Yamatai [W.I.P.]

[Kanzaki no Kazuki]

Yamatai (夜麻台):

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Demonym:
Yamatai-jin (夜麻台人) (singular and plural)

Language:
Yamataigo (夜麻台語), Amoraean

Religion:
Shintoism/Buddhism (majority); Iesinorism (minority)

Population:
~1.5 million (Kiiro: ~375k; Izumo: ~300k; Gekisenku: ~495k; Ueno: ~330K)

Ethnic demographics:
~ 96% Yamatai, ~3.5% Amoraean, ~.5% Other

Administrative divisions:
Four kuni ("countries"): Kiiro no kuni (黄色国); Izumo no kuni (出雲国); Gekisenku no kuni (激戦区国); Ueno no kuni (上野国)

Terrain:
Much of western and southern Yamatai is rugged and mountainous. Most of the mountains are forested. The east has more flatland, which is a mixture of arable land and forests/woodlands.

Climate:
Northern Yamatai has warm summers and chilly winters, with moderate snowfall. Central Yamatai has hot summers and cool winters with some areas seeing snow, especially in the mountains. South Yamatai has hot, somewhat dry summers and wet, mild winters.

History:
Though it was not always called as such, the land currently known as Yamatai has been inhabited since ancient times. For much of its history Yamatai has remained isolated, cut off from the rest of the continent by mountains. Its people are not related to those of the lands to the west, and over the centuries they have developed a distinct culture and language.

In the distant past the lands that now compose Yamatai were divided into various petty kingdoms, which often warred with one another. Much of southern and central Yamatai was eventually unified under a single monarch. According to legend this first Tennō (heavenly sovereign), and by extension his descendants, was said to be descended from the gods, sent to unite the people. Over the following decades there were more wars with the encroaching horsemen, which resulted in the conquest of what are now Yamatai's northern regions. The region was divided into tens of administrative units, each overseen and defended by court appointed officials called kokushi.

For many years afterward, there was peace throughout the region. Yamatai culture and the arts flourished. However, with peace came complacency. Political power was increasingly held by the sekkan, regents of the Tennō, and other high ranking court officials. Nearly a century ago, the struggles between rival factions of the aristocratic kuge class to dominate court politics came to a head, erupting into open violence and plunging Yamatai into civil war. Taking advantage of the chaos, the Amoraean Empire invaded by sea. Although the defenders fought fiercely, it was ultimately in vain. Focused inward as they were at the time, Yamatai was unprepared for a foreign attack and was swiftly annexed. It was divided into four provinces, each headed with a praesides.
However, the people strongly resisted the empire's rule and cultural influences, tenaciously clinging to their own language and traditions. Rebellions were a common occurrence. In an effort to placate the population, the foreign praesides (which were known as "shugo" in the Yamatai language) appointed local prefects (known as "shugodai"), often drawn from the ranks of the former kokushi.

As the years past, and the once great Amoraean Empire sunk into its twilight years, the four praesides were able to exert less and less authority over their provinces. By the time of the Norska's invasion far to the west, they were largely figureheads. Real power rested in the hands of the four greatest shugodai clans: the Hosokawa, Tachibana, Matsuoka, and Settsu. Each "served" their respective praesides, but in practice each had effective control over their province and the lesser shugodai within it. Like many others in distant parts of the continent, these four clans took the opportunity before them as the empire began to crumble. With the support of the Yamatai people, they rallied their forces and rose up in rebellion, successfully deposing the praesides and seizing power for themselves.

The heads of the four great shugodai clans, each now in control of territories roughly analogous to the former Amoraean provinces, have begun to style themselves daimyo (meaning "great name"). The lesser shugodai have in turn become their vassals and retainers. The daimyo rule their domains without interference from each other, effectively dividing Yamatai into four separate mini-states: Kiiro no kuni, held by the Hosokawa; Izumo no kuni, held by the Tachibana; Gekisenku no kuni, held by the Matsuoka; and Ueno no kuni, held by the Settsu.

For a time things were stable throughout Yamatai... but it is an age of great political and social upheaval, both within and without Yamatai. Recently the head of the Matsuoka clan has passed away without naming an heir, creating a rift between his two sons. The younger son has found an ally in the Tachibana clan, while the elder is backed by the Settsu. The Hosokawa have, for now, remained neutral. Will Yamatai descend into civil war once again? And what of the remnants of the Amoraean Empire to the north, and the Blessed Islands a short distance across the Shiraz Sea, and of other shards of the former empire?

In these turbulent times what will become of Yamatai?

Government:
After the fall of the Amoraean Empire and gaining its independence once again, the nearest descendant of the last reigning Tennō before Yamatai's annexation was restored to his proper place in the Kōkyo, located in the ancient capital of Heian-kyō. However, as in the past, the Tennō is largely a figurehead. Although he is said to be descended from the gods and bears great symbolical importance to the people of Yamatai, secular power is held by the four daimyo.
The domains of each daimyo are called kuni, or sometimes kokka, both of which roughly mean "country". Each of the four domains is governed autonomously and are effectively separate states with a shared culture and language between them.
Supreme authority ultimately rests with the daimyo, but like any ruler each has a number of lesser officials in his service to help administer the different regions of his domain. Each kuni is divided into the lands held directly by the daimyo, lands held by his family members, and fiefs granted by the daimyo to his kashin (vassals/retainers). The kashin enjoy a degree of semi-independence within their own fiefs, and may potentially grow wealthy from the taxation of their lands. In return they must pay their own taxes to the daimyo and provide troops for the daimyo's army.
The exact organization and hierarchy of each daimyo's kashindan ("vassal/retainer band") is different, reflecting their own personalities and needs. However, there are common groupings and similar terminology within each, and they are sometimes arranged according to personal relations rather than function:

Ichimon or Ichizoku: "Kinsmen". Family members and relatives of the daimyo.

Fudai: "Inner lords". Senior, long-standing hereditary kashin.

Karō, Rōshin or Shukurō: Senior or elder kashin, which form the daimyo's innermost council for administration and military policy. Members of this group are often drawn from the daimyo's ichimon or the most powerful/trusted of the fudai. It is from the ranks of the karō that bugyō (military commissioners; see blow) and taishō (generals; see below) are often appointed.

Tozama: "Outsiders". That is to say, kashin who have submitted to the daimyo after being defeated or are simply new to an already established kashindan.

Military:
Rikugun (army):
Much like the kashindan, the armies of a daimyo can vary in their exact composition, but similar terminology is used throughout. In addition to serving personally, each of his kashin, based on the size of their income, are expected to supply different numbers of different types of troops. These men, especially the lower ranks, are often taken from their immediate leaders organized into specialized squads
The daimyo himself is often at the apex of the command structure. The various taishō (generals), bugyō (commissioners), and metsuke (inspectors) fall under his direct command, forming the core of his hatamoto ("those who stand under the flag"). In addition to these senior commanding officers and administrators, hundreds more 'stood under the flag' to protect the daimyo or serve other functions. These units were called ban rather than kumi, such as the tsukai-ban (couriers). Also included were the personal attendants of the daimyo and other high ranking officers (koshō [squires/pages], weapon/armor bearers, standard bearers, doctors, priests, etc.).

There are two basic types of individual troops: samurai and heishi.

Samurai, as most people are likely familiar with, are members of the military nobility. Most, if not all, of the commanding officers will be of the samurai class. Any man of samurai rank is normally accompanied by kinjū/tomo (personal retainers and attendants) on the battlefield. They are not sorted into units, but remain alongside their master (and are often low-ranking samurai themselves). Some have more than others, but even the lowest ranking samurai will generally have at least a single heishi spear bearer.
Samurai are professional bushi (warriors), well trained (often from a very young age), well equipped, and conditioned to be fiercely loyal to their superiors.
It's true that Yamatai is, overall, a patriarchal society. However, that being said, the idea that only its men are versed in the art of war is a grave misconception. A fair number of samurai daughters and wives are fully capable warriors in their own right. Known as onna bugeisha, they are expected to be able to defend their household, family, and honor in times of war. It is also not impossible for an onna bugeisha to be head of their respected clan.
Samurai have access to a wide variety of weapons (note: most of the Chinese weapons have been given Japanese names; links are marked with an asterisk):
Yumi* (bows): An asymmetric composite longbow, the yumi is made from bamboo, rattan, or leather. Despite its large size, with proper training a samurai can make effective use of it even while mounted. On foot, it is usually used behind a tate*, a large, mobile shield made of wood or sometimes iron. While individuals can have preference for one type of weapon over another, the yumi is both symbol of authority and of a professional warrior in Yamatai culture (the life of a warrior is sometimes referred to as "kyūba no michi", which roughly means "the way of the horse and bow"), and so most samurai will have at least basic proficiency with it. Yamatai has also developed several varieties of ishiyumi* (including types* used in siege warfare; more info here*), but most samurai tend to prefer the traditional yumi.
Ken (swords): The samurai are also known for their swordsmanship, and Yamatai has produced several types of bladed weapons. These include the straight-edged chokutō* or tsurugi*, as well as curved-edge swords such as the dao* and the relatively recent tachi.
Yari (spears): Yari*. Just your average spear. Not much to say here. Another type is the qiang*.
Staff weapons/pole arms: There are several varieties, including the bō*, jō*, gun*, and en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ji_%28halberd%29]geki*.
Misc. Weapons: kusari-buchi*, tsujikaze*.
Yoroi (armor): Mainly tanko* armor for those on foot and keiko* for those who are mounted.

Heishi are foot-soldiers, and make up the bulk of any daimyo's infantry. They are commoners, most of whom are conscripts (some of them are professional soldiers, however, and a few are simply mercenaries). Any able-bodied man between the age of 20-60 is liable to be conscripted. Overall, as far as conscripts go, they are well trained and supported.
Most heishi have basic proficiency with either the chokutō, tsurugi, or dao. They are often assigned to specialized units (see below), and so receive more extensive weapons training based on their unit's specialty. Those serving as infantry are issued tanko armor. Archers or siege weapon operators have leather armor, in the tanko style.

The officer's chain-of-command for the fighting units are as follows:

Sōtaishō: Commander-in-chief. This position is often filled by the daimyo himself. It may also be be filled by the sōbugyō (see below) if the daimyo is otherwise indisposed.

Taishō: Generals, for lack of a better term, often named either samurai-taishō or heishi-taishō according to their particular command (it is worth noting that the taishō charged with heishi units are held in the same regard as those in charge of samurai units). Their troops are divided into units called kumi (-gumi when used as a suffix), which can have anywhere from ten to a 100 or more men. Each taishō is responsible for a number of kumi.

Kumigashira: Officers in charge of individual kumi. Again, they are named either samurai-kumigashira or heishi-kumigashira, depending on the composistion of their respective kumi.
The heishi-kumigashira are generally in charge of specialist units: yarigumi (spearmen) and yumigumi (archers). Thus, they are often called either yari kumigashira or yumi kumigashira.
The samurai-kumigashira lead either kiba mushagumi (mount samurai) or kachigumi (foot samurai) units, both of which tend to be smaller than the heishi units.

Kogashira: Lower ranking officers that serve under and assist the heishi-kumigashira. Depending on its size, a kumi may have several kogashira. Each has direct command over a smaller squad of individual heishi within the unit. The yarigumi generally outnumber the yumigumi, and so yari kogashira usually lead larger squads.

While the taishō lead the fighting units, the bugyō are in charge of logistical functions. The highest ranking among them is the ikusa bugyō (army commissioner), also called the sōbugyō, the 'field marshal' to whom the daimyo might delegate strategic and tactical decision making. Also, if the daimyo is indisposed, the ikusa bugyō can take his place on the battlefield, as noted above. The hatamoto ikusa bugyō (hatamoto army commissioner) has overall responsibility for the logistics of the hatamoto.

Other bugyō positions include:

Maku bugyō: has the responsibility for the transport, siting, and erection of the maku. These were large cloth curtains bearing the mon (emblem) of the daimyo or other high ranking officers, which traditionally serve as their field headquarters.
Yari / Yumi bugyō: in charge of any administrative matters regarding spears and bows, respectively.
Yoroi bugyō (armor commissioner): sees to the supply and distribution of armor.
shodōgu bugyō (equipment commissioner): oversees anything regarding any other type of equipment.
Hata bugyō (flag commissioner): oversees the complex system of flags used for signaling on the battlefield.
Hyōrō bugyō (provisions commissioner): responsible for the logistics of keeping the army (and their mounts) fed, including storage and transport of food. Working under him is the konida bugyō (packhorse commissioner), who supervises the baggage train.
Gozen bugyō (kitchen commissioner): Also called the daidokoro bugyō, he oversees field kitchens and the distribution of rations.
Fune bugyō (boat commissioner): Responsible for everything related to transport on water.


Kaigun (navy):

Ship types:

Junku*: A testament to Yamatai naval engineering, these large ships are capable of traveling long distances and carrying up to 700 troops and 260 tons of cargo each.
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