Description: A handsome young man who loves his bling, Akihiko surrounds himself with riches and women. He dresses in the finest clothes, trimmed with gold and decorated in ruby - the nation’s coffers grasped in one hand and a beautiful girl in the other. His loud personality often misconstrues him as a simple playboy, but he is much more than that. He is a political genius blessed by the gods of sword and mind who both satisfies the nobles’s desire and captivates his people’s hearts with youthful vigour, while secretly controlling events so that the clans continue (or pretend) to pledge their loyalty. It does not matter if that loyalty is not real - so long as they have pledged it, he holds the upper hand.
- Entry: You must impress a high-ranking Hinamoto individual.
