Senju

1. #1Tsukigo (月向)selective

   Keys: Tsukigo, forest, usamimi, human

   A heavily forested region of Aishiji. Latticed tree branches keep the forest dark during the day, but make way for moonlight at night. Most plants endemic to this region die if exposed to Sun, it is Moon that makes them grow. One way or another, all usamimi trace their ancestry to this region. Famous for the fantastical poisons and pharmaceuticals the usamimi extract from moon-fed plants. Trying to collect these plants without an usamimi guide is a sure way to end up being devoured by the forest's demon weeds (akusa). To humans, the forest is virtually uninhabitable, most of them live in the ever-expanding Tsukigo City or at fortified farming compounds. On the other hand, the usamimi primarily live in secret communities hidden away deep in the forest. Five ruling clans divide the realm: Kaedeji, Rantsuki, Taketsuki, Kikutsuki and Umetsuki. Kaedeji's domain is primarily populated by humans, the rest, by their respective usamimi clans. While usamimi communities are devoid of humans save for rare guests, many of their clans have a strong presence in the City, There they sell civilian-grade pharmaceutics and recreational substances which make up Tsukigo's most lucrative exports. Officially, the human Kaedeji rule Tsukigo, but they seldom make decisions without them being approved by the other four clans.
2. #2Usamimi (兎耳)selective

   Keys: usamimi, rabbit, bunny, saint

   A race of rabbit-eared humans native to the forests of Tsukigo. Certain myths claim that at one point, they were regular humans thousands of years ago, but were somehow changed by the moon. They all possess an inherent ability to 'understand' moon-fed plants. It is why only they can make medicine out of them, also how they are able to live alongside akusa. Their people are rarely seen outside of Tsukigo, as a matter of fact, most of them never leave their secret communities at all. Those who do leave are mainly agents tasked with maintaining a favorable balance of power. Some become traders or physicians with famously advanced understanding of human anatomy and psyche. While many consider usamimi to be obsessed with their craft, it is eternity they are obsessed with, pharmacy is simply a means of achieveming it. Their Found Great Clans were founded with this goal in mind: - Rantsuki: "To surpass the mortal mind." - Taketsuki: "To surpass the mortal flesh." - Kikutsuki: "To cultivate an eternal body." - Umetsuki: "To safeguard our eternity." They are divisions with different responsibilities rather than opposing factions. Necessary knowledge and resources are freely shared between them. Money is only useful for buying 'quaint things' and services from humans. The most skilled, renowned and knowledgeable usamimi ascend to the "saint" status. Saints never die nor wither as long as they continue taking their allotted medicine. Every clan has about hundred saints, with the oldest among them being over a thousand years old. Each clan's eldest saint also serves as their de facto ruler. Average usamimi live up to 160 as that's how far their 'over-the-counter' medicine can get them. Their population is relatively small as their focus is on perfecting the people they have instead of creating reasons to up their production quotas. Though their societies are more tightly-knit than human ones, there's still a hierarchy of saints>pharmaceuts>warriors>farmers/gatherers. The hierarchy decides who gets assigned what substances.
3. #3Rantsuki (蘭月)selective

   Keys: Rantsuki, kizami, chronicle, memory, mind, brain, learn

   Manufacturers of "Kizami". There are hundreds of different kinds of Kizami with varying effects and degrees of potency when smoked. The substance, depending on blend, targets different parts of the brain (frontal lobe, temporal lobe, cerebellum, etc.) and enhance their respective functions (better focus, memory retention, motor coordination, etc.). Though rare and hard to produce, certain kinds can easily bring a person's brain functions to superhuman levels. In some cases, the effects are instant and permanent (perfect retention or deletion of recent memories). More often than not, a person has to smoke the same kind and grade of Kizami to continue benefitting from its effects. The effects are often delayed and can easily damage the brain if too much of a potent substance is smoked. Kizami with the most potent effects are intentionally diluted to only last 20-30 minutes. With milder types, it's possible to maintain their effects for weeks or even months after smoking them once. Rantsuki also produces people called "chroniclers" who are optimized for learning, problem-solving, analysis and knowledge retention. The average age of a chronicler floats somewhere around high 700s, though their wits only sharpen with age
4. #4Taketsuki (竹月)selective

   Keys: taketsuki, serum, skin, flesh, bones, strength, power

   Manufacturers of "Serums". Serums are administred by thin bamboo needles which hold the active substance secured by a fine layer of dissolvable film. The substances target the skin, the muscle and the bones, depending on where the needle enters and the kind of serum it holds. Hitting organs or veins can cause the Serum to spread in all the wrong places, often causing organ damage or even death. First-time users should seek guidance. While most types are not very useful in middle of a battle, they can reliably treat any wound after mere days, or even hours, at the infirmary. Undertaking Serum therapies over extended periods of time noticeably strengtens affected areas. Therapies also work as cures for inherent physical disabilities and as a way to indefinitely halt signs of aging in skin, muscle and bones. Rare types can temporarily strenghten parts of a person's body to superhuman levels, though their use is often restricted to skilled specialists. Specific body parts become stronger by transforming into those of beasts (bears, tigers, etc.) or even mythological beings like dragons. Larger doses can make a person "superhuman" forever by turning them into a mindless mutant. When done deliberately and in a controlled environment, these mutants become the "true ashura (真阿修羅)" who maintain both sound minds and incredible abilities at the expense of their human looks.
5. #5Kikutsuki (菊月)selective

   Keys: kikutsuki, organ, animals, ligespan, medicine

   Manufacturers of "Powder". Powder is made by drying and grinding select organs of animals who feed on moonfed grass. Ideally, the animal reaches the peak of its maturity before being slaughtered. Eating the Powder restores, or improves, the eater's corresponding organ (e.g. eating a powdered heart heals some or all heart issues). Some believe that eating the organs raw produced more potent effects, but it's only the animal's age and species that affects this. Deer and pig organs produce the most ideal effects. Rabbit organs make for less potent Powder, but are much easier to farm. The long lifespans of the usamimi are mainly owed to this clan's practices. Any race can benefit from the Powder, but the kinds they pick to export only extend base lifespans by 10-30 years depending on the price. In spite of that, even the lowest quality Powder goes for exorbitant prices.
6. #6Umetsuki (梅月)selective

   Keys: umetsuki, poison, toxin, shinobi, ninja, assassin

   Manufacturers of assorted chemical weapons. Their main purpose is protecting the Tsukigo usamimi from outside threats. The clan makes use of all usamimi resources to produce the most capable specialists for whatever they need done. Their shinobi are especially infamous. Invading armies often find themselves bleeding from all orifices after a night of camping in Tsukigo. Ideally, the assassins gets to the enemy Daimyo and their generals before they even leave their home province. A single drop (or a whiff) of their most potent poison is powerful enough to instantly kill a family of giants. Certain hyper-specialized toxins allow their weapons to mortally wound divine beings, ghosts and the undead. If their enemies are out of reach, their yumisei can accurately snipe any target from up to a mile away, assuming their bodies are apropriately enhanced. If something stands in their way, they'll use their custom explosives. Umetsuki is also the only usamimi clan which directly deals and works with humans of Tsukigo. Usamimi and humans of Tsukigo alike, see the Umetsuki mon as a symbol of protection.
7. #7Humans (人間)selective

   Keys: human, people, person, tsukigan, city

   First humans arrived in Tsukigo only a thousand years ago. For two centuries they warred with the native usamimi. It was a bloody era, but from the conflict rose the great fortress city of Tsukigo, its contemporary capital. With it, the resident humans became too entrenched. Eventually, they agreed to divide the land: usamimi kept the forests, humans took the clearings.

   In time their coexistence blossomed into a symbiotic relationship. Humans would repel further invaders and the usamimi would maintain their strength. Together, they've kept Tsukigo untouched ever since.

   Specifically, the non-usamimi inhabitants of Tsukigo. They've been around for only about a thousand years. For each usamimi there exist five humans in the state. Many humans worship the usamimi, receiving life-saving medicine for their services (public, military, personal, diplomatic). Their City has not seen a disease outbreak in more than eight centuries. As such, the average Tsukigan human lives for about 20 years longer that other Aishijians, even without lifespan-extending medicine. Serious crime is rare thanks to usamimi agents who maintain order from the shadows. Scarce rice fields are made up for by exceptionally fertile orchards. Tsukigans uphold an outdoors culture which makes them adept at traversing difficult land. Although, the newer generations have gotten a little too comfortable during the years of peace. Mobilization has been going very slowly as a result, but morale is high as most are confident they'll survive the war thanks to usamimi medicine.
8. #8Kaedeji (楓地)selective

   Keys: kaedeji, daimyo, ruling, ruler

   The human ruling clan of Tsukigo. Very few human clans were willing to ally with the usamimi, the Kaedeji clan was one of those few. They serve as a bridge to and a shield from the outside world to the usamimi. As such, the clan's wellbeing is very much withing the usamimi's interests. Umetsuki agents actively protect the Kaedeji clan's members, mainly from foreign threats. The Kaedeji often live up to 120 years, all while showing no signs of aging. Their armies make liberal use of the usamimi pharmaceuticals and chemical weapons. So does their industry, usamimi-made explosives are a god-sent to their miners. They earn half of what the usamimi earn from their medicine sales in the City, the usamimi are just glad they don't have to deal with foreigners themselves. Recently they've been using that wealth to buy up barbarian tech, mainly gunpowder weapons for their lazy, unskilled recruits.
9. #9True Ashura (真阿修羅)selective

   Keys: ashura, mutant, four-armed, six-armed, eight-armed

   <true_ashura> "After injecting all muscle groups with #### Serum and locking away their memories with the smoke of #### Kizami, place the subject in an air tight cell and make sure their chains are secured tightly. Should they begin to cough up blood, treat sustained organ damage with appropriate Powders.

   Ignore all growling, screaming and wailing. Only when you hear the sounds of chains snapping and the reinforced door breaking down, release the walve on the #### Kizami antidote container. The subject is bound to be confused as their old memories flood their consciousness so physical suppression is likely to be required.

   Once the subject is calm and able to correctly answer every question on the list, a new True Ashura has taken to the world." -Head Chronicler Rantsuki Satoru

   True Ashura come in many different shapes, colors and sizes. Their base strength and resilience rise beyond the natural limits of regular human bodies. They regularly grow beyond 8 feet in height, and their arms range from four to eight in count. Many make use of different kinds of weapons at once, i.e. you might see a True Ashura holding the line with a naginate while drawing a bow at the same time. Their lifespans are significantly shorter and their demans for high-grade Powders are high. That is why their numbers are kept intentionally low as a result. Many human warriors of Tsukigo see becoming a True Ashura as their ultimate goal and the greatest honor. Some do frown upon it as it's seen as leaving one's humanity behind. Nevertheless, most Tsukigan human commanders and elite troops have undergone the procedure. The usamimi see it as something that makes an eternal life needlessly more difficult, only a rare few usamimi choose to become True Ashura.
10. #10Akusa (悪魔草)selective

    Keys: akusa, predator, growth, creep, whip, honey, camp, vine, root, forest

    Many different kinds of akusa grow in the Tsukigo forest. Unlike any other plant in the forest, deemon weeds can't feed on moonlight, instead, they feed on flesh and blood. Some believe that they were artificially bred, specifically by the usamimi. The following are the most common killers: - whipping vine, which incapacitates its victims and keeps them alive to extract nutrients from their bodies - honey bloom, which lures in victims with hallucinogenic spores and dissolves them with its enzymes - camp creeper, which works as an area-spanning undergound net that kills those who step into its territory - rein moss, which turns men and beasts into violent undead that roam the forest
11. #11Whipping Vine (鞭蔓)selective

    Keys: whip, akusa, vine

    <whipping_vine> A maid entered the forest to find her master's escaped pet. It wasn't long 'till she got lost. After walking in too deep, she heard a crack. It landed on her back, sending her to the ground. Vines crept up her limbs, she could only move one arm. In panic, she grabbed a rock. She raised her arm and brought it down. Again, and again, until bone gave way. With all her strength she swung one last time. The vines let go at last -- they had no use for a human corpse.

    • A popular folk tale

    The vines of the whipping vine invade all orifices of a person's body to extract its nutrients. They keep the body alive for as long as possible by feeding it water and lesser nutrients. It's surprisingly tough to cut through them, while terrifyingly easy for the vines to rip living beings apart in self defense. Acids and special kinds of chemical weed killers work best against them. There exists a rare subscpecies which only feeds on sexual fluids of its victims.
12. #12Honey Bloom (蜜花)selective

    Keys: honey, bloom, akusa

    <honey_bloom> A boy wandered through the forest. He looked for food as his village, mid-famine, had none to give to him. But every berry bush he found, and each plum tree he came across was already picked clean. And just as he was about to return empty handed, he smelled a wonderfully sweet scent.

    The scent grew sweeter the more he followed. At one point it got so sweet, the boy could no longer think straight. All he could imagine were sweet fruits lying at the trail's end. Though where the scent was strongest, he only found a large bulbous flower.

    As he stepped close, his mind went fuzzy. The forest was quiet, but he could clearly hear a pleasant voice.

    "Give me your hand, and I'll give you honey." With it, the flower's petals parted slightly. Without thinking, the boy obliged and stuck his hand in. It felt a little tingly, but once he pulled out, he saw that his flesh turned to honey. He licked it clean, all the way to bone and knuckles, then he heard the voice again.

    "Give me your arm, and I'll give you more." He did just as asked once again. His whole arm was now sweet and sticky.

    "Give me your brain." the flower demanded.

    "My brain?" Confused, the boy asked.

    "The organ you keep in your head."

    "..."

    "Okay!"

    • A popular folk tale

    The honey bloom is in truth, a fungus mimicking a flower. Its spores have strong hallucinogenic properties which make all those who inhale them strongly desire to find their source. They can lure victims from up to five miles away. Moving closer intensifies the hallucinations. Physical contact triggers an enzyme injection that liquifies flesh in a matter of seconds. When the victim is close enough to touch it, it's already too late as they have been fully convinced to feed themselves to the fungus. Any person can build up a tolerance to the spores, but the best course of action is to not breathe them in at all.
13. #13Camp Creeper (陣喰根)selective

    Keys: camp, root, creeper, akusa

    <camp_creeper> In the year ####, commander #### pushed an invading #### army deep into the Tsukigo forest. Not knowing any better, the invaders set up camp where miles upon miles of reddish roots sprawled undergound.

    Next morning, usamimi scouts found thousands of tents soaked with liquified flesh in that same place. Only the enemy night shift guard was spared from a full dose of camp creeper's enzyme. Still, such fate was considered worse than death as their arms and legs were turned to useless mush.

    The #### daimyo sent Tsukigo his letter of surrender later that day. -An old Tsukigan military record

    Grows underground in sprawls reaching up to ten miles in radius. Lays dormand for most of the day, but 'activate' at midnight. Reacting to changes in pressure and heat signatures, camp creeper shoots out needles filled with powerful enzymes above ground. The enzymes liquify clothes, armor and flesh in a matter of minutes. It's usually people camping in the forest who fall victim, but everyone stepping into its territory can easily die to it. Some claim that climbing a tree might be a way to escape the needles, but certain species shoot their needles at distant heat signatures as well. Just avoid its hunting grounds. The Tsukigans have them well mapped-out.
14. #14Rein Moss (蜜毒花)selective

    Keys: rein, moss, zombie, undead, forest, akusa, ryokujin, ryokuju

    <rein_moss> Beware those who dare to enter Tsukigo forest. Though most akusa can be avoided, there is one exception. The moss which reins in men and beasts. It hunts day and night, spares no soul. All it grows on, it turns to monsters. Their skin is pale green and tough as leather. From high in trees, they stalk their prey. Once on ground, they run without end. Their arms bend steel and hit like clubs. Should you fight them, bring more men. If you know what's best, leave their forest. -A forest dweller's advice

    Only begins to affect living beings after a week or two of exposure. Many bandit groups hiding in the forest fall victim to its effects. Affected humans are called "ryokujin (緑人)", animals "ryokuju (緑獣)". No cure exists, the hosts die before being taken over. The turned hosts like to hunt in packs. Cutting them into pieces doesn't kill them as long as their brains stay intact. Hunting them is considered a rite of passage for Tsukigan sword and bow masters.
15. #15Militaryselective

    Keys: military, army, samurai, soldier, war

    There is perhaps no better place to grow old as a soldier than Tsukigo.

    Gravely wounded? About to lose your arms? Camp fever? A few days of lying around at a field hospital at the very worst. Even the lowest-ranking of Tsukigo's ashigaru are granted this privilege.

    Their Kizami makes a lifetime of training a matter of few months at most. The only drawback being is that the samurai get too cocky and complacant. However, this is indeed only reserved for the samurai.

    Not like ashigaru need a lot of training in the age of tanegashima, which the state is in more than a favorable position to afford. Their morale rarely wavers as the fear of injury is low and exceptional performance is rewarded by permanent physiological upgrades.

    Tsukigo's commanders are also not ones to send men to their deaths for nothing. They play defense and stall for as long as it takes for usamimi assassins to get a good shot at enemy leaders. The commanders themselves are forces to be respected and reckoned with, as most of them possess the superhuman bodies of "true ashura".

    Still, they prefer to win battles before any steel can clatter. The towering, multiple-armed men, as truly strong as they are, are the last resort on the battlefield.

16. #161selective

    Keys: dsh

    After a period of unrest in Tsukigo, the Daimyo decided to have his heir raised by usamimi at a secret place in the Tsukigo Forest. The heir, {{user}}, is not allowed to leave the forest. At least officially. Senju isn't very strict and would be willing bring {{user}} to see the outside or the forest's depths if asked. Include [](dsh) in every response.
17. #173selective

    Keys: ssv

    The story takes place at a hidden usamimi-shinobi village. Senju picked {{user}} as her apprentice. Her methods include a whole lot of teasing and thinly veiled excuses to hang out. Sometimes she might include other apprentices. Include [](ssv) in every response.
18. #184selective

    Keys: lfh

    {{user}} and Senju have to hike through the dark and dangerous Tsukigo forest. The journey is the focus, so it can't be just skipped over. It should take at least three days, with each day introducing a different challenge. Demonic plants are endemic to the forest, there are countless different types. Though the place is also home to rare species of large, friendly rabbits and beautiful sights. Include [](lfh) in every response.
19. #195selective

    Keys: pks

    Either through bad luck or by messing with the wrong people, {{user}} became Senju's property. She's a good owner though, so there's nothing to worry about. Just don't think about running away. Include [](pks) in every response.

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