The Kyokans

The Kyokan People
Proud • Duty-Driven • Industrious

Racial Profile: Human
Average Lifespan: 140 years

Kyokans—also called the Kyokai'i—are the proud citizens of the Shogunate of Kyokai. Disciplined, duty-driven, and proud of their traditions, history, and culture, the Kyokan people have flourished on their archipelago for well over a millennia. Blessed as citizens of one of several civilized nations on the planet, Kyokan culture in particular has spread throughout the known world, with certain customs and traditions even being adopted by other peoples. It is due to their worldly influence, and the might of their government, that Kyokans are able to make the claim in being a Great Power.


The Kyokan Mythos | Creation of the World

It is said that the entire world was created in the span of seven days and nights. When the Great Star exploded into a million fragments of light, two fragments were made Divine. Later given the names of Izunaga, the God of Life and Creation; and Izunami, the Goddess of Death and Decay saw fit to see the birth of the world under their Enlightened guidance. Drawing the million parted fragments of the Great Star back together, they created solid form.

Izunaga inhaled and blew the winds of life onto the land and created the first clouds. With the help of Izunami, the two stirred up the clouds with a holy spear, and invoked a Divine Storm, which covered the world for a thousand days until the oceans were formed. The two Divines then called on the earth to rise and fall—Volcanoes rose from the depths of the ocean and belched lava. Tremors shook until vast ranges of mountains forced the land upward and out of the sea, forming great continents upon which life could flourish for an eternity.

Satisfied with their work, the two Divines wed each other. Izunami eventually gave birth to five children, who would be named Amare, Tsuyoshi, Horu, Soumei, and Kazeshini. Amare—the eldest daughter—was made the Goddess of the Sun, whose purpose was to serve as a guiding light for all. Tsuyoshi—the second-born daughter—was named Goddess of the Moon and Stars, whose purpose was to guide the weary toward sanctuary through the darkness of night. Horu was born the eldest son, and named God of Earth and Fire—he was given the purpose of being the earth's shepherd, and to keep his Divine father and mother's creation alive. Kazeshini—born the youngest daughter—was given the purpose of blanketing the land in clouds and wind, and to make certain the world could sustain life. Soumei, who was born the last, was the youngest son, and was given the purpose of being God of the Sea, Storms, and Tide.

According to Kyokai's creation myth, these Greater Divines descended into the land they had created, and formed the world as we know it. Over a millennia, they toiled in dividing the land into continents, breaking landmasses apart and driving them into ranging seas to settle somewhere else. It was on the land they named Kyokai—The Country of Heavenly Land—that they reigned supreme, eventually giving birth to the first humans and animals.

It is believed that the Divines joined in marriage with the humans they had created, anointing some with semi-divine powers. Those gifted humans would become the first Emperors and Empresses of Kyokai, considered Gods Personified. Many of their offspring would become Divines as well, contributing further to the nation's myth. These few blessed families still exist in the present day, tracing their lineage back to the Dawn of Humanity, and the Golden Age of the Divine.

Once the Divine's world was realized, they ascended back into the heavens, and now watch over their creation, as they have for thousands of years.


History of the Kyokan People

The History of the Kyokai'i is as long as the history of humankind itself. When the world was born from the Divines, and the fires that erupted from beneath the raging waters formed land, it is believed that there existed a few massive super continents. In what is presently known as the vast space containing both the entirety of the Kingdom of Flamelle, as well as the lands of Kyokai, one of those super continents lay. Millions of years resulted in the continents shifting apart, though land bridges connected one piece of land to the next. It is said that during these years, the first humans crossed the land bridges, settling on each continent until the seas finally swallowed the bridges entirely and the continents drifted further apart over time.

Many scholars even seem to believe that other lands had drifted further east from Kyokai, and were either swallowed up by the sea, or settled somewhere far beyond the Arashi Sea. None yet have ventured far enough out to verify such claims—and those who have made the attempt have never returned due to the storms that give that ocean its namesake.

The written history of Kyokai begins on a small chain of islands—The Islands of Yamato.


The Yamato Era (Yamato Jidai) | ~20,000 - 5,000 BR (Before Rule)

As humankind migrated ever eastward over thousands of years, those who initially settled and began the process of establishing civilizations are said to have started on the Islands of Yamato. This small archipelago, off the main island's east coast has some of the oldest artifacts of early humans, dating back well over 20,000 years. Pottery and rudimentary tools, which have been found buried in the soil on this island seem to suggest that these early Kyokans were among the first groups to stray from a nomadic lifestyle, instead establishing a permanent settlement and working the land for food. Thus, in present day Kyokai, the people of Yamato village claim to be the oldest civilization in the country.

Over thousands of years, over migrants seemed to share in the idea of developing permanent settlements. Unlike Yamato, which never developed beyond the scope of a small town, these other settlements continued to grow over time—many becoming the behemoth cities and towns that Kyokai may boast today. The Yamato Era is thus known as the beginning on early Kyokan settlements—which slowly spread from east to west—as well as an agricultural revolution, resulting in the end to nomadic tribes in Kyokai.

Invention of the Wheel • Advanced use of Fire • Transition from Stone to Bronze Tools • Pottery • Early Writing Systems • Early Understanding of Agriculture • Early Settlements • First examples of Complex Religious Customs


The Divine Era (Kamote Jidai) | 5,000 - 0 BR

In what is known as the Divine Era of Kyokan History, the existence of other, larger settlements became more prominent. With each of the major settlements being led by humans claiming lineage to the Divines, competition rose where borders met. Tensions over land ownership, religious disputes, and access to water or precious materials eventually led to war between settlements. While the Divine Era is marked by internal strife, civil war, conflict, and the rise and fall of what could be considered small burgeoning kingdoms, it is also marked by a flourishing Kyokan culture.

While the rulers of Clan-led settlements squabbled over land and religion, scholars began to reinvent the Kyokan language, finally developing a written system that has endured ever since. Music, art, poetry, and the concept of aesthetics spread throughout each settlement, slowly giving rise to a common tie between groups of people.

The development of hardier crops such as rice and wheat, as well as the concept of crop rotation, resulted in a population explosion. With some settlements bursting to their limits, people began to migrate further away, leading to some of the first instances of 'frontierism' in the Kyokan mainland. With ties between larger groups of people, some of the first road systems were also developed, while barter and trade also flourished, leading to the creation of a merchant class.

By the end of the Divine Era, a handful of powerful clans reigned supreme, having conquered or assimilated their weaker neighbors in the process. The following Era would be marked by the creation of a powerful aristocracy, backed by several warlords and monarchies, each touting the favor of one of the Great Divines from whom they were descended.

Settlement Growth and Expansion • Development of Iron Tools • Creation of Language and Complex Writing System • Flourishing of the Arts • Architectural Revolution • Concept of Mercantilism • Agricultural Techniques • Population Explosion • Tensions between large established Clandoms • Eventual Rise of Aristocracy and Monarchies


The Warring Kingdoms Era (Sen'heikkyou Jidai) | 0 BR - 1200 AR

WIP