Samui

Samui's decisions as a nation have been greatly influenced by their proximity to Mount Unmei- a volcanic island that contains a society of dragons. Frequent attacks over the centuries have caused the nation to become powerful magicians- more so out of necessity than anything else. Regardless of the reasons, Samui is seen as the center of arcane study in Sebai.

Capitol

Yuki  

Trading Goods

Fish, Iron, Lumber, Metal Tools/Weapons, Salt  

Population

800,000+  

Prevalent Races

Races	Percentage
Humans	53%
Dwarves	16%
Halflings	14%
Gnomes	10%
Misc.	7%

Geography

The land of Samui is comprised of four, distinct geographical area:

Anzen Bay-

Between Samui's two narrow peninsulas (nicknamed the Tentacles of Samui) sits the Anzen Bay where the water is speckled with islands both big and small. The waters between these islands are quite treacherous, with rocky outcroppings causing multiple shipwrecks every year. Because of this, a series of lighthouses have been constructed throughout the bay to guide boats through the safest route possible from Kojima and Kaigan. The islands themselves are humid, dense swamplands ranging from barely hospitable to murderous deathtraps full of disease-ridden insects and terrifying monsters. Any civilizations that do exists in Anzen Bay reside exclusively on the coastline. These towns and cities endure the swamps in order to fish the bay which is teaming with a large variety of fish.

Eikō Mountains-

Looming over the entirety of Samui are the imposing Eikō Mountains. Standing above the mountain range itself are the three Takai Peaks- with the largest, Mount Tetsu, reaching an elevation of nearly 21,000 feet. It is from within these peaks that Samui's extensive supply of iron is extracted. During the warmer months, these mountains become a popular vacation spot for citizens of Samui due to their beautiful meadows and plenitful hot springs. The winter, however, turns them into a snow-filled nightmare few dare to embrace. It should be noted that several resorts have opened in the Eikō Mountains sponsoring a new activity called "boarding" where one rides down the snowy mountains on a piece of polished wood. The halflings of House Zoro have all but monopolized the newly popularized sport.

Ithil Groves-

The Ithil Groves are a mysterious piece of land located on the southern shores of Samui. When the original settlers arrived from the distant continent of Yatinod roughly 1000 years ago to form what would become the Empire of Samui, they discovered the land to already be inhabited by the Ithil Wood Elves. Determined to claim the land as their own, they commenced a bloody war against the elves until they eventually forced them to retreat to the southern shores. Unable to completely eliminate them, the Yatinod invaders struck a peace treaty with the elves that gave them ownership over the land that is now know as the Ithil Groves. Due to the wood elves' magic, the forest plants grow much larger here than they do anywhere else in Samui. The pines trees of the Ithil Groves have trunk diameters of anywhere between 30 to 80 feet with some growing to be nearly 700 feet tall. These trees form a canopy that blocks daylight, keeping the forest floor in a state of perpetual darkness. Mysterious balls of floating light and discordant singing are common spectacles for those who dare approach the woods, making the Ithil Groves a popular setting for Samui ghost stories.

The Noble Lands-

While considered a single, geographical area by most scholars, the Noble Lands are, in reality, more so a political area representing the land overseen by Emperor Yuki. That being said, there are some geographical constants here. The most obvious are the thick, pine forests that cover the entirety of the Noble Lands. Due to these trees' quick growth rate, Samui pine has become the most popular and accessible lumber available in Sebai. The Noble Lands are also subjected to a near-constant drizzle, causing visitors to often feel depressed. Some of the Noble Lands subareas are listed below:  

• Chisai Mountains- a vein of mountains that runs through the middle of the Noble Lands north to south. While these mountains are not nearly as large and imposing as the Eikō Mountains, they hold their own natural beauty. Lush, colorful meadows and lakes full of crystal blue water are found throughout the mountains. While House Kaigan and House Yama do mine iron from these peaks, they extract nowhere near the amount the dwarves of House Watashi do from the Eikō Mountains.
• Lake Shio- a large lake equally divided between House Sakana and House Mizu. This lake is formed from the Shiokuna River which runs out of the Eikō Mountains. The lake, however, does not have an outlet, causing the water to evaporate and leave high amounts of salt. Both House Sakana and House Mizu harvest this salt and use it as one of Samui's main exports.
• Lake Kyūka- located in the land of House Zoro, Lake Kyūka is largely considered the most beautiful area of Samui. As such, the various islands in its center have been converted into summer homes for the Emperor and Daimyos of Samui. The forests around the lake are off-limits to loggers in order to preserve its natural beauty.
• Rogingu Island- a large piece of land located north of Samui. This island is under control of House Zoro and is where the nation harvests the majority of its lumber. As such, the only inhabitants of this island are loggers and their families.

Culture

Because Samui operates under a system of feudalism, their culture ranges widely based on which class of people are being observed. Generally, however, a love and appreciation for the arcane is common throughout the nation. While higher magical education is reserved for nobility and the Izado class, even the poorest amongst the Samuian are permitted to practice basic magic. This importance given to magic steams from Samui's longstanding rivalry with the dragons of Mount Unmei. Ever since they first arrived 1000 years ago, Samui has been attacked and harassed by these dragons, causing them to seek magic as a more effective form of fighting. Because of this, evocation (i.e. elemental magic) is seen as the most important and noble school of magic. This does not mean, however, that other forms of magic aren't considered important.   Samui also places a strong emphasis on family ties. Even the poorest Samuian farmer will have family records that are detailed and thorough. Samuian families also tend to stay together with all relatives living in the same home. Instead of having neighborhoods comprised of several smaller homes, they have large buildings called "Apatos" that hold anywhere between 10-100 people depending on family size. Samui has neither a patriarchy or matriarchy, meaning that, when Samuian citizens marry, it is up to the couple to decide which family they will tie themselves to. It is standard for a Samui couple to move out to their own Apato after their 20th anniversary. The youngest child, however, does not move out and, instead, inherits the parent’s Apato. In return, the youngest is tasked with taking care of their parents until they pass.   Despite living under a feudalistic system with defined classes, Samui still contains strong, tight-knit communities. It is considered taboo to belittle those who exist in a lower class as all are considered important to keep Samui functional. The class system mostly exists to help define a family's occupation and express the amount of wealth a family makes. Samui citizens are fiercely loyal to their daimyo and even more so to their emperor; they are often heard referring to their daimyo as "Chichioya" (father) or "Hahaoya" (mother) and the emperor as "Ojīsan" (grandfather).   During the past 25 years, a toymaking family by the name of Okata has revolutionized the country with their magical servants called "Poppets". These poppets are normal, stuffed dolls that have been magically animated. They obey simple commands such as cleaning, shopping, and other menial tasks. Now, almost all families who can afford these magical dolls have at least one Okata poppet in their home. They have even begun to sell these poppets to Danjon and Suna.   It is also important to know that most citizens of Samui carry a strong dislike for elves. This is due to the Ithil Wood Elves and their tendency to carry out occasional raiding parties against Samui villages.  

Religion

The importance Samui places on family and community is closely linked to their religion. Samui worships Ileqor, god of the arcane. It is their belief that when someone dies, Ileqor converts their spirit into sentient, arcane energy. These arcane spirits are called "Mahō no tamashī" and they are seen as the lifeforce that guides all of Samui in their political, economic, social, and magical pursuits. These spirits only offer guidance to their descendants, however, and will not offer guidance to those who have unresolved disputes with family and friends. For this reason, Samuian citizens do their best to maintain good relationships with their family and neighbors. The extent to which this applies depends on the country's circumstances. During times of political strife or civil war, leaders will often convince their subjects that their Mahō no tamashī will still guide them even as they fight against others because they belong to a different house or city. However, under the reign of the current Emperor, Akihiro Yuki, Samui has seen an unprecedented amount of peace for the past 30 years. The emperor has accomplished this by focusing on teaching the people that their Mahō no tamashī will only guide them if they stay united as a country.   In every Samui household exists a shrine room called the "Keiji". In these shrine rooms, worshippers of Ileqor burn offerings to both the god and their ancestors and meditate in order to receive guidance in their daily lives. When one has a particularly harsh argument or dispute with another person, be it family or not, it is customary to bring them to one's "Keiji" to show Ileqor and their Mahō no tamashī that they have come to terms with the person and desire their guidance once more. Several wars between the houses of Samui have been resolved when one daimyo invites a rival daimyo to their Keiji.  

Government

As stated above, Samui follows a version of feudalism where different families are assigned to different classes. This is to keep the country organized and ensure there is always enough labor for each task. That being said, it is also restrictive and forces many into a family trade they'd rather not be involved in. The Samuian classes are listed below from classes of the highest rank to the lowest:  

• Roiyariti Class- a class exclusive to the daimyos and their families. This is the ruling class that oversees the nation. It should be noted that the emperor is technically in a higher class; however, because they are just one person, the Roiyariti is seen as the highest rank in Samui. They receive taxation from the lower classes and are often at each others throats due to political and economical disputes. They only answer to the emperor.
• Izado Class- families dedicated to the study and practice of wizardry. The Izado receive income from the lower classes in order to fund their research. The Izado are tasked with discovering magic that will improve the lives of Samuian citizens and further strengthen their cities against the dragons of Mount Unmei. There is a subgroup of this class called the Doragonhantā. These are warrior wizards stationed around Samui and tasked with fending off dragons and other aggressive beasts. While any member of the Izado is allowed to become Doragonhantā, there are several Izado families who have dedicated themselves to the task- Family Zoku of House Mizu being the most recognizable of them.
• Saitei Class- the Samui bureaucracy. They form the advising committees the Roiyarti use to govern their lands. Other jobs assigned to the Saitei include law enforcement, trade supervising, judicial callings, environmental protection, treasury, homeland security, and any other assignments the Roiyarti see fit.
• Senshi Class- the last class to receive its income from taxation of the lower classes. The Senshi are Samui's men-at-arms. While they might know a small amount of offensive magic, the Senshi are more dedicated to the ways of the sword and bow. Each house has its own Senshi. The Senshi is an odd class in that its numbers grow and shrink depending on the country's circumstances. While there are families dedicated exclusively to Senshi, many from the Saitei law enforcement and lower classes will be temporarily pulled into the Senshi if there is a high enough threat to a specific house or the country as a whole.
• Shonin Class- the highest class that is considered nongovernmental. The Shonin are responsible for the trading and exchange of wares throughout Samui and beyond. Between all the classes, the Shonin has the most varied and inconsistent income. This is due to the Shonin including those who run trading enterprise down to those who run simple shops and market stalls. Regardless of someone's position in the class, all Shonin are required to give 30% of their income to their Daimyo.
• Kurieita Class- the craftsmen and creators in Samui. With the raw iron, lumber, and other materials harvested in Sebai, the Kurieita craft manufactured goods. This includes farming tools, weapons, toys, and any other crafted good. After they make their wares, the Kurieita then sell them to members of the Shonin. Because Kurieita families have dedicated themselves for generations to the making of specific goods, manufactured crafts from Samui are considered to be of the highest quality and sell for exorbitant prices in Danjon and Suna. The steel weaponry made by the Kurieita dwarves of House Watashi are considered the best in the world, especially considering that they often work with the Izado to craft magically enhanced swords, bows, guns, and armor. The Kurieita are required to give 25% of their earnings to their Daimyo.
• Noka Class- the farmers, ranchers, and fishermen of Samui. While the cold, wet weather forces Samui to rely on Danjon for wheat and other food products, they are still able to grow large quantities of corn and root vegetables including potatoes, onions, beets, and carrots. The Noka live outside Samuian cities in order to grow these crops. Even though the Noka are a low ranking class due to their poor income, they are generally the most respected for their vital work. The Noka are required to give 20% of their harvest to their Daimyo, after which they may sell the rest to the Shonin. They are then required to give 10% of the profit they earned from the rest of their crops to their Daimyo, as well.
• Rodosha Class- the general laborers of Samui. This includes loggers, miners, builders, and any other class that requires hard, manual labor. Unlike the other nongovernmental classes who are given freedom to use their goods as they see fit (after taxes are paid), the Rodosha never technically own anything they harvest or make. Instead, they are given quotas by Saitei agencies and paid a salary from their Daimyo. Rodosha salaries vary depending on what they do and which house they are in. For example, Rodosha miners from House Watashi make much more than Rodosha miners from House Kaigan.
• Kazokunashi Class- those in Samui without family. Whether through tragic accident or because they ran away, the Kazokunashi are the few who have no place to call home. There is a group of Saitai in each house who are tasked with helping those who have lost their families find other families of the same class who are willing to take them as their own. Not all Kazokunashi, however, desire to find a new family. Several are simply runaways who either disliked their family or the class they were born into. While the majority of these leave Samui to find a new life in Danjon, Suna, or perhaps even Greybeard's crew, some stay and find a new life as bards, entertainers, and Gravitum players. There is even a prominent traveling show called "The Misfits" that is made entirely out of this Kazokunashi who ran away from home. While these type are generally looked down upon, they are tolerated as they perform the vital role of entertaining the public.

 

Houses

Due to the major cities of Samui being named after the houses of Samui, the description of the two will be combined in the following section to avoid confusion and any unnecessary repetition.  

House Kaigan

  Daimyo- Jingu Kaigan (male)   Notable Families- Kurieta Okata family (poppet makers), Shonin Fujita Family (largest trading family in Samui)   As Samui's main port city, Kaigan oversees the entryway into the nation. Daimyo Jingu Kaigan is a harsh ruler and easily the least popular leader in Samui. However, as the only child of the previous Daimyo, Emperor Yuki is unable to remove them from the position without upsetting the system. House Kaigan is the only house to have more members in the Shonin and Kurieta classes than in the Noka and Rodosha classes. This is due to Kaigan being a port city where trade is easily the most profitable career.  

House Kojima

  Daimyo- Sujin Kojima (female)   Notable Families- Saitei Chiba family (medical doctors), Rodosha Ueno family (lighthouse builders)   While no one on the mainland would admit it to those of Kojima, the house is the laughingstock of Samui. It has nothing to do with Daimyo Sujin Kojima, who is a capable leader that has made great strides in developing better medicine for her subjects. Rather, it has everything to do with the fact that they live in a swamp. Since the majority of House Kojima are Noka fishermen, it is a common stereotype on the mainland that members of House Kojima are smelly, swamp folk with little education. Because few Samuian citizens travel to Kojima, they would be surprised to find the city to actually be one of the cleanest and best educated in the country. Eager to fight this stereotype, the Kojima Daimyos have made great strides over the past 50 years to help improve the quality of life for their citizens.  

House Mizu

  Daimyo- Yua Mizu (female)   Notable Families- Izado-Doragonhantā Zoku family (dragon slayers), Izado Matsui family (magical weaponry)   House Mizu is one of the three houses, along with House Sakana and House Yama, that are most often subjected to dragon attacks. However, unlike the other two houses that have built their cities into mountains to better protect themselves, the city Mizu sits on an open plain next to the Shio Lake. As such, House Mizu must rely on pure offensive prowess to fight back the dragons, causing House Mizu to be recognized as the most capable evocation wizards in the country. The city itself is surrounded by large, steel walls. On top of these walls, the Izado of House Mizu have stationed magical catapults that are capable of taking down a fully grown red dragon with one hit of its ice projectiles. In addition to these catapults are the griffon-flying warriors of the Izado Zoku family. These battle-crazed wizards fly up to meet the dragons, using their evocation spells to take them down. House Mizu's Daimyo, Yua Mizu, is a well-respected warrior in her own right. She rules with an iron fist and has no tolerance for argument amongst those of the Saitei, Izado, and even Roiyariti in her house. As far as the house's economics, House Mizu has a emperor-given duty to extract salt from Lake Shio.  

House Sakana

  Daimyo- Richu Sakana (male)   Notable Families- Saitei Hirano family (leads Daimyo Sakana's charity organizations), Senshi Chiba family (protects House Sakana from occasional raids from the Ithil Groves)   The city of Sakana is an impressive display of powerful transmutation magic. The city is built into Hatsuko Isle: a large, mountainous piece of land located 100 feet offshore of Lake Shio. Every building in the city has been enchanted to retract into the mountain without harming any person or object inside. This has allowed the people of House Sakana to avoid conflict with the dragons as the city becomes little more than a set of paved roads by the time they arrive. Similar to House Mizu, House Sakana's economy relies on the salt they extract from Lake Shio. Richu Sakana is a kind and well-loved leader who has made great strides to improve working conditions for salt workers.  

House Watashi

  Daimyo- Ichiko Watashi (male)   Notable Families- Izado Arai family (magical weaponry), Kurieta Nakano family (gun manufacturers)   When leaving the capitol city of Yuki, travelers are greeted with the Tateru Road: a well-paved path leading into the Eikō Mountains. After traveling into the mountains on this road, one will eventually be greeted by a 100-foot tall iron gate built into Mount Tetsu flanked by statues depicting Ileqor's fight against Tantu the Destroyer. Here marks the entrance into the magnificent dwarven city of Watashi. The city itself is a spectacular labyrinth of beautifully-creafted halls, burning forges, and masterful masonry. Nearly 80% of Sebai's iron is extracted from the mines below the city. With this iron, the dwarves of House Watashi craft Sebai's finest tools, weapons, and armor. Gunpower was invented here 100 years ago and, until its make was stolen by an unknown group 50 years ago, was the house's main export. Now, the ability to make powder is common knowledge throughout Sebai, causing House Watashi to instead focus on crafting new gun models and magical weaponry.  

House Yama

  Daimyo- Tenji Yama (male)   Notable Families- Izado Mako family (College of Mako), Kurieta Aoki family (runs SGL [Samui Gravitum League])   The city of Yama is an incredible display of magic and engineering. The city is built into a hollow, circular chamber at the base of the Chisai Mountains called the Magician's Mouth. Using advanced gravitational magic, every surface inside the Magician's Mouth produces a gravitational force. This has allowed House Yama to construct buildings not only on the cavern's floor, but on its walls and ceiling, as well. The walls naturally curve, giving the appearance of a city built along the inside of a ball or mouth. Along the entrance to the city are tall, stone walls across the ground and ceiling called the Magician's Teeth. During dragon attacks, a metal fence enchanted with abjuration magic is dropped from the upper walls and attached to the lower walls, creating a magical mesh that protects the inside of the cavern. At the back end of the city sits a beautiful campus called the College of Mako. Members of the Izado class from across Samui come here to study magic from the esteemed Izado Mako family, whose knowledge and understanding of the arcane arts is unrivaled across the whole of Sebai. Yama's economy relies heavily on this college, but is not solely reliant on it due to a large amount of mining and logging done in the area. It is also worth noting that Samui's main sport, Gravitum, was invented in Yama.  

House Zoro

  Daimyo- Tsuyo Zoro (male) Emperor- Akihiro Yuki (male)   Notable Families- Rodosha Sano family (loggers on Rogingu Island), Izado-Doragonhantā Kinoshita family (royal guard)   House Zoro is home to Samui's royal family. It will be noticed that House Zoro is the only house to not have its capitol named after the Daimyo's name. This is because it is instead named after the titled appointed to the emperor: Yuki. All Samui emperors come from the Zoro family and only change their surname to Yuki upon becoming emperor. Thus, Yuki is less of a name and more so a title. It translates to "highest one." This means that Emperor Akihiro Yuki and Daimyo Tsuyo Zoro are brothers. The Roiyariti Zoro family is unique in that it not only oversees House Zoro, but it also serves as advisors to the emperor. As stated before, Emperor Akihiro is a benevolent leader who has made great strides to unify the Samuian Houses.   The city itself is a magnificent display of architecture with beautiful, stone buildings reaching high into the sky. Those traveling to Yuki, however, will not be able to appreciate its beauty until they are at its gates. This is due to a powerful illusion spell cast over the city that turns it invisible to any creature the Izado-Doragonhantā Kinoshita family (emperor's royal guard and gatekeepers of the city) deems unfit to enter.    Almost the entirety of Samui's lumber comes from House Zoro, more specifically from Rogingu Island.  

Holidays

Arareyuki

It is the Samuian's belief that the soul of the emperor is handpicked by Ileqor himself to guide and direct the country. Thus, on the 4th week of Isbo, the citizens of Samui celebrate the life of their dear Emperor Yuki. During the week, the current emperor parades through each of the seven capitol cities of the Samuian houses, starting at Kojima and ending at Yuki. Citizens from across the region flock to the city to see the emperor as he rides through the streets, all the while waving pine branches and shouting in the Samuian language, "Shōsan! Shōsan! Watashitachi no saiai no seishin-tekina sofu ni sanbi ga atae raremasu!" (Praise! Praise! Praise be given to our beloved spiritual grandfather!"). The emperor ends the procession at the city center where he delivers a speech of his choosing. Afterwards, the emperor retires and a grand festival, complete with free food, drinks, activities, and shows, commences- all paid for by the emperor.  

Mahoai

Observed on the 5th of Sulta, Mahoai is a celebration of ancestors, or Mahō no tamashī. At the beginning of the day, Samuian families clean and decorate their Keiji and offer family prayers to both their ancestors and Ileqor. Afterwards, the day is spent preparing food for dinner and gift-giving between relatives. Once the sun sets and dinner has been served, families travel to the cemetery to decorate their ancestors' graves with lights, presents, and favored foods of their ancestors. Many cities, but not all, end the celebration with grand firework shows near the edge of the cemetery. Mahoai is incredibly sacred to the people of Samui and all citizens, regardless of their class, are given the day off. Visitors would be hard pressed to find a single store or inn open, though the grand firework show displayed at the Royal Cemetery in Yuki has become a popular tourist event in recent years.  

National Gravitum Championship Match

In recent years, the sport of Gravitum has become incredibly popular in Samui and beyond. The SGL (Samui Gravitum League) season begins near the end of Abash and lasts until mid-Skal. The championship bracket begins in Dusha and leads towards the 17th of Skal for the Championship Match between the top two teams. On this date, fans from across Sebai and beyond gather at Aoki Stadium in Yama to watch the match.  

Navy Day

Created in order to raise more support for the newly created organization, Navy Day is the only holiday observed by all three countries in Sebai. The holiday is celebrated on the 15th of Edogas and has struggled to find a footing in Sebanese culture as the Navy continues struggling to create exciting events to celebrate their existence. It mostly consists of impressive military displays at costal cities followed by minor festivals. Citizens that live more inland, however, rarely even acknowledge its existence.