Azumese Locations
Regions
Seiryu
The Eastern region of Azuma, elementally aligned to wood and locked in Spring. Densely packed with forests and especially fruiting and flowering trees. Fruit trees will all flower, grow fruit, and ripen constantly, and magnolia, dogwood, and stewartia trees are frequently in bloom alongside camellia, field mustard, and wisteria flowers, creating a constant perfume in the region. The caverns beneath Seiryu are infested by mukade centipedes and their titanic spawn-father, Omukade.
Suzaku
The Southern region of Azuma, elementally aligned to fire and locked in Summer. Home to dense bamboo forests and a massive variety of both natural and yokai birds. Crowned by a dormant volcano, Mount Suzaku, and the high volcanic activity in the region creates several hot springs. Within the caldera of Mount Suzaku is chained the last of the nine sun crows, Yatagarasu, whose death would snuff out the sun.
Jigoku
One of the "afterlives" of Azuma, located beneath Mount Suzaku. A burning pit where the unjust and evil are taken after death to have their souls purified by punishment before reincarnation. A huge community of oni resides here under the employ of the kitsune to exact this punishment.
Byakko
The Western region of Azuma, elementally aligned to metal and locked in Autumn. Consists almost entirely of massive mountain ranges and deep mines. Only some mountain paths can be consistently maintained, and bridges are often set up between different stretches.
Mount Ooe
A two-pronged mountain in Byakko, formerly the base of the great Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji and their followers, the oni.
Genbu
The Northern region of Azuma, elementally aligned to water and locked in Winter. Primarily consists of swamp and marshland as well as a single large mountain, Mount Genbu, coated in ice and snow. Due to proximity to Yomi, Genbu is also heavily influenced by death; cherry blossoms and red spider lilies grow in abundance, but the cherry blossoms never sprout fruit while in Genbu.
Yomi
The land of the restless dead sprawling beneath Genbu. Those who have died but are too consumed by grief, rage, or injustice to pass on awaken in Yomi as yokai spirits, such as gaki, gashadokuro, or phantoms. Yomi is so suffused in grief and fury that the ground is as soft as decaying flesh, and maggots infest the flesh of those who enter unprotected. The ruler of Yomi is said to be the infested remains of Nami, the twin of the kitsune Nagi.
Kohryu
A single massive mountain in the center of Azuma, formed around the coiled corpse of Yamata-no-Orochi. Covered in dense conifer forests and fog, this is the exclusive home of the tengu. The peak of the mountain holds the gate to the celestial plane, Takamagahara, and the leader of the tengu has formed an alliance with the kitsune to guard it.
Settlements
Seta
The capital of Seiryu, led by the Satomi shogunate.
Ohachi
The capital of Suzaku, led by the Imagawa shogunate.
Gassantoda
The capital of Byakko, led by the Amago shogunate.
Hoshikuma
A town on the slopes of Mount Ooe, whose leader made a pact with Shuten-doji and Ibaraki-doji in centuries past to protect the village from the Doji clan's raids and oni conversion in exchange for an oni marrying the daimyo of the village for eternity. Currently led by Yamamoto Ryozo, to be married to the blue oni Natsuko.
Fukuro Shrine
A massive tower built entirely of metal and useless clockwork, constructed in honor of the twin owl spirits, Gin and Kin Fukuro. The Fukuro twins taught the people of Byakko the arts of creating delicate machines, but when the humans made a shrine and bodies for the spirits in thanks, the Fukuro twins turned on the humans and made them subjects of horrifying experiments.
Aguta
The capital of Genbu, led by the Nanbu shogunate.
Kioku-ji
An isolated temple on the peak of Mount Genbu, led by the kitsune Nagi. Teaches the arts of exorcism and monitors the rise of spirits in Yomi, ensuring they do not grow out of control and that the dead are soothed into passing on.
Takamagahara
The celestial plane floating high above Azuma, home to many heavenly yokai and the leader of the kitsune, Oinari.
