Gensou Sengoku: Warring Fantasy-1

A fantasy setting; focused on a Japan-esque country embroiled in a period of unrest, not unlike the Warring States period. Monsters haunt the wilds, shinobi and samurai serve feudal lords, and the gods watch the struggles of the people below.

Type: Blossom

Active Characters

Matsu Shuzenji

Overview

Gensou Sengoku: Warring Fantasy focuses on the nation of Arashi-no-Moto... inasmuch as it can be called a 'nation'. There is ostensibly an Emperor, but in truth he is little more than a simple figurehead. There is theoretically a shogun to preside over all the other daimyo, but in practice those feudal lords have only slightly less political clout than he. Arashi-no-Moto is less a unified country, and more a collection of city-states and clan holdings, each jockeying for position and power in the pecking order. Intrigue is rife, and even the occasional small-scale war takes place... and through it all, the common people strive just to see another day.

Officially, the daimyo are supposed to police their lands. Fierce, ogrelike oni lurk in the wilds, wily kappa goblins ply their crafty trade along the rivers for weal or woe, the ascended fox spirits known as kitsune serve as tricksters or as messengers of the gods; it is a dangerous place to be for an ordinary person. But while their samurai master the use of ki, while their shinobi hone esoteric magics, the daimyo are often far too focused on each other, leaving the humble local shrines and their exorcists as the only sources of monster extermination the people can rely on. And of course, an exorcism rite will do little to stop a bandit with a sword.

As a result, the odd offworlder wandering into Arashi-no-moto is often welcomed with open arms by the smallfolk, the perception being that outsiders - or at least those with any actual inclination to come visit - are generally strong warriors capable of solving most local monster or brigand problems. Though they might not understand these extremely odd strangers or their peculiar powers, and they might not have much to offer in the way of payment, their gratitude is very deep and very real... sometimes to the point of naivite. The daimyo, on the other hand, default to an extremely cold suspicion of offworlders, who often represent a very real threat to their positions, whether politically or militarily. They won't banish or assault them out of hand, but they certainly won't be shy about giving the cold shoulder.

There are, of course, other nations in the world; but with Arashi-no-Moto so disunified, it is impossible for any of them to conduct large-scale trading. A few maintain relations with the seaside port of Harukaze, making it the only source of foreign goods within the country, and its presiding daimyo a wealthy man. And the vast majority of vines leading to this world end up somewhere in Arashi-no-Moto, giving the rest of the world little to no contact with the Tree in general. That's something the rest of the world would very much like to fix.

Amidst all this, the Emperor Fuyuhito looks out upon his country with grave concern, one of the few people to see the suffering of his people for what it is. In and of himself, he has almost no political power. But events have unexpectedly thrust a powerful political piece into his grasp, and the offworlders... well, they might just represent a chance.