Jade Isles

The Jade Isles

Land of the Imperial Heavens

The Jade Isles are the land of legends, myths, dragons and the strange and mystical Gawa people. The Jade Isles were a collection of 4 major islands, and five outlaying smaller ones. The islands sit thirty days sail to the East of Gothmyr, in the Great Gorge Ocean. The deep, forest covered islands is what gives them their name.
The Gawa people take pride in their land and defend its honor with a zealous fervor. Mostly quiet and reserved, the Gawa were always thought to be simple, due to their very stoic, emotionless responses. Their soft olive tinted skin barely ever shows emotion and their almond shaped eyes held calm like the oceans long after a storm.
The Gawanese way of life differed much from the mainland people of Gothmyr and beyond. The ruler of the Jade Isles reserved public possession of weaponry for only the select few, which forced the populace to practice an empty hand defense. Their martial art is known throughout Edus and many seek passage to the Jade Isles in order to learn the empty hand secrets.
A large mountain named Onimosuchi, meaning Dragonhome in the Gawanese tongue, is the famous landmark of the largest Island. Strange weaponry and items are more and more frequently found on the mainland that all originate from the Jade isles. Integration of cultures seems to have begun as the Gawanese people are less and less isolationists and moving more inland to learn new cultures.

A large influx of worshippers have stopped worshipping nature demons and sky demons and begun their migration into worshipping of Dunn'Kan. The Samurai God, as he is called in Gawa, has a newly built temple for his worshippers in the capitol city. His priests and paladins, known as Samurai, are moving along the countryside, converting the masses. Dunn'Kan himself is said to have touched feet to ground in The jade Isles before his rise to greatness in the Legendary Band of the Hand, and there are taverns and brothels with his name attached out of respect, as these buildings it is said he frequented as a mortal on Edus. The priests of Dunn'Kan are attempting to collect a large library on the South end of the Big Island but are having border disputes with the minister of Kumamoto. The blue magical grass and the enchanted land is thought by the clerics and Samurai to be remnants of Dunn'Kan from his time on Edus.

There are nine Islands that make up the Jade Isles. The Northernmost one is called Muni, then the largest Island, called Hidemyatsu, then the Easternmost island is Ibashiro, then the smallest of four main islands the southernmost called Nanakou.

The Imperial Palace
Home of the Holy Emperor, the Imperial Palace is the seat of the nation’s government. High Holy Emperor Senji Murosachi rules from the thick and high walled complex. The palace holds the Emperor, his twenty three family members, their sixty plus-some assistants and aides, and over six hundred Imperial Troops. The Imperial Palace covers almost seventy five square acres of land alone and the walls that guard them are over thirty feet high and twenty feet thick. Emperor Senji often goes walking around his grounds and meets with Ministers and ambassadors in the main gate house, which acts like a miniature keep all to itself. The main Palace is only viewed by those who live within the Palace grounds. there are approximately thirty five main buildings scattered around the seventy five square acres.

Hiroashi
The City is essentially the capitol city of the Jade isles. The Prime Minister rules the governing from Hiroashi. The Emperor, while still ruler, is a symbol and makes little ruling for day to day activities. Hirohasi sits a mere seventy five miles from the Palace and Hiroashi is always the primary port-of-call for ambassadors and visiting dignitaries.
Prime Minister Fan Sui Wong rules with his Council of Five. As superior in charge of manifests and trade, Sui Wong makes a very profitable enterprise, as a merchant Lord. Anyone caught shipping without license, or caught with contraband, their ship is seized, and they are sent to the mountains to work off their crime. The confiscated ship is now owned by the Council of Five, which means Fan Sui Wong owns it, adding it to his forty ships already in his control.
Li Xuang Bay is covered in ships. Some docked, some trying to port, others moving out, but one thing for sure, the port and trade from shipping is reason for the success of Hiroashi.

Kumamoto
On the southern tip of the Big island is Mito. The city itself is built on the ruins of a massive sprawling kingdom. The ruins of walls are used to frame new homes and people live within the newly-built upon ruins from Ages past. The land itself is magical, and the area seems to hold strange magics that only the very trained can notice.
The grass around Mito grows an eerie blue, and in the winter never leaves or turns brown. The ruins are said to be build upon the roof of the ancient ruins, which were buried into the elevated ground.

Nankou
On the smallest island of Gawa to the south west, is the ruin of Onibusho. The city-state of Onibusho covers the entire small island, from shore to shore, and buries deep underground. Onibusho was the capitol of the Jade Isles during the Fifth Age, the Age of Enchantment. The Imperial conjurers and arch mages destroyed the city with massive summoning circles and used otherworldly creatures as slaves and protectors. The city was lost in a great explosion and the ruins of the ancient city still linger.
As of the beginning of this Age, the entire island is home to a race of crow-men with wings as dexterous hands, called Kenku. These Kenku have established a civilization within the ruins of Onibusho, and attack anyone who tries to land on their island. Unknown and silent is the entire race, as many Gawa fishermen spot the Kenku on their own ships, fishing for food. The ruins of Onibusho are also home to other wild and devilish creatures. Rumors on the southern coasts of The jade Isles is that the small Island of Onibusho is run by an ancient demon, summoned to the prime Material plane by Conjurers from the Fifth Age, and was released somehow and never returned. The Kenku do not seemed bothered by any demon or its minions so the rumors stay rumors.
Ichizen
Ichizen is a large village that sits on the Southeastern edge of the Onimosuchi foothills. Ichizen is the main mining town of the jade isles and constantly turns out superior ore and abundant supplies of gold and even mithril. Ichizen is also home to one of the most infamous Shinobi clans: The White Tiger clan. The White tigers are a clan of miners and woodsmen that practice a lost and secretive martial art, specializing in invisibility and subterfuge. Assassins, spies and thieves excel and are the main products from the White Tiger clan. The agents of the White Tiger can be found as far as Al’Shiael and as south as Anwar. Highly paid and expensive, if you can find them the White Tiger Agents can almost guarantee success. Their home at the foothills of Onimosuchi is shrouded in shade and the deep woods. The current leader of the White Tigers is Master Takashi Kusao. Lord of the Golden Claw. Takeshi welds a walking cane that transforms into a tri-bladed Kama with a 3 foot handle. The weapon is treated as a battleaxe but swings at weapon speed 2. It hits with a +3 and damages with a +5. The cane is said to be a living part of Takeshi and is never seen without it.

Temple of the Frozen Sun
On Ado, the most northwestern smaller island is a lush forest of pines and other evergreens. Deep within the forest is a complex of buildings surrounding an ancient temple. The temple of the Frozen Sun is older than any building on the Jade Isles. It is rumored to be originally built during the middle of the Second Age, the Age of Bestowment. It was a temple of knowledge and spirituality but has since fallen into myth and forgotten.
Currently, a large clan of Rakshasa has taken over the temple and its grounds. They are using the entire island as their claimed land, and using the island as a safe harbor for smugglers and pirates who work for them. The Holy Emperor has sent ships north to the island of Ado to try to rout the Rakshasas out of the ancient temple, but has not succeeded.
Other Cities of The Jade Isles: