O-shuzora-uji

O-shuzora-uji, the Shuzora clan, was the ruling family of the former Shuzora Empire. The Shuzora saw their downfall in the year 1003, when offshoots of the clan decided to usurp the family and rename themselves as the Asatera clan during the 300 Year War.

History
The Shuzora clan can trace its roots to as far back as Prehistoric Ashihara. Following the coalition of the Miwa and Nita people's states around the 4th century. The Shuzora clan was allegedly chosen as the most capable family of protecting their people, though no official dates can be assigned to the first monarch to officiate the clan as an Empire. There were possibly several dozen power centers within Ashihara during the same time the Shuzora Empire rose to power, though no concrete evidence towards the existence of these civilisations have been found outside of archaic military reports.

During of the reign of legendary Emperor Tenyō (383 - 418), the Shuzora clan developed a powerful army which allowed them to take control of southwest Ashihara, all throughout the Classical Era. The empire controlled large swaths of farmland, which was distributed amongst descendants of the Imperial house, and controlled the trade of goods in the region. Civil unrest during this time was put down by militarised branches of the Shuzora clan, and clans which did not desire to remain under imperial rule first defected to the northern reaches of Ashihara around the year 402. Relations with the east's own great civilization, the Toyosaki Monarchy, were more or less amicable during this time as the Shuzora Empire saw the creation of major trade routes, which would become the backbone of Ashihara's economy throughout the Classical Era.

The Enlightenment Era
Through the cultural exchange and trade with scholars and scientists of the Toyosaki Monarchy, educated individuals in the Shuzora Empire learned of the technological advancements and natural sciences of the Toyosaki people at that time, which helped the Shuzora Empire build up the beginnings of a theoretical, medical and technological base. This would later benefit the success of the radical industrialisation of the Asatera clan during the end of the 300 year war.

The subsequent moral and philosophical movement become involved in the Empire's political debate over the integrity of the clan's cultural identity, arguing that imitating the Toyosaki's way of life would harm rather than strengthen Tenri. Though exchange of information would not come to a repression until 817, where academic texts became highly controlled and limited. Scholars, students, merchants and envoys alike would still be allowed to travel abroad freely until 879, when Emperor Seitoku (863 - 896) ordered restrictions on activities that were considered a disturbance to the social harmony. From the year 910 and onwards, only political envoys and representatives of the imperial court were allowed to travel past the borders.

The 300 Year War
The 300 Year War was sparked by Emperor Tensei's (925-947) murder of Toyosaki-no-miya Yorinari Taishi. The Emperor would lead his people into war with the expressed purpose of unifying Ashihara. In the year 947, Emperor Tensei was murdered by an unidentified confidant.

Bereft of a military leader, infighting began among the Shuzora clan and its offshoots for an individual to take his place. The Shuzora clan was eventually usurped and replaced by individuals who renamed their family as the Asatera clan.

Kami Worship and the Imperial Shrine
The Shuzora were considered to be the main proponents of Kami worship during the Classical Era.

An integration of the beliefs between the Miwa and Nita people resulted in the founding of the Imperial Shrine, worshiping the Kami named Ame-no-asashihiko-no-hiruma-no-mikoto, colloquially known as Hi-no-kami or the Kami of the Sun. This shrine would inspire the populace to worship the Kami, and many more shrines would be founded in its wake. Mikoryoku has its roots in this cultural phenomenon of the 300s.

It was also around this time that philosophers created the House of Beginnings, O-meguyoku-uji, as they began pondering about the origins of life.