Koya
| Capital | N/A |
|---|---|
| Head of State | Still fighting it out |
| Government Type | A mess |
| Cultures | >90% Koyan |
| Religions | No census data |
| Population Density | High |
| Population | 45 millions |
Koya, or the Broad Plains, is the homeland of the Koyan people located in the western part of the Panguean continent. Hemmed in by mountains on all side, it is a prosperous basin with abundant rainfall and fertile farmland. This is the origin of the Koyan civilizations.
When the Koyan people gained freedom from their Oni oppressors, led by benevolent Youkais and supernatural beings whom descended from heaven to fight on their behalf, they were unified briefly under a court led by the Tennin - beings whom descended from heavens to lead them. Within ten years, the powerful Tengus would start fighting with the Tennins and split the briefly united country apart. Youkais shifted alliances and engaged in endless internecine warfares.
By modern time, the land of Koya has now coalesced into the Four Courts and One Kingdom, consisting of four courts all claiming dominion over Koya proper led by different factions of youkais or deities, with one kingdom founded by a Kemonomimi whom was tired of the capricious rule of the Youkais and Kamis. Despite centuries of warfare, agricultural advancement and competition between the warring states allowed Koya's population to continue growing throughout the centuries. A unified Koya would be a major power, but all of its neighbors are intent on keeping it divided for one reason or another - though foreign influences is not the main driver for the conflicts in Koya.
History
The Koyan culture has been living in the modern area known as Koya for thousands of years. In Year 0, sailors would record that the place were divided into dozens if not hundreds of warring chiefdoms, unaware of the looming threat of the Oni to their east. These warring kingdoms would be conquered by the Onis to the east, who coincidentally also spoke the same languages - leading to some people to conclude that the Onis had the same culture as them.
The Oni's rule started to fall apart in Year 500 in various parts of their Empire. In Koya proper, this was triggered by the event known as the Descension from Heaven. Since history were recorded, a community of hermit or deities has resided upon the tallest mountain of the Tengamine Mountains, creatively called Mt.Tengamine - a mountain over 5,000 meters high. This community of hermits seldomly interacted with others, with only a few of those Tennins descending from "heavens" to occasionally meddle in "mortal affairs".
Occasionally, people would climb up the mountain to ascend - though they seldomly return, some would descend dozens of years later. In Year 500, however, this changed as the hermits descended en masse, ostensibly to deliver judgement from heavens themselves. The tennins were all heavily armed and well-trained in magic, decimating the Oni around them. The other Youkais of the land - long marginalized by the Onis, started to join in the uprising and sided with the local Koyan against the Oni.
Around 550 or so, most of the Oni would've been driven out of Koya proper, and the country were briefly unified underneath the leadership of the Tennin, whom ruled from their capital at Tenjokyu. These former hermits would order the construction of the Sea Gate known as Koya Gate, taxing the country heavily to complete its construction in a mere 8 years, hiring many engineers and mages from Runra to expedite its construction, their leader having received a vision of a prosperous future for Koya once they open up to foreign trade. The heavy taxation however led to unrest across the country, and pre-existing tensions with the other Youkai power groups who led the uprising boiled out into open warfare, with the powerful Tengus being the first to go to war against the Tennin. This was not helped by the fact that 50 years after their descension from heavens, many of the Tennins have retired into a life of idleness or stopped caring about the people they ostensibly fought for. Tennins were also likely ascended, normal Kemonomimi or Macen - and felt no connections with the other Youkais.
Since then, the realm of Koya has been divided between various courts formed by the Youkai or the Tennin - though the Tennin and Tengu have maintained power in one way or the other over the centuries. In the last century, this pattern of warfare has changed slightly, with a Okamimi by the name of Mikawa Masuzane leading a rebellion in the peripheral provinces in the northeast of Koya around year 1016, forming the first Kemonomimi-led state to last more than one generation.
The Four Courts and One Kingdom
As of the current date, there are four extant courts - powerful faction that lay claim to all of Koya, and one Kingdom in the territory of Koya proper.
Tennin Court
The Tennin Court is based around in the northeast of Koya - the most prosperous and populated land of Koya. They descended from the Tengamine mountains and control it in its entirety. The ruling Tennins numbers maybe about ten thousand to twenty thousands, and are all adults, Macen or Kemonomimi-like beings, often with outrageously colorful hair, wings and thus limited flight, and powerful individual combat power - though their ability to fight in formation in a disciplined manner are often lacking.
Tennins are not playable (!), and are ascended beings who live in Tenjokyu - an alleged utopia for them, where all food and mortal needs are taken care of by their celestial servants. Whatever Tenjokyu is, it is not visible to outsider - though a few visitors have managed to reach the mountaintop and not become one of them, and described it as a gigantic palace with a prosperous village suspended in the cloud with spirits who take cares of the Tennin's every needs.
The Tennin led the initial rebellion of the Koyan and were the most powerful faction of all, but eventually corruption and decay set in for those immortals whom started to become corrupt and engaged in all manners of depravities for sports, this led to a rapid decline in their power until the situation stabilized around 650 P.S., since then they've been locked in constant conflicts with the other courts for power.
Tennins are powerful and have the ability to fight, heal and cast different types of magic, but their rule is generally impaired by the fact many of them have extremely long life and are prone to being bored or whimsical.
The Tennin are led by a mysterious Tensho (Heavenly General) who has never shown up personally throughout their history - no one know much about this mysterious figure whom apparently direct the Tennins.
Tennins are seldomly found outside of Koya, something seems to compel them to never leave the area for long. Tennins are also served by phoenix youkais and celestial beast such as Kirin and Shishi - Youkais of more benevolent but also, single-minded nature than their Tennin master, being mostly uninterested in the business of ruling.
Tengu Court
The Tengu Court ranks equal to the Tennin court in power, and are led by Tengus - crow-like Youkais beings from the mountains of Fuyosan - also their capital. Unlike most Youkais, some of them appears to be descended from, or were formerly mountain ascetics or warrior monks whom gained enlightenment and gained the power of a Youkai, losing the ability to propagate their bloodline in the process. Most of them are ferocious warrior and really ascetical. Most of the tengus exhibits features of birds, with crow being the most common, followed by hawks and crows. Outside of these three types of Tengus, the monkey tengus are the only other significant subtypes.
Tengus need no subsidence in the form of food, but will often graciously accept food from mortals eager to offer it
Allied with the Tengu Courts are the two courts known as the Mountain Clans - Youkais generally known to reside in the mountains and descended from animals whom live in the mountains - the wolf (Okami) and the bear (Kuma). Both of these form a significant power bloc, especially away from the mountains where the Tengus like to reside.
The Tengus and their allied clans are renown warriors, but is generally detached from mortal affairs and have few non-combat related magical power. Both the tengus and their allied wolf and bear Youkais are generally benevolent - more so than the average human beings, but perhaps because of their inherent detachment for mortal affairs, they are unable to expand their power over the realm of Koya effectively, only occasionally spurred on by the call of a young, energetic Tengu to war.
The Tengu court has a special rivalry with the Tennin Court, hating them for what the Tengus perceive as their detachment and corruption, with no hint of irony in their thoughts. The Tengu-Tennin conflict has defined much of the history of Koya, and one would seldomly find the other undisguised in each other's land.
Tengus are led by a council of the greatest tengus and wolf and bear Youkais. At the top level, Kemonomimis does not participate in their government.
River Court
The River Court has a relatively recent history, having only coalesced into a formal power around a hundred years ago, formed by an alliance of the Kappa and the Tanuki Youkais. The Kappa youkais of this world are more humanlike in nature, generally possessing of a lean body, and has a decorative or protective tortoise shell on their back, with a humanlike body otherwise, and an affinity for water magic - which many of them seems to be born naturally with, and is naturally able to stay in and swim in water indefinitely. Kappa are also always seen with a hat of some sort, and losing a hat - any hat for extended period of time can lead to their death. They have congregated and lived in and around river regularly, taking offerings of food - especially cucumbers from humanoid and in return, giving them blessings, healing or catching fishes for them. As fickle youkais, they weren't able to coalesce into a formidable political force in the early day of Koya's civil war.
The Tanukis possesses racoon dog like ears and tail, and is able to disguise themselves in different forms, whom live for the ability to pull pranks on people and is generally mischievous in nature. They are magic-inclined, and often uses it on a whim to assist humans - although the magic they're most proficient in - illusion, are of dubious practical uses for normal humans. Their magical talent means that they can master other magic easily - which they will uses to help humans they are friendly with. They're also obsessed with alcohol.
The River Court's territory are in the center of Koya - a heavily populated region of Koya. The formation of the River Court came about as the result of the Tengu, Tennin, Kitsune and the Spider Court fighting over the central land, ravaging the villages and the mortals whom the Tanukis and Kappa depended on. Fed up with the constant warfare, the carefree and lazy Tanukis and Kappa mustered the force to form their own government and faction to protect the very humans they depends on - marching to war cohesively for the first time in these fickle Youkai's history, eventually wresting control of most of the modern River Court area, joined by Kemonomimis whom were sick of their rule.
The River Court is less of a cohesive, top-down entity and more of a feudal alliance of tanukis and kappa whom are worshipped by deities across the land - a federation of individual feudal states bound by common purpose, if you may.
River Court also receive support from Mizuchis - serpentlike spirits whom live in water and is known for their melee deadly combat prowess and destructive usage of water magic, and are natural alliance of the water-dwelling Kappas, often leading many of their army.
Kitsune Court
The Kitsune Court is the weakest of the four courts, controlling over a small area in the southeast of Koya - mostly hilly land around Aokigamine and Kawanaka mountains. The kitsunes (Youkai kitsune, not Kemonomimi kitsunes) are the most humanlike of all of the Youkais around - readily adapting to and blending into Kemonomimi society, in many foreign countries often becoming the very dominant Kemonomimi themselves - like in Runra. Kitsunes Youkais are naturally inclined to all kind of magic, Kemonomimis are not, but often believe they are.
This adaptiveness meant that the kitsunes once extended influence over most of Koya and were dominant in its history multiple time, but also proved to be its downfall. There are barely any kitsune Youkais alive nowadays - in fact, the Kitsune court is led by Kemonomimis, their humanlike nature means they were subject to the same whim, ambitions and betrayal that normal humanoid had - and the kitsune court fell apart in civil wars and retreated to the highlands in the southeast.
The kitsune court maintains a very close relationship with the Kumiho of Nakyang, whom they see as kins who speak a different language - although the Kumihos of Nakyang are Youkais instead Kemonomimis.
The Kitsune Court is ruled as a feudal monarchy with kitsune Kemonomimi at the top.
Mikawa State
The Mikawa state is ruled by Mikawa Masazane, a wolf Kemonomimi (Okamimi) whom led an uprising against the tyrannical rule of Youkais in the northeastern city of Yasuhama, and successfully conquered the upper reach of the Kuroseki river. Though he proclaim himself the first, legitimate Kemonomimi-led state in a long time, the correct term is that it is the first Kemonomimi-founded state in a long time - with the kitsune court originally founded by Youkais and then taken over by their related kitsune Kemonomimi cousin.
Mikawa state have a very close relationship with Empire of Runra and receives financial and military support - in the form of imported technical expertises. Mikawa Masazane is considered a strategic and tactical genius, and a mastery of infantry and firearms tactics which he used against the powerful Tennin court. He is also a strong individual fighters, and is apparently possessed of the spirit of two "Bushin" - martial gods whom fight alongside him with spear and sword, that he refers to as the Left Bushin and Right Bushin.
After expelling the Tennin from the river valley, Mikawa state's expansion has been stopped by its lack of resources and unwillingness to start a war against the River Court - who are backed by a lot of resources, and are also seen as benevolent, if not mischievous rulers of their domain. The other option - attacking the Tennin in their mountainous stronghold would be nothing short of suicidal, and Masazane is unwilling to risk the total destruction of his state by wasting him time on such endeavors.
Mikawa state is a feudal domain.
Historical Courts
Besides the four courts and one state, certain significant historical courts have existed in Koya representing different power blocs that used to exist.
Spider Court
The Spider Court used to exist and their power centered in the eastern side of the countries. As spider youkais, they were dominated by Jorogumo and Tsuchigumo youkais. They were known for their mastery of illusion magic, transformation and power. They had a poor reputation amongst the other courts, and were generally seen as malevolent Youkai even by their own proponent - some also suspected them of harboring sympathy for the Onis. They were one of the first court to be utterly destroyed when the other courts united against them, having ceased to exist as an independent power by 578 - less than two decades after the Tennin rule broke apart.
Spider youkais are now scattered across the land, often distrusted but employed by the courts for their talent. Spider Kemonomimis are rare and similarly distrusted, often living in isolated community away from others.
Dragon Court
The dragons were rare in Koya as they were never one of the chief object of worship of the Koyan people nor adopted as a symbol of their culture extensively. Though rare, they were powerful beings with multiple river dragons residing in the river, occasionally over the Kappas. However, they were solitary by nature and preferred to dwell on their own, never demanding much active worship or interfering in mortal affairs. When conflicts between the other courts became intense, most of the dragons chose to withdraw to their own hidden sanctuaries, while the remaining one were badly outnumbered and killed. The Dragon Court lost power by 615.
Mountain Court
The Mountain court were an alliance formed by Kodama spirits and greater Kami whom embody the particular spirit of a mountain, and are all earthbound Youkais - or just as likely lesser deities that have manifested physical form - scholars debate whether they are youkais or minor kamis, and the line is very unclear - though they are likely to lean toward Spirits more than Youkais as they are completely incapable of reproducing with humans. This alliance also attracted beings whom lived in mountains - like the Yuki-onna. However, it was problematic from the start, as most of the youkais were earthbound and had few interest in moving away - except for the Yuki-onnas.
This initial alliance fell apart quickly, absorbed by the Tengu court as their natural allies instead. They ceased existing as an independent power by 595.
Culture
Koyan names are Japanese in nature, something that they also share with the Irunian and the Sairikian.
Koyan are agriculturalist
Religion
Koyan generally worship their local youkais or deities.
Locations
Koya is home to several significant cities and location:
- Minatoishi & Tsuma - The two most significant port of Koya, home to over 100,000 and 250,000 people respectively.
- Tanegawa - The largest inland city of Koya, home to 300,000 people and the capital of the River Court. This used to be the de facto, non-ritual capital before the civil war began
- Fuyosan - Fuyosan proper is home to perhaps less than 10,000 Tengus, but the plains underneath is home to over 30,000 people living in a city around the political capital of the Tengu court - though most of its northern territory are administrated from Minatoishi.
- Tenjokyu - A palace high up in the cloud concealed by, or perhaps connected to this realm by magic, it is where ruling Tennins rule. It is said to be reachable after taking 25,000 steps up the mountain - with a path maintained by magic cast by the Tennin. Actually reaching the 5,000 meters tall mountaintop without being stopped, challenged or killed on the way is a different matter, however.
- Minimitani - A small city in the south of only 30,000 people, known for its mostly open to public palace and intricate, beautiful gardens, maintained by the kitsunes in spite of constant infighting and warfare.
Population Distribution
Roughly, the population of Koya is distributed as follow by percentage:
- Tennin Court: 35% - 16 mil
- River Court: 30% - 13.5 mil
- Tengu Court: 20% - 9 mil
- Kitsune Court: 10% - 4.5 mil
- Mikawa: 5% - 2.25 mil
Military
The Koyan do not have a unified military, but are noted for their warrior castes often practicing archery - especially horseback archery alongside magic. These warriors often form the backbone of their Youkai / Kemonomimi overlord's army, and are accompanied by heavily armored sorcerer-warrior whom master battle magic.