Fuso

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Fuso (扶桑) is a cluster of islands of every size, large and small, between Aquilonis and Marlakcor, and the homelands of the Genjin people. It is bounded by the Oriental sea (known to the Genjin as the Sekaikai (世界海/World Sea)) to the west and a narrow stretch of sea separating the lands from Marlakcor to the east.

Fuso is home to the Genjin people, who make up the majority (roughly 92%) of the population. The ancestors of the modern Genjin people first migrated to Fuso roughly 12,000 years ago.

Reliable written records of ancient Fuso detail the first major period of Fuso as the Buzoku Jidai (部族時代/Tribal era), which dates back roughly eight thousand years. The Buzoku Jidai was a time before the first kingdoms, when Fuso was still sparsely populated and many tribes, some more powerful than others, controlled varying portions of scattered territories around Fuso; some controlled a whole small island while others held together large confederations over some mild distances.

The Buzoku Jidai lasted about a thousand years and was followed by the Saisho Eiyu Jidai (最初英雄時代/First Heroes Period), a time when tribal confederations were becoming more centrally organized, but was also when most of the culture that characterizes modern Fuso developed. A great many heroes made their names during this period too, among them was Shizen-no-Yoso (自然の要素), an abjaksan who invented and laid the foundation for Soshijutsu, and was later deified as the Kami of the Five Elements.

The Saisho Eiyu Jidai lasted about another thousand years and was followed by the Saisho Kokka Jidai (最初国家時代/First Nations Period). This was the period when centralized kingdoms began to really take shape. This period lasted until the enthronement of Ganzo-tenno in 0ɪɴᴏ (1717ᴘᴄᴢ).

Sovereign States

Holy Realm of Hinomoto

Capital:	Tenjin-to 天神都
Largest City:
Government:	Theocratic Absolute Elective Oligarchy
Head of State:	Saikojuso 最高住僧
Head of Government:
Legislature:	Juroku no Guji Kaigi 十六の宮司会議
	Chamber:	unicameral
Demonym:	Hinomoto
Currency:	Kingetsu, Gingitsune, Gin'yo, Dogame
Languages:	Official:	Gengo
	Minority:
Writing system:

The Holy Realm of Hinomoto (日乃本の神聖国土/Hinomoto no Shinsei Kokudo) is a theocratic nation occupying the half-tropical/half-arid island of the same name in the southern waters of the Oriental sea. It shares maritime borders with Yamatai to the north, Mizuho to the northwest and Ningyo Kazan to the southeast. The northern half of the island is mostly tropical, while the southern half is mostly arid desert.

The island has been home to many indigenous clans and tribes since ancient times, and Genjin settlers had been coming to the island for centuries. Hinomoto was already a powerful nation that was dominant in the north of the island before the Ni-Hyakunen Senso, but modern Hinomoto began when exiles fleeing war during the early stages of the conflicts came to the island for asylum. The nation was reformed into the Holy Realm, and has since extended its rule across the entire island and much of the smaller surrounding islands.

A deeply religious nation, Hinomoto was founded on the belief that the island was the birthplace of the supreme kami Zenno-sha & Kanno-teki and the Idainaryu.

Despite – or perhaps because of – its religious nature, it has been known for political instability due to religious strife, and has broken into separate states and civil war more than once.

Hinomoto is ruled by the Saikojuso (最高住僧) – fem. Saikomiko (最高巫女) – an holy title that also denotes the second of the entire Genkyo religion. The title is elective, only voted on upon the death of the previous title holder. Below the Saikojuso is the Juroku no Guji Kaigi (十六の宮司会議/Council of 16 Priests), sixteen individuals who represent the sixteen Kyoku (教区) of Hinomoto.

While Yamatai conquered most of Fuso in its quest to unify the great lands, the empire didn't dare try to conquer Hinomoto. The rationale for sparing Hinomoto from invasion was that no one wished or dared to upset the kami.

Kingdom of Mizuho

Capital:	Oshitsu no Kawashi 王室の川市
Largest City:
Government:	Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State:	Daio 太王
Ruling Clan:	Tsukahara 束原
	Dynasty:	Shimazu 島津
	Race:	Human
	Ethnicity:	Genjin
Head of Government:	Daio 太王
Legislature:	Koto Hyogi-kai 高等評議会
	Chamber:	unicameral
Demonym:	Mizuho
Currency:	Kingetsu, Gingitsune, Gin'yo, Dogame
Languages:	Official:	Gengo
	Minority:
Writing system:

The Kingdom of Mizuho (瑞穂) is a multi-island monarchical nation in the Oriental sea, occupying the Eda Archipelago, a branch archipelago of Fuso, just off the west coast of Nakasu, territory of the Yamato Empire. It shares maritime borders with Yamatai to the east and Hinomoto to the southeast. Throughout history there has been some debate over whether or not the archipelago is part of Fuso, but modern cartographers indeed classify it as such.

Mizuho is the only remaining state from the Jushi Okoku Jidai. The northern island of Mizuho was once territory of the Kingdom of Heiya, another state of the Jushi Okoku Jidai, before seceding into an independent nation under the rule of the Tsukahara clan, a cadet-branch of the Shimazu clan. When the Sengoku Jidai of the the Ni-Hyakunen Senso broke out, Mizuho managed to avoid falling apart and stayed out of the conflicts of the main body of Fuso for the duration of the wars until the Seifuku Jidai.

The southern islands were once ruled by a separate dynasty, the Kingdom of Umi-Iwa, another state of the Jushi Okoku Jidai, and the two kingdoms were constantly engaged in a struggle for dominance, to the point of war more than once. When the Ni-Hyakunen Senso broke out, the two sides engaged in a near perpetual state of war; but, just as the Seifuku Jidai began, these conflicts ended when two royals from the north and south fell in love and married, resulting not only peace, but the permanent union of the two dynasties.

When the new Empire of Yamatai secured the eastern side of Nakasu, it tried to invade Mizuho, but Mizuho put up a steadfast resistance and Yamatai was repulsed. The empire was eventually forced to sign a peace treaty with Mizuho so that they could turn their attentions to the rest of Nakasu and Fuso.

During the final stages of the Seifuku Jidai, Yamatai again tried to assert dominance over Mizuho by conquest, but Mizuho had anticipated the return of Yamato forces and were prepared to mount a stern defense. Eventually, the costly conflict forced Yamatai to sign yet another peace treaty with Mizuho, ending the Seifuku Jidai period of the wars, and the Ni-Hyakunen Senso.

The Kingdom of Mizuho has remained under the rule of the Tsukahara clan to this day. Despite permanent peace within its borders, Mizuho has remained a rival of Yamatai, and the latter has threatened its sovereignty several times in a variety of way since the conclusion of the Ni-Hyakunen Senso.

Kingdom of Ningyo Kazan

Capital:	Ryukyu 琉球
Largest City:
Government:	Elective Feudal Monarchy
Head of State:	Kuni-o 國王
Ruling Clan:
	Dynasty:
	Race:
	Ethnicity:
Head of Government:	Sessei 摂政
Legislature:	Sanshikan 三司官
	Chamber:	unicameral
Demonym:
Currency:	Kingetsu, Gingitsune, Gin'yo, Dogame
Languages:	Official:	Gengo
	Minority:
Writing system:

The Kingdom of Ningyo Kazan (人魚火山) is an multi-island nation occupying the volcanic archipelago of the same name. It shares maritime borders solely with Hinomoto to the north. Despite the islands' close proximity to Hinomoto, there was some debate for centuries over whether of not the islands are actually part of Fuso, but modern cartographers classify it as part of the whole.

Being a country on volcanic islands, like the majority of islands in Oriental sea, Ningyo Kazan has the most fertile soil anywhere on Qirsyllviar, and is home to a vast network of caves many consider the most spiritual anywhere. But what makes the country most special is the coexistence between humans and merpeople, similar to Renyu Dao in southeast Marlakcor.

Empire of Yamatai

Capital:	Teikyo 帝京
Largest City:
Government:	Hereditary Parliamentary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State:	Tenno 天皇
Ruling Clan:	Nadeshiko 撫子
	Dynasty:	Nadeshiko
	Race:	Human
	Ethnicity:	Genjin
Heads of Government:	Tenno & Daijo-daijin 天皇 & 太政大臣
Legislature:	Gikai 議会
	Chamber:	unicameral
Demonym:	Yamato 耶馬党
Currency:	Teisatsu, Kingetsu, Gingitsune, Gin'yo, Dogame
Languages:	Official:	Gengo
	Minority:
Writing system:

The Empire of Yamatai (耶馬台), also called the Yamato Empire (耶馬党帝国/Yamato Teikoku), is a large monarchical island nation in the Oriental sea (known to the Genjin peoples as the Sekaikai (World Sea)), occupying most of the large archipelagic lands and islands of Fuso. It shares maritime borders with Mizuho to the southwest, and Hinomoto to the south. It also holds sovereignty over swaths of territory in Marlakcor (the Morokoshi Ryoiki), the islands of Akantai to the northwest, and the Kappa Islands in Maritymir.

Yamatai is ruled by the Nadeshiko dynasty, control of which has passed through three successive clans via scions of the same dynasty over a course of almost three thousand years, with only a handful of interregnums.

History

What became modern Yamatai was once only a small independent fiefdom, known as Owari, ruled by the daimyo (patriarch/matriarch) of the Oda clan, on the southeast shore of the northernmost of the three great islands.

Before age of Yamatai, or even the first tenno, the lands and islands of Fuso was divided between hundreds of regional daimyo, samurai and Osho (王将/Kings) competing and warring with each other for land and hegemony.

About two thousand years before the Ni-Hyakunen Senso, out of nowhere, during what history calls Akagane Jidai (赤金時代/Copper Age), a figure known to history as Ganzo-tenno (元祖天皇); personal name: Mikado Keikenna-no-Totoi Taiso (神門敬虔なの尊い太祖), declared himself supreme ruler of all as the first Tenno (Emperor) in Fuso's history, creating what he named the Nadeshiko dynasty. The high priests of the time claimed him be a descendant of a the supreme kami sent by his divine ancestor to unite world and hold supreme power over the lands. After several years of persuasion, and several wars, the various tribes pledged allegiance one after another over a period of at least thirty years. From then on, Fuso was nominally ruled by the tenno. However, the power and influence of the tenno was always questionable.

The whole of the Yamato Empire's sovereign territory. Morokoshi is made of of the lands to the east of Fuso, and Akantai is made up of the islands northeast of Fuso.

For a time, the tenno truly held supreme hegemonic power over Fuso and all answered to him. But, as time went by, the power of the tenno waned until everything was as it was before Ganzo-tenno. While the daimyo, samurai and osho nominally proclaimed allegiance to the tenno, the tenno ruled only the imperial capital and the surrounding territory at best and true power over the lands remained in the hands of the daimyo, samurai and osho, who continued to compete and war with each other for hegemony, and the tenno were near powerless to do anything. Only a few daimyo, samurai and osho truly ever held any loyalty to the tenno. Over time the tenno became largely marginalized, and his role was reduced to a largely ceremonial, and religious figure while the daimyo, samurai and osho mostly did as they pleased. While he remained the ruler of Fuso and all lords continued to swear loyalty to him, his lack of power and influence made it almost like the tenno didn't exist.

By the time Fuso was divided into fourteen states in what was known as the Jushi Okoku Jidai (十四王国時代/Fourteen Kingdoms Period) (c. 1483 – 1914ɪɴᴏ/c. 3200 – 3631ᴘᴄᴢ), these fourteen kingdoms, which were rarely ever at peace with one another, were still under nominal hegemony of the tenno. During that time the tenno was generally the peacekeeper of Fuso and was highly respected and revered, but in practice still held little-to-no actual power. This period ended when Mokuso-tenno (木造天皇); personal name Akairo Hayashi (赤色林), was assassinated in an internal power struggle that was intended to restore power to the tenno. The coup backfired and most of the direct imperial family was killed in the same incident, leaving the heir to the imperial throne uncertain.

With each of the fourteen osho suspecting each other of taking part in the atrocity, and the more ambitious of every major daimyo and samurai sensing and seizing opportunity, rebellions and war ensued and most of the fourteen kingdoms collapsed entirely. And so the lands and islands of Fuso were plunged into chaos of near perpetuate war, even the eventual enthronement of Jikken-tenno (実験天皇); personal name: Minarai Yoji (見習幼児), a distant cousin of Mukuso-tenno, did nothing to quell the chaos, the authority of the tenno had been reduced to nothing and the position reduced to merely an almost-obsolete symbol.

Thus the Jushi Okoku Jidai ended, setting the stage for the Sengoku Jidai (戦国時代/Warring States Period)(1914 – 2022ɪɴᴏ/3631 – 3739ᴘᴄᴢ) of the Ni-Hyakunen Senso (二百年戦争/Two Hundred Years' War)(1914 – 2123ɪɴᴏ/3631 – 3840ᴘᴄᴢ).

Owari was one of many states that rose to de facto independence after the collapse and breakup of great states of the Jushi Okoku Jidai.

In the latter half of the Ni-Hyakunen Senso, a cadet branch of the Oda (織田) clan rose to prominence under the leadership of Oda Yoshishige, a scion of the Oda and the imperial clan; first uniting a divided clan and subjugating its closest enemies. Those successful actions, along with the eventual conquest of the former Kingdom of Shinrin and the imperial capital, Teikyo, and the abdication of Sakugen-tenno (昨源天皇); personal name: Saigo Eiyu (最後英雄), to Yoshishige, began the Seifuku Jidai (征服時代/Age of Conquest)(2022 – 2123ɪɴᴏ/3739 – 3840ᴘᴄᴢ) and led to the founding of the Empire of Yamatai under the rule of a new line of tenno descended from the old one, thus maintaining the Nadeshiko dynasty. This was also the first time in some millennia the tenno held any real power over the lands.

The Yamato Empire under Yoshishige – posthumous name: Shintoki-tenno (新時天皇) – and his descendants eventually conquered all its rivals and the rest of Yamatai during the Seifuku Jidai, through a combination of force and diplomacy, eventually becoming the sole governing authority of the empire. The sole exception to this is the Kingdom of Mizuho, the only remaining state from the Jushi Okoku Jidai. Twice during the Seifuku Jidai did Yamatai tried to conquer Mizuho, and twice Mizuho repelled the invasions.

In the seven centuries since the conclusion of the Seifuku Jidai, rulership Yamatai since passed to a line of another scion of the imperial family and the larger Toyotomi (豊臣) clan.

Roughly two hundred years before present day, a scion of the dynasty and the Toyotomi clan came to power, via a branch that was descended from Yoshishige, following the assassination of a tenno. The tenno descended from a cadet branch of the Toyotomi was Toyotomi Nobunaga (豊臣信長). Nobunaga was a great-grandson of a previous tenno – Shirayuki-tenno (白雪天皇) – personal name: Arihisa (有久) – via her daughter Mutsumi (六ツ美), who married out of the imperial clan and into a lesser branch of the Toyotomi clan – and was a retainer of the assassinated tenno, Odayaka-tenno (穏やか天皇) – personal name: Mitsuhide (光秀). Nobunaga avenged Odayaka-tenno in the resulting civil war, the Akechi Rebellion, later becoming tenno when the heirs of Odayaka-tenno renounced the imperial title in favor of Nobunaga. Thus, Nobunaga – posthumous name: Funiki-tenno (新時天皇) – became the new tenno of Yamatai while preserving the dynasty. Following tradition, Nobunaga dropped his clan surname, and the Nadeshiko dynasty branch of the Toyotomi clan continues to rule Yamatai to this day.

Politics & Government

The empire is a hereditary monarchy ruled by the Tenno (天皇/Emperor), and the heir apparent is titled the Kotaishi (皇太子/Crown Prince). The spouse of the tenno is the Kogo (皇后/Empress). The ruler title doesn't change in the vent of a female ruler. Husbands of female tenno, while rare, are titled Jinno (人皇).

Direct relatives of the tenno, their sons and daughters, brothers and sisters, aunts and uncles, are titled Koshi (皇子/Imperial Prince) and Kojo (皇女/Imperial Princess) respectively. All other male and female relatives of the tenno – those too far down the line of succession to have any true claim to the throne, usually starting from first cousins and continuing further downward – are titled Mikoto (尊/Prince) and Hime (姫/Princess) respectively. Tenno who have abdicated and retired are titled Daijo-tenno (太上天皇/Emperor Emeritus).

Members of the imperial family who marry out of the imperial family (typically the women, but sometimes men), regardless of the social status of their spouse, lose their title.

Deceased tenno are given a posthumous name after death, and are usually given one that relates to their personality or the nature of their reign somehow. Past tenno are typically referred to by their posthumous names but sometimes by their personal names, especially by those who knew them during their reigns.

Main page: Nadeshiko Dynasty

The tenno's direct cabinet is the Daijo-kan (太政官/Council of State), the highest organ of the imperial government beneath the tenno and above the Gekai.

The structure of the Daijo-kan is as follows

Position Title	Role
Highest Tier
Daijo-daijin 太政大臣 Chancellor of the Realm	The head of the Daijo-kan directly beneath the tenno. First officer of the cabinet.
Naidaijin 内大臣 Minister of the Center	Direct superior of both the Sadaijin and the Udaijin.
Sadaijin 左大臣 Minister of the Left	Direct superior of the Sadaiben.
Udaijin 右大臣 Minister of the Right	Direct superior of the Udaiben.
2nd Tier
Dainagon 大納言 Major Counselor	A counselor of the first rank in the Imperial court. There are commonly three Dainagon.
Chunagon 中納言 Middle Counselor	A counselor of the second rank in the Imperial court. There are commonly three Chunagon.
Shonagon 少納言 Minor Counselor	A counselor of the third rank in the Imperial court. There are commonly three Shonagon.
Other high-ranking bureaucrats
Sangi 参議	An associate counselor in the Imperial court. This office functions as a manager of daijo-kan activities within the palace.
Geki 外記 Secretariat	These are specifically named men who act at the sole discretion of the tenno. Among the duties of the Geki include writing out the titles conferred by the tenno. In cases of dispute between high officers, the Geki draft a statement of the case for both sides. Also, they look after any newly introduced business.
The Eight Ministries
The lower half of the Daijo-kan is the Eight Ministries.
Ministries of the Left		Ministries of the Right
Overseen by the Sadaiben (左大弁/Major Controller of the Left). This administrator is charged with supervising the following four ministries:		Overseen by the Udaiben (右大弁/Major Controller of the Right). This administrator is charged with supervising the following four ministries:
Chumu-sho 中務省 Ministry of the Center	This ministry encompasses those of the Imperial Household whose functions bring them closest to the tenno.	Hyobu-sho 兵部省 Ministry of War	Responsible for managing wars initiated and waged by the empire and drafting war declarations at the behest of the tenno. Also works with the Okura-sho to manage war expenditure.
Shikibu-sho 式部省 Ministry of Civil Services	Also known as the "Ministry of the Interior". This ministry is concerned with the general populace, police activities, and with land survey records. Registries for all towns and villages are maintained by the Shikibu-sho, including census records as well as birth and death records. This ministry also collects and maintains biographical archives of meritorious subjects.	Gyobu-sho 刑部省 Ministry of Justice	Appoints a series of hanji (判事/judges) to oversee trials of the state alongside the tenno, or in the event the tenno recuses himself from the trial.
Jibu-sho 治部省 Ministry of Ceremonies		Okura-sho 大蔵省 Ministry of the Treasurey	Responsible for managing the finances of the empire, including military and domestic expenditure, as well as regulating tax income from the Ministry of Taxation.
Minbu-sho 民部省 Ministry of Taxation	This ministry is concerned with taxation.	Kunai-sho 宮内省 Ministry of the Imperial Household	Responsible for managing the imperial palace. Normally headed by a senior member of the Imperial Family.

Beneath the Daijo-kan is the bureaucracy known as the Gikai (議会), the Imperial Legislature of Yamatai. This organ administrates the laws of the empire on behalf of the tenno under the supervision of the tenno and an official called the Tairo (大老). The members of the Gikai are called Giin (議員) and write the laws of the land, which are in turn executed by the tenno if he approves them. In the Gikai, rather than representing the clans, it is the gun that are represented, one Giin from each – in the early days of the empire it was seven from each, but the number was reduced as the empire expanded.

Giin are elected to the Gikai by popular vote (one of the few democratic processes of Yamatai), but the Giin representing the gun are normally from the same clan ruling it or from cadet-clans. Regardless, no matter how many gun any clan controls, the Giin representing the gun are required to swear an oath of impartiality before taking office. This is so that no one clan has too much influence in the Gikai, and any instance of perceived favoritism, no matter how small, is met with immediate dismissal from one's post.

The Gikai and the tenno usually work in conjunction, but the tenno is more powerful as there are very few checks and balances. There only a few things that the tenno the the Gikai must jointly agree on to become law, the main one being the ratification of treaties. The Gikai passes laws by a simple majority vote, and the Tairo will often serve as the tiebreaker in the event of one, but the tenno can also veto any laws at his leisure if he doesn't approve, and the Gikai has no power to overturn it. That said, the only thing the tenno has no power to do is make laws at his leisure. He can put forth a motion and propose a law, but the Gikai is required to vote on them for them to become law.

Clans & Nobility

Each noble clan is headed by a daimyo (大名) pledging fealty to the tenno. Daimyo is the title of the clan head in addition to their noble title, if any. While each daimyo and all samurai still pledge fealty to the tenno, each and the political divisions enjoy a great deal of autonomy from the tenno.

Titular kings and queens within the empire, the first level of the non-royal nobility, are titled Osho (王将/Kings) and Ohi (王妃/Queens), while their closest relatives are titled Oji (王子/Prince) and Ojo (王女/Princess) respectively. Male and female relatives, the same-level nobility, are titled Shoko (諸侯/Prince) and Hime (媛/Princess) respectively. Due to the political structure of the empire, these titles are mostly ceremonial, relics of the preimperial eras, and hold only a small amount political influence.

The clans of Yamatai are grouped into four levels: Teikoku-Shiryu, Oritsu, Kishin, and Samatsu, and any clan can rise and fall through these ranks, or fall out of them altogether, depending on circumstance and/or achievements.

There are many clans across Yamatai with varying degrees of influence and noble ranks. Some of Yamatai's many clans, minor or major, don't actually rule any land, for one reason or another, but still retain some form of political influence; either through business dealings like trade or diplomacy, history as a political player in government, or from a history as a samurai or military family.

While feudalism was for the most part abolished in favor of a prefectural-style political division, some semblance of it still remains. The higher ranked clans are allowed to have vassals in the form of cadet clans or bannerman clans. Furthermore, while heredity is not a requirement when passing the gubernatorial titles, it is almost always the case. While the empire maintains a permanent standing army, all clans, including the imperial family, have the right to raise and levy a certain number of troops depending on their noble and/or clan ranks, and are obligated to answer the call to battle if their liege lord calls for them.

Notable clans of the Yamato Empire include:

Name	Mon		Race	Ethnicity
Teikoku Kamon 帝国家門 Imperial clan
Nadeshiko 撫子			Human	Genjin
The Imperial family of Yamatai. The entire imperial line descended from Ganzo-tenno, the first tenno and progenitor of the imperial family. Nadeshiko is the name of the dynasty and the unofficial clan name of the imperial family, as members of the imperial family don't use surnames as a matter of tradition unless their status is revoked or they willingly drop it. While the the current imperial family is descended from a scions of the Toyotomi, Nioda, Oda and Keiken clans, the Nadeshiko dynasty is not a cadet branch of any clan for legal and traditional reasons. While women of numerous clans have married into the imperal family and produced tenno, by law and tradition this does not make the Nadeshiko dynasty a cadet branch of any of them. Not even the Oda and Toyotomi clans are counted becuase while the founders of their respective branches of the imperial family (Shintoki-tenno and Funiki-tenno) were scions descended from pricesses who married out of the imperial family and into lesser branches of the Oda and Toyotomi clans, legal and traditional reasons hold the Nadeshiko line above them. Under normal circumstances the pair of them succeeding the throne would not have been a possibility, as circumstances of their birth and recent ancestry would not have put them in line for the throne; they only came to power as a consequence of their own deeds or ambitions. Furthermore, for the purpose of preventing the Nadeshiko dynasty from becoming a cadet brach, law and tradition states that men and women who marry into the imperial family forfeit their family name and all inheritiace rights they may have had had they remained with their former clan. The opposite is true as well; imperial family members who marry out of the imperial clan forfeit all inheritiance rights. Either way the memers of their former clan remain family, but that is where the association ends.
Teikoku-Shiryu Kamon 帝国支流家門 Imperial Cadet clans
Clans that include the direct cadet branches of the imperial family. Most of these clans date back to the earliest days of the emperorship. Despite being cadet branches of the imperial family, these clans typically don't have much more power or influence than the Kishin Kamon. As members of the imperial family don't use surnames as a matter of tradition unless their status is revoked, members of the imperial family who are excluded from the line of succession or have their status revoked sometimes take one of these surnames, or are bestowed to them by the tenno.
Clan	Mon	Race	Ethnicity	Description
Fujiwara 藤原
Keiken 敬虔		Human	Genjin	The imperial line was founded and is descended from older branches of what is now called the Keiken clan, yet the clan no longer holds the imperial title. In the days of the clan's emperorship, the clan was not a surname, but was a title they were addressed by as part of their personal name called "Mikado Keikenna (神門敬虔な)," which denoted their descent. This was shortened to "Keiken" when Sakuken-tenno abdicated to Shintoki-tenno, becoming a normal clan.
Minamoto 源
Nioda 二織田		Human	Genjin	The Nioda clan is the adopted name of the former imperial line who held the throne before passing it to Funiki-tenno (formerly known as Toyotomi Nobunaga) in the wake of the Akechi Rebellion.
Taira 平
Oritsu Kamon 王立家門 Royal clans
The most powerful clans fo the empire beneath the imperial family and their cadet clans. These clans who are not cadet branches of the imperial family but may have some relation to them through kinship or marriage, even if it was very brief. These clans are direct vassals of the imperial family and typically have the most power and prestige in the politics, economics and military of the empire. The parent lines that remain independently unrelated to the imperial family by marriage or kinship maintain a great degree of prestige and influence through cadet branch relations to the imperial family, yet these relations give them no legal right to the throne. Kogo (empresses) and spouses of imperial family members are usually from one of these clans, but it's typically fair game between them and the Kishin Kamon.
Ashikaga 足利
Azai 浅井		Human	Genjin
Chosokabe 長宗我部
Date 伊達		Human	Genjin
Hojo 北条		Human	Genjin
Imagawa 今川		Kemonomimi	Fox Kemonomimi
Kirigaya 桐ヶ谷
Oda 織田		Human	Genjin	The sotoku of Saisho Ryoiki is only appointed from the Oda clan as a matter of legal and historical significance, one of the rare instances where one clan has permanent governance over a ryoiki. The current imperial family is descended from ascion of the Oda clan that was descended from a scion of the Keiken clan.
Saito 斎藤		Human	Genjin
Shimazu 島津		Human	Genjin	The ruling clan of the Kingdom of Mizuho, the Tsukahara clan, is a cadet branch of the Shimazu clan.
Shirayuki 白雪		Human	Genjin	The Shirayuki clan is well known for its prowess in the field of medicine, turning out more doctors and physicians than any other clan known, which it shares with its shinobi cadet branch. The sotoku of Kyokuhoku Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Shirayuki clan.
Tachibana 橘		Human	Genjin	The sotoku of Kaju-en Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Tachibana clan.
Takeda 武田		Human	Genjin	The sotoku of Tsuyoinu Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Takeda clan. The Takeda clan trains the best horsemen and cavalry of the empire. The samurai military order, Furinkazan, was founded by a member of the Takeda clan.
Tokugawa 徳川		Human	Genjin
Toyotomi 豊臣		Human	Genjin	The current imperial family is descended from a scion of the Toyotomi clan and the Nadeshiko line; said line is also descended from an older scion line of the Oda clan that was a descended from an older scion line of the Keiken clan, which once held the throne.
Uesugi 上杉		Human	Genjin
Kishin Kamon 貴紳家門 Noble clans
Clans that have great political, economic or military influence in the empire, yet are not held to the same level of standards and prestige of the Oritsu Kamon.
Aizawa 逢沢		Human	Genjin	The sotoku of Kaijo Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Aizawa clan.
Akechi 明智		Human	Genjin	A cadet branch and vassal of the Oda clan. Nearly went extinct following a rebellion and civil war, referred to as the Akechi Rebellion, but redemed itself with the ousting of its treacherous daimyo. Said daimyo was Akechi Go (明智江), a descendant of Orihime-tenno, whom assassinated Odayaka-tenno in a vain attempt to become tenno himself. Once counted among the Oritsu clans, but was demoted following said rebellion and civil war.
Akimoto 秋元		Human	Quantao-Genjin	The Akimoto clan is a Quantao-originating cadet branch the Qiuyuan clan of Tianchao that sided with Yamatai against Tianchao during the invasions, and were rewarded with lands for their service. The founding daimyo, Akimoto-no-Kuma (秋元の熊), was an alleged descendant of Xiangrikui Gongchen, the first abjaksan of Marlakcor. The sotoku of Kumatora Ryoiki in Morokoshi is only appointed from the Akimoto clan as a matter of legal and historical significance, one of the rare instances where one clan has permanent governance over a ryoiki. Because the clan was founded and rules in Morokoshi, members of the Akimoto clan – disregarding representatives to the Gikai – are rarely seen in Fuso, with a couple of exceptions.
Aiga 愛河
Akitsuki 秋月
Asahina 朝比奈		Human	Genjin	A cadet branch of the Fujiwara and Imagawa clans, founded from a political union between the clans during the Sengoku Jidai of the Ni-Hyakunen Senso.
Enoshima 江の島		Merfolk	Genjin	A cadet branch of the Aizawa clan that became almost entirely merfolk a few generations after a union between a man from the Aizawa clan and a mermaid from the now-extinct purely merfolk Enkei (円形) clan. Through the former Enkei clan, the Enoshima clan claims descent from Eizoku Kaiyo-no-hime, one of the Megami-hime.
Fujioka 藤岡
Haruhana 春花		Human	Arslan-Genjin	A distant cadet branch of the Arslan-ethnic Altanzul clan that formerly ruled the Khaganate of Gergazar and the Lin dynasty of Tianchao. The clan was founded by Haruhana Hayabusa (春花隼); formerly known as Altanzul Shonkor (ᠠᠯᠲᠠᠨᠵᠤᠯ ᠱᠣᠩᠬᠣᠷ), or Shonkor Khan (ᠱᠣᠩᠬᠣᠷ ᠬᠠᠨ). Hayabusa was a general of the Lin dynasty during the Second Arslan Invasion of Fuso, and an illegitimate half-brother of the Khagan of the time. He defected from his brother's empire an an opprotunity to actually matter. For his deeds, he was awarded substantial land and title that his clan governs to this day,
Higurashi 日暮		Human	Genjin	The sotoku of Hae Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Higurashi clan. The Higurashi clan is well known for its faith in Genkyo, turning out more priests and priestesses than any other clan known.
Ishigame 石亀		Merfolk	Genjin
Ishikawa 石川
Itogami 糸我見		Elf	High Elf
Kanzaki 神崎
Kirishima 霧島		Human	Genjin
Kotobiki 琴引
Kotobuki 寿
Kurogane 鉄		Human	Genjin	One of two Kishin Kamon named Kurogane, this one being human. The human Kurogane clan are a swordsmaster samurai clan dating back to at least the Jushi Okoku Jidai. While they don't govern any land, they're renowned as swordsmanship teachers and own a varity of dojos all across the empire.
Kurogane 黒金		Dwarf		One of two Kishin Kamon named Kurogane, this one being dwarven. The dwarven Kurogane clan are master blackmiths and craftsmen who are renounded for their workmenship.
Matsumae 松前		Human	Genjin
Mamiya 間宮		Human	Genjin	A merchant clan that made it's name and power through banking and commerce.
Minamiya 南舎		Human	Genjin
Miyagi 宮城		Human	Genjin
Miyamoto 宮元		Human	Genjin
Mochizuki 望月
Nakajima 中島		Human	Genjin	The Nakajima clan of Yamatai is the parent clan of House Nakajima of Soleil, a Gallique-Genjin cadet branch that is a noble house of Soleil.
Ninagawa 蜷川		Human	Genjin
Nomuchi 飲む血		Vampire	Genjin	The sotoku of Yakage Ryoiki is normally appointed from the Nomuchi clan. The Nomuchi clan of Yakage Ryoiki is a vampiric clan, the only one one to rule a ryoiki.
Odagiri 小田桐
Oga 枉駕
Okazaki 岡崎		Human	Genjin
Onodera 小野寺
Saeki 佐伯
Sagara 相良		Human	Genjin	A cadet branch of the Fujiwara and Shimazu clans.
Sakai 堺
Shina 品		Vampire	Genjin
Yuki 有機
Samatsu Kamon 瑣末家門 Minor clans
Clans that have some respectable recognition in terms of political and economic influence and military prowess, but aren't as influential as the Kishin Kamon.
Adachi 安達
Ibuki 伊吹		Human	Genjin
Ishin 威信		Human	Genjin
Kowa 恐		Human	Genjin
Mizujin 水人		Human	Eito	The Mizujin clan is an immigrant clan from Ningyo Kazan, and acts as an unofficial intermediary between Yamatai and Ningyo Kazan.
Onaga 尾長
Sakamoto 坂元
Shimizu 清水		Human	Eito
Shodai 初代		Human		The sotoku of Donchaku Ryoiki in Akantai is normally appointed from the Shodai clan.
Sugifuchi 杉渕
Toketsu 凍結				The sotoku of Fuyukori Ryoiki in Akantai is normally appointed from the Toketsu clan.
Zaizen 財前
Ninja Kamon
Clans that run the Togo Ninja Order or train ninjas outside the order's influence. They typically don't have any influence in the economics or politics of Yamatai, in fact they try to stay out of them, yet they maintain a voice in the government and some influence in the military.
Fuga 風火
Genya 原野
Kusamura 叢
Hattori 服部
Hayate 疾風
Homura 焔
Inazuma 稲妻
Nichiren 日輪
Ongaku 音楽
Shirayuki 白雪				A cadet branch of the clan of same name among the Oritsu Kamon, with whom it shares the unique healing techniques of the whole Shirayuki clan.
Soseiji 双生児
Take 岳
Tanjun 単純
Tekko 鉄工
Uzumaki 渦巻

Rulership of the various political divisions are usually hereditary, depending on which clan controls it and how the ruling clan and/or the government chooses to handle the succession, unless a family is removed from power over a territory and replaced with another for one reason or another. And a single clan can actually have several members of their family appointed shugo, giving them control over multiple gun, even across the borders of a ryoiki.

The cities and towns governed by the shicho are not hereditary, even if the shicho is a the head of a minor cadet-clan that is a vassal of the daimyo. A shicho is a random noble, military officer, a landless samurai, or some other landless lord or citizen that is appointed directly by the government to rule the municipality, chosen solely by merit, and hereditary succession is not recognized in any instance unless the successor is chosen by merit alone.

The gun that make up a ryoiki are set up by law but actual ownership of each individual gun is always under dispute. It is not uncommon for a gun to change hands every so often for a couple of reasons: Since many clans, minor and major, are interrelated somewhere down the line, and most noble clans have one or several cadet-clans, conflict for inheritance and succession is a common occurrence throughout Yamatai. The main cause for this are succession rights crises caused by an inheritance dispute; if a minor clan that was ruling the gun as shugo ends without a potential heir, the tenno can hand the land to another clan to fill the vacancy, even if only temporarily, and this can lead to a minor clan being risen up to noble one.

War is another cause for a gun to change hands. If the previous ruling clan is removed from power over any amount of land by force, the tenno can recognize the victorious daimyo's claim to the land and appoint someone of that clan as shugo of the gun, making it part of the daimyo's realm, and the tenno can even side with the aggressor daimyo militarily to see the war concluded hurriedly. Otherwise, the tenno can refuse to recognize the claim or result of the war, and can command the daimyo to end the war or vacate the conquered land. If the daimyo refuses, the tenno can marshal troops against the aggressor daimyo, and even strip the offending lord of all lands and titles before giving them to someone else.

Assuming the tenno intervenes in the conflict on the side of the defending daimyo, and the war ends in favor of the defending daimyo, the tenno will often demand the aggressor daimyo to renew an oath of fealty and will exercise greater authority over the aggressor's future actions for a determined period. The tenno may also hand some or all of the aggressor's land over to another clan; another option would be to appoint a new daimyo from the many candidates of the defeated clan, usually one who stayed out of the conflict or sided with the tenno.

If the war ends in the aggressor daimyo's favor, often the tenno will often be forced to recognize the aggressor daimyo's claim to the land, but a demand for greater autonomy could also be granted; however, the latter outcome is a rarity.

Both of these issues has led to the unofficial creation of "realms" when a clan owns a great amount of land, and it is a constant fear that it could lead to a clan becoming so powerful that it threatens to topple the imperial family, or the ignition of another Sengoku Jidai.

Regardless of what happens or how many gun a clan controls, the titles of sotoku of ryoiki are legally appointed only by the tenno.

Political Divisions

The gun of Yamatai grouped into the ryoiki. Teikyo is in white.

The Gun of Yamatai:
The shapes of the gun in Fuso mostly correspond to the political situation of the Sengoku Jidai, yet there has been some redrawing since the Seifuku Jidai ended. The gun of Morokoshi and Akantai were shaped according to the will of the tenno by political and strategic necessity as Yamatai expanded into Marlakcor. Many smaller islands are part of the nearest gun of the same color.
The indigo-colored territories (the Kappa islands), are outside the normal political structure of Yamatai

The empire is loosely divided into many provinces. As established by the first tenno of a united Yamatai during and after the Seifuku Jidai of the Ni-Hyakunen Senso, the political structure of the empire is thus:

• The empire is divided into numerous sectors in four main levels:
  1. The first level are the Ryoiki (領域/Regions), and can be spread across multiple islands. A ryoiki is governed by Sotoku (総督/Viceroy), which is appointed by the tenno from the family of a daimyo or samurai from one of Yamatai's many clans, major or minor. They are appointed by either inheritance or merit, or both, depending on many factors and circumstances that the tenno needs to take into account. Most of the time they are appointed from the family of the prior sotoku, whether from the main family or a cadet-branch, but this is not always so. The governance of these lands are restricted to the ryoiki they are assigned to; the sotoku of the ryoiki of Morokoshi and Akantai are appointed from different clans in a similar way.
  2. The second level are the Gun (郡/Provinces). Any number of gun can make up a whole ryoiki. Each individual gun is governed by a Shugo (守護/protector), the position of which is appointed by the sotoku, with the approval of the tenno, by merit or inheritance or both. Most of the time they are appointed from the family of the sotoku of the ryoiki or from the family of the prior shugo, whether from the main family or a cadet-branch. If the shugo is not appointed from the sotoku's family, most of the time the shugo is a vassal clan of the sotoku. Sometimes they come from a clan that controls a different ryoiki, or they can be unrelated entirely.
  3. The third level are the Shigai (市街/city), the major cities within the gun. They are governed as a whole by Shicho (市長/mayor). This position is legeally not hereditary.
  4. The final level are the Ku (区), the minor settlements of all types within the gun outside of cities. These are mostly towns and private lands controlled by a Jito (地頭/landlord), which may or may not be a samurai family, which are appointed by merit or inheritance or both.
• The sole exception to the political structure of Yamatai proper is Teikyo, the capital city and gun of the empire. Teikyo and the lands under its influence is governed directly by the tenno and the imperial family.
• Morokoshi, Yamatai's Marlakcese territories, and Akantai, the islands northeast of Fuso, are similarly divided according the structure of the main empire's political divisions, as they are proper extensions of the empire.
  • The clans that are appointed sotoku of the Morokoshi and Akantai Ryoiki are a relatively recent development. While equal rank, they have a lesser standing than the clans in Yamatai proper in Fuso.
• The Kappa islands in Maritymir, are the exceptions to the primary political structure established in the wake of the wars; they are a Kuiki (区域/Zone) ruled by a Bugyo (奉行/Magistrate) appointed by the tenno.
  • Morokoshi and Akantai were treated the same way before they were organized into the primary political divisions as proper extensions of the empire.

Ryoiki & Gun of the empire

Yamatai Proper/Fuso		Morokoshi		Akantai
Ryoiki	Gun	Ryoiki	Gun	Ryoiki	Gun
Teikyo ❂ 帝京		Kumatora 熊虎	Higuma ❂ 樋熊	Donchaku 土着
Hae 栄え
				Fuyukori 冬氷	Kosetsu ❂ 降雪
Kaijo 海上	Nami ❂ 波
Kaju-en 果樹園
Kyokuhoku 極北	Yukika ❂ 雪家
Saisho 最初	Owari ❂ 尾張
Tsuyoinu 強犬
Yakage 夜影	Kyuketsuki ❂ 吸血鬼
Notes:
Gun marked with a star (❂) is the gun that hosts the capital of the Ryoiki. As the capital of the empire, Teikyo is both a ryoiki and a gun, governed directly by the tenno and the imperial family. Shinju Harbor of Kaijo Ryoiki hosts the Teitoku (提督/Admiralty), the primary headquarters the imperial navy. Saisho ryoiki's Owari gun, (the southeastern-most gun) is where the empire began. Kaju-en hosts some of the largest fruit orchards in the empire. 3⁄5 of the empire's fruit produce comes out of this ryoiki. Donchaku Ryoiki and its gun were the first ryoiki established following the empire's invasion, conquest and colonization of Akantai.

Foreign Relations

Yamatai maintains diplomatic relations with many nations to the west and east. The main embassies, referred to as a Taishikan (大使館/embassy) and run by a Taishi (大使/ambassador), are located in a nation's capital and represent the empire itself, while offices in other cities, referred to as Ryojikan (領事館/consulate) and run by a Ryoji (領事/consul), maintain relations between nationals living in those cities and the local populace.

Yamatai is also a longtime friend and ally of the Kingdom of Soleil, and is one half of the Copain-Tomo Alliance. This wasn't always so; in 2145ɪɴᴏ (3859ᴘᴄᴢ), a couple decades after the end of the Seifuku Jidai and a little over four centuries after the founding of Soleil, Yamatai established a colony on the then-unoccupied end of the Vieillesse Peninsula, and expansion of that colony was viewed as a threat by the growing Kingdom of Soleil. After a ferocious war, which saw territorial control being pushed back and forth several times, the Soleilian–Yamato War (2162 – 2168ɪɴᴏ) ended when Yamatai gave up the colony in the peace treaty in 2168ɪɴᴏ and was expelled from the continent. Afterwards period of hot & cold relations ensued for everal decades.

Relations changed drastically between Soleil and Yamatai in 2207ɪɴᴏ when they found a common enemy in the invading forces of the Arslan-ruled Lin dynasty of Tianchao in the Second Arslan Invasion of Fuso. Just when Yamatai seemed on the brink of defeat, the armies of Soleil suddenly arrived unexpectedly and fought side-by-side to see the enemy defeated. The victory resulted in feeling of unity and friendship between the western and eastern peoples, and a permanent alliance was formed. This alliance, along with the friendship and camaraderie between the two countries, has endured ever since.

Armed Forces

Yamatai maintains a substantial army and navy, making it the dominant superpower of the Oriental sea (the waters between Fuso and Aquilonis) with no real rivals.

The Imperial Army & Navy is run by the Shogun, the highest military rank beneath the tenno. He is responsible for all affairs of the military.

Extracontinental Invasions

Disregarding the migration of the ancestors of the Genjin people to Fuso thousands of years ago, thrice in its history has Fuso been invaded by peoples of the Marlakcese mainland to the east. These were pivotal points in Fuso history that demonstrated different things.

Sinjok Invasions

The first time was the Sinjok Invasions in the eras before the rise of Yamatai, in which the Sinjok peoples of western Marlakcor mounted five separate invasions of the eastern islands over the course of at least three hundred years. These invasions were for migration purposes rather than conquest, as the Sinjok peoples, many of whom were refugees or former soldiers escaping the conquests of Tianchao in Guangdai, sought new opportunities away from the chaos of the east.

The Genjin of the time resisted fiercely, but the invaders entrenched themselves and set up their own kingdoms. These kingdoms were overthrown by Genjin daimyo about a century before the Ni-Hyakunen Senso. Regardless, the longtime occupations of the eastern islands by the Sinjok resulted in a large concentration of Sinjok people that still live on the islands to present day.

Arslan Invasions

The second and third times were the Arslan Invasions, two separate attempts by the Lin dynasty – the first time as a division of the Gergazartan Khaganate – to invade and conquer Fuso.

Main article: Arslan Invasions of Fuso

Major islands of Fuso

Excluding the big island of Hinomoto in the south, the three biggest islands of Fuso are controlled by Yamatai. Together they, along with several outlying islands, are collectively called Mishima (三島), and are considered the "mainland" of Yamatai. The northern of the three is Hoppo (北邦), the central is Nakasu (中洲), and the southern is called Kyonan (境南).

The northernmost island of Fuso is called Hyoto (氷島). The island to the immediate south of it is Hashijima (橋島), which acts as a "bridge" between Hyoto and Hoppo.

Off the southeast coast of Kyonan is the small long island of Kumojima (雲島). Off the coast of Kyonan's southwestern peninsula is the small island of Tamashima (玉島), and the island further south of it is Sangojima (珊瑚島).

Of Fuso's easternmost major islands, the northeastern island is Suisho (水晶), which, aside for several smaller islands, is flanked by the major islands of Kaijima (貝島) to the northeast and Sakaijima (境島) to the southeast. The southern one, the islands closest to mainland Marlakcor, is Kyoiki (境域). Off the northeastern tip of it is the small island of Hashima (端島), and further out to the east is the small island of Tanejima (種島).

The island off the northwest coast of Kyonan and the southwest coast of Nakasu is called Jojima (城島). This island shares the lion share of Yamatai' maritime borders with Mizuho and is of vital strategic importance.

The three major islands off Kyonan's northeastern coast, which make of Yakage Ryoiki, are, from west to east, Kitsunejima (狐島), Ketto (血島) and Ginjima (銀島). The small island between Ketto and Kyonan is Kojima (小島), and the island off of Ketto's eastern peninsula is Nyujima (入島).

The cluster of islands between southestern Nakasu and Kyonan's north penunsula is the Nezumi Archipelago (鼠諸島/Nezumi Shoto). The largest of the set is the namesake, Nezumijima (鼠島).

The southernmost of the major islands north of Hinomoto is Tetsushima (鉄島), which is flanked by the smaller major islands of Kamejima (亀島) to the north, between itself and Kyonan's southern peninsula, and Kagashima (鏡島) to the south, sharing maritime borders with Hinomoto. To the northeast of Tetsushima, also between itself and Kyonan's southeastern peninsula, is Jajima (蛇島).

Hoppo

Nakasu

Kyonan

Hyoto and Hashijima

Suisho, flanked by Kaijima to the northeast and Sakaijima to the southeast.

Kyoiki, along with Hashima & Tanejima

Nezumi Archipelago

Kitsunejima, Ketto and Ginjima.

Tetsushima, along with Kamejima, Kagashima & Jajima.

Notes & Trivia

The whole of Fuso without sovereign boundaries

• Fuso and the Genjin people are based off Japan and the Japanese people.
• Because of how the Japanese language – which the Genjin language "Gengo" is based on – works, the title "Tenno" (天皇/Emperor), and other titles and nouns, are both singular and plural.
• The term "Yamatai," while the name of the empire, is also sometimes erroneously used to refer to the entire land as a whole.
• Fuso includes the main lands currently occupied by the empire; the Eda Archipelago, occupied by Mizuho; the southernmost lands the Ningyo Archipelago, occupied by the Kingdom of Ningyo Kazan; and Hinomoto.
  • The easternmost land of Fuso is the Suisho Islands. They extend into the western waters of Marlakcor.
  • There has been constant debate amongst Qirsyllvian cartographers throughout history on whether of not the southernmost lands, the Ningyo Archipelago and Hinomoto, the former which is occupied by Yamatai's suzerainty, the Kingdom of Ningyo Kazan, is part of Fuso, but most agree that they are.
  • Since the western islands of Yamatai are more "solid" while the eastern islands are more "fragment-like," some historians speculate that Fuso was once a whole continent before it broke up into smaller pieces, similar to what happened with Atlantis during the the Great Ketellaao. But whatever happened with Yamatai (if it even happened at all) happened thousands of years before that Atlantian catastrophe, likely before recorded history.