Amatsu-Kyo

The capitol city of the great Sakura (Cherry Blossom) Empire, Amatsu-Kyo was considered by many to be the most beautiful and wondrous city in the known word of its time. After the damage caused by the Tenpenchii and Aranami, however, much of the city was damaged or outright destroyed. While the Jade Tortoise Clan has had nearly 100 years to pick up the pieces and put it back together, even their master artisans and engineers recognize that the city will never be great in the way it once was.

Many, however, believe it can still be great again, though it will need to change in the evolving circumstances of a new world--a notion the Jade Tortoise Clan disagrees with immeasurably.

Overview


Amatsu-Kyo is an ancient metropolis, its districts sprawling between the shores of Ryūwan (竜湾), the gulf of dragons, and the Midokawa (み土川), the august river of earth. Even in the present, the city's borders continue to stretch between sea and river, although many of the buildings remain in a ruined state. The forces of the Jade Tortoise Clan are a perennial presence, regardless, patrolling both ruined and rebuilt areas alike, insuring the full city grounds are not overrun by undesirables.

Several districts have been fully or mostly rebuilt by the Jade Tortoise--largely those of religious, political, or commercial significance. Much of the sprawling residential areas remain in disrepair, and populated by otherwise homeless commoners, who have been given official sanction to stay provided they aid in rebuilding efforts and abide by Jade Tortoise rule-of-law.

For the most part, the citizens of Amatsu-Kyo and the forces of the Jade Tortoise maintain a mutualistic, pleasant relationship, as the Jade Tortoise treats its vassals respectfully, if perhaps somewhat curtly. The commoners are likewise happy to leave the nobles to their duties, and the two groups lead largely separate lives outside of official rebuilding projects.

The holy mountain of Seichisan can be seen to the southeast from almost anywhere in the city. Onokoro Island can be seen to the north from the higher elevations of the city.

The Daidairi District
Built upon the highest point in the city, the Daidairi, or the greater palace area, is the primary residence of the Jade Tortoise and the once-home of Empress Taiyouko. The palace complex is an immense and tall series of structures that could easily support the needs of several Imperial families. The palace itself has been fully restored and is immaculately maintained, though the Jade Tortoise does not presume to impose itself therein until given divine sanction to do so.

The palace campus is otherwise populated by the Jade Tortoise families, and is the primary location of their schools and libraries. It is the most defensible and heavily-fortified area of the city. The entire district is walled off from the rest of the city, complete with watch-towers and draw-bridges over a tributary of the Midokawa, which flows around the district like a fast-moving moat.

Places of Note:


 * The Imperial Palace Complex
 * The Magnificent Citadel of the Jade Tortoise

The Sacred Approach
A long, winding stream flows in a series of rapids and small waterfalls from the imperial palace complex down to the holy gates of Amatsu-Kyo that face southeast towards Seichisan, the holy mountain of earth. Here, the water flows into the Midokawa proper. The stream marks the scored earth that Aranashi created when his forces slammed into the city and marched to the imperial palace. The ground has since been thoroughly purified, and is marked by an abundance of cherry trees, manicured grasses, and shrines dedicated to those who were killed in that event.

It is considered a great honor to have a home on the banks of the Sacred Approach, though the district is mostly notable for its focus on the arts. Many geisha and tea houses, as well as kabuki and noh theaters populate and perform on the stream's banks to honor Empress Taiyouko's patronage of the arts.

Places of Note:


 * Secluded Tea House

The Midokawa District
The banks of the Midokawa are considered to be sacred, as the water is considered to originate from Seichisan and the Eternal Pillar of Earth, itself. Temples, schools, and monasteries are thus given priority and privilege to build on the banks before anyone else so as to tend to the water and the related kami. Noble estates came next in line, followed by a handful of officially-sanctioned fisherfolk, whose sublime fish are taken straight away to the Daidairi district. Fish from the Midokawa are believed to have properties that strengthen the body, and so commoners are disallowed from fishing here.

While areas of greenery and parks are abundant all throughout Amatsu-Kyo, they are most prevalent here, along the river's banks, tended to by monks and priests of the various temples. This is also a district known for its ancient cemeteries, which usually surround groves of Sakura trees.

The Harbor District
Considered a sort of necessary evil, this district is primarily one of commerce and a residential area for wealthy non-nobles. As anyone is allowed to catch fish from the Bay of Dragons, many fisherfolk linger around the mouth of the Midokawa in hopes of catching brackish fish blessed by its holy waters--and many claim they have and inflate their prices even if such claims are dubious. (To be caught peddling such wares is a Serious Offense.) Otherwise, piers and marinas of all sizes dot the Harbor District's coast, not far from large trading and merchant houses.

Where the coast is gentler and forms white-sand beaches, merchant estates tend to sprawl across the city grounds, as much as the city nobles are willing to tolerate. Given this district is also known to be given to hedonism and debauchery, however, the nobles (especially those of the Jade Tortoise) are inclined to leave the district alone provided such things do not leave the district. (To be caught visiting might be a slight against their honor, and no self-respecting Jade Tortoise would suffer that.)

Ruined Districts
These are empty districts that have yet to be rebuilt by the Jade Tortoise, and are intermittently populated by commoner families. While the Jade Tortoise has given sanction to these families, the districts are ultimately unclaimed.


 * The Jade Wall

Forbidden Districts
The remaining districts remain overrun with Oni and Youkai of various stripes. While they in totality do not have the numbers to overrun the Jade Tortoise's forces, nor does the Jade Tortoise have the resources to clean them out. They remain a blight on the city, and have dug into these areas, which have largely been walled off by the Jade Tortoise's stone masons and infused with jade by their shugenja. On occasion, evil does find ways around or under the barricades to raid or ravage the small settlements within the Ruined Districts which surround the Forbidden ones. However, this is relatively rare.

Many claim the Jade Tortoise intentionally does not restore the Ruined Districts to retain a buffer between the forces of evil and the more populated districts, and this is not entirely untrue.

Places of Note:


 * The Infernal Bastion of Aranami's Court