vaelora/Setting/Realms/Mentralin/Kyourin/Kyourin Shogunate.md

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Kyourin Shogunate

! Coat of Arms: A crimson chrysanthemum pierced by a black crescent blade on a field of ash-grey, encircled by a serpent devouring its tail.

General Information
Leader	The Immortal Shogun, Lord Kyōketsu
Demonym	Kyourin
Population	~11 million
Demography	Majority Tul (slaves, ~70%), Akumei (leading nobility, ~25%), and enslaved minorities from northern Mentralia
Government
Type	Militarized Theocracy ruled by a God-King figure
Notable People
Notable Figures	Shogun Kyōketsu, General Ayame-no-Kage, High Seeress Onnari, Lord Inushiro of the Black Flame
Military
Land Forces	Akumei Deathclans, conscripted legions, and spiritual enforcers
Naval Forces	Limited; shallow-draft war barges and shadowfleets, mostly used for coastal defense and slave raids
Important Locations
Seat of Power	Kazugari (City of Thousand Blades)
Key Locations	Kazugari, Temple of the Hollow Eye, Iga Marsh Bastion, Black Iron Mines of Mourugane
Wondrous Places	The Ashen Pillars, Bloodmirror Lake, the Maw of Whispers
Infrastructure & Trade
Infrastructure	Well-developed roads for military use, spirit-forged bridges, slave-built aqueducts
Trade Goods	Black iron, blood amber, spirit glass, trained assassins, alchemical poisons, silk

Overview

The Kyourin Shogunate is a theocratic and militaristic regime that dominates the southern reaches of the Mentralian continent, carved from the scarred remnants of the ancient Tul-Dar Empire. Once a heartland of learning and prosperity, the region was shattered by cataclysm when the earth split open and the heavens tore, birthing what is now the Shattered Sea. In the chaos that followed, the survivors of the highlands bound themselves to spirits from the void beyond the stars, forging dark pacts to survive. What endured was not salvation - but transformation.

The Shogunate is ruled by the Immortal Shogun, a title once held by generals before the fall, now synonymous with divine authority and brutal legacy. Whispers persist that the current Shogun is the very same warlord who led the survivors into corruption over a thousand years ago. Whether a timeless lich, spirit-wreathed vessel, or myth in flesh, none dare question his dominion.

While only a third of its population are native Akumei - a caste of void-touched elites born from the bloodlines of pact-makers - the rest are enslaved peoples, brought from distant lands to toil on defiled soil. Ancient Tul-Dar structures, rites, and philosophies persist here, but in twisted, shadowed forms, echoing truths now wrapped in decay and discipline.

Feared across Vaelora, the Shogunate commands legions of spirit-bound warriors, assassins steeped in shadows, and a bureaucracy shaped by esoteric laws and spiritual submission. It is a prison of tradition and power, drawing those desperate or mad enough to seek strength in corruption.

Geography

The Kyourin Shogunate spans a harsh, volcanic region in the far south of the Mentralian continent. The land is seared by ancient catastrophe, fractured by tectonic upheaval, and shaped by a lingering void-taint that infects soil, water, and sky alike.

The climate is hot, dry, and oppressive, with minimal seasonal variation due to intense geothermal activity. The skies are perpetually overcast, cloaking the land in a shroud of sulfurous clouds and ash. In the northeast, volcanic peaks vent smoke and fire year-round, and much of the soil is poisonous or cursed, requiring specially adapted crops and rituals to coax life from it.

To the north, the Shogunate is cut off from the heartlands of the Mentralian continent by the colossal White Peaks, a half-moon mountain range rising over 8.000 meters high. These snowcapped giants form a natural barrier, with only a few fortified and treacherous passes allowing access to the neighboring realm of Elarien. From above, the White Peaks trace the rim of an ancient impact crater, a wound in the earth whose metaphysical scars run deep. The northern ridgelands are also a source of jade, mined through dangerous void-warded techniques and traded under strict regulation.

To the south, the land descends into the Shattered Sea, a coastline riddled with cliffs, jagged reefs, and broken islands. Here, the earth split apart during the Shattering, and the ocean swallowed what remained. Navigation is perilous; only desperate pirates, bold merchants, and native mariners brave these waters. Most harbors are little more than fishing outposts or smuggler dens, save for one great port (yet to be named), controlled by a dominant High Clan and fortified with obsidian seawalls.

At the heart of the realm lies the Jade City, the Shogunate's capital and seat of the Immortal Shogun. Nestled in the elevated midland terraces, it presides over the most fertile land in the region. The high plains here are sculpted into vast black stone terraces, irrigated by steaming aqueducts and used to grow black rice and moonflower throughout the year - both essential to the Shogunate's economy and rites.

Southwest of the capital, the land falls suddenly into The Rift, a cliffline of staggering height formed during the Shattering. Beyond it lie the Fractured Plains - a chaotic landscape of rifts, canyons, and broken mesas that extends all the way to the coast. Few roads cross this terrain safely.

The Shogunate is divided among six High Clans and six Low Clans, with the Kyourin Clan maintaining absolute supremacy for the past thousand years.

The Six High Clans

1. Kyourin Clan - The Eternal Flame (Seat: Jade City): The ruling clan and direct bloodline of the Immortal Shogun. Kyourin lands sit in the fertile highlands, home to the black rice terraces and moonflower fields that sustain the realm. They are the keepers of Voidcalling rites, and their palaces are layered with history, incense, and fear.
2. Shugotai Clan - The Veilbound Blades (Seat: Hidden Fortress of Ashikoru in the Northern Ridge): Masters of warfare and swordcraft. Their secluded strongholds in the White Peaks house terrifying warrior-monks said to be half-shadow, half-man. They guard the northern passes into Elarien and control the jade mines.
3. Narakami Clan - The Storm-Eaters (Seat: Port of Iramoro at the Southern Coast): Naval lords and raiders who dominate the southern Shattered Sea. Their port city is the Shogunate's largest harbor and chief hub of trade (and piracy). Their fleets fly sails inked with red sigils and are said to commune with drowned spirits.
4. Yatsukumo Clan - The Iron Ember (Seat: Firehold Bastion in the northeast): Forgemasters and smith-lords who tame the volcanic forges. Their domain is rich in obsidian, ores, and cursed relics. The most powerful armor and blades from their halls are rumored to be semi-sentient, and each is ritually bound to its wielder.
5. Hizagura Clan - The Scarlet Root (Seat: Kenzan): Agricultural overlords and ritual herbalists who preside over the midland farms and spiritual traditions of the Shogunate. Their moonflower temples blend horticulture and prophecy. Their seers are often consulted before major military actions.
6. Daisetsu Clan - The Howling Cliff (Seat: Watcher's Reach in The Rift): Wardens of the Fractured Plains, this stoic and grim clan patrols the canyons and deadlands. They are frontier enforcers, slavers, and spirit hunters. Their warriors are known for eerie silence and bone-laced armor. They collect taxes in souls and flesh.

The Six Low Clans

1. Kagetsu Clan - The Pale Branch: Agrarian and spiritual vassals of Hizagura, known for cultivating rare dreamlotus and tending hidden shrines. Their lands border the toxin-blighted fields and often suffer plague and hallucination storms.
2. Torahime Clan - The Drowned Pearl: Subordinate to Narakami, they manage coastal smuggler towns and salt harvesting. Rumored to practice deep-void communion and spirit-walking. Their children are born with black eyes and salt-crusted skin.
3. Shikane Clan - The Ash Walkers: Vassals to Yatsukumo, they are scouts, miners, and corpse-collectors. Known for ritual scarification and fire tattoos. Their lands are dotted with sulfur pits and ruined shrines.
4. Muzan Clan - The Voidborn Tongue: An enigmatic court clan that serves Kyourin as spies, assassins, and diplomats. Their estates are nestled in the shadow of Jade City. They are experts in etiquette, blackmail, and subtle poisons.
5. Renza Clan - The Broken Chain: Slave-masters and debt-keepers, they serve Daisetsu and enforce labor quotas across the Fractured Plains. Their fortress-vaults are filled with branded captives, and their banners bear the image of a snapped shackle.
6. Ayaka Clan - The Thorn Veil: Sworn to Shugotai, they train priestesses and shrinekeepers for void-bound rituals. Their mountaintop monasteries are whispered to be places where the veil is thin and voices from beyond can be heard by the devoted.

History

The Kyourin Shogunate rose from the ashes of cataclysm. When the Shattering ruptured the heart of the ancient Tul-Dar Empire, it split the southern provinces from the northern heartlands in an eruption of fire, earthquakes, and poisonous ash. The Shattered Sea was born from this devastation, severing the empire in body and spirit. Where once stood fertile highlands, now lay a land scorched by volcanism, haunted by spirits, and cloaked in permanent shadow.

In this chaos, survival seemed impossible - until Kyourin Kyōketsu, a former general of the Tul-Dar, forged a desperate pact. Seeking to preserve his people, he struck a blood-oath with corrupted spirits from beyond the stars. Those who followed him endured a horrific transformation. Their blood twisted, their flesh hardened, and their spirits darkened - they became the Akumei, the first of a new warrior caste built for the hostile world.

Kyōketsu declared himself Shogun Eternal, and his power proved absolute. He united the broken clans - some through fealty, others through fire and blade. His dynasty was born in shadow but ruled through order, spiritual discipline, and an iron will. His many sons, daughters, and concubines formed a ruling caste whose descendants still occupy the highest seats in the realm. All generals and ministers of the Shogunate trace blood back to the Immortal Shogun.

"The road to hell is paved with good intentions," the old saying goes. The Shogunate stands as its most enduring monument.

Over the centuries, the Shogunate's dominance was cemented through "purification rites", military excellence, and the institution of blood-bound castes. It was the first realm to stabilize after the Shattering - and the one that endures in nearly unbroken form to this day.

But peace was never the Shogun's aim. Expansionist campaigns marked every era of the Shogunate's rule. Though often stymied by geography and resistance, one notable success came three hundred years ago, when the Shogunate briefly conquered its twin and rival, Lao-Shan. That victory was short-lived. Philosopher-King Lin Lin Dao of Lao-Shan rallied his people and drove the Akumei invaders back across the Shattered Sea. Since then, the Great Pagoda of Lao-Shan and the Immortal Shogun have remained sworn enemies, locked in a bitter war over the archipelagos of the sea.

Today, the Shogun watches from his black jade throne, studying the war in the north and the expansionist tides of the Temerian Empire. Patient and ancient, he waits for the moment when the Mentralian Kingdoms weaken - when the White Peaks will no longer hold back his armies.

Social Structure

The Kyourin Shogunate is a rigid, caste-bound society forged in war, shadow, and unbending discipline. Its hierarchy is as absolute as it is brutal, with little space for compassion or social ascent.

At the pinnacle stands the Immortal Shogun - ruler, warlord, and divine vessel. To the faithful, he is a living god. To the heretical, he is a puppet hollowed by the void-spirit that resides within his blood. It is whispered that this spirit has nested itself not only in the Shogun, but in his entire bloodline, passing from host to host across generations like a parasitic dynasty. His sons and daughters, heirs and generals, are thought to be vessels of the same infernal entity, bound to one another by corruption deeper than blood.

Beneath the Shogun is a finely-tuned mechanism of clan governance: The High Clans are six noble lineages that form the backbone of military and spiritual command. Followed by the Low Clans, which are vassal families who serve the high clans in specific roles of trade, logistics, espionage, or subterfuge. Within each clan again, a strict pecking order rules: daimyō (lords) command the clan; beneath them serve warrior-nobles, magistrates, monks, and scholars; at the bottom are artisans, merchants, and laborers.

The ruling clans are synonymous with their species as the Akumei - spirit-bound bloodlines who earned their status by surviving ancient rites of corruption. These rites still persist today. To join the Akumei is to survive agony, transcend humanity, and become a living weapon. Failure is common, and fatal.

Each clan controls its own domain with absolute authority. There are no appeals beyond the clan lord - save to the Shogun himself, and few survive long enough to deliver such a plea. The clans operate as extensions of the state, each with a singular purpose: war, production, faith, subterfuge, diplomacy, or enforcement. Like clockwork gears, they turn in synchronicity under pain of annihilation.

Outside the clans lies the vast underclass: Commoners live under constant spiritual and physical oppression. Though technically "free," they have little say in their fates. Slaves - who make over 70% of the population - form the true foundation of the Shogunate. Captured from foreign lands or bred in labor pens, they are used for everything from farming to building temples to mining poisonous ash. They are pacified through indoctrination, strict surveillance, and a potent, addictive drug derived from the moon lotus, a hallucinogenic flower that grows only in the terraced fields around the Jade City.

Social mobility is almost nonexistent. Only two paths can elevate a soul: absolute victory in the Shogunate's wars, or survival of the spiritual trials - ordeals of pain and madness that rarely end in promotion and often end in death.

Discipline, loyalty, and obedience define every breath of life in the Kyourin Shogunate. To disobey is to disappear.

People and Culture

Life in Kyourin Shogunate is harsh, controlled, and deeply ritualized - a society shaped by pain, conquest, and the omnipresent influence of corrupted spirits. Here, suffering is not a misfortune but a spiritual path; obedience is not simply expected but worshipped; and the self is perfected not through comfort, but through endurance.

Children are raised in a crucible of martial training and spiritual indoctrination. From an early age, they are subjected to trials of pain, isolation, and deprivation - designed to harden the body and erase weakness of the soul. To weep publicly is a disgrace; to scream is a failure. Strength is the only virtue that ensures survival - and silence in agony is the truest mark of inner mastery.

The clans, as nobility and ruling elite, live by an even stricter code. Honor, restraint, and calculated planning define their existence. Political maneuvering within the courts of the Shogunate is a dangerous art form - subtler, deadlier, and more patient than even the labyrinthine diplomacy of Bellerand. Most Akumei do not die in battle or from age - but by poison, betrayal, or the knife of a rival who smiled yesterday. To show weakness is to invite death.

Among the nobility, maintaining face is everything. Public composure is sacred, even if private depravity festers behind courtly masks. Vices - sadism, lust, cruelty - are indulged behind shoji screens and lacquered doors, not because they are hidden, but because they must be ritualized, mastered, and contained. The balance between monstrous nature and elegant restraint is considered a form of enlightenment.

Kyourin culture reveres suffering as sacred. Rites such as the Welding - a spiritual and physical bonding with pain - are mandatory among nobles and aspirants. In the Western mountain temples, monk-like ascetics practice lives of torment: fasting, flaying, and spiritual communion with corrupted spirits, seeking truth through self-destruction. Enlightenment, to them, lies not in detachment, but in intimate embrace of agony.

Art, music, and storytelling are not banned - but their forms are tightly controlled. They must speak of sacrifice, spiritual struggle, and brutal triumph. Folk tales glorify betrayed heroes, pain-hardened saints, and traitors who are reborn through agony. Even dances are militaristic and tightly choreographed, echoing ancient rituals of war or grief.

Class and Cruelty

Slaves form the majority - over 70% of the population - and exist as living tools. Plucked from foreign lands, conquered provinces, or bred like livestock, most slaves die before reaching thirty, either from labor, toxins, or deprivation. Some Akumei clans breed slaves like animals, crafting "enduring stock" to work mines or fields. The Moon Lotus, a rare local flower, is refined into a potent drug used to pacify and addict the slave populace.

Still, a strange tolerance exists in the fractured southern ports and harbors along the Shattered Sea, where pirate crews, escaped slaves, and rogue merchants intermingle. While still under Shogunate control, these cities are looser, more colorful, and more cosmopolitan. Some escaped slaves become pirates, preying on trade ships - an unofficial but tolerated outlet for rebellion, as long as it weakens foreign powers.

Foreigners & the Myou

Foreigners are seen as either tools to be exploited, souls to be broken, or flesh to be offered to the Veil. Cultural arrogance is absolute; conversion to the Shogunate's way is the only path to acceptance. Yet one exception exists: the Myou.

Due to their fungal biology, resistance to poisons, and uncanny beauty, Myou thrive in the Shogunate's hostile environment. Though often used as prized slaves, assassins, or courtesans, many have carved out a niche in the southern ports, where they maintain a distinct subculture. Dressed in silken veils and painted with phosphorescent dyes, these geisha-like Myou act as spies, performers, and spirit-guides, offering intimacy as both comfort and danger.

Fashion

[!aside|show-title right] Garments of the Shogunate The fashion of the Kyourin Shogunate, though distinct, carries echoes of ancient Tul-Dar design - heavily influenced by ritual utility and the encoded symbolism of status, spirit, and station. Each article of clothing may signal one's role, allegiance, or bound entity. To the trained eye, even a sleeve fold or stitching color may speak volumes.

• Hikamasu - Wide, pleated battle trousers worn by warriors and geomancers. Reinforced with lacquered panels or ash-wool underlays; common among the martial castes.
• Ko'jin - Inner robe of breathable grey or black cloth. Worn universally, but higher-ranked wearers may have thread embroidery along the collar or cuffs.
• Tsukihana - A ceremonial over-robe akin to the more mundane kimono, marked by broad sleeves, stiffened shoulders, and layered panels symbolizing clan, spirit affinity, and purity. Nobles wear deep blacks, indigos, or red tones; lower ranks wear muted ochre or smoke-gray. Sashes denote political or spiritual allegiances.
• Uwakari - Formal long-coat worn over robes, sometimes armored with shoulder flares or fitted bracers. The height and structure of the collar reflect the wearer's authority - spiritbinders and generals may wear collars that brush the jawline.
• Mekatsu - A sash or girdle layered with talismans, charm tubes, and knot-signatures. Often used to conceal spirit fetishes or poisons; the complexity of the knotwork often signals one's mastery of spiritual rites.
• Onzu Mask - Sculpted masks representing the wearer's bound spirit or spiritual role. Nobles often have personalized masks used in court rituals or duels; the more elaborate, the higher the prestige (or the deeper the corruption).
• Shōgai Mantle - A broad-shouldered cape or mantle of bone-thread and dyed silk. Worn by high-ranking Akumei officials. Shapes vary: winged for strategists, flamelike for enforcers, layered for scholars.
• Kuzure Veil - Thin veil used by spiritbinders, courtesans, and Myou performers. May be infused with powdered lotus, spirit-ink, or calming spores. Nobles wear translucent veils as status symbols; slaves wear them as muzzles.
• Yō'ori Bands - Arm-wrappings inscribed with oaths or punishment marks. Severed or blackened bands often indicate a disgraced soul, while unbroken bands bear sigils of loyalty or conquest.

Kyourin fashion is an expression of power, spiritual alignment, and social station. Every element of dress - from the layering of cloth to the weight of ornamentation - reflects the individual's place within the Shogunate's rigid hierarchy. Garments serve not only as protection from the elements but also as instruments of ritual, intimidation, and ideological reinforcement.

Among the commoners and slaves, fashion is minimal and practical. Slaves wear rough-woven hemp wraps or ash-dyed tunics, often marked with branded glyphs denoting clan ownership or labor caste. In mines and plantations, garments are sometimes soaked in oil or clay to repel pests or bind toxic dust. Jewelry is forbidden; only carved bone tags or corded fetishes are permitted, worn as identifiers or warding charms.

Low-ranking officials, merchants, and artisans wear plain robes or work garments reinforced with lacquered plates, wrapped sashes, and fingerless gloves for labor. Color use is subdued - mostly greys, ochres, and rust-reds - with the occasional splash of dyed trim signifying clan allegiance.

Among the lesser nobility and warrior-caste, clothing becomes more elaborate. Robes are layered and tightly belted, with angular shoulder-capes, plated vambraces, or metal-thread embroidery bearing personal sigils or spirit marks. It is common for warriors to wear armor even in peacetime - ceremonial cuirasses etched with binding runes, lacquered masks shaped to resemble ancestral spirits, and armored sleeves bearing carved obsidian scales. Function and form are balanced; even the blade of a dagger may be inlaid with voidglass or wrapped in bloodied prayer-cloth.

The Akumei high nobility dress with immense symbolism and control. Their garments are masterpieces of textile alchemy - woven with void-infused silks, dyed using rare fungi or bloodroot, and treated with spirit-resonant oils. High-ranking nobles wear stiff-collared robes with long trailing sleeves and ornamental girdles inlaid with jade, bone, or chain-links representing oaths. Their hair is lacquered or bound into intricate coils, adorned with pins shaped like crescent moons, screaming faces, or the eyes of slain spirits. Each item may serve a spiritual or martial function: masks that veil one's aura, belts that house charms or ampoules of venom, cloaks that deflect minor spirits through dream-stitching.

[!aside|show-title left] Reading Station Color: The higher the status, the darker or more saturated the tones. Deep black, crimson, and indigo are reserved for nobility; faded tones and browns mark servitude.

Layering: Nobles wear multiple overlapping layers, each marked with clan patterns. Slaves and commoners wear minimal cloth.

Trim and Embroidery: Spirit-marks and intricate edge-stitching show one's bonded spirit or rank. A collar edged in bone-lace may signify a spirit-binder; crimson thread marks a warrior with blood-oaths.

Accessories: Hairpins, girdle charms, and ornamental masks all serve as subtle social signals. A single jade ring might mark a Chthonist; an ivory shoulder charm could identify a duelist.

Among the southern coastal clans, especially in cities like Iramoro, fashion incorporates foreign elements and exotic flair. Influenced by trade with Pharos and the Golden Coast, the elite of the Shattered Sea wear translucent veils, golden shellwork, pierced bone jewelry, and richly dyed sashes of blues and greens rarely seen inland. Silken garments are often layered with reef-chitin scales or coral filigree, giving their wearers the appearance of living sea-spirits. Myou artisans and courtesans in these cities introduce phosphorescent paints and fungal dyes into their fashionwork, creating garments that shimmer faintly in darkness - beautiful, eerie, and always slightly unclean.

For the Akumei, fashion also serves as a declaration of spiritual identity. The spirits bound to their souls leave not only metaphysical marks but cultural ones - reflected in subtle cues of dress and ornamentation. An Akumei bonded with a flame-born wrath spirit might wear ash-colored silk with trailing crimson thread, or a mantle shaped like rising smoke. Those tethered to spectral beasts often adorn themselves with embroidered eyes, claw motifs, or feathered shoulder crests that echo their spirit's form. Voidbound seers might favor high collars or face-concealing veils, mimicking the silence of the unseen realms they walk. These spirit-signs are not gaudy but encoded, recognizable to the initiated - an aesthetic language of power and alignment. Wearing such symbols is not merely prideful; it affirms one's mastery over the spirit within, and reminds all observers that the bearer walks with forces beyond comprehension.

Even in vanity, the Shogunate's fashion remains a mirror of its core philosophy: beauty must be bought in blood, and elegance must contain the seed of suffering.

Cuisine

Kyourin cuisine is austere yet richly flavored, often emphasizing fermentation, smoking, and preserved ingredients. Staple foods include black rice, bitterroot vegetables, and dried fish from the coast. Meals are prepared to balance the humors of the body and appease one's bonded spirits. Bitter herbs and sour sauces are common, believed to cleanse the soul and suppress the ego.

Signature dishes include shujin broth - a dark, nutrient-rich soup brewed with marrowbone, fungus, and medicinal roots - and kaji-bake, a spiced flatbread filled with pickled vegetables and fire-smoked meat. Nobles dine on expensive and rare venison cuts, prepared over low flame and seasoned with voidsalt - a rare, intoxicating mineral. Communal meals among the Akumei often involve ritual fasting or sacrifice before consumption, with food shared according to social rank and spiritual purity.

In Akumei households, food is often categorized into “soulbound” and “untethered” fare. Soulbound dishes - such as boiled serpent-liver, spirit-steeped lotus petals, or ironclaw crab meat - are consumed only after prayer or trance, believed to forge temporary harmony between eater and bound spirit. Untethered foods, while nourishing, are considered spiritually inert, and are typically given to slaves, commoners, and the soul-fractured.

The moon lotus, a pale flowering plant grown in the high terraces near the Jade City, plays a central role in cuisine and control alike. While its raw form is mildly toxic, refined petals are dried or pickled and served in small doses to induce calm, lucidity, or hungerless sleep. Among the nobility, moon lotus tea is a delicacy sipped after war councils or long fasts; among the enslaved, it is a drug rationed daily to suppress rebellion and preserve docility.

In the southern ports, cuisine takes on a more exotic flair. Influenced by trade with Pharos and the Golden Coast, dishes incorporate foreign spices, tropical fruit reductions, and rare shellfish harvested from reefs of the Shattered Sea. Myou chefs and courtesans have introduced delicacies such as spore-smoked eel, phosphorfruit jelly, and night-pickled vine blossoms. While prized in elite circles, such fare is often viewed with suspicion by the orthodox members of society, who warn that unclean influences weaken the spiritual integrity of the blood.

Feasting is both celebration and ritual in the Shogunate. Among the clans, victory banquets may include symbolic dishes - such as three-eyed ravens or ash-dusted veal - whose consumption reenacts myths of conquest or divine rebirth. At funerals, mourners may eat blood-bound rice tinted with ash and marrow, binding the deceased's name to the living through ingestion. In all things, Kyourin cuisine reflects the realm's core belief: that nourishment, like power, must be earned through pain, sacrifice, and the proper ordering of the soul.

Due to their altered physiology, many foods favored by the Akumei are mildly toxic or spiritually disruptive to other species. Dishes infused with voidsalt, moon lotus essence, or fermented bloodroot can cause nausea, hallucinations, or soul-disjunction in unadapted people. For this reason, foreign emissaries are often provided “cleansed plates” during court feasts - prepared without spiritual infusion or toxins, but considered bland and childlike by Akumei standards. Some nobles find amusement in offering unprepared guests small portions of “true fare” as a test of character - or a warning.

Religion

Worship in the Shogunate revolves around the Kyōmyō, the "Silent Path," which views the Veil not as a barrier, but as a living, consuming force. At the heart of this faith are the corrupted void spirits - the Shurikai - whose presence is woven into the blood of the Akumei. These spirits are venerated through blood rituals, bodily modifications, and ecstatic pain, all of which are believed to bring balance to the inner corruption that defines the Shogunate's way of life. Corruption is considered a sign of strength, and rejecting it is viewed as weakness.

Ancestral worship has been replaced by the reverence of these spirits, many of whom bind themselves to the Akumei through generations, creating a symbiotic relationship between the living and the void. The central ritual of the faith is the Welding Ritual, which, born from the necessity of survival in a land plagued by corruption, binds the Akumei to the void-spirits, allowing them to harness both their power and their pain.

Temples, often constructed in deep, silent spaces illuminated by bioluminescent fungi, echo with the chants of worshippers who commune with these spirits. Heresy is met with severe punishment - either the soul-flaying or being cast into the Maw of Whispers, where the spirits consume the body and mind.

Spirit Eaters

Ascetic monasteries, commonly built atop volcanic pools or harsh, inhospitable terrains, are places of intense spiritual study, where mystics seek enlightenment through pain and extreme conditions. The The Hollowed, those who have undergone the Welding Ritual and lost their souls, are often sent to these monasteries to be cared for and called upon when their soulless husks are needed for dangerous tasks.

The Spirit Eaters - wandering ascetics marked by ritual scars and hollowed eyes - are both feared and revered across the Kyourin Shogunate. These individuals undergo extreme spiritual conditioning and willingly offer themselves as vessels for rogue or hostile spirits that haunt the corrupted lands. Once a spirit is drawn into their body - through chanting, sacrificial rites, or raw proximity - it is bound within them, often at great cost. Some Spirit Eaters are able to suppress or pacify the entities within, using their presence to ward off further corruption or to aid in specific tasks that require a spirit's power. Others serve a more tragic purpose: containment through sacrifice, destined to be killed once the spirit inside has been absorbed. Many of them are former Hollows, survivors of the Welding Ritual who no longer possess their own soul and are thus ideal hosts. Spirit Eaters are dispatched to plague-ridden villages, haunted battlefields, and cursed ruins - wherever the spirit-taint festers and ordinary means fail. Despite their terrifying role, they are not outcasts; their existence exemplifies the Shogunate's core belief that all suffering has purpose, and even the soulless can serve.

Faith in Chains

Among the enslaved peoples of the Kyourin Shogunate, belief is a quiet act of resistance and remembrance. While some adopt surface-level rituals to avoid punishment, many secretly hold onto the gods, spirits, and ancestral traditions of their homelands. These faiths often merge with Shogunate customs in complex, syncretic forms - honoring protective spirits masked as Shurikai, or weaving ancestral stories into the language of corruption and pain. Central to their shared belief is the hope of deliverance: whispered tales of radiant heroes, long-lost gods, or ancient powers beyond the Veil who will one day rise to shatter the chains of the Shogun. Among them, storytelling is sacred - songs, symbols etched in hidden places, and quiet prayers passed between generations preserve a spiritual identity that the Shogunate's void cannot erase.

As the land itself is riddled with spirits of corruption and decay, spirit soothers and wandering monks who "consume" these spirits, or are able to ward them off, are common. Among the slaves, however, syncretic beliefs are often practiced. Many still cling to the hope of salvation, passing down tales of heroes who will one day free them from their chains, maintaining a flicker of hope in a world shaped by darkness and corruption.

Education

Education is a sacred responsibility, focused on cultivating spiritual devotion, martial prowess, and absolute loyalty to the ruling powers. The Akumei clans, along with select war-children, are privileged with advanced teachings in strategy, philosophy, and literacy, while magic is reserved for the Seers and Spiritbinders. Literacy is scarce among commoners, but indoctrination through oral traditions and spiritual practices is universal. The Temple of the Hollow Eye serves as the main institution for nurturing leaders and assassins, where the convergence of spiritual discipline and martial skill is taught.

Education holds immense value within the clans, where every individual is expected to master multiple forms of art - literature, poetry, music, calligraphy, and the history and codes of their bloodline. Perfection is revered, and the pursuit of excellence extends beyond martial and spiritual disciplines to include any form of art or science, where even the most mundane tasks can be elevated to the status of a craft. Private tutors are the primary means of education, as there are no formal schools; knowledge is passed down from master to student, ensuring deep personal connections to the learning process.

Practical sciences that enhance the survival of the Shogunate are highly prized. Agriculture and fertility are key areas of focus, as the land is often harsh and difficult to sustain. Alchemy and medicine are integral to the culture, with the Shogunate considered one of the leading realms in these fields. This expertise has led to the development of eugenic practices and life-extending measures, making the Akumei's already long lives even more enduring. The Shogunate's alchemical prowess extends beyond health to strange forms of breeding and enhancement, sought after in neighboring lands like the Temerian Empire, the Golden Coast, and Pharos.

A unique aspect of education is the practice of geomantic spiritbinding and chthonic sorcery, techniques that channel the energies of the land to make it more fertile and workable. These arcane arts, granted by the corrupted void spirits, remain a closely guarded secret of the Shogunate. The refinement of steel is another highly valued science, with Kyōrin metals - made using rare additives and methods - being renowned across the continent. Additionally, some clans, particularly in the southern shores and mountainous borderlands, are renowned for their strategic military expertise, contributing to the Shogunate's dominance in warfare.

Law and Jurisdiction

Law within the Kyourin Shogunate is absolute, theocratic, and deeply entwined with spiritual doctrine. The Shogun's word is divine edict, unquestionable and final, and all legal authority flows from their will. Officially, the realm is unified under a single spiritual and legal code, but in practice, interpretation varies subtly between clans, especially in remote or contested regions.

However, open war between clans is forbidden by decree. The Shogun permits and even encourages limited conflict - skirmishes, political subterfuge, and honor-duels - as a means of maintaining balance and preventing the consolidation of rival power blocs. In this way, bloodshed becomes a regulated instrument of governance.

Enforcement of law is carried out by the Spirit Judges, masked figures bound to ancestral or corrupted spirits, who serve as both inquisitors and executioners. These feared enforcers travel across the Shogunate, empowered to enact judgment immediately. Trials are exceedingly rare; guilt is divined through spiritual resonance, dream-visions, or the reading of ritual scars. Confessions are often extracted through induced trances or divine possession. In the eyes of the law, spiritual impurity is as damning as criminal action, and thus, internal corruption can justify punishment as readily as treason.

Punishments are brutal and symbolic, meant not only to correct but to spiritually cleanse. Theft is met with maiming - often the removal of hands or eyes - while blasphemy results in soul-branding, a ritual that marks the aura and renders one untouchable. Dissent, especially when directed at the Shogun or the Temple, is punished by public execution or obliteration in the Maw of Whispers. Duels for honor are a culturally sanctioned outlet for grievances, especially among the clans, and are governed by strict spiritual codes. In these duels, death is not uncommon, and victory reinforces the spiritual and legal legitimacy of the winner's cause.

Across the land, minor disputes and local enforcement are often handled by clan elders or Spiritbinders, who act as judges in accordance with tradition. However, should a matter be deemed of broader significance - or if spiritual corruption is suspected - the Spirit Judges intervene, leaving no room for appeal. Justice in the Shogunate is not blind - it sees through the veil, into the soul.

Trade & Transport

Despite its fearsome reputation as a realm of raiders, assassins, and spiritual corruption, the Kyourin Shogunate engages in extensive trade - especially during periods of relative peace. While their name inspires dread, many foreign powers find the Shogunate's exports too valuable to resist. Major trade partners include the Golden Coast, the Temerian Empire, and the city-states of Pharos via the Stepping Stones. Trade with the Mentralian Kingdoms - particularly the dominion of Elarien - is tense and limited, as the two powers are rivals on the Shattered Sea. Still, Kyōrin goods filter into even the Free Cities of The Reaches, smuggled in through black market hubs in Velthane or discreet land routes.

The Shogunate exports a dark but coveted array of goods: alchemical drugs - both medicinal and recreational - sophisticated poisons, masterfully forged weapons, refined Kyōrin steel, and rare spiritual talismans imbued with void-touched power. Slaves are another grim commodity, particularly in demand along the Golden Coast and in the Temerian Empire, where the Shogunate's “bred stock” is prized for both their exotic traits and engineered resilience. Luxurious goods such as intricately carved jade, perfectly dyed silks, and ceremonial lacquerware also make their way into foreign markets, valued for their unparalleled craftsmanship and artistic purity.

Sea trade is the lifeblood of Kyōrin commerce. Its seasoned captains are masters of navigating the treacherous Shattered Sea, granting the Shogunate maritime access even when land routes are perilous. Overland trade is more limited, requiring passage through the few harsh mountain corridors over the White Peaks that connect to Elarien. These routes are treacherous and tightly controlled, often choked with ash or snowfall or infested by spirits. To keep them functional, slave labor is relentlessly employed to clear roads, repair ancient canals, and maintain infrastructure originally laid by the long-lost Tul-Dar Empire. These systems, though old, remain in excellent condition due to obsessive maintenance and spiritual reinforcement.

Within the realm, transportation is dominated by fortified trade roads, hidden canals, and cloaked caravans guarded by mercenaries and warriors of the clans. Nobles and merchants of high standing travel in intrinsically crafted palanquins. Despite the hazards of the land, travel and trade flow efficiently under the watchful eyes of the clans and their enforcers, reinforcing the Shogunate's dual image as both a brutal theocracy and a vital artery in the continent's black and gray markets.

Military

The military of the Kyourin Shogunate is an instrument of fear, mysticism, and ritualized violence - an extension of the land's corrupted soul. Its foundation lies in the powerful warrior caste, whose members are trained from childhood in the art of war, spiritual endurance, and absolute loyalty. Each clan maintains its own standing force of warriors, ensuring constant martial readiness. In times of large-scale conflict, the Shogun may declare a war campaign, seizing command over all clan forces through the authority of his Silver General - a supreme warlord whose rank supersedes all others in the field. During these campaigns, clan warriors serve as officers and elite shock troops, leading conscripted slave-soldiers into battle under banners soaked in blood and spiritual invocation.

A central element of Kyourin battlefield doctrine is the tactical use of great war drums, whose thunderous cadence carries across valleys, hills, and city walls. These works of art, often carved from volcanic wood and stretched with the cured hides of executed traitors, serve as both a psychological weapon and a precise system of communication. Trained drummers beat out complex rhythms to signal maneuvers, formations, or feints - coordinating entire armies across vast distances. In the din of battle, where shouted orders would be drowned in chaos, the drums become the voice of command. Their rhythms are known intimately by every Kyourin soldier, and the rising tempo of the drums often heralds either a glorious charge or a devastating ambush.

The kageza, a feared corps of assassins and infiltrators, operate in the shadows. Their training is as spiritual as it is physical, blending traditional stealth, poisons, and illusions. Deployed behind enemy lines, they destabilize entire cities before war even begins. On the battlefield, Geomancers command dark energies drawn from the bones of the earth, binding angry spirits to fuel powerful rituals, weaponize fear, or raise temporary armies of molten rock. These terrifying spiritbinders often march at the head of legions composed of slave-soldiers, many of whom fight with drugged fanaticism to increase their effectiveness.

The Sworn Blades are among the most revered elements of Kyourin martial tradition. These elite warriors pledge their lives to protect a chosen ward - often a noble, seer, or tactician - through a sacred blood oath. Upon forming this pact, a Sworn Blade may bond with a spirit that resides in their weapon, awakening supernatural abilities tied to the nature of the spirit and the soul of their ward. This bond is absolute: if their ward dies, the Sworn Blade must ritually end their own life to maintain honor. Some of the most legendary figures in Shogunate history were Sworn Blades who became living legends on the battlefield before choosing noble death over dishonor.

Though the Shogunate is not known for its open-sea dominance, the southern clans maintain formidable coastal fleets. These ships serve as trading vessels, pirate raiders, and war barges, often used in swift assaults along the coasts of enemy realms. During wartime, these fleets unify under the command of the Silver General, turning into a lethal tide of sails and steel. Though smaller than the navies of Lao-Shan or Pharos, their mastery of the Shattered Sea and brutal boarding tactics make them a force to be feared.

In the Kyourin Shogunate, war is not just a necessity - it is a sacred function of life, death, and purpose. Every member of the warrior caste lives to fight and die with honor, their bodies and souls shaped by blood rituals, oaths, and the ever-present whispers of corruption.

Notable Factions or Organizations

• The Akumei Clans - The ruling noble houses of the Shogunate, each tied to a distinct ancestral or void-bound spirit that shapes their martial, mystical, and cultural identity. The clans govern their regions as semi-autonomous warlords, but all owe blood-oaths to the Immortal Shogun. Rivalries between clans are fierce and often settled through ritual duels or proxy wars.
• The Order of the Hollow Eye - A zealous spiritual inquisition that maintains ideological purity and hunts heresy both within and beyond the borders. Members wear eyeless masks and practice dream-extraction, soul-branding, and sacramental execution. They answer only to the Shogun and are often used to purge disloyalty among the Akumei.
• The Kageza - Elite assassins born of shadow, raised in silence, and trained in death. Recruited in childhood, the Kageza serve as spies, saboteurs, and political enforcers. Some are believed to undergo spirit-binding to vanish from mortal perception. They are known to “melt into dreams,” appearing only when the killing blow is struck.
• The Black Flame Syndicate - An underground faction cloaked in mystery, rumored to operate both within and beyond the Shogunate. They trade in forbidden alchemy, stolen spirits, soul shards, and living relics. Some claim they broker dark pacts with entities even the Akumei fear. Their symbol - a burning lotus - has been found at the site of unexplained disappearances across Pharos and the Temerian Empire

Fauna and Flora

The Kyourin Shogunate is a land twisted by centuries of geomantic manipulation, its soul fractured by void-wrought bloodpacts and the slow decay of natural law. And yet, life clings to the poisoned soil and sullen air - not through chance, but through adaptation, corruption, and the tireless hand of ritual.

Most living things here are not what they once were. Some were brought in long ago from distant, purer lands and forced to adapt under the pressure of geomantic ley-warps and spiritual predation. Others have emerged as byproducts of forgotten blood-rites or spirit-weldings, crude mirror-creatures of their old forms. All now play a role in a closed, if cruel, ecology - one as reliant on death as on growth.

Vegetation in the Shogunate is sparse in color but rich in strangeness. The dominant plant forms are hardy, spore-reliant, or parasitic.

The Moon Lotus, a hallucinogenic water-flower with pale grey or lavender petals, is sacred and feared alike. Found in stagnant pools, it exudes a dream-vapor that induces vivid ancestral visions or soul-rending illusions depending on one's spiritual alignment. Cultivated by temple sects and poisoners, its extracts are used in rituals of mourning, assassination, or controlled possession.

The Chime-Reed is another iconic species - tall, hollow stalks that hum discordantly in the wind, believed to echo the cries of the damned. They are often planted in spirit-wards or boundary zones to deter wandering entities.

Forests in the northern Shogunate are dominated by the Ironbark Cypress, a black-barked tree with crimson sap. Resistant to rot, its wood is valued by both executioners and shrine-builders. Beneath its shade grows the Fleshmoss, a soft fungal carpet that feeds on spilled blood and accelerates decomposition. It is used in corpse disposal by the Akumei clans and fed ritually in times of war.

Many native grasses and underbrush species are bioluminescent or thigmonastic, reacting to movement and spiritual residue. This is not beauty but warning: the brighter the forest glows, the more twisted its geomantic imprint.

Animal life in the Shogunate falls into three categories: adapted outsiders, cursed survivors, and spiritual offshoots.

Domesticated beasts include the Kuroxen, a blind, heavy-plated bovine bred to survive the toxic fogs and thorny lowlands. Their flesh is tough but nutritious, and they are often used in sacrificial rites and farm work. The Nightpaw, a long-limbed feline with ridged fur and retractable scent glands, serves as both hunter and familiar to the nobility.

Insects thrive unnaturally. Gravenwasps - large, bone-pale insects with glyph-like markings - build their hives in abandoned shrines and hollow statues. Their venom causes temporary disorientation and spiritual dislocation, allowing victims to be briefly seen and touched by nearby spirits even when incorporeal. These wasps are sometimes harvested by Chthonists or used in warfare, thrown at enemy ships in brittle containers that release them when they burst.

Another prevalent species is the Threadmoth, a twilight-flying moth whose long, trailing antennae glow faintly. Its larvae are prized for producing silk, a fabric woven into garments and highly valued good for export. When threatened, adult moths exude spores that dull perception and memory.

More terrifying are the Karn Wolves - pack predators mutated by generations of spiritual decay. Their eyes glow violet in the dark, and they are capable of mimicking the death cries of their last kill. Once believed extinct, Karn Wolves now dwell in shadowed ravines, mostly feeding on carrion. When they hunt, they do it with terrifying intelligence by luring their prey into ambushes to descend on them as a whole pack.

The spiritual offshoots are the most disturbing category: creatures that are part-animal, part-spirit, or wholly artificial remnants of bloodpact rituals. The Bonecrowned Crane, for instance, is a skeletal-looking wading bird whose hollow call signals cause nausea. Its appearance is considered an ill omen by all but the most maddened mystics, who view them as messengers of balance through decay.

Then there are the Mirebinders - giant, sluglike spirits that inhabit the bogs of the southern shore. They host physical shells and exude a parasitic stench that binds binds beasts and humans into a sluggish, obedient trance. Some clans attempt to 'farm' Mirebinders as spiritual anchors or weapons of last resort.

Much of the work of sustaining life - growing crops, raising animals, harvesting wood and herbs - falls upon the backs of the enslaved. The land's corrupted nature makes farming and husbandry both dangerous and vital; exposure to tainted soil and warped ecosystems often sickens or marks those poor souls who have to till the soil. Slaves are worked to exhaustion in these poisoned fields, their suffering quietly accepted as the price of survival. Rice, root vegetables, and vine-grown crops are staples, but viable harvests often depend on the geomancers' art. Chthonic practitioners use geomantic rites to draw "health" into selected fields - briefly restoring them to vitality - by bleeding soil-essence from distant, often depopulated or desolate regions, which may wither or decay in turn even more.

In stark contrast to this harsh toil, the cities and keeps of the Akumei nobility are filled with luxuriant life - gardens blooming with vibrant flora, courtyards housing exotic beasts, and menageries of rare creatures from far away lands. This display of unnatural fecundity is a mark of status and dominance, but it comes at steep cost. To maintain these enclaves of beauty, entire districts may be drained of vitality, slaves ritually sacrificed, or sinister spirit-pacts brokered to sustain a single orchard or aviary. What appears lush and divine is often fed by unseen decay.

Language

[!aside|show-title right] Idioms and Expressions Kyotatsu is steeped in metaphor and spiritual weight. Many idioms reflect the Shogunate's obsession with control, suffering, and spiritual hierarchy. Common expressions include:

• “To spill black ink” - To disgrace one's ancestors or violate sacred law.

• “Where the shadow bows” - A euphemism for a place of hidden power or spiritual danger.

• “Feeding the lotus” - An expression for pacifying rebellion or numbing the soul, often used sarcastically.

• “The blade remembers” - A warning that vengeance is inevitable and honor must be answered.

• “Cloth before blood” - A reminder to honor one's clan or role before personal feeling.

These phrases are often accompanied by subtle gestures or shifts in pitch-lost easily on foreign tongues, and dangerous if misused.

The official language of the Kyourin Shogunate, known as Kyotatsu, is a direct descendant of the High Imperial Tongue of the Tul-Dar Empire-a language that once unified scholars, priests, and nobles across the continent before the Shattering. Over the centuries, isolation, spiritual corruption, and the rise of Akumei dominance have shaped it into a uniquely intricate and ritualized tongue, both beautiful and forbidding.

Phonetically, Kyotatsu is structures-tonal and vowel-rich, with layered honorifics and spiritual suffixes that denote not just social rank but one's ritual status, clan ties, and even the type of spirit one is bound to. Nobles and spiritbinders often speak in highly stylized, poetic registers-chant-like and symbolic-while commoners use a clipped, more practical dialect, marked by borrowed words from conquered peoples.

The written form of Kyotatsu consists of elaborate glyphs (called karu-ten), which blend ideograms with phonetic hints and spiritual marks. Each glyph may carry multiple meanings depending on context, spiritual resonance, or accompanying brushstrokes. Writing is considered a sacred act; the construction of a name, contract, or curse requires proper ink, ritual framing, and correct ancestral invocation. Scribes, tattooists, and calligraphers are deeply respected-and closely monitored.

Naming Conventions

Names in the Kyourin Shogunate are carefully constructed and carry spiritual, political, and ancestral significance. A typical Akumei noble name contains three parts:

1. Clan Name - Always listed first (e.g. Kyourin, Narakami, Shugotai)
2. Given Name - Personal, but often inherited or constructed from ancestral fragments (e.g. Kyōketsu, Onnari)
3. Spirit-Epithet or Title - Added after significant trials or bondings (e.g. no-Kage “of Shadow”, of the Black Flame, Whispered One)

Examples:

• Shugotai Ayame-no-Kage - Ayame of the Shadow, a title earned after completing a rite of assassination.
• Hizagura Onnari, the Root-Seer - A high seeress whose name reflects her bond to divining spirits.

Commoners and slaves, in contrast, often have one-word names derived from function, deformity, or origin (e.g. Koro, Ashira, Mirekin). These names may change if ownership or labor caste shifts, and rarely carry official recognition unless bestowed by a noble.

Foreigners granted station within the Shogunate are often given new names in Kyotatsu, stripping them of ancestral identity and rebranding them with titles like Tsuremono (“the Brought-One”) or Nakuzen (“without origin”).

Additional Notes

The Kyourin Shogunate is feared, whispered about, and ritually cursed in courtrooms across the Mentralian Kingdoms. Its borders are marked not only by geography but by a spiritual dread - forests that bleed sap the color of ash, rivers that whisper ancestral names, and haunted passes that test the soul before the body. Diplomatic relations with other realms are volatile: while trade exists with the Temerian Empire, Golden Coast, and Pharos, alliances are shallow and often transactional. The Shogunate is known to raid its trade partners as quickly as it bargains with them.

Though feared and isolated, the Shogunate has never truly been at peace. Border skirmishes with Elarien of the Mentralian Kingdoms flare into open conflict whenever a war campaign is declared. Still, no force has dared to launch a full invasion. The land itself resists outsiders. As one Dorthani general wrote: “You do not conquer Kyourin. You survive it… if it allows you.”