Akusaigo
22-04-2009, 23:39
The Beginning
It is 1868 and Japan is opening itself up to the modern world, allowing a rush of new ideas and influences from various western cultures to begin creating a new modernized Japan. The samurai are displeased with the influence westerners are having over their beloved homeland. This brings them into conflict with the current ruling shogunate, and the Boshin War is ignited between the samurai who favored the Emperor, and the Shogunate who opposed the call to hand over his position.
Following the Boshin War, the newly founded Meiji government was taking numerous steps that undermined the once powerful class of samurai in the government. To many samurai, the rapidly changing dress, society, and military made them feel betrayed for their long line of service to the Emperor and their country. This spurred the Satsuma Domain, one of the most powerful of Japan's feudal domains, into a rebellion against the government they helped to put into power. The uprising was brutal on both sides, and resulted in the slow decline of the samurai not only as a social class but as prominent members of Japanese society altogether.
A small, peaceful domain known as the Akusaigo had managed to avoid the conflicts around them between the government and their fellow samurai. However, when they witnessed the new stance on samurai made by the Meiji government they realized the Japan they had once served was no more. And so they fled with a neighboring domain, the Taisumako, into the South Pacific.
They sailed for months, searching for a land they could call home. And it came to them one day in a pair of islands closely connected, surrounded by half a dozen or so satellite islands that were mostly rock and largely uninhabitable. So they landed, and the daimyo of the Akusaigo clan took the southern island while the daimyo of the Taisumako took the northern island.
The two domains settled their lands in peace for many years, establishing farming communities and maintaining the ancient art of the samurai in peace. Their new home was kind to them, offering them sugar cane, rice, wheat, and bountiful fish and fruit. However, there were also aspects that worked against the samurai such as disease. It claimed the life of Akusaigo's daimyo only five years after they had settled. His only surviving son, Narioko, took command of the Akusaigo clan.
However, by the time he had come to power the Taisumako were growing hungry for more land. Their island was not as bountiful as the Akusaigo's and so, following the daimyo's death the launched an attack against the Akusaigo. The two clans fought for the next three years until finally Narioko secured peace with the son of the Taisumako clan's daimyo if they promised to help overthrow his corrupt father.
They agreed and combined forces, killing Taisumako's daimyo and all of his loyalists. The next few years were marked by another calm peace as the two domains recovered from the war. The two daimyos, Narioko and Yoshimatzo, were like brothers. Promoting unity and friendship between their two domains.
Near Present
It is the 1940's and the world is engulfed in a second world war. The island of Akusaigo had luckily avoided involvement of any kind in the first World War. However, with the South Pacific theater to be a major battleground between the American and Japanese forces, their discovery would be inevitable.
By now, the two great sons have died, but before their deaths they came to a major decisions of uniting the island under the name Akusaigo, in favor of the more peaceful and commonly liked bloodline. The two domains united under one banner which prevails to this day. And with the Akusaigo line with no heir, the chosen daiymo came from the Taisumako line.
It was a peaceful afternoon when an American warship, the U.S.S Manhattan, came upon the seemingly uninhabited island and prepared to set up camp. They were confronted by the frightened samurai, who had never seen warships this great or foreigners for that matter since they fled Japan. However, they were stalwart protectors of their land and their culture and would not be brushed aside. The commanding officer of the Marines met with the then daiymo Hasushiaga. He was impressed by the daiymo's sincerity, respect, and courage despite the overwhelming advantage his Marines would have over his.
So he and his Marines stayed in Akusaigo while they sent the ship back to America to gather weaponry the Samurai were more familiar with that would allow them to defend themselves should the Japanese find them, as the Marines had no intention of staying and disrupting their society further. The ship returned some months later with more than enough ammunition for the samurai to use on their Colt Peacekeepers, M1 Garands, and Winchesters.
As the Marines prepared to leave they gifted their friends with a radio, as well as a fellow Marine who was so enthralled by the samurai and so eager to stay that he resigned from his post, having his commander mark him as MIA as he was so determined to start a new life in Akusaigo. He would become their own western scholar, and a valuable asset in the future.
As the war was nearing an end with the defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany, the Japanese were not far behind. As they prepared themselves for the onslaught of American troops, they too stumbled upon Akusaigo. A small expeditionary force was sent ashore to investigate, and ran right into an ambush of the samurai. With superior guerrilla tactics their casualties were few while the Japanese force had barely survived to tell their commanders of the attack made by men who wore armor of the samurai. With rumors circulating of the island being inhabited by samurai ghosts, they quickly fled. Months later they would surrender to America after the dropping of two atomic bombs.
Present
Since the end of WWII into the 21st century Akusaigo has remained untouched by time. The people have remained in a golden era of peace and prosperity, while remaining isolated from the rest of the world. The current ruling daiymo, Chorihito, is technically a result of the Akusaigo and Taisumako lines breeding together when it was found that Narioko had an illegitmate daughter. He is well respected by his people for his kindness and sincierty, as well as being the first product of the hybrid breeding between the Akusaig and Taisumako lines.
However, he is also believed to be gifted with the ability to see into the future. And it has become known amongst his counselors that he has had a vision that their land will once more become disturbed by the greedy hands of outsiders.
OOC: Feel free to post IC responses or OOC comments
It is 1868 and Japan is opening itself up to the modern world, allowing a rush of new ideas and influences from various western cultures to begin creating a new modernized Japan. The samurai are displeased with the influence westerners are having over their beloved homeland. This brings them into conflict with the current ruling shogunate, and the Boshin War is ignited between the samurai who favored the Emperor, and the Shogunate who opposed the call to hand over his position.
Following the Boshin War, the newly founded Meiji government was taking numerous steps that undermined the once powerful class of samurai in the government. To many samurai, the rapidly changing dress, society, and military made them feel betrayed for their long line of service to the Emperor and their country. This spurred the Satsuma Domain, one of the most powerful of Japan's feudal domains, into a rebellion against the government they helped to put into power. The uprising was brutal on both sides, and resulted in the slow decline of the samurai not only as a social class but as prominent members of Japanese society altogether.
A small, peaceful domain known as the Akusaigo had managed to avoid the conflicts around them between the government and their fellow samurai. However, when they witnessed the new stance on samurai made by the Meiji government they realized the Japan they had once served was no more. And so they fled with a neighboring domain, the Taisumako, into the South Pacific.
They sailed for months, searching for a land they could call home. And it came to them one day in a pair of islands closely connected, surrounded by half a dozen or so satellite islands that were mostly rock and largely uninhabitable. So they landed, and the daimyo of the Akusaigo clan took the southern island while the daimyo of the Taisumako took the northern island.
The two domains settled their lands in peace for many years, establishing farming communities and maintaining the ancient art of the samurai in peace. Their new home was kind to them, offering them sugar cane, rice, wheat, and bountiful fish and fruit. However, there were also aspects that worked against the samurai such as disease. It claimed the life of Akusaigo's daimyo only five years after they had settled. His only surviving son, Narioko, took command of the Akusaigo clan.
However, by the time he had come to power the Taisumako were growing hungry for more land. Their island was not as bountiful as the Akusaigo's and so, following the daimyo's death the launched an attack against the Akusaigo. The two clans fought for the next three years until finally Narioko secured peace with the son of the Taisumako clan's daimyo if they promised to help overthrow his corrupt father.
They agreed and combined forces, killing Taisumako's daimyo and all of his loyalists. The next few years were marked by another calm peace as the two domains recovered from the war. The two daimyos, Narioko and Yoshimatzo, were like brothers. Promoting unity and friendship between their two domains.
Near Present
It is the 1940's and the world is engulfed in a second world war. The island of Akusaigo had luckily avoided involvement of any kind in the first World War. However, with the South Pacific theater to be a major battleground between the American and Japanese forces, their discovery would be inevitable.
By now, the two great sons have died, but before their deaths they came to a major decisions of uniting the island under the name Akusaigo, in favor of the more peaceful and commonly liked bloodline. The two domains united under one banner which prevails to this day. And with the Akusaigo line with no heir, the chosen daiymo came from the Taisumako line.
It was a peaceful afternoon when an American warship, the U.S.S Manhattan, came upon the seemingly uninhabited island and prepared to set up camp. They were confronted by the frightened samurai, who had never seen warships this great or foreigners for that matter since they fled Japan. However, they were stalwart protectors of their land and their culture and would not be brushed aside. The commanding officer of the Marines met with the then daiymo Hasushiaga. He was impressed by the daiymo's sincerity, respect, and courage despite the overwhelming advantage his Marines would have over his.
So he and his Marines stayed in Akusaigo while they sent the ship back to America to gather weaponry the Samurai were more familiar with that would allow them to defend themselves should the Japanese find them, as the Marines had no intention of staying and disrupting their society further. The ship returned some months later with more than enough ammunition for the samurai to use on their Colt Peacekeepers, M1 Garands, and Winchesters.
As the Marines prepared to leave they gifted their friends with a radio, as well as a fellow Marine who was so enthralled by the samurai and so eager to stay that he resigned from his post, having his commander mark him as MIA as he was so determined to start a new life in Akusaigo. He would become their own western scholar, and a valuable asset in the future.
As the war was nearing an end with the defeat and surrender of Nazi Germany, the Japanese were not far behind. As they prepared themselves for the onslaught of American troops, they too stumbled upon Akusaigo. A small expeditionary force was sent ashore to investigate, and ran right into an ambush of the samurai. With superior guerrilla tactics their casualties were few while the Japanese force had barely survived to tell their commanders of the attack made by men who wore armor of the samurai. With rumors circulating of the island being inhabited by samurai ghosts, they quickly fled. Months later they would surrender to America after the dropping of two atomic bombs.
Present
Since the end of WWII into the 21st century Akusaigo has remained untouched by time. The people have remained in a golden era of peace and prosperity, while remaining isolated from the rest of the world. The current ruling daiymo, Chorihito, is technically a result of the Akusaigo and Taisumako lines breeding together when it was found that Narioko had an illegitmate daughter. He is well respected by his people for his kindness and sincierty, as well as being the first product of the hybrid breeding between the Akusaig and Taisumako lines.
However, he is also believed to be gifted with the ability to see into the future. And it has become known amongst his counselors that he has had a vision that their land will once more become disturbed by the greedy hands of outsiders.
OOC: Feel free to post IC responses or OOC comments