Akai Mori

> Shimmering starlight
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> There are no footsteps around
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> but fallen leaves
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## History

The forest of red trees sits to the northwest of the newly founded city of **Jiyu**, however it was by no means foreign to the denizens of **Shengming de Yaolan**. The crimson leaves of Akai Mori have granted this large forest a mystical quality that has lead to countless legends being told about it. Whether they were true or not, is up for debate as nobody alive had ever seen anything magical within the forest. It has been said that the calls of monkeys could be heard in the distance, but no trace of those simians has ever been found. Such oddities have made it a popular place for tourists and nature lovers to visit. A legend tells that the leaves are red because of a great battle that was once fought on that ground and stained all the trees with blood that shall never lose its rich colors to remind visitors of the cost of slaughter.

The bizarre nature of the trees has attracted scholars, philosophers, and holy men to try and determine what the real meaning of the difference in color. Those who bothered to maintain an extensive watch soon came to realize that the trees themselves were unexceptional aside from their red leaves and black bark. They lost their leaves in Autumn, they grew back in the Spring. Birds roosted amongst the branches. Rabbits burrowed amongst the roots. The exact cause for the redness was uncertain, but it was highly unlikely blood had anything to do with it. All in all, a beautiful but otherwise unremarkable forest since ancient times. There were ruins from old castles and villages deep within the forest, but they had been made useless by great amounts of time and past looting.

The forest was relatively untouched by the ravages of the great civil war, or wandering oni bands that sought to remove all traces of the **Chishiki** from the land, as the only thing located within it was a small shrine to **Sun Wukong** guarded by monks that held no allegiance to the Chishiki and offered no resistance when they came and demanded their goods as recompense for not slaughtering them all. The pittance of resources located within the shrine were hardly worth the effort required to travel that far. After what little pillaging could be done, they became frustrated with the lack of fruit for their efforts and slaughtered them all anyway. Almost all of them. A few managed to escape the massacre, just enough to start anew.

What had remained hidden from the world at large is the presence of a reborn shinobi village concealed amongst the leaves. The shinobi are a clan of Saru Hengenyokai, the monkey faced people of the far east. While their clan was originally a sort of priests for a god of tricks and drunkenness, ancient shinobi arts had been passed down for as long as the oldest monk(ey) could remember. The combat style involved extreme agility using the environment as an extension of one's body, and balancing the use of the feet in combat with the use of the hands, both things monkeys were naturally capable of trained to an extreme level. What made it even better was that they could swing from the treetops while drunk out of their gourds.

They have lived in a sort of symbiotic relationship with the kindly folk of the city of Jiyu. In exchange for being left alone and the occasional offering of strong sake, the ninja ensured the forest is kept clear of threats and haunts. And so, the thing that would stand out to the well traveled of Sheng's population who visit would be a startling lack of devastation or danger within the forest. Those who enter with ill intent find themselves lost, or if they are truly dangerous, dead. Those who enter innocently are guided using subtle hints, a leaf dropping to make them turn a certain way, or an animal call drawing their attention to a previously hidden trail, towards their destination. The village is called Kakureta Saru.

## Geography and Ecology

The forest is located west by north west from the newly founded Chishiki city of Jiyu. The **Shinku Cawa** river runs directly through the center of it. That river is dyed red where is passes near the tree of Akai Mori, whatever it was in the leaves passing into the water when it washes them away. The sight can be quite unsettling for those who have never heard about it, and the river maintains that quality until it reaches the bay on the far side of the archipelago. The ground is relatively level, no significant rises or falls being found within the borders of the treeline. The weather is moderate, neither prone to hotness, coldness, dryness or excessive rain.

The trees themselves share similar qualities with the maple trees of Oustomia. The key difference is the color of the leaves, which are red rather than green, and this opposite color has permeated everything about the trees. Their leaves bud red, grow red, and remain red after they've fallen. The sap of the tree can be collected and treated to create a delicious red sweet concoction the locals call mapuyu. All of the shrubs and greenery have crimson red leafy bits as well, as if the red from the trees permeated the soil. Even the animals that dwell within the forest have a red sheen to their coats. Scientists are unsure if that is due to something in the leaves, or a deeper cause altogether. Regardless, it does not seem to harm them or make them more aggressive, so it is simply another thing to admire about Akai Mori.

## Notable Inhabitants

**Kakeratu Saru** - The only, if barely, known inhabitants of Akai Mori. The entire clan is well versed in the arts of ninjutsu, and use them to trick and evade their enemies and potential friends alike. After their clan was slaughtered despite laying down their weapons and handing over their treasures, their surviving elders vowed never to let that happen again. The clan took to the trees, always building light and mobile structures above the forest floor. Their village changes location at the slightest inclination that any trespassers could discover its location. Their primary defense is secrecy, their secondary defense is brutal and efficient ambushes from the trees above. They are not hostile, however, and if those who are pure of heart seek shelter amongst the crimson leaves they will find it a welcoming and safe place, free from predators and evil doers alike.

**Mysterious Wolf** - Despite the forest's monster free reputation, there have been recent reports of the sound of howling in the night. No wolf has been seen, however there are enough rumors circulating to give the story credence. There have not been attacks or missing. Regardless, visitors are suggested to come during the day, or travel in groups.