The Shogunate

The Shogunate

The Shogunate stands as the iron pillar of order in Yamato, its roots bound to centuries of bloodshed and restoration. Led by the venerable Ieyasu Tokugawa, the Shogunate represents stability forged in steel and law, the human response to generations of chaos. Its seat of power lies in Sakuragawa’s Shogunate Citadel, an impregnable fortress and political heart, where edicts are issued with the force of both blade and decree. The samurai are its shield and sword, guardians of the peace, exemplars of duty, and enforcers of Tokugawa’s will. They embody bushidō, the code of honor, yet their loyalty is ultimately to the Shogun rather than to the Emperor, whose divine role has faded into ceremony.

The Shogunate maintains a delicate balance with the supernatural. To humans, they are protectors, ensuring yokai and kami never again dictate the fate of mortals. Sorcery is tolerated only under strict regulation, viewed as both a dangerous weapon and a vital tool. Shrines are respected, yet priests and shrine guardians are monitored, lest their alliances drift too close to yokai or celestial whispers. Diplomacy with the Council of Harmony is necessary, but rarely warm; the Shogunate sees itself as the rightful arbiter of Yamato’s destiny, while the Council insists on equal standing for humans, yokai, and kami.

Suspicion of supernatural beings runs deep. Many within the Shogunate whisper that yokai are tricksters by nature, kami aloof and indifferent, and humans alone capable of true governance. Yet Tokugawa himself—pragmatic and aged, but unbroken—knows peace is preferable to the endless wars of old. Thus, the Shogunate enforces unity through laws that bind both humans and spirits to a system of coexistence, often more rigid than harmonious.

Tradition is their creed, control their weapon, unity their shield. But under their calm order lies tension: can the Shogunate truly hold Yamato together, or will their rigid distrust push yokai and kami to resist once more? The fallen star only deepens this question, offering power the Shogunate covets yet fears.