𝐗. 𝐇𝐢𝐬𝐭𝐨𝐫𝐲
The history of the Seishin and Shinryoku originate mainly from their homeland of Koushima, a temperate and subtropical region located above the Nevalo region, now Sarnevalia, bordering the Tian Empire to the north and the Kingdom of Hyeon to the east.
Many years ago, the agricultural Dao people settled on the island and introduced rice farming in place of millet or barley, originating roughly from the southern outskirts of Hyeon. The peaceful and shamanistic natives, known only as the Senju, intermixed with the Dao and composed the earliest ancestors of the modern-day Koujin. At this time, the island was known by its archaic name, Do, borrowing from the Old Ttangmal word for “far away land.”
Owing to the mountainous archipelago that stretches across many climate zones, Proto-Koujin experienced a wide range of seasons that led to their deep reverence to nature, and the lack of flatland made it vital to form groups within every twist and bend. While many tribes were divided across the land in constant conflict over resource control, one of these tribes, known as the Kita (北) clan, rose above them and unified the tribes into one major group occupying the southern mainland.
The Kita clan formed the historical capital of Umibi (海美) and the first generational line of Tennō (天皇), or heavenly sovereigns believed to be directly descended from the Tentsukami. During this era of unification under one divine leader, the nation was renamed Koushima, meaning “island of equilibrium.”
While Koushima traded occasionally with their Hyeon neighbors by proxy of Umibi as their central hub, their discovery by the Tian Empire was not until several centuries after the Tennō's crusade to unite the regions. At first, exchanges with the Tianren were curt and amicable as mercantile business brought classical sciences, religion, and technologies to the Koujin.
As the years of relative peace with their eastern neighbors passed, the empire began their invasion of Hyeon in their pursuit for expansion, threatening seafaring trade routes for Koushima as their armies encroached closer to the archipelago. In a desperate attempt at ensuring the nation’s security, the current Tennō, Noboru (盛), formed a pact with diplomats from Tianzhou, allowing for Tianren military to pass through and take refuge in their lands unimpeded while maintaining their sovereignty. However, this also allowed for Koushima to soon become a puppet state for Tianzhou, further deteriorating the defenses of Hyeon as they became surrounded.
With the threat of Hyeon’s annexation on the rise, the people of Koushima, being the peasants, artisans, monks, and samurai, flew into outrage at the state of the nation, believing the recent acts of the Tennō to have been displays of cowardice and foolishness. Not only were their damaged alliance with the Hyeon-in halting the trade of goods, but the need to purchase expensive materials of the Tianren sent the economy into a downward spiral, causing famine and sickness to run rampant.
As the first sparks of rebellion took place within the hearts of many Koujin, they joined arms with those who have also been affected by the chaos; displaced Hyeon-in refugees, Tianren who disagreed with the empire, and even the Sarnevalians whose lands they wanted back. Together, the rebels fought valiantly against the Tian army, burning acres of forest and salting rice fields in attempts to deplete the occupying Tianren of the land’s natural resources.
Despite the blood that tainted the vibrant lands and the smoke that plumed in the once-blue skies, the rebels found themselves overwhelmed as reinforcements from the mainland suppressed them once more. Many were killed and taken captive with no hope of seeing their loved ones again, resulting in the rebellion leader, Haruto Shiratori (暖冬白鳥), to propose an ultimatum; they continue to fight and further decimate their homeland, or they swallow their pride and escape while they still have the strength to move forward.
With aid from the Sarnevalians, the rebels, heartbreakingly, chose to exile themselves in a massive event called the Erai-tsuihō (偉い追放), or the Great Exile, bringing precious keepsakes from Koushima as they prepared to set sail westward. Before they left Estera, however, as a show of loyalty and gratitude, the rebels took temporary refuge in Sarnevalia, aiding in the very last fight against Tianzhou.
Pushing the Tianren out of Sarnevalia for good in a landslide victory, the rebels regained their honor once again, decidingly renaming themselves the Seishin to represent their rebirth as a people from that day forward. The Seishin followed the Sarnevalians further west, staking their claim of Shinryoku north of the native Mokhenor people and west of Port Ramu. Afraid of repeating history, Haruto Shiratori made the decision to close the borders of Shinryoku to all except their Sarnevalian allies, rebuking the idea of getting involved with other settlements and causing unneeded conflict.
In this time, the Seishin began adopting modern ideals of artistry, intemperance, and self-actualization, but the need for stability in their new lives was deemed more vital as important figures in the original rebellion group rose to positions of government despite the initial disarray. Shiratori, in particular, was crowned as the Kampaku (関白) of Shinryoku, the regent title offering the illusion of being less imposing than that of a Tennō. Others formed their own noble families to aid the Kampaku and represent the many groups that joined the cause. The Heavenly Three Clans, as they are referred to, are the Zhuan (颛) clan, the Yeong (영) clan, and the Morimoto (森本) clan.