The Council of Harmony

The Council of Harmony arose from necessity, a pact forged when war had drained Yamato of both strength and spirit. It is the first institution where humans, yokai, and kami share equal voice, though its balance is ever precarious. Seated in the sacred hall of Tsugumori, the Council gathers emissaries from major clans and sects: mortal daimyō, fox priests, dragon envoys, shrine guardians, and even wandering monks who speak for forgotten kami. Their symbol—circle, triangle, and square interlocked—reflects their guiding ideal: unity through diversity, strength through balance.

Though they are not warriors, the Council wields influence through diplomacy and mediation. They arbitrate disputes between human lords and yokai tribes, settle shrine conflicts, and create laws that transcend the Shogunate’s rigid structures. Their greatest achievement was the Treaty of Harmony, which ended centuries of bloodshed. Yet peace is fragile; the Shogunate respects the Council’s voice but bristles at its interference, seeing it as a threat to their supremacy.

The Council’s inner workings are as complex as Yamato itself. Membership is carefully balanced—humans, yokai, and kami alike. Kitsune envoys serve as negotiators, ryujin as keepers of law, monks as spiritual guides. Yet some powerful groups remain absent: oni clans refuse to bow to councils, preferring strength of arms; certain celestial kami remain aloof, unwilling to mingle with mortals. Shadows, too, linger—whispered alliances with Kage-mura, The Azure Scales or quiet backing of rogue spirits who prefer peace on their own terms.

Still, the Council remains Yamato’s best hope for coexistence. They embody dialogue where once there was only blood. But harmony demands sacrifice: each concession leaves someone dissatisfied, each compromise a seed of future rebellion. And now, with the fallen star, the Council faces a new trial—can they restrain factions hungering for celestial power, or will their dream of balance collapse under the weight of ambition?