World of the 12 Kingdoms
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longforgottenpromiseWorld(s)
The universe of the 12 Kingdoms is actually two worlds. Our Earth and a second world formed of 12 Kingdoms. This world doesn't have a name, it is just here. These worlds are connected though they rarely touch except when Shoku (storms) bring them crashing together.
Earth
The Earth connected to the Twelve Kingdoms is identical to our own modern earth. At current canon point it is 1995 on Earth. The connection between Earth and the Twelve Kingdoms seems to be in Japan (named Hourai in the Twelve Kingdoms) though China (Kunlun) is also mentioned as a place Shoku connect with as well.
The 12 Kingdoms
As for the Twelve Kingdoms themselves, after a period where the rulers of the world ruled with injustice and showed no respect to their subjects Tentei made the world anew. Thirteen kingdoms were created, with the center one being Mt. Hou, a holy mountain surrounded by the yellow sea, which is not a sea at all but rather a landmass filled with demons. It is on Mt. Hou that Kirin are hatched.
Tentei is the creator god of the Twelve Kingdoms. There are other gods, but Tentei is the only one continuously referred to by name. He is also known as emperor of the heavens and it is him that couples prey to when they wish a child. The gods are the ones who chose the king and the kirin convey the will of the gods. There are many in the twelve kingdoms however who doubt the existence of the gods, despite the many ways the gods have a direct touch on the world.
The other Kingdoms are En, Han, Hou, Kei, Kou, Kyou, Ren, Ryuu, Sai, Shun, Sou and Tai. Each kingdom was given a King (or Queen) chosen by the gods and a Kirin who channelled the will of the gods in order to find the king for the kingdom.
There are eight inner kingdoms and four outer kingdoms. The status of each kingdom is reliant on how the King is in that kingdom, with some kingdoms being very prosperous for hundreds of years and others going through strings of kings that only last a few years each, and therefore are constantly in tumult. However this only affects the country in which the king is failing and does not extend over borders.
If however a king is a just and righteous one and does not disobey the will of the heavens then they can enjoy a long and prosperous reign. Kings are immortal and so their reign can last for hundreds of years.
At canon point En and Sou are the most prosperous kingdoms, enjoying a five hundred and six hundred year reign respectively. Han is at three hundred years. Kei is beginning to stabilise after a period of instability- the current queen is the protagonist of the series of a whole but the one before her reigned only for six years. Sai, Ren, Kyou and Shun are doing fine around the eighty to one hundred year mark. Kou and Hou are without king or kirin, though the Kouka is growing (rumours are the Houka got swept away in a shoku). Ryuu is beginning to destabilise. Tai is hell on earth.
There is no violence or war between kingdoms. To someone living in the Twelve Kingdoms such a concept is almost unthinkable. It is one of the main mandates of heaven. In fact a king leading their armies across the borders to another kingdom is one of the greatest sins. There is a story of a former king of Sai. The neighbouring country of Han had began to fall into despair as the king had lost the way. To help starving citizens the king of Sai sent in his army to help people evacuate. It was never an invasion force, no one believed the king of Sai to be working against the people of Han. However a few days later both he and his kirin were struck down by the heavens. Not in the usual way but instant, terrible death. The kanji of the kingdom even changed to reflect how terrible a sin had been committed.
The Way. Or the Divine Mandate is the rule that the rulers of the kingdoms must follow. There are laws and then there are loopholes and navigating it is a legal mine field. One that can result in them being struck down by the gods if they get it wrong. The mistress of the mountain (Genkun) is the bridge between the gods and the people and is able to give advice.
Each Kingdom produces and exports different things. For example Tai is famous for gem springs (literally natural seams of gems that come up from the ground) but the climate is not suitable for agriculture.
En is very agricultural, is famous for innovation and its liberal policies regarding refugees from turbulent kingdoms, Earth and also its policies towards Hanjyuu- allowing them to attend higher levels of education or obtain employment. Shun is known for precious stones and medicinal springs. There is trade between the stable prospering kingdoms and some kingdoms such as En try and help refugees of failing countries though they cannot interfere directly in other kingdoms affairs without the permission of the King of that kingdom.
The Kingdoms are not really allied together. They have vested interests and diplomatic relations but the idea of banding together to do something for the good of everybody is a strange a foreign concept.
People of the Twelve Kingdoms
The world of the Twelve Kingdoms is split into the world below and above the sea of clouds. The world below is the normal mortal world where people reside. It is formed of the twelve kingdoms, surrounded by the sea of nothingness. There are four inner seas, the yellow sea which is surrounded by the Adamantine mountains. In the centre of the yellow sea there are five mountains. The central one is Mount Hou which is where the kirin are born.
The sky is also a sea. Called the 'sea of clouds'. From the land below it looks just like the sky, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy. But from above it looks like a literal sea, often filled with clouds. This sea only looks so deep as an adult is tall but if you were to dive into it you would find it's depths are unfathomable. There are mountains that stretch high above the clouds. Imperial and provincial palaces in all nations are in these mountains above the sea of clouds. From above they look like a series of islands floating on the sea.
The only way to reach these palaces you enter through the gates and step onto the staircase that allow you to move further than you think. The staircases and pathways are long but for each pace you take you move feet up the mountain side. It is possible to fly above the sea of clouds on Shirei or Kijyuu or Kirin and flying from one palace to another is how most ministers and those who serve the king travel. Flying of Kijyuu cuts a journey of a couple of months down to weeks or even days.
Still getting anywhere in the Twelve Kingdoms is a lengthy process. Nobility use phoenixes to communicate. These are curious birds that can recite a message perfect in a persons voice. To record a message you place the bird on your head and speak. They will then fly to the recipient and recite it in your voice. They eat silver and need to be fed before they will fly.
One of the most notable differences between Earth and the Twelve Kingdoms is that the people of the Twelve Kingdoms are born in Ranka (egg fruits). When a couple want a child they tie a piece of ribbon to a sacred tree (called a Riboku tree) and pray to Tentei, a child then grows on the tree in a Ranka and hatches from it. You pray for animals and such on different days of the month. Human children can be prayed for on the seventh day and then any day after the ninth.
The Riboku tree is holy and sanctified. Youma and other predatory animals will not enter the shadow of a Riboku tree and so it is the last safe place in any village or town. There is an imperial riboku in each kingdom and branches from that are planted to create the riboku in each town and village. The king can also ask the gods for new plants or even animals for their kingdoms and the first of such species will grow on the imperial riboku.
Sometimes the child grown on a Riboku is not human. Hanjyuu are half beasts that have both a human and animal form, they have human parents. They are just as intelligent as humans but are in many kingdoms considered less than human, in many kingdoms they are not entered on the census and therefore do not have the rights of a citizen.
In order to pray to a Riboka you must be married formally on the kingdoms census. People who do not wish to have children often enter into looser common marriages that don't require all the paper work of formal marriage. Divorcing is easy and people will merge families and look after each others children.
Family is a little different. Though the bonds between people are no different than on earth the raising of a child is seen more as a holy duty and not about continuing your own line. Children do not look like their parents. Passing down inheritance is outlawed in every kingdom.
Instead every citizen registered on the census receive a partition of land and a house when they turn twenty (on New Year, their age calculated traditionally as being one at birth and gaining a year on each New year. This seems to be the only time the traditional way of counting age is used, people otherwise use their birthdays and count as zero at birth.)
These partitions of land are in hamlets, eight plots of land with a ninth plot for eight houses and small gardens. What people grow is their own, except what they pay in tax. They can sell this in villages, towns and cities. It is possible to sell your land and many of those who grow up in towns and cities do so, selling their land to people who hire tenant farmers and using the money to buy a house and start a business.
A village is a central point to a group of hamlets and it holds the riboku. People farm in the summer and move to the villages in winter. Many people will own a house in a village as well, or rent one for the winter. Each village has a rike, which is an orphanage, old peoples home and central gathering place in the winter for people to work, weave etc. To have use of a rike you must have been born in the village or be registered on the census there.
There are of course towns and cities, merchants, inn keepers and shop keepers. When a person dies their wealth and land goes back to the kingdom. Therefore each person only accumulates what they themselves create and earn. This system of giving land to each citizen and inheritance being forbidden is one of the mandates of heaven.
This is not to say that every person in a kingdom is equal in wealth. There are loopholes and people use them. People take advantage of others. Life as a peasant can be hard in less wealthy kingdoms. Unjust and corrupt officials can make life hell. People are not generally allowed to travel freely between provinces or kingdoms. It requires a passport (often a wooden token). It is possible to gain such things for those who need them, again it is a lot easier in a wealthy enlightened kingdom than one ruled by a tyrant.
When a kingdom falls hardship and ruin comes to it. Perhaps not straight away, depending on the circumstances of the end of the king's reign, but eventually it will become a place where youma attack and harvests fail, where natural disasters plague the land. As kingdoms rise and fall there are inevitably refugees from one land to another.
Prosperous good kingdoms will try and help such refugees as much as they can but they remain citizens of the land of their birth unless they willingly give up such citizenship. A refugee in another land has no land, nor can they pray to a riboku. or retire to a rike when they are old. Many will seek work with the wealthy of a kingdom, giving up their citizenship in exchange for a roof over their head, food and a job. Such indentured servitude is frowned upon in the more stable, benevolent kingdoms but is widespread elsewhere.
Those living in the kingdoms have very little knowledge of the courts, of lords and kings. They know that the king is chosen by the kirin. They are aware that a kingdom with a king is better than one without. But in general their knowledge of politics is low. Every citizen has the right to go to primary school. Often those who are bright can be recommended to a further academy and there are even universities. How much education is accessible to the average person depends highly on what kingdom they are from.
People are aware another world exists because people sometimes wash up on the shores of the kingdom. They call it Hourai. It is known to be a mystical land where the streets are paved with gold, there are no wars and nobody goes hungry.
Even though the Twelve Kingdoms is a world where the gods have a direct hand the people are not very religious. People who wish children pray to Tentei but apart from that there are no shrines. People do not pray for good harvest or to be safe from youma. They are a very practical people. They trust firstly in their own hard work, they trust in their king and if they are without a king then there is nothing the gods can do for them.
Taika and shoku
As previously mentioned the worlds are connected but for an ordinary person these two worlds will never meet..
There are those that can pass from one to another. Kirin, emperors and those on the immortal register of sages who possess a high enough rank can. It requires the use of the 'Gogou gate'. By accessing the supernatural powers of the Moon a gate can be opened in the moons shadow. Therefore crossing can only happen at night and can only happen below the sea of clouds and not in the yellow sea.
Crossing from one world to another causes shoku. A shoku is often called a storm but can indeed be any calamity. An earthquake, a lake drying up overnight, a landslide. So it should not be done unless there is good reason. Kirin cause the least harm in crossing.
The king of Ren has a magical item called the Gogukanda. It allows wormholes to open without the restrictions of the moon and can be used above the sea of clouds. Only magical creatures such as kirin and shirei can pass through it but it does not cause shoku.
Kirin are also capable of creating meishoku, a storm contained in the scream of a kirin. This does not rely on the power of the moon but instead the kirins own abilities create a wrinkle in time and space and causes a great deal of damage.
Those from the twelve kingdoms find it difficult to survive on earth and keep their forms, they slip in and out of the ley lines and can lose themselves. They often end up being perceived more like ghosts.
Shoku are not always caused by a crossing, sometimes they occur naturally and the crossing is accidental. There are those of course who blow over unwillingly in shoku.
Those that are blown from Earth to the Twelve Kingdoms are refugees there. They do not have the same problems of those that try and journey the other way. They can exist and live in the Twelve Kingdoms as people however they can't speak the language. Those from Japan are called Kaikyaku and they wash up on the shores from the endless sea. Those from China tend to be found in the mountains surrounding the inner seas. They are rarer.
People are not blown the other way but ranka (egg fruits) can be blown over to earth. The still forming child inside is born to a human family. To those in the Twelve Kingdoms they are called Taika. Whilst they live on earth they are inside a 'taika shell'- meaning they look like ordinary humans from Japan. Most will never return to the 12 Kingdoms. Living their days on Earth, perhaps feeling a little strange or that they do not fit in but never knowing that they are not from this world.
If a taika does return to the Twelve Kingdoms their taika shell breaks off and their true self as a person of the Twelve Kingdoms is revealed. If they go back to earth at all then they resume their taika shell and do not have the same problems that other Twelve Kingdom citizens have. Therefore if travel to earth is necessary it is always best to send Taika.
The Yellow Sea
In the centre of the world there lies the yellow sea. A land of youma and youjyuu. It is surrounded by mountains that protect the kingdoms from the youma. There are four gates that open only for four days of the year on each of the solstices. This is when people wishing to become king enter the yellow sea to take the shouzan.
Youma are monsters. No one knows where they come from (no tree that hatches them has ever been found) nor is it known how long their natural lives are. They mostly roam the Yellow sea, though when a kingdom is without a king they descend on it, ravaging the land. No one knows how they get there, they do not cross other kingdoms to do so. They just appear.
Youma are always male and generally evil unless serving a Kirin. Kirin are the only creatures that can subdue them, they make a pact with them. The Youma serves the Kirin (as a Shirei) and in return on the Kirin's death is allowed to consume the body and therefore the magical energy of the Kirin. The intelligence levels of Youma differs, with some being capable of human speech. A Shirei therefore is simply a Youma that has made a pact with a Kirin. There is no difference in abilities between a wild Youma and a Shirei. Shirei however are good, as they serve the will of the Kirin and revert to being wild Youma after a Kirin's death.
Youjyuu are another kind of monster, one that can be tamed by humans. They make great and powerful flying mounts. They also do not seem to be have trees (there is no thing as a baby Youjyuu...) and are found in the Yellow sea, they feed off Youma. Youjyuu that have been caught and tamed as mounts are called Kijyuu.
Both Youma and Youjyuu have a great fondness for shiny things. Gemstones and treasures to them are like catnip. A good trap is to lay out a Youjyuus favourite gemstone as a lure.
Nyokai are nursemaid demons. They are female Youma that hatch on Mt. Hou just before a Kirin and are destined to protect the Kirin's ranka and the Kirin themselves when they are young. They are a mixture of creatures, and the more creatures in the mix the greater they are said to be. Their egg fruits hatch from the roots of the tree that the Kirin are born from. They die when the Kirin die.
Though the yellow sea is a harsh land full of monsters there are those that make a living there. They are called the koushu no tami. They are people of no kingdom at all. They hold red passports which allow them travel but grant them no king's protection. Most of the koushu are brought in as children of refugees whose parents sell them into apprentices. There are koushu villages (with riboku) but they are a secret that barely anyone knows about.
Among the koushu there are goushi and shushi. Shushi are kijyuu hunters, they capture kijyuu to sell or guide others into the Yellow sea to capture kijyuu. Goushi are guides that accompany people on the shouzan. Koushu life is hard and mercenary.
The shouzan is a dangerous month and a half trek from one of the four gates to Mount Hou. Many of those who start the journey do not finish, with youma attacks being only one of the many dangers on the way.
It is said by the goushi that if it seems extraordinary luck is on the side of a group making the shouzan it means that the future king is among them. This is known as 'riding the wings of the phoenix' among the Koushu.
Incidentally there is a back door to Mount Hou that can be reach by flying over the sea of clouds, but it is only accessible to kings, kirin and any they take with them.
Kirin, Kings and Kingdoms
Kirin are holy creatures created by the gods for the sole purpose of channelling the divine will, selecting a king and then serving that king and keeping them on the right path.
Kirin grow on a special tree called the Shashinboku in the centre of the world. They are born in beast form and spend their first few years knowing themselves only as a beast. They are unable to speak or really understand the Nyosen (the sages who live on the mountain). In these first few years they tread the shores of the yellow sea, catching and taming Youma into Shirei. Their nyokai are their foster-parent and their milk builds up a kirins resistance to injury and blood. Eventually as their horn grows they are able to take on human form more and speak.
They live on Mount Hou until they chose their king. They are the masters of Mount Hou and treated with great reverence by the Nyosen, who school them in the way of the world, the intricacies of court and etiquette. All the things they will need to serve their king in a formal sense. Though for their most important job, of keeping the king on the right path. That is instinctual and not something that can be taught.
Kirin are naturally peaceful creatures. They naturally shy from violence. They will not wield weapons or harm any living thing. The very idea is terrible and troubling to them. They become weakened at the sight and smell of blood, and if exposed to a lot of blood develop blood sickness. They do not eat meat or other products from animals. Meat is like poison to them. Their horns are only seen in beast form, in human form it is invisible but centred on their forehead but Kirin dislike it being touched, it makes them feel nauseous. Kirin can sense other kirin, they see their aura as a golden glow around them.
Usually once a kirin reaches an age where they can maintain a human form (usually around the age of five) the gates to Mt. Hou are opened and all those from the kingdom who wish to make pilgrimage (shouzan) do so. The Kirin meets with these people and searches for the king. The king has an Ouki (an aura) around them. This aura is the sign from the gods that they are the one chosen to be the king. This Ouki is often more of a feeling, am instinctive knowledge that this is the ruler of their kingdom. This ouki can be felt all the time, therefore a kirin will be able to find their king if they are in range, and have a vague sense of direction of where they are if they are far away. They instinctively know the moment their master dies.
To chose the king the Kirin bows before them and swears an oath, to serve and obey them therefore bestowing the kingdom on them. The King and Kirin then ascend and go to their kingdom. There is a bird in each kingdom that calls out in a human voice twice in it's life. Once to call the coronation of a king when the ascend and once to declare the death of a king- whereby the bird falls off it's perch dead. The foot of the bird is sometimes used as the imperial seal during an interim government before a new king is crowned.
The king and kirin are linked to the land, if the king fails the kingdom and it's people or defies the will of heaven the Kirin is struck with a wasting disease called shitsedou. If the king refuses to change their ways the Kirin dies and a king without a kirin won't live out the year. Without a king the kingdom is thrown into chaos, demons attack and it cannot prosper until the new Kirin finds the next king.
And so the kirin's job is to keep the king on the right path. The kirin serves as a minister, usually of the province that houses the capital city. Their formal title is Taiho. The provincial guard cannot be mobilised without the kirin's consent. But mostly they are there to be the 'embodiment of the will of the people'. Kirin naturally will shy away from bloodshed, have great empathy for the people of their land and want to act only in their best interests even if such decisions are not politically sound. In the strongest kingdoms a king and their kirin balance each other perfectly. A king has to make hard decisions and the kirin is there to remind them of the consequences for the people.
Kirin don't have name. Instead their title is formed from their kingdom name and then the suffix 'ki' for a male kirin and 'rin' for a female. Whilst in their ranka they are called by their kingdom name and 'ka'. Some Kirin are given familiar names by their Kings or if they were taika they keep part of their earth name.
Kirin cannot full-bow to anyone who is not their king. They cannot swear a false oath. They are creatures that are known for their honesty. They do not have to obey anyone who is not their king though they will obey the ministers and others that the king has put in positions of power. They will always obey their king, even if they are ordered to do things that they disagree with, will hurt their kingdom or cause the king to fall. Kirin are always happy to be around their king, even if their king is not a worthy one and always sad to be parted from them.
Kirin are immortal, except when they die of shitsudou are beheaded, or otherwise murdered in way that destroys them or if they fail to find the king, in which case they will not live past thirty years. Once they take the throne kings and queens are also immortal. There is also a registry of sages where those that serve in armies or as ministers become immortal whilst in service. The sages on mount Hou are also immortal through the same means.
The king is always a citizen of the kingdom but they could be anyone from a government minister to a peasant in the field. Often those chosen do not immediately have what it takes to become a great king and so the prosperity of kingdoms differs vastly. However the idea is that if a king obeys the mandate of heaven their kingdom shall prosper.
Because kings are immortal the world above the clouds often seems very different than the one below. A kingdom can take years to stabilise. A country as great as En has taken five hundred years to form. Many many generations of En struggled before this time of prosperity.
Each court is different though they share a common culture and etiquette. The differences come from the king. The king of En has little to do with the day to day running with things- he has cultivated his ministers over five hundred years. Yet there is no doubt he is the final power. In the court of Kei know-towing is forbidden outside of set ceremony and ritual. The king of Ren is a farmer and tends his kingdom like a farmer would tend his crops. The queen of Kyou has a strong sense of responsibility and everyone knows their place and worth, therefore her court is very traditional. Though Tai's court only lasted six months it was militaristic and precise.
Tai
Tai is located in the North East of the Twelve Kingdoms, it has an extremely cold climate and long harsh winters. Even when it is warmer it has a constant cold breeze. In the Winter it is so cold that people cannot survive without fuel. The people are known to be hot headed with quick tempers, perhaps to counter balance their cold, barren land. They are stubborn and strong willed.
It's main resource is it's jewel springs, which after the rule of the last king are mostly depleted. The land is mostly unsuitable for farming and so food is scarce. The capitol city is called Kouki and this is where the king resides.
Not long after taking the throne- indeed before he had even made his inaugural speech King Gyousou made a plea to the heavens for a plant called Kaihaku. This plant originally grew only in the yellow sea but he asked the heavens to allow him to grow it in Tai. It is a stubborn plant that can be grown anywhere, corners of fields or scrub land. It produces white flowers and fruit that once dried burn as good as charcoal. This is known by the people of Tai as the kouji- the gift of the king who lives in Kouki and is the miracle that means Tai still has a people, despite everything.
The previous king of Tai- Kyou ruled for 124 years before losing the way. Towards the end of his reign he became arrogant, indulging in pleasure and ignoring his kingdom. Hoarding the gems and buying luxuries whilst letting his people starve.
There was a lot of corruption but there were ministers and generals in the army who cared enough about the kingdom to try and keep it afloat. Two of these were Gyousou and Asen, named the two jewels in the crown. Generals who helped keep the kingdom of Tai afloat through the last days of their uncaring king, the subsequent fall of the kingdom and the youma attacks.
It was necessary because on Mount Hou a shoku blew the taika (egg fruit of the new kirin of Tai) away and to Hourai. It would be ten years before he was found.
For those ten year Tai suffered calamities, youma attacks, bitter winters and starvation. Eventually it was announced that the kirin was ready to chose a king as there was a pilgrimage. Gyousou was chosen king by Taiki and he ascended the throne.
Six months later there was a coup. Gyousou was lured away to put down a rebellion and was turned on by part of his army and disappeared. Back in the palace there was a meishoku that destroyed chunks of the palace, killed many of the servants and those not on the immortal register. When the dust cleared it was discovered that Taiki had vanished.
Asen took the throne. He seemed to have no actual wish to rule properly but oppressed the people, wiping out whole towns that dared to question his rule. Destroyed villages, salted the earth. Youma attacks were frequent. People fled but eventually there were so many Youma surrounding Tai and with it being an island people could no longer flee. The people of Tai were dying. It is noted at one point that the situation in which you have a king who is missing and not on the throne is the worst of worst case scenarios. Tai has been like this for seven years.
The universe of the 12 Kingdoms is actually two worlds. Our Earth and a second world formed of 12 Kingdoms. This world doesn't have a name, it is just here. These worlds are connected though they rarely touch except when Shoku (storms) bring them crashing together.
Earth
The Earth connected to the Twelve Kingdoms is identical to our own modern earth. At current canon point it is 1995 on Earth. The connection between Earth and the Twelve Kingdoms seems to be in Japan (named Hourai in the Twelve Kingdoms) though China (Kunlun) is also mentioned as a place Shoku connect with as well.
The 12 Kingdoms
As for the Twelve Kingdoms themselves, after a period where the rulers of the world ruled with injustice and showed no respect to their subjects Tentei made the world anew. Thirteen kingdoms were created, with the center one being Mt. Hou, a holy mountain surrounded by the yellow sea, which is not a sea at all but rather a landmass filled with demons. It is on Mt. Hou that Kirin are hatched.
Tentei is the creator god of the Twelve Kingdoms. There are other gods, but Tentei is the only one continuously referred to by name. He is also known as emperor of the heavens and it is him that couples prey to when they wish a child. The gods are the ones who chose the king and the kirin convey the will of the gods. There are many in the twelve kingdoms however who doubt the existence of the gods, despite the many ways the gods have a direct touch on the world.
The other Kingdoms are En, Han, Hou, Kei, Kou, Kyou, Ren, Ryuu, Sai, Shun, Sou and Tai. Each kingdom was given a King (or Queen) chosen by the gods and a Kirin who channelled the will of the gods in order to find the king for the kingdom.
There are eight inner kingdoms and four outer kingdoms. The status of each kingdom is reliant on how the King is in that kingdom, with some kingdoms being very prosperous for hundreds of years and others going through strings of kings that only last a few years each, and therefore are constantly in tumult. However this only affects the country in which the king is failing and does not extend over borders.
If however a king is a just and righteous one and does not disobey the will of the heavens then they can enjoy a long and prosperous reign. Kings are immortal and so their reign can last for hundreds of years.
At canon point En and Sou are the most prosperous kingdoms, enjoying a five hundred and six hundred year reign respectively. Han is at three hundred years. Kei is beginning to stabilise after a period of instability- the current queen is the protagonist of the series of a whole but the one before her reigned only for six years. Sai, Ren, Kyou and Shun are doing fine around the eighty to one hundred year mark. Kou and Hou are without king or kirin, though the Kouka is growing (rumours are the Houka got swept away in a shoku). Ryuu is beginning to destabilise. Tai is hell on earth.
There is no violence or war between kingdoms. To someone living in the Twelve Kingdoms such a concept is almost unthinkable. It is one of the main mandates of heaven. In fact a king leading their armies across the borders to another kingdom is one of the greatest sins. There is a story of a former king of Sai. The neighbouring country of Han had began to fall into despair as the king had lost the way. To help starving citizens the king of Sai sent in his army to help people evacuate. It was never an invasion force, no one believed the king of Sai to be working against the people of Han. However a few days later both he and his kirin were struck down by the heavens. Not in the usual way but instant, terrible death. The kanji of the kingdom even changed to reflect how terrible a sin had been committed.
The Way. Or the Divine Mandate is the rule that the rulers of the kingdoms must follow. There are laws and then there are loopholes and navigating it is a legal mine field. One that can result in them being struck down by the gods if they get it wrong. The mistress of the mountain (Genkun) is the bridge between the gods and the people and is able to give advice.
Each Kingdom produces and exports different things. For example Tai is famous for gem springs (literally natural seams of gems that come up from the ground) but the climate is not suitable for agriculture.
En is very agricultural, is famous for innovation and its liberal policies regarding refugees from turbulent kingdoms, Earth and also its policies towards Hanjyuu- allowing them to attend higher levels of education or obtain employment. Shun is known for precious stones and medicinal springs. There is trade between the stable prospering kingdoms and some kingdoms such as En try and help refugees of failing countries though they cannot interfere directly in other kingdoms affairs without the permission of the King of that kingdom.
The Kingdoms are not really allied together. They have vested interests and diplomatic relations but the idea of banding together to do something for the good of everybody is a strange a foreign concept.
People of the Twelve Kingdoms
The world of the Twelve Kingdoms is split into the world below and above the sea of clouds. The world below is the normal mortal world where people reside. It is formed of the twelve kingdoms, surrounded by the sea of nothingness. There are four inner seas, the yellow sea which is surrounded by the Adamantine mountains. In the centre of the yellow sea there are five mountains. The central one is Mount Hou which is where the kirin are born.
The sky is also a sea. Called the 'sea of clouds'. From the land below it looks just like the sky, sometimes clear, sometimes cloudy. But from above it looks like a literal sea, often filled with clouds. This sea only looks so deep as an adult is tall but if you were to dive into it you would find it's depths are unfathomable. There are mountains that stretch high above the clouds. Imperial and provincial palaces in all nations are in these mountains above the sea of clouds. From above they look like a series of islands floating on the sea.
The only way to reach these palaces you enter through the gates and step onto the staircase that allow you to move further than you think. The staircases and pathways are long but for each pace you take you move feet up the mountain side. It is possible to fly above the sea of clouds on Shirei or Kijyuu or Kirin and flying from one palace to another is how most ministers and those who serve the king travel. Flying of Kijyuu cuts a journey of a couple of months down to weeks or even days.
Still getting anywhere in the Twelve Kingdoms is a lengthy process. Nobility use phoenixes to communicate. These are curious birds that can recite a message perfect in a persons voice. To record a message you place the bird on your head and speak. They will then fly to the recipient and recite it in your voice. They eat silver and need to be fed before they will fly.
One of the most notable differences between Earth and the Twelve Kingdoms is that the people of the Twelve Kingdoms are born in Ranka (egg fruits). When a couple want a child they tie a piece of ribbon to a sacred tree (called a Riboku tree) and pray to Tentei, a child then grows on the tree in a Ranka and hatches from it. You pray for animals and such on different days of the month. Human children can be prayed for on the seventh day and then any day after the ninth.
The Riboku tree is holy and sanctified. Youma and other predatory animals will not enter the shadow of a Riboku tree and so it is the last safe place in any village or town. There is an imperial riboku in each kingdom and branches from that are planted to create the riboku in each town and village. The king can also ask the gods for new plants or even animals for their kingdoms and the first of such species will grow on the imperial riboku.
Sometimes the child grown on a Riboku is not human. Hanjyuu are half beasts that have both a human and animal form, they have human parents. They are just as intelligent as humans but are in many kingdoms considered less than human, in many kingdoms they are not entered on the census and therefore do not have the rights of a citizen.
In order to pray to a Riboka you must be married formally on the kingdoms census. People who do not wish to have children often enter into looser common marriages that don't require all the paper work of formal marriage. Divorcing is easy and people will merge families and look after each others children.
Family is a little different. Though the bonds between people are no different than on earth the raising of a child is seen more as a holy duty and not about continuing your own line. Children do not look like their parents. Passing down inheritance is outlawed in every kingdom.
Instead every citizen registered on the census receive a partition of land and a house when they turn twenty (on New Year, their age calculated traditionally as being one at birth and gaining a year on each New year. This seems to be the only time the traditional way of counting age is used, people otherwise use their birthdays and count as zero at birth.)
These partitions of land are in hamlets, eight plots of land with a ninth plot for eight houses and small gardens. What people grow is their own, except what they pay in tax. They can sell this in villages, towns and cities. It is possible to sell your land and many of those who grow up in towns and cities do so, selling their land to people who hire tenant farmers and using the money to buy a house and start a business.
A village is a central point to a group of hamlets and it holds the riboku. People farm in the summer and move to the villages in winter. Many people will own a house in a village as well, or rent one for the winter. Each village has a rike, which is an orphanage, old peoples home and central gathering place in the winter for people to work, weave etc. To have use of a rike you must have been born in the village or be registered on the census there.
There are of course towns and cities, merchants, inn keepers and shop keepers. When a person dies their wealth and land goes back to the kingdom. Therefore each person only accumulates what they themselves create and earn. This system of giving land to each citizen and inheritance being forbidden is one of the mandates of heaven.
This is not to say that every person in a kingdom is equal in wealth. There are loopholes and people use them. People take advantage of others. Life as a peasant can be hard in less wealthy kingdoms. Unjust and corrupt officials can make life hell. People are not generally allowed to travel freely between provinces or kingdoms. It requires a passport (often a wooden token). It is possible to gain such things for those who need them, again it is a lot easier in a wealthy enlightened kingdom than one ruled by a tyrant.
When a kingdom falls hardship and ruin comes to it. Perhaps not straight away, depending on the circumstances of the end of the king's reign, but eventually it will become a place where youma attack and harvests fail, where natural disasters plague the land. As kingdoms rise and fall there are inevitably refugees from one land to another.
Prosperous good kingdoms will try and help such refugees as much as they can but they remain citizens of the land of their birth unless they willingly give up such citizenship. A refugee in another land has no land, nor can they pray to a riboku. or retire to a rike when they are old. Many will seek work with the wealthy of a kingdom, giving up their citizenship in exchange for a roof over their head, food and a job. Such indentured servitude is frowned upon in the more stable, benevolent kingdoms but is widespread elsewhere.
Those living in the kingdoms have very little knowledge of the courts, of lords and kings. They know that the king is chosen by the kirin. They are aware that a kingdom with a king is better than one without. But in general their knowledge of politics is low. Every citizen has the right to go to primary school. Often those who are bright can be recommended to a further academy and there are even universities. How much education is accessible to the average person depends highly on what kingdom they are from.
People are aware another world exists because people sometimes wash up on the shores of the kingdom. They call it Hourai. It is known to be a mystical land where the streets are paved with gold, there are no wars and nobody goes hungry.
Even though the Twelve Kingdoms is a world where the gods have a direct hand the people are not very religious. People who wish children pray to Tentei but apart from that there are no shrines. People do not pray for good harvest or to be safe from youma. They are a very practical people. They trust firstly in their own hard work, they trust in their king and if they are without a king then there is nothing the gods can do for them.
Taika and shoku
As previously mentioned the worlds are connected but for an ordinary person these two worlds will never meet..
There are those that can pass from one to another. Kirin, emperors and those on the immortal register of sages who possess a high enough rank can. It requires the use of the 'Gogou gate'. By accessing the supernatural powers of the Moon a gate can be opened in the moons shadow. Therefore crossing can only happen at night and can only happen below the sea of clouds and not in the yellow sea.
Crossing from one world to another causes shoku. A shoku is often called a storm but can indeed be any calamity. An earthquake, a lake drying up overnight, a landslide. So it should not be done unless there is good reason. Kirin cause the least harm in crossing.
The king of Ren has a magical item called the Gogukanda. It allows wormholes to open without the restrictions of the moon and can be used above the sea of clouds. Only magical creatures such as kirin and shirei can pass through it but it does not cause shoku.
Kirin are also capable of creating meishoku, a storm contained in the scream of a kirin. This does not rely on the power of the moon but instead the kirins own abilities create a wrinkle in time and space and causes a great deal of damage.
Those from the twelve kingdoms find it difficult to survive on earth and keep their forms, they slip in and out of the ley lines and can lose themselves. They often end up being perceived more like ghosts.
Shoku are not always caused by a crossing, sometimes they occur naturally and the crossing is accidental. There are those of course who blow over unwillingly in shoku.
Those that are blown from Earth to the Twelve Kingdoms are refugees there. They do not have the same problems of those that try and journey the other way. They can exist and live in the Twelve Kingdoms as people however they can't speak the language. Those from Japan are called Kaikyaku and they wash up on the shores from the endless sea. Those from China tend to be found in the mountains surrounding the inner seas. They are rarer.
People are not blown the other way but ranka (egg fruits) can be blown over to earth. The still forming child inside is born to a human family. To those in the Twelve Kingdoms they are called Taika. Whilst they live on earth they are inside a 'taika shell'- meaning they look like ordinary humans from Japan. Most will never return to the 12 Kingdoms. Living their days on Earth, perhaps feeling a little strange or that they do not fit in but never knowing that they are not from this world.
If a taika does return to the Twelve Kingdoms their taika shell breaks off and their true self as a person of the Twelve Kingdoms is revealed. If they go back to earth at all then they resume their taika shell and do not have the same problems that other Twelve Kingdom citizens have. Therefore if travel to earth is necessary it is always best to send Taika.
The Yellow Sea
In the centre of the world there lies the yellow sea. A land of youma and youjyuu. It is surrounded by mountains that protect the kingdoms from the youma. There are four gates that open only for four days of the year on each of the solstices. This is when people wishing to become king enter the yellow sea to take the shouzan.
Youma are monsters. No one knows where they come from (no tree that hatches them has ever been found) nor is it known how long their natural lives are. They mostly roam the Yellow sea, though when a kingdom is without a king they descend on it, ravaging the land. No one knows how they get there, they do not cross other kingdoms to do so. They just appear.
Youma are always male and generally evil unless serving a Kirin. Kirin are the only creatures that can subdue them, they make a pact with them. The Youma serves the Kirin (as a Shirei) and in return on the Kirin's death is allowed to consume the body and therefore the magical energy of the Kirin. The intelligence levels of Youma differs, with some being capable of human speech. A Shirei therefore is simply a Youma that has made a pact with a Kirin. There is no difference in abilities between a wild Youma and a Shirei. Shirei however are good, as they serve the will of the Kirin and revert to being wild Youma after a Kirin's death.
Youjyuu are another kind of monster, one that can be tamed by humans. They make great and powerful flying mounts. They also do not seem to be have trees (there is no thing as a baby Youjyuu...) and are found in the Yellow sea, they feed off Youma. Youjyuu that have been caught and tamed as mounts are called Kijyuu.
Both Youma and Youjyuu have a great fondness for shiny things. Gemstones and treasures to them are like catnip. A good trap is to lay out a Youjyuus favourite gemstone as a lure.
Nyokai are nursemaid demons. They are female Youma that hatch on Mt. Hou just before a Kirin and are destined to protect the Kirin's ranka and the Kirin themselves when they are young. They are a mixture of creatures, and the more creatures in the mix the greater they are said to be. Their egg fruits hatch from the roots of the tree that the Kirin are born from. They die when the Kirin die.
Though the yellow sea is a harsh land full of monsters there are those that make a living there. They are called the koushu no tami. They are people of no kingdom at all. They hold red passports which allow them travel but grant them no king's protection. Most of the koushu are brought in as children of refugees whose parents sell them into apprentices. There are koushu villages (with riboku) but they are a secret that barely anyone knows about.
Among the koushu there are goushi and shushi. Shushi are kijyuu hunters, they capture kijyuu to sell or guide others into the Yellow sea to capture kijyuu. Goushi are guides that accompany people on the shouzan. Koushu life is hard and mercenary.
The shouzan is a dangerous month and a half trek from one of the four gates to Mount Hou. Many of those who start the journey do not finish, with youma attacks being only one of the many dangers on the way.
It is said by the goushi that if it seems extraordinary luck is on the side of a group making the shouzan it means that the future king is among them. This is known as 'riding the wings of the phoenix' among the Koushu.
Incidentally there is a back door to Mount Hou that can be reach by flying over the sea of clouds, but it is only accessible to kings, kirin and any they take with them.
Kirin, Kings and Kingdoms
Kirin are holy creatures created by the gods for the sole purpose of channelling the divine will, selecting a king and then serving that king and keeping them on the right path.
Kirin grow on a special tree called the Shashinboku in the centre of the world. They are born in beast form and spend their first few years knowing themselves only as a beast. They are unable to speak or really understand the Nyosen (the sages who live on the mountain). In these first few years they tread the shores of the yellow sea, catching and taming Youma into Shirei. Their nyokai are their foster-parent and their milk builds up a kirins resistance to injury and blood. Eventually as their horn grows they are able to take on human form more and speak.
They live on Mount Hou until they chose their king. They are the masters of Mount Hou and treated with great reverence by the Nyosen, who school them in the way of the world, the intricacies of court and etiquette. All the things they will need to serve their king in a formal sense. Though for their most important job, of keeping the king on the right path. That is instinctual and not something that can be taught.
Kirin are naturally peaceful creatures. They naturally shy from violence. They will not wield weapons or harm any living thing. The very idea is terrible and troubling to them. They become weakened at the sight and smell of blood, and if exposed to a lot of blood develop blood sickness. They do not eat meat or other products from animals. Meat is like poison to them. Their horns are only seen in beast form, in human form it is invisible but centred on their forehead but Kirin dislike it being touched, it makes them feel nauseous. Kirin can sense other kirin, they see their aura as a golden glow around them.
Usually once a kirin reaches an age where they can maintain a human form (usually around the age of five) the gates to Mt. Hou are opened and all those from the kingdom who wish to make pilgrimage (shouzan) do so. The Kirin meets with these people and searches for the king. The king has an Ouki (an aura) around them. This aura is the sign from the gods that they are the one chosen to be the king. This Ouki is often more of a feeling, am instinctive knowledge that this is the ruler of their kingdom. This ouki can be felt all the time, therefore a kirin will be able to find their king if they are in range, and have a vague sense of direction of where they are if they are far away. They instinctively know the moment their master dies.
To chose the king the Kirin bows before them and swears an oath, to serve and obey them therefore bestowing the kingdom on them. The King and Kirin then ascend and go to their kingdom. There is a bird in each kingdom that calls out in a human voice twice in it's life. Once to call the coronation of a king when the ascend and once to declare the death of a king- whereby the bird falls off it's perch dead. The foot of the bird is sometimes used as the imperial seal during an interim government before a new king is crowned.
The king and kirin are linked to the land, if the king fails the kingdom and it's people or defies the will of heaven the Kirin is struck with a wasting disease called shitsedou. If the king refuses to change their ways the Kirin dies and a king without a kirin won't live out the year. Without a king the kingdom is thrown into chaos, demons attack and it cannot prosper until the new Kirin finds the next king.
And so the kirin's job is to keep the king on the right path. The kirin serves as a minister, usually of the province that houses the capital city. Their formal title is Taiho. The provincial guard cannot be mobilised without the kirin's consent. But mostly they are there to be the 'embodiment of the will of the people'. Kirin naturally will shy away from bloodshed, have great empathy for the people of their land and want to act only in their best interests even if such decisions are not politically sound. In the strongest kingdoms a king and their kirin balance each other perfectly. A king has to make hard decisions and the kirin is there to remind them of the consequences for the people.
Kirin don't have name. Instead their title is formed from their kingdom name and then the suffix 'ki' for a male kirin and 'rin' for a female. Whilst in their ranka they are called by their kingdom name and 'ka'. Some Kirin are given familiar names by their Kings or if they were taika they keep part of their earth name.
Kirin cannot full-bow to anyone who is not their king. They cannot swear a false oath. They are creatures that are known for their honesty. They do not have to obey anyone who is not their king though they will obey the ministers and others that the king has put in positions of power. They will always obey their king, even if they are ordered to do things that they disagree with, will hurt their kingdom or cause the king to fall. Kirin are always happy to be around their king, even if their king is not a worthy one and always sad to be parted from them.
Kirin are immortal, except when they die of shitsudou are beheaded, or otherwise murdered in way that destroys them or if they fail to find the king, in which case they will not live past thirty years. Once they take the throne kings and queens are also immortal. There is also a registry of sages where those that serve in armies or as ministers become immortal whilst in service. The sages on mount Hou are also immortal through the same means.
The king is always a citizen of the kingdom but they could be anyone from a government minister to a peasant in the field. Often those chosen do not immediately have what it takes to become a great king and so the prosperity of kingdoms differs vastly. However the idea is that if a king obeys the mandate of heaven their kingdom shall prosper.
Because kings are immortal the world above the clouds often seems very different than the one below. A kingdom can take years to stabilise. A country as great as En has taken five hundred years to form. Many many generations of En struggled before this time of prosperity.
Each court is different though they share a common culture and etiquette. The differences come from the king. The king of En has little to do with the day to day running with things- he has cultivated his ministers over five hundred years. Yet there is no doubt he is the final power. In the court of Kei know-towing is forbidden outside of set ceremony and ritual. The king of Ren is a farmer and tends his kingdom like a farmer would tend his crops. The queen of Kyou has a strong sense of responsibility and everyone knows their place and worth, therefore her court is very traditional. Though Tai's court only lasted six months it was militaristic and precise.
Tai
Tai is located in the North East of the Twelve Kingdoms, it has an extremely cold climate and long harsh winters. Even when it is warmer it has a constant cold breeze. In the Winter it is so cold that people cannot survive without fuel. The people are known to be hot headed with quick tempers, perhaps to counter balance their cold, barren land. They are stubborn and strong willed.
It's main resource is it's jewel springs, which after the rule of the last king are mostly depleted. The land is mostly unsuitable for farming and so food is scarce. The capitol city is called Kouki and this is where the king resides.
Not long after taking the throne- indeed before he had even made his inaugural speech King Gyousou made a plea to the heavens for a plant called Kaihaku. This plant originally grew only in the yellow sea but he asked the heavens to allow him to grow it in Tai. It is a stubborn plant that can be grown anywhere, corners of fields or scrub land. It produces white flowers and fruit that once dried burn as good as charcoal. This is known by the people of Tai as the kouji- the gift of the king who lives in Kouki and is the miracle that means Tai still has a people, despite everything.
The previous king of Tai- Kyou ruled for 124 years before losing the way. Towards the end of his reign he became arrogant, indulging in pleasure and ignoring his kingdom. Hoarding the gems and buying luxuries whilst letting his people starve.
There was a lot of corruption but there were ministers and generals in the army who cared enough about the kingdom to try and keep it afloat. Two of these were Gyousou and Asen, named the two jewels in the crown. Generals who helped keep the kingdom of Tai afloat through the last days of their uncaring king, the subsequent fall of the kingdom and the youma attacks.
It was necessary because on Mount Hou a shoku blew the taika (egg fruit of the new kirin of Tai) away and to Hourai. It would be ten years before he was found.
For those ten year Tai suffered calamities, youma attacks, bitter winters and starvation. Eventually it was announced that the kirin was ready to chose a king as there was a pilgrimage. Gyousou was chosen king by Taiki and he ascended the throne.
Six months later there was a coup. Gyousou was lured away to put down a rebellion and was turned on by part of his army and disappeared. Back in the palace there was a meishoku that destroyed chunks of the palace, killed many of the servants and those not on the immortal register. When the dust cleared it was discovered that Taiki had vanished.
Asen took the throne. He seemed to have no actual wish to rule properly but oppressed the people, wiping out whole towns that dared to question his rule. Destroyed villages, salted the earth. Youma attacks were frequent. People fled but eventually there were so many Youma surrounding Tai and with it being an island people could no longer flee. The people of Tai were dying. It is noted at one point that the situation in which you have a king who is missing and not on the throne is the worst of worst case scenarios. Tai has been like this for seven years.
