hey there @lavendreghost!!! as fate would have it, I wound up being your Pokemon Conquest Secret Santa this year! which is perfect, because now I have the opportunity to drop some of my favorite headcanons about Illusio!
Illusio is the largest kingdom in Ransei, and its landscape is incredibly varied. While a good portion of the central kingdom is forested, the terrain is mountainous throughout, and many valleys, ridges, and rivers within the kingdom are home to smaller villages (such as the one a certain honorable retainer hails from). The trees thin out the closer you get to Terrera, and peaks start forming along the border pass that leads to the eastern kingdoms.
Alongside Terrera, Illusio spans right through the center of Ransei, which means they get hit hard by just about every season. While spring and autumn are beautiful across the kingdom, winters are frigid and summers are searing. This actually doesn’t discourage many of Illusio’s inhabitants, though! For them, it’s just another part of life, and Aya in particular has spent many a winter’s night stargazing on the roof on the castle without a thought for any cold winds.
Of course, there is one very big thing that differentiates Illusio from any other kingdom in Ransei. The mystery of Illusio’s psychic crystals is one that countless warriors have devoted themselves to studying, and while it is believed that the presence and powers of the crystals is a result of the kingdom’s high Psychic Pokemon concentration, much still remains to be learned about them. Kenshin believes that their ancestors once had greater access to the power of the crystals than the Uesugi clan currently possesses, and this is how they were able to do things like lift the castle into the sky.
Illusio is widely renowned as a patron kingdom of the arts. So much so that a large section of the city is dedicated to the musicians, artists, and performers who often flock to Illusio in search of inspiration or a wealthy patron among the kingdom’s nobility. The artists’ quarter was a favorite haunt of Aya’s in her youth, and she often took Kenshin there with her when she could sneak him past the castle guards. Even today, they can be found strolling its streets, enjoying the rare moments where no greater concerns are demanding their attention.
Illusio is one of the last two true hereditary monarchies in Ransei, the other being Nixtorm. They’re also kingdoms where a real separation is still felt between the nobility and the common folk, and while Kenshin and Aya have made strides towards easing this gap, that atmosphere of elitism hasn’t gone away overnight. A large part of Kenshin’s efforts has included the welcoming of all sorts of warriors, even commoners and outsiders from other kingdoms, into Illusio’s army.
Instead of a traditional “junior warlord” position, the warlord of Illusio will appoint a captain of the royal guard, who is charged with leading the elite squadron of warriors tasked with defending the warlord. Aya has always acted as this for Kenshin, although it’s no secret between them that she’s been eyeing Kanetsugu as her possible successor. That’s not to say Aya has plans to retire anytime soon, though!
Illusio is well-renowned throughout the history of Ransei for its military prowess, and several battles for control of the kingdom over the centuries have been the tipping points of entire wars. Kenshin has continued this legacy, both in his strategic maneuvering against his longtime rival (and perhaps best friend - although you didn’t hear that from Aya) Shingen, and in his holding back of Nobunaga’s attempts to break through the eastern pass.
The traditional festival of Illusio is a massive celebration of the arts that the kingdom is so well-known for. It draws in people from all over Ransei, and while a lot of the festivities are centralized in the artists’ quarter, they tend to spill all through the city. For a long time, most of the songs, writings, and plays being staged were odes to the Uesugi clan, as there was an award for the “warlord’s choice”. Kenshin finally got tired of it and began strongly encouraging people to look to other stories for inspiration.
The holiday season is a gorgeous time in Illusio. Snow covers the trees of the forests and trails outside the city, and the outdoor crystals will frost over in all sorts of colors. Winter solstice is a particularly special night for Aya, and the sky always seems to be clear for her every year. Kenshin will join her on the roof for as long as he can stand the cold, usually with some of their favorite hot chocolate in tow.
dededos
blakekathryn
stormborns
pixelskylines
turnnoffyourmind
annaxmalina
germansingergirl
