Yuihon Shogunate

## The Broken Nation

Formerly a formidable member of the League of Good Nations located on an archipelago on the south of Zyreema, west of the Wagashi Empire, the Yuihon Shogunate is now broken up into many smaller territories. The archipelago is now in a constant state of conflict, as the the many lords and Dungeon Keepers vying for power on the islands both out in the battlefield as well as in the shadows.

The base of operations for several Dungeon Keepers, most notably Dungeon Keeper Midori, as well as the home to the **Three Great Beasts of Yuihon**, their kin, and the **Three Moon Shrines**, Yuihon is a veritable hotpot of conflicting interests and a territory that both the forces of Good and Evil are sparing no effort in trying to acquire for their own purposes.

## Three Great Beasts of Yuihon

### *Kumiho, The Thousand-Tailed Fox*

Progenitor of the Kitsune and the Lord of the Treesea Magical Hotspot, unlike the rest of the Three Great Beasts she has not been seen for many many years, choosing to live deep in seclusion within her Magical Hotspot.

### *Jirai-douji, The Queen of Onigaeshima*

The current successor to the name of Jirai-douji, one of the few female Oni that has ever claimed the name. Just like her predecessors she is the inheritor of the ancient Mantra Tradition of Magic.

### *Tenou, The Father Crow*

The beast that dominates the skies above Yuihon, striking down any creature that dares fly above the island, with many servants as its eyes and ears over the island it serves as a large obstacle to any who seek to gain power over Yuihon. While it makes its home on the south of the largest of Yuihons islands it periodically takes to the skies searching for anything that catches its interest (and woe if that something is someone), sometimes even going to Zyreema to battle the Tempest Garuda.

## The Hidden Villages of the Treasea

### The Legend of the Dawn Fox

There is a legend that several hundred years ago that the last **Dawn Fox**, a mighty and long-lived Magical Beast that was hunted to near extinction, fell in love with a Hero and, choosing her feelings over her pride, devoured her own nine tails and took the form of a human girl in order to live by his side,

But the Dawn Fox was not a human and did not age like her husband or her many children did. She lived a fulfilling and blessed life with her husband and upon his death the Dawn Fox burst of emotions caused her to grow beyond what any of her species before her were capable of.

It is said that this fox, Kumiho as she is known now, still lives deep within the Treasea. honoring her deceased husbands memory by standing watch over their many descendants that are the **Kitsune** of Yuihon.

### Kitsune

Whilst the norm on Zyreema would be to stay out of a Magical Hotspot unless one must absolutely go into one (in search of rare magical plants, animals, treasure...) the Treasea of Yuihon stands as one of the few exceptions to the rule - as one too many Mortal-made weapons in the backs of would-be intruders can attest.

Hidden within the Treasea are several hidden villages where the Kitsune, decedents of Kumiho, reside.

The Kitsune have no males. The female decedents of the Hero and Kumiho are born with the appearance of Humans with the ears and tail of a fox and, as one would expect from those who have inherited the blood of such a powerful Magical Beast, an affinity for a Tradition of Magic that has power over illusions that they call **Ninjitsu.**

In order to protect themselves from those who would misuse their power or wish them harm, these Kitsune Ninjas are said to have taken shelter in the Treasea by making use of techniques taught to them by their Great Mother. A long time since then, the family expanded into several clans that now reside in villages hidden from the rest of Yuihon. Often leaving the safety of their villages only to find husbands to bring back to their villages (exceptions to this rule exist of course).

Ever since the legendary first Shogun struck a bargain with the clans, asking for their assistance against the Keeper threat, the clans have assisted the war effort against Evil, making use of the abilities and stealth that they have honed within the Wildlands that they call home. Since then the Kitsune have been pledging their allegiance to masters that they found deserving of their assistance, with one clan directly serving the lineage of the Shogun and others coming into the service of the retainers of the ruling line.

But during the fall of the Shogunate however, the clans became split. While some still swear fealty to the few retainer families that survived the fall of the Shogunate some of them left the Treasea and abandoned the lords broke their oaths to serve Dungeon Keepers, others refused to take part in the war altogether - opting instead to stay hidden in the Treasea.

## Isle of Oni, Onigaeshima

The North-West most island of the Yuihon archipelago and the third largest island is known as **Onigaeshima** and is the infamous homeland of one of the few remaining Giant settlements of Zyreema - the **Oni**. It is also one of the few completely inhabited Magical Hotspots of Zyreema that is dominated by a Mortal Race.

The island is also houses the **Shrine of the Pale Blood Moon**, the Moon's Spirit hailed by the Oni as a symbol of power.

### Oni

A race of Giant decedent from the Titans,the Oni are an exceptionally physically powerful race, famed for their humanoid appearance, the horns that grow on their head and the fact that some of them can grow up to the height of a small house.

Like the other Giant, Oni gain in power as they grow in age and size, but what sets apart the Oni from the rest of their kin is the fact that a certain point they become more powerful the smaller they become. The horn of an Oni is very special and very important to them, much like the horn of a Unicorn the Horn of the Oni is the part of their body that they use to gather Magic power. By absorbing the plentiful mana of the Wildland that they live in and dominate the red skinned Oni will grow in size until a few select Oni will shrink down to the size around twice the height of a normal human and have their skin turn a deep hue of blue. These **Blue Oni** are actually more physically powerful then their red skinned kin and have a much greater ability to absorb and use Magic. Only Blue Oni are permitted to learn to learn **Mantra**, an ancient Tradition of Magicthat goes as far back as the first Rune Magic.

There is a step further beyond this however.

The Lord of Onigaeshima - the Pale Oni.

If a Blue Oni grows powerful enough they grow a second horn and shrink down even further till they are roughly the size of a Human. Their skin turns pale and their horns turn red, and their bodies contain immense Magic power. These Pale Oni have power and experience that makes them an able to rival even the ancient Father Crow and Demons of Higher Circles. This process is by no means easy or short and it is not strange for there to be periods where the former Pale Oni would die of old age before another Pale Oni would come into being. During these times there would usually be an immense conflict for power on the island and it would not be strange if the Oni's internal conflict spread out beyond Onigaeshima and wreck havoc on the mainland of Yuihon.

It should also be noted that there can only be one Pale Oni at any given time. The Oni are fierce by their very nature and much like Orcs they value strength in their leaders. Should a Blue Oni become a second Pale Oni while a Pale Oni rules Onigaeshima it is tradition that they battle to the death at the arena before the Shrine of the Pale Blood Moon, the victor claiming (or keeping) the tittle of ruler. It is unheard of that a Pale Oni relinquished his tittle in any way other then being slain and the tittle being inherited by someone else.

## Three Moon Shrines

The people of Yuihon, even when compared to other territories of Zyreema, value their relationship with the natural world. The local Spirits are very powerful due to the proximity of the nearby WIldlands and the population learned the hard way long ago that a harmonious relationship with them would lead to prosperity for both the Mortals and the Spirits.

But, despite there being many Spirits that reside on and around the islands, the Spirits that the people of Yuihon are most revere are the Three Spirits of the Moons. Long lines of Miko-priestesses have taking care of the shines for many generations and serving as mediums for the Spirits in times when Yuihon needed it most.

### The Shrine of the Jade Moon

While there are many smaller shrines dedicated to the Jade Moon, located in near the center of the largest of Yuihon's islands atop of a mountain bordering the former capital of the Shogunate stands the main Shrine of the Jade Moon. The largest and proudest of the the Shrines on Yuihon it has existed long before the Shogunate and still stands to this day as a place of veneration of the Spirits of the Fertile Moon that blesses the land. While the former capital also houses a significant temple of The Light the people of Yuihon still treasure the blessings provided by the Lady of the Harvest Moon and the protection provided by the temples warrior monks and the wisdom of the Jade Miko.

As a testament to this, despite being razed to the ground on several occasions during Yuihon's turbulent history the Shrine has been rebuilt time and time again.

### The Shrine of the Pale Blood Moon

There is no "Shrine" for the Mistress of the Crimson Moon per se. To make one would mean that she is imitating her older sister, which is a good way to incur her ire. No - the worship of the Moon that signifies *blood spilled and blood yet to be spilled* is best done before and after a battle. The closest thing to a "Shrine" for the Pale Blood Moon, and the place where all the people who refer to such are talking about, is a ceremonial ring, a holy place for the Oni atop the highest peak of Onigaeshima where battle is done to honor the Spirit that overlooks warriors. Mikos of the Crimson Moon are few and far between, appearing seldom every few generations, as the Spirit is far more fickle then her older and younger siblings and refuses to give her aid to any who do not stand up to her strict criteria. Unlike the Mikos of the Jade and Silver Moons whose position is inherited by their direct decedent the Crimson Moon chooses a medium regardless of bloodline or Race, basing her choice instead on martial prowess, personal conduct and **certain other criteria**.

### The Shrine of the Silver Moon

An oddity among the many Shrines of Yuihon in many ways, there are scat few people who visit this rather worse-for-wear shrine. Due to Protection from Evil being primarily a domain of The Light this Shrine, much like the Spirit it venerates, is overshadowed by the abundant shines of the Jade Moon, the timeless importance of the Crimson Moon and the all-encompassing nature of The Light. Leaving the Miko of the Shrine with scarce few chances to display her and increase the Shrines reputation and standing.

Compared to the great number of the warrior monks that follow the will of the chosen of the Jade Moon, there are few guards to the temple of the Silver Moon. Relying mostly on the power of the Miko for protection against any more serious threats.