Kondai

An island nation off the western coast of Isliari, Kondai is small, but robust. Beyond its island, it controls naught but a small bit of coast to maintain its trade routes with the mainland. The Konshi people are descended from the Elves and Oni who fought off the tyranny of King Mao. Divided into clans, the marital Samurai warriors and their elemental mage counterparts, the Onmyōjin, make up the bulk of the country's military power. Though it has been some time since a military was needed, Kondai is armed for war at any time in case Mao returns.

Structure

Kondai is split into five territories, each ruled by a shogun who reports directly to the Emperor of Kondai and one ruled by the emperor himself. These four shoguns are:

Nazuna Nakano: Head of the Boar clan, a young woman who openly prioritizes the well being of the Boar over the rest of Kondai. She assumed rule after her father fell in a duel to the head of the Salamander clan, but shows no ill will for him and his lands.
Hanao Takahashi: Head of the Viper clan, a middle-aged man, with a calm demeanor.
Ikuya Mori: Head of the Ox clan, an old and robust man who is loyal to the emperor, but gouges the other lands over small slights by exercising its vast control of land-based trade on Kondai.
Miwao Kawaguchi: Head of the Salamander clan, a large man with the clear intentions of a hardened sailor. He believes in setting disputes with your own hands and expects his seafaring representatives to do the same. His clan controls all naval action and water faring trade. It was his own vessel design that carried the residents of Isliari to Edore for their first contact.

History

Empire of the Demon King

Prior to an early branch of Elves making landfall on Kondai, the island nation was ruled by a powerful Oni warlord: King Mao. With an army of powerful oni and ferocious Yōkai bent to his will, he had enslaved a more peaceful cast of oni and effectively conquered both Kondai and a large part of Yōkai no Kuni.

The elves, favoring freedom of spirit and seeing both the enslaved Oni and enthralled Yokai, formed a coalition with a small resistance force and began to free the enslaved Oni from their shackles. The elf-oni alliance was strong indeed, with the tactical minds of the elves directing the raw magical and physical might of the freed Oni few could stand before them. Their opponent was not some rogue warlord, however, and the ensuing power struggle became what was known as the Hyakunen Sensō, or Hundred Year War.

Hyakunen Sensō (Hundred Year War)

Battles during the Hundred Year War were hard-fought, some even changing entire landscapes. Twelve major units formed from the Oni-Elven Coalition, laying the basis of the twelve clans that would one day wage their own war over the land that would become known as Kondai. These twelve clans were named for animals with incredible spiritual connection and unique traits. These clans were powerful, resourceful, and, most importantly: they were united.

The original twelve clans consisted of the Boar: honest, headstrong individuals who knew no fear and were quick to anger, but slow to battle. The loyal Dog clan, battlefield aids, and unbreakable confidants of all high ranking individuals. The Dragon, elected figureheads and generals of the war effort who would later ascend to rule all of Kondai. The Horse clan, with their short-temper and silver tongue, which ultimately led to their demise. Clever and creative, the Monkey clan oversaw many strategies and helped take Mao's forces by surprise time and time again. The Ox, patient, and alert orators who often served as inspiration during the war effort, never failing to rally morale with their optimistic speeches.

What would become known as the greatest shock troopers Kondai ever had: the Rabbit clan was a clan that thrived on what they called skill, and others called luck, besides the Dog clan, there was no other clan as well trusted as the Rabbit. The Ram clan served as spiritual mediums, freeing or driving back supernatural threats and powerful Yokai alike, known to be painters when not on the battlefield and always having a quiet demeanor. Considered the least trustworthy by association with their animal, the Rat clan is nothing of the sort; ambitious sneaks, perhaps, but they took great pride in their thieve's code. Perhaps the most unfortunate of all clans, the Rooster saw its demise in an ambush by the Oni and were systematically wiped out seemingly overnight. The Ox clan had an especially close relationship with the Rooster, and it is not uncommon to see Ox statues depicting the Rooster riding atop the stalwart Oxen, many felt it was akin to losing family. The big picture clan was and will always be the Tiger; with a cold demeanor to strangers and a "my way or the highway" attitude, the Tiger clan is known for getting things done the right way the first time. Finally, the quiet Viper clan, unshakeable by the terrors of war and zen practitioners of long-meditation, the Viper clan were expert planners. They would not relax until a plan was seen to completion.

These twelve clans held back the tides of endless Oni and Yokai for eighty years, slowly gaining ground. That is, until the day King Mao took the field during the Battle at the Tengoku Foothills. Suddenly, with the aid of his elite guards, the then eleven clans were being driven back. Then the Salamander arrived. Unknowingly to the elves, another branch of Oni had set sail years before their arrival seeking help. These Oni stumbled upon the Dwarves of Olmir, still being led by Angmar. Unable to join a war at the time, Angmar had his dwarves craft all manner of war machine for the Oni, and so the Salamander arrived with powerful ballistae and other war machines loaded onto their ships. This was able to re-level the playing field and cement the Salamander as the twelfth clan, succeeding the fallen Rooster clan.

While the Salamander were busy regaining lost ground and creating a stalemate between the clans and their opponent, the brightest Oni and Elf mages were working on their own plan. Through terrible self-sacrifice and powerful magic, the mages created the Enlightened. Beings of immense power, the Enlightened utterly overwhelmed whole platoons on their own. One for each clan was created, and many, many others were made in homage to other powerful spirits of the Oni folklore, a move that the Ram clan stated would please the Yokai and their ancestors. Whether or not the Ram was correct, the line was moving in the clan's favor. This led to the eventual defeat of King Mao's army after the head of the Dragon clan terribly wounded Mao in single combat. The war was over, and the coalition was victorious.

Jū Ni-Zoku no Sensō (War of Twelve Clans)

For a time after the Hundred Year War was over, the Clans flourished and worked together to rebuild their nation. Monuments to fallen warriors were built, and many of the elves who fought for the land decided to stay, both marrying into the Oni society and staying with their clans, having formed bonds deeper than blood. To prevent the violent outpouring of Yokai or random invasions of Oni, many structures were created to ward off malevolent spirits. While the nature of Yokai no Kuni made it difficult to seal entrances to their land, the spiritual structures helped make the process much more difficult.

The peace could only last for so long; soon, quarrels over land and power were commonplace in early Kondai. The Dragon, Dog, and Rabbit clan swiftly withdrew into their landlocked territory, refusing to take part in the war that would ensue. The War of Twelve Clans was more bloodbath than war, with former allies betraying one another left and right, save for the Dragon, Dog, and Rabbit clans who took a total defense to stave off the tolls of war on their lands. Though not as long-lived or scarring as the war previously, many died. So petty was the war that the previously complacent Enlightened all but vanished overnight, refusing to slay the mortals they laid down their lives for.

The land wars ended with the Horse clan's demise at their own actions. Seeking the power to overcome the Ox in an upcoming battle, the Horse bargained with darker forces. Though who or what they bargained with exactly is unknown, many speculate they bargained with the powers dormant in Maozoku itself. The Horse clan became inflamed with an inhuman bloodlust, and a combined effort between the Boar and Ox was required to stop them. Unable to regain the humanity they held, these enraged beasts that were once kin were all slain. The remaining Horse clan was so ashamed of their kinsman's action that they abandoned their moniker, taking the noble Deer as their house and bowing down to be subservient to the more powerful houses, a self-inflicted punishment for their kin's crimes.

Establishment of Kondai

With the clans unified once more, the Dragon clan proposed that their Island nation be split into four prefectures, with one clan taking power and two others serving as advisors and minor lords. Having learned their lesson, the clans agreed. The Dragon took the centermost region, serving as Emperor and guardian of the Tengoku Monastery. Serving under them, the most loyal clans: the Dog and the Rabbit. While many would have given blood to have either of those clans serve under them, or frankly, over them, the stability their union had created during the war was something no one dared to challenge. To establish a balance between the other clans, three minor clans were established: the Crane, the Fox, and the Tanuki.

The Salamander, still held in high regard from their efforts during the war against King Mao, were an obvious choice for a leading nation and already had good relationships with the Monkey and Rat clans. Together, they established powerful supply lines and shipping routes to the mainland, successfully negotiating a land deal with the Elves of Elunore. An obvious choice due to their slowness to war, the Boar took the lead of another prefecture, taking the spiritual Ram and the newly established Tanuki clan. Likewise, the patient Viper ruled another, with the Tiger and Crane clans beneath them, something the Tiger abhors to this day. Finally, the stalwart Ox clan too the humbled Deer clan and freshly formed Fox clan under its ward.

Worship

Some figures in history have claimed enough power to claim divine power as their own, possibly contending with some demi-deities, they are not often worshiped by Kondai's denizens. These individuals often gain their divinity from raw power, enlightenment, or other primal sources of power both within and without. Usually, the people of Kondai worship a town's local Yōkai, praying to the benevolent spirits for protection or the malevolent ones as appeasement. The praise can sometimes bring great fortune upon an individual or spare them from great peril. An exception to this worship is the nobles who head the clans that rule Kondai. These nobles often give praise and honor to the Enlightened created for their house during the Hundred Year War, in hopes that these noble creatures will return to them or perhaps smile favorably upon them.