Ryoko Province

Ryoko Province is the most densely populated region in the entirety of the Scorpion Clan’s territory; this is due in large part to the presence of the vast metropolis of Ryoko Owari Toshi, but even discounting the city, the rest of the province is extremely well-trafficked and packed with peasants and samurai alike. Where Kyuden Bayushi represents the political rule of the clan, there is a sense in which this province represents the ‘heart’ of the clan. Like the Kawa province to the south, it is situated entirely along the low-laying floodplain of the River of Gold, and most of its territory is covered in rice paddies and poppy fields. The roads here are patrolled heavily to ensure the absolute safety of both trade caravans and samurai guests. Peasants are expected to behave with the utmost of humility in all dealings with samurai, more so than in any other province in Scorpion hands. Anyone visiting the province can clearly see the importance the clan places on Ryoko Owari, an importance that if anything grows after the rise of the Seikitsu Pass in the mid-twelfth century – after that time, virtually all overland trade between the northern and southern Empire passes through here.