Shuugou-mura

### Time Zone

Eastern standard time (EST / Earth) UTC-4Southeast Etheridge Standard Time (SEST / Etheridge) UTC-12

**Shuugou-mura,** literally translated from Japanese to English as **Collective Village**, is a trade village in the Ryokan Highlands, and is the Capital village of the aforementioned country. It's located north-northwest of the Etheridge Collective's Ryokan, which has served as their main headquarters and residence from their time of inception in 2020, and has just recently become a government building as well.

## Construction

### Phase 1

Construction and Phase 1 of construction commenced June 22nd, 2023. Phase 1 of construction was completed July 1st, 2023. This phase of construction came with the completion of a few resident homes and planting Sakura trees, as well as establishing footpaths and the planning of future businesses. The estimated population is set to be ~30 to start with; thanks to the combined efforts of the Etheridge Collective, their milestone of reaching at least fifteen homes built was reached.

### Phase 2

Phase 2 of construction was completed July 17th, 2023. With more villager homes populating the dirt roads of the village, as well as the abundance of traveling merchants and some of those merchants setting up shop, it's safe to say Shuugou-mura is well on its way to becoming an economically sound village. A school was constructed for the village children, as well as for children of the Etheridge Collective. The village looks almost like Garmsby Village, but smaller and given a head start when it comes to technology.

A small electric grid has been established for the village, connecting it to the Etheridge Village Network.

As for agriculture, the warmth of summer has led to a faster harvest than originally predicted, giving way to food security for the villagers.

The village is also protected by the strongest of the collective, as well as the strongest soldiers that were driven to move to Shuugou-mura.

### Phase 3 and beyond

Phase 3 is the phase where most homes should be suited for residence.

Beyond phase 3 will be a constant drip-feed of "updates" to the village. Further ideas will be discussed amongst those who run the village and be approved or rejected on a case by case basis.

### Construction Complete

As of September 2023, Shuugou-mura's construction has reached 100% completion, and on top of that, has established itself as a vital trade village for other villages and towns in the surrounding area outside of the Ryokan Highlands. Today, construction is still being made on parks, elective businesses, and multiple granaries for the sake of community support (housing clothes, raw materials, cooked materials, foodstuffs, etc.)

## History

Shuugo-mura is a village under construction at the behest of the eight leaders of the Etheridge Collective, citing that the Ryokan is too full for additional members and that those who live beyond its premises cannot be guaranteed their safety from Graelenncian-borne threats in the form of Nightmare Energy. Despite nothing having befallen anyone in a deadly manner, the concern is so great that, when coupled with the argument that the Ryokan is so full that people were sleeping in the kitchen, the idea of a village seemed strongly appealing.

The week of July 2nd, a small school was built to give extra tutoring to adults and become the starting point of many young villagers' academic journeys, teaching a wide array of electives and subjects needed for every day living. As of July 7th, Shuugou-mura also has guards to protect the parameter of the growing village as more and more denizens move in, bringing their merchant businesses just as a bartering/currency hybrid economy has started to emerge.

As of September 2023, construction is 100% complete, with some elective businesses, parks, and granaries being built for communal support (storing foodstuffs, raw materials, cooked materials, etc.)

## Geography

Shuugou-mura was built and planned to use 1,000 of 5,000 available acres of undeveloped land during its life, having room to grow as it will accept new residents whether or not they're involved with, affiliated with, or a member of the Etheridge Collective. Shuugou-mura sits five miles north-northwest of the Ryokan Highlands, sixteen miles east of the castle town of Naxera, fifteen miles southwest of the village of Rokeby, and twenty miles south of Thornloe. The entire village is landlocked, with access to the Thornloe river to the north and Meadowglen creek to the northeast.

Thermal waters run beneath the earth in the vicinity of the Ryokan Highlands, and as such, Shuugou-mura has the capability of drawing in tourism and residents using hot springs. Today, it's one of its main sources of income.

## Trivia

* Other names that were considered for the village included Kaishovale (Kaisho, from the Japanese word meaning ability) to allude to the differing abilities of the whole team, Norvale, Collectaville, and Truborough (Trueno + borough).
* The concepts for the village have included traditional European villages, Swedish villages, Breezewood-esque treehouse villages, or alternative video-game villages before having settled on a traditional Japanese village design.