A land divided by bloodlines. A land united by divinity. Fiercely independent and proud, the city of Sonshan has clung to its holdings against the threats of barbarians, and would-be conquerors, paying for it in tithes of grain, gold, and blood.

Sonshan is the capital city-state of the Principality of Aetochi. Feudal in its construction, Aetochi is governed by the Intendant Families, but do so under the behest of their ruler, the Divine Peer of Sonshan. It is through the Peer’s divine guidance that the land prospers, and the peace is kept.

All serve the Principality. All serve the Peer. But it is beneath the light of the Divine Peer where the machinations of the ambitious take root, where the schemes of the Intendant Families brew, and wherein those shadows do the Storied Clans hide.

Sonshan is located within the large island north of the Taagi Baara Steppes, inland from the coasts. It sits at the base of the Golden Mountain, and the city is known for its steep hills and rocky terrain. Seasons are extreme, with a short growing season and harsh winters. The same mountain range that protects the city and shelters it from ocean storms, also makes travel arduous. Trade coming into the city is all but stopped during the deepest winter months.

The locals call the greater island that Sonshan sits upon Da Gui. The western coasts of Da Gui, along the Nahas ocean, are rough as well. Towering, wind-battered bluffs provide few places for a ship to land. The shores along the Eastern coast are more protected from extreme weather by the smaller island, and see less storms.

A diverse number of races populate Sonshan, hailing from the different regions of Aetochi. Humans remain in the majority, especially among the Intendant class, but families of orcs, animaux, letai, and sea elves hold power within the city as well. A thriving settlement of Nordenfiir can also be found nearby along the coast, descendant from traders who traveled across the sea generations ago.

Much like its neighbors south of the island, Sonshan is a matriarchal society. Inheritance is given to the favored daughter, not the eldest, and in-fighting between siblings is common. Those of a lower class - laborers and soldiers - tend to be more egalitarian, but most positions of authority are still held by women.

Food - Small meals are eaten multiple times a day. Meetings, both formal and casual, are punctuated by the serving of tea. There are many social graces surrounding the serving of food to guests, even in the roughest parts of the city.

Art - Bold, colorful motifs of animals and natural patterns feature heavily in Aetochan art, and art is inscribed onto everything. Tables and walls are painted with mythic murals, everyday objects are richly decorated, and the pillars and eaves of buildings are carved with elaborate wooden reliefs.

Architecture - Sonshan is a hilly, multi-level city. Buildings can be dozens of stories tall, and streets weave haphazardly above and below. Wealth is not cleanly divided between districts, and walled garden estates may exist one street over from cramped apartments. Altitude correlates strongly with a family's social status - those homes higher up in a building or atop a hill have more space to themselves, and are expensive to maintain. Conversely, the residents in the lower valley, along the river that flows from the mountain, are cramped and ramshackle.

Gold District - An upper district, which sits higher above the bustle of the city streets. Gardens and gates separate the estates of rich families. This district sits right below the Divine Peer's palace. Many Intendant families hold second homes in the Gold District, to stay in when visiting on official business.

Red District - An even mix of residential and industry, the Red District is where most artisan and merchant class citizens conduct their daily business. It has an enticing number of markets and shops, and competition is stiff.

Blue District - One of the districts that sits at the lowest points of the city, with residential apartments stacked densely together. Buildings and people vie for space, and acts of petty crime are common.

The Heavenly Palace - Where the Divine Peer resides, this walled-off palace sits high above the rest of the city. The palace itself is said to be built upon the back of the great turtle Da Gui, the godlike personification of the island itself. Only the immediate family of the Divine Peer is allowed within the walls of the palace, and visiting Intendants. Thus, most citizens have not seen the royal Raakgui.

The Cinder Ports - Like the Capital City itself, the ports of Sonshan are segregated by class, and privilege comes with requisite station. Divided by sluice gates, the Blue, Red, and Gold port each serve their ordained function.

Blue Port welcomes all, and deals in most raw materials, still untouched by crafters and culinarians. Blue district also acts as a harbor for much of the illicit trade that goes on within the walls of Sonshan. Un-permitted vessels must dock at Blue in order to attain proper clearance before moving wares beyond.

Red handles more refined products, those things touched by tradespeople, doctors, artists and scribes to name but a few who have plied their trade to the wares that are loaded and unloaded past the Red Sluice Gate.

What passes through the Gold Sluice Gate is of the utmost importance to the functions of Sonshan. Gold Gate Permits are things most coveted. To receive such a writ of the Peer's authority is no small thing. Honored dignitaries or foreign emissaries are among those who have been granted passage to the Divine Harbor.

The ruling class of Aetochi is matriarchal, with a Divine Peer holding power over disparate regions and administering laws from the kingdom’s capital of Sonshan. Each region of the kingdom is controlled by a ruling family, who govern their own lands, and formally renew their fealty to the capital in an annual ceremony. The head of a ruling family is called an Intendant, and this title is usually passed on from mother to daughter.

Conflicts, both internal and between clans, are resolved in secret, with the use of hired assassins and warriors. Too bold a display of power would garner the attention of the Divine Peer, and ambitious Intendants that act brashly risk being struck down by the capital’s superior might.

The Divine Peer - It is said that the Divine Peer is blessed by the greatest raakgui in all of Aetochi, the spirit of the island itself, Da Gui. To oppose the Peer is to wish calamity upon the land, and usher in a new age of curses. The current Divine Peer is named Ino, a young woman who rules with a measured - but perhaps inexperienced - hand from her Golden Throne.

Divine Peer Ino currently has no heirs. If she did, her daughters and sons would be called Divine Princesses and Divine Princes respectively, and all other immediate family members are Lady or Lord.

The Intendant Families - There are eight Intendant Families, each one presiding over their own territory. These territories are largely self-governed, only following a basic set of laws enforced by the Principality. The Intendant Families pay tithe to the Divine Peer, and renew their loyalities each year. For the rest of the year they are left to their own machinations.

The matriarch of a ruling family is referred to as the Intendant. Her daughters are Princess Intendants, and her sons merely Princes.

Magnates - Lower nobility that serve underneath the Intendant families. Though often with contingents and guards at their command, they are military in title only. As most of the Intendant armies are kept declawed and defunct, Magnates in practice manage city affairs, command city police, and settle petty disputes between citizens.

The Storied Clans - Powerful families with a secret history of producing strong warriors and shamans. Officially, the Storied Clans are not nobility, and hold no power in the political landscape. Officially, they have no loyalties to any given Intendant, and do not draw lines through territories. However, the reality is much messier than that.

Citizens - Every citizen of Sonshan is registered within the city's annals. Those with citizenship are granted basic rights, including the right to marry, to own land, to sign contracts, and to hold office.

Visitors - Non-citizens, whether they have been cast out from society or are new arrivals in Sonshan, are not afforded the same protections under the law. They must petition an Intendant to be given full citizenship.

Lianzhi - Farmers, cultivators, experts in animal husbandry and botany. Famous for their rice bowl style meals, and fine grades of meat. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Humility, the black ram Uden.

Rakugan - Merchants, spirit distillers, sweet makers, famous for their Dango and roast fowl. Watched over by Divine Raakgui of Generosity, the indigo toad Aembi.

Morikami - Diplomats of Sonshan, famed patrons of art, music, and theater. Famous for their tea, and savory tofu. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Harmony, the grey wolf Jowha,

Mun - Wardens of the Red Mountain Pass. Militant and fierce. Famous for their spicy cuisine, noodles and meat stuffed pastries. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Bravery, the red ape Jugan.

Yenizu - Sailors and fishers that live along the eastern straight. Famous for their seafood, particularly their roasted mackerel. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Alacrity, the azure dragon Yenkai.

Nuyen - Inventors, fine metal workers and jewelers. Famous for their savory snacks and boiling pot cuisine, and their hard sugar candies. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Ingenuity, the yellow fox Ichizu.

Kokori - Miners, stonemasons, and woodcutters. Famous for their hearty soups, and radishes. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Fortitude, the white tiger Hayantsu.

Hemoshi - Paper makers, ink suppliers and scholars. Famous for their bok choy in ginger garlic, and their squid ink broths. Watched over by the Divine Raakgui of Wisdom, the emerald Phoenix Kazuo.

Though each ruling Intendant has soldiers at her disposal, these trained reserves are rarely used in military maneuvers. Instead, the balance of power is kept by storied warriors, shamans, and assassins, independent clans who work for the highest bidder, and who have formed alliances of convenience, as well as grudges long held.

Ash Clan - Believed to be descended from the first shaman, the Ash Clan are potent in the ways of magic, and keep to the traditions of old, tending to many of the spirit shrines scattered across Aetochi. It is told that the Ash Clan was formed from the remnants of scattered clans, coming together after a cursed age of bloodshed. While many of their ilk still serve in the proxy conflicts of the Intendant, the elders of Ash try to instill the importance of undoing the curses of their past to the new generations.

Feather Clan - Silent as the spring breeze, and fierce as the winter winds, the Feather Clan are famed messengers, sailors, and mercenaries who hold strong to their independence. Known to don straw cloaks that mimic feathers, and for their marksmanship with bow and arrow, those of the Feather Clan wander far and fast, and wield the magic arts of spirit and body in even measure. A highly political clan, they covet contracts with Intendants, and seek to grow their influence.

Mist Clan - Poison and medicine. Two sides of the same coin. Often regarded with great scrutiny, the Mist Clan has gained notoriety as the most reclusive of the Six Clans. Said to give life and take it in equal measure, to see an agent of Mist appear before you is to know you stand at a junction. For like the blinding mists that blanket Aetochi, the Mist Clan can guide one to victory, or mire them in purgatory. Famed healers, said to aid in times of plague, and notorious poisoners, those of Mist walk a path between the politics of mortals, and the divinity of the Raakgui.

Bone Clan - Puppeteers, and dramatists, a fool might mistake an agent of the Bone Clan as little more than a wandering street performer, a vagrant who sings and dances along with a construct composed of long dead beasts. Till that same puppet springs forth a hidden blade from its maw, or lets fly a poisoned arrow. Those of the Bone Clan wield art, and performance, as skillfully as others might the sword. Where their performances begin and end, have shifted the course of Aetochi’s long history. Inventors, and engineers, while their materials may be primordial in nature, their advantages are timeless.

Boulder Clan - Isolated high in mountainous northern regions of the island, the Boulder clan value the strength and fortitude of their own bodies above all else. Their warriors are known for their prowess in battle, even in the face of large numbers, and they have a trained resistance against magic. Those of the Boulder clan care little for politics, and oft choose their own warrior’s code over gaining influence or money. Where other clans may use the divine arts, those of the Boulder find honor in taming the Raakgui with their fists alone.

Iron Clan - Honored blacksmiths and crafters, the Iron Clan is the most intertwined with the Intendant families of Aetochi. Their creations are envied for their quality, and they have supplied many a legendary warrior with famed weapons. Do not however grow complacent from the offered blade, for the Iron smith always has another cloaked in the dark. Knowing the weight of the weapons they gift, the Iron Clan urges neutrality, and refuses to tip the balance of Intendant families. Those that abuse power given, will find it taken away, with the cold will of the Repentant Blade.

Few are the denizens of Sonshan who do not believe in the power of the Raakgui, spirits who wander the land and cause curses and blessings in equal measure. The Divine Peer’s rule is said to be consecrated by a god-like Raakgui who watches over the Golden Throne, and each Intendant also lays claim to their own household spirit.

Unless they are trained in the divine arts, most cannot see these spirits. Among the common folk, shamans are honored and feared for their ability to interact with the spiritual world of the Raakgui. The Six Storied Clans have been imbued in myth in part because of their affiliation with the Raakgui and the old traditions of magic that the clans uphold.

The Raakgui are real and have influence over the world. Common theology says that they reside in their own separate, parallel realm, and only appear in the mortal realm when the balance between heaven and earth is disrupted. Others say that Raakgui manifest from strong wills, and are born from points of powerful confluence. Either way, there is a Raakgui spirit which corresponds to everything in the earthly realm, from forest lands to tragic lovers to lost garden tools.

The strength and autonomy of a Raakgui varies greatly. Some myths show Raakgui as intelligent, divine beings, while others portray them as mindless elementals, no more witting than the spring rain. Among these myriad spirits, three major types are defined:

Shamans are trained in the magical arts, and can interact with the normally imperceivable Raakgui. As such they play an important role in society, and their skills are valuable. This does not mean they are always welcome, however. There are many stories in the collective imagination of corrupted shamans, ones who consumed cursed spirits and became demons themselves.

Years of training is normally required to become a shaman, and the traditions of each family are closely kept secrets. While many families strive to unlock the power of the Raakgui, and some succeed, there are six storied clans who have established themselves as the highest caliber of shamans within Sonshan and its outlying territories.

Though it was but a small mountain village for most of its early days, Sonshan has been around since the Age of Uroghosh. The discovery of precious metals in the nearby mountain caused a gold rush which had the village grow into a city in the span of a few years. Greedy for its resources, many rulers claimed sovereignty over the city, and were in turn cut down by others. Constant conflicts pushed societal advances in some ways and cast the city into a dark age at other times.

This cycle of industry and violence continued until the Principality of Aetochi was established, and a balance of power was solidified throughout the island. The city prospered for several generations during this time, using the gold from their mines to buy weapons and soldiers. Soon, Sonshan’s Intendant family commanded an army strong enough to tip the scales in their favor.

Sonshan became the capital of Aetochi when the Intendant Zhan wrested power from the previous ruler. In order to maintain control and preserve the divinity of the Peer bloodline, much of the kingdom’s history before this point was burned or rewritten. The old capital’s name was lost to time, and no ruler before Divine Peer Zhan is named. Several generations have passed since that time, and Sonshan has continued to hold tight to its seat of power within Aetochi.

Flowers are the Stars of the Earth
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Wisps of White and Grey

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