Nippon2

bandits lurk in the trees ready to pounce upon any travellers they deem as 'rich pickings'. Only daimyo, with the escort of a small army, which they do, can pass through this forest safely. There is only so much that the gate-wardens can achieve on the Moon Highway.

The Forest of Haikido is perhaps the most dangerous in all of the lands of Nippon. The forest is a mixture of pine and cedar variety and in its depths lurk foul beastmen and mutants and some of the most vicious warbands of cut-throats, who are almost certainly in league with the Gods of Chaos. There also remain isolated communities of the Ainu who, with their unsurpassed knowledge of the forest and its secret ways, can survive adequately enough against these unnatural threats. They do not greet trespassers, whether fair or foul, with much warmth. Aside from the unnatural threats comes the natural ones of the great Haikido brown bear which can grow to a height of fifteen feet and is easily angered if it is provoked.

CITIES & TOWNS

The towns and cities are sited close to the Shogun's own province. The further one goes away from the capital the more scattered the towns are, as wealth concentrates in and around the Shogun's province and the provinces of the Exalted Families. Riots and dissent are not wholly uncommon in town and city streets, though they are ruthlessly repressed.

In the cities, and large towns, the civilian population has developed several professional classes which consist primarily of a number of ruling landlords, wealthy wholesalers, and moneylenders, who lord over the various guilds and corporations of merchants, craftsmen, tenant-farmers, and servants in near-slavery. At the bottom of this social stratification are the entertainers, porters, foreigners, the destitute, and, below even these groups and outside society, the unmentionable outcasts.

Osaka

The Kamato region is the spiritual birthplace of Nippon, where the first Emperor ruled thousands of years ago. The very first settlers of Koshu came to this region and it is believed that Osaka was one of the first true settlements.

Osaka is a prosperous city and has, arguably, the finest centres of education in the whole of Nippon. The fortified mansions of the great lords lie perched upon steep hills where, it is said, that the occupants keep an eye on the citizens, for the Shogun's bakufu or government have residences here. The Imperial Palace of Osaka itself lies in a flat basin. Surrounding it are hills where garrisons of the Shogun's troops are stationed. The Emperor's palace is garrisoned mostly by the Shogun's troops but some of the Emperor's own household also help to guard its halls and picturesque garden paths.

Osaka castle is home to the Emperor and is the capital of Nippon. It is the largest of the castles of Nippon

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whose tall pagoda topped towers can be seen for miles. The battlements are patrolled day and night by the Emperor's loyal troops. At regular intervals, the battlements are fixed with bolt throwers and the odd cannon. The many keeps in Osaka are home to the Great Guard, the most elite samurai in the entire realm. These soldiers accompany the Emperor to places all over Nippon.

Underneath the castle are the labyrinths that contain many terrible and deadly traps along with equally dangerous monsters and confusing illusions. This is the final training ground for the Emperor's ninja assassins who train in secret dojos throughout Kamato. Only the greatest of the ninja come out of the labyrinths all in one piece, only then is he given the honour of a mission. Surrounding the great castle is a bustling population of 15 000 souls, the largest single population in Nippon.

Kyoto

To the east of the Kanto-Yoshida Mountains lies the region of Edo. The entire western half of the region is nothing but volcanic ash. Centuries ago Edo was the seat of the Emperor, but now the Shogun resides here in the castle of Kyoto. Kyoto is the second largest castle in Nippon and is almost as impressive as Osaka, after all it was the residence of the Emperor in centuries gone by.

Castle Kyoto lies atop a series of steep hills built in the traditional Nipponese way whereby if one part of the castle is lost it can be closed off relatively easily thereby keeping the invaders away from the rest of the castle. Even then, surrounding this area is a series of moats and trenches stretching some nine miles in length. The inner most moat is one and a half miles long, and their scarps are built up with colossal blocks of granite. Even the gardens within these walls, with all their sophisticated elegance, cannot conceal the military nature of the roads and paths leading to the central buildings. They constitute a labyrinth whose very pattern is a closely guarded secret, and they pass beneath bridges and are, in many places, lined with bastions in such a way as to expose any unwanted

guests, regardless of their number, to a concentrated attack with bows and arrows, crossbows, or firearms. The Shogun's castle is more like a veritable city itself with mansions, to accommodate the daimyo, plus residences for the hatamoto and the gokenin, covering its 180 acres.

Hyodo

Hyodo is the hold of the Mushagi Clan, and one of the greatest cities in Nippon. From here rules Daimyo Mushagi Nobuhide, who can often be seen standing watch personally at his castle walls, overlooking the busy nature of the city.

Less than six centuries ago Hyodo was nothing but a port-city but ever since the rise of the shogun, and being wealthier than all other cities in Nippon through maritime trade, it has grown in power and eminence. Now, through a series of long and bloody civil wars, From Hyodo the famous Three Roads branch out for hundreds of miles until they greet the city of Tokaido, to the west, Kumano, to the north (continuing to Osaka), and lastly Kyoto, to the east. The road to the west travels through the Celestial Portal, the road to Kumano travels through the Wagtail Portal, and the road to Izumo travels through the Moon Portal.

The chief trading port in Nippon, it boasts a mile long wharf from which a multitude of junks sail every day to other Nipponese ports and beyond. The port of Hyodo-Wan is a hive of activity, especially when a Black Ship comes (any merchant ship not of Nipponese or Cathayan origin), when there are boats to be unloaded of their cargo and then taken to the city.

Tokaido

This is another port-city similar to the country's capital of Kyoto some four-hundred or so miles to the east, where one of the Three Roads ends. It lies in Yoshida province at the top of the gulf of Tokaido-Wan. From the castle of Tokaido, rules the Daimyo Taneka Shengin, a distant cousin of Shogun Yoritomo Ieyasu.

Travellers to Tokaido almost always enter through the east gate (known more commonly as the Shark Portal) although many, mainly fishermen - Tokaido has a thriving fishing community - will enter through Tokaido-Wan. Fishermen from Tokaido often fish in the warmer waters of Ishiguchi-Nada and bring back plentiful stocks of shark. Nothing is wasted as the fins and teeth are used as well as sharkskin, which is used for some items of footwear and armour. The island off the coast of Yoshida, Mikura-Jima, is a place of thriving fishing villages. However, it is not an independent province and is part of Yoshida itself.

The best horses in the empire come from the region’s ranches, with a large part of them being sold to the Shogunate armies. In part because of the city’s association with the nation’s military, canny farmers along the Moruto River have turned much of their rice crop over to the production of sake.

Kumano

Closest to the Nippon capital is the city of Kumano. It lies in a horseshoe of hills and has an impressive landscape of mountains at its north-easterly point.

Furthermore it lies close to a plain of volcano ash and the north Road passes directly through it. Many are the times one can see the sulphurous gases rising from the ash dunes. Kumano rose from a prospecting camp back in the midst of time. It has suffered many natural mishaps in the past, earthquakes and volcanic eruptions, and has been rebuilt many times. So far, for a century and a half, the nearby volcano of Shirani-San has remained dormant, only reminding the inhabitants of Akita province of its power by minor eruptions every decade or so.

The ruler of Kumano and Akita province, of which the city lies in, is the Daimyo Horumi Kenshin. Some years ago Nobunaga was but a mere warlord of a castle in some desolate region of the province until he saved the Shogun's life in an assassination attempt. For his act of valour, courage and, above all, loyalty to the shogunate, Nobunaga was made an Daimyo and given Castle Kumano as a reward. This did not prove to be a problem for the then present Daimyo as he died seven days before the assassination attempt on the Shogun from a wasting disease contracted while on a hunt in Hill Country. Kenshin accepted the reward and made the former servants of the late Daimyo lords in their own right.

Kumano is a walled city and the old castle of Kumano itself can be seen rising from its centre. Travellers can only enter from the southern gate (the Phoenix Portal) and the northern gate (Dragon Portal) from Kyoto.

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Izumo

Lying along the River Hita is the city of Izumo, the realm of the Daimyo Ashiwara Kunichika. The city thrives on trade from the other major ports of Nippon, including Hyudo itself and even faraway Okakama. The extensive mudflats here form several small islands. The farmers have exploited these in the form of dozens of rice paddies. Where the earth is firmer is the castle of Izumo itself, just a little way up the river and away from the extensive rice paddies of the Ekawasaki delta. The river passes through the town's wards and onwards to lake Kiri-Ko. It is possible for ocean-going vesselsto traverse the waters of the delta, through Izumo, and then a little further up the River Ekawasaki. However, rarely do they travel more than fifty or so miles away from Izumo. Typically, goods are bought and sold at the city and the ships depart just as swiftly as they arrived. Then there is the danger of fog. In the winter and spring, at times, thick fog gathers enveloping the entire delta in pea soup making it next to impossible for anyone, who doesn't know the area well, to leave. Sometimes this fog moves until it threatens even the little island of Taran-Jima in the Izumo-Wan. Even without the fog, wrecks on this island are not uncommon, especially when there are dangerous reefs to avoid on the approach to the Izumo-Wan.

The granary of Nippon, Izumo’s countryside hosts the most productive rice paddies in the empire. The city itself has seen the coming and going of thousands of Tian immigrants, recruited to work as farmhands in the rich estates of the local feudal lords.

Tokaguchi

Tokaguchi is the seat of the Batake Clan, led by the enigmatic Batake Ujimasa. A large fortress city, built on a favorable landing on an otherwise treacherous coast, the concentric terraces of Tokaguchi climb the hills that overlook the narrow shoreline.

The lowest terraces lean on the ruins of a stone fortress built millennia ago, whose ancient stone walls— adorned with reliefs of ancient warriors—are almost completely hidden by modern structures. Tokaguchi is famous for trading in silver and pearls. Silver is extracted in the nearby Kanto Sachi Mountains, where several fortresses protect the mines from bandits and evil humanoids. Pearls are fished along the entire northwestern coast, where an abundance of coral reefs and natural lagoons favor the growth of oysters and conches.

Tokaguchi grew rich on the copper-mining activity in the hills south of town and the manufacture of bronze objects, which are exported to Kasai together with the raw material needed for the empire’s coinage. With frightening unpredictability and varying organization, Wako Pirates attack ships as they leave Tokaguchi’s port, dragging metal goods and sailors alike back to their hidden ports. In response, the city’s harbor patrol has grown into a veritable navy, captained by daring samurai and their students, who train endlessly with a variety of pole arms.

Okakama

Located in the subtropical west, Okakama is one of the major towns in the region and lies within Wakakawa province of which it is its capital. The ruler is Daimyo Uruchi Harumune. His castle lies three miles away

from the coast and can only be reached by walking along the River Path, which is basically a pavement of stone slabs meandering this way and that until it reaches the gates of Castle Okakama itself. The River Path runs through a humid forest of evergreen trees which is inhabited by a large population of macaques. They are no threat to people but they have been known to steal food from unwary travellers.

The warm waters of Okakama-Wan are home to coral fish, turtles, sea snakes, dugong , black finless porpoise, horseshoe crabs, giant spider crab, and the frilled shark. It is a common sight to see peasants in small boats catching many of these aquatic creatures in their nets and taking them to market to trade. The town of Okakama itself is basically a collection of villages along the coast of Okakama-Wan. However, the town is still separated into wards with gate-keepers stationed at appropriately placed intersections.

Nagashige

Sumata is a wealthy province on the northern end of Koshu. Home to the Daimatzu clan, it has a long and impressive swordsmithing tradition. Its remote location and good trading links make it a good place for foreign trade.

Travellers usually come and go by ship to the well protected harbour or along the road from Osaka. They are always checked by gate-wardens along the route and any discrepancies, such as the absence of a sekisho (pass), are usually dealt with harshly. Once inside the city, the traveller is met by small patrols of doshin (police) and segregated town wards. At night the wards are closed off by gates and anyone walking around

after dark is arrested and detained. During the day Nagashige is quite pleasant with farmers selling their rice at the markets and artisans openly forging weapons in the streets. There is a strong otokodate presence in many of Nagashige's wards, which is why the people here are seldom bothered too much by the doshin (police) although at night this changes quite starkly.

The prosperity of Nagashige is mirrored by its culture. Besides rich shrines and temples, the town boasts a refined entertainment district that is famous for both its teahouses and theatres, which are second only to those in Kasai. The high standard of living of the town’s middle class, coupled with the somewhat lenient attitude of its governor, has allowed the yakuza to thrive in most of their traditional activities, especially gambling. The openness and appeal of these games have become something of an attraction for visitors, lending the city’s single yakuza group a measure of legitimacy not found elsewhere in the country.

Kiroshima

This is the major town of Haikido and lies within Toyakita province. It is ruled by Daimyo Shinzei Watanabe from Castle Kiroshima. The castle itself lies upon a mountain of pine forests and steep ravines. At the foot of one of these lies the town of Kiroshima. Like so many towns in Haikido, it is protected by a perimeter ditch filled with water and sharp stakes. The reason being is that there are more mutants and

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beastmen in Haikido than can be found in most of the dangerous parts of the main island of Koshu. Perhaps it is because of Haikido's cold climate that so many beastmen lurk in its pine forests, safe in the fact that the sparse human population will not venture far from their settlements because of the inclement, cold weather?

Outside Kiroshima, the risk of being prey to the many foul creatures that inherit Haikido grows considerably larger. For this reason, not many people understand how the Shinzei can manage to survive like they have all these years, for few are the merchants who dare travelling there for trade. No wonder then, they are known as the most secretive clan in Nippon.

CASTLES

The landscape of Nippon is dotted with castles and fortifications of every possible size and style, which the provincial warlords have erected wherever it is feasible to station garrisons of warriors. Every strategic site, which affords a superior defence against armed attack and an optimum position for controlling the movements of people and goods, have been well fortified. Castles have been erected at the top of a small mountain, or on the hill between a mountain and a plain, as well as the plain itself. Military clans have constructed castles and established garrisons in major towns, near important temples and shrines, at highway intersections and markets, near ports and sea inlets, etc., thus forming that typical balance between military

protection and exploitation on one side and commercial productivity on the other, which is the salient characteristic of the medieval Nipponese castle-towns which actually sprung up around a feudal lord’s manor.

In structure, the Nipponese castle has evolved into a sophisticated and practically impregnable fortress. It was generally designed as a series of concentric compounds isolated from each other by ramparts, moats, or walls and comprised such an intricate network of courts and passages that if one compound were lost to an invader, it could be recaptured from either side or totally cut off without substantially weakening the defensive strengths of the other compounds. The approaches to its fortified perimeters are protected by excavations filled with water, by ditches, by swamps, or by a combination of all three. Water-filled moats are considered to be the best form of protection. Earthen walls or stone walls rise massively from the first defensive line, offering only two major openings - the heavily fortified main gate and the equally strong but smaller rear gate, both usually constructed of large timbers, plated with copper or iron, and densely studded with large nails. The passages within, linking one courtyard to another and each compound to the next, are usually designed in such fashion as to lead through cleverly arranged double gates in which one gate is set at right angles to the second, allowing room enough between them to contain (and control from the sides and from above) only a certain number of people - which is usually considered to be a maximum of 240 warriors or 40 cavalrymen, and never more.

The castle compounds are generally composed of three units: the main section in the centre, surrounded by the

second section, and then the third section of fortifications, containing respectively the main tower and residences of the warlords, the storerooms, and the living quarters of the garrison. All of these are elongated structures integrated into massive walls, with doors and passageways on the inner side and openings on the outer. The openings are of different sizes and angles according to the weapons employed to repel an invader at that point. Rectangular openings for arrows, circular, triangular, or square for guns, and, for those that have them, for cannons, among other chute-like ducts, trapdoors which open wide to send huge stones crashing down upon the heads of foes beneath.

Towers rise from these compounds. They consist of structures containing three or more levels, heavily fortified, with the uppermost functioning primarily as an observation post, or, in times of peace, as a spot for contemplating the moon or performing ritual suicide, depending on the circumstances. These towers are located at the most strategic point: on the outer compounds, towards the northern and the western sides of the horizon; at the corners of the compounds; in the centre, where they are given poetic names of "guardian of the sky", or, more prosaically, the "keep", because this point represents the final defensive position against invading forces.

AUXILIARY CASTLES

Some of the mightiest clans maintain a vast network of supporting fortress, smaller outposts or auxiliary castles. These are constructed to form a wide, defensive line that encircles and protects the boundary line of a provincial domain and its base castle. These auxiliary castles can be found in the most unexpected of places and are generally identified by their primary purpose, such as boundary surveillance, watch post,

communication, and attack. Encased in this vast network of fortifications, lorded over by fiercely independent clans of warriors, the larger masses of commoners are, for all intents and purposes, effectively imprisoned.

Auxiliary castles, being nothing but small military outposts, are not immune to attack. Many times have they been destroyed by goblinoid or Chaos warbands, or rival clans who have then subsequently taken the outpost for themselves and absorbed it into their territory. The most vulnerable outposts are those constructed in the mountains where they sometimes come under attack from goblinoids and Chaos beastmen.

VILLAGES

Villages predominate Nippon as the majority of the heimin live outside towns and cities. They are clansmen, in a way that most Nipponese are, with the exception of the outcasts and ronin. When there is war the provincial daimyo will muster his forces from his villages.

Villages are very important to the ruling clans because they invariably grow rice and in Nippon he who controls rice will wield power; rice is still often used as money. So a province with many, many rice fields within its boundaries is in an advantageous position because the whole of the Nippon economy rests upon the production and distribution of rice.

Heading a village will be a district elder or village elder, exactly as in the Old World. They are comparative in rank to the lower ranks of the buke and

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their heirs are even allowed an education, which most of the heimin are denied, and are permitted to carry swords. A typical village has a population of 10D10 inhabitants and will also have a mix of artisans and traders, though the latter will almost always be found in towns or cities.

HIGHWAYS

The main land routes linking the cities of the Exalted Families with Hyudo are known as the 'Three Roads'. These are highways, together with some of the most important roads that lead to city-ports, which are under particular surveillance and inspection. Strategically placed along these routes are minor outposts where special inspectors, with the protection of many warriors, check every traveller. The traveller must be able to produce his or her pass called a sekisho, which is issued by their superiors in the clan. The sekisho is basically a piece of paper that gives the character's position in society, i.e. a craftsman, merchant etc., and his or her physical description. If they match the character in question then he or she can continue with their journey. If there are any discrepancies then the character will be detained until the character can explain himself satisfactorily to the local authorities. The Shogun's province and the provinces of the Great Clans, use this method of strict surveillance to keep movement in their territories regulated. The minor daimyo may or may not employ these methods, as it is impossible for even the Shogun to know, even with his complex network of spies, what they are doing within their territories.