The Yobanjin
So, not quite enough votes I think for an update. (Also really tired)
But I think I can explain a bit more about the setting.
So let's talk Yobanjin.
Now the Yobanjin are kin to the inhabitants of the Emerald Empire. Originally they were the inhabitants of the region who refused to bow to the Founding Kami, the demigods that founded the Empire. While completely unable to actively resist the armies of Akodo, Hida, and to a small extent Shiba. The Yobanjin chose to flee instead of bending the knee and accepting that they had lost. With the west largely being composed of seemingly endless desert, the south being literally hell, and east being ocean. They had no choice but to go north.
Once in the north, this desire not to bend knee, lead to them fragmenting in dozens of different tribes each with their own cultural norms and understandings of what had happened and why. The kami and early rulers of the Empire figured that this fragmentation would continue until the Yobanjin were easy to pacify.
This changed with the formation of the great city of Zhongshi. Zhongshi quickly became rich as a major port between Rokugani 'smugglers' and even down to the Ivory Kingdoms, shipping furs, amber, and other luxury goods. In turn that made Zhongshi a hub for the Yobanjin culture, unable to and in most senses unwilling to unite the tribes, it still sat as a strong central wheel for them to revolve around. Virtually every tribe sent some representatives to the city to negotiate for trade and it soon proved an excellent neutral ground to solve disputes. This cohesion allowed the Yobanjin to maintain a cultural identity of being both Yobanjin and whatever tribe they held to. This pattern was only reinforced as spiritual and artistic culture flourished in the city, spreading out to the tribes and showing that they the Yobanjin were their own people.
This lack of fragmentation meant that from time to time a number of tribes would gather up and attempt to raid into Rokugan, originally it was meant as a grand reconquest, but as the Lion Clan armies marched, the tribes involved found that they could not effectively fight both each other and Rokugan. This has remained true ever since, a few tribes attempt to raid and conquer Rokugan every so often only to be thrown back without much fan fare. However, the Yobanjin have never fully committed all of the tribes to the conquest, and in many respects if they did, they may well have the capacity to fight Rokugan to a standstill.
However, despite this notable hostility, the Yobanjin do maintain trade links to Rokugan, particularly valuing silk, tobacco, and tea. Although this trade is covert, it does mean that there are in roads for both sides to talk if needed.
Spiritually, the Yobanjin still follow the old ways of worship, employing shamans to communicate with the gods (Fortunes) and Elements in order to maintain harmony with the world. Worryingly if the Rokugani knew about it these Shamans have slowly begun mastering the language of the Kami and learned to cast spells with the Elements. In addition to their ability to summon enormous serpents that can fly.
In terms of warfare, the Yobanjin tribes tend more towards nomadic raiding and counter raiding rather than pitched combat. A fact that has led more than one punitive Imperial army to its doom as the Yobanji melt into the landscape and ambush rather than face the Emerald Empire openly.
So yeah quick and dirty overview of the Yobanjin.
As always if you have questions, please ask here or PM and I'll try to answer them.
But I think I can explain a bit more about the setting.
So let's talk Yobanjin.
Now the Yobanjin are kin to the inhabitants of the Emerald Empire. Originally they were the inhabitants of the region who refused to bow to the Founding Kami, the demigods that founded the Empire. While completely unable to actively resist the armies of Akodo, Hida, and to a small extent Shiba. The Yobanjin chose to flee instead of bending the knee and accepting that they had lost. With the west largely being composed of seemingly endless desert, the south being literally hell, and east being ocean. They had no choice but to go north.
Once in the north, this desire not to bend knee, lead to them fragmenting in dozens of different tribes each with their own cultural norms and understandings of what had happened and why. The kami and early rulers of the Empire figured that this fragmentation would continue until the Yobanjin were easy to pacify.
This changed with the formation of the great city of Zhongshi. Zhongshi quickly became rich as a major port between Rokugani 'smugglers' and even down to the Ivory Kingdoms, shipping furs, amber, and other luxury goods. In turn that made Zhongshi a hub for the Yobanjin culture, unable to and in most senses unwilling to unite the tribes, it still sat as a strong central wheel for them to revolve around. Virtually every tribe sent some representatives to the city to negotiate for trade and it soon proved an excellent neutral ground to solve disputes. This cohesion allowed the Yobanjin to maintain a cultural identity of being both Yobanjin and whatever tribe they held to. This pattern was only reinforced as spiritual and artistic culture flourished in the city, spreading out to the tribes and showing that they the Yobanjin were their own people.
This lack of fragmentation meant that from time to time a number of tribes would gather up and attempt to raid into Rokugan, originally it was meant as a grand reconquest, but as the Lion Clan armies marched, the tribes involved found that they could not effectively fight both each other and Rokugan. This has remained true ever since, a few tribes attempt to raid and conquer Rokugan every so often only to be thrown back without much fan fare. However, the Yobanjin have never fully committed all of the tribes to the conquest, and in many respects if they did, they may well have the capacity to fight Rokugan to a standstill.
However, despite this notable hostility, the Yobanjin do maintain trade links to Rokugan, particularly valuing silk, tobacco, and tea. Although this trade is covert, it does mean that there are in roads for both sides to talk if needed.
Spiritually, the Yobanjin still follow the old ways of worship, employing shamans to communicate with the gods (Fortunes) and Elements in order to maintain harmony with the world. Worryingly if the Rokugani knew about it these Shamans have slowly begun mastering the language of the Kami and learned to cast spells with the Elements. In addition to their ability to summon enormous serpents that can fly.
In terms of warfare, the Yobanjin tribes tend more towards nomadic raiding and counter raiding rather than pitched combat. A fact that has led more than one punitive Imperial army to its doom as the Yobanji melt into the landscape and ambush rather than face the Emerald Empire openly.
So yeah quick and dirty overview of the Yobanjin.
As always if you have questions, please ask here or PM and I'll try to answer them.
