Seishitsu

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Seishitsu (性質) is a Zedylrian Steel katana forged and used during the Age of Conquest period of the Two Hundred Years' War by Yoshishige, one-time daimyo of the Oda clan and the first emperor of what became the Yamato Empire. After the wars, the sword was hidden away until late-4541 AFZ, when it came into the possession of Sugako Toyotomi.

History

Almost a hundred years after the onset of the Ni Hyaku-nen Sensō [Two Hundred Years' War], Seishitsu was forged by Yoshishige Oda, a young blacksmith of a lesser branch of Oda clan, as well as a scion of the Keiken'na clan, the ruling imperial family before the Warring States Period. Specifically, he was descended from Emperor Kurogane no Keiken'na, the great-grandfather of Emperor Hayashi no Keiken'na, the last officially recognized emperor before the Warring States Period.

Upset by all the battles and bloodshed that had been going on as a result of the Warring States Period (which erupted in the wake of the collapse of most of the great states of the Fourteen Kingdoms Period, ending the said era), Yoshishige put his recently acquired knowledge in alchemy to use, and put his heart and soul into forging a Zedylrian Steel blade, becoming the first person in centuries to make an original Zedylrian Steel sword. Once the blade was finished, he prayed to the gods for power worthy of such a creation. The divine ones answered his prayers and instructed him on how to use an ancient magic to instill it with great power, giving the blade near-godlike abilities; thankful to the gods for answering his prayers, Yoshishige named the Zedylrian steel katana "Seishitsu."

Armed with Seishitsu, Yoshishige demonstrated its power to the locals, made a grand speech on everything that was wrong with their country and what needed to be done, and rallied them to form an army. With the katana in hand and his followers behind him, Yoshishige struck down all dissidents and restored unity to the divided clan, becoming the clan daimyo in the process.

With internal order restored, Yoshishige and his followers set out to unite Fuso under one banner for the first time. Yoshishige quickly subjugated the rival clans of the southeast side of his home island through diplomacy and conquest, displaying near genius military tactics and diplomatic charisma. With a third of his home island under new imperial rule, Yoshishige made another speech declaring the founding of the Empire of Yamatai with himself as the first emperor of the new era. This made him the first to hold the title since Emperor Hayashi no Keiken'na, and, as the only known living scion of the imperial line of the Keiken'na clan, no one challenged his legitimacy for the title and rulership of the Idai dynasty, at least not openly. Now the recognized ruler of the dynasty, it was at this point he dropped his clan surname and started the tradition of the imperial family having no surname; he declared that he and his descendants would remain a cadet branch of the larger Oda clan and passed the position of clan daimyo to a relative from the still-living main line.

This event marked the transition of the Warring States Period of the Two Hundred Years' War into the Age of Conquest. Over the following years he did the same with the clans of the rest of the island and the neighboring islands, expanding imperial rule far beyond its traditional boundaries with the ultimate eventual goal of uniting all of Fuso under new imperial rule for the first time in history. To ensure that no one could abuse Seishitsu's powers should it be stolen, Yoshishige used additional magic to tie its power to his direct bloodline, ensuring that only his family could use it.

Fifty years after beginning his campaign to unite all of Fuso, Emperor Yoshishige died; killed in battle by a stray arrow during the Siege of Umadake, his ambitions unfulfilled. He was seventy-five years old at the time of his death.

Since both of his sons died in the same battle – and he actually predeceased both of them by roughly an hour – Seishitsu and the imperial title passed onto his grandson Akishige, who was only sixteen years old at the time. With the ultimate goal of uniting Fuso only half-finished, Akishige proceeded to finish his grandfather's work in uniting Yamatai. However, Akishige didn't manage to make much progress before dying of a plague outbreak five years later. Upon Akeshige's death, Seishitsu and the imperial title then passed to Akeshige's young nephew Chikayoshi. As Chikayoshi was still a direct descendant of Yoshishige, he was able to use Seishitsu's powers.

As Chikayoshi was only ten years old and still minor at the time Akeshige's death, the empire fell under a regency and he didn't ascend to full power, or receive Seishitsu, until he turned sixteen. Once enthroned with the full imperial power upon his sixteenth birthday, Emperor Chikayoshi then spent the next thirty-four years finishing the work of his great-grandfather and uncle before finally claiming victory, ending the Age of Conquest. However, six more years of rebellion against imperial rule ensued before peace, and the official end of the Two Hundred Years' War, became a reality.

Shortly before his death, rather than pass it on to one of his children or their children, Emperor Chikayoshi buried Seishitsu at the base of a Sakura tree behind Eimin no ji Shrine, the final resting place for the ashes of all of Yamato emperors. He also enchanted the sheath so that only a direct descendant of Yoshishige could unsheathe the katana.

Approximately 700 years later, in late-4541AFZ, Seishitsu came into the possession of one of Yoshishige's latest descendants, Princess Sugako – First Princess of the Empire & Lunaculus of Marlakcor – and it has been in her possession ever since.

Powers & Abilities

Seishitsu's powers revolve around the aspects of the Great Dragons and the elements, hence it can only be wielded properly in the hands of a soshihito. And since Seishitsu's powers are directly tied to the direct bloodline of Emperor Yoshishige, only a direct descendant of his can use its powers.

Being a weapon of Zedylrian Steel, Seishitsu is also indestructible, capable of taking any damage done to it and withstanding the passage of time. So even by the time Sugako came into possession of it, the blade never dulled.

Trivia

• "Seishitsu" is one of several Japanese words for "Nature."