春天 - Spring and Rebirth in Doma:
The Tale of the Getsumei Clan

Chief Editor - Sima Qian 司馬遷

[This article is sponsored by Shirayuri Tea House! Use the cut-out coupon on page 12 of this newspaper to get 10% off on your first purchase of Matcha Tea!]

In the traditional Lunar Calendar of Othard, Heavensturn represents the coming of spring, a season of rebirth and new beginnings. These last few heavensturns have been particularly meaningful in my homeland of Doma. Although it has been several summers since our deliverance from Imperial rule, the scars of occupation are still fresh, both on the land and in our spirits. Our country is still in a state of proverbial rebirth as the reconstruction of our nation remains ongoing. As we enter the most auspicious year of the rabbit, your most humble chief editor has decided that this month’s feature story will focus on reconstruction, reclamation and redemption in post-liberation Doma, centred around the story of one of Yanxia’s most noble Samurai clans, the moon-blessed Getsumei of Kodai Hasu no Sato.After taking an airship to the Doman enclave, it was easy enough to contract a chuángōng [ferryman] to take me north along the One River to the lands of the Getsumei. The journey is uneventful but scenic, as the floating peaks and terraced rice fields of the south give way to the alpine climes of the north as we pass village after village, their bamboo-hatted farmers sowing the first barley and millet seeds of the season. Before long, Kodai Hasu no Sato city rises over the horizon. Built right along the One River as it snakes through a mountainous valley, clusters of bamboo and straw homes crowd the mountainsides while a network of interconnecting bridges and walkways allow for easy transit across the river or up the wooded ascent. The city is bustling. The people eagerly prepare for the new year as the market stalls hawk fresh fish and rice cakes while families plaster vibrant red banners with slogans like 新年快乐 [Happy New Year!] and 恭喜发财 [Gong xi fa cai!] written on them, heralding the coming of the Rabbit.Standing proudly atop a high peak is Mangetsu-no-Shiro, the Full Moon Castle, home of Lord Getsumei and his family. It is there that, once disembarking, my guides take me. After passing through the castle threshold, I am greeted by my hosts, and after the proper formal greetings have been observed, I am ushered into the tea room, where we have agreed the interview will be conducted. Before me sits two men, one older and one younger, flanked by a tall, imposing Raen wielding a wickedly sharp Naginata.To begin with, I ask them to introduce themselves:Sima Qian: "Let us start with foundations, neh? Although I have had the honour of being personally acquainted with both of you, I would like to introduce you to my audience properly. Would you formally state your names and positions within the Getsumei clan?"Jun'ichi Getsumei: "I am Lord Getsumei Jun'ichi, son to Lord Iduki Getsumei. This is my uncle, Lord Getsumei Enkai, father to my cousins Getsumei Hamano & Getsumei Minato."Enkai Getsumei: “Hai. As you know, Jun'ichi is our acting lord as he will soon officially step into the position. I serve over diplomatic affairs and as an adviser to my lord and his heir.”Sima Qian: “For my readers who are unfamiliar with the Getsumei family, could our two lords share an abridged history of your clan?”Here, the elder of the two Lords, Enkai, smiles gleefully. And I realize with some mirth that I have committed the cardinal sin of giving an agong [gramps] the floor to talk about his family history. There will be no ‘abridged version.’Enkai Getsumei: “Our humble beginnings came when this land met a disaster. A massive flood swept down from the far north and, stripped housing, and farmlands, and cost several lives. But.. many were saved due to a vision received in a dream by the one who would be the first Getsumei Lord, Getsumei no Badrani. He warned his people to flee to higher grounds, and it was due to him that most were saved the waters that ripped through. As you likely noticed, much of our lands exist up the gorge the One River bisects through the mountains here, so we had many high places to climb to. Once the waters receded, however, things were looking dire. The farmlands were swept away, most homes destroyed…It was a dark time in our history as sickness and malnourishment was the norm. The Lord went up the mountains and prayed to the kami for succor for his people, well into the night. And as the legend goes, it was the kami of the moon who answered. 'Worship me, and I will give you blessings.' A shrine was erected to the moon, and to honor our following of the kami the clan name was changed then to Getsumei to honor our patron. The lands blossomed quickly after. Trees bore an uncanny number of fruit, rice grew quickly, tended by our mages, and order was soon restored as our people rebuilt.Though with plenty, we had other trouble to contend with... Bandits sought to pillage and rob our people, and any merchants who went travelings. Thus began our relations with a growing group of honorary mercenaries, mainly formed of ronin or-”To my shock, Lord Enkai is most rudely interrupted!Ichigashi Hoshi: "HAHAHAHA! THAT WAS US!”Indeed, as the Lords Getsumei quickly explained to me, the massive naginata-wielding Raen behind me belongs to the Hoshi clan, a descendant of the very same bandits who once terrorized Getsumei's lands. Ichigashi-san (as he introduced himself to me) tells a different story: that his Hoshi clan were not bandits but a rival clan with an ancestral claim to Getsumei lands. Either way, the two put aside their differences generations ago, with the Hoshi agreeing to serve the Getsumei as warriors and retainers.
Sima Qian: “Mingbai. Calamity is often fertile breeding ground for lifelong friendships, neh?”This brings me to my next question:Sima Qian: “Many clans were wiped out during the occupation- both during the initial conquest and the failed rebellion. How did Getsumei endure?”The mood, of course, becomes sombre.Jun’ichi Getsumei: “For a blessing, better than most, although not without considerable planning from my uncle, my father, myself and the Hoshi.”Enkai Getsumei: “Truly, it was a mix of bending the knee, calculated strikes, and a lot of deceit. When the invasion first came through Yanxia, we bent the knee as did our king after we lost the battle. Initially, our location offered our lands some masks, as we were between mountains and ill-suited location-wise for any airship base. We used that to our advantage to remain out of sight and out of mind as much as possible.I learned a Pilus Prior had a weakness for well-brewed sake, which he shared with some from Garlemald. Including a Senator. So in return for their influence in assisting Getsumei, I provided items of value and jugs of their favoured beverages. I even met the Senator myself multiple times. He taught me chess, I taught him Mahjong. We had an amiable relationship…”While Lord Enkai played the role of the civilized Imperial vassal, he worked with his nephew behind the scenes to undermine Garlean rule.Jun’ichi Getsumei: “The Empire used dishonourable means to conquer our people, and so subterfuge was how we made our bid for survival. Publically, the Hoshi were outraged at Getsumei bending the knee and breaking their Oath to fight for their homeland again with me as their leader. I was born into the occupation and sent away when they landed on my doorstep. For all intents and purposes, I was simply the rising Hoshi Lord and not heir to Getsumei. This allowed us to maintain diplomatic relations with the Empire that we needed to keep our land and people safe while also allowing us to strike at them so that they could not choke us dry.”My father planned our attacks from a secret location in one of Tsukuyomi's shrines, my uncle maintained diplomatic ties with the Empire and fed us information. I led the Hoshi clan on ambush attacks meant to disrupt their supply lines and keep them from ever permanently settling upon my land. ...And, of course, the word that Lord Hien lived arrived. And as the rebellion rose up, so too did we.”It is a story shared with many Doman clans, myself included. My sister joined the resistance when she was but 16, and my father was forced to disown her to protect his lands and his people, but we never stopped supporting her sept of fighters in secret. With the dark years covered, I decided to bring the interview to a more hopeful place.Sima Qian: "Of course, we hardly need to cover what came of the fruits of your resistance. Doma is her own land once more. This brings me to my next question- in the years since our liberation, what are the primary challenges your clan has faced in the ongoing reconstruction and restoration process?"Jun'ichi Getsumei: "Our clan resides in the mountains, and much of our way of life is at the mercy of our trade routes. It is why diplomacy is such an important aspect of the Getsumei; maintaining good relations with our neighbours is maintaining our way of life. When the Empire invaded, much of our focus became on our own survival. We could not extend protection to those outside our lands, so while we survived the occupation, much of our trade routes were disrupted or killed off entirely. The challenge we now face is the same my ancient ancestors did when founding our clan; re-establishing and rebuilding the lands around us so that we may once again benefit from each other's skill and company.”Enkai Getsumei: “There are other hurdles… Many others in Yanxia also seek recovery. And if we are to trade and prosper, we also must support the growing and rebirth of allied clans. But there are also repercussions to war and what comes with it that infest the lands. In the wake of the war, the number of yokai and malaised spirits increased. And voidsent mark areas of mass death. Banditry is at an unprecedented high. We ourselves have been plagued by these darker remnants of ill times.”All this certainly paints a grim picture, but it must be emphasized that the situation being described by the Lords Getsumei is not a lachrymose tapestry of woe. Indeed, rather than letting the troubles before them sink them into despair, the stewards of Kodai Hasu no Sato embrace the struggles ahead as a set of trials by which they may prove themselves worthy of their hard-won freedom and worthy of the loyalty shown to them by their subjects.Sima Qian: “I have one last question for you, my lords. What are the three highest values a Lord of Doma must embody?”Jun’ichi Getsumei: “An honourable lord must defend his people if attacked through the strength of arms but must also maintain a healthy relationship with neighbours so as not to provoke such an attack in the first place. And an honourable Lord does not gorge himself on the wealth of his peoples' labours while their own needs go unmet. A Lord must be an honourable example to his people. Someone they should look to for guidance and who they can emulate for good fortune and success.”Enkai Getsumei: “And an honourable lord must never forsake his sake!” [Here, he gestures to his servants.] “Hana! Sake!”Needless to say, the conversation which proceeded after the rice wine started flowing should hardly be put to print.

A Hoppy Heavensturn!

Staff Writer: S’lyhhia Loha

In the bustling seaside city-state of Limsa Lominsa, Far Eastern delegates returned on the 31st of the Sixth Umbral Moon to celebrate the Heavensturn Festival with the good people of Eorzea. People across the star commemorate the coming of the new year in myriad ways - discarding the old, making room for the new, setting goals for the coming twelve moons, and so on. The previous year of tora, the tiger, saw the reenactment of Tenzin and Byakko’s legendary battle. This turn, the millennia-old custom of omikuji has been added to this year’s festivities, allowing the citizens to draw a fortune regarding the next twelve moons.Heavensturn, as a celebration, hails from the Far East, where they greet the new year with much pageantry. While the eastern clans may have their own specific observances, decorations, rituals, prayers, and certain foods are shared customs among all who celebrate the holiday, as is the animal totem. Entering the new cycle, one of twelve animal totems of legend - the rat, bull, tiger, rabbit, dragon, snake, horse, ram, monkey, rooster, dog, and boar - is chosen to represent the turn. This year belongs to the usagi, better known in Eorzea as the rabbit.Though lacking in the grandeur of its Far Eastern counterpart, Eorzea is not without its tradition of observing the turn of the year. Instead of animal totems, one of the Twelve preserves the realm for the next twelve moons. This year, the Warden, Azeyma - keeper of the sun and goddess of inquiry - retires her vigil as the Fury, Halone - mover of glaciers and goddess of war - takes Her place.During this cycle, an Omikujishi accompanies the Far Eastern delegation to oversee the drawing of one’s omikuji or “a sacred lot.” A most handsome and helpful fellow, “Morisoba” was quite enthusiastic in his task. Eagerly he shared the legend from which the sacred lots originated, along with the story of how he came to be the Omikujishi. Naturally, the most sought-after fortunes were those about love and money. Should you find yourself drawing a lot in the Upper Decks of Limsa Lominsa, I must share a word of advice with you: regardless of the fortune you pull, you ultimately have the power to shape your future!If you have not had the chance to draw your fortune, fear not, for there is still time! The Limsa Lominsa Heavensturn Festival will end on the 16th Sun of the First Astral Moon. And if you are curious about the customs and legends rooted in this holiday, but cannot make it to La Noscea, be sure to ask your city-state’s Usagi Bugyo - this cycle’s totem “representative.” As for my fortune, well, I must say I am pretty excited to share it with you. We at the Looking Glass wish our readers a most prosperous, hale, and Happy Heavensturn and hope you are looking forward to the cycle ahead!

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Capsule Collections - Curated, Categorized, Craftsmanship

Staff Writer: Reignmont Davoix

Introduction
Let me guess… New year, new you? Less drinking of Bacchus wine, more Faerie apples in the diet? Or perhaps you intend to patron the Gold Saucer less, and the Saint Reymanaud’s Cathedral more? Anywhere you go, you’re likely wanting to exude the confidence and optimism that Heavensturn affords us in terms of a reset. Take this as a sign from yours truly, Reignmont Davoix, that now is no better time than to invest in your very own capsule-collection.Capsule Collections
Look no further than House Davoix’s Heavensturn collection to understand the concept. The idea of capsule collections are to create wardrobes that feature only the most essential or influential pieces. A condensed version of a designer’s vision, often with limited edition pieces, which transcend seasons, trend, and even “End of Days”-level catastrophes!Instead of buying the newest Raptor-skin boots as reported on in the last edition of The Looking Glass, you could expand your budget to invest in a pair of swallowskin shoes; with their timeless silhouette, and lasting durability, Swalloskin Shoes (right) can be mixed and matched, dressed up, or dressed down, without fear of falling out of style or losing their structural integrity.Or perhaps you’re wanting to be a risk-taker, shredding feelings of trepidation of years past, and show off more skin in the coming days! Less fabric is no excuse for cheap fabric! Looking to our friends in Radz-at-Han delivers us spice in the form of the thavnairian bustier (below)! With the proper Thavnairian silks and a selection of fine gems, this look exudes style without the cost of culture in its design. The focus in any direction you take your capsule collection is in its construction. Just as you construct the NEW you, in the NEW year, your NEW wardrobe should come complete with the quiet confidence of a charming nobleman - take it from me! Reignmont Davoix!Tailoring Tips
It’s easy to be overwhelmed with the idea of a capsule collection. “Where do I begin? Should I start with a hat? Will the Kogane Dori have what I need?” Don’t you fret! Your tailoring tips this edition are simple:
-Start with a solid outerwear
piece. A smart, tailored coat in a neutral tone will always be appropriate and you’ll be glad you have one.
-A smart pair of boots appropriate for light rain, with simple buckling or laces. Nothing is more annoying than dealing with a ton of buckets after dashing inside from the rain.
-Lastly, take all your pants to your local tailor for an instant confidence boost! Whether they need to be brought in or given some room, any tailor worth his weight in gold will be delighted to help you flatter your figure!
Godspeed and Happy Heavenstrum readers!

Here’s a Juicy Tidbit About Oranges

Staff Writer: Syrenead Tormelodos

With Heavensturn upon us, it goes without saying that we wish peace and prosperity to our friends and loved ones. One such fruit that has been written into history is the humble orange. Bright in color and sweet in taste, this fruit has long been given in pairs to friends and family members as a way to wish them luck, abundance and happiness in the coming seasons. In Vieran culture, they are given on the longest night as a reminder that it cannot be dark forever and though the sun has died, it will rise anew and with it bring the warmth and joy of the spring. In Hingan and Doman traditions, they symbolize gold and are gifted to those wishing success and wealth. On ships, oranges as well as other citrus fruits are given out to the crew to help keep healthy and prevent an illness called Scurvy.Oranges have been used in medicine for centuries, while they do not openly prevent one from getting sick, they do wonders to help boost the immune system to combat illnesses. All parts of an orange are edible, though some are tastier than others. The peel can be used to make teas, or candies. When sheared off lightly from the fruit you get what is known as zest, which can be used in many cooking dishes.The pith, or the white spongy substance between the peel and the meat of the fruit, is not as tasty but is just as beneficial when it comes to obtaining immune-boosting properties. Boiled down it makes a thickening agent used in jams and jellies, pith should not be overlooked when peeling an orange.The meat of the fruit is easily known by its segmented shape and in breaking one open it is not solid but rather hundreds and hundreds of sacs of juice all connected together by a thin membrane. The uses of orange juices are anything from making cakes to meat dishes, to juices and smoothies as well as just drinking it in the morning with breakfast.Orange trees themselves are not difficult to grow, but it will take several years before a tree is a fruit bearing tree, except for a few smaller varieties that give palm sized fruits. These fruits are sweeter but contain the same benefits as a normal sized orange. Most of the Eorzea’s oranges are grown in La Noscea, the sea air and the temperate climate make for the perfect place to grow them year round. It is recommended that if you do try to grow one yourself, that you do not grow them from seeds. While it is possible, it is also much more difficult. It is easier to propagate a sapling from an already mature tree, finding a branch that is a couple years old and making a cut. You will then take some specialized growth formulas and dip the end of the cutting into it then place it in some gritty well draining soil. Sand mixed with soil is a good option for this. You want the soil to retain some moisture but not soaked. Within three to four moons you should have some signs that rooting is taking place. Then as your tree grows, it will need to be repotted as needed. This is not a beginner level plant and is recommended for those with experience of propagating tree limbs.All of us here at the Looking Glass would like to wish you all a prosperous and joyful Heavensturn. May your oranges be plentiful, your pockets full of riches and your health the best that it can be.

Back to the Basics - Eggs, Rice & Boiled Noodles

Staff Writer - Suresh Aarya

I find that in the common day and age many people have found themselves wanting in skills to cook. Blackened pots of rice and pans of egg.
So you must ask oneself? How to remedy this? Simple! An introductory lesson to cooking three staples of any kitchen.
While it is not neccesary to learn right away how to prepare sauces or vegetables, it is worth noting that many vendors across the star offer basic pre-made sauces and vegetables, so do not fret this step.
NOW! We will begin with eggs, an easy and simple recipe useful for an easy breakfast.
1. Begin with a well greased pan over a low flame, for grease you can use oil or lard...I prefer Thavnairian perilla oil as it is very flavourful and fragrant. To grease, with your hands gently spread the oil through the pan.
DO NOT HAVE THE PAN HOT WHILE YOU DO THIS.
2. Next you will in a small bowl crack two eggs gently into the bowl, please do not put any shell into the bowl that is maligned. Next you will take a fork or whisk and begin to GENTLY beat the eggs until they are well mixed.
3. Proceed to slowly pour the egg mixture into the pan, and lightly push it around with a spatula. As it cooks it will solidify, and once there are no more solid bits of egg left. It is done, but please do not forget to continously scramble it as that prevents sticking and burning alongside the oil.
NOW! Another good thing to learn how to make RICE, rice is a staple across numerous cultures across the star. Sustaining entire civilizations!
1. One cup of rice is best to start with, you will take that and gently rinse it to remove the starches, then in a large pot you will take the rice and pour it in...gently shaking the pot so the rice covers the bottom.
2. Then you will add water til it covers the rice but does not drown it. A trick common in Doma and Hingashi is to stick your finger into the pot, UNHEATED, and then check to see if the water covers your first knuckle.
3. Then proceed to let the water boil. Once it is boling, add a hint of salt and then let simmer.
4. To simmer the rice, you let it sit on a very low flame for a quarter bell. By then the rice should have absorbed all the water and be left hot and soft, fluff with a fork and then serve.
LASTLY! We will teach you how to boil noodles.
It is as simple as taking your favourite noodle, I am fond of Doman rice noodles, a pot of water and a pinch of salt.
1. You will fill a pot half to three-ways full of water and bring it to a rolling boil over a medium flame.
2. Then you will add a PINCH of salt to the water to prevent the noodles from sticking.
3. Add your noodles, making sure to not break them up. Now, some noodles do need various cooking times. Traditional Eorzean and Garlean pastas require about nine to ten minutes, whereas rice noodles need six to ten mintues.
When in doubt make sure to lightly fork a noodle out of the pot and see if the texture is to your liking.
Huzzah! You now know how to cook three basic things, which would help your survival in the coming years.