Geography & Climate of Kozakura

Kozakura is west of Kara-Tur, the isle that separates the Celestial and Eastern Seas. Kozakura consists of the islands of Shinkoku, Tenmei, Mikedono and Hinomoto. Of these, Shinkoku is the largest, forming a sweeping arc 1,400 miles in length. On the northern side lies Tenmei, separated from Shinkoku by the Inner Sea. On the southern side are Hinomoto and Mikedono. Between them runs Amakaikyo, the Straits of Ama.
The islands of Kozakura rise from the ocean abruptly, extensions of the mountain ranges reaching down from the northern peninsula. A mountain range runs the length of Shinkoku's inside arc. The range was formed by volcanic action and several of the peaks are still active, erupting at infrequent intervals. While extremely rough, the mountains are low and only a few reach above the permanent snow line. The sides are usually steep and heavily forested, poorly suited to rice farming.
Narrow valleys of fertile land wind through the lesser ranges, the slopes rising abruptly along the mountainsides. Streams and rivers cascade down these slopes, fed by natural springs, melting snows, and the seasonal rains. These provide water for the rice paddies in the valleys.
Life in these small valleys is hard and lonely, unappealing to the majority of Kozakura's people. Most of the population lives on one of three large plains. These areas, although not perfectly flat, provide broad expanses of fertile agricultural land. The largest of these plains is centered around the imperial capital. Rich in rice production, the Dai Plain has been the object of political struggle for centuries. Whoever controls the Dai Plain controls the heart of Kozakura.
The third area of plains is a small group of river valleys in Miyama Province. Although not large in land area or food production, these plains rest astride the narrow neck of land connecting the northern and southern halves of Shinkoku. He who rules Miyama Province controls the movement of trade, messages, and troops to both ends of the island.
The land of Kozakura contains much farmland and forest. The farmland is divided into two types. Where the rains fall heavily or mountain streams are diverted to the fields, the farmers grow rice. The fields are divided into small squares and rectangles, crisscrossed by many dikes and irrigation ditches, for the growing of rice requires water. Each spring the paddies become flooded, muddy pools, the dikes narrow paths. As the rice grows the fields are drained and become passable again. The farmland that cannot be irrigated properly is given to the growing of other crops—vegetables and millet.
Forest covers most of the islands of Kozakura. Those who have the resources and money gradually work on reclaiming farmland from the woods. It is difficult and expensive work. The forests are thick with bamboo and trees and the ground is rugged and broken.
Still, even in its wild state, the forest holds a bounty of resources. Workers go out every day and cut bamboo. Hunters search for game. Loggers take trees for lumber. Peasants gather mushrooms and other exotic growths for food and medicine. It is also a place of refuge for humans and nonhumans alike. Bandits and escaped prisoners hide in the mountains. Korobokuru and hengeyokai live in remote valleys, safely away from intruders. Dragons haunt lakes and swamps.
Although located well north of the equator, the weather of Kozakura is generally mild. The great length of the island allows a wide range of climates, from semitropical lands in the south to frigid winters in the north. Warm ocean currents give most of the island mild, wet winters and hot, humid summers. The northern half of Shinkoku receives heavy snowfall during the winters. Spring is the monsoon season, when it rains virtually every day.

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Place Names

Part of creating a campaign world is to give places authentic-sounding names. Normally this is not too difficult. The world of Kozakura, however, is unfamiliar to most DMs and players. Look at a good map of Japan and note the styles of names used. You can use these names or you can create new names that have the sound and feel of far-eastern names.

You can also use the list of suffixes below to help create proper meanings for your Kozakuran place names. Simply add syllables to the start of the proper suffix to create an appropriate-sounding name. A mountain could be named Ujoyama, using the -yama (mountain) suffix. A river could be named Furagawa, again using one of the suffixes given below.

Place Type	Suffix
Bay	-wan
Beach	-bama
	-hama
Channel	-suido
Gulf	-umi
	-kaiwan
Harbor	-ko
Inlet	-tsu
	-ura
Island	-jima
	-to
	-shima
Island chain	-retto
Islet	-koshima
	-kojima
Lake	-ko
	-umi
Mountain	-dake
	-take
	-mine
	-san
	-yama
	-zan
Mountain Pass	-toge
Mountain Range	-sammyaku
Peninsula	-hanto
Point	-bana
	-hana
	-kubi
	-misaki
	-saki
	-zaki
Pond	-ike
Reef	-se
	-ze
River	-gawa
	-kawa
Rock	-ne
Sea	-nada
Strait	-kaikyo
	-seto
Swamp	-numa

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Islands of Kozakura

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Kozakura is a nation in eastern Kara-Tur. It is composed of four large islands and dozens of smaller ones, the largest of which stretches 1,400 miles (2,300,000 meters) from tip to tip. It is a land where constant political power struggles are fought, and the central government in the imperial capital only has power within its immediate reach. Political intrigue is common as the great families of Kozakura seek to outmaneuver each other in their bid for power and wealth.