OYASHIMA: OSKUNOSHIMA 大久野島

[Islamadon 4563]

OSKUNOSHIMA 大久野島

 

 

Oskunoshima, otherwise known as “Kojima no Kaiju”, is the second largest island in the greater Oyashiman archipelago. Geographically, Oskunoshima arcs down due North of Yamatai and acts as a barrier between the vast expanse of sea that is the Tor Minos Bay and the sister Oyashi Islands. Primarily governed by the great samurai clan of Hiroji, Oskunoshima has benefited greatly from its relative lack of wars and abundance in raw materials. As a result, the island has become the greatest center of manufacturing and art within the whole of the Oyashima, with many a master blacksmith and artisan finding their roots, and success, within the provincial capital of Kōji-shi. It is thus no surprise that Gochuso, Kami of Artisans, Innovation and Pride has become the population’s favorite figure of reverence upon the isle.

 

 

Not dissimilar to the other islands of Oyashi Archipelago, Oskunoshima rose up in defiance against the initial conquest of the Golden Empire. Though bloody, the eventual removal of foreign masters was unremarkable upon the Island. Hou were slain and their yoke was overthrown. Though the island prospered greatly in the interim between occupations, the Li Dynasty’s invasion brought to the island catastrophe. Yokai began to lurk throughout Oyashima, and none could rival the sheer horror witnessed by the Oskunoshimans bar the Isle of Ihon. Towering crimson Oni would descend from the hills in the pursuit of grub and steel. Many Villages were sacked and damaged beyond repair, their civilians often disappearing without a trace. Too did monstrous, reptilian Kaiju begin to emerge from the depths. Though the Li occupants sought to deal with these would-be demons of the sea, the Samurai-led resistance forced the occupation into an untenable conflict between Oni, Kaiju, Li-Ren and Oyashi rebels. As a result, thousands perished before the Li Ren were eventually forced back into Cathant.

 

 

Bolstered with newfound liberation and duty, those of Oskunoshima began to rebuild their decayed infrastructure. As inland workshops found restoration, the islanders determined that great weapons of war were needed to combat their immediate sea-born threat. Thus, the seven major daimyo of the island combined the skills of their greatest surviving blacksmiths and that of yōsei mystics to forge seven magical suits of Kozane-gusoku, or armor. This armor endowed its bearer the boons of speed, strength and snappy reflexes far beyond the limitations of a normal man. And so the greatest warriors from each clan were equipped with this armor, and each city was protected from the terrors of the hills and the sea. For generations to come, the firstborn of these clans would be trained from birth to adopt the mantle of the “Hīrōu~ōkā”, or Hero Walker.

 

 

The art of weapon making did not cease with the advent of the Hīrōu~ōkā. Punitive campaigns commenced by order of Shōgun Ishikawa Genjiro into the Cathantese mainland, and Oskunoshima was more than obliged to lend their masterful crafts. Cannons, alchemical armaments and other mundane contraptions of war were produced en masse upon the isle and shipped south for the Yamamoto campaign. Multiple generations of Samurai and Ashigaru have since campaigned south, resulting in the need for aspiring adolescents to fend off the many lingering threats at home. 

 

The wars of Yamamoto still rage, and many craftsmen of the island have sought to leave their mark upon history. No such artisan has left a mark as literal and philosophical as the alchemist Hamotori. Believing himself to be the Hero of Peace, the prideful Hamotori developed the Alkahest - an acid so potent that it could dissolve through anything it touched. Hamotori had peered too distantly into the future and had ignored the precautions of the present. In his hubris, Hamotori failed to devise a container that could withstand and deliver the Alkahest. As a result, Hamotori, his workshop and his village were swallowed by the furious appetite of his creation. This left a craterous scar in its wake. The site, affectionately dubbed “Hamorotori’s Chasm”, has since become a warning to the locals of Oskunoshima.

 

 

In the modern day, the dominant Horoji clan finds favor with Shōgunate as they and their subservient daimyō are more than complicit in the development of new weapons of war; to do so ensures financing, recognition and service to Oyashima. Oskunoshima has also retained its reputation for being a hub for manufacturing and art, many a masterpiece blade, ceramic or other hand-crafted goods hailing from its dense port cities. Kaiju remain a threat upon Northern coasts and frequently engage in battle with the Hīrōu~ōkā. Oskunoshima is the beating manufacturing heart of Oyashima, and its greatest shield against the monstrosities of the sea.

 

[TeawithFrisket 2665]

This is actually rlly epic too