Islamadon

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

"OH. So you are nerdsScholars and need to be pedantic. Understood." Answers ARCH-LECTOR DANTE HIRANO, THE SILITI, realizing both his error and the true nature of the investigation.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

"You need a formal investigation to determine that water is wet?" inquires ARCH-LECTOR DANTE HIRANO, THE SILITI.

Upon hearing the dour news, Tio Dante would ignite his censer with fresh sandalwood so that he might reflect amidst its fragrance. Upon issuing a guttural prayer, he found himself rather content - not an ounce of sorrow betrayed his maskless face. After all, the Tio knew that Tonito was not dead. His Kani still emanated throughout the World, and his blessings continued to inspire and guide others. One day, he was certain, he would reunite with the Little Father in this life, or the next.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

Amendments/Additions implemented into main lore post. Thank you for your submission. Moving to correct subforum to prevent redundancy and clutter.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

This lore has been denied. You will be sent a forum PM regarding the reasons for denial within the next 24 hours.

It's good that the Mods are attempting to uphold forum standards to make sure it's quality over "R" posting (I hate these, you didn't have anything important to say in the first place!), but I can't help but feel as if the spirit of the enforcement does not revolve around the pursuit of quality. To me, and I emphasize I'm not trying to go at anyone's throats, the way in which this has been enforced previously comes across as two adults attempting to impose their moderation authority onto a bunch of teenagers and college kids. It doesn't seem so beneficial as it does making a vendetta to put oneself in the spotlight and impose control over the forums. From my experience, most people who receive the snarky one-liners are making snarky one-liners themselves, and who end their posts with their character twirling a dagger or something in their private room. How, unless through anonymity or vague-posting, are people meant to respond to this kind of forum reply? By the logic of moderation, any attempt to do so legitimately cannot be done - it's Metagame. Are we meant to wait for the Blues to clean it up? Further, in the event that posts are indeed always IC and can be responded to regardless of reasonable presence, do I not hold the right to walk over to them in-game and rip their tongue out? It is my opinion that whatever you put out on the forums should be fair game to respond to in any way one sees fit. We do not moderate the number of words, hostile intent and so on in-game. I understand it is a false equivalence to equate the forums to the in-game server, but the forums are meant to be an extension of the in-game world whereby people can see law posts and character threads. If people didn't want others to respond, why are they even making a thread or reply in the first place? A solution to not receiving feedback would be allowing for OPs to lock their own threads off the bat. To conclude - begging the rules as law doesn't address the spirit of those rules. Being a pedantic enforcer of rules which deter player enjoyment (and indeed - a good portion of the players thinks this is annoying) only means that Mods themselves are deterring player enjoyment. As long as no one is causing harm through doxing, posting IP grabbers, slur-spewing, ETC. I don't see a need to be so tight-fisted about the forums. They've always been sassy.

As a merchant "RPer" who had eclipsed Urguan's National Treasury, I can say with pure confidence that my wealth was earned not through roleplay but by letting my stall passively sell vouchers. I did not Roleplay in the slightest. Merchant RPers are fake. Let me buy wacky items late at night again.

Dante de Denesle shivers, fearing he may yet be found out to be a Hirano.

A samurai meditates beneath gently rustling Sakura pedals. He reflects a great cultural disparity, in how the Lubba had yet to realize that a Samurai’s envoy was his trusted sword. Too does the Samurai ponder why their king need be groveled to, when his sworn deputies were already both aware of and responsible for the transgressions of the Lurinite. They do not truly see, he ponders with format-less thoughts.

Whilst looking through Kato Eren's many unsold paintings, Danzen randomly finds his eyes besetting upon a depiction of the event - a scene so terrifying that it had burned into the memory of the poor, simple-minded Samurai . . .

@Sander Oyashima Lore-Writers recently went back to Oyashima and clarified things that were strange and odd. For instance, Oyashima meaning "Eight Great Islands" yet being part of the greater continent. We fixed these problems recently and basically with the consent of Esterlen, Dingo, Jules (co-Author of Oyashima Culture Post) we revamped the area a bit to be consistent. We also fleshed out the islands. If you would like to rework your map, simply Bump Oyashima north of the Cathant Peninsula into the Shattered Sea, and carve a bit south to make a little bay. Current Zoomed in Oyashima map.

[!] A Letter is delivered Post-Haste . . . Rex Kybal’Akaal "The Ram"; I, Ugokoyama Danzen, shall be issuing the reply on behalf of my greater country. The reasoning for this perceived slight by an underling of your defensive ally is simple: The Oni involved are my Brethren, my Wings and my Responsibility. This in no way implies that I shall prostrate myself nor sell out my Clansmen nor the country of Nor-Velyth. In fact, it is the contrary. As it stands in FACT, not fiction, three oathed and binded members of the Ugokoyama Clan had ventured to the sandy capital of the Orkish Horde with the intent of training in preparation for their fight against the Nether-Olog. Once arrived, they had come across a friend of the Oyashi people being beset upon by a lonesome Uruk - Brevias. Not one to allow a friend to be accosted without righteous action, they had intervened and engaged in a KLOMP. Amidst this battle a Short Honorary attempted to intervene himself, and screeched "RAID, RAID RAIIIIID!" In response, the Oni rightly beat him up for being stupid - for it was not a raid, and this short-man was simply squealing untruths. After the Uruk Brevias was defeated, in honor and in friendship both my Clansmen and the Uruk enjoyed a steak dinner as FRIENDS. And so closed the Nether-Gate, and the Heavenly-Gate opened. This heavenly peace did not last long, due to an attempt by further Uruks to accost, enslave and murder - again - Friends of the Oyashi. These friends were Atemu-Ta and his Sister, who subsequently took her own life in defiance of imposed bondage. The Righteous Oni - Bound by the Code of Budo - would not stand for this. Such is the tenet of CHŪGI, and to step away after seeing such a distasteful scene would have besmirched their character so DEEPLY that they would have been better off joining her with ritual suicide. It was then that the ring-leader of this Orkish altercation proclaimed "SLAY THEM ALL". This is a query indeed, for the implications of your proclamation imply that it were the Oyashi - In a MILITARY capacity - had engaged in an unprovoked attack upon the Horde. As the story plays out, it appears that it was in fact your own brothers, in a military capacity, who sentenced ours to DEATH. Then again, perhaps they were not deputized with such a power. In response to the sentencing, the Ugokoyama-Oni opted to FIGHT, lest they willingly extend their necks as sacrificial cattle to be slain by beings of fragile Ego. Indeed, a further Klomp ensued, and the wrathful gang of Uruk began to vanish one after the other, though some were certainly slain. The most perplexing factoid of all of this is - following the altercation - it is reported that my Oni and your People embraced in a brotherly embrace, and of no ill-omen and friendship. It is now evident, after the fact, that there was quite handful of survivors from this ignoble Oyashi Aggression! Indeed, survivors so clairvoyant that they had managed to peer through their tears, bow before the Honorable Rex, and whine with such high pitch that they would now invoke WAR between our two peoples, when the righteous KLOMP had already settled the affair. This matter has weighed upon my mind, and in contemplation I had comissioned the Samurai - Kato Eren - to paint me a depiction of the event so that I may remember the day that an Uruk need grovel before his Rex to seek vengeance for a fight he rightly lost. In consequence, should your Country TRULY persist in the belief that the acts of the Ugokoyama Oni were without honor to the point where the Iron Horde would now exist in a state of war with the Nor'Velyth people, I offer this remedy: A duel between Ugokoyama Bata and the Ringleader, whose name betrays me. Regardless of the outcome, the matter shall be settled and no more tears shall be shed from either side. UGOKOYAMA DANZEN

Regardless of the vote outcome, I am updating those who may read this that I have made a request to cut the Touch of Jophiael given recent developments in Malchediael's front facing (no direct mention of madness any longer!) and update the background now that things have been clarified and not stitched together from outdated threads. I would modify these sections immediately, but given it has already gone thru mag I cannot make these proposed changes without consent :3. EDIT: I guess it wasn't wrong after all -.-

OYASHIMA MEGA THREAD MAP OF THE ARCHIPELAGO . . . WIP SOURCE LORE: OYASHIMA 大八洲 ISLANDS YAMATAI 邪馬台国 OSKUNOSHIMA 大久野島 IHON 異本 FUKUKAZE 吹風 DODAITOSE 土大外勢 GUSHIKEN 具志堅 BACHI SHOTŌ 鉢諸島 HOKE-IDA ホケイダ CULTURES THE KANINOKYŌ 霊の経 ONI - THE ORKS OF OYASHIMA CREDITS Islamadon Oskunoshima, Ihon, Fukukaze, Dodaitose, Gushiken and Hokei-ida. Kaninokyo. Shady Tales Yamatai, Oni and Bachi-Shoto FunTzu Gushiken Concept + Naming + Consulation JoanOfArc Oyashima Consultation + Original Lore ScreamingDingo Aeldin Consultation Esterlen Aeldin Consultation Monomakhos Original Lore TauFireWarrior Original Lore

GUSHIKEN 具志堅 Gushiken is one of the Eight Great Islands of Oyashima and is located due north from the Cathantese province of Lu Zhou. The homeland of Clan Shimazu, this Island has become the symbol of Oyashiman exceptionalism in recent centuries. In a display of great atonement, those of Gushiken have remodeled their society to embody the cultural and spiritual expectations of Oyashima to their fullest extent. As a result, the Island and its capital of Kō Shihon is often considered the harshest to live, yet also the most prestigious to succeed in. Historically, the ruling clan of Shimazu had been known both amongst the mainland Descendants and those of Oyashima as being one which embodied the Samurai way. Textbook through and through, Shimazu enforced Budō culture across the island and treated the Samurai class with reverence. Shimazu had always done right by Oyashima, shedding blood amidst the first occupation and suffering greatly at the defeat in the Shinzo Plains. However, great dishonor befel the clan when the Daimyō Shimazu Satomi offered his services to the Li Dynasty amidst the second occupation in a bout of selfish ambition and a pursuit for the sacred knowledge of silk production. Though the silk provided great wealth for the Island, those of the Shimazu Clan became collaborators. When Ishikawa Kais led his rebellion, the Shimazu host joined with the Li Ren regime at the city of Lu Zhou. Together, they sailed and marched on the rebels at the Yamamoto woods. As the battle turned to chaos, the Daimyō issued an order of dishonor as they turned upon their Li Ren allies and began to slaughter them from behind. The battle was a decisive Ishikawa victory and served as the turning point in the war for Oyashiman liberation; ultimately, Daimyō Satomi was rewarded. However, those of Shimazu who maintained their belief in the way of Budō were overwhelmed with shame for subsequent collaboration and betrayal, and bided their time for the passing of their patriarch. Eventually Satomi met his end upon consuming a surfeit of squid, becoming deathly ill. None are quite sure as to whether Ishikawa, Shimazu or the Squid itself was responsible. In the subsequent power vacuum, a Yōsei who had been adopted into the Shimazu Clan managed to secure power on the promise of a new future for Gushiken and the clan itself. Adopting the title of Onna-musha, Shimazu Eumura sought to wipe away the shame of the clan and impose the will of the Kami Izakuno who embodied Punishment, Law and Order. The focal point of their ambitions lay in rigid education and indoctrination. As a result, a darwinist mentality was fostered about the island and where the “lessers” would be weeded out in favor of the ideal Oyashiman. The island of Gushiken was subsequently reorganized to host the primary capital of Kō Shihon and its four orbiting districts of Ichimura, Nimura, Santoshimura and Gomura. These districts are distinct from one another in that they represent the class of those who reside within it. For example, Ichimura became home to the wealthiest and brightest Shi whereas the district of Gomura hosts the Kegare, or the undesirables. Naturally, there were those of Gushiken who resisted the new Shimazu way. Due to a belief in the freedom of Budō and a rejection of newfound tyranny, a great many of Gushiken’s population opted to live beyond the walls of Kō Shihon in squalor, and have since formed pockets of resistance and rebellion. The Ronin agitators of these vagrant gangs have since earned the ire of Gushiken’s Samurai class, thus resulting in numerous expeditionary campaigns of “justice” whereby Shimazu retainers would hunt down and detain perceived rebels. Shanty towns are occupied or razed, and those who are captured are forced into penal labor until assimilated. Despite the rigid class system and strict tyranny of the Gushiken, Clan Shimazu offers a path of upwards mobility via the Shimazu Exams. In order to even be considered for the test, one must first display adept etiquette and verbal competence. Applicants must present themselves in a clean and uniform fashion, most often adopting bob and bowl cuts. Further, an acceptable level of knowledge pertaining to the propagandized history of Oyashima must be showcased. The test is imperative to the family, for failure or success dictates their future. Those who fail will be placed on a ten year probation from subsequent testing due to their less-than-satisfactory way of living and those who succeed may take their family to the superior districts so that they might attend the Gushiken Academy. Kō Shihon itself is home to the Gushiken Academy, an educational facility that prides itself on its one-in-ten graduation rate and is the primary rival to Hoke-ida’s scholars. At the academy, aspiring students are educated less in the ways of tomes and more as how to act as patriots and true warriors. Students are corralled with busy schedules, severe discipline and a stream of nationalistic lessons. Students aspire graduation from the Gushiken Academy, for it guarantees access into the inner districts of Gushiken whereby they would be afforded a high standard of living and, hopefully, a position within the Onna-musha’s court. Too are alumni Samurai and administrators sought throughout the isles as graduates have built for themselves a reputation of work ethic, discipline and traditionalism. In the modern day, Gushiken is an island of great national reverence and order. Shimazu Clan and its subservient Samurai continue their endeavor to erase the shame of their flippant Daimyō and the guilt they still harbor. Silk production has only increased in the years following the Oyashiman incursions into Cathant as trade between the two empires has come to a halt. This has resulted in a boom of wealth for the people of Gushiken as they are the only island capable of producing the raw material. Too are aspiring Samurai sent from across the isles to receive sermon at Gushiken academy, for the prestige of its graduation practically equates to title and land.

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.