Kammon Clan

A once dead clan of void hunters and onmyoji

The Kammon clan was once famous for its geomancers and warriors, hunting down Voidsent and protecting those who couldn't protect themselves. They are now a vassal to the Muramasa clan and, though from Hingashi, are in Eorzea. The family head, a Viera named Ishizue, was adopted into the main family 4 years ago when the clan was larger, and directly in service to the Bakufu of Hingashi. The clan disappeared almost overnight 2 years later, and Ishizue only returned to gather the survivors a year after the clan's disappearance before taking them to Eorzea.

Lexicon

There is much about the clan of void killers and barrier practitioners that has been lost to time; but not all.

History

A longstanding house of Hingashi, renowned for their geomancy and a rich history as Onmyōji. During the Age of Blood, the clan was forced to militarize to survive its enemies. Over just a single generation, the clan changed completely: The head at the time, Shinho (神保), immediately went to work training one person who was not a geomancer from each couple in the clan as a warrior. The Onmyōji changed their focus and developed powerful barriers and healing suitable for combat.They became fast allies with the Muramasa clan and staunch enemies of the Akagami, a clan whom openly used voidsent to fight their battles. At the end of the Age of Blood, the new Bakufu suppressed their conflict, creating a precarious peace. The clan continued, thereafter, to hunt voidsent and provide barriers and healing for the Bakafu and the larger Hingashi population for generations. During the Age of Blood and after, the Muramasa clan provided the Kammon with extensive supplies and resources in return for training the Muramasa Onmyōji.Eventually, the main family - then Lord Takeshi (毅) and Lady Yoyu (陽優) - faced a serious problem, as they had failed to sire an heir. As they searched within the clan for a suitable candidate, a male Viera from the Garlean Empire appeared, a wanderer without direction. The young man, oen Telum, was an expert with the spear and had two decades of military experience. He was clever, calm, cordial, and respectful. But what truly caught their eye was that he was able to see aether as threads and learned geomancy at an alarming rate.In just a few short months, the clan had been impressed with the Viera, and while many families in the clan sought to adopt him, he was instead offered a place in the main family as its heir. He was adopted and given the name Ishizue (礎), and continued his training in both geomancy and the sword. However, 2 years later, disaster struck.A powerful voidsent named Maalikos had begun a bloody campaign through the countryside. Nearly the entire clan took arms against the creature. Maalikos, able to summon an army of voidsent, met the clan in battle on a large flat stretch of prairie awash in yellow flowers. As the yellow sun set into red, the field of flowers was trampled and washed in blood. The clan was slaughtered, and Ishizue escaped narrowly with his life.A year later, Ishizue wandered the world in search of a weapon, Kyozanrei, in the hopes of saving himself from void corruption of his aether. While wandering, he found the surviving members of the clan and gathered them together. He returned with them to Eorzea to swear the clan to the Muramasas as a vassal family.

Structure

The clan has been organized as a pseudo-militaristic entity since Kammon Shinho reorganized it. Broadly, the clan is led by a Daimyo who makes decisions in conjunction with a council of his highest ranking fighters, geomancers, and artisans. He is supported by a second-in-command, Kōgushō, and an administrative third, Ryōsa.The fighters, Hei (兵), are organized under several lieutenants, or Tai-i (大尉). They send their forces out in small groups led by team leaders, Heishō (兵将), in parties comprising veterans, Heichō (兵長), and fully trained fighters, Heishi (兵士). Often, the Heishō is the head of a sub-family, and the Heishi their children, nieces, and nephews. The same teams will remain together for training, and children being raised as fighters - though considered Fuku - join their Heishō for training exercises. The weapon masters, Gunshi (軍師), are independent of the command structure, but are part of the council and focus on perfecting and teaching the martial arts used by the clan.The clan's geomancers are known as Onmyōji (陰陽師). Those learning the magical arts of the clan start as pupils, Onmyoju (陰陽習), of an experienced practitioner, Onmyojō (陰陽長). Each pair performs all of their work in and out of the clan's walls together. Sometimes, as necessary, an Onmyojō may have more than one Onmyoju. The Onmyōshō (陰陽将) are at the head of a sub-family (usually married to the Heishō or Tai-i, but sometimes a sibling) and are similar to the Tai-i, as they are responsible for all the geomancers subject to them and are part of the council.Finally, but no less respected, are the Fuku (副). All non-combatants are Fuku: Children; servants; artisans; homebody spouses; nurses; entertainers; etc.

Members

Ishizue has taken the role of Kōgushō, Yuki - his childhood friend - taking her place at his side as Ryōsa. Only a single official member of the Hei forces survived; a spearman, who has taken a place among the council as Tai-i alongside the only surviving Shoji (or craftsman) and the last Onmyoji. A single family survived: The mother was an unmarried servant girl; her twin bastards, a boy and girl, were welcomed into the father's family and were apprenticed as an Onmyoju and Heishi. However, the clan was destroyed before they reached maturity and finished their training, and only the mother and children survived. A single scout escaped to return, and an Onmyojō and their Onmyoju were away at the time of the collapse, avoiding their own deaths.

Arts of War - Tenseido Kiyo-i Bu-ryu

The Kammon clan of voidsent hunters is first, and foremost, a martial house. Though their roots come from religious ceremony, they developed a robust array of martial arts for use against their enemies, both mortal and voidsent. The school of martial arts is known as Tenseido Kiyo-i Buryu (天誠道 淨 武流), translated roughly as the Path of Heavenly Truth's Purifying Warrior Arts.The school taught techniques for a variety of disciplines, from swordsmanship to magical combat arts and even strategy and espionage. Their martial traditions included 5 styles of weapon use:
The Eight Elements Sword Techniques (八元 剣術: Hachigenso Kenjutsu)
The Dragon's Heart Spear Techniques (竜心 槍術: Ryushin Sojutsu)
The Resounding Fist Unarmed Techniques (響拳 確手術: Kyoken Kakute-jutsu)
The Inevitable Fate Bow Techniques (必至訖 弓術: Hitsushiita-ru Kyujutsu)
The Sun and Moon Dual-blade Techniques (日月斉 両刀術: Katsukisei Ryotojutsu)Their swordsmanship is derivative of the classic Hingan swordsmanship, with some adjustments to naming, additional forms, and unique cuts. Most notably, the sword art has 8 kamae, or guards, that are its namesake. The first 6 are named after the 6 elements, and the last 2 after light and dark. Suidan (水段), Chidan (地段), and Raidan (雷段) are forward guards part of what are called the Kamae of Seifuku (征服), or Conquest; while Kadan (火段), Fudan (風段), and Hyodan (氷段) are rear guards part of the Kamae of Kofuku (降服), or Submission. Seifuku and Kofuku both feature a master, or perfect, guard intended to prepare a guard breaking strike. These are Kodan (光段) of Seifuku and Andan (暗段) of Kofuku. Below is a page depicting the 8 kamae from a Kammon manuscript salvaged from the ruins of the clan's old estate.

Use of Japanese

I made use of the Japanese language in several names and terms for the purpose of providing thematic depth to the lore provided here. I have endeavored to be consistant and faithful to the language as much as possible, but I am not fluent in the language, nor have I studied linguistics holistically. I've provided the Kanji for each word or name I've manufactured with 2 exceptions, Kōgushō and Ryōsa, which I came up with a while ago and have lost the kanji for. I haven't been able to reconstruct the words, so I can't provide accurate kanji or meanings. For the rest of them, I welcome criticism and feedback if you ARE fluent because I definitely have made mistakes. Below is a list of all the terms I manufactured (plus a few I haven't) and the Kanji used to construct them, along with "on" or "kun" pronunciations and definitions, as listed on the website, jitenon.com.

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