Hayakawa

With its many high flying banners and colorful array of pop-up stands, Hayakawa garnered a reputation as a bustling shopping and trading city. Being the city furthest to the east and at the tip of the Azuma Triangle it was particularly popular with the few foreigners who found their way to the orient. Hayakawa's streets were a veritable maze of shops, food-stands, and other businesses with the city's Tochigami shrine at the center of the city bustle.
Located in the Northwest corner of the city was the large, wooden arena where the annual "Pit Exchange" program would be held. Here, brave warriors from across Kōryō and even visiting foreigners would compete to see who was truly worthy of holding the title of Pit Champion.

Under the rule of Daimyo Shimazu Nariakira , Hayakawa flourished and rivaled Taki-Hoshi in economic prosperity.
Now, there is almost nothing left of the city that can speak of it's former status as one of Kōryō's Great Cities. The events of the Second Great Yokai War and the lingering effects of Sayuri's pestilence have left Hayakawa an overgrown ruin filled with disease and mutated abominations.

Demographics

Hayakawa was a largely middle class city, although wealthy travelers and traders have also made the Bazaar City their home. The city's proximity to the Kita-Yama mountains may also have to do with the relatively high Yokai and Ayakashi presence. Under Daimyo Nariakira's rule, they are treated as equals by the humanoid population.

Government

Nariakira ruled Hayakawa with a stern yet fair hand. His cabinet included:

• Bando Kaname
• Tetsuji Shinji
• Teramachi Mirai

Nariakira ruled as Daimyo for nearly 20 years and was well-liked by the majority of his people. However, his policy of treating Yokai as equals incensed the Yubara radicals within the city and many plotted to see him ousted.

Defences

Hayakawa Samurai

Like Taki-Hoshi, the samurai of Hayakawa were considered to be rather weak when compared to those of Tengoku or Miketsukami. However, they were still trained warriors and performed their duties admirably and to the best of their ability, even managing to defeat a rampaging Tochigami. Notable individuals include:

• Former Captain (Deceased): Tanaka Hondo

Assets

The Pit

Hayakawa was home to the Pit Exchange Program, a tournament that involved teams of competitors facing off against an assortment of beasts in battles of increasing difficulty until only two teams remained. The last two teams would then travel to Tengoku where they would duke it out in the coliseum for a cash prize and a dinner with the ruling Saint. The Pit Exchange was particularly popular with foreign adventurers who wanted the thrill of fighting against Kōryō's wild beasts. Notable individuals:

• Ulysses R (MC, Game Master, Overseer)- Ulysses
• The FBI (current champions)
• The Bleeding Willows (former champions)

History

Creation

Hayakawa began as a small village built in 260 AB after the discovery of its Tochigami shrine. Believing that it would bring them good luck and prosperity, more and more people were drawn to the budding settlement and its famous shrine. Once the Azuma Road was constructed, the settlement became a key player in the traffic of of goods and services throughout central Kōryō. Saiha named the settlement Hayakawa in 372 AB and named Kiryuuin Daisuke its first Daimyo.

The Second Great Yokai War

Following the outbreak of the Second War, Hayakawa fell under Sayuri's thrall. Constant exposure to her miasma warped the city and the surrounding area in a several mile radius transforming it into a festering ruin of carnivorous vegetation and twisted, disease carrying abominations. Following the Hayakawa Infiltration plan, Sayuri was successfully defeated. However, the aftermath of the battle left a deep scar in the earth and further ravaged what remained of the city.

Post War

Although Sayuri was defeated, the effects of her pestilence remained. Two years after the end of the war the city remains unchanged. The Twilight Enclave has dispatched forces to the area to form a perimeter around the devastation and to keep any nosy outsiders away. There is no known means to revert Hayakawa and the surrounding area to normal.

Geography

Hayakawa was the city furthest North of the Azuma Triangle and enjoyed the beautiful snow-capped Kita-Yama mountain range as a back drop to city business. The surrounding land was generally flat grasslands, but the occasional hill or two dotted the horizon.
Now the city and the surrounding grasslands are nothing more than a twisted breeding ground for the plants and monsters within.

"The buildings in Hayakawa are large, sleek and well-kept. Rope talismans, charms, and small bells hang from the roofs swinging and swaying gently in the breeze. The streets and walkways are clean for a city and are made from a pale blue-grey shale. The streets are buzzing with life: merchants and shopkeepers hawking their wares, innkeepers scolding their employees, and children chasing each other through the streets. Music drifts through the air, providing a soothing backdrop for the days activities. Foreigners are plentiful here, dressed in strange clothes. Some have fair skin while others boast a darker complexion. Most of them speak in common, but a few of them make brave attempts to conduct business in broken Kōryō-go. Samurai patrol the streets in pairs, keeping order and reprimanding day drinkers. Most notably, you see Yokai and Ayakashi of all shapes and sizes walking/floating/flying through the streets as well. Some of them even man street stalls. A few of them perform tricks for passing pedestrians."
-Before the Fall, Chapter 1: Strange Beginnings

City Crest: A crane in flight

RUINED SETTLEMENT
1353 AB

Alternative Name(s)

The Bazaar Metropolis

Type

City

Owner/Ruler

Shimazu Nariakira

“Let me ask you something. Have you ever once admired someone or something to the point that your admiration clouded your judgment and led you to overlook its flaws and shortcomings? Once, long ago, I was under such a curse. Blinded by my admiration, I ignored the evil that was hiding before my very eyes. The greediness and destructive tendencies of humanity. But no longer. I have grown. I am stronger now than I was then.”
-Sayuri, Before the Fall, Chapter 10: Sayuri the Pestilence

"You're lucky Setsuna isn't here. Since it's just me, you'll only have to redraw your maps...a little bit."
-Sayuri, Before the Fall, Chapter 10: Sayuri the Pestilence