The Shogunate of Tao Feng was established upon the ending of the Scion Wars by Tao Feng, when he marched into Shihon and declared himself Shogun. Since then, the title of Shogun has been claimed by the descendants of Tao Feng himself, with the current being Hitoshi Feng.
History
Founding and Tao Feng’s Reign
Towards the end of the Scion Wars, Tao Feng began to amass a large force by uniting several of the warring scions beneath his own banner through a clever mixture of force and subtlety. To end the Wars, Feng marched his entire force into the mostly untouched city of Shihon and towards the Palace of Kyuden. He then entered the Scarlet Throneroom personally, sat down upon the Scarlet Throne and dictated the edict that would establish the Shogunate that would bear his name. Thus began the reign of Tao Feng, First Shogun of Eldar.
Tao Feng’s first few years were spent pulling the other scions who hadn’t joined him into the Shogunate, through various means. With some, Feng sent in his armies to obliterate the scion, then claimed his territory as his own, establishing a new Daimyo who was loyal to the Shogunate. With others, Feng used diplomatic solutions, promising protection, aid, or wealth, to gain cooperation. Through both means, Tao Feng secured his Shogunate by the fifth year of his reign and then began to focus on reconstruction.
There were many refugees left over from the Scion Wars whose homes were utterly obliterated by the conflict. Tao Feng created small ‘temporary’ settlements for them in the uncompleted Viridian Quarter of Shihon, promising that they would eventually get more permanent settlements. Before his death, he would issue an edict declaring that his successor would carry out that very promise.
Tao Feng gained the absolute trust of the people, when he supported the new economy of the Shogunate with his own wealth. So strongly did he believe in the cause he was creating, that he spent almost 15 billion credits upon its fledgling economy. This action, aided by the many policies Feng put into place, built a strong and stable economy for the new nation.
The rest of Tao Feng’s rule was a golden age of peace for the Shogunate. There were no rebellions, no droughts, no plagues, absolutely no tragedies of any kind. The people began to think Feng was a god and that he would live forever.
Sadly, Feng’s health began to gradually decline by 1 ABY. He had a heart attack in 2 ABY, followed by another in 4 ABY. His body was greatly weakened by these occurrences, and he was fully bedridden by early 5 ABY. He would die the same year, leaving his subjects in the care of his heir and firstborn son, Theros Feng.
Theros Feng’s Reign and Sekai Rebellion
Upon Tao Feng’s death in 5 ABY, his son and heir Theros Feng ascended to the Throne, with much popularity from the people. The Shogunate was highly prosperous, with a growing economy, rising military and smoothly beginning industrial sector. Thus, Theros was expected to maintain and grow these assets in the Shogunate’s favor, but alas, he proved unable to maintain the blooming country passed down to him.
His problems began with his own attitude. Theros was arrogant, with a belief that the Feng Dynasty was invincible and infallible and therefore, no matter what he did he should be praised. His first act was to force the people living in the temporary community within the Viridian Quarter of Shihon to work in newly built factories with little to no pay. He also imposed this dictate upon every province, ordering the Daimyos to make the poor work in factories to increase the Shogunate’s wealth.
His second order was to raise the tax rate by 25%. Since the Scion Wars, the tax rate had already been rather high to pay for the reconstruction and growth of the Shogunate, though Tao Feng had left strict instructions to lower the tax rate once ten years had passed.
Five years into Theros’ rule, his wife became pregnant with their first and only child. Concurrent with this, the Daimyo of Sekai, a powerful and enigmatic ruler named Akio Hiraito, rose up against Theros rule and began to unite the provinces under his banner, claiming that the Shogunate had lost its authority. Because of his declaration, an immediate session of the Council of Elders was called, the first ever in the history of the Shogunate, to deal with the problem.
However, the Council took a great deal of time to assemble and deliberate, enough for Hiraito to gather his forces and march towards Shihon. He never made, for halfway into his march, the Council made its decision a full two years after the Council was convened. Theros was removed as Shogun and sent into exile across the far northern border of the Shogunate. Hiratio attempted to make himself Shogun, but was rejected by the Council, not fully wishing to dispose of the Feng line, in favor of Theros’ son, Hitoshi.
Regency
As Theros’ son was merely a babe, the Council voted that a regent should be placed in the office of Shogun until the Hitoshi would come of age. The regent, a self-righteous but wholly incompetent man named Minister Sheng, ruled with the aid of the Council for eighteen years. During Minister Sheng’s reign, the Shogunate experienced a period a small growth, though it did little to strengthen the Shogunate’s economy.
On the whole, Minister Sheng’s regency received very little favor or criticism. It simply seems to have just been accepted on the whole by the Shogunate.
When Hitoshi reached the age of eighteen, Minister Sheng stepped down as regent and Hitoshi ascended to the Shogun position. Though young, Hitoshi embodied the traits of his grandfather, albeit in a slightly less active manner. Hitoshi did not enter the Shogun office without great criticism however, especially from the Sekai province.
Hitoshi endeavored to make right what his father had made wrong by lowering the tax rate by almost 10%. He also reformed the army, creating a doctrine that each province would send a legion of its own troops to be retrained and placed within the Shogunate army, to prevent further rebellion and complications. Both of these actions received much favor with the populace and boosted Hitoshi’s approval.
His next action, however, would lose him a lot of standing. Believing himself to not possess the funds necessary to rebuild the Viridian Quarter, he instead built a dividing wall upon which sentries were placed. This led to a violent outcry within the Quarter and almost to a rebellion, were it not for the timely arrival of three Dark Jedi to visit the Shogun.
Sanguinius Tsucyra Entar, Celevon Edraven, and Kratus Vahillus were brought before Shogun Hitoshi in the year 35 ABY, during the seventh year of his reign. Hitoshi welcomed the Dark Jedi and was delighted by them, when Sanguinius showed him basic tasks done with the aid of the mysterious ‘Force’. He united with the SCEPTER organization by giving it free use of the Sapphire Quarter of Shihon City.
Dominion
The Shogunate of Tao Feng is made up of eight provinces; Shihon, Lokhou, Novitate, Nih, Taiyo, Tsuki, Sekai and Minui. Each province is governed by a Daimyo, with the exception of Shihon which is directly governed by the Shogun, who dictates and enforces the will of the Shogun. Each Daimyo is required to supply his own personal army, though the Army of the Shogunate itself is stationed in the Shihon province.
Branches of Government
There are only two branches of government in the Shogunate, as the Shogun is Supreme Ruler except in a case of extreme circumstance whereupon a Council of Elders is called to convene. Theros Feng is the only Shogun to have ever had a Council of Elders called during his reign as Shogun.
Executive
The executive power of the Shogunate lies in the Shogun himself. This position is the most powerful, being able to control all other aspects of the Government except in times of extreme political unrest or if the Shogun is deemed unable to continue to uphold in his duties.
The office of Shogun has been held by the Feng family line since the office was established by Tao Feng in 30 BBY. Although this is the common practice, should a clan prove strong enough it can overthrow the Feng dynasty and claim the Shogun title for itself through Champion challenging. To declare a champion challenge, the rival clan must appear before the Council of Elders and call out the reigning Shogun. From there, both families will select a Champion to fight for them in a battle to the death. The victor of the battle is thereby declared Shogun, and his clan then takes the Throne from then on.
The only Feng dynasty Shogun to be challenged was Theros Feng, who defended his right to be Shogun through honorable combat against Demos Thai. Shortly afterward, Feng was brought to trial by the Council of Elders, and removed from the position of Shogun.
Legislative & Judicial
The legislative and judicial powers of the Shogunate rest in the Council of Elders predominantly, except in cases of trial where the Shogun will sit as judge. The Council is made up of two elders from each province, both male and female members are allowed. The total Council body is 16 elders, as there are eight provinces within the Shogunate.
The Elder Council is mostly a formality, in actuality it is only ever used when a Shogun is unable to perform his/her duties while upon the Throne. There is only one case in the history of the Shogunate where the Elder Council has actually convened, and it was to discuss and exile Theros Feng, who proved unfit to continue as Shogun.
The concept of the Elder Council was one created by the Scarlet Empire, which Tao Feng kept upon taking the Throne as Shogun.
Military
The Shogunate’s military force is in two parts: the main Shogunate Army located in Shihon province and the individual armies of each Daimyo, which can be merged into the main force should situation arise.
Within both parts of the army there is the same basic rank structure. The structure is broken down into five ranks, two for officers and three for enlisted. The Shogun serves as commander-in-chief of the army and is therefore the highest rank the field, followed by the High General, then by the highest officer rank. The structure is as follows:
- Private
- Sergeant
- Tyro
- Captain
- Commander
A platoon structure is four privates to one sergeant, with eight sergeants to one Tyro, with the Tyro being commander of the platoon.
A company structure is four Tyros to a Captain, with a Captain being commander of a company.
A brigade structure is four Captains to a Commander, with a Commander being the highest officer of a brigade.
The current Shogunate Army consists of fifteen brigades, while each Daimyo holds another four brigades per province.
Religion
The Shogunate worships a Pantheon of eight gods, one for each province. A temple is erected in the capital of each province, with the one to the chief god located in Shihon’s Diamond Quarter.
The Shogunate’s gods are listed as follows:
- Haru - The Sun God, chief of the Pantheon whose temple is housed in Shihon
- Isao - The God of Honor, whose temple is located in Sekai
- Aimi - The Goddess of Beauty, whose temple is located in Minui
- Katsu - The God of Victory, whose temple is located in Taiyo
- Izumi - The Goddess of Waters, whose temple is located in Tsuki
- Masami - The Goddess of Earth, whose temple is located in Lokhou
- Kin - The God of Wealth and Fortune, whose temple is located in Nih
- Masaaki - The God of the Afterlife, whose temple is located in Novitate
Every year, citizens are encouraged to make a pilgrimage to each temple, in order to show their belief in the religion. During the process of the pilgrimage, citizens are also encouraged to go to the Palace of Kyuden, in order to show their loyalty to the Shogun.
Shoguns Emeritus
| Shogunate of Tao Feng
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| Shogun
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Service Dates
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| Tao Feng
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30 BBY - 5 ABY
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| Theros Feng
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5 ABY - 12 ABY
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| Minister Sheng (Acting Regent)
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12 ABY - 28 ABY
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| Hitoshi Feng
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28 ABY - Present
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