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Ashi no kuni ヨシの国 ("Land of Reeds") Also nicknamed the Land of the Ronin/Land of the Master-less Samurai, a harsh marshland situated below the land of Iron close to Takigakure ("Hidden Waterfall Village"), created and inhabited by samurai´s that have been forced into exiled from the Land of Iron instead of committing seppuku after they failed to stop an assassination of their lord, living in constant shame the ronin created an small home for themselves in the marshlands where other ronin, bandits and misfits would soon follow. A land where the strong survive and the weak die they have adopted a "survival of the fittest" mentality not unlike how the hidden mist village used to be once upon a time, however they still try to retain a modicum of honour and dignity to not become savages.
The soil in the area is poor and unfit for farm-work and too harsh to grow rice so they subsist on hunting and fishing as well as doing mercenary work to buy grain, rice and other goods from neighbouring lands and villages, one resource overabundant though is "bog iron" that is collected and forged into weapons and tools to be used by and every man, woman and child as well as to be sold off. While of surprisingly good quality for being forged by ronin blacksmiths, their weapons are rumoured to be cursed with a insatiable thirst for blood and other rumours say they made pacts with demons and spirits to survive in this enviroment.
Resources.
Reeds used for thatching of roofs, housing, boats, flutes and other miscellaneous things.
Fish, shellfish, amphibians, reptiles, voles, muskrats, beavers, mooses used for food.
Wood from trees that grows sparsly across the marsh, used to construct frames and stilts for houses and certain tools.
Flowers and other plants used as fibers for clothing, dyes, oils, medicine and more.
Bog Iron is the most precious and peculiar commodity the land of reeds have, used by their blacksmith to create weapons and tool.
Sawamura 沢村 ("Marsh Village"): The main village of the lands of reeds situated in the center of the harsh marshlands. Multiple houses are erected on stilt like poles treated with rot and mold resistant coating made out of the oils and essence of certain marsh flowers to avoid the ground below that would decay and damage wood. Many small reed boats travel up and down the deeply flooded area´s of the marsh to transport goods, hunt for fish and safely travel across the land. A somewhat gloomy atmosphere hangs over the village as every day is a struggle to survive against starvation and famine, disease, unrest and violence toughening up every citizen and weeding out the weak. Disputes and infighting happens regularly sometimes resulting in bloodshed though its mostly kept in check. A few blacksmiths lives in the village competing with eachother who can produce the best pruduct as well as fighting over the precious bog-iron they need to create them. Clans (And NPC´s) Sodesaku Ichizoku 袖咲く一族 ("Blooming Sleeve Clan") User: Haku112 Info: A samurai clan that once was known for their honour, swordplay and kind hearts originally hailing from the land of Iron but due to political scheming, lies, deception and manipulation is the greed for power that led to a horrible assassination, the clan lands were seized and all of their properties, influence and power removed before they were sent into exiles in shame.
Their retainers and supporters from all walks of life that tried to defend their name and honour where forced into exile with them as well, together they fled and migrated down the land into a swampy marshland region that the now Ronin samurai called the Land of Reeds becoming its founder and defacto leader with the duty to uphold some form of order and make shure that the people can get by day-to-day as well as maintain buildings and oversee constructions. Clan head: Sodesaku 袖咲 (Blooming Sleeve") Shishiku 獅子吼 ("Lion´s Roar") [Haku112] Clan Successor: Sodesaku 袖咲く("Blooming Sleeve") Hakuo 箔御 ("Honorable Gold Leaf") [Haku112] Clan Members: Shishiku, Hakuo - Hatou Ichizoku 波濤一族 ("Surging Sea Clan") User: [NPC] Info: A fisherman clan that supported Sodesaku and followed them into exile, now they fish in the flooded sections of the marshlands cooking, selling and smoking their products to the villagers and exporting for money, they also act as the village transportation across the territory. Clan head: Hatou Kaikaku 介殻 ("Sea Shell") [NPC] Clan Successor: Hatou Suiren 睡蓮 ("Water Lily") [NPC] Clan Members: Kaikaku [NPC], Suiren [NPC], Sanma [NPC], Mori [NPC} Homuradama Ichizoku 炎魂一族 ("Blazing Soul Clan") User: [NPC] Info: A clan of blacksmiths that even before their exile was looked at with suspicion and destain from other well respected land of iron people, rumoured to had used dark witchcraft when creating weapons leading to them finally getting shunned and exiled due to claims that they were conspiring together with the Sodesaku clan, something that have left them rather bitter. Clan head: Homuradama Koutora 鋼虎 ("Steel Tiger") [NPC] Clan Successor: Tetsumaru 鉄丸 ("Iron Circle") [NPC] Clan Members: Koutora [NPC], Tetsumaru [NPC]