Daisen-ryō Kofun

The Daisen-ryō Kofun, also known as the Old Kofun, was a kofun east of Sakai in Izumi Settsu, Japan. In the late 16th century, the Kakushiba ikki built a safehouse within the tomb for the Imperial Regalia, entrusted to them by Emperor Go-Nara.

History[edit | edit source]

By the late 16th century, the Kakushiba ikki led by Tsuyu had built a secret base within the kofun to house the Imperial Regalia. However, the Kakushiba ikki member and mercenary Hattori Hanzō unknowingly revealed the location to a buyer, who belonged to the Shinbakufu, a group led by deposed shogun Ashikaga Yoshiaki. As a result, the Shinbakufu attacked the kofun, leading to the near decimation of the league and two of the Imperial Regalia being taken. With Tsuyu, Hanzō, and Momochi Sandayu as the only survivors, Tsuyu entrusted the last regalia to her husband Fujibayashi Nagato while she left to find the other.^[1]

In 1582, Fujibayashi Naoe, Tsuyu and Nagato's daughter, traveled to the kofun^[2] after Hattori Hanzō advised her to investigate it and see where her path would lead.^[3] Venturing through the tomb, she found the remains of the deceased Kakushiba ikki members and a locked entrance. Unlocking it with her Hidden Blade, she discovered an old safehouse where she noticed three pedestals meant for the Imperial Regalia's boxes. Searching the tomb further, Naoe also found an Assassin's outfit and an old journal belonging to Tsuyu's mentor, Alvaro Catarribera.^[2]

While there, Naoe also acquired the trinket Amaterasu's Blessing after finding and looting the tomb's chest.^[4] Exiting the kofun, she met with her ally Yasuke and showed him the journal, which she was unable to read due to it being written in Latin. Yasuke was able to provide a partial translation, revealing that Catarribera had tasked Tsuyu to safeguard the Imperial Regalia and that the Kakushiba ikki had established additional outposts in Ōmi, Yamato, and Kii. Naoe resolved to investigate these hideouts and left.^[2]