Getting Started

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Governance

Each of the four kingdoms that make up the land have their own lord, nobles, and warriors however all are ruled in turn by the will of the emperor, who claims descent from Amaterasu herself. Lordships tend to be by lineage though it isn't unknown for ruthless or upstart rulers to be forcibly removed by the emperor and another put in place. Uprisings are rare though not unheard of and it tends to be hard to start revolutions in times of peace since any single lord needs the aid of the others to accomplish something so ambitious as to take down the emperor. Though each kingdom is generally autonomous there is much trade and interaction between them and they are more alike then dissimilar. Travel between them is free and open for the most part as well. While the common man of each kingdom offers fealty to his local nobles and lord when there is a greater danger the kingdoms band together in service and protection of the emperor and soldiers from all armies are offered in protection.

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Personalities

People living in the Four Kingdoms are as diverse as anywhere else from commoner, to soldier, to lord though there are some codes and overarching ideas that are instilled with all children great and small. Honor and respect are tantamount. Children are taught to do as their elders tell them and to learn from their wisdom. Adults, in turn, serve and respect their lords and the ruling class; and everyone, regardless, learns to revere their ancestors. Personal and family honor is also very important and being shamed for the loss of it is one of the greatest punishments that can be given. Hard work and sacrifice are considered virtues in both men and women and no one is completely locked into their class. Citizens are very welcoming to guests who are well behaved and travelers are treated well.

Past times are many and range between individuals, including such things as literature and poetry, dancing, music, archery, horse races, martial competitions, games of tactic, theater, and much more.

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Professions

This is by no means an exhaustive list, but some of the most prominent.


Ninja

Masters of assaination, stealth, and strange martial arts ninja are so of the most dangerous weapons a lord can have at his disposal. Generally ninja hail from clans or closely knit related groups, keeping the profession in the family and passing down clan for generations. Ninja form villages of their own where youngsters can be trained and that offers a basis of operations for the entire clan to work from and there is often fierce rivalries between clans, owing to the competition for the best jobs or feuds that go back centuries. Rogue or lone ninjas are not unknown. Ninja clans often have "patrons" or lords and rulers they work for and receive funds from though this is not exclusive and depends greatly on the clan. Despite their professions ninja hold honor in just as high a regard as other warriors. Young ninja, both male and female, are trained by those of their clan and their skills range from martial arts, killing techniques, poisons, stealth, forgery, seduction, infiltration, and a myriad of other skills.




Geisha

Entertainers of the highest calibur, geisha are trained from a very early age and it is by no means a simple or easy process. Young apprentaces, called maiko, are a mixture of girls brought in and the daughters of current geisha. In the beginning their role is more that of a maid to the senior geisha and they continue in this while they study. After passing a first exam the maiko is excused from her housekeeping duties and starts to study full time, as well as attending many social engagements with her senior. After this period a maiko finally graduates to full geisha status, though this process can take anywhere from many months to several years depending on the individual. Geisha are well skilled in musical instruments, song, dance, ceremony, literature, poetry, conversation, and brushwork. They are expected to remain single, and if they choose to marry, must retire.




Samurai

The greatest swordsmen in all the kingdoms come from the samurai class and it is not just a place of pride and nobility but of service as well. Samurai are often from the upper classes though this is not always the case and are trained from youth in the way of the sword and the bow, horsemanship, warfare, and leadership. However, they are also expected to be well read and to have outside interests such a poetry, dancing, games, and the like since they are most often landowners and nobility themself. Samurai give oaths of loyalty to their lord and its their duty to protect and serve them. If this oath is broken a samurai is shamed and cast out as a wanderer.




Shaman/Miko

Shaman and miko help to connect the physical world to the unseen and the spiritual. Confering with the dead, calling upon mystic creatures, purifying places are all very much needed jobs done by shamans. Mikos are young women who tend and preform ceremonies in shrines to the gods and spirits.




Monk

Like shamans, orders of monks commune with the spiritual but in a profoundly different way. Far more concerned with the spirit of humans monks practice a generally ascetic life. The children of poor families are often sent to monistaries to study and there they learn meditation, to read and write, and are trained in martial arts. Many go on to specialize themselves in combat or more scholarly persuits, depending on the individual.




Sage

Wise men and women range from advisors to the emperor to local personages consulted by commoners. Sages are generally older, their lives spent in observing and learning. For sages of the upper class there is much learning, reading and study to prepare the for consultations but for commoners experience is the greatest teacher and they are often healers and caregivers.

Art by
Ninja: Hoon
Geisha: AGCook
Samurai: Spyders
Miko: Ysanau
Monk: BNI