Nestled at the foot of
Atsushi Castle, the town of Atsushi is a small
human settlement in central
Etchu.
Atsushi has been governed by the Kiku clan since 1237, being given as a fief by the
Celestial Court to their ancestor as a reward for his heroism. With a population of around 7000, it is one of the largest towns in the region.
Atsushi's proximity to dense forests and mountains has led to it being a constant target of monster raids, and its westerly location has long left it vulnerable to
hobgoblin raids. Despite often finding itself in a state of strive, Atsushi remains a largely peaceful and prosperous town, owing in no small part to the valor of the Kiku warriors and the hardy spirit of the Atsushi people themselves.
Atsushi is within the Kiku clan's domain, and thus is entirely subject to the commands of the Kiku daimyo, Kiku Hakari. Despite being under the absolute rule of the castle, the town generally governs itself, with the major citizens forming an informal town council which handles most matters without reference to the ruling clan.
Guard captain Heishiro Kaze is the practical authority in the town, being appointed directly by the daimyo and commanding the town guard. He is an old hand, who views his job as being nothing more than keeping the peace. Despite his authority, he defers to the town council in matters of dispute, only intervening when the peace is threatened or to enforce the daimyo's edicts. In a time of war, he is the one who marshals the town militia.
Aside from Atsushi Castle, the town is protected by a small wooden palisade that surrounds the outskirts. A town guard of 100 patrols and protects the town itself, though in times of stress it can muster 2000 members from the robust militia that all able bodied individuals sign up for. A series of small watchtowers and outposts provide plenty of warning for the town against larger enemy hosts.
Atsushi is home to many merchants and craftsmen.
Swordsmith Ikuko Hanashi
A retired samurai who has taken up the forge in Atsushi in his old age. While his training is in swordsmithing, he and his ten daughters serve the town and castle in all their metalworking needs.
Master Apothecaries Jiang Cheng and Wen Qing
Travellers from the Jade Empire who have settled in Atsushi. Jiang Cheng's knowledge of potions and poisons has made him one of the most important citizens in the town. His wife Wen Qing acts as the town doctor, and the two of them are often seen tending their shop or dispatching search parties for rare ingredients for their potions.
Stablemaster Toshi
Master of the stables at Atsushi Castle, Toshi and his staff have taken to operating a public stable in town as well. He maintains a good supply of work horses for sale, though the warhorses in his stable are reserved for the castle alone.
Madam Dojima
Owner and operator of the biggest wine shop in town, she invites all to try a sample of her homemade wares. Despite being an old woman, she remains an energetic saleswoman, and her wine ranges from being of rare quality to being the cheapest swill.
Innkeeper Aragi
Owner of the Atsushi Inn, Aragi knows everyone who is anyone in town. Due to the number of merchants and travellers who spend the night at his inn, he is also unusually aware of the events of the wider world, and is known as a major community leader.
Oiran Yugiri
A notable Oiran (prostitute/entertainer) from the capital, who has been staying and working in Atsushi for the last two years. Her rank is not common knowledge, but many of the common laborers of the town save up their salaries for months to spend one evening with her. Spending a night with her is beyond the ability of most of her prospective clients to pay, but people crowd the teahouse every day at sundown to hear her playing music and conversing with the crowd, a show she performs nightly as payment for her lodging in the teahouse.
Akita the Tea-maid
Owner of the teahouse in town, whose family has owned the same teahouse since long before the Kiku clan came to Atsushi. She calls herself the 26th Tea-maid of Atsushi, though the authenticity of the number is impossible to verify.
The town of Atsushi is as old as they come in Shinano, having been settled around the year 800 of the current era. It started out as a small frontier outpost against the hobgoblins, but gradually grew and changed into a proper town. The castle which dominates it wasn't built until 1237, and the rotten remains of the small wooden fort that the town used to maintain for its defense is still visible, though degraded past the point of even salvage.
In the early 1200s, a great warrior was granted Atsushi as a fief for the new Kiku clan in return for service. Before that it had been a minor town, a part of the fief of Clan Amakawa, but due to its then vulnerable position, the Amakawa were easily persuaded to surrender it to the new clan.
The great Kiku River runs north of Atsushi, and is considered the guardian and sustainer of the region. South of the river, large tracts of farmland form a ring around the town and castle. The dark and monster-infested Korkiri Woods have hemmed in the expansion of the town's farmland to the northeast, and to the west the edge of the Etchu Mountains forms a natural barrier.
The imposing and mysterious Hirokuni Castle can be seen from the town, though the superstitious townsfolk dare not venture near.
A Shadow of Stillborn Glory
Visitors to Atsushi cannot fail to notice the enormous half-finished castle several miles to the south of the town. Hirokuni Castle, as it has come to be known, was built by Kiku Hirokuni at the height of his power. He died before it could be finished, however, and the money and the resources dried up along with the Kiku clan's glory. It stands today unfinished and uninhabited, a skeletal monument to the faded glory of the Kiku, and of a golden age that never came to pass.
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