Clan Hirano

[Tentoa 1999]

Clan Hirano


Origins

During the Li-ren occupation of Oyashima, the Hirano family, who were peasants hailing from the largest and most agriculturally abundant island just south of Yamatai's capital, Yutakanoshima, endured heavy taxation by their Li-ren rulers. This taxation was so burdensome that it kept them on the verge of starvation, a fate shared by many Oyashimans under the Cathantian rule. As a result, they harbored a profound resentment towards their Cathantian overlords.

The turning point for the Hirano family came during the Rebellion of Kais Ishikawa, which ultimately led to the expulsion of the Li-ren from Yamatai. Neji, the youngest son of the clan, distinguished himself by displaying exceptional martial skills that defied his lowly station. In recognition of his loyalty and prowess, the Shogun favored him and rewarded Neji with the governance of the very isle where he was born, in the name of the newly established Shogunate.
 

Over the course of several generations, the Hirano family consistently proved themselves as staunch allies of the Ishikawa Shogunate. Their island, in addition to its significant agricultural contributions that played a vital role in sustaining Yamatai by supplying a substantial amount of rice produced luxury goods, including soju, whisky, tobacco, opium, and sake, which were highly sought after.

This unwavering loyalty persisted even when Yorinobu ascended to power and brought with his rule a Yokai incursion. Notably, the Demon Shogun arranged for the marriage of a Hirano daughter to his brother, Yukiwashi, solidifying the bond between the Hirano family and the ruling elite of Yamatai.

The Onryō of Yutakanoshima
 

Tsune Hirano, the eldest daughter of Goro, was originally promised in marriage to Yukiwashi Ishikawa, a powerful Daimyo in Northern Yamatai and the brother of Yorinobu. This arrangement was made after Yukiwashi's first wife passed away due to illness. Meanwhile, Tsune's brother, Shinji, entered into a marriage alliance with the neighboring Minegawa clan.
 

Tragedy struck Tsune when her firstborn son, Jiro, succumbed to illness at the tender age of ten. Shortly before the birth of Yukiwashi's third son, he was afflicted by a severe illness himself, which stemmed from a duel with Kenji Minegawa over a game of Go. Tragically, the Minegawa clan used Kenji's death during the duel as a pretext to join the rebellion against Yorinobu's rule. It was later revealed that Yukiwashi's demise had been orchestrated, and the blade used in the duel against him had been poisoned.
 

With her second child about to be born and Yukiwashi's eldest son preparing for battle against the formidable forces of the Minegawa clan, Tsune foresaw the impending destruction of her late husband's legacy. In desperation, she turned to dark and ruthless tactics. Tsune offered herself in marriage to the Minegawa clan as a means to broker peace, but her true intentions were far more sinister. She poisoned every member of the clan, showing no mercy, not even to children or her brother's wife, Nao Minegawa. This act of revenge and treachery sent shockwaves through the region.
 

Fully aware of the severe consequences her actions would bring, Tsune willingly submitted herself to the Shogun's court, anticipating her execution for the heinous crimes she had committed. However, she received an unexpected sentence—exile from her homeland. The scant details of this event have transformed it into a legendary tale of Oyashima, perpetuating the myth that Tsune, in her death, became an Onryo, a vengeful spirit of disaster and retribution, determined to exact revenge upon her husband's murderers.

Modern Decline
 

Shinji, who was consumed by grief over his wife's death and harbored suspicions regarding Yorinobu's clemency toward Tsune, believed that the annihilation of the Minegawa clan was a sinister ploy orchestrated by the Demon Shogun. With the Minegawa clan completely wiped out, Shinji, now the head of the Hirano family, made the decision to rally his supporters and align himself with the rebellion against Yorinobu. This act had significant consequences, as it deprived Yamatai of one of its primary sources of rice.
 

The Hirano clan's resistance persisted for more than a century, but as time passed, they began to lose ground to the Shogunate forces. A profound tragedy struck the clan during this prolonged conflict. The Hirano were forcibly displaced from their ancestral home on Yutakanoshima, marking the loss of their cherished family lands. Additionally, a succession crisis emerged following the death of Koichi, the young and heirless reigning patriarch, who perished in battle.
 

During this challenging period, the Hirano clan received an unexpected lifeline from distant smugglers. They delivered a letter addressed to the clan from a long-lost relative named 'Jiro.' In this letter, 'Jiro' pledged safety for the clan from the relentless pursuit of the Shogunate's forces, all under the watchful protection of the clan's patron Yokai—a Kitsune. Faced with few viable alternatives, some members of the Hirano clan made the difficult decision to embark on smuggling ships bound for distant lands, where they hoped to join their enigmatic relative 'Jiro' and find refuge as refugees.

 

[Tentoa 1999]

Queries to play a Hirano can be directed to me on Discord

[HIGH_FIRE 4135]

A dark elven Li-Ren woman named after Tsune Hirano would drink her tea as she read upon the revitalisation of the Hirano clan. She would make a note of the man's named and prepare herself to send a letter to the new head of the clan, a light smile gracing her face.

[lemonke 1878]

Amidst a camp of seekers of knowledge that wielded an ancient banner of the Ranaleth family; An elder arrived, glancing between those gathered for she sought to begin telling a tale: "Have you ever heard the tragedy and tale of Tsune, the Hag's chosen?" Many shook their heads, knowning naught such a forbidding tale. "No? I thought not. It's not a tale that a descendant would tell you." She proclaimed before continuing the exchange with her scholars, soon, they too shall learn of Tsune's sorrow and power.