Ryoukuni (Ree-oo-koon-nee)

True to its translated name, Ryoukuni is indeed a land of dragons. The main peoples inhabiting the island include kobolds, dragonborn and a small number of young dragons.   Generally, chromatic dragonborn populate the towns and cities of Ryoukuni and make up the bulk of its aristocracy, whilst metallic dragonborn live in the more rural and mountainous regions of the land. During the Forgotten Age and prior, these roles were switched, but with the rise of Shogun Takhesis, herself a chromatic dragon, many metallic nobility were forced out and chromatic dragonborn took their place, either becoming subservient serfs, slaves or mountain bandits. Most metallic dragonborn lack ryukatana, making them less than people in the eyes of the law. Such dragonborn often hole up with the mountainous kobolds, who are often the only ones who recognise them as worthy of life.   Kobolds tend to live on the fringes of Ryoukuni society, in sewers or high in the mountains, where they ambush unwary travellers at night. Some chromatic dragonborn nobility employ kobolds as live-in servants since their smaller form makes them easier to feed. Despite this being essentially slavery, many kobolds aspire to this way of life and actively resent the idea of being freed or paid for their work, thanks to their masters' exploitation of the kobolds' love for dragonkind.   The dragons of Ryoukuni live an unusual life. Rather than having their own society, dragons instead integrate into dragonborn society, living among them as has been tradition for many generations. Most dragons are Daimyo, but not all. Given the blood-soaked history of the many clan wars, some dragon families have been deposed and replaced with dragonborn houses. Given the nation's collective desire to not fall back on the violent days of yore, there is an unwritten rule among the dragons of Ryoukuni to never display their true form when out in public. Doing so is seen as a threatening show of force and can be read as aggressive. The knowledge that anyone you quarrel with could be a dragon in disguise also discourages disagreements from escalating into violence.   About 1 in 10 Ryoukunians are disguised dragons, mostly at the young stage in their life. By the time they reach adulthood, most dragons develop a wanderlust and a desire to make their mark on the world and leave for places unknown, ready to start their own lives.   The most obscure demographic on Ryoukuni is the gemstone dragons and dragonborn. Legend says that they were once as common as other dragon types, but they are an exceptionally rare sight in the modern day. Their lands and holds seem to have completely disappeared during the Forgotten Age, and only a few remain in remote villages and regions.

Ryuokuni follows a feudal structure. Each of its 5 provinces are are governed by a Daimyo, or feudal lord, which is a hereditary position. Unlike most nations, the position isn't passed along male lines but is instead given to the eldest son or daughter.   Each Daimyo has pretty much complete control over their province, but they must pay taxes and homage to the ruler of Ryuokuni at large, the Shogun, from her seat of power in Hanamachi atop Mount Platinum. In return, the Shogun provides protection using the standing army, and heads defending Ryoukuni from outside invaders. Most Daimyo are completely loyal to the current Shogun, as she is the one who put most of them in the powerful positions they find themselves in. Those that aren't loyal are smart enough to pay homage anyways, less their province face the plasma breath of their ruler or -gods forbid - a visit from the God of Destruction himself, Jira.   The Shogun in turn, pays tribute to the Pirate Lord Jira, appointed as the Guardian Spirit of Ryuokuni, in exchange for his naval power in order to fend off the NWTC.   In Ryoukuni, the greatest law is that the shogun must not be questioned. Any perceived sleight against the shogun's honour is punishable by prison time, which in actuality means a lifetime of working in mines, quarries and factories fueling Pirate Lord Jira's war effort, along with the confiscation of one's Ryukatana, the most sacred of a dragonborn's possessions.   Jira himself is fairly distant from the normal citizens, preferring to leave them to be kept in line by Takhesis, but he can occasionally be seen sleepwalking throughout the land on the rare occasion he succumbs to his immense fatigue, mumbling and cursing about Newgate as he does so. In this state he is little more than a mindless beast, known for demolishing villages and devouring their sake. He tends to do this in his eight headed serpent form. He also has been known to offer his own crew as supplements to Takhesis' own personal militia.

Because of the treacherous nature of the waters nearby, Ryoukuni has almost no naval power to speak of, instead relying on forces supplied by its close ally, the Pirate Lord Jira for protection against any "hostile takeover" attempts by the likes of the NWTC or any of the other Pirate Lords.   The island has no standing army, but instead several smaller militias commanded by the Daimyo of each region, lead by the Daimyo's samurai. In times of great trouble, the Shogun would put out a call to action to all Daimyo, who would assemble an army amongst the local populace to defend their home.

Due to the strict isolationist nature of the Shogunate, Ryoukuni has very little knowledge of the outside world, effectively freezing its technology in time from long before the discovery of black powder. Combat is performed by heavy armoured warriors firing longbows from atop dragon or horseback, or iron swords.   This isolationist nature means that there is virtually no trade from the outside world, and Ryoukuni is a self sustaining nation for the most part. The only trade to speak off is Jira's sharing of the loot her fleet collects as homage to the Shogunate in exchange for being able to harbour men and weapons here.   Ryoukuni does have one natural resource that sets it apart from others - adamantine, known to the locals as dragonsteel. It is the strongest metal known to the world at large, and the metal most receptive to enchantment. By extracting impure elements of adamantine from the black sands of Ryoukuni's beaches, ancient blacksmiths would forge the first ryukatana. Later, it would be discovered that more pure ore could be found underground. This has since led to a massive mining operation to extract as much as possible to supply Takhesis' and Jira's armies.

Learn about actual historical Japanese provinces and map them to types of dragons. Remember that some should be metallic ruled, but the majority should be chromatic ruled.

Kami no Katana

The most imposing feature of Ryoukuni lies in the nation's capital, Hanamachi. In the dead centre of the city stands a massive structure reaching over 1,500ft into the air. A titanic sword wedged straight into the earth like a gigantic Ryukatana. Locals believe that this is the grave marker of the great dragons Tiamat and Bahamut, whose death and union birthed all dragonkind. It is this belief that is the origin of the ryukatana practice.   According to legend, it is said that the two were once opposed to one another, belonging each to a different clan of powerful gods who had been waging war for centuries and fought a great many duels on behalf of their respective families. Both were powerful and evenly matched, causing hurricanes and tidal waves in their clashes. Even so, one could not overpower the other.   Over the course of their many battles, they two began to get to know one another, and over time began to realise that they had more in common than differences. This mutual respect quickly blossomed into romance, but given the circumstances, they could not be together. This knowledge caused them great pain, but they could not convince their families to end their blood feud.   Even so, Bahamut and Tiamat yearned for a world where they and their children could live in peace. Seeing no other way, the two reached a decision. Bahamut poured his everything, his very essence, spirit and will into his sword, and pierced Tiamat's body, killing her and utterly destroying him in the process. From the mix of their bodies and spirits sprang the very first dragons, dragonborn and kobolds. The newborn children each had a spark of their parent's divine power in their breath, and together built a nation free from the violence and bloodshed of the godly families that doomed their parents.   In accordance with this legend, it is believed that the island of Ryoukuni is where this union took place, and according to some, the Kami no Katana is the very sword that pierced Tiamat's flesh, birthing dragons in the first place. Some scholars dispute this and merely claim that the Kami no Katana is instead an old sculpture representing the legend built by ancient dragonfolk and that Bahamut's 'sword' in the myth is a metaphor for a certain piece of anatomy.   Regardless of its origin, the palace of the Shogun is built atop the tsuba(crossguard) of the Kami no Katana and is virtually inaccessible without flight.

Ryoukuni is an island in a sort of rough cross shape, with long peninsulas stretching out to the northwest, northeast, and southwest. To the southeast are a series of much shorter peninsulas. If viewed from above, it becomes quickly clear that the entire island is in the shape of a 5 headed dragon seen from above, with wings outstretched. One of the heads, the centre one, is missing.   The landscapes of Ryoukuni are dominated by rolling, steep mountains and cliffs featuring a great many scenic waterfalls and rivers. Cherry blossom trees are common, and in some parts of the island even bloom all year round. Bamboo forests and golden yellow trees fill the valleys of the region, and the flatlands are home to many a boggy wetland that is used for rice farming.   The island is home to a great deal of volcanic activity, although eruptions are rare. This results in a lot of naturally occurring geysers and hot springs throughout the mountainous terrain, as well as beaches covered in black volcanic sand.   Many who are lucky enough to gaze on the sites this land have to offer are often taken by its beauty, saying that it looks just like a painting from a time long passed, although these sights are often marred by the pillars of smoke rising in the distance, or the sulphurous odour of the many adamantine mines dotted throughout the land.