Toyotana Group

One of the three families controlling the City of Targen.

Founding
During Tancred Calponn's conquest of Targen, he would be confronted in the battlefield by a foreign mercenary by the name of Takashi Toyotana. A talented warrior armed with spear and bow, Takashi Toyotana was contracted to the town of Erlendum, of which he was popular among the people due to his role as the head of the militia.

Takashi was eventually exiled by the noblemen of Erlendum in a mistaken belief he would attempt to crown himself ruler of Erlendum due to his popularity. In response, he instead pledged his service to Tancred, who respected the warrior for his feats in battle. As a result, when Tancred once again sieged the town of Erlendum, most of the garrison defected to his army, leaving Erlendum open for Tancred's conquest. Many of the nobility who had exiled Erlendum were executed in the final stages of the siege, most by the very citizens of Erlendum themselves.

Takashi himself was instrumental in the final stages of Tancred's conquest, leading Tancred's elite guard as well as repelling several assassination attempts against Tancred.

Warriors of Targen
When Tancred fully conquered all of Targen, Takashi was granted the western-most island, renamed Toyotana Island in his honor. Erlendum, located on Toyotana Island, would become the home of their new lord, Takashi Toyotana. The children of Takashi Toyotana would continue down his traditions and carry on his culture in Targen, evetually merging with and replacing the native Targen culture in Toyotana Island.

Throughout the centuries, the Toyotana Group has remained just as loyal to Targen as did it's founder. Though there have been many scholars disputing that this loyalty was merely a facade, due to the many unexplained deaths and disappearances in Targen over the recent centuries.

Targen Civil War
Following the death of Edward Calponn in 92 BCE, the three families of Targen met within Targen Hall to discuss a new government, with which the Toyotana Group were represented by their Family Head, Tomoya Kishi-Toyotana. Following Aldric Venez-Langobar's departure from Targen Hall and raising of the Langobar private army, Tomoya Tomas Kishi-Toyotana would raise his own forces to combat against the Langobar's attempted coup. During the oncoming battles against the Langobar Mafia and Calponn pretenders within Calponn Island, the Toyotana forces were routed back to their island, where the Kishi branch mysteriously met their end with the destruction of the family palace by flame.

The Akari branch of the Toyotana Group would claim themselves as the new Family Heads, with Kouta Kane Akari-Toyotana declaring the Toyotana Group's loyalty to the Thatchbeard Pirates, thus avoiding being the naval blockade that had already surrounded Langobar Island.

Eternal Watch
Since than, the Toyotana Group has kept to itself, eternally watching over Targen from foreign threats, both small or large. However, this eternal watch only extends towards Targen, and not it's rulers, as seen when the Langobar family successfully launched a coup against the Thatchbeards in 2 BCE without Toyotana interference.

Though many suspect the loyalties and the goals of the Toyotana Group, all agree that the Group remains as mysterious as their founder.

Branches
The Toyotana Family used to have three distinct branches before the events of the Targen Civil War.
 * The Kishi-Toyotana, who descend from Kishi Kenward Toyotana, first son of Takashi Toyotana. Originally the main branch of the Toyotana family, the Kishi family were renown warriors and poets. However, following the Targen Civil War, all the members were wiped out either during battle or from the fire that consumed their family palace.
 * The Akari-Toyotana, who descend from Akari Alicia Toyotana, first daughter of Takashi Toyotana. The current main branch of the Toyotana family after the death of the Kishi branch members. The members of the Akari branch are secretive and well-known for their agents, who are rumored to be capable of melding into the shadows along with being able to get into any location, no matter how secure. Sanae Sena Akari-Toyotana, the current head of the Toyotana family, is from this branch.
 * The Chikashi-Toyotana, who descend from Chikashi Carter Toyotana, second son of Takashi Toyotana. The Chikashi branch members are skilled blacksmiths and fletchers, well-known in not just Targen, but Draivros for their well-made and sometimes unconventional equipment.

Philosophy
The Toyotana Group is focused around the belief that only them and them alone knows what is best for Targen. Naturally, this conflicts with what the other two families of Targen believe, but the Toyotana Group has a distaste for instability and chaos. This causes them to rule from the shadows instead, with secretive goals that sometimes even members of their own family do now know about, much less outsiders.