Empire of Soga Part II: Faith and Steel

Culture

Life in the Soga Empire is demanding, but it has forged a resilient and proud people. Harsh climates, constant threats, and centuries of war have shaped a society that prizes strength, self-reliance, and discipline. Virtue and hierarchy are respected as the pillars that brought stability through long eras of struggle.

At the center of imperial culture are the warrior clans—the buke. Members of these families, called bushi, form the ruling warrior class. Most bushi are low-ranking landed warriors with military obligations, while noble houses hold significant power and much of the land. Each clan bears a unique emblem and colors, guided by its own strict code of conduct. These codes are expected to be honored by all members, setting ideals of virtue, loyalty, and discipline. Proficiency in arms is essential, yet so too is proficiency in writing and thought. Warriors are expected to embody both strength and refinement—though in practice, these ideals are often aspirational rather than reality.

The clergy, whether Kitsune or Rishinkyo, live by their own codes. They may hold land but do not rule directly. Still, their influence is immense: they shape daily life, ethics, and aesthetics, and exert significant power in the governing structure.

The rest of the population consists of commoners—peasants, craftsmen, merchants—who make up the vast majority. They hold no land or formal power, yet service to a warrior clan may allow a commoner to rise in standing through skill or deeds.

The Empire is predominantly human, but the Kitsune remain a vital presence—respected, yet somewhat apart. Their rituals, mysticism, and spiritual authority are most closely tied to the highest nobility. The Rishinkyo faith, by contrast, is deeply rooted in the populace, where monks provide guidance, healing, and teaching to the common folk.

The empire is vast, and though its people share heritage and martial spirit, each region carries distinct traditions.

• The capital, spread across wide plains, is built outward rather than upward. Most buildings are low, rarely more than three stories. Pagodas rise above the cityscape, marking temples. Unlike other cities, the capital has no central castle; instead, the Imperial Court dominates—a massive complex of towers, palaces, and ministries, defended by ramparts and a broad moat. Both fortress and symbol, it embodies imperial elegance and authority.
• Other cities and towns are smaller than those of the Sand Kingdoms. Villages house only a few hundred people, while the largest city, Shinkyo, equal an average desert nome in population. Settlements are usually built around castles or temples. Fortifications stand distinct with terraced foundations, sloped stone walls, and tiled roofs coated in fireproof plaster. Most towns lack walls but are defended by moats and ramparts. Common buildings are wooden with thatched or clay roofs. In times of danger, civilians flee to castles or temples for refuge.
• Travel is tightly regulated. Merchants, artisans, warriors, clergy, and adventurers carry permits according to status, but commoners cannot travel without their lord’s consent.

Regional traits are strongly felt:

• Northerners are famed for resilience, modest lives, and martial focus. 
• Southern coasts thrive on trade and craft. 
• Eastern lands and the Kirijima Archipelago are deeply tied to Kitsune traditions, recognizable in their white-and-crimson attire, and strong ties to the land.
• Western borderlands near the Titan’s Gates blend with Sand Kingdoms’ influences, visible in food, fabrics, music, and design.

Wars, haunted lands, and rivalries shaped the Empire into a disciplined yet thriving society. From the natives, Imperials learned to live with nature rather than against it. Their art and craft blossomed in times of peace, when the flow of trade enriched the land. Painting, calligraphy, craft, and architecture flourished, growing far beyond the austere age of unification.

Education

The Empire enjoys widespread literacy at a basic level. Lords and temples sponsor local schools where commoners learn to read and write, supporting commerce and administration.

Unlike Helrin or Sandlanders, however, most Imperials do not speak the common tongue of Calad. Knowledge of it is largely confined to the warrior aristocracy, clergy, and traders. For most villagers and farmers, life remains rooted in their local land and tongue.

The Rishinkyo temples play a central role. Their monks tend not only to spiritual but also intellectual and medicinal needs, drawing many lay followers. Some temples host populations larger than minor lords’ fiefs.

For warriors, education blends arms and arts. Youth are schooled alongside other aspiring bushi of their clan—or that of their overlord. At adulthood (16–18), many become attendants to senior warriors, training directly under their mentorship. A common tradition is the warrior’s pilgrimage: a journey across distant lands to test skill against new styles, foes, hardship and creatures, without the clan’s support.

Arcana

Magic is rare among humans. Arcane practice is entrusted to Kitsune or esoteric sects of Rishinkyo. To the Soga, magic is sacred and dangerous—not a craft for daily use. Nobles born with talent are sent to the Ministry of Divinations, to study under Kitsune as court ritualists. Gifted commoners, often seek shelter in Rishinkyo temples, unlocking their talent through discipline and ascetic practice—an approach unknown to the Grand Academy or Hireian College.

Faith

Imperial belief is shaped by two major traditions: Shinryuu and Rishinkyo.

• Shinryuu, the native Kitsune faith, venerates the primordial spirits and gods of the land. It holds greatest influence in noble and courtly circles, preserved and passed down quietly within Kitsune clans. Central to its practice are astrology, divination, and close observation of nature, through which signs of gods and spirits are read in celestial and earthly portents. Its rituals are performed to appease the deities of the land and to pacify calamities and natural disasters.
• Rishinkyo, introduced by early colonists, is the faith of the wider populace. It teaches of a creator deity who established the cosmos and its cycles, but does not intervene in mortal affairs. Mortals must endure trials and cultivate discipline to overcome the world’s hardships. Its monks serve as shepherds of the people, spreading teachings, healing, and salvation. Over time, Rishinkyo split into many sects, each with distinct interpretations.

The two faiths differ, yet coexist. Rishinkyo guides the common masses, while Shinryuu influences the noble courts. Together, they fill the spiritual needs of the Empire—complementary, yet rivals in authority. Neither is seen as more true than the other, both respected as integral parts of the imperial order.

Matters of gods and spirits are left to the few with the gift to handle them. For most Imperials, life is one of hard work, resilience, and self-reliance, far removed from arcane doctrine.