Kagetora

影虎の大幕府
Glorious Shogunate of Kagetora
影虎の大幕府 Glorious Shogunate of Kagetora
	Flag
	Motto: "For Home and the Throne, for Kagetora and the Shogun"
	Anthem: "For the Glory of the Shogunate";
	Map of Kagetorian Homeland
Capital; (and City)	Edo
Official languages	Modern Kagetorian, Traditional Kagetorian, English
Ethnic groups	Kagetorians
Demonym	Kagetorian
Government	Shogunate
Sovereign Country
Population
GDP (PPP)	2014 estimate
GDP (nominal)	2014 estimate
Currency	Ryo (KRY)
Calling code	++271

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The Daibakufu of Kagetora (Traditional Kagetorian: 影虎の大幕府) is a large country of an almost uniformly Asian ethnic background. Classified as a monarchy by many political experts, the true title of Kagetora, when translated into English, is Glorious Shogunate. Kagetora shares no land borders with any nation, being entirely an island nation.

Comprised of thousands of islands, a majority of which are smaller than a square mile, Kagetora, for nearly all intents and purposes, is made up of about a dozen important islands. Within the territory of Kagetora, most of the natural oil reserves are found offshore, so oil rigs are a common sight in Kagetorian coastal areas. In the northern homeland of Kagetora, the nation is warmer than would normally be expected, as natural springs, geothermal vents, and a semi-active volcano provide heat that counteracts the frigid temperatures normally found at that latitude.

The history of Kagetora is one filled with internal warring. In much of the time civilization has been recognizable in the modern lands of Kagetora, warlords, brigands, warrior monasteries, and wandering individuals controlled the country. Dozens of civil wars, including the notable Genpei War, Fall of the Taira, the Fuji War, and the 12 Year Anarchy rocked the nation, and the many factions prevented Kagetora from coalescing into a single entity for hundreds of years.

In 1600, Kagetora was finally united under one banner. Founder of the Tokugawa Dynasty and the 2nd Kagetorian Shogunate, Tokugawa Ieyasu subdued the Uesegi at Sekigahara, and in over 400 years, the clan has remained in firm control of the nation.

Kagetora is definitely a regional power, with a population in the region 2nd only to Stoklomolvi and positioning of the homeland and its colonies provide quick and effective power projection throughout most of the region. Economically, it remains powerful, with the majority of corporations having near monopolies in the homeland, most of which are owned by members of the government. Kagetora produces many first world goods, including electronics, automobiles, and is known for the odd eccentric item to pop up on the international market.

History

Ancient History

Very little is known about the history of Kagetora before around the year 100, as a lack of written language prevented events from being recorded. However, in recent years, Kagetorian archaeologists have made a series of recent discoveries, and some theorize that the first people on the Kagetorian islands came from nearby Stoklomolvi, island hopping across the northern chain. Other scientists believe it was the other way around, as no conclusive evidence has been found for either theory. Sometime in the early 2nd century, a brief government was formed, and a writing style similar to that found on the nearby continent was adopted.

Genpei War and Preceding Era

In the mid-2nd century, the lands of modern Kagetora were in turmoil. Around 60 individual sovereign states constantly attempting to subdue their neighbors led to a precarious balance of power, as 3 main camps began to emerge. In the north, the local daimyo (Traditional Kagetorian: 大名, English translation: noble) had largely united under the banner of the Taira clan, whose lands were the largest in the entire nation. In the south, a camp had sprung up rallying under the Minamoto clan, the second most powerful state in the country. The third faction were mostly the local lords who controlled the islands off the eastern coast, though some of them lived along the coast.

In 162, the northern camp began their war against the south in what would come to be called the Osaka Campaign. Quickly overrunning large swathes of land in a few weeks, victory seemed certain. However, the castle that gave the campaign its name was next on the invader's list. Osaka Castle, with a garrison of 100 and under the control of the Ashikaga clan, did not fall to a frontal attack, as the poorly defended castles the invaders had become used to had.

Osaka Castle

As a result, the forces allied with Minamoto were able to regroup and repulse the invaders. Even so, the war was far from over. The samurai (Traditional Kagetorian: 侍) who had led the defense at Osaka died from assassination by a local peasant, who presumably supported the Taira. The loss of the first hero of the war was a terrible blow to the morale of the Minamoto forces. In 165, a second campaign was launched, and this time the Taira had learned their lesson. Again striking down the weak forces in the border regions, the massive Taira force marched down the western areas, leaving detachments to capture and isolate the garrisons of castles, while the main body hunted the armies of the Minamoto, and in 166, the Taira clan had conquered all of the Minamoto lands, and those who had remained neutral retained their sovereignty. The first empire of Kagetora was born.

Taira Period (165-702)

The era where the Taira ruled has been imaginatively named the Taira Period. The era, stretching for 537 years, was one of cultural development. The Traditional Kagetorian writing system was developed and adopted as the official language of the Taira Empire. Calligraphy became a common art form during this era, and pottery from the master potters of the era can fetch millions of ryo at auctions. The art of sword smithing improved, and the crossbow was invented in the eastern islands. Shipbuilding techniques remained very simple though, as the need to travel far was considered unnecessary. Beyond the Stoklomolvi islands to the north, Kagetorian philosophy believed that nothing existed beyond the seas.

Fall of the Taira

In the late summer of 702, Mt. Fuji (Traditional Kagetorian: 富士山) erupted, destroying most of that years crops and creating a nationwide famine. The revolts of peasants throughout the land were too much for the government to handle, and the government began to deteriorate. In a historical sense, it is fortunate that the island daimyo to the east had remained independent and largely unaffected by the eruption of the mountain. Seeing the opportunity presented, Daimyo Takeda began supplying food to the nearby regions of Kagetora, gaining support from the locals. Then, with their support, he marched towards the capital of Kyoto and took control. Thus ended the reign of the Taira, and the reign of the Takeda Shogunate began.

Takeda Period (702-1011)

The Takeda Period was largely peaceful. It was the first time in history all of Kagetora had been united. As peace was prevalent, Kagetora again had a burst of cultural interest. Some people call this period the Kagetorian Renaissance. Exploration became commonplace. Philosophy was an important topic. In 943, an anonymous letter to the Shogun was the first to posit that the earth was not at the center of the universe, but actually moved around the sun. In 1003, Danshita Hiroki and his crews went on exploration voyages to the west, and discovered the continent of Stoklomolvi, and later south, to the Theocracy of the Beatus, and disproved the idea that Kagetora was the only part of the universe. Danshita's crew also brought back Buddhism, Confucianism, and Daoism to Kagetora, and the first two became incredibly common, with Buddhism overtaking Shinto as the predominant belief system in the country.

12 Year Anarchy (1011-1023)

In 1011, the last Shogun of the Takeda clan died without an heir. With no one directly in line to claim the throne, daimyo, generals, and relatives all scrambled for the position of the throne in Kyoto. The initial warring period is known as the 12 Year Anarchy, because it was indeed anarchy. Peasant revolts, coupled with assassinations around the country, prevented any form of order to form. The myriad of armies marching around, stretching borders, dividing populations, and massacring villages and living desolation in their wake did nothing to contribute to the government so many wanted to form. At the end of 12 years, the Treaty of Kyoto was signed by the remaining contenders for the throne. 25 small states now existed in Kagetora.

New Daimyo Period (1023-1596)

The New Daimyo Period is the several hundred years between the 12 Year Anarchy and the Fuji War. It was largely uneventful. In 1498, a ship of unknown origin, though later analysis indicates a Western nation, washed up on Kagetorian shores along the coast of the Tokugawa domain. Aboard the ship were several cannons and other firearms, the technologies of which were quickly copied by Kagetorian alchemists and engineers.

Fuji War (1596-1603)

Muskets used by the armies of Tokugawa

The Fuji War is the last internal war to be fought within Kagetora. It started with the invasion of the neighboring dominion of Miyamoto. When the armies of Miyamoto met the challenge, the Tokugawa army, the first Kagetorian army to employ firearms and cannon in their ranks, followed a strategy of using a row of sharpened stakes to prevent the enemy from reaching the gunners, who waited behind the primitive defenses. Historically, it has been the most one sided battle in terms of casualties in Kagetora. For every soldier that died of Tokugawa's, over 100 of Miyamoto's died. Tokugawa went on to capture the remaining lands of Nobunaga, Hideyoshi, Shingen, and Kenshin in a similar fashion, bombarding enemy castles into submission with his cannon, and decimating enemy infantry with muskets,.

Modern Dynasty

Under the reign of the Tokugawa, life progressed much as it had under other dynasties. Feudalism still dominated the politics of the age, and technology improved. Most historians divide the history of the modern dynasty up into two distinct parts. The time before the Meiji Revolt and the years after.

Pre-Meiji Revolt (1603-1868)

The time after Tokugawa Ieyasu took over all of Kagetora was similar to times where Kagetora had united to form a cohesive entity in the past. National wealth increased, as did technology, but as a whole, not much different. Feudalism still dominated the political landscape. However, with both internal and international peace, the importance of the warrior class of samurai decreased. Many became famous poets, painters, sculptors, architects, and philosophers. It was a time of Philosophical Revolution.

Post-Meiji Revolt (1868-Present)

In 1868, a cadet branch of the Taira clan, known as the Meiji, started a revolt against the Tokugawa Shoguns. The Shogun of the time, Yoshinobu, quickly moved to destroy the uprising. In October of 1868, Saigo Takamori and Kida Takayoshi, a pair of influential and powerful daimyo who had aligned themselves with the Meiji, attempted to assassinate the Shogun. Saigo and Kida were both close friends of Yoshinobu, and the Shogun learned to trust nobody. As a result, the Shogun had the entirety of the clans of Taira, Meiji, and Takeda exterminated to ensure no one would ever have the political right to supplant him or his descendants. To further ensure the dominance of the Tokugawa, he confiscated the lands of all land-owners and some historians consider this the true birth of modern Kagetora. Yoshinobu would continue to rule Kagetora until his death in 1897.

Tokugawa Yoshinira (1897-1918)

Tokugawa Yoshinira

Yoshinira, third son of Tokugawa Yoshinobu, is largely responsible for the modern government of the Kagetorian Shogunate. He formed the Order of the Daimyo, comprised of the 24 heads of the leading clans in Kagetora, while all other nobles were stripped of their titles. The Order of the Daimyo became the legislative and judicial body of the Shogunate, and held no power outside of those duties. Yoshinira also formed the Kempeitai to prevent any future uprisings like the one that almost took his father out of power. Yoshinira, in an effort to reduce the influx of Western culture, outlawed international commerce, and banned all religions save for Shinto and Buddhism. He passed power to his son, Tokugawa Ieniwa, in 1918.

Tokugawa Ieniwa (1918-1939)

Tokugawa Ieniwa

Ieniwa, eldest son of Tokugawa Yoshinira, modernized the military by inviting foreign military powers to train the Kagetorian Army in exchange for limited power of importing Kagetorian goods. After coming to power at the age of 26, he died at the age of 47 of cancer.

Tokugawa Iyama (1939-1985)

Tokugawa Iyama

Iyama, the only child of Tokugawa Ieniwa, led Kagetora in an expansionist campaign in his early years of rule. After founding the Kagetorian Intelligence Agency and the National Kagetorian Verification Department, Iyama led the KTAF in the conquest of the islands of Ryukyu.

He was also responsible for the loss of the island of Hokkaido (Traditional Kagetorian: 北海道) to Stoklomolvi in his war with the communist forces. The first battle of the war, the Bombing of Zhongnanhai, was an astounding victory for the Kagetorian Armed Forces. (More info as thread progresses)

At the end of the expansion period, the KTAF-Shinobi was formed out of the various elite units that had served the Shogunate and served above expectations. Beyond the ground gained and lost, Iyama founded the KAAF, and massively increased the size of the KNAF to support a nation formed completely out of islands.

Tokugawa Ieto (1985-2014)

Tokugawa Ieto

Ieto, the oldest son of Iyama, truly brought Kagetora out of isolation, the first true time in all of Kagetorian history. His first acts included joining the Imperial Fascist Alliance, the League of Imperial Nations, and the Grand Imperial Alliance. Less militant than his father, he never engaged in expansionist militarism. However, he was still very monarchial. He strengthened the military, the gendarmerie, and sought close ties with their ideological allies, Xin Han. In early 2014, he abdicated and placed his son on the throne.

Tokugawa Ienara (2014-Present)

Ienara is the oldest child and only son of Ieto. He has received both criticism and praise for his less extremist political and economic policies. Besides marrying a foreigner, the Crown Princess of Xin Han, he also left the Imperial Fascist Alliance. However, so far what has probably most surprised the world was his siding with the Communist Federation of Stoklomolvi, a former enemy, against the Fascist Federation of the Grand World Order, a former ally.

His reasoning is essentially that being associated with the Grand World Order was bad for international relations, as the GWO has been notorious for annexing small nations and generally intolerant of other ideologies. The other main point has been to show that Kagetora can forgive an enemy for past wrongs.

Politics

Kagetora is classified as a Monarchy by most other respectable nations in the world. For centuries, it has been controlled by the Tokugawa Dynasty. Kagetora is also a very Authoritarian state. With the massive police force, known as the Kempeitai (KPT), enforcing laws both on the streets and on the internet. Many things that can be seen on the internet are considered forbidden, and the KPT has a very effective cyber-policing system. Even though Kagetora now lives under a Shogunate, it has nearly always lived under some form of autocracy.

Kagetora relies on a large and effective bureaucracy to run the country, with the Shogun largely serving only to give a general direction to foreign policy, military matters, and economics. Much of the bureaucracy has their positions due to nepotistic attitudes of the higher ups, although merit also proves capable of bringing anyone into some form of power.

Political freedoms are almost nonexistent in Kagetora. The rights to vote, protest, and petition are not given in any form, and the second and third are brutally suppressed by the fiercely loyal KPT. Kagetora is a pretty clean in terms of corruption, as most of the important decisions are made by the Shogun. However, depending on the Shogun, this can change. The parliament and supreme court system of Kagetora is embodied in a rather weak branch of the government known as the Order of the Daimyo. The Order of the Daimyo, organized of the heads of the 24 noble clans, proposes bills, which are then signed into law by the Shogun, and serves to interpret laws in the case that the KPT is unable to handle it.

Government

Kagetora is a very bureaucratic country, with the various ministries under the control of the Shogun working, usually cooperatively, to accomplish goals. Unlike some bureaucracies, the Kagetorian version is fast, effective, and relatively free of paperwork. The last part is largely thanks to the massive network run primarily by the KPT on all registered residents of Kagetora, allowing most people to look up basic information about people without having to use forms.

For the most part, Kagetora is dominated by the military. The Ministry of Defense easily receives the most spending of any of the ministries, with roughly 30% of the budget spent on the military. This is reflected in the government, as the Kagetorian High Command, formed of the commanders of the various branches of the Kagetorian Armed Forces and Intelligence Agencies, is second only in power to the Shogun.

Foreign Relations

Kagetora to date has not found a state that has refused recognition of Kagetorian sovereignty. Kagetora is also a good-sized monarchy, and as such, has an important say in international events that it chooses to respond to. However, Kagetora for the most part simply does not care, and as one political commentator put it, "[Kagetora] doesn't appear to give any thought to minuscule nations, and seems to be a sleeping tiger in the midst of the many vocal powerhouses in the world." Under the most recent Shogun, Kagetora has become more moderate in terms of who it will maintain relations with, on both the economic and authoritarian scale. This is easily demonstrated in the declaration of war against the Grand World Order, who used to be an ally of Kagetora's, but now is seen as the worst kind of Rightism that currently exists.

Kempeitai

Kempeitai Officers conducting a standard armed search of an incoming vessel

The Kempeitai (KPT) is the only policing force of Kagetora recognized by the state. It is more commonly known by its colloquial name, the KGB, or Kagetorian Gendarme Bureau. The Kempeitai is a massive organization, with roughly 2% of the population involved in the force and its bureaucracy. Justice administered by the KPT usually ends up as execution, and much of Kagetora has been pacified by the brutal techniques of the police. However, when the force actually works to bring justice by Western standards, it is extremely efficient, as it keeps a massive database of publicly viewable information on all registered residents.

Military

The Kagetorian Armed Forces have a very strict hierarchy. At the top is the Kagetorian High Command, and the commanders of the various military branches. After that, the ranking system is very similar to most other militaries.

Though officially under the command of the Shogun, very rarely does the Shogun take personal command of his soldiers. Many high ranking officers of military are relatives of the Imperial House or other noble houses. A perfect example of such is Admiral and Prince Tokugawa Inari, commander of the elite Typhoon Fleet, and uncle of the current Shogun.

Kagetorian High Command

Kagetorian High Command controls all of the Kagetorian Armed Forces, and is more or less a council of the commanders. The members of the KHC include the Minister of Defense (Hamada Yasukazu), the Terrestrial Chief of Staff (Kuribayashi Tadamichi), the Naval Chief of Staff (Yamamoto Isoroku), the Aerial Chief of Staff (Nishizawa Hiroyoshi), =the Director of the NKVD (Hata Shunroku), and the Director of the KIA (Honma Masaharu).

The Kagetorian High Command holds direct control over the expansive Kagetorian nuclear assets.

Kagetorian Terrestrial Armed Forces

The Kagetorian Terrestrial Armed Forces (KTAF) is what most nations would refer to as their "army." The KTAF is a massive organization, taking up approximately 1/4 of the recruits and 1/4 of the Kagetorian Armed Forces. The KTAF typically does not produce its own weaponry or vehicles, and instead buys them from international weapons dealers.

Though mostly a volunteer force, a trend that has remained true through almost all of Kagetorian history, the KTAF still uses

KTAF Parade, 2013

conscription. The KTAF, and the general KAF, has an annual quota on the number of new recruits. If this quota is not met, the difference will be conscripted directly out of high school.

KTAF-L

The KTAF- Logistics division is a sub-branch of the KTAF. As is evident by the name, the KTAF-L are the unsung heroes of the military, and are the largest branch of the KTAF, comprising more than 2/3 of the members of the KTAF.

KTAF-S

The KTAF- Shinobi are what legends are made of. They are the best soldiers and officers in the KTAF. Only the top 1% of individuals from other units are ever accepted into their ranks, and with such a large pool to draw from, the KTAF-S is guaranteed to be an elite force capable of any terrain, climate, and mission.

Kagetorian Naval Armed Forces

The Kagetorian Naval Armed Forces is what most other nations refer to as a navy. The KNAF is the largest branch of the KAF, easily receiving more than 2/3rds of the annual funding and recruits. In a surprising study of 8 year olds, of the 20% of them that wanted to join the Kagetorian Armed Forces, over 60% wanted to grow up to captain a ship in the Typhoon Fleet.

Typhoon Fleet

Becoming part of the Typhoon fleet is on par with becoming part of the KTAF-S in terms of glory. The Typhoon Fleet is the only fleet in Kagetora kept at a constant state of readiness to be ready to sail anywhere on the planet in 8 hours. Currently commanded by Admiral and Prince Tokugawa Inari, the Typhoon Fleet is extremely loyal to the Shogun and Kagetora.

Kagetorian Aerial Armed Forces

The KAAF is the equivalent of an air force. It protects Kagetorian airspace, but is more often seen in offensive maneuvers. The KAAF is the smallest branch of the Kagetorian Armed Forces, as it is not needed as much.

KAAF-TMD

The KAAF- Techno-Military Division is the cyber-warfare group of the Kagetorian Armed Forces. They are responsible for protecting Kagetorian files from foreign intelligence agencies, and other similar activities. A lot of the time, they cooperate with other branches to provide reconnaissance, develop counter-jamming frequencies, and use their extensive computer knowledge to hack into foreign networks.

HAWX

The HAWX are the KAAF counterpart of the KTAF-S and the Typhoon Fleet. The HAWX maintain units of the highest number of kills relative to the number of missions flown, and as such, is always made up of some of the best fighter pilots in Kagetora.

NKVD and KIA

The National Kagetorian Verification Department and the Kagetorian Intelligence Agency are the two competing intelligence groups of Kagetora. Both receive funding based on previous performance, but the total amount of funding for intelligence is limited. Thus funding that goes to one, cannot go to the other, and as such, competitiveness between the two groups is very high. In theory and in practice, the two agencies work to outdo the other, increasing their effectiveness.

Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard is the ultimate honor any soldier could hope to attain, regardless of branch of the service. The Imperial Guard is made up of the top 1% of individuals from the KTAF-S, the Typhoon Fleet, and the HAWX. The Imperial Guard maintains a battalion sized unit of infantry, a small carrier group, and 2 squadrons of aircraft at all times.

Geography

Kagetora, if it were to be summed up in one word, could most easily be described as mountainous. The mainland in the north is quite literally a series of interconnected volcanoes, collectively known as the Kagetorian Supervolcano. The other islands are believed to have been created over millions of years of eruptions and lava flows, and as such, the land of Kagetora actually used for agricultural purposes has a high output.

Climate

The climate of mainland Kagetora is warmer than most other countries at a comparable latitude, largely thanks to the aforementioned magma body below the surface, which also gives Kagetora the large number of hot springs present on the islands. Overall, Kagetora has a fairly temperate climate year round with a winter average low of around 12° Fahrenheit, and a summer average high of 85° Fahrenheit.

In the far flung colony of Ryukyu, the climate is much more tropical. Snow falls in these islands only very rarely, as a combination of latitude and currents provide warm air almost year round.

Flora and Fauna

The flora of Kagetora is mostly temperate, and historically, dominated by grasses like bamboo, but in recent years, imported trees have become increasingly common in the wild, especially in the north, where the winter snows kill off any bamboo growth. In the south though, bamboo still reigns supreme in the natural areas that remain.

The flora of Ryukyu is definitely tropical, and because it hasn't been almost entirely urbanized like Honshu and the other northern islands have been, is a popular internal and international tourism location. Palm trees and ferns tend to dominate the islands, both large and small.

The fauna of the north is fairly unique, as the isolation has prevented much interbreeding with other close relatives. The Kagetorian wolf is much smaller than wolves found on other continents, as have just about all species. The avian residents are quite typical of northern regions.

In Ryukyu, the fauna is almost entirely avian and reptilian. Tropical parrots and lizards can be commonly seen in the forests and on beaches. The most notable creature of the islands is the Ryukyu Dragon, a semi-aquatic monitor lizard regularly exceeding 10 feet in length. The Ryukyu dragon is extremely venomous, and is often seen swimming through the waters in an alligator-esque fashion.

Volcanism

As Kagetora rests on top of a supervolcano, naturally, some volcanic activity is ever present. However, in recent years, volcanism has seriously decreased. The last time there was a super-eruption is estimated at 22,000 years ago, roughly 1/3 of the time between expected eruptions, with the last one roughly 88,000 years ago, and the previous one 144,000 years ago. Even so, Mt. Fuji hasn't erupted in any way since 1962, and some seismologists and vulcanologists believe that this could mean the magma is starting to cool down.

Economy

Demographics

Language

In Kagetora, the primary language spoken by the population is Modern Kagetorian. Modern Kagetorian is a mixture of Traditional Kagetorian and English, which largely incorporates Traditional grammar and English words. This has come largely because of the internationalization of the English language and the traditionalist attitudes of many Kagetorians. Modern Kagetorian is spoken fluently by over 99% of the population, and most of the population speaks both Traditional Kagetorian and English to an extensive degree.

Religion

Kagetora is officially an Atheist country, with over 90% of the population Atheist and the government avowedly atheist. Most of the remaining population is either Buddhist or Shinto, with the Abrahamic religions almost non-existent in Kagetora. However, being Atheist does not mean religious heritage has been forsaken. Most weddings in Kagetora are Buddhist or Shinto in origin, and Kagetorian holidays are often derived from the same religions. Many families have little religious symbols around their homes, but these are more often than not family heirlooms or are more related to culture than to the religion.