Izu
Origins
Our forefathers in their wisdom came to understand that their world was doomed. They brought together their greatest sages and assembled their families at the foot of the Father. When that world ended, they were spared.
This new world, however, was little more hospitable than the old. Terrible storms and greedy Fae sought our destruction!
In their wisdom, our forefathers turned to the spirits. Striking the great covenant, we pledged our families to the spirits and were transformed. Remade, we sang the first Harmony and found the strength to endure.
Others have come to join our song: the steadfast Alorans; the mercurial Florans; the wandering Whistlers. Even the newcome Wehrans, still mysterious to us! Yet it is our song that ties their hearts together.
We are the creators and keepers of Harmony, chosen to keep its Songs.
Stature
As an Izu, you are bound to one of the great spirits. You are a kemonomimi, part human and part animal.
About you:
- Height: 150 to 170 cm (not counting ears)
- Build: Athletic
- Hair: Black or brown, often with faint stripes or spots
- Tail: Fluffy
Spirit traits:
- Shifters: Your body shifts in small ways with your mood. When angry, you may sprout claws and fangs; when panicked, your tail might swell larger to ward off predators
- Feral touches: Some among your lineage are born with stronger markings such as digigrade toes, a muzzle, or full body fur
Naming conventions
Your names are a link to the land you left behind. Names are often handed down from father to son or mother to daughter, and some clans have carried individual names forward since the beginning of Harmony. Big shoes to fill!
Izu list the clan name first. Most clan names follow a format of [Great Spirit] no [location or event]. For example, the King’s clan name is Senbonzakura no Yamamoto. To no one’s surprise, his clan lives at the base of the Father!
Common names for girls: Akari, Ami, Chihiro, Hanako, Hinata, Koharu, Mikoto, Sakura, Yui
Common names for boys: Akihito, Daisuke, Hiroshi, Ichiro, Jiro, Minato, Ren, Tsukasa
Your lineage remembers your language, known in the Kingdom as old Izuno, and your name can be written many ways depending on the kanji chosen. This is one of the few ways to express individuality when you share your name with half your family.
Role - Historians
Your lineage stretches back to the beginning, and you honor your past by remembering it. Much of your way of life remains unchanged for millenia, a continuity unrivaled in this tumultuous land.
You can be proud that:
- Your lineage has served Harmony since its inception without fail
- Your service to the Great Spirits ties the Kingdom to the natural world to the benefit of all
- Your clan prizes education, creating rule by merit instead of blood
You might admit under pressure that:
- Your system of education can be stressful for your children at first
- You do not always share that knowledge and history freely. After all, knowledge in the hands of fools is a dangerous thing
- Your duties to Harmony and the spirits take priority over fun and games
Your Song
Spiritkin by clans
Each clan serves a single totem. This Great Spirit determines the animal half of your nature and influences your clan temperament.
Seven such spirits govern most of your lineage: Tiger, Lynx, Wolf, Bear, Fox, Ferret and Cow.
Several minor clans exist, such as Snake, Squirrel, Horse and Crow. Additionally, some clans have gone extinct due to tragedy or time; these are remembered by a few old shrines.
There is one notable omission: the mouse. There are no mouse or rat clans nor a spirit willing to sponsor such. The mousefolk of Seln Alora have no great spirit nor any known kinship to your own. In fact, even your clan histories are not quite sure from whence they came.
Does the animal I want exist?
Don’t see an animal you like in the Great Spirit list? Create one!
Here are a few limitations:
- Mammalian, avian, or reptilian phenotype only
- The totem creature must exist in Seln Alora
- You may not take spirits related to dragons or mice
Spirit guardians
The Alorans have their mousefolk nannies, and the Florans grow up with pixie friends. In Izu, you grow up under the watchful gaze of spirit Guardians.
These Guardians choose to live in the material world rather than one of the spirit Realms, residing in shrines and guarding their chosen clans. Many mentor clan children in the old ways, raising the next generation to venerate the spirits and nature.
Due to this close relationship, many of your clan continue to work with a Guardian even into adulthood. Some spirit Guardians have watched the same clan for thousands of years and grow fiercely protective of their wards.
Shrines to various Guardians dot the length and breadth of the Kingdom, maintained by Izu on the road. When in need, any may pray, and the Guardians sometimes answer.
The Izu Kingship
Foremost among the Izu is the King, Senbonzakura no Yamamoto Riku. He is the most powerful and respected warrior in the land and the only man known to have won a duel against the Grand Fae themselves.
Before the Alorans arrived, he ruled alone. In practice, the Great Spirits and their assistants took care of most day-to-day affairs.
Now, your clan ostensibly bows to the Aloran Queen. However, she is distant and the Great Spirits close at hand. In practice, edicts from the Crown are more like suggestions. It would be rude to ignore such requests outright, but it would also be prudent to bring the edicts to the Great Spirits for review!
Your clan histories speak of only a single King. Presumably, the son of the King assumes the name of his father to continue the unbroken line. After all, what is the alternative? That Riku is over five thousand years old and still hale as a youth?
The elder cities
The three largest cities of your clan are the oldest existing settlements in Seln. Even today, these remain the cultural and spiritual seat of the Kingdom as far as you are concerned. Recent difficulties with storms and neighbors make travel between these cities and Seln Alora difficult, but you already have everything you need in Izu!
- Shinshizuoka – Founded on the shores of the sea, this city serves as port of entry for travelers into the realm. Outsiders are allowed as far as this city without papers, but any further travel requires approval.
- Mishimazu – Central city of the province, this city holds the Izuno academy and its vast libraries. The highest points gaze north at the Father
- Kawazu – Home to a brilliant Sakura festival and seven towering waterfalls, Kawazu hosts the shrines of the seven Great Spirits (one before each waterfall)
These cities have been rebuilt endless times over the millenia and remain an archaeologist’s dream. Beneath the layers of settlement are fascinating hints of another civilization, far different than the current one!
The Father and his mist-shrouded forest
The Father is the anchor at the metaphorical center of Izu, its peak the landmark by which the people navigate the peninsula. Poetry and art praising the Father date to the earliest days of Harmony, and some even claims that the Father predates Seln!
A mist-covered forest skirts the Father. The forest is held as sacred, and the priesthood regularly venture into the shrouded trees to pray. For all others, travel is not recommended. The forest is said to lash out in anger at trespassers.
Penitents seeking absolution will often climb the Father, braving the elemental storms that frequently lash its heights to reach a shrine complex protected within the peak itself.