Erayo

The Whip-Poor-Wils

An Erayo courtier.
illus. Amano Yoshitaka

The Erayo are a temperate and diplomatic clan who cultivate a reputation for passiveness and even stupidity. This image is only partly true, but they're happy to exploit it. Also called the Nightjars or Nighthawks based on their Totem animal, the Erayo are unflinching defenders of a stable Commonwealth: their courtiers and samurai strengthen it by day; their ninja and information brokers destabilize its enemies by night. They keep an especially watchful eye on the Ermines to the east and the Anacondas to the west. This is especially true of the former now that the Setsu sit the Plain Pillow.

Clan Status: Major, though waning

Totem Kami: The Whip-Poor-Wil

Colours: Light to medium grey-blues; gold, white or black highlights; dignified and urbane styles; fashionable but never overly daring

Chief Kannushi: Erayo Kunihiko

Vassal Clans: Aorai (Great Blue Heron), Satsuma (Shield-Headed Salamander)

Reputation: Fair-minded, diplomatic, lawful, naive, passive, trusting, Commonwealth loyalists

Preferred classes: Courtier, samurai, investigator, paladin (Amaterasu, Hanaviri-no-Kishiki, Reiza-no-Mikoto), greyguard (Kagemitsu), ninja

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Imagery: Erayo Fashion & Scenery Image Gallery (External)

The whip-poor-will.
illus. J.J. Audobon (CC0)

The Erayo were once a great naval power prior to the Deluge, still united with their once-vassals the Yoisura. The Erayo-Yoisura were superb sailors and naval combatants, so much so that their galleons tipped the balance between nascent Marai and Lichlord Io'a's invading hordes. When the ancient rulership of the Sokenzan began to wane, but before the Deluge kneecapped their dominance of naval trade routes, the united Erayo-Yoisura commonly sat the Plain Pillow due to their cunning, charisma and adaptability.

Also known as the Nightjars or Nighthawks (another name for their clan’s Totem bird), the Erayo are a sort of mirror of the Izuka. Both are skilled diplomats and streetwise politicians, but unlike the politically apathetic Panthers the Erayo are dedicated to the cohesion and well-being of the Commonwealth. Pragmatic and peaceable, the Erayo are often sought after to resolve disputes between clans, and are often considered too passive to be a threat by the more assertive families. They go so far as to cultivate a reputation of outright dopiness and eagerness to trust, often gleaning useful information without a single lock picked.

The Nightjars are, however, anything but simple. Like the Iname, Setsu, Oronaga and Izuka, they are no strangers to the hidden layers of both politics and Waking reality, and deploy bands of ninja in equal parts for espionage / counterespionage and supernatural investigation / spirit hunting, while other clans tend to focus on one. In a sense they also mirror the Iname, as the whip-poor-will (whose darting silhouettes may often be seen in the twilight sky) represents sensitivity to the Veil and to Duskscape influences, similar to spiders. (That said, birds have a better reputation than spiders do, seen as Material guardians as opposed to corporeal yūrei.) They also share the Iname's love of poetry, frequently mentioning the evening dances of their totem bird. The Erayo are a people driven to reconcile the yin & yang, dawn & dusk, both internally and externally. They defend the stability of the Commonwealth, both by daylight and by moonlight.

A traditional ink painting of an Erayo-Yoisura courtier.
illus. trad.

Sadly, the once major clan has declined significantly, as the Yoisura split off from the Erayo about a century past, and have since climbed in wealth and influence beyond their parent clan. Nonetheless the Nighthawks are still highly esteemed and have often been elected to lead the Shogunate since the Commonwealth’s inception.

The Ancient Erayo

Despite their mild reputation, the Nightjars have a darker history than most clans. The ancient, united Erayo-Yoisura Clan is remembered mostly as naval explorers and tradesmen, however in truth the clan was largely just a pirate band. The early Sokenzan likely knew or at least suspected this at the time, but the wealth and territorial power they brought to the Commonwealth was undeniable. Though they had blood on their hands even then, they have an even more well-kept secret: the monstrous, reaving pirate-necromancers, the Shiomi, are also a breakaway remnant of that ancient clan. The Erayo are deeply ashamed of this, and will not rest until every last Shiomi is sent to the Deadlands of O-Inai.

The Shan-Setsu Cold War

The Erayo are one of the few clans aware of the "cold war" between the Shan and Setsu, wherein the Tengu are attempting to empower themselves with lost Arakh relics, while the Ermines are maneuvering both to keep power out of Shan hands and maintain a relative peace between the Skylands Arakh and the Commonwealth. They are also one of the few clans who are level-headed enough to understand the benefits of the Setsu's plan, despite the savage reputation of the arakh hordes east of Asura's Wall. Rather than act to directly assist the Setsu (whom they still distrust), they mainly act through the reclusive and independent Naru peoples who reside in the Skylands, with whom the Nighthawks have maintained a loose friendship since the days the Naru were an official clan.

Geography

The Commonwealth of Marai

Open full size

Including the Skylands to the east and the Kula'wongai to the Voidwest. Map covers Waking Materia's Lower Alpha and Upper Beta Quadrants.