JAPANESE CIVILIZATION FOR AOM 2

Japanese Culture
The Japanese live in an archipelago off the Eastern coast of Asia and from primordial times, their isolation and remoteness in regards to other peoples was a defining factor in the formation of their culture. Japanese language is very complex, and can be represented either through the Kenji or Katakana systems of writing, with each character standing for a specific word or concept. The Japanese gods reflect a great deal of this people's inner and social culture, namely the importance they place in honor and etiquette. Of all Japanese warriors, the most famous are the Samurai, sturdy and lonesome man with their unique battle code, and the Ninja, deadly students of the art of stealth. The traditional Japanese sword, the katana, was used by these warriors. In the feudal days, a Samurai that shunned his lord (the Shogun) and became an outlaw would be called a Ronin. Changes in Japanese religion over time also led to changes in cultural and architectural attitudes, but the most predominant style of architecture remains that linked to Shinto religion. Shinto-style palaces, Torii and various monuments can still be enjoyed today all over the Japanese islands.

Japanese in AoM
The Japanese begin the game with a Palace (their civilization's Town Center) and a Torii. Palaces host a limited number of villagers and this number diminishes with each new Palace that is built. The Japanese hero is the Shogun, a melee combat unit that excels versus myth units and can summon four Samurais to fight alongside him. When a new Palace is built, a Shogun automatically spawns next to it. Each Palace can only have one Shogun. They gather favor by building a Temple and having villagers deposit offerings of food and gold at the Temple, at some expense of resources, to gain favor from the gods. Temples can also be used to create Monks, slow-moving but helpful since they heal allied units. The two Japanese unique buildings are the Torii, a portal to the spirit realms used to create myth units, and the Dojo, where Samurais and Ninjas are trained. Palaces can be upgraded to Shinto Palaces, defensive buildings with increased hit points, attack and line of sight. Japanese infantry and cavalry have great speed and pierce armor, meaning they excel versus archers. Samurais have good hack armor, and are excellent versus myth units and other heroes. Instead of farms, the Japanese build rice plantations that can be harvested by several farmers.

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MAJOR GODS

Amaterasu. Goddess of the sun and ruler of the High Celestial Plain, Amaterasu is the personification of the Sun, born from the left eye of Izanagi while he was purifying himself in a river.
Focus: Cavalry and Siege.
God Power: Scorch, target a group of enemy units to set them on fire until they die or enter water.
Bonus:
- Cavalry has increased speed and line of sight.
- Siege Shops cost 25% less to build.
- Villagers assigned to gathering wood work 50% faster.
- Palaces have greater line of sight and hit points.
- Monks move and heal faster.
Myth Tech: Uzume's Dance. Monks have increased hit points and pierce armor. Siege weapons cost less to build and have better armor, meaning they last longer. Cavalry has increased hack armor.

Izanagi. The spouse and counterpart of Izanami, formed from the thoughts of the first gods. Created the islands of Japan by swirling the sea with a magic spear. After trying to rescue Izanami from Yomi, created the Sun, the Moon and the storms from his eyes and nose while purifying himself in a river.
Focus: Villagers and Infantry.
God Power: Resurrection, Izanagi magically brings ten villagers back to life.
Bonus:
- Samurai have improved increased armor.
- Infantry has increased attack and hit points.
- Buildings cost 50% less to build.
- Villagers have increased pierce armor.
- Temples are built faster.
Myth Tech: Cherry Blossoms. Increases the hit points, speed and attack of villagers. Reduces the cost of buildings and Torii. Buildings have more hit points. Villagers harvest food from plantations 25% faster.

Izanami. Divine being summoned into existence by the first gods, she is the consort of Izanagi, goddess both of creation and death. They created the islands of Japan by swirling the dark empty seas with a magic spear. After dying from childbirth, her spirit was lost in the underworld and she became an evil deity.
Focus: Myth Units.
God Power: Shikome, summons a group of seven wild women that are extremely vicious and fast, but last only for a short period of time in the battlefield.
Bonus:
- Myth units have increased pierce armor and attack range.
- Favor is gathered 50% faster.
- Torii cost less and are built faster.
- Torii have increased hit points.
- Archers have increased attack speed and line of sight.
- Myth units cost 25% less.
Myth Tech: Path to Yomi. Increases hit points and attack of myth units. Reduces unit creation time at the Torii. Samurais move and attack faster. Shikome are able to last longer in battle.

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MINOR GODS

Dark Age

Inari. God of rice and fertility. His improvements aid your villagers.
- Inari increases the pierce armor of villagers and traders.
God Power: Rice Field, target an area of the map to create a rice plantation that can be harvested by villagers and wields the triple of a normal farm's production.
Myth Unit: Kitsune, a corpulent double-tailed fox that has a swipe attack and can hide in forests to heal itself slowly. Good speed and pierce armor. Excels versus archers.
Myth Techs:
- Cooked Rice, Inari decreases the creation time of villagers.
- Fushimi Torii, Inari increases the favor gain rate of temples.
- Offerings, Inari allows villagers to harvest 50% more food from plantations.
- O-Mamori, Inari increases the hit points and line of sight of villagers.

Susanoo. God of the sea and storms. His improvements aid your infantry and cavalry.
- Susanoo increases the pierce armor of infantry and cavalry.
God Power: Tsunami, target any body of water to create a powerful and widely dispersed that will capsize any boats in the water, friendly or enemy, and demolish coastal buildings with tidal waves.
Myth Unit: Orochi, an eight-headed serpent with area damage effect. Can attack multiple enemy units at once. Good hack and crush armor. Weak versus archers. Excellent siege unit.
Myth Techs:
- Fraternal Rivalry, Susanoo increases the speed and line of sight of cavalry units.
- Kusanagi, Susanoo increases the hit points of infantry units.
- Unclean Birth, Susanoo decreases the creation time of infantry units.

Tsukiyomi. God of the moon. His improvements aid your archers.
- Tsukiyomi increases the hack armor of archers.
God Power: Moon Glow, target a group of units to make them temporarily invulnerable.
Myth Unit: Gaki, legendary hungry ghost that sweeps through enemy units unharmed and kills one of them at the cost of its own life. Only vulnerable to Heroes.
Myth Techs:
- Amaterasu's Anger, Tsukiyomi turns Gaki into Spectral Gaki, with increased speed.
- Blessings of Heaven, Tsukiyomi decreases the creation time of archers.
- Mystic Feathers, Tsukiyomi increases the range of attack and line of sight of archers.

Middle Age

Daikoku. God of wealth. His improvements aid your economy.
- Daikoku triples the income of commercial trades.
God Power: Invisibility, turns a single unit invisible for a limited period of time.
Myth Unit: Nekomata, a feline with a fierce bite attack and the power to raise dead corpses to aid it in the battlefield. Good pierce armor. Weak versus cavalry.
Myth Techs:
- Golden Mallet, Daikoku increases the rate at which your villagers mine for gold.
- Sacred Peaches, Daikoku makes villagers harvest food 50% faster.

Fujin. God of the winds. His improvements aid your buildings.
- Fujin increases the hit points of all buildings.
God Power: Breeze, target enemy units to strike them with a strong gust of wind that knocks them back and/or kills them if their hit points are low enough.
Myth Unit: Tengu, raven-feathered warriors that attack swiftly and can take flight. They excel versus all military units, but are weak versus Samurai.
Myth Techs:
- Bag of Winds, Fujin decreases the construction time of buildings.
- Shakujo, Fujin increases the attack of Tengus.
- Sojobo's Rule, Fujin increases the hack armor of Tengu.

Raiden. God of thunder and lightning. His improvements aid your myth units.
- Raiden decreases the creation time of myth units.
God Power: Kamikaze, target an area of the map to create a lightning storm that will strike any nearby enemy units. If targeted on a Raiju, it will render the creature temporarily invulnerable.
Myth Unit: Raiju, small feline that strikes by pouncing and has a special area damage attack where it will send out several radiating lightning bolts towards nearby enemy units.
Myth Unit: Oni, a slow club-wielding giant with a single horn that excels versus infantry and cavalry.
Myth Techs:
- Drums of Thunder, Raiden turns Raiju into Feral Raiju, with increased speed and attack.
- Imperial Guardian, Raiden decreases the creation cost of myth units by half.
- Kanabou Club, Raiden increases turns Oni into Kanabou Oni, with increased speed and attack.

Feudal Age

Benten. Goddess of eloquence. Her improvements aid technological advances.
- Benten reduces the rate at which technologies are researched.
God Power: Blizzard, target an area of the map to create a thick snow storm that affects enemy line of sight and mobility, as well as causing the hit points of any enemy units nearby to slowly decrease.
Myth Unit: Kappa, amphibian unit that moves swiftly in the water but cannot attack until it reaches land and becomes an effective fighter. Good pierce and crush armor, weak versus cavalry.
Myth Techs:
- Kenji Writing, Benten reduces the cost of technological advances.
- River Shrine, Benten reduces the creation cost of Kappas.

Bishamon. God of warfare and warriors. His improvements aid your infantry.
- Bishamon increases the hit points and pierce armor of Samurais.
God Power: Ronin, target a Samurai to turn it into a Ronin, a fast and powerful cavalry unit with good pierce armor that excels versus archers and myth units, but is weak versus other cavalry.
Myth Unit: Oni, a slow club-wielding giant with a single horn that excels versus infantry and cavalry.
Myth Techs:
- Bushido Code, Bishamon decreases the creation time of Samurais.
- Dojo Training, Bishamon increases the speed of Ninjas and Samurais.
- Folded Metal, Bishamon increases the attack of Samurais.
- Shurikens, Bishamon increases the attack range and line of sight of Ninjas.

Ryujin. God of the oceans. His improvements aid your ships and naval units.
- Ryujin reduces the creation time and cost of war ships.
God Power: Tide Jewels, target any body of water to drain it completely. Target again to restore the water to its original state. Can be used to drown enemy units or create passageways.
Myth Unit: Samebito, a vicious humanoid shark that can capsize ships from underwater.
Myth Techs:
- Imperial Ancestry, Ryujin improves the hit points of Samebitos.
- Otohime's Blessing, Ryujin increases the speed and attack range of war ships.
- Palace of the Deep, Ryujin increases the hit points of fishing boats.

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