Legacies untold;
The sands of time bring to dust
What was once glory.
The sands of time bring to dust
What was once glory.
The land of Kanami is one of splendor; with both man and nature living in harmony, both the people and the creatures living around it exist in harmony... Except, of course, when one side decides the other has overstepped its boundaries. Home to three kingdoms, the continent is accustomed to the fighting that breaks out every so often, but time and time again, balance is restored, and each side makes its amends.
The town of Mingdu, founded by an old adviser to the emperor of Yunzhou, the kingdom to the southeast, sits calmly in the center of the continent; a neutral ground, where merchants, traders, adventurers, and all manner of people come and go, but oddly enough, remains somewhat isolated from the three countries surrounding it. The scenic backdrop, a mountain range from which the rivers of the land flow from, brings even the most hardened of people to peace before their lives continue. While other towns revel in trade and are often full of wanderers and other such folk, Mingdu is a more tranquil place; the only draw, other than the location to which it provides access, are the temple and the school founded by the old adviser; only those chosen by his former students are allowed to attend, and those who exit become renown the world over.
As a resident of this simple town, life is simple; eat, train, sleep; laugh, cry, suffer. But is that really all that there is to life?
A journey can never truly end without a beginning, right?
The World:
Kanami is a continent located in... Well, a world different from ours, for one. To the north, a nation based upon what we know as Japanese mythos, Rikoku, stands firm; to the southeast, Yunshou, a country based on Chinese fantasy, remains proud; to the west, Daeyang-gug, one based upon Korean folklore, remains at peace.
Rikoku is a an area of land that is... Well, relatively flat, for one. Its climate makes it perfect for agriculture, and coupled with the open fields and rivers, makes it the most logical way of life. Of course, this means that natural boundaries are sparse, leading the residents thereof to have to learn their own little tricks to ward off invaders.
Yunshou, in comparison, is a region with a climate as varied as they come. Containing everything ranging from deserts to mountain ranges to forests, its unpredictability, its people argue, stems from the stupidly proud who dared to mock the heavens and who were punished for their stupidity. Hunters who are skilled with the bow and arrow are often those who live well.
Daeyang-gug is a country that loves the ocean; for the most part, the dense forests that block off huge swathes of land are left untouched; instead, the coastline is populated with port cities all the way around. Fishermen and sailors love the country, and flock to it for their leaders' love of the sea.
Peculiarities
Kanami is not as simple a land as the above summaries might suggest. Each being, be it human or not, has a soul; this soul generates qi (or ki, whatever floats your boat), which, when learned to control, can be used for superhuman feats. Most things unconsciously use this energy in their daily lives, and for the most part none really care about its refinement and its abilities; even then, only a few ever have the ability to control these supernatural forces in the first place, who are as follows:
- The soulbinders; those who can take the soul of a being (usually deceased) and bind it to an item with varying effects. More often than not, the soul is left without conscience, and the item remains as a tool to be used by whoever desires to use it. These people are rare, and their services are often highly prized. They're as rich as they come, regardless of where people are. Do note that the souls bound within can be released and rebound to something else with the right procedure, and that a skilled soulbinder can even retain the conscience of a soul even within an item, and thus skilled soulbinders can make money off the naturalists (below) who wish to buy a soul instead of hunt for one themselves.
- The naturalists; these are people who have managed to, either by force or by contract, bind with the soul of a creature. By using this, the person is able to inherit some of the creature's strength, abilities, or even change in appearance. Both souls remain fully aware of the world around them, and one suffers as the other does. More often than not, though, the corporeal form of the creature is lost permanently. A naturalist can bind to more than one soul, but this takes a great amount of training and experience to accomplish. Contracts are permanent.
- The lightseekers; these people are able to use their qi to not only affect themselves, but others around them. Be it by sealing pressure points, healing wounds, calming beasts, or even communicating with the recently deceased, these people often find themselves needed by the common populace for their own needs.
Creatures aren't creatures as much as they are, say, youkai from Japanese mythology. That's actually pretty close to what most of them are; with varying degrees of sentience, 'creatures' are actually just less populous beings that inhabit the continent. Unlike humans, they have access to what is called 'true magic'. While humans are forced to use their life force to control the world around them, these beings can manipulate the world around them to perform feats unthinkable to most. Human emulation of these abilities is rare, and they are often brought up to high society for assistance to their country's respective leaders.
There is no real 'religion' in this world; temples are built for self-discipline and search of enlightenment, which makes them quite similar to Buddhist temples of today. Most principles are rooted in either that or Taoism, which means that there are deities of all shapes and sizes living... Well, pretty much everywhere.
So... Yeah. I got the idea for a more Asian-rooted fantasy RP (since those are actually REALLY scarce, from what I've seen), and so here we are. Any questions, concerns, or whatever, just toss them my way. Though I am mostly familiar with Chinese and Japanese mythos, I'm actually kind of rusty in regards to Korean mythology, so if anyone could help me out in the future, that'd be great.
=w=;;
