Geography

## Tenbasho

Tenbasho, an eastern continent where this harrowing story takes place. Given its many landscapes from lush green fields, to fierce mountain ranges, and seemingly endless deserts many denizens believed it to be made in the image of the God’s home Takamagahara. Because of this it was also given the epitaph of “The Heavenly Place”. Where beauty is exuded in the land it is not reflected in its people who view it as nothing more than a priceless jewel to claim.

For time immemorial, wars have been waged over pieces of this continent by its own people, everyone wanting the biggest cut of the land to themselves and to guard their cut jealousy. As such the land has been caught in what is known as the Owaranai Sengoku Jidai (Lit. 終わらない戦国時代; Endless Warring States Period). The sight of marching soldiers, small skirmishes, to full fledged battles being waged is a common occurrence in the land. The worst of these conflicts take place along the borders of the territories, these nigh impassible zones are known as Saizensen (Lit. 最前線; The Front Line). The strongest armies composed of the strongest warriors Tenbasho has to offer reside in these zones, endlessly fighting, endlessly honing their own particular methods and arts of murder.

Some speculate this endless period of war is just a game the Kami are playing with one another, similar to a game of chess. This speculation bears great weight for why else would they create such a place in the image of their own home? While scholars scratch their head, warriors pay it no heed and play their part as another piece on the board to fight for their lord who promises to unify all of Tenbasho under one banner. An empty promise since, as always, this endless war brings them endless profit, for the bloodthirsty it brings endless bodies to gouge through in an endless cycle.

Not all is doom and gloom in this land however, as the towns, villages and cities situated well behind the Saizensen experience quite normal lives, aside for the aforementioned skirmishes that take place of which are put down by the ruling faction of that territory. It is here one will find things such as festivals, good food, good drink, shrines, and the darkest of secrets.

## Social Structure

The social order in Tenbasho is organized in a simplified version of the feudal Japanese Hierarchy. At the top exists the Emperor who reigns over the turbulent lands of Tenbasho, their seat of power is an ever revolving door. The throne of the emperor is a bloody one as it is gained through schemes, politics and murder. After the Emperor exists the Shōgun, the ever tenacious rulers of their respective territories who wage an endless war against one another in hopes of unifying the land under their singular banner. Within each of these territories exist Daimyo who rule over their own chunks of land and who are subservient to their respective Shōgun. Failure to carry out a Shōgun’s marching orders will usually see a Daimyo removed from their station or killed, as a result Daimyo tend to be the more conniving, treacherous and boot-kissing members of this hierarchy all to maintain their position of power. Lastly, but not least by any sense of the word, are the Sensō Shōgun (戦争将軍,War General) who fight the wars for their Shogun. Both respected and feared they exist as some of the strongest entities in the land and despite their place in the hierarchy they garner more respect than the Daimyo who rank above them. While Daimyo can technically give them orders the Sensō Shōgun do not have to follow or obey them as only the orders of the Shōgun are ever treated as absolute.