Chapter 1: The Oda Kingdom
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Many amphibious tribes resided along the coast of Western Samarya and between the Moon Isles, notably, Sea Elves, Water Genasi, and Tritons. In an instant, the ruination of the sea killed all persons living and traveling beneath the waters. The fate of the communities on the Moon Isles is unknown.
The amphibious tribes relied on the seas not only as a place to live, but as a source of food and income via trade. Homeless and impoverished, they turned towards their inland neighbors for assistance. However, in witnessing the ruin of the sea, many kingdoms chose to withdraw from the wider world. Some saw it as divine punishment from the gods, some feared the amphibious races were corrupted by the waters and sent by the Betrayers. But most wished only to protect their own people's interest, lest another cataclysmic disaster strike a bit closer to home.
With so many peoples pushed ashore, the rocky western coast of Samarya began to crowd. One of the few suitable areas to settle is the Shielded Valley. Resting beneath the Kessho Peaks and along the Silver Strait, the Shielded Valley contains fertile land and access to the Bay of Samarya, all while remaining close to the Bahaman Sea. The amphibious tribes began to fight amongst themselves for control of the Valley. This series of battles lasted from 1601 to 1609.
Among the tribes, the Oda Clan of Sea Elves and the Moon Isles Genasi had a significant portion of their population survive. Together, they formed an alliance known as the Oda Kingdom, led by Daimyo Hiruzen Oda. In the battle for the Valley, they emerged victorious, and founded their kingdom's capitol city of Mizure. Soon, the Kingdom began to expand, taking control of several kingdoms surrounding the Kessho Peaks, ensuring their strategic safety from outsiders.
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Chapter 2: The Abdication to Nagaru Oda
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Nagaru Oda was born in 1628, one of the first Sea Elves to be born on land rather than at sea. As a child, he was said to be spirited and self-assured, if not boisterous and wild. He was raised a scholar, receiving instruction in governance, history, religion, strategy, until the age of 17. Where he truly excelled was in combat. His father brought in tutors from all over Samarya, ensuring he knew the ways of both traditional combat and the arcane. At age 14, Nagaru was gifted the Masamune sword: a divine blade which, by legend, was crafted by the Wishmakers themselves. Unsheathing the Masamune on the battle field is said to blind all who gaze upon it.
It is likely that Nagaru's scholarly upbringing inspired his founding of the Platinum Academy, to be discussed in a later chapter.
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In 1645, at 523 years of age, Hiruzen abdicated his rule to Nagaru, who was 17. This made Nagaru the youngest daimyo in Oda Clan history.
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Chapter 3: Construction of the Hizari Dam and the Founding of the Oda Empire
As the years passed, the cursed waters from the Sea of Ruin began to flow inland towards the Bay of Samarya. Recognizing their mutual interests, the Allied Tribes of Haiten struck an agreement with the Oda Kingdom to allow the construction of a dam along the Silver Strait. Funding and manpower would exclusively come from the Oda Empire, and the Allied Tribes would see that they would be uninterrupted by ships or monsters along the coast. The Hizari Dam, named after Nagaru's late mother, was completed in 1647, an enormous feat for but two years of work.
Leading the Hizari Dam construction project was Nami Kyō: daughter of Anno Kyō, a prominent Moon Isles Genasi leader, and childhood friend of Nagaru's. A prodigy with an unparalleled aptitude for elemental magic, aides report that Nami began working on the framework for a barrier spell of such a size at the age of 11.
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After the dam was finished, the Allied Tribes of Haiten went back on their word to share access to the Silver Strait with the Oda Kingdom. Negotiations proved futile, as the Oda Kingdom had no leverage: their claim to the Strait was based solely on the construction of the Hizari Dam. The Tribes knew the Kingdom would never be willing to tear the dam down. With heavy heart, Lord Emperor Nagaru Oda invaded the western coast of Haiten in the spring of 1649.
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Chapter 7: A Life Under Odan Rule
In this chapter, we will discuss the various policies enacted by the Oda Empire unto the lands which they have conquered.
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The degree to which a state may keep their original governance system depends on the manner in which an agreement with the Oda Empire was reached. The great city-state of Sooryapesh originally offered an alliance with the Oda Empire, long before the Empire's borders reached Sooryan walls. Though final negotiations saw Sooryapesh as an annexed state rather than an equal ally, the Sooryan system of government was to be preserved, save the addition of an Elder from the Oda Empire.
Freedom of religion remains a tenant of every Odan treaty, so as long as worship does not interfere with loyalty to the Oda Empire or contribute to societal chaos and violence. The Oda Empire aligns itself closely with the Platinum Dragon Bahamut, god of order and good, and the religious sect known as the Disciples of the Holy Dragon. Details of the Disciples' religious beliefs can be left to other works, however, it is worth mentioning here that the Disciples encourage worship of all the Prime Deities, yet recognizing that Bahamut is the most divine among them.
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A unique practice of the early Oda Kingdom was the notion of kin punishment. Proportional to the crime of the offending member, families may be subject to various punishments. For example, if an offender's sentence is exile, their kin is exiled along with them. The most severe punishment, given only for the most heinous of capital offenses, is the Nine familial exterminations. This entails the execution of all the close and extended kin of the individual, categorized into nine groups: four generations of the paternal line, three from the maternal line, and two from the wife's.
This practice was particularly effective in keeping the conquered amphibious tribes in check, and remains a pillar of the Oda Empire's justice system today. Of note, in many instances, if an offender immediately turns himself in and pleads guilty to his crime, his kin is often spared.
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