Yoisura
The Koi
A Yoisura samurai.
Clan Status: Major
Totem Kami: The Nishikigoi (Jeweled Carp)
Colours: All colours with many patterns in many inventive styles; pinks and blues common; Yoisura are garish and fashionable
First Kannushi: Yoisura Yoshitsune
Vassal Clans: Reisei (Firebird), Miura (River Otter), Osore (Dodo), Mitsui (Hanabi Butterfly)
Reputation: Eccentric, humorous, inventive, artistic, shrewd, less spontaneous and out-of-touch than they would like you to think
Preferred classes: Courtier, samurai, bard, rogue, ninja, corsair, alchemist, wizard
Imagery: Yoisura Fashion & Scenery Image Galleries (External)
Koi kites, which double as weather socks,
are a common sight in Yoisura lands.
The Yoisura are former vassals of the Erayo, having split off from their parent clan nearly a century prior. 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. Though the now-reformed Erayo don't like to admit this (the Yoisura don't embarrass as easily), the united clan was largely just a federation of pirate bands, but the wealth and territorial power they brought to the Commonwealth was undeniable.
Not to be kept down by the Deluge and the near-impossibility of naval exploration, the Yoisura diversified their trades and have since become a clan of many talents; they are skilled jewelers, clothiers, architects, goldsmiths, writers and performers. In particular they are master breeders: their warhorses and dogs complement every force in Marai, and their domestic koi fetch exorbitant prices as gifts amongst nobles, decorated in patterns and colours that seem hand-painted. They use their advancements in breeding for their own use as well, as evidenced by the monstrous “dragon fish” that guard their bays and ports (not to be confused with the bone-faced, oceanic Onifish, which some cultures call the Dire Skullfish). Yoisura towns are dotted with some of the most impressive and extravagant palaces on the continent, mostly built during the rulership of an eccentric Shōgun in centuries past.
While the Koi are still wealthy, modern Marai has diversified its economy since the Deluge, easing relationships with the Oronaga, Kula' Peoples and Khayyamites to the west and reducing their dependence on Yoisura trade. Nonetheless the engineering and craftsmanship of Yoisura goods still speak for themselves, and they compete tenaciously with the Zazen and Izuka over fashion which—shallow as it might sound to outsiders—is a deeply important aspect of Maraian politics. Travelers will find Yoisura performers, trinket & art sellers and researchers in most corners of Marai.
Some Yoisura townships are entirely on stilts,
slowly reclaimed from the Sunken Expanse through engineering.
The Ancient Erayo-Yoisura
Despite their mild reputation, the Erayo 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 union of pirate bands. 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 remnant of that ancient clan. Though the Koi take more of a "water under the bridge" mindset, the Nighthawks will not rest until every last Shiomi is sent to the Deadlands of O-Inai.
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