Fukuyama

The region of Fukuyama is the world's largest and tallest mountain range, going north from Kushatani, past Soyotama and Izumo, before reaching Kumamamori. The region is split between a series of valleys, and plateaus, between mountains over twenty thousand feet(6,000 meters). In addition, more so then any other region, much of Fukuyama connects directly into the Meikai, the underground region, along with massive tunnels, and caves home to Varity of life.

Due to the extreme environment, much of Fukuyama is dominated by extreme cold or extreme heat, which can often change quickly. The South tends to lowlands are wet and hot, but the north is dry and cold, with Xia cold desert dominating much of the north. Even still, winters in Fukuyama are serve, snow culmination of over ten meters is common, with passages be halted completely.

The main concerns in Fukuyama are snow storms which can bury exposed caravans within days, making travel dangerous, even for new trains. In spring flooding, and landslides are frequent, being caused by the melting snow. Because of this, majority of travel occurs through the Meikai, with Shounin guides, but cave-ins still make this route dangerous, in addition to Ayakashi hiding in the tunnels.

The Ascos Shounin are a proud people living mostly within the Meikai portion of Fukuyama, thier underground realm has determined thier culture. Once united, the Ascos are divided into several dozen states, a consolidation of previously hundreds. There are currently movements to unfiy the region, spurred on by nationalists movements elsewhere. The Ascos themselves value tradition, organized into strict hierarchical positions, based on generations of merit, the Ascos do not change quickly, but external pressure from greatpowers are driving calls for unification. The Ascos economy centers around the exportation of Enrai gemstones, and other metals, which the region is bountiful in, with the Ascos producing 2/3 of the world's Enrai gemstones. Historically the Ascos are more focused craftsmen, rather then mining, with Ascos equipment previously considered the best before industrial revolution occurred. The Shounin have been slow to adopt Industry, with many opposing methods devolped over generations, but slowly adoption is occurring, with steam powered elevators becoming common, replacing water powered.

The Xia Shounin diverged from the Ascos milliana ago, having long embraced surface ideas, the Xia have a history of begin competent traders, being the middleman between Izumo and the northern Tundra. The Xia further diverged with the adoption of Izumo culture, adopting thier clothes, thier written characters, and thier religion, abandoning most of the traditional Shounin religion. The Xia today are united under a single Kingdom, and while previous stable, Xia socity has begun to collapse as the oligarch trader elties clash with the lower classes inspired by the Koshu Revolution. The resurgance of the Koshu Republic, has enabled the previously suppressed movement to surface, descending the Xia into thier current political violence while under threat from invasion or libertion depending one's views.

As the oldest group of Tengu, the Fukuyama Tengu live in mountian fortresses only assessable with thier flight, with the Tengu maintaining a semi feudal society with the strongest ranging over collection of settlements. They are semi migrator, moving from settlement to settlement, while often raiding Shounin and human settlements on the surface. The Tengu value thier isolation, preferring simple lives, centered around small scale specialized mountian crops and hunting and ranching flying creatures.

The Sai are the oldest group of humans in the region, except for settlors among the Shounin, having arrived there in ancient times, the Sai lived under the fear of of the Shounin and Tengu, living extremely primative lives. When the third Izumo Empire invaded, the Sai became the favored faction in the region, being pefered for being human, the Sai were made the Empire's enforcers in the region, with Imperial investment bringing agriculture, ranching, and roads to the Sai. With the Empire's fall, the Sai have maintianed thier rule of the surface, being able to repulse Tengu and Shounin attacks, the Sai are now a competent faction in the region. They have become a middleman between the outside world and the Shounin below, ensuring passage, however most Sai Economy revoles around ranching of goats and sheep in the harsh mountian environment, with few cities being maintained.

The Traditional Shounin religion revols around the worship of Yorfer Seifis by the Ascos, and known as Yoru Seifuku by the Xia and Yamatai Shounin. Yoru Seifuku is the god of the forgotten and oppressed, having liberated the Shounin from the abuse by the Stone Kami in ancient times as mortal. The remaining gods and goddess being former Yoru Seifuku's companions. The religion revolve around opposing Ayakashi, either through warfare, or service to thier stronghold or clan, as the Shounin are constantly under threat from Ayakahsi. Thier greatest honor is dying in battle, or having completed a life's work, where the Shounin is said to join Yoru Seifuku endless quest to destoy Ayakashi.

The Ascos themselves despite thier traditional focus, adopted aspects from Tagami, meditation and compilation is a common practice, with ritualized mantras associated with the Shounin Kami. Order of Monks isolate themselves in various mountain and underground monasteries.

The Xia have adopted the worship of the gods of Izumo, though they maintain the worship the older Kami rather then the current pantheon established by the third Izumo Empire. The greatest of these is the Soveragin Sage, a legendary Emperor of Izumo, said to the be the wisest to ever live. Athough the Xia still worship Yoru Seifuku.

The Sai religion is mix of local traditions, imports from the Shounin and Tengu, but central to them is the worship of the Izumo god Jingyi whom once conqured the world, the Sai beilive Jingyi will return one day reunite Izumo and world under his rule.