OLD LEGEND RETOLD

Legend tells of an island at the far edges of the world, lost to time and to memory…Once, this land was called Takamagahara, the heavenly plain. An island, shaped in Arceus’ own image, to serve as the doorway between the realm of mortalkind and that of the heavenly pokémon that shaped this world. It was said that the humans who made their homes here were the favored of Arceus—a people who bore a unique gift, said to be tasked with the duty of maintaining the balance between human and pokémon kinds.It was said that this land’s leader was anointed by Arceus themself, their chosen champion among men. But as mortals are wont to do, time came when the land came to conflict. As its people spread, the once-unified nation began to fracture and break.Tales differ here. Some claim that the Emperor was corrupted by power, sacrificing his humanity in the name of power from Arceus themselves. Others say that he remained a just and fair ruler, merely trying to keep the peace within his kingdom and fulfill Arceus’ will, and it was the opposing factions of his kingdom that were corrupt. Whatever the cause, there would come a day where the conflict came to a head, and the Emperor was slain in the night.Arceus was enraged. Mankind had failed their, and taken the live of their beloved champion. The kingdom they went to such pains to create was now permanently fractured. And so, in retaliation, Arceus cast them out. The island was split away from the heavens with a curse: the land of Ransei would forever be doomed to conflict, an endless war. There would be no forgiveness unless a true leader could rise up and unify the kingdoms beneath a single banner once again.…And so would the island of Ransei be doomed to live forever in turbulent times.

OF RICE AND RUIN

In the southern region of Ransei is the small, landlocked kingdom of Aurora. For all intents and purposes, there should be no reason for Aurora to still be standing—one would expect a much larger kingdom would have swallowed it up ages ago. Years of misfortune had whittled down a once proud kingdom, leaving Aurora as little more than a poor nation of rice farmers. Still, its leaders, were a stubborn bunch. Traditionally, they held a staunch position of not involving themselves in the war that consumed Ransei, believing that attempts to unify the kingdom through force was a meaningless endeavor. (To their credit, several centuries of history would certainly suggest they were right.)The last warlord of Aurora (prior to our heroine) was Azai Osamu, Hiroko’s father. After Aurora was crippled by an attack from another kingdom (a ploy to earn an easy foothold in the south), Osamu earned a reputation as a fearsome leader in his own right for withstanding the onslaught that, to any outside observer, should have been nothing short of a slaughter. He would go on to ensure his kingdom’s survival by establishing strong alliances with other kingdoms throughout southern and central Ransei—even with the losses they had suffered, he would be damned before he let his kingdom and their long history fall to ruin.This was the world in which the princess Hiroko was born.

TRIAL BY FIRE

Hiroko inherited her father’s position as Warlord of Aurora just days after her 18th birthday. Her father’s death had shaken the kingdom to its core—a beloved leader, a man who had saved their home from utter ruin, suddenly brought low by an assassin. (For what purpose was anyone’s guess—to destabilize the alliances of the south, perhaps?)Not but within a week of his funeral, Aurora was attacked again, this time by the neighboring Ignis,a kingdom they had held an alliance with for the past ten years. The initial attack was small–easily fended off with even Aurora’s meager numbers–but the message was clear. Aurora was in no place to fight; either they would surrender, or they would lose.(It was also around this time that Hiroko met a woman named Oichi, who would become her friend and confidant quickly thereafter for all the help she provided.)Her plan was a dangerous one. She claimed to accept the terms of surrender, but on the condition that she be allowed a week to convince her men and advisers, lest their pride lead to further conflict–she had only just become Warlord, after all, and she had yet to truly prove herself to her people. To her relief, Hideyoshi took the bait. In a week’s time, Hiroko would bring her men–numbering a mere twenty-some, the result of deaths, age, and injuries over the years–and ambush Hideyoshi, ultimately forcing him to had over his kingdom and go into exile.That night, Hiroko would be visited by a peculiar vision...

A STRANGE DREAM

Hiroko and Arceus have a nice chat.

THE HEAVENSENT CHILD

Hiroko unites Ransei, throws hands with Nobunaga, links with Arceus, knows she's gonna get princess kaguya'd eventually so decides yeah maybe I shouldn't be in charge.

Lore Directory

Due to the fact that Conquest is a spin-off game with virtually no hope of ever getting a sequel, I reserve full rights to write whatever the fuck I want about it. Here's a directory of all the lore that may be relevant to Hiroko's blog.

Warriors and Links - What's up with Conquest's main game mechanic? How does this "linking" stuff even work?
Follow Ups: Forced Links, Separating Link Partners, and Warrior Skills.Aurora & Ransei Culture
Aurora's Army - Conscription and enlistment.
Literacy - It's about what you'd expect from Aurora.
Religion - Follow-up, and Hiroko's relationship to her religion.
Gender Roles - Includes Hiroko's particular relationship to them.
Map of the City - A simple overview of Aurora's central city.
The Invasion of Aurora - A major event in Aurora's recent history.
NPCs - Azai Osamu, Osamu and Arceus, Todo Takatora, Aurora's Soldiers, The First Emperor of RanseiGeneral Ransei Worldbuilding
Map Overview - A breakdown of Ransei's main regions.
Rainbow Rice? - Yes, this is a thing.
Ransei Transportation - Follow-up: Valora's railroads during the war.
Ransei Communication - In which we make Ransei even more anachronistic than it already was.
Mini Headcanon: Kimono Layers
Misc Kingdom Facts! - Ignis, Greenleaf & Education, Violight, Valora, & Tech, Illusio's Justce System