Sokijan

Sokijan was one of the many isolated villages of the Fochu Peninsula in Wa. Its people made their living harvesting chestnut trees, which were then traded with the village Osata.

Description
Most of the structures within the village were simple peasant shacks known as minka, built from wood with latticed walls and straw-thatched roofs. Apart from these poor residences were small barns, warehouses, and shops.

The people of Sokijan were suspicious of strangers and not at all welcoming. The hamlet had a population of about 240 individuals after.

Geography
Sokijan was located in the southwest of the island of Tsukishima, on the west coast. It was built around a stream flowing from the Momoben Forest. A trail leading east from the village led to the forest.

West of the village, in the ocean, was a small island, called Tsuta Island, which only appeared at night and sometimes vanished under the waves for tendays at a time.

Government
Villages in Wa were run by an administrator known as a shoya, typically a minor samurai, and Sokijan was no different in this respect. The shoya could call upon a local militia if needed. The shoya of Sokijan after was Mushigoto Tada.

Trade
Unlike most other tiny settlements of the region, Sokijan had a unique trade arrangement with the nearby village of Osata. The people of Sokijan would harvest chestnut trees from the western edges of the Momoben Forest. These were delivered and sold to Osata, where they were used to craft beautiful caskets, which were in turn sold to the nobles of the city of Fochu.

The cost to spend the night in one of the small minkas was 3 fen. The village did not produce anything more expensive than 5 yuan to sell.

Defenses
About 24 citizens of Sokijan served in its militia. These persons were only armed with simple clubs or spears.

Religion
Like most of the villages of the Peninsula, the people of Sokijan were strict followers of the Path of Enlightenment. They were usually strongly opposed to anyone visiting their village who would not demonstrate devotion to the Path by making a donation to a shrine, reciting a prayer, or spitting on the symbol of Chauntea, who was considered a heretical faith.

Notable Locations
North of the village, before the village of Osata, there was a profane area full of black sand. This was once a place where traitors were executed, and it later became haunted.

Notable Inhabitants

 * Yusuke T'ing, an old man who owned a pair of powerful dragon slippers.

History
Sometime after Wa Year 1770 (1352 DR), deposed coiled dragon Za-Jikku began murdering citizens of the many villages of the Fochu Peninsula, transforming them into magical butterflies, the breath of which would create yun ch'i, the vapor of death, which he would use to live forever.

A few years before this, Sokijan was beset with another unfortunate situation—a bajang took over the camp of the chestnut woodcutters, putting a temporary end to their production and trade of chestnut wood. The shoya spent a large sum of money to purchase a magical powder from the wu jen of Fochu, with which to trap the monster. However, Mushigoto Tada had trouble finding anyone brave enough to use the powder to kill it.

Appearances

 * Test of the Samurai