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Culture Of The Shogunate

Over the five hundred years since the Usurpation, the values and ideals of the Terrestrial Exalted have spread throughout the Shogunate. While this culture can vary drastically from province to province, certain core concepts tend to exist throughout, cultivating certain similarities of practice and belief that leave this era the most unified of all of Creation's history.

Virtues And Ideals

The Shogunate values the Four Virtues, but filters them through the principle of Loyalty. The Dragon-Blooded were able to overthrow the Solars only because of their total devotion to one another, and to those below them. The Solars, by contrast, forgot their duties and abandoned loyalty to those they were responsible to, forcing the Dragon-Blooded who had once served them to rise against them. The Shogunate refuses to allow this to happen again. Loyalty affects the way that each Virtue is considered to be valued and the way in which the Virtues are capable of extremity.

Compassion is the path of the protective soldier. With Compassion, the Shogunate values those who help and protect their fellows. The correct application of Compassion is considered to be a familial caring for all peoples, extending to helping them to become better people. It is, however, the least valued of the four Virtues in the Shogunate; it is valuable when tempered through Conviction or Temperance. Soldiers must be careful not to become weak-hearted; there are forces in Creation that would destroy it, and kindness or coddling of those forces weakens the structure of society. The Shogunate supports defense and love, but is generally opposed to excessive displays of mercy. The belief that anyone can be redeemed is generally considered foolish and naive.

Conviction is the path of the dedicated soldier. In many ways, Conviction is the most important virtue of the Shogunate. Everyone is expected to give their all for their causes, and duty and loyalty take precedence over all other concerns. The Shogunate holds to the Five Tiers of Duty, as follows: Duty to Creation, duty to your lord, duty to your subjects, duty to your family, duty to your friends. Any conflict of loyalty should follow those five tiers of duty; an order from your lord outweighs the needs of your subjects, who in turn outweigh the desires of your family and friends. One's own desires fall beneath the Five Tiers of Duty. In practice, of course, the conflicting bonds of duty can trap people in expanding webs of obligation, and many of the great works of the Shogunate deal with just such concepts.

Temperance is the path of the restrained soldier. Overindulgence breeds weakness, giving enemies a weapon to use against you. Deception breed distrust, impairing the proper functioning of a military - or a society. Honour and restraint are watchwords that the Shogunate's heroes and civilians alike are expected to live by. However, too much aestheticism is frowned on; soldiers are expected to be flexible, able to enact cunning strategems when need be, and those without casual pastimes are often prone to holding up an impossible standard to their fellows. It is as important to fit in as a member of your unit as it is to restrict yourself from temptation.

Finally, Valor is the path of the stalwart soldier. Valor is respected in soldiers, but like Compassion, it is meant to be restrained by one's Conviction and Temperance. Soldiers who will stand firm alongside their fellows even in hopeless situations, give their lives for the defense of Creation, or hold their ground against monstrous opponents are always sought-out. On the other hand, people who will fly off the handle, challenge others for dominance, or attack people for insults are not wanted. Disruptive Valor is something to be restrained, while supportive Valor is to be encouraged.

Society

The society of the Shogunate is run much like a feudal military machine. Civilians are expected to do their jobs without complaint, and superiors are expected to watch over their underlings and make sure that no one abuses them. Society runs on lines of duty and responsibility, with most people taught from birth that they should strive to be the best that they can within their station, rather than trying to surpass it. Disobediance or slacking off are discouraged, and those who do so are usually shunned.

At the same time, the Shogunate is a time of luxury compared to the ages to follow. While most mortals will never fly in an airship or interact with fabulous automatons, they can count on running water, heating and light for their families, free of charge. The Shogunate maintains its infrastructure by managing all major businesses, and handing basic stipends to all families, plus extra money for those with more prestigious jobs. Unemployment is very low, and highly frowned upon; everyone is expected to produce for society. Art and music are respected, but their message must pass the censors; the Shogunate is usually lenient as far as not punishing artists who submit works that are then edited or banned, but is not at all lenient about the works themselves. This tends to work out well for them; although many artists can chafe under the restrictions, they are much more willing to submit work knowing that it will not land them in trouble.

The status of the Dragon-Blooded is also complex compared to later ages. The Exalted, like mortals, are expected to push themselves to excel, and their capabilities mean that it is generally assumed that they will far surpass any mortals in their fields. At the same time, they are not considered to be demigods in quite the same way as the Celestial Exalted were; a truly astonishing mortal can stand shoulder-to-shoulder with his Exalted peers, and it is rank, not birth, that determines how much respect someone is due. There is an undercurrent of classism from many who assume without consideration that an Exalt will perform better, but it is not a stated belief.

Religion

There is little religion in the Shogunate, and the Dragon-Blooded actively discourage it in many places. The Gods of the Celestial and Terrestrial Bureaucracy, for the most part, refuse to answer the prayers of the Exalted or of those who serve them, and in response the Shogunate restricts worship amongst its subjects. Only those gods willing to work hand-in-hand with the Exalted are prayed to - as well as the Five Dragons and the Celestial Incarnae, who receive the standard worship due them; even the Shogunate does not dare risking the wrath of the Incarnae.

The Immaculate Faith is present through much of the Shogunate, but it is not the state religion. The Shogun supports the Faith, in that it has been far more successful at persuading or forcing gods into the small but growing structure of faith within the Shogunate, but with the Celestial gods still immune to threats from the Faith, its effects remain less than widespread. The Faith is also home to the Five Glorious Dragon Paths, martial arts whose practicioners claim were granted to them directly by the Five Immaculate Dragons.

The Dragon-Blooded

The Shogunate values its Exalts highly; their powers and talents are necessary to maintain Shogunate society, and they serve as the visible champions of the people. With that in mind, the Shogunate has specific rules for Exalts, rules that do not apply to most mortals. All Dragon-Blooded must either be training, or assigned to one of the Five Ministries, Five Militaries, or the political branch. In practice, many Dragon-Bloods have a large amount of personal time for their own projects if they do not wish to advance quickly through the ranks. Dragon-Bloods who do not wish to be members of the Shogunate's bureaucracy are technically lawbreakers, although they can find ways around this; a common tactic is for a Terrestrial to go mercenary, attaching themselves to whatever bureau seems convenient at the moment. Others simply travel to the edges of Creation, where the Shogunate can't be bothered following them.

Terrestrial Exalts occupy a prominent place in society, and are expected to realize it. Their foibles and quirks are overlooked, but only so long as they make it relatively easy to overlook them. The Exalted are expected to never go on record as strongly critical of their superiors or the Shogunate in general, and they are expected to at least pay lip service to all the virtues of the Shogunate. Failing to do so leads to rapid promotional stagnantation.