Kuniumi

This page contains contemporary information regarding the people and lands of Kuniumi. For information regarding the world's mythology and living history, see The World.

Geography


For a broad-stroke, birds-eye view of Kuniumi's known land area, see the map. Details (including land features) will be added as they are discovered or created; you can view these updates on the Locations page.

The landmass itself is excess of a thousand miles in diameter and is not homogenous in geography; it runs the gamut from hot to cold, arid to wet, flat to mountainous, and seasonal variation differs markedly by area, though temperatures are usually stable by region. Naturally, there are an abundance of small cultural differences within each of these areas, though everyone in the lands previously occupied by the Sakura Empire subscribe to the same set of historical traditions. More can be read on these in the section below.

Keep in mind that the land has changed a great deal since the upheaval of the cataclysm known as the Tenpenchii, and so maps that survive from the Old World no longer adequately encapsulate the geography of Kuniumi as it currently exists. So while it is known how the boundaries of Kuniumi exists in a very broad sense from history and hearsay, specifics are lost and will have to be rediscovered as the new fledgling Empire expands. Those broad strokes can be understood as follows:


 * The northern islands are largely tropical, with little volcanism. The ocean stretches to the north and east with no known land masses beyond them, but much knowledge has been lost. The spiritual location of the Eternal Pillar of Water is said to exist amongst the northern islands. Jungles and bamboo forests are both common.
 * The eastern part of the landmass begins at the mountain pass that leads to Amatsu-Kyo and stretches for hundreds of miles in a grand plains and grasslands; it ends in a massive forest where the Eternal Pillar of Wood is said to exist.
 * The western part of the landmass is dry and mountainous. Volcanism is present, but spotty. The mountains here are known for their extreme height, icepack, and cold temperatures. Where the land is flat to the north, forests are common. Where the land is flat to the south, plains become massive desert.
 * The southern part of the landmass contains a vast inland freshwater sea, surrounded by tall mountains where volcanism is the most active. What lies beyond them is largely unknown. Winds from the sea and ocean typically push the ash from the volcanoes far to the west, depositing them in the desert that continues far beyond Kuniumi's southern and western extremes--hence the name Golden Ash.

Coniferous forests are most common in Kuniumi's highlands, with Deciduous forests predominating the lowlands. Bamboo grows everywhere except for the most harsh or cold of environments. There are also a variety of flora not native to Earth, which will be detailed as needed.

Culture & Society
The culture of Kuniumi is largely based off the culture of medieval Japan and Bushido. It is a culture concerned with the tenets of Honor, Glory, and Status, and at one time, the perennial reign of the Sakura Empire. In the time since the cataclysmic Tenpenchii that sundered the world, the Empire is a less immediate concern, and most families simply do what they can to survive. Even so, the Imperial culture was such that its traditions persist even into the new world.

Time and Calendar

 * Simply:Kuniumi time (MUX Time) corresponds with Earth's Eastern Standard Time (EST), for purposes of day-to-day affairs and ease of scheduling. In-game calendar time does not match Earth's.


 * More Complicated:Date and seasons in Kuniumi do not equate precisely with that of Earth's, as this game occasionally fast-forwards time in large chunks between story-chapters. We do, however, try and manage to keep month demarcations concurrent. So if in reality, May is rolling over to June, the months in-game will be changing as well, though they may be different months, in a different season.

Generally speaking, however, Kuniumi seasons are comparable to Earth seasons. Each month has exactly 30 days, with two 15-day cycles twice per month. These function similarly to weeks in that they are used to demarcate project and work periods, etc. The seeking time is generally used for outward progress; the secret time is generally used for cleaning house. There are 12 months in total. The calendar is below.

Moons and Tides
When it comes to the dual moons, Kuniumi is obviously different than Earth. For the sake of conceptualizing this slightly alien sky, the larger, slower, brighter moon Tsukiyomi (the Bright Moon) acts in an very similar (if more regular) fashion than Luna, Earth's moon. That said, there are then two divisions within each month that correspond with the faster, smaller, darker of the two moons, Tsukikakushichi (the Hidden Moon). These are known as the seeking (waxing) and the secret (waning) parts of the month. As the two moons are in a 2:1 resonance, the Hidden Moon is seen to progress closer and closer in the sky to the Bright Moon over the course of the month, eclipse it, and then flee from it at an equal pace. The following chart clarifies this.

If you want to know the moon phases for RP purposes, simply look up the moon phase for the current Earth date (regardless of the in-game date); that is the Bright Moon's phase. For the Hidden Moon's phase, compare that information to the above chart.

Religion
The religion of Kumiumi is largely concerned with Shinnyo (correct living; understanding the moment) and Kami no Michi (the way of the Kami), both of which are discussed on The World page in more detail. The three main religious associations are the Sento, Goto, and Hotou branches, discussed further on the Monastic Orders page.

Those not of high stature tend to avail themselves of local elemental Kami and/or beseech the higher powers of individual Sentou (aka The Thousand Lanterns) to help with their daily concerns. Elemental Kami deal with the physical world and its troubles. The Sentou deal with more abstracts concepts.


 * If a farmer is concerned about his rice crop, he may contact the local priest to mollify the water kami of the town stream or give personal offerings to the Sentou Inari, who oversees the production and cultivation of rice and abundance. Both are likely, though most everyone in an area will be familiar with the local Kami; not everyone may be familiar with individual Sentou unless educated. This education is the purview of traveling priests and monks.
 * If a bushi is about to head into battle, it is unlikely he will see to the local elemental Kami (that is the purview of Shugenja). Instead, he is imminently more likely to give offering to the Kami of Battle or War.

It is important to note that Kami rarely talk back. Most people may never see immediate responses to their prayers and offerings; they simply apply the consequences of events to their prayers (if good) or lack thereof (if bad). For a Kami to reply is a big deal; for them to manifest is the stuff of stories (and quite dangerous).

It is rare for anyone to know the full compliment of mythological history outside of temples and monasteries (and even then, only the most learned). Those with modest scores in Lore would have a good grasp of the following:


 * The Celestial Court: The ruling body of the Thousand Lanterns in Ame (heaven). Amaterasu, The Twin Moons, and Susanoo sit atop this hierarchy in that order. All other Sentou exist below them with varying levels of importance depending on the quantity and importance of their individual domains.
 * The Jade and Onyx Dragons: These two Elemental Dragons exist outside of the spiritual Court hierarchies. They are seen as binary forces of nature (Order and Chaos, Positivity and Negativity, but not Good and Evil). They are the gatekeepers to Ame (heaven) and Yomi (underworld), respectively. They both preside over their own realms within the spirit realm of Reikai.
 * The Five Eternal Guardians: These are the immediate protectors of the Fiver Eternal Pillars. They are known to exist, but who or what they are precisely is not common knowledge. Only the Firebird is mentioned with any great frequency.
 * The Terrestrial Court: Presided over by the Five Elemental Dragons (Earth, Fire, Air, Water, Wood) in Reikai, these Kami see to the needs of the world, and generally do not bother themselves with the concerns of heaven. Elemental Kami are typically ordered by the size and importance of their domains.
 * The Abyssal Court: The Kami of Yomi that see to the cycle of reincarnation. Very little is know about them.
 * Youkai: Spirits of the underworld of varying degrees of evil and mischievous. They have invaded Kuniumi since the great cataclysm known as the Tenpenchii. It is not rare for people to attempt to mollify them in the same way as normal Kami to better or worse result.

Imperial Importance
The Emperor/Empress is at any time considered the Celestial Kami's voice on earth. It is said that a true Emperor has the power to alter the very face of the Empire if he wishes, speak to the highest echelons of the Celestial Court, and gain audience with the Five Eternal Guardians, amongst others. The Kami Amaterasu, The Twin Moons, and Susanoo are generally the sole business of the Imperial family to deal with; that fare is much to rich for mere mortals. Thus, most consider the Emperor a deity in his own right.

Other Cultures
Other civilizations do exist outside of the Kuniumi paradigm, but they are quite distant. Infrequently, these Gaikokujin (外国人) "foreigners," do visit Kuniumi (and some even stay), but they are considered with disdain and distrust until they prove a mastery over Kuniumi's social expectations (and even then, some may still refuse to accept them).

Empire of Golden Ash
This is a civilization that exists deep in the deserts off Kuniumi's southwestern border and beyond the western mountains. To most, it is but a story, described in tales of fancy and fantasy as a place of indeterminable riches and immeasurable danger.

The Furthest Threshold
Not a civilization proper, this place has no official name. To the south, far beyond Kuniumi's southern boundaries, over mountains and some even say a second sea, there is a place of cold desolation from which tall, hairy barbarians are said to raid. They mostly come in ships, abusing Kuniumi's southern extremes.