OYASHIMA: DODAITOSE 土大外勢

[Islamadon 4564]

DODAITOSE 土大外勢

 

 

The Isle of Dodaitose is one of the eight great Islands located within the domain of Oyashima. Sitting alone and acting as the furthest extent east, Dodaitose is believed to be the last civilized outpost before one were to vanish into the endless expanse of ocean. The Island itself is very lush, temperate and possesses a singular dormant volcanic peak - Great Igo. Dodaitose’s unique and hospitable terrain has resulted in the ancients' belief that the island itself was the shell of a great sleeping tortoise.

 

Dodaitose finds its roots in the ancient population of Yōsei, or Elves, who had lived harmoniously with the nature of the Island. Atop the peak of Great Igo, the Yōsei of Clan Fujiwara erected a great shrine, Hannya-Ji, to Chiyoko, Kami of Life, Healing and Fertility. It has since retained its importance as a place of great spiritual pilgrimage. It is for this patronage that the island was said to have been blessed by the Kami with good weather and friendly wildlife.

 

 

When the Farfolk of Oyashima settled upon the Island, they discovered peaceful coexistence with the Yōsei. Each found mutual respect in one another and though the Oyashimans originally believed the Yōsei to be woodland spirits, they soon realized that they were only flesh and blood. For many generations the two populations lived harmoniously; they intermingled, traded and even intermarried. This said, the average resident became practically indistinguishable from the standard Human Oyashi due to the infertility of the Yōsei. As a result of this cultural exchange, it was not uncommon for the Dodaitose Oyashiman to possess both the knowledge and the skill to perform magic, not to mention the other mysteries of the Yōsei.

 

It is because of this openness that Dodaitose was one of the least affected during the Golden Empire’s occupation of the greater archipelago. Inherently peace-loving and servile, Dodaitose accepted the domain of the Hou for fear of bringing strife to their peaceful island. Luckily for the Dodaitose’s residents, its isolated location and its overall lack of resource made it a territory not worth garrisoning; instead, the Golden Empire merely exacted a tithe of basic raw resources. When the Imperial Clan was restored, the Samurai clans of Goro, Sushi and Ishimoto migrated to the isle in order to maintain order and incorporate it into the greater Oyashiman fold. As a result of the Samurai’s martial prowess, the balance of power began to shift from Fujiwara to these sprouting clans.

 

In an ironic twist, it would be the Oyashiman - not the Cathantese - who brought about the tragedy of war to the island. Clan Sushi, seeing opportunity, had sought to sever their allegiance from the Ishikawa Bakufu and managed to repel the forces of the Island’s appointed Shogu. A Goro clansman by the name of Akumon ventured to make peace with the Sushi clan, but was betrayed and slain under the guise of guest rite - a grave insult to Budō. In retaliation, Goro Clan assembled a host and marched south to Sushumi under the cover of darkness. Sushi clan was eradicated with great wrath and by morning their settlement had been adorned with finely chopped appendages.

 

Though Goro emerged as the preeminent force of Dodaitose, the incursion of the Li Dynasty onto the isle brought with it the perpetuation of violence and newfound occupation. The resistant Samurai class spent its days staining the isle with the blood of Li Ren. Death became commonplace, and though the occupiers were eventually repelled with Ishikawa Kais’s victory at the Yamamoto woods, Dodaitose became accosted by a malicious swarm of migrant yokai. Deemed to be the result of Chiyoko’s divinely administered punishment, the ancient legends of the Isle began to resurface and its residents sought to restore the balance and peace of nature;. To do this, they would need to put an end to the Yokai menace.

 

Unlike the other provinces of Oyashima, those of Dodaitose knew that nature could be communed with and tamed. The Samurai spent many years traversing the Island in an attempt to hunt down the most vicious of yokai in order to restore order. The creatures that could be subdued without death were bound in chains and domesticated, often used in games of sport or to aid in productive tasks. As a result, the Samurai of Dodaitose found themselves becoming beastmasters, each warrior measured by the power and rarity of their catch, not dissimilar to headtaking.

 

 

Beast taming became so popular and common that even children would play along the roads of the Island in hopes of capturing woodland creatures. Too did Dodaitose’s villages begin to develop a series of dojos where beast and master alike could synchronize their skills with one another. As a result, many disputes are now settled with non-fatal bouts between these creatures as opposed to duels of steel. It is believed that this method of conflict is superior to the spilling of fellow Oyashiman blood.

 

In the Modern day, the Clan Fujiwara retains de jure, albeit weak, power over the island. Due to the cultural beliefs of harmony and peace, Fujiwara seldom interferes in the affairs of the local Samurai. More importantly, Clan Fujiwara has been passive with regards to the rise of Shōgun Yorinobu; the clan fears conflict and desires to focus on maintaining the balance of the Island. As a result, the bakufu-aligned Ishimoto Clan has been free to shift the economy of the isle from timber and agricultural products to that of beast poaching. Ishikawa Yorinobu finds great potential in using these beasts for war, and has since been amassing them by contracting numerous yakuza and smugglers to transport these yokai back to the Imperial Capital of Yamatai.