Society & The Tenants of Yamaichi

 

Among the Yamaichi, Family Loyalty is considered a path of honour. Even those lesser creatures of their society that we, are more inclined to find as undesirable. Season to season, they open the doors of Okuninushi, the seat of the Family head, in an enclave for all members to attend.

 

Yamaichi leave home at the age of 15 to pursue lives outside their immediate parent’s home. Some still linger within the home, but before exploring their future profession, they are often educated by village elders, who approve them to depart from the homes of their parents.

 

Arranged marriages are uncommon, however, it is not unheard of for pairings to be encouraged for the benefit of two branches. It is believed that pushing an unwanted match upon a Yamaichi may do damage to their soul, or prohibit them from attaining some mystical knowledge.

 

Like other children in the Kingdoms, these youngsters attend schools, and are typically given a basic education. Surprisingly, they are encouraged to read, write, and trained in an art they seem to have some interest in. More athletic types are encouraged to engage in sports or begin fighting training at a young age. When the child is preparing for his time to leave his parents home, he is tasked with a final test to prove he is capable of holding his own. Once they have completed this final test, but before their departure is approved, they must have memorized, and recited the Tenants of the Yamaichi before their family in a great ceremony. Only then, are they given the seal of the Family and permitted to pursue their lives as adults.

 

After many discussions with Yamaichi peasants (which, to my surprise, even they were able to provide me with their own seal.) I have managed to discover the Seven Tenants, it follows as thus:

 

The First - The farmer does not grow crops merely to fill his own belly, thus the Yamaichi do not fight or work for herself alone. She is one with her Family, her Bloodline, and those seemingly beneath her in the serene balance of Mann, as they allow her to walk her path unto its completion.

 

The Second - Only fear of death can destroy life; a Yamaichi replaces it with an understanding of danger and the affirmation that they will return again through the Veil.

 

The Third - A Yamaichi is neither a bully nor a brute killer. She must treat her enemies with courtesy. Their death is a testament to the skill of the Yamaichi, and an acknowledgement of their spark. A careless Yamaichi will one day understand the weight of her thoughtless actions.

 

The Fourth - Actions and their consequences define those who take them. The Yamaichi's loyalty to those that she guards, and to her Family is unshakeable.

 

The Fifth - Set lies aside amongst your own. A Yamaichi does not make honesty or justice a matter for debate; she knows that there is only truth and falsehood, justice and injustice.

 

The Sixth -   Praises and curses are not what defines honor; the Yamaichi reserves her judgement for herself.

 

The Seventh - A Yamaichi's words and her actions are one and the same. To 'promise' would be redundant. The breach of a contract is met with shame.

 

“All existing things are really one. We regard those that are beautiful and rare as valuable, and those that are ugly as foul and rotten The foul and rotten may come to be transformed into what is rare and valuable, and the rare and valuable into what is foul and rotten.“

-  From a Yamichi carpenter

 

While the Yamaichi Family embraces its fighters and even makes room for assassins among its ranks (more on that later) it is noted that there is almost an obsessive ideal that such grisly things, like battle and killing, and even one’s own death must be done beautifully.

 

Poetry written to loved ones before leaving for war, artfully woven shrouds for the dead, (Bodies are almost exclusively burned) and even the assassin branch’s near obsessive planning of the most worthy execution of her target down to the most artful, impactful locations, as well as their decorative masks, are all noted examples of the desire for death to be memorable and celebrated.

 

Among the Yamaichi, It is believed that when a foe Is struck down, they may be able to return, vengeful in another life if their demise is an unworthy one. Likewise, it is believed in the Yamaichi’s devotion to the idea of reincarnation that death may unlock some hidden knowledge or gain a soul special insight in the next life. Education and learning are sacred to the Yamaichi, thus they believe if they, or another, are to die, that this meticulous planning assures the spirit to gain enlightenment in their next lifetime and they might find gratitude and peace in the Yamaichi in granting them their newfound knowledge and their anger at their death at the hands of a Yamaichi would, thus be quelled.

 

Because of the Yamaichi’s strong belief that what one soul experiences is carried into the next, and their demise thus, must especially poignant, a thoughtless killing by a Yamaichi to an outsider speaks openly of contempt of the target. However, a Yamaichi would never consider visiting such a messy death upon her Family, as it would indicate a lack of skill on the part of the attacker, bringing shame to his or her house and school, as well, the Yamaichi shudder from the very real (to them) fear of the dead being reborn as one of their own children, brothers, sisters or immediate Family and seeking out their downfall or the downfall of those around them from a place all Yamaichi consider themselves somewhat safe.

 

There have been documented cases of Yamaichi when meeting each other across the battlefield (As they are not unknown to seek out their fortunes in other kingdoms) will single each other out, ensuring that their own Family are given proper, and glorious deaths in the correct manner. When Yamaichi assassins have found themselves in a contract in a foreign land with a Yamaichi as a target, often, the assassin will ensure their Family member is given a poignant meaningful death.

 

On at least one noted occasion, the assassination of a Yamaichi who had married a foreign King and was well-liked by the people, had fallen into disfavor by the King, both for her popularity, and as he had his eye on another princess whose disposition suited him much better. It is told that the assassination occurred during the height of the summer festival, it had been timed and planned so crucially, (And the King found in the arms of his mistress so shortly thereafter) The kingdom, it appears, fell into revolt shortly thereafter.

 

Particulars on the Yamaichi Home Life, Crafts and Outward Appearance

 

The Yamaichi people are very much like our fellows across the kingdoms. Their skin tone is most often tanned, as they spend a great deal of time out-of-doors, as even the nobility do not believe it beneath them to sully their clothing nor cake dirt beneath their nails.

 

Suffice to say, the Yamaichi are not an unclean people, not by far. They bathe often, make use of the various flowers and herbs in the region, creating perfumes and unique soaps. There are even bath-houses for those who cannot, for whatever reason find themselves a comfortable place to soak or get clean, as strong body odours is seen as distasteful.

 

Their hair colour is most often dark or red, chestnuts are found among their number, but infrequently. Most rarely will you find those with blonde colourations. Yamaichi often have green, blue or grey-coloured eyes. Some attribute this to their supposed descent from Oceanna. As noted,Yamaichi craftsmen are varied, and all professions are encouraged. If a profession is lacking amongst the people, the Yamaichi will seek far and wide to fill that need.

 

Among the Yamaichi, there is a belief that every member, from the lowly farmer, the dirty blacksmith, the skulking merchant, the secretive Assassin, the brutal warrior, or the illustrious noble, all share an equal part in the balance, prosperity and future of the Family and something lacking creates imbalance. Even amongst the Nobility, they are expected to practice and become skilled at a particular craft or skill, Nobles are also expected to comprehend some form of weapon, the most common being the sword, bow and arrow or spear.

 

Yamaichi craftsmen take great pride in their work, as they are often expected to produce not only a beautiful, but functional and sturdy item. Beauty is seen as something found as much in the quality as well as the simple appearance of the creation. Yamaichi products are a point of pride of the craftsman, as well as the Family, as no Yamaichi would wish to bring shame to his or her home with shoddy work.

 

Yamaichi Family life is simplistic. While some displays of wealth are acceptable, if not expected to reflect the status and worthiness of the individual, ostentatious displays are considered shameful. Spouses rarely buy things for themselves, as such acts are considered selfish, and often shower their partners and children with affection and practical presents. Excessive wealth is encouraged to be shared amongst the Family, to fund innovations, exploration and the acquisition of materials and goods to make such things possible. If a successful Yamaichi merchant’s brother finds his fields awash in a flood, it is expected that his merchant brother helps him to rebuild,

 

In the Yamaichi mindset, the suffering of the brother will ultimately harm the success of the merchant, which, in turn brings down the ability of the Family to succeed. While there are no consequences for those Family members who conserve their wealth, outright refusals to cooperate with the Family or ostentatious displays of wealth may find the member sent on a mission to a far away land, preferably for a long time,so as to remove such a garish sight from his or her Family members and bring them shame or, perhaps, misfortune.

 

As noted before, the Yamaichi allow the existence of assassins amongst their ranks. Assassination is not spoken of directly among the Yamaichi, though those who partake of the practice are expected to openly declare themselves by way of wearing masks within the city while not on contract.(Also called ‘Anuhara’) this allows them to advertise their profession, but will not save them from arrest. It is considered distasteful to confront or belittle an Assassin on his or her profession, much like the attitude towards lowly peasants, as their position and necessity is unfortunately seen as no different as a battle-hardened warrior.

 

Assassins will occasionally double as body-guards and occasionally will volunteer for the battlefront. They are expected to wear masks even when working in these professions, simply as a declaration of their chosen, preferred profession.

 

As any able bodied warrior is expected to defend his or her city along with their peers, an Assassin caught hiding behind the city walls is considered shameful. Likewise,  Assassination contracts are considered impolite conversations, and are to be spoken of behind closed doors.

 

Yamaichi are permitted to take out contracts out on other members of the Family, however, as previously discussed, such contracts are taken with significant consideration and research due to the sheer effort required to send off a fellow Family member to their demise and the fear of the repercussions from a returning spirit. Often, Yamaichi Assassins will refuse, especially if the assassination may destabilize a region to the detriment of their Family. If a Yamaichi Assassin accepts a contract on a fellow Yamaichi within the city he resides in, he is required to remove his Family from the city, and send them to another to live, (Both to remove temptation for local Family members to bring shame upon their own in a fit of emotion and for the simple safety of their kin.), only then are they permitted to undertake the task of removing their fellow Yamaichi from this life cycle

 

Assassins found to be tarnishing their profession by not practicing to the expectations of the Tenants, or frequently performing poorly, and executing targets that may invite the anger of the reincarnated spirit may find themselves not only on the run from the justice system, but from their fellow Yamaichi assassins. Continued misconduct may result in the assassin being removed from the Family entirely, their descendants ritually cut off from the Bloodline.

 

“When we see persons of worth, we should think of equaling them; when we see persons of a contrary character, we should turn inwards and examine ourselves.“

• A Yamaichi Baron