Seinin

Seinin was one of the many isolated villages of the Fochu Peninsula in Wa. Its people made their living as fishers.

Description
Seinin was a particularly dirty and depressing village. 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 Seinin were suspicious of strangers and not at all welcoming. The village had a population of about 475 individuals after.

Geography
Seinin was located on the Sea of Patience on the west coast of the Fochu Peninsula of the island of Tsukishima. It was located near the Momoben Forest.

Government
Villages in Wa were run by an administrator known as a shoya, typically a minor samurai, and Seinin was no different in this respect. The shoya could call upon a local militia if needed. The shoya of Seinin after Wa Year 1770 (1352 DR) was Toi Jujishiki, who was a lazy man.

Trade
Like the other tiny settlements of the region, Seinin had little contact with the other villages, much less with the rest of Kara-Tur or regions beyond. The people were fishers, but there is no evidence that they traded in fish.

The village collected a "visitor's tax" of 1 yuan per person to enter. The cost to spend the night in one of the small minkas was 4 fen. The village did not produce anything more expensive than 3 tael to sell.

Defenses
About 48 citizens of Seinin served in its militia. These persons were only armed with simple clubs or spears.

The village also was home to a band of kabukimono, a group of retired warriors and ronin wearing colorful uniforms and calling themselves the Soldiers of Iron. The Soldiers of Iron had free reign to behave as they pleased in the village and often caused problems, especially when their members got drunk.

Religion
Like most of the villages of the Peninsula, the people of Seinin 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 Inhabitants

 * Abutsu, a widow in the village who was witness to the murder of Toshi.
 * Cho, a man who moved into Toshi's old minka after her murder.
 * Ichi Krijiku, the leader of the Soldiers of Iron.
 * Toshi, the ex-wife of samurai Osari Minhiro.

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.

As part of his plan, Za-Jikku sent servants dressed in golden robes to pay members of the Soldiers of Iron to kill several of the villagers and hand over their bodies to Za-Jikku for transformation.

Appearances

 * Test of the Samurai