The Empire of Gekkōji

## The Clans of Gekkōji

The great clans of Gekkōji can all trace their ancestry back to the nine first lords of the land. Before Gekkōji spanned much of northern Hinokoku, the country was carved out by nine great warriors, leaders of their people, who governed peacefully amongst one another and defended each other from external threats. In some histories the nine are said to be brothers and sisters, yet in others they are simply recorded as well meaning neighbours.

It is said that the 10th sibling/neighbour was a wanderer, who had no land of their own, yet due to their travels they had a world knowledge beyond any of the others and thus was voted by the nine to oversee all; later, the dynasty of the wanderer eventually became the dynasty of the rulers of Gekkōji.

1. Tsuru Clan (Crane)
2. Amakiri Clan (Mantis)
3. Hiyashi Clan (Lion)
4. Ryū Clan (Dragon)
5. Ikusu Clan (Phoenix)
6. Asori Clan (Scorpion)
7. Kuma Clan (Unicorn)
8. Tisaka Clan (Fox)
9. Achidori Clan (Hummingbird)

## Lands

Huǒ chéng- The city of eternal flame (built around a natural gas leak)

Fěicuì chéng- The city of jade

Tiānkōng zhī chéng- The city of skies

## Culture

### Calendar

On the X day of the X moon of the X Year of (Era Name)

## History

Dynasty Order

1. Divine Dynasty
2. Jī
3. Ni
4. X
5. Sōusu
6. Dànshuǐ
7. Gǎo
8. Yandi
9. Sang
10. X
11. X
12. X
13. X
14. Tang
15. X
16. X
17. X
18. X
19. X
20. X
21. X
22. X
23. X
24. X
25. X

### The First Council of the Clans

* Creation myth of land and humans
* Tribes settled around fertile plain (500C.E)
* Ruled by the 3 Divines, Demi-gods
* Tragedy of a tsunami swells river (800C.E)
* a lone travelling man builds canals to control rivers and earns the crown due to his wisdom (forming of the Jī (traveler) dynasty) (804C.E)
* Either nine of his children, or nine chosen were set up to oversee the land
* Other nearby tribes settle nearby
* Split of Clan tries to conquer but fails (on a peaceful land)
* Emperor has no children causing the Hiyashi clan to spark war and take the crown (forming of the Ni (mythical lion) dynasty)
* Hiyashi clan take Asori as advisors but are betrayed by them when they learn that the late Emperor's nephew is fit to rule. (forming of the Sōusu (search) Dynasty)
* New emperor takes Tsuru as advisors causing feud between Tsuru and Asori.
* Power to given to regional warlords who pleadge fealty to the Emperor
* Warlords became unhappy with Emperor and replaced him with son, after Emperor banished his own wife, a Hiyashi. Son was basically a figurehead- individual warlords basically crowned themselves king (not just those from the original families) (forming of the Dànshuǐ (fresh water) Dynasty)
* War breaks out
* Random general becomes king due to unification, propaganda to show his lineage traces back to first Emperor (forming of the Gǎo (shine) dynasty)
* taxes and heavy regulation enforced by Gǎo
* teachings of (Ikusu) philosopher becomes heavily popular and Tsuru (again advisors) establish formal etiquette and traditions and practices
* Mountains extended with wall to protect against nomadic raiders
* 1st Gǎo third generation son, finds immortality after spending a fortune
* actions seen as not divine and propaganda to show he wasn't descended from Jī
* original families unite to de-throne mad man and replace him with Yandi dynasty member who is supposedly descended from Dànshuǐ (probably not though, was probably lies by the Tisaka family because Yandi was a vassal of theirs)