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#Post#: 17--------------------------------------------------
Kudo Mura
By: Beebs Date: August 27, 2018, 8:49 pm
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Kudo Mura began life as nothing more than another
small farming village at the southern end of the Hare
lands. It was a quiet place, its residents attending to their
duties and feeling little care for anything else. It continued
in this way for many decades, neither growing nor
shrinking, and doing little to place itself on any map. In
fact, it was only once Kudo lost its Minor Clan patron, the
Hare Clan, that other clans noticed its existence. For all
its small size, Kudo was in a very fertile location, and the
three remaining Minor Clans in the area each coveted it.
None of them were willing to risk open conflict, however,
and Kudo remained independent. Even after the Hare Clan
was reinstated, Kudo remained an independent settlement.
Kudo changed little until ll69, when it was promoted to
being the seat of the recently formed Minor Clan Alliance.
Suddenly the little village was seeing more samurai in one
month than it had in its entire history. Buildings went
up at a surprisingly fast rate, and people from all over
the Empire arrived at the suddenly prosperous city. The
residents barely noticed when the Lion Clan moved troops
in – the only change was the speed of progress, as Lion
funding helped turn the village into a proper city. The
Governor of the city made herself popular by making sure
the original populace was not uprooted from their homes
– instead, the city was built up around them.
Today, Kudo Mura is a bustling city, as large as many
others in the Empire, and with an underbelly just as dirty.
The city’s main export is still its crops, most of which
go to the surrounding Minor Clans. Samurai from every
clan, Great and Minor, come here to treat with the Minor
Clan Alliance. For samurai seeking more dishonorable
pleasures, Yoshitaka, the local gang lord, is happy to
oblige. This darker side of Kudo Mura has been around far
longer than most realize, and has yet to make an impact
on the Governor, Toku Kiyuko. Patrons of Yoshitaka’s
establishments hope it remains that way, since her reaction
to discovering such disgrace is likely to be severe.
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Location Guide and
City Denizens
The Temple District
The temples of Kudo Mura are plentiful and well
maintained, although they vary in size. The shrines to the
Seven Fortunes and the Fortune of Virtue are the largest
and most often visited by local samurai, but there are
numerous smaller shrines to the various Fortunes involved
in a peasant’s day-to-day life.
A small patrol of Minor Clan bushi maintains order in
the district. This patrol is mostly an honor guard, rather
than any type of actual law enforcement, and is made up
of older samurai who are on the brink of retirement or
have become partially disabled in the line of duty. Their
leader, Ichiro Chiroku, is a Chui of the Badger clan who
was wounded during the War of Dark Fire while helping to
evacuate his fellow clansmen.
Chiroku is a loud, boisterous old man who wants
little more from life than the chance to leer at the shrine
maidens as he makes his rounds. There was a time when
he sought to do more for his clan, but his recent injury has
given him a new outlook on life. He feels he has served his
clan as he was meant to, and now he only awaits his next
turn on the karmic wheel.
Temple of the Fortune of Virtue
One of the first temples erected in Kudo Mura after its
promotion was a temple to the Fortune of Virtue, Toku.
There were several reasons for this, starting with Toku
Kiyuko wanting a reminder of her father to be with her
and her mother, Inao, in their new home. However, Kiyuko
also truly believes that virtue is a vital aspect of human
nature and should be revered and taught as much as the
Code of Bushido. Virtue is something even non-samurai
can understand and appreciate. She hopes the temple will
inspire Kudo Mura’s residents to follow the path of virtue
rather than sinking into debauchery as some cities have,
such as Ryoko Owari, Toshi Aitate, or Zakyo Toshi.
The Temple of Virtue is the largest temple in the city.
Several monks maintain the well-manicured gardens
surrounding the walk which leads to the entrance. A set
of ornate double doors, carved with stylized images of
Toku himself, lead into the temple proper. The interior,
by contrast, is surprisingly simple. Centered in the back
of the main chamber is a statue of Toku – a replica of the
original in Ryoko Owari. Incense and candles burn at all
hours in front of the statue, usually accompanied by a
small pile of offerings from visitors hoping to attract the
benign attention of the Fortune.
To the sides of the main temple are the living
chambers of the monks who attend to the temple.
There is also a small library where copies of the
Empire’s classic theological writings are kept.
Unbeknownst to most, the library is also home
to a copy of every legal document that Toku
Kiyuko signs in the name of the Minor Clan
Alliance. This is one of the many precautions
she has adopted from her mother’s advice.
If something should happen to the city, or
to Kiyuko specifically, the monks of the
temple can come forward with any of the
documents that may be in question.
The Gilded Cage
The Gilded Cage is little more than a
bad joke on the part of Yoshitaka, the local
gang lord. It began when Yoshitaka decided
to expand his criminal empire to include a geisha
house. Unlike most geisha houses, however, these
geishas’ contracts are never available for sale, nor are
the women allowed to buy out their own contracts. Once
a woman belongs to The Gilded Cage, she will never be
free again. On occasion a geisha will try to run away, but
Yoshitaka’s men quickly hunt her down. Sometimes she is
brought back, somewhat the worse for wear. Other times
she is never seen again. Regardless, no one escapes the
Gilded Cage.
The Gilded Cage is intended to be a more respectable
establishment than Yoshitaka’s gambling den, so
appearances must be maintained. The exterior of the house
is well-kept and a signboard shows a lovely colored bird
singing inside of a golden cage. A low fence surrounds
the house, more for looks than any actual function. In the
back is a beautiful garden with plenty of private corners
for customers and their companions of the evening.
The inside of the geisha house is just as luxurious as the
outside. Beautiful silk screens divide the main room into
smaller areas, each exquisitely painted with nature scenes.
Dark red silk pillows are casually tossed around the rooms
for guests to sit on, while the sandalwood tables give off a
pleasant and subtle scent. The girls themselves are dressed
in the best kimono that money can buy, each girl’s station
within the house clearly defined by her outfit. The famous
Friendly Traveler Village sake is served here, along with
tea from the Crane lands and fish brought in from the
Mantis Isles. Nothing but the best for Yoshitaka’s clientele,
and his patrons repay him in kind.
The okaa-sama of The Gilded Cage, Honoka, is an
ancient woman. She stoops under a hunched back, born of
age and time, and the ronin who bodyguard the house like
to joke (out of her hearing) that her face has more crevices
than the Seikitsu Mountains. She keeps a stern eye on the
women who work for her, making sure no improprieties
occur within her household. She verges on cruelty when
teaching the young miko their trade, pouncing on every
inaccuracy or misplaced gesture with the viciousness of a
tiger. The return on this pain is that her miko become some of
the best-trained geisha outside of the Crane or Scorpion
lands. Honoka is also fiercely protective of her charges,
and watches the customers like a hawk. At the first hint
or sign of impropriety or danger, the guest is removed
and politely requested to never return. Few customers are
willing to cross Honoka, and as a result The Gilded Cage is
one of the most civilized locations in Kudo Mura, outside
of the court itself.
It is also one of Yoshitaka’s most profitable operations.
Daikoku’s Own Luck
This seedy gambling house can be found in a back alley
of ‘Old Kudo,’ the portion of the town which pre-dates the
arrival of the Minor Clan Alliance. It is built on the site
where Yoshitaka placed his original gambling house, but
it has been much expanded since then. The exterior would
lead a samurai to believe this is just another run-down
hut like so many in the area. There are usually two or
three ruffians lounging outside the door who will quickly
stop anyone they don’t recognize from entering. One must
visit the house with an existing patron in order to gain
admittance. The prospect of facing well-trained samurai
in a fight is far from intimidating to these men, who
find it an exciting prospect – they respect no one except
Yoshitaka, regardless of station.
Inside the large hut is very different from its exterior.
The place is always lit, even late at night. There are two
rooms, the first taking up most of the available space.
Long tables circle around the room, usually surrounded
by peasants and ronin wagering away their hard-earned
money. Sitting at the center of each of these tables are
more ruffians, members of Yoshitaka’s gang, who watch
to make sure that if there is any cheating it goes in favor
of Yoshitaka. The second room is guarded by another thug,
along with a heavy wooden door with a complicated lock.
Inside is Yoshitaka’s office, where he keeps the gambling
house’s earnings – some of which are simply I.O.U.s from
dependable patrons.
Governor’s Court
The court of Governor Toku Kiyuko is a colorful one,
one of the most diverse and energetic courts in the Empire,
second only to the Imperial Court itself. This is not due to
any décor or style, but rather the sheer number of different
clans represented. At least one ambassador from every
Minor Clan in the Empire can always be found here, and
representatives from all of the Great Clans visit regularly
as well. Here agreements are made and alliances forged to
protect the interests of the Minor Clans and their Alliance,
during times of turmoil and prosperity alike. Although
the Minor Clans do not always work in concert with each
other, they try to at least avoid hindering one another in
their treaties and arrangements.
The court of Kudo Mura is surprisingly prestigious for
being so new. There is usually at least one Minor Clan
Champion present keeping an eye on all proceedings –
most often Kasuga Taigen of the Tortoise or Toku Kyoji of
the Monkey, although others have been known to make an
appearance on occasion. Prominent Great Clan diplomats
visit regularly as well. (More information on the Court of
Kudo Mura can be found in Masters of Court, p. 167.)
Marketplace
Like most city marketplaces, the market of Kudo Mura
is packed with merchants and customers from sun-up to
sun-down. Hawkers cry out their wares, and peasants and
samurai alike peruse the selections the merchants offer.
Because Kudo Mura was once a farming village and has
only recently grown into a city, there is little call here for
exotic goods, and most of the products offered are locally
made or transported from the nearest Clans. Even so, as
Kudo grows larger, more and more items from across the
Empire are beginning to make their way into the market,
and Great Clan merchants are starting to see a chance for
real profit. No doubt the selection of goods will expand
in the future.
In the center of the market is a large deer-chaser clock.
Its steady tak-tak is barely audible over the din of the
day’s business, but echoes eerily once the market clears
out for the evening. The clock often serves the locals as a
meeting place, and a small garden is being built around it
to facilitate this. Merchants hope that if the meeting place
is made more beautiful and restful, their customers will
feel more refreshed and thus more willing to buy their
products.
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