Keikokura
The Blossom Sea
Demographics
Every inhabitant of Keikokuro is a member of the Clan of the Unliving Sword, and non-clan members are not allowed to live within the complex. The clan is split into three branches, each of which focuses on a different profession. The main branch, consisting of 58 members, are samurai who are contracted out to nearby clans as warriors and bodyguards for life, versed in the ways of battle, etiquette, and metaphysics. The first cadet branch, consisting of 116 members, concern themselves with artisanal affairs - running the clan's finances, maintaining the complex, and smithing the swords the clan is named after. The second cadet branch, consisting of 270 members, provide the sustenance that feeds the rest of the clan and preserves the clan's history.
Defences
The complex is protected mainly by its geography - the many waterways crisscrossing it serve as an excellent deterrent for outsiders, and every member of the clan is trained in archery to help defend it. Additionally, there are 20-foot tall clay walls which have been built up over decades, but they are easily destroyed by certain monster attacks. Fortunately, they are relatively easy and simple to repair, and anyone breaking into the complex will have to contend with a group of highly-trained samurai wielding magic ghost swords.
Industry & Trade
Keikokuro is mostly self-sufficient, as most remaining towns of Zamzara are, to one degree or another. It trades away surplus food, minerals, and equipment to nearby towns in exchange for luxuries, such as glass and pokeballs. Like many towns and villages in western Zamzara, its major trading partner is the city of Minato Nagara to the northwest.
Infrastructure
Keikokura is well-developed for its size, and most of that development supports the 300 year old blast furnace located at the center of the complex, known as Tatara. Three of the town's four watermills power the complex system of bellows and pistons that keep the furnace functional, while the other powers the town's mill. There are three actively maintained roads leaving the complex - one heading north along the river, tracing the outline of the clan's farms; one crossing the river, leading to the mines and quarries; and one leading south, which ends abruptly in a defensive outpost set up at the river's fork.
The complex receives the "Island" part of its name due to the series of artificial ponds, moats, and streams dividing the different areas into a series of easily-defended chokepoints - on a misty morning, it is easy to forget that you are in a thin valley barely 10 miles across. The closer to the center of the complex, the more decorated the riverbanks become until you reach Tatafuigo, from which all metal in the complex is smelted. At this point, simple trenches give way to wide clay channels decorated with poetry and murals depicting the honored legacy of the clan.
History
The lands were originally the Clan of the Unliving Sword's demesne, bestowed unto them by Emperor Jochi in 1939 AC for service to the Empire. Created in 2135 AC after The Kalyugi caused civilization to fracture, the surviving clan members, numbering in the dozens, had been ousted from their Zamhitan homes and knew nowhere else to go. After a harrowing migration, they arrived in the Sakura Valley, only to find that their ancestral home was in ruins and everyone inside had been killed by Shadow Monsters.
The earth was scorched and destroyed, but still workable. Their mines were partially usable. Most importantly, the clan's wills were strong, and they began to rebuild, fending off monsters all the while. Their great furnace, once lost, was recreated in 2145 AC much more modestly, and a vow to restore it to its former glory was made. By 2170 AC, they were stable enough to begin sending out scouting parties to look for other refuges of humanity.
By 2200 AC, the clan had come into contact with several surviving families of Imperial nobility and those under their protection, and for the first time in decades, their path was clear - they would resume their prior services and try to reestablish a semblance of civilization. The following decades were a whirlwind of blood and intrigue, as other clans would simultaneously ask for equipment and guardians from them while spying on them to gain their secrets, all while they vied for the remaining scraps of power and land that was left in the wake of the Shadow Monsters.
Once 2370 AC came around, the clan had taken in various families and people and established branch families to focus the division of labor. Despite this, they were only twice as large as when they first settled, even though they had strong defenses and a stable food source - this was due to the 170 years of warfare and monster killing that wore down their numbers. However, the slaughter had culled many other clans and monsters from the area and one clan rose to supremacy over the Sakura Valley - the legally-minded Gensai Clan, who sought to rebuild the Zamzian Empire. The Clan of the Unliving Sword had sworn fealty to them in 2364 AC and dedicated all of its samurai to them - they played a major part in the Gensai's campaign against the other clans.
Geography
The location draws its name from the wispy layers of fog that often blanket the area. Strong winds often make their way into the valley, heated by the desert on the other side of the Black Mountain Range. This hot air melts the planes of frost covering the mountains and pulls the mist into the town below. Combined with the intersecting streams and high rainfall, Keikokuro is a wet place - fortunately the ground is solid enough to serve as foundation. It is also incredibly hot most of the year, being near the equator. Since it is located in the center of the Sakura Valley, the ground is very flat and fertile.
Alternative Name(s)
Kiri no Yama Keikoku Sakura no Machi;
Misty Mountain Cherry Blossom Lake Island Town
Misty Mountain Cherry Blossom Lake Island Town
Type
Town
Population
444
Inhabitant Demonym
The Keikokukko
Location under
Owning Organization
Remove these ads. Join the Worldbuilders Guild
Comments