(Clan) Red Crane Gate

Red Crane Gate blocks a key road leading from through the northern mountain pass. Its primary purpose is to prevent barbarous Northlanders and demonic encroachers from bringing their violence to The Valley below. Although The Gate rarely crosses most travelers minds, its guardians have been remained vigilant for decades through peace and war alike.

## Notable Buildings

### The Gate

Towering twin doors of red stained wood dominate a traveler's vision as they approach. The Gate is illuminated at night by dim red lanterns, protected by a number of ballistae, and locked tight until visitors from either side beat the drums below to announce their presence. Guardians of Red Crane Gate work in shifts to keep watch, demand papers or proof of good faith from travelers making their way south, and do their best to ward off attacks from the winter beyond their wall. Barracks beneath The Gate are where most gate guardians make their home.

### The Wall

Most of Red Crane Gate is one long wall. The wall is far shorter than it used to be, owing to decades of neglect and damage from raiders. The wall hosts connected buildings allowing gate guardians to traverse it both above and below the top level. Interrogation chambers, beds, and strategy rooms can be found throughout the wall. Entire sections of the wall remain buried by snow beyond Red Crane Gate, effectively inaccessible and largely unusable.

### Snowblossom Shrine

Although not part of Red Crane Gate, Snowblossom Shrine is a landmark of tremendous importance to all travelers who brave the journey north. Sitting just beyond the Karasu Tengu caves, the shrine is constructed surrounding a dormant cherry tree with bark turned white as winter. The shrine has been abandoned for years, but still plays host to those who don't have enough time to set up their own tents, or merchants chased away from The Gate by roving Northlanders.

### Fireguide Shrines

Smaller shrines dot the hillside by Red Crane Gate. Most of them are lit by roaring fires meant to help travelers navigate their way back to The Gate or down the mountainside during a storm. They are usually warm enough to stave off the worst effects of frostbite. Gate guardians do their best to maintain these shrines but occasional storms bury the distant ones in snow.

## History and Culture

*The valley calls. Fertile land worked by soft people, storehouses of grain and shops bursting with wonders. Peace, prosperity, plenty. The valley sleeps sound each night. Bandits may ply their trade and highwaymen can be a nuisance, but the worst our lands have to offer remain tucked away elsewhere. Demons and raiders wage bitter war in the north, spreading red blood across white snow. Their strength is known and feared but not by the people of the valley, because they have a wall.*

*The wall is our divider between all that is good in the valley and all that would spoil it in the north. Though portions of it have crumbled with time, the most vital stretch still stands where we need it most - this is Red Crane Gate.*

*An eerie light illuminates the gate at night. Red lanterns, just strong enough to aid the eyes, but still contending with frigid air and brutal mountain winds. The Gate is not perfect. Its guardians always fall with time. They are few and far between, accepting any help they can find. Criminals, prisoners, outcasts, anyone from the valley who is willing to cross blades with the horrors of the north in exchange for an escape from their past life journeys to Red Crane Gate. It is a raw deal, standing guard against demonic threats and raving mountain men, but those who survive their first moons begin to understand why they are called to such a bleak place. They learn of their duty. They discover their calling.*

*The valley needs this gate. It is the last and final thing holding back an avalanche of terrors.*

### Criminals and Outcasts

Though honorbound young men and women used to form the bulk of Red Crane Gate's numbers, as time wore on fewer saw fit to spend life largely alone up north. It has been decades since The Gate began to accept criminals and outcasts, but only required years before their presence altered public perception of The Gate. Anyone who needs to flee their old life can find protection in the north by swearing themselves to life duty as a gate guardian comprising principles of stewardship, wardenship, and sacrifice.

### Valley Visitors

Gate guardians are not forbidden from visiting the valley, but a short supply of dedicated warriors watching the wall typically keeps such visits few and far between. Those who do leave Red Crane Gate often find themselves feared or forgotten. Those who know about Red Crane Gate generally only remember that its where the worst of society run off to hide. Those who are ignorant of its very existence simply lump them in with other northerners freezing needlessly in the mountain cold.

### Uniforms

The Gate lacks any official uniform, but members are encouraged to wear a muted red. This helps others locate them when lost in a snowstorm, soaks up blood from any wounds sustained in combat, and reminds people in the valley that they are servants of the people, dedicated guardians of Red Crane Gate. Even cooks and herbalists are encouraged to wear red in their daily life on the wall.

### Body Painting

Red Crane Gate possesses a long tradition of artistry. Only a few moments in each guardian's week are taken by the grip of combat, while the rest tend to become long stretches of boredom. To maintain sanity and morale, The Gate maintains a stock of artistic goods. Paints, scrolls, brushes, inks, and instruments are present along any stretch of wall. One of the greatest traditions among guardians is to engage in body painting as a form of self expression. Gate guardians use white paints to pattern their bodies with intricate designs, allowing others to tell at a glance how they're feeling that day. Other times, guardians engage in body painting together as a way of bonding, especially during long, dark nights.

### Reverence for Fire

Gate guardians quickly develop an intimate relationship with fire, worshipping it at their shrines and coveting the flame's heat. Beyond the near ritualistic regularity of feeding and relighting Fireguide Shrines, guardians also believe that all dead from the north must be burned and not buried, lest their vengeful bones coalesce into the walking malice of an Odokuro.

## Bounty Board

Despite the best efforts of Red Crane Gate, bandits and horrors occasionally slip past. When this happens The Gate will try to spare one of its devoted stewards to hunt down the enemy before it can hurt valleyfolk. At times when The Gate cannot afford to let any other guardians leave their post, a bounty may be offered. Payments come in silver, favors, or resources, payable upon return to Red Crane Gate with proof of a kill, or by delivering a wanted party in proper bindings.

## Resident PCs

* Sato Rin
* Simari
* Adira

## Map Location

Red Crane Gate is located on the southern portion of N25, up in the mountains. A warp point at the foot of it offers travelers somewhere to rest before braving the journey.