Ariwara Komachi
Emperor of Wamato
The pebbles cry out
Demanding the avalanche
While the soldier sleeps
-A poem written by Ariwara Komachi, widely seen as a critcism of the Shogun
Ariwara Komachi is the Emperor of Wamato, an empire headquarted on the island of Kojima in the Northwestern Region of Great Ring. The Empire of Wamato is the largest and most powerful nation in the known world, and Ariwara Komachi is arguably the most powerful person alive. He is the eleventh emperor of the Ariwara Dynasty.
Emperor Ariwara Komachi took the throne nine years ago upon the death of his father, Emperor Ariwara Akihito. He had been carefully raised to be all that the Yanjin expected of their Emperor, and he has not disappointed them. His attention to duty and propriety is impeccable, and he has used a firm and skillful hand when managing the daimyos and the Shogun.
Emperor Ariwara is a dignified and cultured individual, well-versed in the classics and the arts. As Emperor, it is one of his core responsibilities to serve as liaison between the people and the Kami, and he spends much of the year visiting various shrines and holy places across the Empire. He has used his connection to Kami as a point of leverage when dealing with the daimyos and the Shogun, as well as to maintain the positive opinion of the populace. He can wield his influence with the gods as precisely as a warrior wields his sword, and with far more deadly effect. He has negotiated good weather and bountiful harvests during his tenure, and also arranged for storms and earthquakes to plague those who disturb the order of the Empire.
He is a patron of the arts, and is skilled in calligraphy, poetry, and music. His poems are well received by the sages of the Empire, and carefully listened to by any who is in court. The Emperor will rarely state his opinion on a matter publicly, preferring instead to refer to events obliquely via poetic imagery. Only those unfamiliar with the court treat a poetic recitation by the emperor as anything less than an Imperial opinion, and sometimes it is tantamount to an Imperial edict. His poems are also crafted to imply that the Emperor knows far more than he publicly acknowledges, a fact which has revived rumors of the mysterious organization called The Emperor’s Ducks.
Physical Description
General Physical Condition
Ariwara Komachi is in the prime of life, and physically fit. In his annual visits to the Kami, he is quite capable of ascending to the mountaintop shrines on foot, and will often choose to do so as a sign of respect to them. He enjoys being in natural surroundings, and spends several hours each day walking in the Imperial gardens. He is known to be particularly fond of the path around the duck pond, which he typically will walk shortly after dusk each day.
Mental characteristics
Personal history
Ariwara Komachi was born to be Emperor, and raised to be Emperor. From the age of five he spent all of his time either with tutors or with his father Emperor Ariwara Akihito, quietly observing the duties of the throne. When the time came for him to ascend to the role of Emperor, he did so with a quiet dignity that impressed all the court. Since becoming Emperor, he has focused on his responsibilities to the people and the Kami, allowing the Shogun to conduct the military operations of the Empire. He has not elected to replace the Shogun from his father's reign with one of his own choosing yet, but several of his recent poems have indicated that he is displeased with the current Shogun's inability to permanently handle either the Hoshimoto Utari rebels, or the Imugi pirates.
Intellectual Characteristics
Emperor Ariwara Komachi is a quiet and observant person, who rarely misses anything. He has been known to spend hours watching the members of his court, carefully tallying all of their interactions, before making a cryptic comment or reciting a piece of poetry. All in the court are silent when he speaks, and much effort is spent deciphering the specific meaning of his utterances. It is said that the only people the Emperor speaks to in a direct manner are very young children, barbarians, and animals, as anyone else should be intelligent and educated enough to understand more nuanced communication.
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