Kannagara - The Way of the Gods - A Multifandom RPG

Hisato is situated at the heart of Fire Country, bordered by Grass Country and Himorogi to the northwest, Rain Country to the north, and Wind Country to the southwest. Mizusato, centered in the large island nation of Water Country, is a distance off of its northeast coast.

As Fire Country is an extremely large area, the climate varies dependent on location. Being that Hisato is situated at the center of the country, the village proper experiences a climate that is mostly Mediterranean in nature, with cool, wet winters and warm to hot summers, receiving adequate rain from sudden and fierce thunderstorms. The leaves change color, but rarely fall; there isn't usually much of a true winter, though autumn and spring temperatures are usually very nice. Moving away from the village, the climate towards the southwestern border of the country experiences warmer weather that can become blisteringly hot and extremely humid in the summer and is warm year-round. The southern gulf and northeastern coast region of Fire Country also experiences high humidity levels during the summer that taper off inland. Temperatures drop towards the northern border of the country, where rain is frequently common.

Hisato has very mixed terrain. Fire Country is a patchwork quilt of rolling hills, broad fields, several prominent rivers that ribbon across the country and feed into the sea, as well as quite a few large lakes. It boasts forested lands that go on as far as the eye can see, and a great number of mountains and majestic waterfalls. As a whole, the country is extremely fertile land.

Hisato is an extremely large, well-maintained and cultivated village, far nicer and more modern than the vast majority of the others. To some, Hisato resembles a Japanese village built during the Edo era. It's set deep in the heart of a long mountain range, in a natural valley formed by mountains curving in a crescent around the back of the village. The village is located at the very base of the valley, surrounded by forest so dense, it is difficult to see the village from above. It is protected by a long, impressive fortress wall that winds and curves along the natural walls of the mountains.

Visitors to this village are forced to take a long, winding road through the forest, and pass through this wall, via a gate that's quite naturally capable of being heavily guarded. Safe in these confines, the village sprawls spectacularly in the space allotted to it, full of manicured trees, beautifully crafted buildings, and wide cobbled streets. The fortress walls lead to the base of the mountain that backs Hisato, and runs to a tower atop a smaller, but still impressive mountain, and overlooks the entire village. A beautiful waterfall tumbles down the mountain, neatly flanking the tower, running into a river that feeds the many streams that run through the village.

Ascent up the larger mountain reveals a large, forested plain ribboned with wide rivers that lead to a massive, awe-inspiring temple to the gods located at the edge of breathtaking cliff. Enormous waterfalls pour off the edge of the cliff to pool into another level of waterfalls that finally lead to a river which feeds into the large Suijin River. Suijin River cuts its way through a winding valley and runs northwest towards Himorogi River.

Houses in Hisato vary in size, ranging from small and quaint to large and elegant. They are much nicer than many other villages, with some of the especially nice houses even boasting a second story. They tend to make use of wood, paper, tile, stone, and clay for their construction and furnishings, and have distinctive sloped, shingled roofs, built in tiers if the the house is two stories. The floors are typically polished wooden boards, or clay or ceramic tiles, covered by tatami mats, with the kitchen and work areas a little bit lower than the rest of the house. The houses typically have the most basic amenities, but almost nothing modern at all.

A small room is set aside for the bathroom, holding a basin and large tub, plus a toilet; the latter is the only thing in the house with running water and working plumbing, and is fortunately fully functional. These homes do have a draining system, though rudimentary; while water must be drawn by hand for use, it does not have to be thrown out afterwards, as in some other villages. Aside from the toilets, any water needed will have to come from the rivers, lakes or streams, which the village has no shortage of. Water can also come from the numerous rain troughs that many houses have in their private backyard gardens. The troughs are made of cedar, which give the water a pleasant scent and sweet taste.

Sliding wooden lattices or shoji screens, often elaborately painted, divide the rooms and create walls and separators that can slide fully open within the house, allowing inhabitants to see from one end of the house to the other; there are no doors in the interior of the house. Everything is open and spacious, with entire walls and windows that can open to take in the nature all around them, especially the beautiful gardens that can be easily seen from the sitting room windows.

The gardens in just about every single back yard is an important aspect of the landscaping around the house. These gardens frequently feature small stone-lined ponds with koi swimming amongst lilies and reeds. The houses boast a deck that runs along the back of the house, and the shoji doors of the house can slide fully open for garden viewing. Some houses incorporate natural elements of the outdoors within the house to create a seamless flow between indoors and outdoors.

The nicest houses sometimes feature private open air onsens set at the back of the house, with privacy fences. Some houses have private bath houses on the premises with water that can be heated with fire thorugh a hole cut in the outside wall. Those without private baths or onsens can bathe in the many quaint natural onsens that can be found near the foot of the mountain, or in the village's large communal bathing house.

The bedroom (or bedrooms, as there are often multiple in these houses) is dominated by sliding-door closets and hold the futon and bedding they'll be sleeping on as well as several changes of clothing and belongings that they came into Kannagara with. There are some decorative chests and low tables, as well as some wall decorations. Otherwise, it's an empty room, good for stretching and simple practice. Many houses have a main room that serve as a sitting area, with low tables for eating, often featuring a simple fire pit, or irori, which sports several chains with hooks that can be raised or lowered to hang pots from. This is the main way to heat the house, and a place for simple cooking; there are usually at least one or more alcoves in this room for hanging scrolls or paintings, with tables for flowers, incense, or small shrines. Some larger houses have rooms that appear to be studies,

The kitchen is set towards the back of the house in a sunken room with a stone floor and a door that leads outside, dominated on one side by a kamado, or a low, hollow clay stove with holes in the front to feed in kindling and control the fire, and holes on top for grilling surfaces or clay pots to be placed into. A large basin (also with draining capabilities) and preparation surface take up much of the rest of the space, with shelves lining the walls for storage of cooking and eating implements; most food storage is in the hollow space within the floor, in large clay vases. There is no refrigeration.