#akemi kikoku

[springbudeyes]

Please enjoy the first installment of a new series I'd like to call Gamemode 0!

If you're waiting for Mianite Season Four (ha), this will hopefully tide you over. Gamemode 0 is a highly produced mini-series that tells a story through text, dramatic audio narration, a musical score, and images. It stars a villain who was an edgy Grim Reaper in 2015 and it poses the question—how much has Kikoku Botan really changed since 2015?

That question will be answered over the course of – I'm guessing – seven-ish chapters? The first chapter, which you're about to read and hear, is based on a Minecraft RP session held in a single night. Those present for the session include World Historian's original writer (me) and a group of talented role-players. More info under the cut!

Here's the cast:

Moth @robotmothpie as Ginkgo Belshem

CloudF11 @silent-moons-camp as Cloud Endernatus

Metal @mx-metal as Omu Vulcan

Honor @cult-of-athar as Fateshaper (the Big Bad)

Matthew (me) as World Historian

(All characters are voiced by me.)

Background:

The project was Mianite Etherealis. We played on a private 1.12 server for two years, ending in early 2023. The chapter you're about to read (titled Session One) covers the RP session that brought World Historian into the narrative.

I would almost go so far as to say that you're about to experience a canon World Historian mini-series with implications for all World Historian content in existence.

Is it actually canon? I don't know. It's as authentic as you'll ever get for WH, that's for sure. I've spent the last nine years developing the cosmology being used here. I planted the seeds for it when I created World Historian in 2015.

But no, Gamemode 0 isn't Dec-and-Tom-approved canon. And my astounding co-writers aren't offical Mianite writers. And Etherealis isn't a piece of lost Mianite media, though you can think of it that way if you'd like.

Vision:

Gamemode 0 will follow the plot of Mianite Etherealis for one more session, then embark on its own original plot centered on World Historian.

That being said, my aim with Gamemode 0 is to dig up a piece of the past and link it to the future. This series is one of many projects that could result from that effort. If it sees enough support, it could grow beyond text, images, and audio. We have endless headroom here.

If you're looking for Botan's history in Ruxomar, you'll find it. If you're hoping for a glimpse into Akemi and Mina's lives, you'll get it. If you seek all manner of strange World Historian lore, consider it yours. If you just wanna sink your teeth into a juicy hunk of Mianite meat, go get a napkin, you menace.

We have plenty of chapters to take us from the past, to the future, and back again. I could just list the plain facts about World Historian in a lore post, but I could never be satisfied with that. I'm a storyteller.

Disclaimer:

The players own their characters. Most of the dialogue and actions in Session One come straight from the corresponding RP session. I'm just putting it all to a narrative and making readability tweaks for first-timers.

Shout-outs:

Happy birthday yesterday, Honor! We love you!! I guess this is one of your presents. Thanks for letting World Historian take over as the big scary dude for a session. And sorry for writing out our best boy, Oleander. We should co-write something someday.

Cloud, thanks for going back to our defunct Minecraft world to set everything up and take the awesome shadered screenshots for Session One. Also thanks for making c!Cloud such a great POV character. He carries Gamemode 0.

Thank you, Moth, for the un-shadered screenies, for being my PR person, and for supporting me generally all the time. PDA PDA aaaaa!

And thanks, Metal, for being the cool one. B)

Calls to action:

Mianitees, shower love upon my friends. I know Moth and Cloud would jump at the opportunity to answer asks about their passionately crafted OCs. And so would Honor and Metal, I suspect. With the right motivation, who knows what they could create?

The link will send you to my Substack blog, where you'll be able to read, listen, like, and subscribe to my newsletter. The paid subscription has no advantage over the free one; most of you will pick free, but if anyone would like to support me financially, that would be super appreciated. (If we get some traction with subs, I'll set up sub goals and a budget for upgrades to my production.) I plan to release Gamemode 0 chapters as frequently as I can, but I will post something to my Substack every month—Mianite related or not.

Also please like and reblog this Tumblr post if you dig it and want to see more.

Now go and enjoy your food.

[voidandradiance]

* these two are so deep in the fridge that their names get switched around regularly

** counted as 1/7 overall, but split for this poll

[fandomstuckportal]

((OOC: im still 20 episodes behind. anyway))

[ainelane]

Just thinking about how its straight up confirmed that the season 1 darkness was world historian and not the same darkness from mianitian isles. Or unlike the ianites when ever the parents of the gods awaken to their power they share a level of consciousness. Like world historian is both the darkness and kikoku. But operating in two different realities. I say this because world historian leaves Sonja Deaths gifts. Which in season one the darkness used to tempt Sonja to its side to act on his will similar to modestep but she was so subtle that if you don't watch her perspective you might not notice it. Anyway world historian explicitly use the name deaths gifts and offers Sonja the chance to side with him again but she refuses. So in season 1 the darkness came and claims to be the reason why there are so few gods now and claims the gods the heroes worship fears them. Come mianitian isles we find our the darkness is one of the parents of the gods and is actively trying to corrupt/consume them. Normally I would just chalk this up to retcon. Trying to start fresh while not completely throwing out the previous lore but, what if they are both the same yet different. If the darkness and Angrec exist outside of normal existence and have analogs in every deminsion who act independently but are all essentially small parts of their true selves. It would make sense because we could finally conclusively say that Angrec is the being above ianite who she made a deal with. That implies. 1. Ianite is at the level where she can peer outside of existence and perceive the true light and 2. When world historian says ianite knew how small she really is he is referring to the fact that she glimpsed his true self before he even knew about it. I have more for this slightly more headcanon than it sounds idea but ill save it for later

Tldr: kikoku and the darkness are both the parents of the gods and an aspect of the true darkness

Akemi and Angrec are the 'mothers' of the gods and aspects of the true light

[mukuharakazui]

"fantasy regions and ethnicities are not the same as real ones so any history, culture, relations, etc. should be acknowledged as being different" + "fantasy regions and ethnicities are often based directly off of real ones which is why representation of various cultural facets is often praised and harmful tropes are often criticized" could very well be about something like asian gms having fun curating cultural specifics in pathfinder's tian xia or racism and colorism in the witcher.

of course it applies to literally all fantasy settings but for me it's about me rubbing my hands all over mianite s2's ruxomar. ruxomar is its own whole ass dimension but names like "glede helgrind" and "akemi kikoku" don't exist in the vacuum of ruxomar and are associated with certain languages and nations (old norse and relatively modern japanese, respectively).

most of mianite s2 is very clearly based on norse mythology and terms, but the parents of the ruxomar gods both being japanese is really funny because that means these 2 japanese people just started a whole romp through a scandinavian-inspired plot. so it leaves a unique fantasy setting with very clear ties to real languages, ethnicities, and cultures with nothing necessarily to praise or criticize, just something really funny.

[patronsaintsofnothing]

still upset that theyre replacing akemi kikoku (?? thats her name right, the gods' mom) with angrec or thats what you guys are saying bc NOT TO BE THAT GUY but its a very obviously japanese name and angrec is. white. do you guys see what im getting at here.

anyway i interpreted it that angrec was their mentor and not their mom but again i was half paying attention to the vod

[shabaababa]

The World of Mianite theory #whyisworldhistoryananasshole

When Botan was young he got a skin colour disease that made his skin slowly turn gray. No one wanted to be around him because of this. But then he met a girl named Akemi who made swords for a living. She was the first person who was kind to him. So later they got married and had 3 kids (who I don’t need to name).

But when she died, Botan started to hate their children for making her body weaker. And so he found a way to bring her back (at least that's what he believed). He needed to gather enough quintessence to do that. And so he killed all his 3 children and the rest is what happend in season 2.

[shaba-the-art]

Young Botan and Akemi from The World of Mianite

I really like the background...

[conwayfamilytree]

Sketches of my girls today

[conwayfamilytree]

GODS PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE GIVE US LORE ON THE KIKOKUS IM BEGGING BOTAN AND AKEMI ALLLLLLL WE WANT IS LORE ON THESE CHARACTERS I PROMISE

Happy 10th – Here's a Present

If you're reading this, know that I would like to spend the 50th Mianite anniversary with you as well. The memories will only get better. I've been on the DL about my Mianite activities since Season 2, but the truth is that back in 2021-2022 I played in a private Mianite RP with some dear friends. There were five or six of us at a given time (the ideal number). We were passionate. The only thing we lacked was the ability to stream. So the whole thing was a sand castle. We did it because we loved it. Then it was gone with the tide. One of the coolest things we did in that RP was develop the character of World Historian. Yes, the black-hooded edge lord who farmed the insecurities of his own kids until the world they loved (Ruxomar) was a lifeless husk. Botan Kikoku, we used to call him. Bearer of the Kikoku blade. He's grown up a lot since 2015. From this...

To this.

Where did he get that leg? That robotic arm? That wing???

Oh.

And what's up with his head? Well, let's just say he's done some work on his crown chakra. He used to destroy worlds like so...

Now he destroys them like so.

He used to farm wheat like this.

Now he farms it like this.

Invidere used to be a dinky wannabe samurai sword.

Now it – forgive me, HE – is a gigantic axe-headed snake made of chisel bits. (Screenies don't do his majestic coils justice. Thank robotmothpie for trying, though.)

There's much more to tell. Scream at an ear-splitting decibel if you liked this teaser and require more World Historian content. I still have his account, by the way. I wonder what I could possibly do with it.

[bonsquiggle]

God’s mom doodle.

[fandomstuckportal]

((OOC: WHY ARE FAMILY TREES NEVER FUCKING SIMPLE

edit: horny mode))

[conwayfamilytree]

what if Spark took Ianite’s name, so his is now Spark Conway-Kikoku?

I didn’t know I could get asks. This is so exciting to me.

I don’t have a direct answer for this yet!! Personally, I love hyphenated last names. But in terms of characterization and stuff I think it comes down to how do divine families work? Do the gods hold last names to the same standard we do? I would have to assume yes because Akemi named her sword kikoku but I don’t know.

Also, how do the gods feel towards their parents (at the point in time that spark and ianite would be married )? Would she want to rid any association she has of her family?

Many things to think about. I will ponder !!

[fandomstuckportal]

DEUCE! DEUCE!

((OOC: akemi-era botan, and, well, akemi.))

[springbudeyes]

Akemi: Origin

The last of the planet’s shards had been stitched back into place. 

Akemi rolled her shoulders with a crack. Her welding torch lay cooling at her feet, its dying sparks bright against the dusk. A plane of bedrock stretched out on all sides. She straddled a white-hot seam where the stone had been sealed.

With the void finally closed, rain and wind would spread soil. Widely sown seeds would bear up grass. Around Akemi, dotting the gray-black planes, dozens more workers set down their tools to stand in awe. A web of dimming light slithered out to the horizon. 

Akemi’s hand wandered to her belly. The ache was different from before.

The forge-woman fell against her cabin’s door as it swung shut. A fair woman rushed to her side, taking her weight. Together they hobbled to a dining table, where Akemi eased herself into a chair and allowed her companion to tug off her boots. She slumped over. Slender but strong hands worked the knots out of her back.

Supper was eggs and lettuce. Akemi’s partner looked across the table and waited to speak until the forge-woman finished.

“The world is new. You did it,” she said.

Akemi lifted her sweat-streaked face. “Will you speak tomorrow, Mina?”

“Yes. I just need a name.”

Akemi glanced between her legs. The dull pain was normal for this time of the month, but it was somehow more potent. Almost pleasant. More strangely, there was no color.

A word crept to her lips. “Ruxomar.”

The next day, people gathered in the town square. This was the planet’s first new village since the collapse. It had been built in the center of a meadow. Resources flowed from all sides, and so did refugees. Every known survivor of the old world had come.

Mina took hold of the podium, scanning the crowd. Her fingers gripped the lacquered wood as if to coax power from it.

“The Historian is destroyed.”

The crowd roared with applause.

“The world is reknit.” At another outcry, she raised her voice. “His work will be undone. However...” The people hushed. “Some things will never be the same. The gods have left us forever. Now we must stand on our own feet.”

Akemi, in the crowd, traced her belly with a fingertip.

Mina bellowed, “Ruxomar, the reborn world, shall never fall prey again! We will rise against fate!”

That night, Akemi pressed Mina to the wall of a candle-lit room, locking lips and fingers. Shortly thereafter, the couple lay side by side in bed, looking through a skylight.

“Which star is yours?” asked Mina, hair splayed like roots.

Akemi rolled to pin her. “Whichever one is you.”

Next dawn, crumbling banks of soil and stone had already begun to coat the newly mended bedrock. Diggers pushed the process along. The world was far from fixed, but the void was sealed and so were most bad memories.

Word spread that a seer had arrived in town—a seer charged by gods above gods to seek out a woman possessing a special gift. 

Akemi went to investigate. The seer was a charismatic and zealous man who called himself Botan. He fascinated the forge-woman like no other male she had met. When he ran his fingers across her brow, probing for signs, Akemi closed her eyes. For some reason, she trusted him.

“The gift is yours,” the seer whispered.

Akemi snapped alert. “Tell me.”

Botan took her hands in his. “You’re having strange pains, yes? Almost pleasurable.”

“Yes!” She frowned. “But I haven’t told anyone. How do you know?”

“Your stars have told me. I don’t mean the stars you see from your bed.”

Akemi gulped. “Your eyes are vast. What else have you seen?”

“You shall bear the new gods of Ruxomar.” 

While Akemi sat stunned, Botan ushered several village officials into the room. They all bore witness to his findings and insisted to Akemi that it was her destiny to fulfill the seer’s prophecy. However, one question remained. Who would be the father?

“That, too, is my charge,” said Botan.

Akemi fled into Mina’s arms.

“He could be saying it to woo you.” Mina pulled back, drawing a finger down Akemi’s tear-stained cheek.

“He knew my pain. He knew I was with child.”

“The world doesn’t need gods anymore.” Mina slammed her palms on a windowsill.

“But if we could have them, how could we refuse?”

Mina strode to the far wall, lifting Akemi’s brutish welding torch from its display shelf. “With our own hands, Akemi. We fixed this world. We killed the Historian.”

“We did those things with the gods’ leftover strength. How do you think these torches are powered, my love? How do you think our great weapon was fired?”

Mina lowered her face, shaking.

“Think of my bloodline. We owe everything to the gods.” Akemi approached as softly as she could, but her steps jarred Mina and pushed her back. Even so, she pressed forward. “After twenty-two generations, Ianite’s bloodline gave rise to me: a woman capable of giving birth to new gods! Isn’t this fate?”

“And he’ll be the father?” Mina glared.

Akemi’s lip quivered. “Nothing’s changing between us.”

“I’ve met him, you know. There’s something wrong with him.”

Akemi threw Mina a baffled look.

Smashing the torch to the floor, Mina stomped out of the house into a sweltering afternoon.

Akemi gazed out the window after her. “Shortsighted,” she muttered.

In that moment, a male voice behind Akemi murmured the exact same word, making an undertone. 

Akemi whirled about, finding herself locked in Botan’s embrace.

Within a month, the cabin belonged to him, and Akemi had taken his surname as her own: Kikoku. Ruxomar trained its gaze on the potential parents of the new gods.

Mianite, Dianite, and Ianite were born. At first, the prophecy seemed flawed. Mianite failed to express his godhood. But given time, Botan’s words would prove true.

As his children aged, the seer mysteriously lost his power, and with it, the alluring persona he had worn. A foul and temperamental man surfaced. Often - especially on days Botan hurt Mianite - Akemi longed for Mina. But she knew that no matter what kind of man Botan was, his gift to Ruxomar was real.

While mothering the gods, Akemi took back up her old hobby of sword-smithing. After all, if Mina’s words held any truth, Ruxomar needed to be ready for whatever came. Akemi’s last desire was to dishonor her companion’s memory. She kept the old welding torch atop her forge. While pounding out her first masterwork - the original Kikoku blade - she engraved it with many precious words. Among them was Mina’s family name.

[fandomstuckportal]

((OOC: akemi and her tiefling wife))