Oketura

Few enough foreigners ever get to see the land of Sokoku in distant Duanjia. Fewer still get to see their capital, the city of Oketura. Those fortunate souls who do come here find it a majestic place, almost as much a fortress as a city, built in the place where the mountains and the forest meet.

Demographics

As could be expected, the vast majority of the city's population is human. The rest, however, are the goblinoids the people of Duanjia call beiren. The largest population of these people are bugbears while the next are hobgoblins along with a slight goblin minority.
Because foreigners almost never come here, those of other races are rarely seen. Almost all such people are adventurers and thus could conceivably be from anywhere in the world, and could conceivably be of any race known to Covenant or possibly even beyond.

Government

The city of Oketura is home to both the emperor and the shogun. This means that both are incredibly influential in the governance of the city. The emperor rules more on a grand scale, while the shogun typically fills a more hands-on role in the day-to-day operation of the government.
Law and order are maintained by a class of soldiers that answer directly to the shogun and the emperor. They have an ironclad hierarchy based on seniority. These are the only soldiers that answer directly to him, as the rest are only sworn to him indirectly through a daimyo.

Defences

One of Oketura's primary defenses is its place in Sokoku. Invaders have to go through nearly the entire nation to attack it. Those that make it there will also have to contend with the city walls, and the natural defenses provided by the mountains as well as the surrounding foothills.
The soldiers of the shogun are one of the largest and most elite forces in all of Sokoku. They are more than capable of defending the city on their own. They do have some support from the temples and monasteries in the city as well as the forces of the other daimyos across the empire.

Industry & Trade

Many of the people in the city live by both logging and mining. The mines produce mainly gold, iron, and copper. Indeed, the ore and lumber gathered here supports much of Sokoku. It is shipped via road to the entire rest of the empire to meet the needs of many other communities across the land.
Because of the natural prosperity of the capital, it is very much a hub of trade for the rest of Sokoku, despite its less-than-central location. It is said all roads in Sokoku eventually lead here, and goods from everywhere across the empire can be found in the city's markets.

Infrastructure

Oketura is located on the foothills of Sokoku's mountains, and surrounded by forests. The most important parts of town are located closer to the mountains where they can be better protected. This includes the palaces of the emperor and shogun, as well as temples to Isanagi, Amaterasu, and Isanami, goddess of the underworld.
In the next innermost parts of the city are where most of its people actually live, further from the mountains yet still behind the city walls. As such, this is the most active part of town, and where most of the city's services can be found. Most who visit come to this part of the city.
The rest of the city is outside of the walls. The people who live here typically make their living via logging and farming. It does have plenty of necessary services for the people who live here, however travelers won't get as much use out of them, as most craftsmen are inside of the walls.

History

It is said Oketura was the first community created by the Sokokans. Legend has it, Amaterasu chose this place herself to be a home for her children. The palace of the emperor was built first, and the city was built around it by those who flocked to the glory of the first emperors.
During the history of the city, there has been conflict-- both internal strife from within the empire, as well as war with Jiayuan. Power has passed from one dynasty to another during this period, which didn't help with the overall instability of the history of the Sokokan people.
The worst of this instability came when a t'ien lung dragon was corrupted by infernal forces. She and her mate had a desire to conquer the entire world, and sought to control Duanjia first. Her mate replaced the Jiayuanese emperor Tao Wei, while she killed and replaced the Sokokan emperor.
One of the servants of the emperor, a priest of Amaterasu named Ando Haketuro discovered the imposter. He rebelled and led a party of companions against her. Eventually, they fought her through the city and the priest, a hero, delivered the killing blow against her.
There was no surviving heir after the Dragon Empress's plot. The sun goddess Amaterasu then declared Ando to be the next emperor. He spent his reign rebuilding the city, and then passed on his power to heirs. The Haketuro Dynasty rules Sokoku to this day.

Architecture

On the surface, it can be said that the architectural style of Oketura is similar to that of other communities in Duanjia, such as Ganhuang. Most are built with local stone or wood. Those in the mountains tend to be more well-built and more ornately decorated.
Many of these structures have brightly-colored elements, such as their roof tiles, which tend to be painted to prevent uniformity. Statues are quite common in the city, especially the wealthier districts. Most of these are of dragons and other creatures, serving as guardians in a spiritual sense.

Type

Large city

Population

Approx. 35,000

Inhabitant Demonym

Oketuran

Location under

Duanjia

Owning Organization

Sokoku