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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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 Posted: Mon Jun 01, 2009 3:40 pm
Kryas-Kami Arasias, plane of fire and clouds, homeland of the shankarya, the harsh world that will spawn the network of floating cities called the Arasias Confederation... more than three thousand years from now. Today, Arasias is untamed, violent, inhabited only by strange, primitive magical organisms drifting on the winds or anchoring themselves to the clouds, as well as by the god-like shankarya, dragon-people who navigate between the stars on castle-ships or settle in giant armored cities.
Only a few tiny human settlements exist here, cowering in the protective shadow of the shankrya. These humans, about 30,000 in number, are called the Kryas-Kami because they take shelter in five magical "cities" gifted to them by the shankrya. Their small, cramped settlements perch on clouds solidified into a ground-like foundation with a cushion of breathable air, as low as 15 shaku in some places, above -- the people survive off of water extracted from the clouds through "wells" and food produced by ingenious "greenhouses," all gifts from the dragons as well. In return for this generosity, their peasants collect resources from the landscape around their cities and refine them into usable forms, then ship these goods to their patron city of Sihyheyya.
Yet despite the two hundred years spent in this harsh land under the care of the shankrya, the Kryas-Kami have not forgotten the honorable martial traditions of their homeland, and cling to the culture and religion of their ancestors... in a highly modified form. But as much as some might long for the rolling green hills, the vast space, the natural turning of the sun and the seasons, the humans know they cannot return to the land of their forebears...
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:23 pm
 History
... And, as they stepped out of the portal, they found themselves in a world that was indeed vast and uninhabited, but for good reason. The spirits had tricked them; they stepped out into a magical plane of dense cloud and blazing, star-like fires, with irregular gravity and pockets of air. Its vast abundance of magical ores and organisms was irrelevant to the needs of the refugees; those who did not die of exposure faced starvation. Still, the leaders of the clans decided that the horror they fled was even worse than this hostile plane; after the cowards fled back to their homeland through the portal, the refugees closed it, and they began to slowly advance, looking for a stable place to settle and the "abundant food" the foreign spirits had promised. But they walked for miles, their mages' stores of energy running out, and still found no such paradise.
Their entire number might have perished if not for their discovery by a native people of this land -- the shankrya, black cloud-dragons, of the city-state of Sihyheyya. Even while sneering at this hopelessly backwards monkey-race, the shankrya took pity upon them, admiring their almost dragon-like courage and honor. Sihyheyya became the patron of the six clans, helping them build six cities in this dangerous land of Arasias. The dragons smoothed and packed the clouds below, then anchored a bubble of breathable air to this platform, and taught the human mages how to build multi-tiered greenhouses that would turn the faint light of the stars into sustenance for their communities. The dragons came to refer to these tiny little human cities as Kryas-Kami, meaning in their own tongue "black dragons' mortals" -- the humans, not knowing the meaning of the words at first and mistaking them for something more flattering, came to call the alliance of their clans and the god that represented it by that name.
Despite these gifts, the first few years of life in Arasias were difficult. The stress of adapting to this new world -- one in near-constant darkness except for the light of glowing gas, stars, and artificial lamps -- and the very different, cramped lifestyle caused enormous conflicts, including a civil war that wiped out one of the clans and its city entirely, a religious upheaval, and many more deaths. However, after the first new generation matured, the situation began to stabilize; children who had never known the sun or the expansive estates beloved of their parents were better able to accept the limitations of their haven. Two centuries after the exodus from their homeland, the Kryas-Kami had developed a new culture, adapted to their new living conditions and political and social arrangements.
Thus, a relative (if uneasy) peace reigned for many years... but the good fortune of the Kryas-Kami may very well be drawing to a close. Two years ago(-977 AE), the head of the Saiie family received a vision in which the River God warned them that the refugees could no longer hide from his wrath. Shortly afterwards, Kayras began to be bombarded with magical attacks from passing black ships; though at first these were easily defended against by their mages, the assaults spread to Sihykyan and stepped up in intensity, beginning to focus on the facilities maintaining their air and water supplies as well as their precious greenhouses. The inhabitants of the five cities have slowly begun to panic; stranded as they are in their bubble-cities, they cannot easily flee, and if they cannot find a way to fight back, they may have run out of ways to outrun their doom.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:28 pm
the Five Cities Today, the five cities -- after population explosions and tremendous expansion -- are roughly circular-shaped settlements, enclosed by walls that do not protect against invasion but hold the structure of the air and ground in place. Most cities are not more than three ri in radius, but are quite crowded, with about 6,000 people in each city.
The sky and landscape of Arasias is dazzling to the visitor at first, who might have the impression of walking in a nebula; in the most scenic locations, it is blindingly colorful, with glowing gas providing light -- the denser, brighter spots, called "stars" by the dragons although they are not true stars, resembling tiny suns, giving warmth and light. However, the first generation of human immigrants quickly became acquainted with the disadvantages of living in this land; the temperatures are unpredictable, winds blow toxic or burning particles towards the settlements, and most of the light is faint and prone to being blocked by clouds. Draconic technology helped somewhat with the first two problems, but to take advantage of the available light, they built the greenhouses at the tops of ridges and hills, further darkening the perpetually shaded sides of the cities, in which the rabble of each city are forced to settle. Even the highest-ranked humans, who settle on the bright sides of cities, suffer from the lack of a day-night cycle; though the newest generations may have socially adapted to life in the clouds, they have not biologically adapted, and sleep and mood ailments are extremely common.
Most of the cities have similar layouts. The dragons centered each settlement's life-support system on the "greenhouse" -- not a mere glass-house but a building with advanced fertilization technology and haste magic which, after 200 years, the humans have still not managed to reverse-engineer -- and the "well" -- a building extending below the foundation of the settlement and extracting water from the clouds. The humans built their administrative centers atop the Wells, and the top family of each clan is the one whose territory includes the Well. Powerful families claim territory in the illuminated areas of a city; lesser families as well as the great families' petty members make do with artificial or reflected light in the dark areas.Clans and Families The Kryas-Kami are descended from six clans, made up of twenty families. Since the civil wars in the first century of settlement, however, the lineages were scrambled, many of those families disappearing, evolving, or splitting. Since then, the old clan names have been dropped; the remaining five clans call themselves by the names of their cities.
Within each clan are about five to eight families. Though small in the early days of settlement, they have since swelled; the largest families have over two thousand members. For this reason, it is perhaps better to think of a Kryas-Kami "family" as a patriline, as one's family membership is determined by one's father. These huge families contain any number of small households. Even in the enormous families, it is unacceptable to marry someone who shares one's family name; low-ranked members take wives from other families in the city, while the heads of families trade daughters with other clans. Even so, the relatively small number of families among the Kryas-Kami, as well as their small founding population, do imply that the group is rather inbred.
Since the horrific destruction of Atheras, the clans no longer war with each other... openly. While political and economic squabbles continue, the cities are loath to damage one another, as their life support systems are precious. This does not mean violence has disappeared from the lives of the Kryas-Kami; it rages on in the form of subtle, somewhat less bloody, but sometimes even more vicious inter-familial street warfare. Leaders generally prefer to use intimidation and cultural pressure to weaken other families, using assassinations or open violence sparingly.Virtue and Honor The Kryas-Kami highly value honor, and much of their social regulation comes from the pressure honor exerts. While heads of families may attempt to issue decrees or to negotiate disputes among their members in court-like situations, there are no strong laws to control the citizens' behavior; rather, men are held to codes of dignity and reliability, respect for authority, proper behavior for one's rank, and willingness to retaliate against wrongs.
To deter the criminally-minded among the populace, the powerful families in a city put together militia-like organizations who patrol the territory of their own family and that of client families; these "patrollers" watch for insults and infractions and punish the offenders, like a very loose police force. Patrollers regulate their own families, but they also serve as a warning to other families not to aggress upon their own; an injury to their family will be met with swift vengeance. Those humans who long for the glorious martial traditions of the past tend to become patrollers.
The Kryas-Kami follow a patriarchal social structure, with these responsibilities of honor given to the men. Women, whose purpose in society is to bear children and defend the home, have an "honor" that primarily relates to chastity.Magic and Gods However, a military career is no longer the golden road of nobles; in order to survive in an alien environment with magical technology and magical dangers, mages are needed most of all. Due to the large number of mages who were needed to open the portal to Arasias, selective breeding, intensive education, and perhaps other influences, nearly half of all Kryas-Kami have at least a trivial talent for magic, with a quarter having useful abilities, and a tenth being quite accomplished.
In most families, one can only become the head if he has magic talent and comes from a magically talented household or line of households. But as the family head's responsibilities are varied and require more political and economic acumen than scholarly knowledge and magical power, he is usually not the very best mage; that is the head's advisor, the "head mage." In accordance with this custom, the old religion of the ancestors of the Kryas-Kami, scraps of the shankrya religion, and newly invented customs have come together to form the new belief system of the Kryas-Kami; the gods they worship exist within their bones, with each different family possessing a god that manifests most strongly in the family head. Four times a year, the family gathers, the patriarch dons the representative mask of the god, and issues proclamations that carry spiritual weight. Families respect the gods even of their rivals; for this reason, direct assassinations of family heads are extremely rare, even in the case of a bitter enmity.
Thus, if a household wishes to rise to the top of a family or to remain in that position, they must do their best to obtained brides from mage-producing households. The exchange of magically talented daughters among the top families of the clans is accordingly an important diplomatic activity.
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:31 pm
 Karyasihu
This site received that name from the shankrya due to the large quantity of organisms called karyasihu, algae-like, bioluminescent specks that well up along the 'cliff' next to the city. Sometimes, when the currents shift, they blow clear across the settlement, passing through the air bubble and flattening themselves on walls, getting caught in machinery, and filling up people's eyes and lungs. Though the shankrya claim they are only a nuisance and pose no real danger to the humans (indeed, they are quite edible,) those who have lived their entire lives in this city sometimes acquire strange-colored casts to their skin and whites of their eyes.
Karyasihu is considered a somewhat mysterious city by the other Kryas-Kami. Most of its conflicts have been internal rather than with other clans, and most of the families are not terribly welcoming of visitors. Consequently, the other Kryas-Kami describe it using decades-old information: exporting good glassware, alloys, and catching karyasihu to supplement the diets of the five cities, but not producing any good mages or military leaders.
But in the past fifty years or so, the heads of the clan's families have been secretly building up, through research, experiment, clever trading, and selective breeding, the finest magical arsenal -- energy stores, items, knowledge, and living mages, too -- of all the five cities. Unbeknowst to the others, they have improved upon the ancient portal magic and sent representatives out into foreign worlds, looking for new allies and new territory. Their most successful expedition so far was to the Porcelain Empire two years ago... ... ... at least until it ended in diplomatic disaster.
They have not given up, however; their mages' efforts have only increased since the attacks on {{City #5}} began. Of course, their work all takes place in secluded laboratories deep within the high-walled territory of the Kageumi, well-hidden from the eyes of the petty inhabitants of the city...
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Sun Jun 07, 2009 5:32 pm
Families of Karyasihu Kageumi The Kageumi family is the top family of Karyasihu, claiming the largest territory and the best land in the light half. They are acknowledged, more or less grudgingly, to be shrewd leaders, and it is due to their responsible management of resources and dampening of inter-familial warfare that Karyasihu has quietly turned into a formidable state. The Kageumi themselves produce excellent mages, with more than half of their people possessing at least trivial ability; though this makes their bloodline very desirable, they are very choosy when giving or accepting wives.A tall, thin man with graying hair and one milky eye regards you impassively. Though adorned with no warrior's muscles or ruler's jewels and dressed only in drab black and off-white clothing, he nevertheless has a solemn and dignified, perhaps even kingly air.Kageumi Tanetsugu, no longer a young man, gives the impression of a deep and cautious, even somewhat cynical thinker. He is known for making decisions that provide practical benefit to the clan and that reap long-term benefits... but although most in the clan respect his judgment, many resist his coolness, his excessive frugality, and past decisions which may have been less than honorable. Although his family, Kageumi, is the top family in the clan and controls the largest territory, he lives in a small, spartan home close to the Well, at which he very, very rarely receives guests.This long-haired, well-dressed man is quite attractive, though his beauty is a simple sort. His lips are set in a perpetually calm smile, and he bows his head slightly, gracefully, in response to your look.Kageumi Nakamaro, Kageumi's Head Mage, however, is far more personable and friendly. A highly intelligent and capable mage, he has continued the efforts of his elder brother, the previous Head Mage, to secretly turn Karyasihu into the most magically capable of the five cities. He has many personal alliances throughout the clan; through them, he helps soothe feathers that are ruffled when Tanetsugu is too brusque. Some say, though, that the reason he has no enemies within the Karyasihu Clan is that he has systematically eliminated them all...The man before you is, despite his relatively well-made armor and the decorations he wears, quite young, with something still boyish and delicate in his features. His expression, though, is stalwart and serious, revealing a dignified and tempered courage.Kageumi Ikemori is the head patroller of Kageumi and thus controls the largest and best-equipped group of patrollers in Karyasihu. Ikemori was a somewhat unusual choice for head patroller as his father was only a minor son of the Kageumi who married a woman from within the clan, from the Ichisaka; however, Tanetsugu noted the young man's exceptional intelligence, dedication, and talent, and appointed him to the position despite Nakamaro's reservations. His well-trained, highly-disciplined patrollers are possibly the best in the five cities, a contribution to Karyasihu having the lowest crime rate of the group.The Kageumi has two small client families, the Furuyama and the Wakaue. Due to their small size, their location well-within Kageumi territory, and the strength of the Kageumi patrollers, they do not keep patrollers themselves but donate young men to the Kageumi forces.Furuyama A minor family, client to Kageumi; they branched off from their patron family eighty years ago and, in those early years, produced many outstanding mages. Today, however, their fortunes have dwindled, their mages numbering only a few, and their territory reduced to a small, crowded district in the permanent shadow behind the greenhouses.Though this man's hair is beginning to gray, his body is still solidly built. He wears his flashy clothes with a proud and regal air; even when he greets you with appropriate humbleness, it is a bizarrely arrogant sort of humbleness.Furuyama Kiyonari is the current head of the Furuyama family and makes sure that every member of it appreciates his authority. An accomplished mage and a lion of a man, he made his way to the top of the family ranks due to his talent, brashness... and, possibly, the fact his father was the previous head. He currently postures against the encroachment of the Wakaue upon the Furuyama's territory and entitlements. Some of the family members have felt uncertain about his methods, but only his cousin Kiyomaro has dared to voice these concerns so far. You would take the one before you to be a soberly-dressed young man but for her delicate physical features and her long hair, pinned up with hairsticks. Everything about her, though, suggests seriousness and manly virtue, with no scrap of inviting softness to be found.Furuyama Itsuko is the eldest daughter and child of Furuyama Kiyoshi, the late Second Mage. Noting his child's intelligence and serious character, Kiyoshi gave her a far more thorough education than is usually allotted to girls. His belief was that such an education would produce a better wife and mother -- but Itsuko's upbringing proved even more useful when Karyasihu entered into diplomatic relations with the matriarchal Porcelain Empire and she was made into a diplomat. Even after relations broke down and the portal was closed, she was honored with a betrothal to Kageumi Ikemori. The woman before you is, if not beautiful, handsomely featured, although hair and eyes that must have once been obsidian-black have lost their luster. Still, now and then, a flash of forceful feeling lights up her face, revealing a ferocious spirit somewhere within.Furuyama Ranko is the second daughter and child of Furuyama Kiyoshi, and, like her sister, Itsuko, received an unusually thorough education. Though said to be less capable than her elder sister, she was also made into a diplomat due to a lack of other educated women. After the downturn of the family's fortunes due to the collapse of talks with the Porcelain Empire and the death of her father, she escaped a worse fate by becoming the mistress of Sakaide Masara.Wakaue A younger client to Kageumi, but more vigorous than the Furuyama of late. Due to skilled leadership, financial acumen, and shrewd marriage alliances, they have risen to prominence very quickly.Wakaue Kyoutoku is, unusually for a family head, completely incapable of magic; he is, however, a competent politician with an honorable and charismatic personality. He is known in Karyasihu as a lover of the traditions from Wa, traditions that have already become hazy and diluted; he and his wife spend their spare time collecting "artifacts" of the previous generations and piecing together lost episodes from the Five Cities' history.
Wakaue Tadara is also a scholar, but versed instead in the practical knowledge of magic needed to sustain, repair, and improve the life-support systems of the city. Up until a few years ago he was favored by Kageumi Tanetsugu, who often called upon his advice when making plans relating to the Well and greenhouses. But despite his relatively young age, he developed intense amnesia and psychotic tendencies, causing him to fall out of favor among the Kageumi. Although his condition has been steadily deteriorating, he has not yet been replaced as Head Mage.Konoshima The Konoshima are a family that has survived since the time of the emigration. A formidable group, they are known for their balance of ambition with caution; their intelligent leaders have systematically allied with, patronized, and devoured many lesser families over the years.This man is white-haired, a surprise as few of the humans in this city seem to have attained this age. His curved nose and thin lips give him an appearance of harshness; his eyes are quick and cold, as if inviting a slight that will allow him to take full retribution.Konoshima Takatoshi is a man who has tenaciously clung to life far longer than most citizens of the Five Cities are able to manage. Despite the populous's perception of him as a cold, vengeful, cruel leader, Takatoshi has forged, destroyed, and revitalized numerous alliances in an attempt to strengthen his people, and the petty family members may be better off due to his efforts.
Konoshima Haruhito is a mouse of a man who prefers the rigors of research and potion-brewing to the hustle and bustle of the political realm. Most members of the Konoshima know Haruhito for his soft heart and wish to live in harmony with the other families of the clan.
Konoshima Takechi is crafted in the very image of Takatoshi, his father. Takechi shares the harsh features of his parent is similarly seemingly unconcerned with others. Despite his outward appearance, however, Takechi is known to be an effective patrol-head, keeping peace in the streets of the Konoshima territory and avoiding unnecessary violence with the Sakaide.Ichisaka The lone client family of the Konoshima is that of the Ichisaka, a small family that branched off from the Kageumi ages ago. They have always had a love for the ancient martial traditions and have, occasionally, been a thorn in the side of the Kageumi, as they often pick fights over matters of honor, lately with the Maekata.Ichisaka Sonohito is a youth that ascended to the head of his family due to the efforts of his father. While a kind man, he has trouble judging others and sometimes suffers for his mistakes. Under his lead, the Ichisaka became allied with the Konoshima and he is openly enthusiastic about the union's benefits.Ichisaka Katsuo is a stern man, veteran warrior, and creator of the Ichisaka's patrollers. While many have trumpeted the nascent alliance between the Ichisaka and the Konoshima, Katsuo has been more reluctant, and for his views has watched his position slowly diminish.Sakaide The Sakaide arose during the civil wars a century ago, but have perhaps endured because of their reluctance to start more. This family tends to favor diplomacy and negotiation over violence for solving its problems. It does, however, defend itself with a respectable group of patrollers.Sakaide Michiyori is a sedate figure whose face is always hidden behind the ritual god-mask of the Sakaide -- not for effect, but because of a magical accident in his youth that left his entire body covered in grotesque scars. Previously boastful and proud, the accident tempered his wild spirit, and he became more restrained, kind, and understanding. Due to his good nature, he has few enemies in the city.
Sakaide Motora is an accomplished mage and great innovator in the field of life-magic, easily the best specialist in the clan and possibly in all the Five Cities. Despite the sometimes morbid nature of his work, he is a warm figure who strives tirelessly to help the younger members of his family. However, after relations with the Porcelain Empire failed, he fell out of favor with Kageumi Nakamaro, and has been having trouble rebuilding his network of supporters outside of the Sakaide.This man has a warmth and softness to his face that contrasts with his patroller armor. He strokes his beard as if lost in thought... but even as he does so, his eyes sparkle with mischief and vitality.Sakaide Masara is a tall, powerful man who heads the patrollers of the Sakaide. While somewhat more lax in his duties than Kageumi Ikemori, he is well-liked by the militiamen for his warm personality and boisterous, fun-loving heart.Maekata Until eight years ago, the Maekata were a client of the Kageumi; however, they became a client of the Sakaide after that family's old client, the Makisuna, became defunct. They inhabit the darkest part of the city, pressed up against the Ichisaka territory.Maekata Katsuragi is a man who is known more for his welcoming smile, gravely voice, and generous nature than his political ability. While a client of the Kaegumi, Katsuragi has faced few of the rigors that many of the other family heads experienced; as of recently, however, Katsuragi has been under new stress due to souring relations with the Ichisaka.Maekata Hironari is a playboy first and a mage second, and thoroughly enjoys the splendors that his position affords him. Due to the Maekata's alliance with the Sakaide, his prominence has grown making him more supportive of the Sakaide's policies.The Maekata head of patrollers, Maekata Ieyori, has longed for the martial glory that his society once had. Tired of the minor skirmishes and policing action afforded to patrollers, Ieyori has embraced his family's alliance with the Sakaide in the hope for a better future.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 10:46 am
Raseyn Raseyn, "small star," is nestled under a large overhang of clouds, protecting it from some of the hot and cold winds that blow over the five cities... but limiting the light that falls from the aforementioned small star onto the residential areas. The builders of the city decided to use a cup-shaped greenhouse to collect as much light as possible, with the consequence that even the highest-ranked members of the clan's families live in darkness behind it.
The most interesting of Raseyn's exports is the cloudsilk that it produces by spinning extracted material from the overhanging clouds; it is usually made into strong mesh and cables used, among other purposes, to support the passageways between the cities, rather than silk, but after many steps of refinement can indeed be made into garments. Due to the magic-resistant properties of this material, many of the more violent families scramble to acquire it.Personages The top family in Raseyn in the Honobe family.Honobe Takaoka is a man who seems to have learned the mistakes of the early leaders of Raseyn very well. Abstaining from quick action when can lead to misunderstandings and destruction, Takaoka embraces caution and planning at any possible crossroad. Some claim that Takaoka's actions are due to his vast concern for his people while others believe he is merely a coward.Honobe Sakamoto is the polar opposite of Takaoka. A man of action who thrives on operating quickly and sometimes improvisationally, Sakamoto is known to mock Takaoka's excessive caution at family banquests.Honobe Otsumaro, the head of the patrollers of Raseyn, is a warrior known for his crude jokes, hot temper, and martial ability. With newly granted power from Takaoka's ascension, Otsumaro has started to engage in activities forbidden by law and punished in the other cities, such as gambling and extortion.Iino Fuyutsugu is a mid-level mage specializing in scrying, belonging to the Iino family, client of the Honobe. While once withdrawn and silent, he has recently blossomed into a figure who is always energetic and speaks to whoever will listen to him. The quick shift in personality combined with his absence from family worship has influenced many to privately call him an eccentric.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:18 am
Rassun The clan that originally settled in the area called Rassun, "three stars," by the shankrya, was once scorned by the others for its "barbaric" origins, as its founding families were descended from hunters from far north of the river. But the fortitude and skill of this clan, as well as the intermixture resulting from the small gene pool of the five cities, have relegated such attitudes to the past... for the most part.
Due to Rassun's good illumination, its greenhouses are the most extensive of the all the five cities'. They previously shared the duty of exporting food to the other cities with Kayras, but the recent attack on that city's greenhouse have greatly increased the demand for Rassun's staples. A few merchants are delighted at the rising food prices, but more humanitarian citizens are worried that the four cities standing will not be able to feed the aggregate population.Personages The top family in Rassun is the Chomori.Chomori Kotsuo is a ruler who possesses a passion that not even years of conflicts have quelled. Deeply invested in the denizens of Rassun, Kotsuo speaks and acts fiercely in their best interests. It is largely due to his efforts that the relationship between Rassun and the shankrya has grown in the past few years.Chomori Toyonari, head mage, is cheery, intelligent, and especially loquacious. Always bubbling with energy, Toyonari is always moving to make new advancements in magic and thrives in the atmosphere of competition between cities. He is known to challenge other head mages to "duels" of skill.Chomori Yasuyo, the head of patrollers of the Chomori, is widely mocked throughout this and the other four cities for his feminine appearance and mannerisms... perhaps because laughter helps his enemies overcome their fear. Though in his personal life, rather eccentric, he is stalwart, honorable, and circumspect in his leadership of his patrollers. He is not known for his personal martial skill but rather for his courage and mastery of strategy.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:31 am
Sihykyan Sihykyan is the closest city to Sihyheyya; it is probably this that has given Sihykyan the advantage in befriending the dragons. Additionally, while Karyas and Atheras were trying to destroy each other and Rassun, Raseyn, and Karyasihu were bombarding one anothers' walls, Sihykyan remained neutral, gaining the favor of the shankrya. Consequently, Sihykyan holds the most favorable trading arrangements for reagents and other magical supplies, some of the most precious commodities in the five cities.
Lately, however, the city has suffered a huge setback in diplomatic relations with the dragons due to the unwise moves of Hashidate Uona. Though there have not yet been material reprisals for their faux pas, the people of the city are still fearful Sihykyan will fall from the position of favorite.Personages The top family in Sihykyan is the Hashidate.In the early years of his leadership of the clan, Hashidate Uona continued the Sihykyan tradition of firm alliance with the shankrya. Such was Uona's awe of their culture that he attempted to marry his daughter, Aihemi, to one of the visiting generals. After the spectacular failure of his match, Uona became saddened and embittered, and has lately withdrawn somewhat from the public sphere.Hashidate Aihemi is an intelligent and cultured woman who came to respect and love the culture of Sihyheyya -- or at least, what Sihykyan knows of the culture of shankrya. But ever since her father's failure to secure an arranged match for her with one of their representatives, she has withdrawn from the public eye, becoming listless. Though admired for her many good qualities, her father has not made any moves to find a human husband for her.Hashidate Fujii, the head mage of the Hashidate, seems to be almost as old as Sihykyan itself with wrinkles lining every section of his body. Quiet and studious, Fujii is known more for his research on scientific and magical topics than for his contributions to politics.Hashidate Akio is a large-bellied, cheerful man who cuts a rather different profile than the other cities' head patrollers. Throughout his career, Akio has been the darling of the city, keeping the streets free of crime, attending several public social events, and starting a charity to support the education of Sihykyan's young. Despite his rather lax attitude towards patrolling, Sihykyan remains relatively peaceful, with far less inter-family violence than the other four cities.The Hashidate family currently hosts the immediate family of Akaichi Natomaro, who was the head of the Akaichi, the now-defunct top family of Kayras. He had a reputation as a cunning mage and demagogue, as he wrested power from the Saiie, the former heads of Kayras, by appealing to the masses... but the downturn in his family's fortunes have led many to scorn and mock him.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 11:45 am
Kayras Kayras, being well-illuminated and in a very temperate region, was once the largest food-producer of the five cities. ... All that has gone to ruin, however, since the city has begun to be attacked by fast-moving ship-like structures that appear above the clouds, then quickly retreat after bombarding the city with magic.
Though the attacks began two years ago, they were intermittent and only did minor damage; still, it was enough to cause a panic in the clan, leading to the overthrow of the Saiie family and the ascent of the Akaichi. However, not even Akaichi Natomaro's cunning and charisma could maintain control over the city when, several months ago, the greenhouse was directly hit, reducing its function to only a quarter of what it previously was. The resultant chaos and threat of starvation drove the highest-ranked members of the Kayras families to flee to Sihykyan.Personages Since the heads of the families fled, Kayras fell into relative chaos, with loose gangs replacing the previously orderly kinship structure. Yet though the gang leaders use brute force to control their underlings, many of them are also educated mages and merchants left behind by the fleeing nobles, and political debates continue to occur (in a slightly more bloody fashion.)
Sihykyan now claims to be full to capacity with refugees, and few of the remaining inhabitants of Kayras are confident in their ability to trek to Rassun, Raseyn, and Karyasihu, which -- facing a reduction in their food supply themselves -- are not likely to welcome a tremendous swelling of their population. The shankrya have given their word that they are investigating the source of the attacks... and although that was two years ago, it seems unlikely that the honor-bound dragons would lie to them. Therefore, some of the residents of the city have determined not to flee, but to hunker down, defend themselves with their best remaining magic, and wait for the dragons to help them launch a counter-attack.
This group is led by Akaichi Hitomaro, originally a minor mage of the Akaichi employed in the greenhouse who has displayed a sudden courage and charisma in the face of the looming disaster. Not only an ingenious salvager who helped stabilize the remaining greenhouse and saved the life-support systems from failing twice, he is also known as a passionate protector of his fellow clan members, having put his life on the line several times.
... However, some criticize Hitomaro's gang for being blind to the gravity of the situation. Hosooka Nariyoshi, a very young patroller who nevertheless leads the strongest gang after Hitomaro's, argues that the sanest course of action would be to take all the food they can carry and flee to the other cities and to beg, bargain, or even fight to get in. Nariyoshi has not been able to implement his plan, however, because Hitomaro controls the greenhouse, well, and store of the city.
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Posted: Thu Jun 11, 2009 1:23 pm
Atheras ... is no longer a populated zone. Atheras was a sixth settlement built for the Kryas-Kami by the dragons, located next to an "ocean" of highly toxic but magically useful liquid which was collected and refined by the settlers for the shankrya.
But during the civil wars of the first century, Atheras was destroyed by Kayras when the latter destroyed the former's life support systems. The victors gained little, however; the violence of the wars, and in particular the horrific death to which the army of Kayras left the people of Atheras, caused the shankrya to lose a great deal of respect for the humans. The dragons subsequently refused to rebuild Atheras to be settled by the people of Kayras and punished all the remaining cities -- save Sihykyan -- with economic sanctions. The difficulty that followed was a major deterrent to further civil wars among the humans.
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Imperial Princess Rika Vice Captain
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