Prologue: Creation
#1 of Tales of Ippon
This is the prolgue to an epic i am working on. It will have almost every aspect of life in it, as
well as a decent amount of Yiff. Various subjects will be touched on, and some may offend
people. In short, if you do not think you will like parts of this story, do not read them, bu t
know that each chapter will have references to previous chapters, so you may lose out by
skipping a chapter.
ALL the characters are Copyrighted to me, and are NOT to be used wihtout permission. Many
of these characters are based on those of other people, but they are still my characters, just
my way of showing my respect for the people that they are based on, but i will not name
names.
This prologue is to set the stage for the story, and it contains the major information that
affects the Story. It should be read first.
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History is marked by wars. These wars are fought for countless reasons; Love,
Hate, Greed, Beliefs. The people of the archipelago nation of Ippon knew wars well. In fact,
they were in a constant state of war. The lands separated into forty-eight provinces, each
squabbling over the land someone else owned. Provincial Lords would attack their
neighboring province to gain land and the Farmers of that land would be given spear and bow
to defend it. The land belonged to the Lords, but the farmers were 'given' the land to grow
crops on for use in feeding the people. But the land had to be defended, and that was also
part of the Farmers' lot. They did not go without aid, for the farmer-armies were bolstered by
ranks of Samurai. Samurai were masters of warfare in all its forms. A single Samurai could
decimate a squadron of footmen with only minor scrapes and cuts afterward.
While covered in battle and steeped in blood; the land of Ippon was not without
beauty. Fantastic legends, and a variety of people unseen elsewhere in the world gave the
land a majesty and personality that was all its own. Of all the legends, the one of
Ippon's 'creation' was the best told...
_In the Celestial Castle of Heaven, the Six Gods sat in council as they had since times
forgotten, governing the world from the ancient chamber. In his soft chair of silk and leather
sat Ganta, God of the East, and patron of the Sun, His Robes afire with Crimson and gold. He
painted the Sunrise and chased the night away. Across from him sat his twin sister, Ikito.
She represented the West, and wore her flowing robes of Sapphire and silver over her long,
beauteous form. Hers was the world of the Lake and the Sea, and she called forth the
evening, painting the Sunset as she did so each day. To her left was her sister, Seated in the
Northern throne of Bone and Fur. Rakari commanded the winds and ushered in the Winters.
She was a silent sort, unless roused by anger, when she would rage as the typhoon. She
wore armor of shimmering emerald, adorned in platinum. Across from her was her Brother,
God of the south, Sufai. Sufai was a friendly sort, round and generous, he loved life, and the
lads that all creatures walked on. He preferred a simple wool pillow for his seat, and His plain
robes were dyed with brilliant yellows, and he wore fine jewelry crafted from Bronze, Brass,
Tin, Steel, and other common metals._
In the Center of the room stood the true twin gods, neither male nor female, yet
both at once. The two were always at odds, even more so than the other four. Gasara wore
his massive armor of midnight black and obsidian, His red eyes blazing with the fires of
conflict. He gripped his spear, able to slay cities in a single swing, and level mountains with
his breath. His counterpart, Rasaga, faced him always. Her robes Resplendent in brilliant
White and pearl, with her eyes closed forever in a peaceful smile. In her grasp was the
branch of the first tree ever grown on creation, able to gift life to hundreds with a touch, and
feed as many from a single fruit.
Since the dawn of time, the Six argued and fought over everything. Alliances and
agreements were made, and broken constantly. At some point, one of the servant spirits
attempted to suggest that the Six should work together on a project, each offering their best
work. The Six devoured the Spirit, but his idea lived on past his life. After a Time, the Six
each reached down, deep into the Sea and pulled up an island, shaping it to their whims.
Ganta carefully shaped his island, giving it steep mountains on the western side,
covering them with thick forests. He made the island long and narrow from north to south,
leaving the eastern side open and low, allowing whatever lived on his island to enjoy his
sunrises along with him.
Sufai made his Island larger than Ganta's, raising it far out of the sea and shaping
many cliffs and valleys into the land. He embedded his favorite metals in the rocks, making
the ground rich and hardy, but the sheer inclines of the mountain faces would make it almost
impossible to farm crops.
Ikito used very little land, shaping it into a circle, and leaving the sea contained in
the center. She gave her favored creature, the Fish, plenty of homes in this contained ocean.
Rakari, not one to be outdone by her brother, pulled the most land up between
and to the north of all the other islands. On the southern end of her island, she shaped a
massive mountain, and she blew across the lower lands, her breath carving exotic shapes
into the mountain's side.
Gasara decided that Rakari's mountain was far too audacious, so he Thrust his
spear into the top, wounding the world, and pulling up the flaming rock from within. The
injury to the earth was so deep, that the land would bleed molten stone forever.
Rasaga wept at her twin's actions, shedding six tears that sprung into the people
of this new land that would come to be called Ippon.
As with the Land, the Gods claimed each of the people for themselves, making
more that they could shape to their whims. Ganta favored the fox above all creatures. Wise,
cunning, playful... His people were given the features of the fox, making them look much like
the creatures they were shaped after.
Sufai adored the Reptiles of the land, with their shimmering scales and closeness
to the ground. His people were shaped after the serpents and lizards, and they would know
the land well.
Rakari enjoyed the company of her Wolves, and so she gave her people the
features and strengths of her favored animal, tying them forever to the wilderness she had
made.
Ikito decided that her people should love the ocean as she did, so she shaped her
chosen after the dolphins and smaller whales that traversed her waters.
Rasaga, in her kindness, allowed her people to remain unchanged, but she gifted
a handful with the shapes of horses, marking them to be noble and blessed as her favorite
creature.
Gasara took his people into hiding, and shaped them as the Rat, intending them to
hide and watch, waiting for the time when they would overrun the other races and rule the
lands.
As with all things that happen over time, however, the peoples of Ippon took after
their creators' intentions and banded together. But the people followed the gods' combative
natures as well, and soon they fell to fighting against each other. In time, the Gods were
forgotten...
The six races of Ippon did not stay on their patron gods' islands as intended. The
lands were shared by all. The Humans left alone by Rasaga multiplied quickly, matching the
numbers of the other races combined. Rasaga's chosen, 'The Rasagan', were placed as the
imperial leaders, and all deferred to their leadership and advice. The other chosen adopted
the names of the creatures they were shaped for. The foxes were called 'Jyujin', the
Wolves: 'Kibajin'. Sufai's reptiles called themselves 'Jirajin', while the Rats of Gasara were
the 'Nezujin'. The only ones who did not follow this concept were Ikito's chosen; calling
themselves 'Suikajin', instead.
The people built towns and cities, some of them crafting castles and other battle-
ready fortresses. Over the millennia, they developed a unique culture, and the land they
lived on shaped that culture. The numerous people aligned themselves into large groups they
called Clans. The clans each claimed land as their own, dividing into provinces... Rice and Fish
were the main ingredients for all the things the people ate, as it was hard to raise livestock
on the land.
Over time, the people divided further into social classes. While the Rasagan were
excluded from this system, being considered the chosen of the god; Race had little effect on
a person's status.
At the bottom of this social ideal were the 'Eta' or 'untouchables'. These were the
people who would clean the cities, bury the dead, and butcher the livestock that was raised
for food. They were the lowest of the low, and the rest of the people did not speak to, or
acknowledge them, unless one of the Eta did something to offend a higher member of
society, which was rare.
Farmers were the next class up, though 'farmers' was more of a general term.
A 'Farmer' could be a herder, a blacksmith, a seamstress, a chef, or any number of singular,
commonplace jobs. Farmers were more than half the population of Ippon, and their place in
society was understood by the higher classes, though not always respected.
Merchants were another strata of people, though a bit outside the order.
Merchants were generally disliked, as most were greedy, covetous, and sometimes even
larcenous. But, as money became a factor in society, so did the Merchants who handled that
money. Merchants could acquire anything they wished if they possessed the proper funds,
including people. For people needed to eat, and food cost money, which the merchants had in
abundance.
At the top of the order were the masters of Warfare, the Samurai. Samurai were
given rights that no others could claim. While a merchant could buy the services of samurai,
only samurai had the 'right of death'. If a farmer splashed water on a samurai, whether
intentional or not, the samurai had every right to kill that farmer on the spot. Samurai were
not simply warriors, however. Their own teachings spoke of the quest of perfection in all
things, writing, music, dance, war, life...
Even within these categories, there were ranks of status. The leaders of Samurai
were called Daimyos, lords of the land and the creators of laws. Some of them were fair and
just, others cruel and war-hungry.
The lands of Ippon were filled with certain examples of these features, and these
are only the main items of Ipponese culture. As the Story you read progresses, more will
become apparent through the telling of the Tales of Ippon...
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