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History of Kaidan

Although Kaidan is a ficticious island chain and fantasy empire, the event set in motion that forms the World of Kaidan is based on an actual event and people from actual Japanese history.

From 1180 to 1185 AD, in Japan the Genpei War was fought over the succession of the Imperial line, between great clans: the Taira and Minamoto. The final battle of that war was fought as a naval engagement on April 24, 1185 on the Straits of Shimoneseki between Honshu and Kyushu, near a village called Dan no ura.

As the fate was sealed against the forces of the Taira clan and their child emperor, Antoku with the Minamoto ships closing in. The emperor and the Taira family lept into the rough sea and drown. At the moment when the Taira Shogun, Taira no Kiyomori is joining in death he utters a vile curse that condemns himself, his emperor and all that he knows into a dark reflection of his Japan, in a land called the empire of Kaidan.

Kaidan is a world resembling 12th century Japan as a truly dark and twisted version on another world.


Since its founding innumerable events from wars, revolts, invasions, purges, plagues and natural disasters have formed a dynamic and destructive history to the current time.


The current date is 1000 years after the founding of the Empire (recorded Antoku 1000).

Antoku the Child Emperor is the current emperor and has been so since it founding day. He is a Zashiki-Warashi (child spirit) cursed to maintain the empire and the Wheel of Life, yet innocent of his undeath state.

Taira no Kiyomori is Shogun and the military dictator of Kaidan, its true leader and bringer of the curse that made Kaidan and the evil Wheel of Life. He is a Goryo, vengeful aristocrat ghost, though he has the attributes of a death knight.

The majority of the loyal nobles of the various provinces of Kaidan are undead themselves, having proven their "undying" loyalty to the Imperial Court and the Shogunate.

Shogun Taira no Kiyomori the military ruler of the Empire