-=Rising Sun Pioneers Setting=- -Geography- The land is called Thae. It is a small continent, about the size of Australia, and is easily divided into two parts by the tall volcanic mountain range running down the center. The mountains are called the Salamander Range (or sometimes just "The Salamanders") because of the fire-breathing lizards found there. The sea surrounding it is covered with thick mist, so travel off the continent is both rare and dangerous. To the East is a beautiful land of mountains, valleys and forests. There are two major rivers running into the eastern ocean: the Hoku and the Nan. They run through the forested vallies, each with several tributaries. In this land, the Shomura Emperor rules through his samurai lords. To the West is a land of sparse plains and barren desert. There is one major river here, the Denial. Arguably the only river in the West, it runs into the north ocean. In this land, the merchant kings of Teck have power through commerce. -History: East- The people of Shomura can trace their history back about a century, before the empire came to be, to what's commonly called "the Civil War Period." Hundreds of samurai clans existed then, as they do now, but after fourty years of war, the one which ultimately attained power was Shomura. The Lord of Shomura declared himself Emperor, and decreed that year to be the first year of the Shomura Period. The stronger of the defeated clans became the Emperor's governors and vassals. Meanwhile refugees and deserters began to settle further and further west, creating their own clans. By the thirty-sixth year of the Shomura period, when the Empire had expanded to the Salamanders, there were a total of six major clans under the Emperor. The minor clans serve the major ones. The first emperor died the following year, and rule passed to his son Daigo, a man who had never known war. The people looked forwards to an era of peace, but this was not to be the case. -History: West- The West is fragmented, and as such everyone has a different version of the past. History isn't much of a concern for the people of this area unless it can be used as a method of gaining inheritance. What is known, however, is that a couple centuries ago the merchant class incited a revolt and overthrew King Kimli, who once ruled the entire West, calling the kingdom Teck. They divided the cities among themselves, created a council, and it promptly fell apart as the value of coal and saltpeter were discovered. Since then, there's been skirmish after skirmish over resources, but these were almost never organized into forces that can even be considered anything larger than a small army, and all out wars were nearly impossible. Life for the common folk improved, but not by much: if anything, it's possible to break into the aristocracy now. Just get your hands on some gold. Nobody *really* cares where it came from. -Combined History- When the first explorers of the East and West met, they were at once uneasy in each other's presence. Perhaps it was their differing appearances that caused the tension. Perhaps it was envy for land: the West wanted the beautiful lands of the East, while the East wanted the more abundant resources and advanced technology of the West. For whatever the reason, it wasn't long before the two were plunged into a bloody war. The East had superior fighting abilities, but the West's technology kept the two an even match; long enough for the people of Teck to realize that in order to survive, they would need to set aside their differences and fight together. In other words, they needed to form another council. The seven most powerful merchant kings pooled their resources for this, and under their influence the other city-states fell into line. Under the guidance of the newly-formed council, the West began to slowly inch their way to an advantage. This is made worse for the East in that some clans were starting to tire of the Emperor's rule, and they came to realize the Emperor no longer had the power to control them that it once held. Some clans remained faithful to the throne, however. The situation became tense, and realizing another civil war was inevitable, they offered a cease-fire to the West. Teck's Council accepted, believing that it was only a temporary situation. It was twenty-two years of war, and everyone could use a rest. The cease-fire is still in effect, and it's been twenty years since the last time the entirety of Teck and the Shomura Empire battled. The council is once again starting to crumble, as is the emperor's rule. -Relations- Despite the long war, the people at the border have grown more tolerant of each other since then, and the cultures began to trade and mingle. It wouldn't be uncommon to see a cowboy in the East carry a katana, or a samurai in the West with a pistol. Foreigners often stayed or even lived in towns of the other country, and even inter-racial marriages weren't so unusual. However, the further one gets from the border in either direction, the more prejudice rises. -Weapons and Combat- In the Shomura Empire combat is almost an art form. There are a variety of simple weapons. Common swords include the wakazashi and the ninjato, but the katana is by far the favorite. Some people prefer a longer reach; they use naginata and yari. Archery is also fairly common, and the East has managed to develope unique unarmed combat methods. In Teck, guns are the way to go. The revolver is the most popular weapon, and there are a number of types. There are also double barreled shotguns that must be reloaded after every shot. Rifles are used as well, and there are two types: bolt-action and repeating. Bolt-action rifles are stronger than repeating, but must be reloaded after every shot. Repeating are weaker, but have an internal ammo supply; they're reloaded but pulling a lever built into the grip with your trigger hand. They hold a large amount of ammo, and thus seldom need to be reloaded during combat. Archery can, however, be found in Teck. The Injuns use bows to an astonishing effect, and have mastered horseback archery. They're also fond of tomahawks: a stone axe that can be used as both a melee and throwing weapon. -Magic- Magic exists in both countries. In the East, monks and diviners are known for their abilities to cast spells, while in the West, magic was discovered by Injuns, the term given for the darker-skinned tribes who live with the land. -Travel- Aside from the fun fun basic method of walking, the easiest way to get from here to there is on horseback. Horses are widely used in both countries. There are a few ports, mostly at the rivers in the East, but the people tend not to rely on seafaring. As such, their naval skills are undeveloped. The most comfortable way to travel (not to mention the quickest) is by train. A train runs throughout the West, stopping at major cities. The major draw back here is, of course, that the train follows a set path, and may not be able to take you where you want to go. -Monsters & Undead- While they haven't played a big role in history, there exist dangerous creatures that travellers must be careful of in either country. Many of them have elemental weaknesses and strengths; some spells will have a reduced effect on them, while others will have an increased effect. -Slayers- Another, surprisingly common, danger in the world are Slayers. They seem to be nothing more than humans with brown masks covering the eyes, but they may as well be monsters. They never talk, and appear in both countries, ranging from crowded cities to the middle of the desert. It is unknown where they come from, but their only desire seems to be to kill. They don't even rob their victims. They fight like humans, using both guns and swords, and occasionally martial arts. -Ruins- The majority of ruins are sealed. Nobody has been able to figure out how to access them, and as such they're largely ignored by both sides. -Redrock City- The largest trading city between the two countries, Redrock City is located at the base of the Salamanders. It is technically in the West, but the inhabitants don't care much whether you're Eastern or Western, as long as you've got money. It's where fortunes are made or broken, and it's here where the PCs begin their adventure. -Kyo- The capital of the Shomuran Empire.