Era of the Rose Blossoms [Setting Design and Discussion Thread]

[Elemental_Elf]

Era of the Rose Blossoms

It is an era of strife, an era of war, an era of legends. One hundred years ago the Emperor of Kukiba was a merciless hedonist who came to power by murdering his elder brother who was the heir to the throne. His reign openly broke with all manner of ancient tradition. He threw debauched parties, fornicated in the streets and used sanctified oils to cook his rice balls. No one could openly condemn the Emperor, to do so would invite the ire of a thousand samurai. And so it was for ten years - Emperor Higasa I debased himself, his office and his empire before he committed an ultimate sin that could not be forgiven. He walked, naked, into the Jinja Shinseina Eienahono (Sacred Shrine of the Eternal Flame), the most sacred temple in all of Kukba, and defecated upon the giant, golden idol of Hikame (that was commissioned by the First Emperor Dansei Hitori I). This depraved act infuriated the great Fire Tortoise Spirit and forced him into action. The Capital of the Empire - Shinzoshima - was founded in the caldera of a dormant volcano, knowing this, Hikame loosened the ties between the spirit and mortal worlds and allowed the molten earth to spew forth destroying the Emperor and the entire city with him. So great was Hikame's wrath that the smoke from the eruption could be seen across the whole empire. The ash cloud that was brought forth by Hikame was so massive as to blot out the sun for ten days and eleven nights. When the dark clouds dissipated and the last few remaining members of the imperial family ventured to the ruins of Shinzoshima they found only destruction and devastation. The entire capital, which had been the heart of the Empire for nearly six thousand years, was completely and utterly gone. In its place a blackened wasteland filled with jagged spires and sulfuric geysers. However, one object remained uniquely free of the devastation - the golden idol of Hikame. Through the idol, Hikame spoke to the Imperial Family, telling them to never allow such an unworthy soul to ever sit upon the Aka Hisuinogyokuza (Red Jade Throne).

(The Former Emperor's Brother - Lord Tsumetaibara)

When the spirit of Hikame left the mortal world, the Imperial family looked at one another and came to a collective realization - Emperor Higasa I had not named an heir. No one knew who was to become the new Emperor. During past interregnums, the title of Emperor was bestowed upon the eldest brother of the previous Emperor, his oldest son or the oldest of his many wives. As chance would have it, all three had escaped the destruction of the capital. Almost immediately, the three began to declare why they were worthy of becoming the next Emperor. Tsumetaibara, the Emperor's brother, cited his glorious campaigns in the islands of the far north. The third wife of the Emperor - Kireibara - cited her long years of academic research and her prowess with Water Magic as the reasons why she should be the new Empress. The third claimant and infant son of the previous Emperor - Nobara - was represented by the Daimyo Meikin, who cited the fact that his charge had not won victories in the battle, nor was he a powerful Water Mage but, Meikin said, Nobara was a child who had not seen, participated in, or been privy to the previous Emperor's debauchery. Nobara was thus the most worthy to become the new Emperor because he possessed a gentle and pure soul.

(The Third Wife of the Former Emperor - Lady Kireibara)

After six tense days of discussion, the three claimants left the ruins of Shinzoshima without declaring a new Emperor.

Each of the three Claimants readied themselves for war - for war was the only decisive way to decide the fate of the empire. Each created fleets of triremes, hordes of peasant spearmen and armies of Samurai. Eventually the three forces met at a small island now called Ryuketsushima (Bloodshed Island) for the battle was as bloody as it was indecisive. After four days of constant battling through the monsoon rains, neither force could gain the upper hand. Daimyo Meikin called for a truce and, during the negotiation for the truce, he proposed a partition of the Empire. Noble Tsumetaibara would be given the island of Kottayuki, where he had spent his youth battling the Yetis and conquering the Tengu. Beautiful Kireibara would be given the island of Takishinrin, where she had spent most of her life creating a paradise for mankind. Innocent Nobara would be given the island of Tenrai, where he had been sequestered away to be raised in peace and harmony. All three parties agreed to the partition and left Ryuketsushima to found their own kingdoms far away from one another.

(Daimyo Meikin, representing the Former Emperor's Eldest Son - Nobara)

It is said, Hikame was saddened by the Imperial Family's lack of cohesion but could do little to alter events any further.

One hundred years have passed and much has changed since the days of the Hidekiba (Sundering By Fire). Where there was one Empire, three arose and from those three hundreds more splintered off. The Empire of Kukiba is a distant memory. Chaos, anarchy and war now reigns supreme...




[ooc]Welcome to the Setting Design and Discussion Thread! Feel free to comment at your leisure!  :) [/ooc]

[ooc=Table of Contents]
General:
- Map of Tenrai
- ??
- ???
- ????

The Emperor's Secret Diary
- Chapter One
[/ooc]

[Elemental_Elf]

Map of Tenrai

[spoiler=Map of Tenrai ][/spoiler]

[LordVreeg]

Did you really say he used sanctifid oils to cook his Rice Balls????   HAHAHAHAHAHA


So this is now the land of three Emperors....Love the map and theme... I don't need to tell you the feel i get...what type of game do you wan to play in this?

[Magnus Pym]

What exactly do you plan the Rose Blossoms era to be?

I'd like to see more of this.

[Elemental_Elf]

Did you really say he used sanctifid oils to cook his Rice Balls????   HAHAHAHAHAHA

If you're going to blaspheme, you may as well not be hungry! :)

So this is now the land of three Emperors....Love the map and theme... I don't need to tell you the feel i get...what type of game do you wan to play in this?

The current map is of the island of Tenrai, the other two claimants were given their own islands of roughly equal size. Between these main islands are a horde of much smaller islands, many of whom are de facto independent and actively seek to to push the Emperors away and establish their own Kingdoms of immense size and grandeur. There are a lot of games you could play in this setting, from the courtesan style campaign at the court of a powerful Daimoy, Shogun or Emperor; to a Samurai war campaign; to a more traditional dungeon exploration campaign (the empire has been around for 6,000 years after all). My preference would be a campaign that blends all three, thus showcasing everything the setting has to offer. :)

What exactly do you plan the Rose Blossoms era to be?

I'd like to see more of this.

The Rose Blossom Era is a setting about honorable Samurai, devious courtesans, powerful Daimyo and, above all, conflict. It is also an era where the ambitious can seize their destinies and become legends. However, one small mistake could doom your life, a big mistake could doom your clan. It is an era that rewards cunning above all else.

[Weave]

This looks very promising. I really enjoy the time you took to set things up. How much time has gone by since the three divided to set up their own empires?

Looking forward to more!

[sparkletwist]

The names of places and such give this a definite Japanese feel, but, then again, from the vastness and ancientness of it all, that's more of a "China" feeling. Of course, it's also quite possible (and I'd encourage) that you're going for a culture that has a certain "Asian" feeling but isn't a direct analogue to any real culture.

What is the tone of adventures here? Is it going to be high-flying crazy martial arts action, or a more realistic feel?

[Tangential]

Following with interested. I even re-tweeted the rice-ball heresy/incident.

[Elemental_Elf]

This looks very promising. I really enjoy the time you took to set things up. How much time has gone by since the three divided to set up their own empires?

Looking forward to more!

One hundred years have passed since the Hidekiba (Sundering By Fire).

The names of places and such give this a definite Japanese feel, but, then again, from the vastness and ancientness of it all, that's more of a "China" feeling. Of course, it's also quite possible (and I'd encourage) that you're going for a culture that has a certain "Asian" feeling but isn't a direct analogue to any real culture.

What is the tone of adventures here? Is it going to be high-flying crazy martial arts action, or a more realistic feel?

Tenrai has a definite Japanese feel via the names but I am drawing inspiration from all over Asia and further afield, which will probably be more evident once I finish detailing Tenrai. :)

EDIT: Forgot to answer your second question. To be honest I typed out a longer reply weighing the benefits and deficits of going more realistic to going more Wuxia-like. However, about half way through I realized I really like Wuxia and this is the perfect setting to incorporate those kinds of themes and characters (with their abilities) into.

Following with interested. I even re-tweeted the rice-ball heresy/incident.

That's great!  :D

[Elemental_Elf]

I

(The Emperor's Palace of Shirokurobara Goten)

An Excerpt from the Secret Diary of Emperor Nobara I

I am Nobara I, Emperor of Kukiba, King Tenrai and Lord over all that I survey. I was born in the yellow; I have been Emperor since I was an infant. When I was a child, I created the designs for my greatest masterpiece - Shirokurobara Goten (Palace of White and Black Roses). It has served as the capital of Tenrai and my home for virtually my whole life, all one hundred and six years of it. I enjoy music above all else. Over my many decades of life, I have mastered the Biwa, the Ryuteki, the Taiko, the Sanshin, the Banhu, Yueqin and many more. In my youth, I often threw elaborate concerts for all of the Daimyo and other important persons of the realm. Just as youth blossoms and slowly fades, so too did my enjoyment of those concerts. I found myself drawn more towards smaller, more intimate recitals because they allowed me to truly understand what my audience was feeling. In a way, I feel I can siphon off their enjoyment and harness that to continue living.Some would say I will never die but I, and you fair reader, know this is not so. I may be descended from the Kami but I am still mortal. I have lived a long life and much of it was not spent in a virtuous manner. I look back upon my life and find it hard to reconcile with my youthful exploits that were full of blood and death. I suppose the unconscious recognition of this fact was what lead me to hand over governance to my best friend and mentor - Meikin. For his part, he (and his descendents) have governed the realm well. Out of respect and deference, I have lavished large gifts upon them. Most of the gifts were benign, a music box, a new katana while others were less so. In the winter of my life, I find I have many regrets.

I am writing this diary for my successor, so that she may learn from my many trials and tribulations to better herself, and her glorious reign.

(Five of the seven Eikononana )  

Chapter I - Hajime (The Beginning)

I was crowned Emperor while I was still an infant. Though I cannot remember what happened during those tumultuous times, I can offer some insight. Daimyo Meikin pronounced me Emperor because he believed in his, heart of hearts, that an infant who had not bore witness to the ills of my father (Emperor Higasa I) would be worthy to fulfill the Mandate of the Great Fire Tortoise Spirit - Hikame. The war for succession was hard fought across the whole of the Empire. Six other great and powerful Daimyo rallied to my and honorable Meikin's banner - cunning Kine, learned Takihogo, virtuous Gomashiro, loyal Mangetsu, whimsical Aunuma and ambitious Ichiyo. These seven samurai were renown across the Empire for their mastery of the bow, the horse and the katana. Meikin, who was the de facto leader of the seven, knew one his enemies was extremely successful on land ( Lord Tsumetaibara) and the other at sea (Lady Kireibara). He could not muster the forces required to defeat both with sheer numbers but he could build a force that could challenge both of his enemies. By striking a balance on both land and sea, Meikin was able to move his troops across the empire quickly and still possess the quantity of soldiers to combat any and all threats. His balanced approach proved very successful. Their first big victory was at the Battle of Sotome (Open Seas) in which a hundred ships were captured and a thousand samurai beheaded. After that battle, the peasant rowers and spearmen dubbed the seven the Eikononana (Glorious Seven). Battle after battle the Eikononana saw only victory and conquest. That was until the Battle of Ryuketsushima (Bloodshed Island). The monsoon had struck and rain poured down from the heavens both day and night. The muddy ground soon gave way to the rain and floods large enough to drown whole battalions became a common and gruesome sight. The battle was brutal and devastating, thousands upon thousands were killed by the weather alone, not to mention those felled in actual combat. It was with this backdrop that Daimyo Meikin asked for a truce and the now infamous partition.  With the terms agreed upon, the three forces parted ways. It is said, to this day the ghosts of those soldiers who died still haunt that cursed island.

When the Eikononana arrived on Tenrai, they were confronted with a deluge of praise for their glorious efforts. Of the seven, Meikin was chosen to be Lord-Regent. His first act was to divide the island into eight pieces – one for each of the seven members of the Eikononana to rule over and an eighth to be my own private lands once I came of age. He ruled as Lord-Regent for fifteen peaceful and prosperous years.

(The Parched mountains of Tenai)

When I came of age, I was given the reigns of governance. My first act was to formally thank the Eikononana for their support. In an elaborate ceremony, I gave each of them a beautifully ornate daisho; each blade was engraved with the word "Shori" (Victory). Years later, those swords would be the focus of deadly and terrible wars but, that is a story for a different day.   At that time, the Eikononana were like brothers and comrades to one another, and to me. I was their lord but our relationship more closely resembled a council of equals. I listened to their opinions and weighed them against one another and against my own conscience. The first three years of direct control as Emperor were a continuation of Meikin's stewardship – peace and harmony reigned supreme.

 Tenrai was soon fraught with many problems; the western half of the island had always been the driest because it relied almost exclusively on the run off from the thick packs of snow in the mountains for their water. During the seventeenth year of my reign (the third year of my direct governance), a great drought struck the east. Where there was once rivers overflowing with water, there was now a tiny trickle. There was barely enough water to sustain the peasantry, much less for the endless thirst of rice patty fields. Aunuma, Gomashiro and Kine all struggled to maintain their fiefs. The peasants rose up and demanded equality, claiming that it was unfair for their Daimyo to demand half of their already meager crops. The Eikinonana were split on how to deal with, what was fast becoming, a revolt. The eastern Daimyo felt the path was clear – stamp out the revolt because the peasants had no right to question their lords. The western Daimyo were less willing to tote such a hard line – it was their serfs rebelling after all and times were indeed difficult. I, being newly cemented as Emperor in my own right, sided with the eastern Daimyos – the revolt was a challenge to my rule and was thus to be dealt with decisively. I ordered the armies of my Daimyos to secure the east and enforce my will upon the land. The Daimyo's forces easily squashed the many fledgling revolts in record time. Kamas and pitchforks were no match for bows, horses and katanas after all. At the end of the revolt I could not help but feel that mere defeat was not punishment enough for their crimes. After debating the issue with my Eikinonana, I ordered a decimation of the peasantry – one in every ten peasants was crucified. It is said every street, every road, and every trail, in the west was adorned with the crucified remains of a hundred dead or dying peasants. To this day the peasants of the west still call those events the Shiorewa Hanrano Bara (Revolt of the Wilting Rose). Looking back on it today, I cannot help but believe that that hasty decision (made in youthful ignorance of the long term consequences) was the direct cause for the pain and anguish that was to come...

[Elemental_Elf]

(The Barren Land of Northern Gomashiro)

An Excerpt from the Renown Travel Journals of Mino Habame and Seppen Sensaina, Regarding the Town of Majunshi

: To Daimyo Ichiyo,

I have visited the town of Majunshi in the lands of Daimyo Gomashiro. The town is surrounded by a big black wooden wall with two gates, one on each side of the Iwa [Rocky] River. The gate on the northern side is prettier but the southern gate is larger. Majunshi Shiro [Castle] is tall but skinny and located on a hill near the northern bank of the river. At night, the son of the Poguku lights a flame at the top of the tower thus turning the tower into a lighthouse. The streets are clean, with the residents sweeping the ground every morning and night. The town has many fisherman in it and the peasants dine on fish almost every night! There are no taverns in Majunshi as the Poguku [Count] dislikes public drunkenness. At the center of town is a small grassy park with a large stone dragon statue at the center. Illegal distillers sell their saki here during the evening. The saki is course and salty but still enjoyable. Many entertainers gather in the park to tell stories and sing songs, which the crowds relish.

I enjoyed my time in Majunshi and am looking forward to traveling north tomorrow.

-- Mino Habame

-------------

: To the honorable Daimyo Ichiyo,

The lands of Gomashiro are barren and dusty. I awoke in the morning in a filth-ridden hovel of an inn located halfway between Daimyo Gomashiro's residence and the so-called town of Majunshi. I could hardly find enough water to wet my parched tongue, let alone bath in. I traveled north along the Seibu Road for many hours before arriving at my destination. My guide told me that the town's name is derived from a peculiar tuna net invented by the residents in times immemorial.

Majunshi straddles the Iwa River (which is more akin to a stream in our homeland than a river). The town is surrounded by a rickety wooden fence that would not last long if set ablaze. Majunshi possesses a small tower, from which the Poguku can survey the relatively flat countryside surrounding the town. At night, a flame is lit at the top of the tower and used as a make-shift light house. The town lacks enough water to make large scale cultivation of rice possible, what little is grown is sent to the land's Daimyo for taxes. The peasants thus dine on small, tasteless fish for every meal. Some peasants were so poor (and so hungry) as to feast upon the flesh of the head and tail!  The streets are not paved and are thus constantly in a state of dusty upheaval.  This problem is only exacerbated by the peasants seeming joy of sweeping dust into the air during dawn and dusk. The Poguku has banned the distilling of alcohol within the city walls as a means to help curb public drunkenness. However, illegal vendors pop up during dusk to hawk their wares. On one particularly warm night, I caught four samurai partaking in the illegal saki! I could do nothing except shake my head – such flagrant disregard for the law should never be tolerated. I promptly left Majunshi and headed north.

-- Your servant, Seppen Sensaina





[ooc]Eventually, the map of Tenrai will include a list of names for each town and castle on the island. Until I finish that task, I will include an annotation in each post listing the ID for which ever town is discussed in the post. Majunshi is Gs-4 located in the north of Gomashiro.  [/ooc]

[Cheomesh]

Interesting enough from what you have here.  Keep going.  The Emperor Nobara is certainly slightly creepy with his feeling of feasting off the enjoyment of others to continue his life.

IIRC actual rice balls (outside of the U.S.) aren't fried in oil, so that one stuck out as hinting towards cuisine that isn't just "Jainese".  I wonder what kind of vegetable oil gets used as a sanctified oil there.  I wonder about these things :D

BTW where'd you get the art?

M.

[Elemental_Elf]

Interesting enough from what you have here.  Keep going.  The Emperor Nobara is certainly slightly creepy with his feeling of feasting off the enjoyment of others to continue his life.

IIRC actual rice balls (outside of the U.S.) aren't fried in oil, so that one stuck out as hinting towards cuisine that isn't just "Jainese".  I wonder what kind of vegetable oil gets used as a sanctified oil there.  I wonder about these things :D

BTW where'd you get the art?

M.

Thanks :)

I hadn't realized cooking rice balls were quite so uniquely un-asian. I suppose that is marks my setting as fantasy  :)

I've been thinking about the oil issue all morning and I think I have come to a decision. In all likelihood Sanctified Oil is most likely a combination of several different oils, both rare and common, which gives it special properties than any of its base ingredients would not possess otherwise. I was thinking a a mixture of Cinnamon, Palm, Coconut, Watermelon Seed and Rice Bran oil would be what composed the Sanctified Oil that the Emperor used to cook his rice balls. :)

The art is mostly from Google Image Search. I take the image put it in photoshop and use a filter to give it that brown hue. :)

[Cheomesh]

It could also be whale oil, and he's just crazy :)

M.

[Elemental_Elf]

It could also be whale oil, and he's just crazy :)

M.

Ooo, I like that! Whale Oil just made onto the list! ^^