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#Post#: 16--------------------------------------------------
Porisuko Setting Information
By: Beebs Date: August 27, 2018, 8:40 pm
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Porisuko began life as nothing more than a camp for an
otokodate (ronin band) who called themselves simply the
Guards. It was intended to only be a camp-site where the
ronin would wait for winter to dissipate. The group had
just finished a lucrative job escorting Yasuki merchants
home from the Dragon lands, and were well provisioned
to hold out for the winter. When the snows began to melt,
however, they discovered they had settled in a completely
uninhabited portion of Rokugan – one with fertile land,
still close enough to the roads that the group could find
more work as they needed it. They decided to make the
camp their base of operations, allowing smaller groups to
leave and find work while the rest could train, repair their
gear, and grow some food to supplement their wages.
Soon, the Guards’ excursions were bringing
back more recruits, as word spread
of their safe refuge. Additional
ronin, uprooted peasants, and
camp followers all settled
in the camp, and it slowly
began to grow. In time, it
became a true village, but
still ruled by the Guards.
Some years later,
the Guards were led by
an extremely pious man
named Isamu. He felt a
village as large as his – for
it had indeed grown large –
should have a shrine for his
people to pray and purify their
souls. Isamu meditated on the
matter for several days, taking
neither food nor water. When
he finally emerged from his
home he was gaunt and sickly,
but his eyes shone with a new
religious fervor. Isamu claimed
to have seen a vision from the
original founder of the Guards,
a ronin named Porisu, who told him there was only one Fortune
the group
should revere above all others – Mikoto, the
Minor Fortune of Ronin, one of the most obscure
of the mikokami. Isamu claimed it was thanks to
the blessings of Mikoto and him alone that the
Guards had survived as long and as well as they
did.
The villagers were somewhat skeptical of
this vision, but the choice of Fortune made
sense, and soon construction began on the new
temple. Once it was built, the temple required an
official blessing, and the village sent a request
to the Brotherhood of Shinsei for assistance. The
Brotherhood assigned a few monks to the new
shrine, and kept in full contact with the village as
it continued to grow. The monks called their new
home Porisuko in honor of the original founder
of the Guards, and in time the residents came to
accept the name as well.
It was also the Brotherhood’s activities which
brought Porisuko to Imperial notice. A tax
collector was passing through the area and stopped
at a regional monastery, where he overheard the
monks speaking of Porisuko. This puzzled him greatly,
since he had never heard of this place and prided himself
on knowing every town he was responsible for. The tax
collector poured over his maps and records, but could
find no trace of this mysterious town. The next morning
he questioned the abbot about this non-existent town,
who obligingly told him of the remote ronin settlement’s
location and history. The tax collector did not have time
to investigate the matter further himself, but filed a report
with his superiors, hoping the matter would be dealt with
by someone.
A few years ago, the report was finally unearthed by
an Imperial magistrate, Kitsuki Katashi. Both curious
and appalled that a settlement had gone so long without
discovery or proper Imperial supervision, he assembled
a group of samurai and went in search of Porisuko. He
discovered a prosperous, fully-functioning town, still
led by the ronin otokodate which founded it. Katashi
studied the town carefully and realized the Guards might
prove intransigent at the thought of paying taxes and
otherwise giving up their independence. Accordingly,
three days later he summoned the leaders of the Guards
and informed them that as citizens of the Empire, they
owed the Emperor a great deal of koku in back taxes. In
light of their apparent ignorance of the law, however, he
was willing to petition the Emperor to forgive their debt,
so long as they allowed an Imperial tax collector to be
stationed permanently in their town. Katashi pointed out
that other benefits would accrue from paying their taxes,
such as Imperial protection should the town come under
attack, and a better road connecting them to the rest of
the Empire. Having thus tempted them, Katashi offered the
alternative – he could return with an Imperial Legion and
burn the town to the ground.
The town of Porisuko grudgingly agreed the first option
was considerably better than the second. Katashi assigned
a tax collector to the town, and one has been posted there
ever since.
Location Guide
and City Denizens
The Tax Collector’s Residence
The Imperial tax collector for Porisuko, Shiba Kenji,
resides in a house which, while modest by the standards
of the larger Empire, is easily the most ornate in Porisuko.
It tends to the simple lines that Phoenix favor in their
architecture, and boasts a small garden in the front. A wall
surrounds the entire estate, lending privacy to those inside.
During the day, the gate is watched by a single yojimbo,
Shiba Jiro. He greets the few samurai who come to visit
with a distinct lack of enthusiasm, an attitude which no
doubt landed him this remote posting in the first place.
The interior waiting rooms are simply furnished, with
only a few pieces of Crane art to break the monotony.
Visitors often assume based on these rooms that Shiba
Kenji is the ascetic type, a view he does nothing to
disabuse. It would be quite another matter if those same
visitors were to see the interiors of Kenji’s personal suite,
which is filled with furniture and art from the lands of the
Phoenix, reminders of his lost past. One corner houses a
shrine dedicated to Kenji’s late wife, Shiba Kuriko, which
includes a carefully rolled piece of white paper wrapped
around the hilt of a sheathed wakizashi.
Temple to Mikoto, Minor Fortune of Ronin
The Temple to Mikoto is as plain looking as the ronin
who pray there. Simple wooden pillars support a singlestory
pagoda. Grasses grow tall and weeds are plentiful on
the overgrown path to the shrine. A single elderly monk,
Hayate, does his best to care for the shrine, but he lacks
the energy to maintain the surrounding grounds.
Hayate is a kindly old monk, and has been tending
the shrine for many years, but the observant may notice
the swordsman’s calluses on his hands. He does not care for
gossip and knows little of what happens in the town,
although he is an endless font of tales about brave ronin
who were inspired or protected by Mikoto. He will avoid
speaking of his own past, however, gently reminding
inquisitive samurai that a monk leaves his old life behind
when he shaves his head.
The Geta
The sign outside this establishment shows a picture of
a pair of geta (wooden sandals) casually tossed to one
side while the feet the geta presumably belong to rest
comfortably beside them. The wooden exterior of the twostory
building is attached to a stable, letting visitors know
this is the town’s inn. Inside, the common room is filled
with cheap, solidly-built tables. In the evenings ronin and
peasants gather here to catch up on the day’s news.
The Geta is owned and operated by a young couple,
Haruko and Shinu, with help from their parents and
children. Haruko can usually be found in the kitchens with
her mother, fixing the meals requested by the patrons.
Shinu is usually outside, chopping wood and tending to
the other manual labor the inn requires. Shinu’s father
tends to the stables and the horses within. The old man
will proudly tell any samurai who might ask how he was
taught to care for horses by a groomsman for an Utaku
Battle Maiden, so their horses will be well cared-for.
The couple’s son and daughter, Kaito and Akane, acts
as servants, bussing tables and delivering meals and
drinks. Akane, the elder, is nearly fifteen, while Kaito is
almost fourteen, and both have grown up rather comely.
However, while Akane is a charming and well spoken girl,
Kaito is brooding and morose. His feelings are made worse
by the undue attention Akane has been getting from Ryou,
the manager of the House of Midnight Blossoms. Kaito
has always been overprotective of his older sister, and
especially disapproves of a man like Ryou.
The entire family lives in a nearby hut, larger than
most, but still relatively small for the number of people
residing there.
Eta Village
A small community of eta has grown up on the southern
outskirts of Porisuko, outcasts from the population despite
their necessity. Foul odors of refuse, burned meat, and
worse things continually permeate the air here, although
the huts are just as well-kept as the rest of the town. Within
even the eta community there is a social hierarchy, lead by
Taiki, the chief leatherworker. Lesser figures include Yori,
the chief mortician, and Gorou, who heads up the
refusegatherers.
Despite its ill repute, the eta community is a
surprisingly lively place, and children run and play freely
in the streets, although they are quick to hide if they spot
a samurai approaching.
House of the Midnight Blossoms
The Midnight Blossoms is a somewhat unusual
establishment, run by an equally odd man named Ryou.
The house has been in existence almost as long as the
town itself. It began as a group of camp-followers staying
in the same place to make things convenient for their men.
Later, it became something of a boarding house for new
female arrivals who had yet to find a place in the growing
village. Those who found homes or positions moved out
as housing became available, but there were always some
who remained. At some point – no one is really sure when
– a drunken ronin made an off-color joke about flowers
blooming only at night. The name stuck, and the women
became known as the Blossoms. When he sobered up,
the ronin decided the girls needed some culture in their
lives, and brought in a retired geisha madam to share her
knowledge. The Blossoms loved the idea of being more
respected for what they were, and studied diligently with
their new obaa-sama. The women hired the clever ronin
to help them with the business side of things, and so the
House of the Midnight Blossoms was born.
Due to its strange heritage, the House is considerably
less formal and restrictive than a standard Rokugani geisha
house. Although all the classical arts and entertainments
are available here, the women have more control over
their lives than in other such establishments, and no one
owns their contracts.
Currently, the house employs a ronin named Ryou to
deal with troublesome or violent customers. Ryou is a
short man in his early thirties with oily hair and a quick
smile. Recently, Ryou has noticed Akane, the daughter of
the innkeeper, is growing into a beautiful young woman,
and he is trying to persuade her to go to work at the
House of Midnight Blossoms. He’s sure the prospect of a
comfortable and prosperous life will be too much of an
opportunity for her to pass up.
Ryou once visited Zakyo Toshi and ever since has had
dreams of turning Porisuko into a similar type of town.
Unfortunately, he lacks both the business sense necessary
to make such dreams come true and the personality
necessary to achieve such a goal. Ryou is a complete
materialist – he simply cannot understand how anyone
would value anything more than money and physical
comfort. He has learned that this irritates Clan samurai,
and when such are about, he has a knack for disappearing.
He is extremely difficult to track down when he does not
wish to be found – even the Blossoms don’t always know
where to find him.
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