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High Priestess Mai Chie (WIP)
High Priestess |
In office:
1905 - present
Preceded by: NAME OF PREDECESSOR
High Messenger |
In office:
1770 - 1905
Preceded by: NAME OF PREDECESSOR
Succeeded by: NAME OF SUCCESSOR
Personal Details |
Born: | January 29th, 1170 (age 851) |
Nationality: | Ketorushiman |
Ethnicity: | Ketorushiman |
Species: | Kitsune |
Political Party: | None |
Spouse(s): | None |
Children: | None |
Education: | NAME OF UNIVERSITY |
Religion: | Inari Worship |
Signature: | [img]URL TO LEADER'S SIGNATURE[/img] |
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- NAME OF LEADER, OPTIONALLY WHERE/WHEN THEY SAID THIS
Mai Chie is the current High Priestess of Ketorushima. She has held this role for just over a century, and has led Ketorushima for most of the modern era. She is the first Ketorushiman to have been both High Messenger and High Priestess.
Mai Chie was born in the year 1170 in Fusumizu. As a young child, she was fascinated with the island's history and the stories of distant lands brought back by the messengers. She spent just as much time exploring the hidden places Ketorushima had to offer as reading and listening to the island's oral history. Her parents were not surprised when she sought to become a messenger herself as she matured, and before long she was eagerly setting out on her first travels of her own. She saw much of Siberia and the cultures that inhabited it, as well as the growing state that would become the Russian Empire. When the age of exploration arrived she began visiting locales all across the globe. Her vast knowledge of so many places in peoples was also aided by her photographic memory, a trait more common in kitsune but not at all universal. This knowledge led to her becoming a trusted confidant of the current High Priest and High Messenger by the 17th century.
In 1770, after centuries of both global travel and study at home, Mai Chie was made High Messenger of Ketorushima following the death of her predecessor. In this role she effectively served as the fox nation's chief diplomat as well as its chief expert on foreign cultures. With the High Priestess by nature obligated to stay within the confines of the island, as international contact - both with other supernatural polities and with trusted human representatives - increased her first role became more crucial than it had been for any previous High Messenger. In 1905 following the death of the High Priestess an unprecedented decision was made for her to take on that responsibility, leaving the position of High Messenger to another kitsune.
The High Priest or Priestess derives their authority from the kami Inari, in a very literal sense; they have a direct mental link, and Inari will at times directly take control of them to carry out her will. This partial sacrifice of free will is central to the role, and is believed to be rewarded with status as a kami in the afterlife. Aside from ruling, the role's duties include maintaining and guarding Inari's shrine.
Policies
Modernization
Though wary in the past of modern technology, Mai Chie has supported several initiatives to modernize Ketorushima, supporting the construction of a paved road between major settlements and currently being involved in the electrification of the town of Kuzusunai. She has also tentatively supported the construction of internet infrastructure to further communication with the outside world.Friendly Solitude
Like the leaders before her, Mai Chie has a wary attitude toward the outside world, well aware that humanity as a whole has historically been unkind toward yōkai and other things beyond human understanding. As the human world has advanced technologically and grown in population exponentially, she in particular has become very conscious of the fact that humanity could destroy her species if it so desired. However, she is aware that some humans have a kinder nature, and in the years since the supernatural became widely known to humans she has seen some countries treat inhuman beings very well. Thus, her policy toward the outside world is that she would welcome friendly relations with other nation-states, and perhaps even be willing to grant human leaders an audience, but that Ketorushima wants nothing at all to do with alliances, warfare, and the labyrinthine web of international politics.NAME OR BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF POLICY
EXPLAIN THE POLICY
For & Against
For: yōkai-human equality, pacifism, spiritualism, charity, neutrality, personal freedom, yōkai-tolerant nations
Against: militarism, racism/specism, excessive materialism, environmental destruction
As the highest (and one of the only) political authorities in Ketorushima, Mai Chie has relatively little free time. What time she has she spends reading, meditating, or occasionally talking to the other residents of Fusumizu. She usually seems to have a no-nonsense, even superior attitude, but the truth is she simply takes her role very seriously and is not the most adept socially. She is often overly formal and wordy when speaking, avoiding contractions like the plague.
Being over 800 years old, she has a great deal of knowledge in many areas - history especially - and has built up a substantial collection of written works over the centuries. When a library opened in Temp several years ago she donated some of her collection. Ancient history is Mai Chie's favorite area of study, though she also makes great efforts to remain knowledgeable about current human society. In the past she was particularly intrigued by the works leading up to and resulting from the democratic revolutions of the 18th and 19th centuries, and it's possible this has influenced her rule. In any case she appears to value protection of personal liberty and political freedoms when asked to judge foreign countries, even if Ketorushima wouldn't be considered democratic by human standards.
Personal Trivia
Mai Chie is known to be somewhat wary of outsiders. This isn't due to close-mindedness so much as a desire to protect the community, and once someone proves themselves trustworthy her wariness will end.
Despite this, once trust is gained Mai Chie is actually much more open to interaction with humans than any previous High Priestess, having even stated that would be open to friendly foreign leaders visiting Ketorushima. This has not happened in recorded history.
A somewhat dubious rumor is that she is considering petitioning for membership in the United Nations at some point in the farther future, if relations with humanity prove beneficial. If this ever happened it would be the first example of a yōkai-dominated nation-state (If Ketorushima can be properly called a nation-state) being recognized by the international body. In any case, this would only be something that would happen decades in the future, if the rumor is even true at all.
She has a sister, who lives on a wheat farm on the Rolling Plains.
As High Priestess, and due to her connection with Inari, Mai Chie quite literally must stay on the island, and spend most of her time near the shrine. Although she doesn't make it obvious, she misses her days of free travel throughout the world as a messenger at times.
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