Shiruya

"Through the mist they came, charging fast on horseback, clouds of arrows and battle shrieks leading the way, the smoke from our rifles only thickened the mist and obscured our soldiers aim. The more troops and munitions we send to this country the fiercer they fight. I will ask the council again if this venture is worth the cost" Technocracy warmakerThe Shiruya or Shiruyamas is a small militaristic mortal nation to the southern border of the Technocracy in the mountains bordering the Dhakaran section of the Great Wall. Abandoned by the Kushan Empire and successfully fending off several invasions from the Technocracy, they are a very suspicious and xenophobic people. 
== History ==
The Shiryua were a people sent to fortify the Shiruya mountains owned by the Empire of Kushan before the 
empire contracted behind the inner walls of their territory post great war. They were originally built as a long term solution to war with the Goran expansion to hold them off in the mountainous terrain and store vast quantities of wealth from the Kushani royal families. 
After the Great War the Shiruya were abandoned in their mountain fortresses to fend for themselves as roving hordes of bandits, rogue biomorphs, fractured army remnants and infected ravaged the land. The Shiruya being cut off from the chain of command held the surrounding lands, striking out from their fortified homes and waited for reinforcement and resupply. The resupply of food and medicine never came, the warriors began to starve inside of their homes, eating the horses and scavenging what they could. Eventually, it was realized they had been abandoned. 
During the Dark Age and contact was reestablished with the Kushani Royals, the various warlords of the land held a summit on the dormant volcano Shiruyama to decide their course of action. The majority wished to submit to greater Kushan, the others disagreed. What followed was ten years of uninterrupted civil warfare with the outcome being the declaration of independence for the Shiruya. 
== Technocracy Expansion ==
=== Reason for invasion ===
During the Second age of expansion, the Technocratic lands wished to expand their borders into the territory previous held by the Kushan Empire, believing that not only was the land of strategic importance, but possibly harbored hidden wealth stored by the royal family during the great war. Their missionaries were met with outright hostility and violence. Being either cast out or executed by the local warrior aristocracy. However, spies and unbound operatives were able to discern the Shiruya fortresses were housing large vaults of ancient Kushani make. Thus prompting an invasion. Shiruya itself, could be used as a diplomatic bargaining chip with the nation of Kushan should they ever need help from the large fallen empire. 
=== Goran Intervention ===
Goran scout caste climbing over The Wall into the Shiruyama territory observed the conflict from afar and reported back to the Ube'. Upon hearing of a technocracy invasion of a smaller warrior nation and the use of chemical and krak weaponry against them, the Goran committed to raising an army in order to end the incursion. Though they would not appear until the final confrontation. Though thankful for the aid, the Shiruya still refer to the Goran as the Red demons and shun them from regular society, treating them as dangerous and unpredictable guests when encountered. 
=== Conflict ===
The Technocracy with some legal manipulation declared the war as a defensive war to assist in retaking allied land in rebellion, as Kushan had once owned what was now Shiruya, and thus brought large amounts of krak weaponry such as muskets and cannon with their force of 20,000 guardsmen and a small force of 500 Ashed mercenaries. 
The Shiruya, used to light cavalry warfare suffered heavy casualties in the first few battles primarily krak fire over open fields during charges, however once closing into close quarters combat were noted as being extremely dangerous to technocracy guardsmen. They however had a curious weakness against the Ashed mercenaries, their primary sword design being nearly perfect for cutting through soft armor was completely worthless against hard scale and plate. This led the Shiruya to refer to the Ashed as Blue demons due to the bluish tint to their armor and heraldry. The Shiruya simply avoid fighting them in battles by using their maneuverability to outpace them. "Their warriors are fast, faster than I have seen. The guardsmen are right to fear them. At a range on horseback they can put an arrowshaft through the neck of a guardsman every other second, in close their weapons glide through thickened cloth and flesh as if it were air. Thankfully, they are all but worthless against anyone properly armored" (Ashed holding a broken and chipped blade that had struck him) In order to combat the advantages of the foreign invaders, the Shiruya adjusted their tactics to hit and run rapid deployment. Through the months of the conflict they whittled down the Technocracy guardsmen forces to half their number, while completely evading any attempt of the Ashed to close the distance with them. 
=== Technocracy defectors ===
Though much has been made of the defection, the single mid level officer known as Cruise the Runner had very little impact. Cruise left his post and went to aid the Shiruya for reasons unknown though journal entries suggest idealistic distaste for the war and Technocracy expansion. 
He was immediately stabbed to death in his first conflict by Ashed mercenaries after his horse was killed by a crossbow bolt. This was likely due to him being thrown into combat against experience well equipped veterans after spending a few months training in an unfamiliar style of warfare. 
=== Final Confrontation ===
The Technocracy army having sent in reinforcements in the form of 10,000 technocracy musketeers. The invasion forces managed to surround the remaining force of 1000 Shiruya, offering surrender and amnesty under the terms that their children be brought up and educated in Technocracy learning structures. The offer was refused. 
The Technocracy fortified their position and ordered artillery commanders to fire upon any area that the Shiruya attacked, stating the artillery gunners should assume the guardsmen were already dead should the Shiruya make it to their firing line. Once dug in they began bombarding the forested area attempting to flush them out. At this point the Goran forces attacked the back lines of the Technocracy forces. 
The guardsmen were caught unprepared for the sudden force of 4000 Uruks. The Shiruya upon seeing the chaos immediately charged the now disoriented musketeers. The Ashed forces seeing the guardsmen being massacred grabbed the plundered gold and escorted the Technocracy officers back to their borders. Thus, the invasion ended. 
== Government ==
"We attempted to use a captured feudal lord as a bargaining chip to gain entrance into their mountain fortress. The Shogun said not a word the entire time. When we got to the gates and presented the Lord. He spoke one command to the men on the walls and within a few breaths several arrows landed in his chest. Within another few breaths a new Shogun stood on the walls surveying the situation. They are if nothing else shrewd." (Guardsman journal) The Governing body of Shiruya is a feudal caste system governed by a warrior aristocracy. Though internal borders occasionally shift due to inter clan war, there are roughly 13 clans which control the the territories. Each clan is headed by a leader referred to as a Shogun who has supreme authority throughout the territory. The shogun is then expected to take a group of advisers from each strata of the society from the artisans to the priesthood to the farmers. 
=== Succession ===
In times of peace, contenders for the position of Shogun are chosen by right of bloodline. These possible leaders are chosen from members of the Shogun's family or in rare occasions other sanctioned individuals outside of the immediate relation. 
These contenders compete in a variety of challenges from history, artistry, and finally ritual combat which may end in the death of the combatants. The purpose of this final challenge is to remind the Shiruya that regardless of any other quality or skill, the ability to kill or subdue an opponent overrides any other method of persuasion. 
In times of war, a rigid chain of command exists in place following a line of military commanders usually made out of the Shogun's direct male heirs. This is a temporary measure until a proper selection process can be had. 
This entire system of course can be upended by political coup, which is expected to be handled in open battle. Use of assassins or indirect conflict are often dealt with by way of public execution. Regardless. Kushani assassins or hands of death are still hired into Shiruya. 
== Culture ==
The Shiruya are a polite, quiet, highly xenophobic culture that values extreme self discipline and obedience to higher authority in exchange for peaceful living, so long as said authority descends from their land.
They hold pride in familial accomplishments in high regard and wish to add their own life to the story of their family. Generations of diligent service and obedience to the local lords is considered a high honor for the average Shiruyan and is often answered with preferential treatment by whatever lord owns the land at the time. When a member of the family does something to dishonor their lineage, it is considered normal procedure to disown and cast out the offending party in order to save the family reputation. 
== Cultural strata listed in order of highest to lowest ==
=== Shogun ===
The overlord of the region, often there is one shogun per mountain peak. They are the military commanders of the Shiruya people. Some of the oldest bloodlines stretch all the way back to the original Kushani generals set to protect the Shiruya mountain range from Goran invaders, others are members of the Samura warrior class that have supplanted their lord through military coup or marriage. 
=== Farmers ===
Landowners that produce the food products of Shiruya. due to the rugged mountainous terrain, the importance of natural food production became paramount in the 100 years dark age. Farmers became a protected class and have right to impose law on their pieces of land, often backed by the Samura warriors so long as it does not contradict the orders of the local Shogun. 
In times of war, Farmers are considered above the conflict and are not targeted, but their produced goods are instead taken as bounty. Their families and whomever lives on their land are protected. If however a farmer or any of their family engages in direct combat, said family member no longer enjoys the protection. 
=== Samura ===
The warrior caste of the Shiruya people. They enforce the laws, protect their lands, and follow the orders of their local farm lord or Shogun. They often train from a very young age and are the sons of other warriors. It is rare that members of the laborer class distinguish themselves enough to rise in rank to this coveted position. They hold absolute authority over artisans and laborers to the extent that they may and do execute them on a whim for minor infractions unless explicitly forbidden by their lords command. 
=== Artisans ===
Smiths, woodworkers, painters, architects, masons, cooks, and anyone with a useful skill. These are treated with a level of respect and are often granted land to live on by farmers due to the value they add to their farm. Their services are usually bartered as a form of tax by the farmer they serve. 
=== Beasts of burden/Laborers ===
Cows, Horses, Goats, and any other useful animal. Treated well like any tool necessary for survival. 
Human laborers that are not the owners of farms or skilled artisans are treated with the same amount of dignity and consideration as one would a farm animal. These laborers make up the bulk of Shiruya peasant levies when various factions go to war. 
=== Foreigners ===
Foreigners are seen as an annoyance to the regularly structured everyday life. However because they often come with money to spend they are tolerated, however often shunned by locals for fear of outside disease or unpredictable behavior. Should they be a foreign dignitary they are often hosted at the local lord's castle for the duration. Should a normal foreigner die, little investigation is held and their possessions are often up for grabs. 
=== Wanderers ===
Wandering laborers and warriors are seen as dangerous as they are people without reputation. They at least are given human right to work, though often for low wages. Due to the ability to gain reputation and eventually gain position within a family, the constant state of being a wanderer raises questions such as "what are you fleeing from? what did you do to be cast out in the first place?" 
=== Vagrants ===
The lowest strata of the society are vagrants, beggars, and anyone without a job or purpose. These are seen as little more than vermin and often exterminated as a matter of daily course by the lower ranked Samura as punishment detail, as it is seen as filthy work. Able bodied vagrants usually turn to banditry or live as hermits in the forests far away from society. 
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