The Dragonfly Isles
Government
Akitsushima, called the Dragonfly Isles in Common, is nominally a monarchy. In practice, however, the country teeters back and forth between monarchy and feudalism, with power cycling from the Imperial court to the feudal lords and back throughout its history. In the current year, ruling power rests primarily in the hands of the Emperor, and the governors he has appointed to oversee the prefectures of the newly-unified Dragonfly Isles. Despite this, feudal warlords still retain strong political influence in the lands they once ruled.Culture
Heritage: GenasiRitual and Honor
Ceremony is of greatest importance to residents of Akitsushima. From religious observations to grand festivals to which plates must be eaten from in which order during meals, the daily rituals of life are their primary line of defense against the chaotic brutality of the land they call home. Promises are not easily given, but when they are, they are as solemn a vow as any vow of marriage or vengeance, and proof of honor in a dishonorable world is worth its weight in gold.Making Do
On an island nation characterized by refusal to interact with the outside world, resources are often scarce. Unlike the innovation common to Eisenvolk, the innovative spirit of the Dragonfly Isles centers around maximum efficiency with minimal materials - a place for everything, and everything in its place.A Land of Struggle
While it has worked hard to present a unified front to the outside world, ideologically, Akitsushima is still at war with itself. Long periods of isolation are interspersed with periods of voracious consumption and assimilation of cultural content from surrounding regions. Power fluctuates between the aristocracy and the feudal lords every few centuries. Worship of elemental ancestors vies with worship of the true gods. The ferocity of these disparate and often contradictory beliefs leads to a great deal of friction within the government.Cultural Norms
Community
The people of the Dragonfly Isles are devoted to the well-being of their own communities. Self-sacrifice for the good of the whole is lauded as the highest honor. Social conflict with others of your own community is seen as distasteful and is discouraged in favor of reaching a consensus. Against “outsiders”, however, defense of the community's values is paramount.Hierarchy
Whether determined by blood, education, military rank, or other social status, hierarchy is strictly enforced, and the word of your betters is law. This is idealized as a familial relationship, where the person in the higher role serves as a paternalistic figure teaching the next generation, and wherein the community as a whole work together within their designated place to improve life for the whole.Magic and Technology
As with many other things, the opinion of Akitsushima is divided on the subject of elemental technology. Magic has historically been the purview of the nobility, and the possession of magic qualifies one for a betterment in rank and social standing. Study of wizardly magic is reserved for the scholarly classes, who are lesser nobility in and of themselves. However, due to close trade relations with Eisen, eletech has been introduced and rapidly adopted by commoners and the military classes. The aristocracy remain suspicious and disdainful of its use.Impermanence
Life in the Dragonfly Isles is often violent and short. As a result, much of the art of the land has evolved to highlight the beauty found in such an ephemeral existence. Cloth designed to fade, objects repaired after breaking, paint designed to run - such things are sources of beauty for the people of the Isles, all the more so because they do not last forever.Military
Feudal Clans
The Dragonfly Isles do not have a unified military. Instead, a single shogun oversees the disparate warlords who once ruled their own domains. Each warlord commands their own ranks of loyal bushi (higher-class warriors, roughly approximate to Europan knights) and footsoldiers. It is the shogun’s responsibility, via diplomacy or force, to convince the daimyo to answer the call of their local governors and of the Emperor. As a matter of practicality, both men and women of the warrior class learn to fight, though it is more common for women to remain and defend their homes while their menfolk travel to war.Economy
Textiles
The king of exports from Akitsushima is fabric. Silk leads the race, but cotton fabric is rapidly catching up. Whether raw, dyed, painted, embroidered, or made into complete garments, the Isles’ budding new trade is headlined by its textile production.Religion
Of note: The gods, especially the elder gods, are often worshipped as pure, raw forces of chaos, order, and elemental power, as opposed to the more anthropomorphized portrayals common to Europa. Akmon, God of the Sun - According to legend, the first emperor of the Dragonfly Isles is a direct descendant of Akmon’s. As such, he is still strongly favored by the aristocracy. Eriu, Goddess of Valor - Favored by the warrior class, especially the higher-ranked bushi. Caelus, God of War - Favored by the warrior class, especially of footsoldiers and lower- to middle-ranking bushi. Barasios, God of Contracts - Called on to enforce the nation’s internal hierarchy and oversee all oaths of fealty and faith. The worship of Tanith is expressly forbidden. Worship of Steyfano and Eosphorus are heavily frowned upon and considered the mark of a dishonorable person. As a culture that finds relief in endings and beauty in entropy, veneration of Morwen is common, though outright worship of him is not.Holidays
New Year’s Festival - Around January 28th-February 2nd (1st day of 1st lunar month) The new year is a time of intimate family celebration. Families spend New Year’s Eve cleaning, organizing, purifying, and bathing to rid themselves of the attachments of the previous year. Temples across the Dragonfly Isles ring their bells at midnight to signal the arrival of the new year. Simple noodle dishes, pickled vegetables, and dried or smoked meats are common in new year celebrations, as well as fresh, hand-made rice dough, the first batch of which is offered to the gods or local elemental spirits for good fortune. Foundation Festival - Around February 7th-10th (7th day of 1st lunar month) This holiday celebrates the date the mythic first emperor of Akitsushima, Akitsu-Tenno, is said to have first unified the Isles under one rule. While the lands have repeatedly fractured and re-unified since then, this day is still celebrated nationwide. It is primarily associated with Akmon and celebrated with parades, athletic contests, open temple feasts, and public readings of poetry. Peach Festival - Around April 1st-4th (3rd day of 3rd lunar month) This holiday, mostly associated with Fodla and Elowyn, is a celebration of spring and of the lives of young girls. Gorgeously-appointed dolls are arranged on a display, one doll added per day leading up to the festival, to represent the building of a family. These displays are decorated with peach blossoms, as peach trees are freshly in bloom at this time of year and are a symbol of the feminine. Girls and young women are expected to attend or hold parties, as small as a few friends or as lavish as full feasts. Iris Festival - Around June 2nd-5th (5th day of 5th lunar month) This holiday, mostly associated with Caelus and Kallias, is a celebration of summer and the lives of young boys. Miniature suits of armor and helmets are placed on display in the days leading up to the festival as a prayer for strength and protection. These displays are decorated with irises, as their curved leaves resemble the crescent blades common to the Isles and represent the masculine. Boys and young men are expected to attend or participate in displays of military prowess, particularly horseback archery. Star Festival - Around August 3rd-6th (7th day of 7th lunar month) This holiday celebrates a shared legend between the Dragonfly Isles and the Celestial Empire of two lovers who were separated from each other on opposite ends of the heavens, and can only meet once a year across a bridge of stars created by Sephira. This is a holiday of wishes, where hopes are written on paper tags and hung on growing stalks of bamboo, in hopes that the growing stalks will carry their wishes to Sephira to grant. Star-gazing and nighttime street festivals are common methods of celebration. Ghost Festival - Around October 4th-7th (9th day of 9th lunar month) This holiday, associated with Nicodemus and sometimes Fodla, celebrates families and honors the dead. Family reunions and feasts are held across the lands, and food and chrysanthemums are left on ancestral tombs, to be enjoyed by the visiting spirits of the departed. Chrysanthemum tea, wine, and other drinks are consumed in order to protect the visiting souls from evil.Current Notable Figures:
Current emperor: Emperor Yoshinori, 1867-PresentRace: Genasi (Fire)
Additional Information
The Dragonfly Isles contain a shockingly large number of pure elemental locations. Owing to their lineage, the native (primarily genasi) population recognize the raw elements as their own forces, worthy of respect. Elemental and fae creatures are treated as innately spiritual, if not wholly sacred the way the gods and their agents are. It is equally as common to find shrines to djinni as to the gods. Commoners treat eletech objects as if they are live things, imbued with a spirit that must be honored and cared for as one might care for a child or pet. The native language of the Dragonfly Isles is Primordial. The elemental dialects are not uncommon, but are typically reserved for use among family, not strangers. Draconic is the language of the aristocracy. All legal documents and most educational texts are written in Draconic, making them all but inaccessible to anyone below the upper warrior or merchant classes.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Deities
Neighboring Nations
Related Species