Hesomishu Shogunate

The Hesomishu Shogunate was the first military regime in Maikhohoto’s history, founded by the Matanomo clan after centuries of civil conflict and the collapse of the imperial court’s authority. Its creation marked the end of the Shikken Period and the beginning of a new political order in which the emperor remained as a divine figurehead, but true power rested in the hands of the shōgun and the clans.   Although ambitious in scope, the Hesomishu Shogunate never achieved full control over the realm. From their stronghold in Hesomishu, the shōguns waged endless wars against northern and western clans, while the emperor remained in the capital Maikhosato. The resulting dual structure of priestly and military rule gave rise to constant tension between the Makhoren, who alone could grant imperial legitimacy, and the shōgun, who ruled by the sword.   After the death of the first shōgun, the weakened Matanomo line collapsed, and the Ojo clan assumed power as regents, or shikken, governing in the shōgun’s name. Both the emperor and shōgun became ceremonial figures while the Ojo ruled through councils and decrees. The emperor’s final attempt to reclaim control, known as The Emperor’s Last War (1034–1038), ended in failure and permanently subordinated the imperial court to Hesomishu’s approval. To preserve relevance, the Makhoren accepted the shogunate’s legal supremacy but retained exclusive authority over the ritual calendar and sacred coronations.   The Ojo strengthened their regency with new laws granting regional shugo broad judicial power. The shogunate also claimed the right to issue and recognize Arcane Seals, deciding which temples could maintain Adventuring Companies. This provoked resistance from the temples, who viewed the licensing of magic and ritual practice as their divine domain. External threats soon compounded internal strife, armies from the mainland invaded several times before a massive storm destroyed their fleet, hailed by priests as the divine protection of Maikho.   By the early 12th century, war and corruption had drained the treasury. The temples began issuing their own Seals again, openly defying the shōgun. In response, the Ojo filled key posts with family members and loyal followers, promoting them to shugo, but this nepotism alienated the other clans. Soon, three competing systems of magical and political legitimacy existed: Shogunal Seals in the emperor’s name, Provincial Seals issued by the shugo, and Temple Seals for spiritual rites. The shogunate’s decrees lost universal authority, as each province recognized its own laws.   The final years of Hesomishu were marked by rebellion and betrayal. The Ojo attempted to maintain control by placing weak emperors on the throne, but Emperor Sei-Simansu resisted and declared his own successor. When the Ojo sent a warlord from the Molishu clan to suppress him, the general defected, siding with the emperor and turning against Hesomishu. The Ojo were defeated and driven back to their southern homelands.   In the aftermath, Sei-Simansu sought to restore imperial rule, but the Molishu revealed their true ambition: to replace the Ojo, not to serve the throne. Backed by the samurai class and endorsed by the Makhoren, the Molishu launched a new war that ended with Sei-Simansu’s deposition and the enthronement of a Makhoren-backed candidate. In 1129 AP, the Molishu Shogunate was founded.   The Hesomishu Shogunate had united Maikhohoto in name but left it deeply divided in practice, a realm ruled through competing loyalties, shifting rituals, and the fragile balance between sword and sanctity.