Nippon History
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- Jintoki
- Djorka Khan and the Age of Warring Clans
- Yamyakyuki
- The Tsien-Tsin Epoch
- Nakamura, the 1 st Shogunate
- Haijo, the Imperial Rule Restored
- Mikuwara, the 2 nd shogunate
- The Daimyo Epoch
- Tokamoto, the 3 rd shogunate
Nippon History:
NB: WFB 3, page 197 says "As Sigmar was fighting the Goblins for mastery of the Old World, Nippon was united for the first time under a single Emperor Warlord (by IC 1 the process was already firmly established - the first Nipponese Emperor Yamyakyuki 1 died IC 12). Although Nippon was to suffer constant division and civil war, as is still the case today, it has always remained at the forefront of civilisation in the east." JintokiThe islands of Nippon (of which the biggest is actually called Nippon) were inhabited by mankind primitives around -2,000 IC. Almost a thousand years passed until the first significant cultural and technological development in Nippon took place in the Kamato region, and according to Nipponese myth Jintoki, Child of Izana the Sun Empress, was born in the year 1037 IC. Chosen by the Sun Empress to lead the Nipponese into prosperity he grew to be "the finest of leaders ever to walk the world of the mortals". Reaching the age of 20, Jintoki began his quest, the defeat of his neighbour tribes and the conquering of their lands. The entire Kamato region was united under Jintoki by the year -1,010 IC that marks the beginning of the Nipponese Calendar. This year Jintoki made his pact with the Leaders of the Clans united under his rule, who declared him and his descendants their rightful tenno for eternity. According to the ancient myths of Shinto, upon his death Jintoki became the Lord Eternal of the Spirit Realm, second only to the Sun Empress. Upon Jintoki's death in 59 NC, O-Kebe the Shinto High Priest was sent a divine vision in which Jintoki and the Sun Empress instructed him to take Jintoki's son, Iyoda, to the Fuji Mountain. This he did, and when they arrived beams of Sun cut a narrow tunnel into the very heart of Fuji. Here they found a spring with the purest water. Jintoki spoke directly to the souls of Iyoda and O-Kebe, instructing Iyoda to drink of the Holy Water, this way infusing himself with the Spiritual Power of Izana and making his Holy Pact with Jintoki. When they returned from the cave, great Temple Dogs of stone had appeared at the entrance to the tunnel and since that day they have allowed no one but the Sons of Jintoki and the Shinto High Priests to enter. (To this very day, upon the Emperor's death his successor, followed only by the Shinto High Priest, has gone to the cave in the Fuji Mountain to accept the Gift of Holy Water and make his pact with Jintoki.) The lands of Kamato lived in peace and prosperity for the next some 250 years, ruled by the semi-divine descendants of Iyoda. Significant socio-economic and cultural development took place. And then, as sudden as lightning from a clear sky, everything was turned upside down.
Djorka Khan and the Age of Warring ClansIn the summer of 307 NC a huge army of the hobgoblin tribe the Korgians landed on the western shore of Nippon. Lead by the infamous but capable Djorka Khan the Korgians defeated the unprepared soldiers of the Jintoki empire within a month. The Nipponese who did not flee east were enslaved and used in the poorly managed agriculture of the new Korgian Realm. After some twenty years Djorka died, marking the end of the Korgian rule. None of Djorka’s potential successors proved to have the skills needed to rule a land of such dimensions and instead the different candidates for the throne began fighting each other. During the vicious fightings, what little was left of the advanced society created during the Jintoki period was destroyed. Little is known of the period from the death of Djorka and till the appearance of Yamyakyuki, and is referred to as the Age of the Warring Clans. Towards the end of this period, the majority of the hobgoblins and their goblin followers had been routed into the wilderness, and Nippon was divided into petty clan-lead chiefdoms. YamyakyukiBy the year 986 NC the Mitsusaki clan had established itself as overruler of the Kamato region after deadly battles with the remaining Korgians and competing clans. The leader of the Mitsusaki clan was one Yamyakyuki who claimed to be a direct descendant of Jintoki, for which reason he did not the use the clan name. When Yamyakyuki was finally declared ruler of the Kamato region by the leaders of the other now defeated clans, he was an imposing man of some thirty years of age. The story goes that on more than one occasion his opponents surrendered before a sword was drawn due to his defeating charisma alone. But already as a young man Yamyakyuki had proven himself a man second to none. Before his twentieth year he ventured alone into the wilderness east of Kamato. Sixty days later he returned riding one of the legendary Ki-rin, which stayed with him the rest of his life, and carrying the Ryatso Katana, the sword carried by the Jintoki emperors’ war marshall. The Ryatso Katana was a true masterpiece of craftmanship, and had been lost in the initial battle with the Korgians. The Shinto priests took these events as a proof that he was indeed the child of Izana, and he was worshipped as the devine descendant of Izana and Jintoki by his now numerous subjects. Within months of Yamyakyukis accession to the Kamato throne he declared that he had had a vision from Jintoki: He must gather all of Nippon in one Empire to bring the peace and harmony to all of Izana’s people or die in the attempt. With his new vassals, the other clan leaders, as generals Yamyakyuki started a campaign that would last for twelve years and proof Yamyakyuki as probably the most capable warlord of the millenium if not ever to walk the islands of Nippon. On the point of total collapse the opposing leaders were given the choice of becoming a vassal of Yamyakyuki or annihilation; only in two cases, the leaders turned down the offer. Both of them and their families, including cousins’ cousins, were summarily decapitated within days. (It is told that Izana wept in these days of blood spilling but accepted it as the only way to widespread harmony. Naturally, not all priests agree to this official interpretation.) In the year 998 NC all resistance had been broken, and in early fall the same year representatives of all the clans of the Nippon island gathered at a coronation feast at the Fuji mountain where Yamyakyuki was proclaimed as Yamyakyuki I, rightful tenno of Nippon, Child of Izana and 36 time great grandson of Jintoki, the Lord Eternal. On the first day of the feast, Yamyakyuki entered the cave in the Fuji mountain as the first man in 700 years. The story goes that when he returned, the sun shined so brightly upon him that the masses gathered there had to turn their eyes to the ground, lest they be blinded. Nippon was divided in nine regions which were further divided in a total of 66 provinces. Yamyakyuki ruled Kamato, while the rule of the other eight regions were given to the most capable and loyal of the Kamato clan leaders, who had fought as generals in Yamyakuyuki’s army. The individual provinces remained under the rule of the local clans who had accepted Yamyakyuki as their liege lord, though one province was given to each of the eight region rulers. Each province must pay taxes to the region ruler, who again paid taxes to the Imperial coffers. Yamyakyuki retained a firm and just rule of Nippon until his death in 1022 NC. His oldest son, also named Yamyakyuki, ascended the Imperial throne as Yamyakyuki II. Unfortunately, he had not inherited his fathers skills of leadership. The Imperial Governors (at the same time ambitious clan leaders) saw the opportunity to increase their own power within their provinces. The strongest governors, lead by Mitsusaki Onokate, Grand Governor of the Homanchu Region, pressed the weak emperor to grant them tax liberation of their personal lands. Others seeking tax evasion became vassals of these governors and thus avoided tax payments to the Imperial coffers. As the years passed, the loss of tax revenues and the increasing strength of governors undermined the central Imperial authority. Already during the reign of Yamyakyuki’s grandson, Yamyakyuki III, the emperor, though still the formal ruler of all Nippon, only effectively controlled the Imperial Province, home of the capital Edo. Nippon had dissolved into feuding chiefdoms lead by ambitious clan leaders. The Tsien-Tsin EpochThe most ambitious clan leaders who dissociated themselves with the Shinto religion and its worship of the tenno, proved easy victims of the Dark Powers. The most rabid leaders dedicated themselves to the worship of Great Gojira, while the more cunning was lured by the promises of power given them by Tsien-Tsin, Master of the Fifteen Devils. Fueled by the potent force of Chaos the Tsien-Tsin had great success in defeating the Faithful, clans still loyal to the tenno and Izana, manipulating the bloodcraving Gojiran clans in fulfilling their sinister plots. For centuries, Nippon suffered from constant fightings between the Faithful and the Progressives, as the Tsien-Tsin philosophers named themselves. As the decades passed, the Progressives seemed to gain the upper hand. The Faithful gathered in the lands of Kamato, leaving the rest of the island to the powers of Chaos. The enthusiastic Progressives finally saw power within reach and neutral clan leaders joined them, as they appeared to become the victorious part in the century-long war. Meanwhile, essential changes had occured among the Faithful. The worship of the Gods of Law spread throughout the clans. “One should fight fire with fire” was a popular saying. Especially one god became popular in these years of hardship, namely Oshiki, God of the Brave and Loyal (cf. Religion chapter). The Law Gods proved to be a most powerful ally against the huge and numerous bands of Tsien-Tsin followers. With iron hard discipline and deepest commitment the Faithful began to turn the tide. More than four centuries had passed since the passing of Yamyakyuki III, when Nakamura Keichi, leader of The Faithful Brigades, started the campaign that would bring an end to the Tsien-Tsin epoch. More decades passed as the forces of Tsien-Tsin was slowly fought back to the outskirts of Nippon. It is told that more blood than water flowed in the lands of Nippon in these years. Finally, in the year 1896 NC Tsien-Tsin rallied his forces and was joined by the maniac Great Gojira worshippers. On the eastern plains called Meikowasa the final battle took place. It lasted for weeks of bitter fighting. Eventually, when both sides seemed to be giving up, Izana herself intervened. She sent gigantic wind elementals against the Chaos forces. Already exhausted by the fightings so far, they were completely broken by this unexpected and ferocious attack. For one day the wind elementals tormented them, leaving only one fifth of them alive as the sun set. At last, the forces of Chaos had been defeated. The Faithful gave thanks to Izana for sending the Kamikaze, divine winds, and praised their stern and crafty leader, Nakamura Keichi.
Nakamura, the 1st ShogunateAs peace finally spread across the lands, Nakamura proved himself as capable in political intrigues as in warfare. He had the emperor pronounce him shogun, martial leader of all Nippon. To secure the country against the Chaos threat the warrior caste of the Samurai was founded and spread throughout all the provinces of Nippon. Semi-autonomous martial leaders, the daimyo, was installed as leaders in the provinces (though many of these coincidentally happened to be the old clan leader Governors). They brought the worship of Oshiki, who had guided them to victory, with them, though he would never become popular with the people outside the Samurai caste. Nakamura died few years after becoming shogun, but had prepared the way for his son, Nakamura Eyatsu, to replace him as Shogun. Eyatsu strengthened the position of the shogun as the real leader of Nippon, although the prosperous times to come would bring ever more ambitious and power greedy daimyo. He also set out to colonize the smaller islands sorrounding the Nippon island and succeeded after some ten years. The Nippon empire had by now taken the size it still has today. For the decades to come, the Nakamura would hold the shogun seat, while the tenno in Edo remained the formal head of the state and living focus of Shintoism. As the years went by, considerable socioeconomial development took place. A huge and sophisticated court was founded in Edo. The Nakamuras would find themselves the victims of political intrigues initiated by the most influential daimyo, who had either moved to Edo to be near the power center or had court representatives there. It was during these years that the feared Ninja clans was introduced as a tool in political affairs! Eventually, in the year 2212 NC Nakamura Tohei and his son was assasinated by Ninjas, leaving his insane brother as head of the clan. It was clear that the brother was unfit to lead the country, so the powerful daimyo Mirotsune Banto opted for the seat. Unfortunately, circumstantial evidence pointed at him as responsible for Tohei’s assasination. Months passed as different daimyo fractions tried to bring their candidate in position. In the summer of 2213 NC, the young tenno Haijo took them all by surprise. Haijo, the Imperial Rule RestoredSupported by the Shinto and the Oshiki priests (who had grown tired of the daimyos’ power struggling) he declared that the situation no longer needed a shogun. The lesser daimyo saw their chance to gain the upper hand in their disputes with the major ones and supported him. So, Haijo appointed his own government of civil servants and thus restored Imperial power. The following century is considered by most to be the peak of Nippon culture, with philosophy, art and craftsmanship blooming. After some one hundred years disputes in the provinces showed their ugly faces. One bitter feud in Southern Nippon between the Mirotsune and Nakamura clans accelerated, leaving the region as a regular warzone. In the end, the tenno could not keep control of the situation and war broke out across the lands. The following war would later be known as the War of the Five Shoguns, as each of the five warring fraction leaders declared themselves the new shogun. These leaders belonged to the clans Nakamura, Mirotsune, Mitsusaki, Yoshikatsu and Mikuwara. Mikuwara, the 2nd shogunateThe War of the Five Shoguns lasted for half a dozen years. The Mikuwaras proved to be the most capable in warfare and, maybe more importantly, political intrigue. Thus, Mikuwara Banto was appointed shogun in the year 2353 NC. The Mikuwaras would remain shoguns for more than six centuries, though descendants of the other candidates would call themselves rightful shoguns when not allied with clan Mikuwara. The social structure with the samurai warrior nobility at the top of the hierarchy, barring the Imperial family, was strengthened during these years. Disputes and fightings between the daimyos was common and fully accepted by the shogun, who was more interested in retaining the seat than keeping the peace. As the centuries went by, the shogun administration changed to a regular court, growing ever more decadent. For the last fifty years, the worship of Zai-Neshi, the Prince of Lust, was evident at the shogun court, and the administration lost the last traces of control with the land. The tenno was advised by the Shinto and Jintoki priests to discharge the shogun and did so in the year 3010 NC.
The Daimyo EpochThe following three centuries were dominated by power struggling amongst the daimyos. The Mikuwaras had left the power of the lands on no ones hands, and all the major daimyos saw their chance to seize it. One tenno, Akihito, attempted to redo his ancestor Haijo’s master piece, but failed and was forced to abdicate in favour of his son and join the White Monks of Annu-Minato. Finally, after some 300 years, the candidates for the shogun seat had been reduced to two, namely the leaders of the clans Tokamoto and Koshima. Tokamoto, the 3rd shogunateIn the year 3315, the Tokamoto army defeated clan Koshima and its supporters at the Battle of Kugiara. Hence, Tokamoto Ieyatsu had succeeded in making him the sole candidate for the seat, and two months later he was appointed new shogun of Nippon. The Tokamoto shogunate has maintanied the rule to this very day, although the firmness and effectiveness of its rule has declined during the last century. The present shogun is Tokamoto Iemitsu, leading the Nippon Empire in the name of His Holiness Tenno Meihito, 129 time great grandson of Jintoki. Currently, he is having quite a problem with the clans Mirotsune and Koshima who both have more or less obvious schemes going on.
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