Iwayama Temple

Nestled at the peak of Mt. Akagi, this temple is emblematic of the fertile lands that surround it. Settled on the banks of lake Ono, the low mountaintop allows for the Edict of the Land to cultivate the land surrounding the temple. Despite refusing to give service for tribute like many Edicts do, those of the Land have taken a more subtle approach to aiding the nearby lands.

Construction

The most unique aspect of the otherwise typical temple construction is the lack of any walls. Typically, mountain temples are walled in order to protect them against the predations of bandits or more legitimate threats, but to wall in the lands controlled by Iwayama the wall would need to be miles in circumference. As such, the buildings are oriented in a more communal fashion, stretching out across green fields strewn with tall coniferous trees.
A great eating hall is erected at the center of this complex, helmed by the legendary chef Arata Benjiro. Anyone may make the journey to eat at one of the three dozen tables, so long as they swear off violence and subterfuge while within its walls.
Several bunk houses manage the priesthood, with the kaminoha of the temple living among the priests in almost every way. One of these houses is the home of the secret shrine to the bound spirits of the land, secreted away underground where the Ruta hold a small court made of rock and earth. The shrine itself is bisected by a crag of blackened stone, with small hollows in the walls for dozens of the small creatures to make their voices heard over relevant topic to the temple.

Culture

While it may seem trite to phrase in such a manner, Iwayaman's population is composed of the most down to earth men and women among the major temples. Eschewing much of the high minded thought of other Edicts, the lessons a neophyte is expected to learn are far more akin to those taught to a lowborn seeking apprenticeship to a trapper or farmer than what may be expected of a Shinto priest. It's in those lessons, however, that the secret of the temple can be found.
Each and every individual of high or low birth that seeks Iwayama is subjected to trials that birth members of the Edict of the Land. While the trials in question are as secret as any other Edict, the broadness of the net that this temple casts is shown in their members being the most numerous and prolific among any of their brethren. That isn't to say that the earthen Kaminoha are any less qualified than others - but that is a sentiment carried by several priests of other temples.

History

Founded unofficially in 1190, coinciding with the end of the Genpei War, by the family of one Iwaki Morimaro. Merely a man who took up a shattered tree limb when the war threatened his family and community, he bonded with a Ruta in the manner that others did at the time - accident. While Morimaro didn't have greater aspirations than protecting the one's he loved, he was approached by Minamoto Noriyori when his connection to his little god was discovered.
It was Morimaro's teachings that became the bedrock for the Edict that would bond itself most tightly to the islands of Japan itself. To be bound to the land is to be subject to its whims, which means respecting the mountains, forests, and other edifices that came before humanity carved their place into the world. This traditionalist thinking has carried through the years and subsequent conflicts.

Important Figures

Arata Benjiro
Joton
Yoton

Founding Date

1190

Owning Organization

Edict of the Land