Tensions in the Land
Clave has always been a land of diversity, but the many diverse groups which make up the peoples of clave have not always shared in the unity which they do today. Many divisions have existed within the lands and many rivalries sprung up around these divisions. Early on the people of clave joined together in small and loyal groups. The Hichrio Clan, The Katesama domain, the Village of Rezoru, the Bandits of the Golden Pass. Multitudes of groups joined together in the early days, and their feirce pride caused them to rally against almost all outsiders. The animalia who spread to clave had no luck in propogating common animalia here, and the coin system, while adopted in part, was changed with each region. Eventually they adopted and formed their own clans and groups within clavian culture.
As small clans and groups grew larger they began to set their sights on neighboring territories. A clan with military power would overtake the smaller villages in the area and claim dominion. The remaining survivors of the village would often join together and go into hiding, starting up a bandit group which aimed to reclaim their ancestral lands. Other lands which neighbored the conquering territories would often fund and help these bandit groups as a way of keeping their war hungry neighbors occupied. As the years passed, territories grew and shrank, and new Daimyo and Warlords came to power the whole continent was embroiled in massive wars. Historians have looked back on the time and named it the Era of Tsunami.
The Era of Tsunami
A large destructive wave, able to crush the very shores of a land and tear away the foundation. Historians have chosen this as the name of the previous time frame since the whole land was a storm of war and plotting. Great kingdoms rose and fell in this time of near countless years. There was no land that was untouched by the signs of battle. Celestials, demons and monsters came to the land, drawn by the fighting and each seeking fulfillment of their own goals. Each one found a group willing to worship them and rally under their banner. The great Celestials, demons and monsters gave aid in battle and to the people who worshiped them. This caused the fighting and death tolls to escalate. With giant beasts, magical enhancements and new skills the wars grew fiercer. Many of the celestials and good aligned spirits helped to teach those who would listen paths of peace and contentment. Many groups of Monk's sprang up who did their best to end the fighting and bring people to the ways of peace.
Despite the fierce wars raging back and forth along the lands civilization and ideas spread quickly through clave. If a clan was destroyed, its survivors, those who did not become bandits to attack their enemies, moved on to other lands and took with them the cultural ideas and customs. There were also times of peace within the land. People grew tired of fighting and would often set aside differences amongst nations. As they came to agreements trade would begin and ideas, technologies, and travel would begin. Soon two distinct cultures arose. That of the southern lands and of the northern lands. Trade occurred between these areas but there was never a cultural merging as distinct borders were set up and tensions grew again. With the growth in tensions great nations split apart and great advances were lost, leaving considerably high technologies relegated to unknown lands and the few masters who still knew their secrets.
The Beginning of the Miyato Dynasty
Miyato Kosema was one who held the advanced knowledge of a fallen civilization. Before the Mokusen empire on the western shore of Clave had fallen he was the cheif doctor for the area. When Mokusen's imperial house had fallen Kosema was left to wander through the lands as a peasant. He bore only what medicines he could find and gave his services away for free to those who desperately needed them. Kosema traveled throughout the land till his last days. Old and weak he traveled to the grove of peace in the area of Tei Jwei. Here he sat down to rest. His rest was quickly disturbed when a Monkey blooded Animalia crashed through the canopy of the trees and created a small crater in the ground. Kosema rushed off and found the monkey in bad shape. He quickly applied the last of the medicines he had with him. The man's strength gave out quickly though, and he fainted. Waking and finding hismelf bandaged the celestial monkey warrior, Sun Wukong, found the old man Kasema and realized what has happened. "The old man gave me the last of anything he had, even though I am immortal and don't need it. If I leave this kindness unrepayed I would be doing a disservice and might lose my immortality. I'd better help him out. I like my immortality." Carrying the old man through the clouds he flew to a mystical land unknown to humans. Here he tended the old man and fed him peaches and wine from the celestial gardens. The man revived and gained back much vigor, more-so than he had ever had before. Kosema had visited the celestial gardens in the sky though, the other spirits would not let him leave so easily.
A council was called as to what should be done with him. Many great spiritual being weighed in. The elementals voted to make him one of their own, the Beast Gods said he should be returned to the world below, and Those From The Land Beyond said he should be killed for trespassing on their lands, and Sun Wukong along with him. Finally the Voice of Order chimed in and decreed that this one should be put to use calming the rough waves that raged in the land of Clave. He was given the task of uniting all of the lands of Clave under the will of heaven. Since Sun Wukong was responsible for bringing him there and raising the ire of some of the celestials he was ordered to do penance by aiding and assisting Kosema.
Kosema awoke in the grove, Wukong nowhere to be found. Feeling he had been granted this new strength and a vision to guide him he began raising peasant armies. Soon he found Wukong again, drunk in a bar bemoaning his fate. After a harried time getting Wukong sobered up (taking 8 full months) Wukong aided the ever growing army. Through the use of diplomacy, tact and when necessary war, Kosema, known as the Grey Bearded Emperor, and his descendants were able to unite all of the northern lands of Clave. Miyato Gasema, the 6th generation of the Miyato house, the last of the bloodline of Kosema would be the one to sign the final treaty and wage the final war.
Miyato Gasema
Miyato Gasema succeeded in uniting all of clave. Much of the southern lands were living in harsh conditions due to a great hot wind which blew north from the Tan-Ji-Jun dessert. Gasema undertook a perilous journey with his general Monk Benkei to retrieve the Wind fan. With this fan he was able to bring rains to the land and give everyone in the parched lands a new beginning. Those who lived there were able to grow food and live normal lives again. They signed a treaty and Clave was finally united. The wind fan was lost though, in a battle with a demonic bull entity. For a while all was peaceful in the land of clave.
Miyato Gamayosa - The adopted son
Most of Gasema's reign as emperor was peaceful. The southern lands were mostly quiet and the problems of war were long gone. Though there were issues in the land there was peace at last. The only remaining problem was that Emperor Gasema was getting old, and had no children. By marriage Gasema had a cousin Minying Peija who would take the throne if Gasema died without an heir. Peija came from the regions of the south, from the castle of Hakuai which had always maintained it's independence and had aspirations of power. The marriage of Gasema's father had created ties with Hakuai and given them a possible inroad to the Emperors throne. This kept Hakuai satisfied for a while. All that changed when Gasema adopted a son.
Gasema had snuck off from his entrouge on day, and as he traveled through the woods on his own, he came across a small hut. Climbing north from the hut he found a couple feeding a baby monkey animalia on a rock on the mountainside. The rock has hollowed out perfectly as a seat for the small baby, and around it grew flowers of the purest white he had ever seen. Asking the couple where this child had come from they said they had found him here on the rock a year ago. They had cared for him since but knew he was destined for greater things and felt his coming was an omen. Gasema felt the same way and saw the circle of time coming full swing. The original monkey Sun Wukong who had helped Miyato Kosema with his mission must be mirrored here in this monkey child. Gasema bade the couple to come to the palace at Kuan Yin imperial city and act as caretakers to the child whom Gasema planned to adopt. A year later Gasema underwent a ceremony at Tza Wan temple city in the interior chamber and was named under the eyes of all of the celestials as the adoptive father of the child. Naming him Gamayosa the child was now in line for the emperors throne.
Peija was not satisfied however. With the inclusion of Gamayosa into the imperial family he may not get a shot at the throne. Though not outwardly rebellious Peija fumed. A chance came for him to express his rage. At the fighters tournament which occurred when Gamayosa was 17, an incident occurred and accusations of cheating were called. All the nobles and Daimyo in attendance were in an uproar and all sorts of problems were caused. Many concerns were raised and many nobles (especially from the southern lands) expressed their distaste over having the rule of order overpassed because of Gasema adopting a child. Many felt that he was taking all power from the hands of the nobles and rulers of the local lands surpassing them based on his own whims. In reality this event had been planned long before. A group of rebellious Daimyo had been ready to call for rebellion, but needed a reason. At the tournament they forced an event, setting up the fighters who were registered under the name of the emperor to be found guilty of cheating.
This site best viewed with Firefox. It loads quicker, looks better, and handles images correctly.