[hider=Taiyo Kaga, the Silver Sun][center][img]http://i.imgur.com/obqIVfW.jpg[/img]

[hr][h1][b]TAIYO-NO-KAMI[/b][/h1]
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[h2][i][b]SHOGUN of OYAMA[/b][/i][/h2][h3][i]The Silver Sun, Great Sage of the West, The Great Kaga.[/i][/h3]

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[h2]TYPE[/h2]
Taiyo Kaga is not a member of the Empire, instead he is one of the most influential actors of the Oyama Shogunate, a nomadic nation which heralds its origins to the Great Solar Empire that once used to inhabit the shattered lands of the west, which wanders the Draor Chor Reaches. His role as Shogun, however, does not only grant him great administrative ability, but also due to the darwinian nature of these inhospitable lands, those with power rise to the top. Taiyo Kaga's power and ability could most likely be comparable to those of the Imperial Archons of Illyrica.

[h2]RELATIONSHIPS[/h2]
Taiyo's relationships are few in number. Though their reach does not extend beyond his people, for he sees the uncultured Easterlings with disdain and pity; lacking of the culture and wealth that his people has nurtured for thousands of years. Even cataclysm was not enough to quelch the embers of the Oyaman resolve, and as such he thinks highly of his own whilst looking down on those of foreign lineage. 

Taiyo is a surprisingly young man, considering his power and ability, only numbering 31 years of age. Whilst his skin no longer ages, it does disform as time passes, although it can be more compared with a metamorphosis of unknown proportion as opposed to aging. Due to his young age, Taiyo has had few ignorant romances, a broken heart, and friends and family to rely on. The ordinary life of a clan heir was disturbed when suddenly, over night, his body was transformed into what it is today, a living vessel for the might of the sun. His hair bleached immediately, and his sense of mortality was forever discarded.

The bonds of his former relations are still alive, although one-sided. He had a momentary romance with the Solar Empress during his eighteens, only possible due to his Kaga lineage, but has now lead to a forever infatuated Empress desiring the recognition of her Shogun. In times this has lead to anything from dueling to beast slaying, all of which more often than not end in disaster. The Shogun, although, remains unamused.

The Silver Sun has largely discarded any of his former kinships and relationships, instead focusing on his duties and honing his power. The safety of the nation and the people come first, and therefore his power is essential in combating the hellish reality that is the vast Draor Chor Reaches that they had been forced to inhabit since their distant ancestors' exodus from the sun-blessed lands of the now scorched and disturbed shattered west. Although his hatred and envy of the easterlings does still manage to pique his senses, no ill can compare to the dark realms of Illyrica. As such he desires not only the realms of the Easterners, but their heads. The greater civilization deserves the world, and he believes his people, their ancient lineage, are those of the greatest civilization to ever bless the world.

[h2]APPEARANCE[/h2]
Slender and muscular; regular Oyaman build. Similarities with others of his kin end when height is concerned, and whilst his eyes may be slanted and his skin sun-tanned like any other of his people, his eyes themselves would most sensibly be compared with suns and stars as opposed to anything human. His body, whilst well-maintained and fit, seems to crack, as if stone, letting out the supernatural glow of blinding incandescence. Few Oyaman consider him mortal any longer, instead they revere him as the Western Sun; the Silver Sun. After his reverence as the mortal manifestation of the Golden Sun, Taiyo's solar incandescence only grows brighter as the approaching summer beckons, and his power more overwhelming by the passing of winter.

[h2]LOYALTY[/h2]
Taiyo, head of the Kaga Clan, officially serves the Solar Empress, the leader of all of Oyama. Due to the changing times however, the Shogun has been able to overrule the authority of the Imperial Family, and as such effectively rules the nomadic nation through martial law. The Imperial Family is therefore largely traditional, although their importance is enormous for the people, as their lineage is one of very few direct links back to the golden ages of the Great Solar Empire. Though very few of the administrators of the current Oyama care much for their past. Instead they see it as a coping mechanism for the people.

[h2]PERSONALITY//DRIVE[/h2]
Most people see Taiyo as an incomprehensible machine, rooted only in duty and purpose, an automation which works tirelessly towards the betterment of the nation, and as such they welcome his power and influence. Taiyo's story is much less about such a noble decree as tirelessly working towards a golden future and more a tale of a star which was cast down from heaven. Whilst others revere him and his power, Taiyo discards his emotions and works ceaselessly so that his thoughts do not conquer him. He feels alien amongst man in a way that only a God cast down from heaven could. It is a lonely sense of superiority which encompasses him, whilst he's seen as a God amongst man by the people, he isn't amongst the heavens where he belongs. 

As such Taiyo's ultimate goal is to return to the stars, the stars of which he feels he belongs. But before doing so conquer the East for his patron people, for they took great care of his vessel before his awakening at the humble age of 28. In his few years of having awakened to his true self he managed to unite the numerous lost and defiant Oyaman tribes of the desert wastes. Now the recently united Oyama sets out towards a future where its people are no longer forced to disgraceful caravan life, instead the promise of city life in glorious metropolises and palaces where they belong. The world itself was granted to them by the Golden Sun, after all. The world therefore is all Oyama's to take, so decreed the Silver Sun.

Although much like the river flows; all things are in constant change. Sometimes some rivers dry, and others change course entirely. The motivations of Taiyo may change, his desires could expand, and the promise of power could overwhelm him. Maybe the new Emperor of the Sun has already descended upon the Earth, or mayhap not.

[h2]HISTORY[/h2]
As each warrior comes of age, and that the mantle of protecting the nation falls upon their shoulders, the story of the Solar Empire is placed upon them to carry. The Greatest Empire the world had ever seen lives on through such means, through word of mouth and the passing of generations. The coming-of-age of Taiyo Kaga was no different, and no less special. As he was told of the accomplishments of his ancestors, the might of their nation, and the wealth of their culture, he was brought into bewilderment. As the story concluded, with the death of the Emperor of the Sun, Taiyo was in tears. These would be the last tears that a warrior of the nation would ever shed, for the pain of the nation is greater than the person, and the person is the one to bear and protect the nation; therefore each person must be strong, each warrior must be equal a hundred men, so that even those few warriors may yet carry the nation onwards unto golden dawn.

Taiyo's father was the one who told him the story of the Solar Empire, of the nation which graced the earth with the majesty of the golden sun. In turn, his mother had been the one whom granted him his armour, the armour of which he would wield to carry the nation. It was an heirloom of bewildering origin, one of few direct relics of the golden past. As his father sat before him, the Clan Mistresses would adorn Taiyo the armour of which had just been granted to him on his 18th winter. Although snow was something only found in the dreaming world. 

As Taiyo was fully dressed in his battle regalia, the family's ancestral blade was brought into his hands by his father. His father had a stirn look through the entirety of the passing of age ceremony, his face hid his emotions well. Taiyo knew his present duties, however. Now that he is able, for he has trained his entire life under his father and his generals, duties is all that is left of his life. [i]'The nation, for it is crumbling, needs the stars'[/i], said his father as he let go of the blade in his heir's hands, [i]'become the star of the people, see to it that Silver is all that the future has in store'[/i].

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Taiyo would spend many years fighting, protecting, and negotiating with the various enemies of the Oyama loyalist faction headed by his father and the Solar Empress. Some of the time he'd even spend woo'ing the Imperial Court with dramatical displays of swordsmanly prowess, and others times yet he'd spend time practitioning under the various sages within the Kaga Clan's influence. 

His times as a Shogunate Heir were spent lacklusterly, only doing his bare minimum duty of protecting the Imperial Horde and its allies. The moments of his coming of age ceremony had all but been forgotten; brought to the back of his head through the pursuits of earthly pleasures. Charming women and impressing his fellow man was all he lived for instead, pursuing arts and poetry, literature and sword-dancing solely to fill an empty void within his heart that he could never properly trace. Several years would have to pass before the now maturing Taiyo would come to understand the meaning of his empty heart, and it would come at the death bed of his father, and the death bed of his ignorance. During the same night of his father, the Shogun's death, an awakening occured within the new Shogun. A slumbering aspect of his self made itself known in the most explosive and aberrant manner possible. 

The young, ordinary Kaga heir grew immensely during the course of that single night, not only physically, but also mentally. As if a chain was lifted, or dam was punctured, allowing the endless flow of water; of power, to overwhelm him. The night would be a long one, and the day an even longer. His awakening to new power was abrupt, for as he awoke he was no longer within the Kaga Clan's caravan palace, but in the middle of the desert. His body ached, his joints immobile- He knew the dangers of the desert, vilespawn and treacherous beastlife roam and scavange the lands, eat and massacre anything in their way. Only the power of the Sun's blessed people, the Oyama, could ever have hoped to survive for so long as they have. 

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Taiyo would spend years roaming the desert, he'd meet travelers and bandits, raiders and loyalists, vilespawn and beasts. His legends recall his ventures in the sands, and the loyalties of which he forged with his fellow kinsmen in the desert wastes. Thanks only to this desert stranding, and his new powers, he was able to reforge Oyama and unite it once more, the formerly divided tribes of the Oyama now prosperous in unity. On his travels he managed to unite and counsel the various tribes through various different means. His newly awakened powers however made even the most distant opponent drop down in awe, as demonstrated when he reduced the mountains of the Kayoma Passage, transforming them into mesa, with one single cut. Other times his wits and wisdom was tested in typical Oyaman battles of poetry, where his excellence was displayed in a different light.

After many years, and the conclusion of the "The Desert Sun", as written by Taiyo's companion and poet Yuri Hamada, Taiyo was reunited with the Imperial Horde and a great festival was held in his honour. The Solar Empress was begotten with joy at his return, as opposed to the reunification of the Oyaman people. As the Empress made the proclamation of unity before all the gathered tribes of the desert, the newly appointed Shogun stood behind her. In that moment, as she finished and the peoples' bliss made the worries of the world inaudible, the Shogun's chest burst open. Unlike what one would typically expect, his flesh was not of typical biologic origin, but rocky and hard. As the new nation watched on in confusion and terror, and the Empress turned around in fear and fright, the opening in the Shogun's chest glowed an incomprehensible incandescence, allowing rays of blinding light shine out into the world. The Shogun's skin began to crack, crevaces covering his entire body, allowing the strange light to encompass more of the land. 

The Shogun ultimately collapsed, his body hard like stone and immovable by those whom tried to aide him. The people, however, had a different proclamation to make in light of this new discovery; [i]'The Silver Sun!'[/i] Shouts began faint, but eventually encompassed the entire crowd, an entire nation assembled chanted before the now kneeling and unconscious Shogun, proclaiming his divinity. Everyone was clueless of reality in lights of the events that had occured before them, however, suddenly the seemingly lifeless Shogun was brought back to life as he exhaled an odd, dark smoke from his lungs. 

The 'Silver Sun' chants continued for what seemed like an eternity, but few proclaimed something unspeakable, something truly heretical, [i]'The Emperor of the Sun has descended upon man!'[/i] To question the legitimacy of the Solar lineage is not only against the Way of the Warrior, but also punishable by death.

[h2]ARMAMENTS[/h2]

[url=http://orig07.deviantart.net/5e96/f/2011/029/0/3/prominence_by_amdhuscias-d38alao.jpg]SEKAIOHAKEN[/url] - Sekai-o-hakai-suru-ken (世界を破壊する剣), otherwise known as Sekaiohaken, literally translates to "the sword that destroys the world". It is the name of the solar blade which was forged from the very essence of the newly named Taiyo-no-Kami's incadescence. The greatest swordsmith in all of Oyama was granted a piece of the material which had burst out from the Shogun's very chest, and with it he discovered its mineral-like nature. He was able to forge it into a weapon of incomprehensible power, and recently finished it. As of the start of the roleplay, the Sekaiohaken, or World-Shattering Sword, will have been in the Shogun's possession for three days. The sword itself loosely resembles an Oyaman proto-sword design accustomed to the style and handling of the Silver Sun. The sword itself doesn't seem to belong on Earth, carrying with it a very distinct celestial auroma. The sword and Taiyo appear to have a kind of symbiotic connection, allowing the blade to remain fundamentally formless, which allows it to adjusts its proportions to fit Taiyo's style.

[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/5e/04/12/5e041271498930a417623ce82945aec3.jpg]FUTSUKO[/url] - Futsu-no-otoko-no-ken (普通の男の剣), commonly called Futsuko, literally translates to "the ordinary man's sword". The name itself may be underpowering, however, the deed that it harbours is a thousand fold greater. The newly published "The Desert Sun" speaks of Taiyo's adventures when he was suddenly spirited away into the desert, and this blade is the one which a humble merchant gave him for free in pity of the lonely man wandering the wastes. Futsuko is a classical Oyaman blade of Katana style. The sword itself is not special, but its power and ability is imbued with the very essence of Taiyo. Futsuko is popular with the people of Oyama because the blade itself is analogous to the people; their power when wielded by a great swordsmaster. The power of which they speak of was well explained in the aforementioned epic published and popularized by the Shogun's traveling companion. She wrote, "[i]the three of us stood before the great passage, the mountains towering into the heavens. The Silver Sun grasped the blade's handle, a blade of which seemed worn and old, no more ordinary than the warmth of the desert. Like the passage of the wind, the sizzling of the sand as it flowed across the dune sea, the sword was unholstered, and with a single slice, the Silver Sun sealed it within his scabbard once more. All whilst the great mountains of the Passage crumbled before our very eyes. A single cut, and the towering mountains were reduced to meager hills.[/i]" It is said that the sword is the manifested spirit of the Oyaman people and carries their manifest destiny.

[url=https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/564x/77/ad/31/77ad3125a32b3b8c0c05ad09360debd6.jpg]TEIKONARI[/url] - Teikoku-no-yari (帝国の槍), commonly called Teikonari, literally translates to "the spear of an empire" and is one of few heirlooms which remain of the Solar Empire which has long since crumbled into ruin. The sword itself was a gift by the Solar Empress, although less gift and more a chance to gain favour with the Shogun, whilst the weapon itself is powerful, the Empress' attempts at charm were not. As such Teikonari is an exceptional weapon within the Shogun's almost endless armoury, although its exceptionalism grants it certain favour with the Silver Sun, who uses it in battle more often than not. This enlightens the Solar Empress' heart to no avail. The Spear itself is said to have been used by one of the Emperors of the Sun during their reign to not only maintain order, but also rule the nation, because the spear has supposed power to not only create and destroy nations, but also to maintain them.

[h2]ABILITIES[/h2]
Taiyo, in his years of training and battle, has followed the common principles of what is known amongst the Oyama people as the Seven Star Sword Doctrines. These doctrines describe various styles, their pros and cons, but most importantly their founding principles. In Oyama, battle is less chaos and more order, the perfect duel is slanted towards perfect order and finely balanced harmony. Each cut has its own meaning, and each style is comparable to philosophical doctrines. Taiyo was forced to expand on what he'd known from growing up, but also learn wholly different styles, even make several of his own, and expand those, in order to not only conquer the beasts of the desert, but also the minds of the people. 

As such Taiyo is a Great Sage, master of all the Seven Star Sword Doctrines, and even conqueror of the Black Sun style, a previously unreachable mastery which effectively makes him a War God in the eyes of Oyama. His skills have transcended all mortal limits, and his abilities not only reinforce his status amongst the people as the Silver Sun, but also expand on it. His swordsmanship seemingly transcending all mortal barriers, cutting through grass, plate, and boulders just the same. All things are laid equal before the Black Sun, death is the only currency of which the Dark Star employs, as such death is the only trade of which Taiyo has mastered. He must conquer the people of the East for they are the schackles of his celestial heritage, and he will use their idol, the Dark Star, in doing so.

Even so, Taiyo's nature remains still uncertain. Is he the mortal manifestation of the Golden Star on earth? Is he the Emperor of the Sun, whom would descend from the skies, or is he just a lonely star, cast down from heaven? Either way, hidden power surges within him, waiting for him to learn the truth of his existence.[/center][/hider]

[hider=The Empire of Oyama][center][img]http://vignette2.wikia.nocookie.net/althistory/images/6/6d/Flag_of_the_Japanese_Emperor.svg/revision/latest?cb=20130417002507[/img]

[hr][h1]EMPIRE of OYAMA[/h1]
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[i]"Ours is a story of changing seasons; our people have thrived and whimpered. Now in this cold, cold winter night we stand rigorously; the spirit of Oyama as inexhaustible as it is rigorous. But even as winter destroys, takes away the bountiful life of the world, it is integral in the rise of something greater. Even now that our people is at its lowest, we stand glorious. Even when all fire has been extinguished, the last flame will be Oyama, and we will revive the world!" - [b]Taiyo Kaga, during the reunification of the 20 Clans.[/b][/i][/center]

[h2]TYPE[/h2]
The Empire of Oyama, often referred to as Oyama, is not a holding but a nation. It holds great culture of foreign, dead concepts and virtues. But even as it is a nation, it is no ordinary nation. What holds it together in these changing times is not borders but the rigorous, undying efforts of great men and women; of great warriors. To some this may seem odd, that a nation has to work ceaselessly to even exist, but when your nation is forced into nomadic life during the time of a great apocalypse, few saw any other alternative. Now they have lived nomadically, divided, and weak for many centuries. Their weakness was not in their power, or their warriors, but their division. Even a great sword can be destroyed with a single touch, provided it is sufficiently cracked; Oyama was cracked to the brink after they fled from the Solar Empire which once occupied much of the west, but they are now whole again. The reunification of the Oyaman people under the Sun has just occured, and the Western Sun shines bright. Oyama will manifest its destiny; the golden sun promised them the world, so they shall have it now.

[h2]CULTURE[/h2]

[center][img]https://s-media-cache-ak0.pinimg.com/originals/ed/8a/5d/ed8a5df15cfbbc453910faf1d5236b59.jpg[/img]

[i]A typical Oyaman caravan.[/i][/center]

Oyama is a nation of foreign, alien culture, when looked upon from by the Easterlings. First and foremost a warrior's culture, but great civility and education dominates what should logically be a lawless wasteland. The great clans of Oyama have all very different cultural ancestry and lineage, but the permeating thought is the survival of tradition. Art and poetry, wisdom and wit, all prized aspects of their culture, the people of Oyama entertain themselves not in blood games or in horrific brawls, neither do they spend their money whimsically on gambling or tavern life, instead they play games of wit and smarts, duels where clashing of swords is substituted by the clashing of ideas. With the death of the fabled Solar Empire during the War in Heaven, Oyama, a crown province of the Empire, was forced to exodus. Over the journey to new homes, countless millions died, and many took their lives in spite of promised future. Strenght is priced beyond simply convenience; it is a necessity. The life of a warrior of the sand does not suit this noble warrior's people, but it is a life of which they were forced to adopt. Too weak to invade the east, and impossible to live in the west, they settled the Draor Chor Reaches and have adopted an odd lifestyle of living in mobile palaces and cities built on the back of domesticated wild life. These mobile structures can range in size and scale, with the biggest being the Imperial "City" of Yamano, which is built on the back of a rare breed of Oro, which can most simplest be described as a gigantic form of pack animal. The people of Oyama are indeed a strange ensamble, spiritual yet skeptical, warriors of mind and body yet without the desire to wield their blade at every possible convenience. 

Still, if one were to simplify Oyaman culture into a sentence, I suppose it would be this: Oyama is an alien people of warriors; warriors of necessity. What I mean is that Oyama is a warrior's nation, where the power of each soldier is amplified by the desire, duty, and honour of their past. But these warriors are not exclusively soldiers, they are warriors of mind and of body, personifications of necessity. The people of Oyama are wise, so they sharpen their swords, but they'd rather be blissful, so they could sharpen their minds. There are still few within Oyama whom hold their ancient warrior traditions alive, and they became the Great Clans. Chief amongst them are the Kaga, whom hold the Shogunate.

[h2]DESCRIPTION[/h2]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/nrPOZkP.jpg[/img]

[i]The present Solar Empress during a reconnaissance mission to the Republican border.[/i][/center]

The Empire of Oyama is a nomadic nation which inhabits the vast reaches of Draor Chor, but it's origin reaches into the Shattered Western lands. The people of Oyama were once part of a great nation known as the Great Solar Empire, a nation which was founded and ultimately destroyed in the west. It was a nation in which the Emperor of the Sun had not only the Sun's blessing, but also the power to manifest his desires upon the world. Its armies were vast and its influence was massive, but its people were benevolent and wise, but not ignorant enough to discard the blade. It held onto its rigid existence in the world through authority and respect amongst its equal neighbours, and made itself known throughout the world through innovation and enlightened ideas. 

Its culture was one of great quality. So great a culture was that of the nation under the golden sun, that it was not afraid of foreign influence, but welcomed it greatly. The Solar Emperors were wise men of both old and young age, and did not discriminate. Its warriors were noble and just, and did not thrust the sword upon those whom had deserved no greater harm than defeat. Prisoners were therefore kindly treated, and innocents were spared. Refugees flooded to the nation, but it welcomed their integration, and allowed them equal opportunity and freedom within its illustrious and expansive borders. 

One of these refugees would become the first of the Oyama, and the Oyama would then come to ascend into the very core of the Solar Empire. Upon the death of the first Solar Dynasty, the nation was thrown into chaos. It's once gold-paved streets reduced to broken cobble. After a hundred years of ceaseless war, and the cowardly influence of alien powers, the Solar Empire was later unified when the King of Oyama, Yamato, rose into the heavens, and recieved the blessing of the Sun. The Golden Sun had told him, [i]"Ye are my sons and daughters, ye people of Oyama. Ye deserve the world, so I shall give it unto ye"[/i]. The people of Oyama then manifested their destiny and ascended from nothing into everything, unifying all the shattered nations under the Sun into one Great Solar Empire. From then on, the power of Oyama could not be questioned, and the newly reformed and reunified Solar Empire could not be conquered, nor could it be defeated.

Thousands of years of peace was however raptured when cataclysm laid waste to the world, and the west was forever destroyed henceforth onwards. The people of Oyama were able to escape, escape in all the frivolity expected from former Emperors and royals now turned into refugees. The golden lifeline survives still, however. The lineage of Yamato lives on in the present Solar Empress, whom is seen as the icon of her people, the power of her lineage still very apparent even almost a thousand years after the destruction of the greatest nation amongst man. However prestige cannot be measured in times of war and strife, or so the present warrior-elite of Oyama believe. The nation is presently governed by 20 Great Clans, Kaga of which is Chief amongst them, and holder of the Oyaman Shogunate. The 20 Great Clans organize and administrate the numerous Imperial Hordes, but most importantly, they direct defensive and offensive efforts. They organize raids, raids of which are done in absolute necessity, and plan future conquests of the Easterlings from within the Great House of Yamano, also known as the Imperial Palace.

[h2]LAWS[/h2]
The life of Oyama is a dangerous one, seemingly always walking side-by-side with annihilation and destruction. Only in recent times, the last few years in fact, has order been restored to the once great nation of Oyama. As Taiyo-no-Kami exclaimed, "We shall be great again", and so they have attempted to become. One thing that remained the same, however, is the laws and systems of the Empire of Oyama, and more importantly, the importance of the Shogunate.

The nation is governed by the Way of the Warrior, sometimes referred to as the Way of the Samurai, and the reason for such is simple. The way, or laws, of the warrior, have always applied for warriors since the rise of the first solar empire. But due to the Imperial Necessity which occupies Oyamas present state of social affairs, most people are considered warriors, with only those too young to fight, or those too old to properly wield their blade, remaining within the Ie, or house, of the Caravans (The Ie is the name of the structure on the back of each pack animal). All criminal acts are solved individually, but through regional courts. These courts can decide on any punishment, but they have to chose amongst one of the punishments available for each path. These punishments are decided upon by the Triumvirs. Most punishments are the same, no matter which path, but depend on severity.

Therefore, due to the divide, there are three laws which govern the nation and three warlords which govern the laws. The laws are often referred to as the Three Solar Paths, and their governing warlords are known as the Triumvirs of Yamano. The first solar path is the Path of Youth. These laws include sections such as "respect those whom are elder" and "learn, for the life of the desert is dangerous and full of evil". The Path of Youth focuses on diligence and respect, loyalty and dedication. To break these laws is an affront to the nation, although the punishment is far more lenient than any of the other paths, but can extend to upwards of death.

The Path of the Warrior, the Way of the Warrior, or the Way of the Samurai, is the path which governs over all whom have graduated from their youth, which means that the moment your might and mettle as a warrior is recognized, you will ascend to these rules and doctrines. The laws of the warrior are mostly moral, such as "they whom have no blade have done ye no wrong" as well as "fulfil your duty until death, only death may set you free from obligation". 

The last path, the Path of the Old, is a path which applies for those who have grown too old, too weak, to wield their blade for the betterment of the nation. Instead, they are told to wield their wisdom for the betterment of the people. "wise are ye, so teach others wisdom", "discipline those whom know not wrong from right", and "obliged are ye whom know much, obliged to help those whom require aid" are all excerpts from a few of the tenants of the Path of the Old.

[h2]MILITARY[/h2]

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/hQhfzjV.jpg[/img]

[i]An artist's personification of the Solar Decree of Imperial Necessity.[/i][/center]

Oyama is a nation which is governed by the Solar Decree of the 86th Emperor of the Sun, it states: "When times are dark, fret not the winter sun. It may bring the snow, the death of nations, but when times are dark, rally to the strongest men amongst ye. They will be your guide". The Solar Decree is called "Imperial Necessity" and demands the adaptation of its people during times of crisis. This means that any abled body must learn the ways of the sword, every capable blacksmith must forge for the sake of the nation, every carpenter must act for the betterment of the people. The strong, in turn, are obliged to govern and rule the country before all else, forced to forsaken family and ambition. The strong amongst the Oyama are known as the Great Clans, of which there are twenty. These twenty clans trace their lineage through countless generations of warriors, even during their time in the Solar Empire, and have been relied upon to rule and govern Oyama, but most importantly, to rally them together. 

Ever since the arrival of the Great Horde to the Draor Chor Reaches several hundred years in the past, the Great Clans had forsaken their sacred duties of protecting the Solar Empress, sometimes speaking of the Imperial Family since the cataclysm as a meager "branch family" of the pure solar lineage. In turn, due to conflicting with the ways of the warrior, the Imperial Horde excommunicated them into the furthest depths of the reaches. So it remained, more and more clans diverging from the Imperial Horde as time went on. In the end, during the reign of Taiyo's father as Shogun, only the Kaga clan remained.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/DETaiv2.jpg[/img]

[i]The Way of the Warrior is a doctrine of which governs the people of Oyama, for everyone is a warrior in these dark times.[/i][/center]

Even though everyone is forced to become a warrior during times of necessity, the Empire of Oyama employs strict regulation of warfare and how it is performed. By the age of 12, the Art of War is a necessary educational instrument amongst the future generation of warriors, same applies for countless other literary works. By the age of 16, one is expected to have mastered one sword style of the several hundred different ones found within the Seven Star Sword Doctrines, and by the age of 18, one is forced to slay a beast of the desert to prove their worth. Soldiers amongst the Oyama are called Samurai, so effectively everyone is a Samurai. Loyalty and duty are cornerstones of that lifestyle, but their ability as warriors is fathomless. Once one has slayed a beast of the desert, one becomes a Samurai, and are typically gifted the Imperial Medallion, which is supposed to extend the Stellar protection of the Imperial Family unto its people. Samurai are warriors of many skills, and are typically capable of wielding not only multiple weapons effectively at the same time, but also overcoming overwhelming military odds.

Due to various reasons, mainly domestic security, the times where military actions have ranged beyond the protection of the caravans are few. Due to the nature of aging, the warriors of Oyama grow fewer, and thanks to maturity, the Samurai of Oyama grow even fewer in size. Most soldiers are employed in the defense of the caravans and trade routes because they're simply subpar in the Shogun's eyes, with only a retinue of 10 000 contributing to the entire offensive power of Oyama. Although these 10 000 warriors are beyond any other warriors of their supposed equal, for these warriors are the Shogun's own, and study his own warpath. Though they are called the Shogun's Own, they are not necessarily lead by the Silver Sun. Instead they are often lead by one of the Silver Triumvirs of Yamano; powerful Daimyo, otherwise known was warlords, who have devoted their life to Taiyo-no-Kami's philosophy of war.

[center][img]http://i.imgur.com/XNCmjrd.jpg[/img]

[i]"To Wage War under the Sun", a book authored by Taiyo-no-Kami, is the military guide to warfare under the Shogun's military.[/i][/center]

+ [i][b]"War is like the equilibrium between sun and moon; harmonious. Without darkness life would have overgrown, and without light life would have never existed. War is necessary for the bud of life to grow beautiful, but balance between loss and gain is vital."[/b][/i] - The Shogun's Own, a warband of ten thousand of the mightiest warriors of Oyama, adhere to Taiyo-no-Kami's teachings. As mentioned above, the warpath of Taiyo is a meticulous one, and is decided less by ambition and prize, but more on the ability and power of his people. He is aware of their skills and their ability, and therefore he is aware of the enemy that he is able to defeat, no war is won through ambition, and therefore the Shogun's Own horde fights only when it wants. Through cavalry they are maneuverable; like the wind, they are everywhere yet nowhere. They strike with precision and overwhelming power, they hit the enemy with the impact of a falling star, yet as quickly they disappear into the distance. The condition and severity of Oyama demand the survival of its warriors, and as such the Samurai use decisive and precise strikes to win wars with haste and precision.

+ "[b][i]The Way of the Samurai is a demanding one, with few capable of bearing the burden of a great warrior. I know first hand the weight of the Sun in the desert, the overpowering burden of carrying it onto new dawn. We are few, therefore we must wage war with our minds, not our brawn; like the cobra we must seem powerful even in defeat. Like the viper we must strike rapid and swiftly. And lastly, like the Python, we must crush our enemies and starve their resistance. We are few, but our power is amplified a thousand fold.[/i][/b]" - Proper Samurai in the nation of Oyama are of few number and high demand. Their abilities must extend past four sword styles, and they must be able to use any weapon. Their training is constant, and no warrior is ever at their peak, with their skill in a constant state of improvement. Only age may set the warrior's soul free from their shackles of duty, but seldom does age show on these great warriors of the Dune Sea. The Samurai must therefore be strong, to overpower the numerical advantage of the seemingly overpowering obstacle of the Eastern strongholds of both the Republic and the Empire. Each soldier must be capable enough to accurately slice water as it falls from the heavens, and each warrior must be capable of overcoming overwhelming odds. Most importantly, each warrior must fight until death, for only in death does duty end.

+ "[b][i]Do not underestimate the power of mobility. Even the wind may seem trivial, but it spreads disease and death without equal. We must be like the wind, we must spread the disease of which the Easterlings cannot conquer, a threat that they cannot quell. We must conquer and establish, uproot and plant a new seed of civilization. To do this, to revive the root of the Solar Empire, we must be swift and decisive. A good horse is worth a hundred men, and a good Samurai on a good horse is worth an army.[/i][/b]" - The power of cavalry cannot be overstated, but its superiority is not guaranteed. Spears can destroy any cavalry charge, and hail of arrows can destroy any immobile force. Therefore one must know the battlefield, and that is what the Shogun's Own have learned to do. The hierarchy and the system of the Shogun's Own is strict, but its stratagems are in constant motion. Horses and Samurai are often used to great effect through the medium of horse archery. Though the beauty of the Samurai is not in their singular doctrines, but in their liquified behaviour. One could compare the Shogun's Own, and the military doctrines of the Shogun himself, to be like the seasons; all of them beautiful, but all of them specialized. One must know what to do during the seasons, and therefore the Shogun's Own must know what to do when their tactics do not succeed. The constant, ceaseless motion of the Samurai's tactics and military thinking allows them great versatility on the battlefield, but it requires great leaders. The generals of the Shogun's Own are therefore nigh-irreplacable.

+ "[b][i]The power of the bow is forgotten in this age of might and magic. A proper bow, crafted by the best carpenters of Yamano, can be worth more than any mage when put in the right hands. But a Samurai should not be led into a tunnel, their minds must be open. War is order and chaos, we must be the balance; to create order when there is chaos, and to become chaos when there is order. Therefore we must adapt, and therefore no Samurai should favour no single weapon, be it sword or bow; spear or javelin.[/i][/b]" - Force amplification is a specialty of which the Samurai have learned to master in their times of desperation in the desert, and that concept has been expanded upon further by the Shogun's own teachings on the matter. A proper Samurai does not wield a single weapon, but several, each for their own aspect of the battle. One must be able to adapt to the constant flow of the battle, and a Samurai is someone who is not only capable of adapting, but of overcoming seemingly unbeatable obstacles.

[hr][center][h1]THE WESTERN SUN DAWNS[/h1][/center]
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