In a world of warring shogunates, raving bands of bandits, and lone rōnin, there stands one beacon of peace among the chaos. A small village nestled in the mountains of Shi Han whose only claim to fame is a festival held every year in the Spring time. With the blooming sakura trees and maple trees which, should the sun hit them in the right spot, seem to exude a green light who's beauty seems to rival that of the sakura trees. Yet, the village of Hang Yi is more than just a tourist destination for above the village lies a small, Buddhist temple. Inside the temple sits a single sakura tree, larger and older than all the rest. Unlike its brethren, it always bears leaves of pink coloration throughout the year. But, only once every fifty years does the tree, Ying Qua, bear a peach which is believed to give the person who consumes it enlightenment.
Yet, a Buddhist monk came from the temple only a few weeks from the festival and asked to see the towns elder. Though the meeting was private, rumors spread that a young cleaning girl had over heard their conversation. As the rumors grew, so did the exaggerations of what it was about. If one asked one person, they would tell you that it was about a vision that one of the monks received from Buddha himself about a band of bandits while another might tell you that the monk was simply asking for some consorts to be sent up to the temple for their use.
Despite this, the rumors faded away as people flooded into Hang Yi for the Festival of Flowers. As more people arrived, more and more outrageous displays of mirth making were performed in the street. By now, most people have forgotten that the monk had even come to the village. Yet, nobody could forget the many warriors who seemed to be coming into the village. Unlike the other warriors, these ones came with weapons normally wielded on a battle field. Some saw it as an omen, an omen which would soon come to be realized. The night before the festival, the very same night that the trees were suppose to reach full bloom, a series of sakura trees caught on fire and were unable to be saved. Nobody quite knows what caused the fire, but rumors have started that demons of some sort caused this. The rumors were quick to be quelled by the Elder of Hang Yi, yet, the very same day, the Elder asked for you and several others to be brought to his estate. And the mirth making of the Festival will continue without you, of course.
Welcome, one and all, to In Full Bloom. If you have stay long enough to get here then you are more than likely interested or at the very least have tentative interest in this. Let me quickly explain things for those of you who are here. In Full Bloom is set in a world which is quite picturesque if you simple glance over it. But the world is full of strife from the fighting Shoguns and bandits who patrol the roads in the chaos. Meanwhile, the one respite which the people of In Full Bloom, the Festival of Flowers in Hang Yi village, has seemingly been sabotaged. But, this might be only the beginning in an event which has been building up for the past twenty years of fighting. Your characters will be warriors from across the lands who have come to the village of Hang Yi, either for the Festival or for the money offered by a benefactor who's interest are still unknown. Anyway, I will go into more detail with an OOC if we get enough interest.
