Akuhikari CITY OF LIGHTS Akuhikari Ichi, the city of lights. The cutting edge of modern technology, finance and spiritualism. Akuhikari is the Jewel of the Emperor’s coast. Founded over 1700 years ago by monks and mystics, Akuhikari quickly attracted traders and farmers alike. After the unification under Emperor Jinbei the First, the Imperial Palace was built in the now historical Yanaka district and Akuhirari became the center of the great Jin empire in the year 751. In recent centuries, following the great unbalancing, Akuhirari has shown itself to be a bastion to man, fish and vegetable. One of the last great cities standing, Akuhirari remains an important center for trade, work and fun. Thanks to Akuhikari’s home-grown Hikari P.D its citizens are kept safe from the Oni both outside and beneath our city. Safe, prosperous and beautiful, from Poyon harbour to the Skytree in downtown Shibuya. Looking for intellectual stimulation? Visit the museums and architectural wonders in Buta-Dori. Looking for something a little different? Have a taste of the nightlife in vibrant Shinjuku. STAY OF THE MILITARY ZONE. Whatever you’re looking for, Akuhirari is the place to be! Visit Akuhirari, the Jewel of the Emperor's coast. THE SETTI NG Akuhikari was once a city among many others, but since the Great Unbalancing, it has become a safehaven for the living from the wastes beyond. Akuhikari About 200 years ago, fissures started to appear throughout the world. Villages started going missing. Giant vines and trees sprouted from the earth. Certain cities were swallowed whole in hell-fire. No-one is really sure of the origin of this event, but scholars and spiritualists alike warn of an imbalance between the worlds of mortals, spirits and demons respectively. Inhabitants of the city forget the chaos beyond the walls. The Great Unbalancing It's the 1980s: phone's are huge, shoulder pads are in and capitalism is booming. Still, many remnants remain of a more spiritual past. Temples, shrines and an imperial palace fill the quieter spaces of the city Synth, Disco and Citypop THE CI TI ZENS HUMANS Humans make up the majority of Akuhikari. They are everywhere, from the gutters to the board room. They hold the mayor's office, the commissioner's seat and lead most of the criminal organizations. PIGMEN The Pigmen are large, brutish, strong and most of all, greedy. They have a strong nose for business and belong mainly too the upper-echelons of society. Nothing is more disgraceful to a Pigman than poverty - and they'll quickly mock others that fail in life. TANOOKI Tanooki are the bottom of the bottom of society. Their rights are barely acknowledged and they spend most of their time doing part-time, menial labour. Tanooki tend to live about 30-40 years, not because of their biology but because of their over-curious and easily excitable nature. THE CI TI ZENS FISHPEOPLE Fishpeople come in all shapes and sizes - from goldfish to sharks to octopuses and jellyfish. Due to their amphibious nature, many live in the Sakana district in the lake of the park and work at the harbour - but they can be found everywhere in the city. VEGETABLE PEOPLE The Vegetable People were given life by the Arch-yokai The Lord of Feasts. They were brought to this world from the spirit world to help the humans with their work. Each veggie is born with a singular purpose; an art or goal in which they find ultimate satisfaction in fulfillng. Unfortunately, this was thousands of years ago and these folks no longer have a true purpose. As industrialisation sweeped the empire, these noble spirits have fallen into despair. Without goal or purpose, they search for vocations that somewhat mirror their true purpose. For instance, a pepper woman may have once been an assistant to a scribe - now she finds herself a secretary, typing out letters on a typewriter. cont. FACTI ONS NEW DAWN Illegal, unknown and enigmatic: the journalists of New Dawn are Gonzo-Journalism meets Espionage. Though incredibly secretive, there are ways of contacting and even joining the organization. If you're lucky and you have a story to tell, they might just reach out. GOKUDO MEDIA GokudoMedia are the official propagand...*ahem* 'news organization' of Akuhikari. Despite nobody really trusting them, their monopoly over information makes them incredibly influential. The operate from the Skytree, an ancient, gigantic tree - leftover from the Unbalancing - that pierces upwards from the middle of Akuhikari. EXORCISTS' GUILD The Onmyoji or Exorcists' Guild are a group of trained civil servants clad in armour. They are a strike force that deals with incidents involving Yokai - tagging them and sending them back to the Spirit World before they can cause too much damage. THE SHINZO The Shinzo are a private organization of monks that regulate and administrate the temples and shrines throughout the city. They have a deep connection with the Yokai and the Spirit World. FACTI ONS SCHWEINE BANK The Pigmen are rich beyond compare and nowhere are they more powerful than in the skyscrapers of banks like Schweine Bank. If there's a monopolistic company in the city, you can bet it's run by pigs like these. FISH FIRST A group of Fishpeople activists looking to improve their situation. As of now, most Fishpeople are relegated either to the docks - in labour houses - or the Sakana Neighbourhood, deep beneath the massive lake in Yoso Park. HIKARI P.D The Hikari P.D are Akuhikari's finest. That is, if finest means most bureaucratic. You can count on them to get everywhere 5 minutes too late and they can be awfully forgetful when financially motivated. A ND M UCH M O R E. . . Akuhikari is a living, breathing city and is constantly expanding. Detective agencies, malls, minor gangs, bands, even paper companies all inhabit the city - waiting to be discovered. cont. THE UNDERWORLD FISHMAN FRIARS A strict, honour-bound group consisting solely of fishpeople. They're based mainly in Shinjuku, in their sushi restaurant: the Fishman Fries GOLDEN BUDDHAS Disco is Family. These roller-skating disco-mafia follow the 4 Groovy Truths: Existence is suffering; We Suffer Because We Walk; The Solution is True Groove; True Groove Can Only Be Achieved Through The Eight Steps. YAKUZA The other gangs are simply pests compared to the all-encompassing corruption of the Yakuza. The Yakuza would slit your throat for a simple slight. It is said that the Yakuza are everywhere - even in the mayor's office. TANOOKI TROUBADOURS The Troubadours are a classical mafiosa family operating out of their manor deep in the garbage dump of Akuhikari. Lead by Benji 'The Ball' Pinochet, the family aren't really seen as anything more than a nuisance. In addition to the races suggested, players can choose to play a Yokai. What this is and how they look is fairly free. Just make sure they are anthropomorphic and sentient enough so as not to be banished by the exorcists. Perhaps you are an ancient forest spirit, bound to a wooden body carved by a pervert - cursing you with the body of an anime girl. Perhaps you are an ancient Oni/demon, once detested, now heavily succesful in the banking industry. Perhaps you are simply a humanoid with a television for a head - traveling to this world for one reason alone: to sell cheap TV's. Golden Tip: Go wild, but make sure it's still anthropomorphic enough to have emotions, desires and undergo character development. YOKAI THE SPIRI T WORLD Due to the Great Unbalancing, the world of man and the world of spirits have never been closer. This means that the veil which separates the two is much weaker than it used to be. Because of this, citizens may find themselves coming into contact with a wide variety of spirits and yokai. While some are benevolent, many more are mischievous in nature. If you spot any suspicious activity, such as bushes singing limericks or parasols eating flesh, be sure to contact your local exorcist's station. On the other hand, if you spot any activity of demonic nature, be sure to contact the police immediately. The Akumatsu subdivision - though secretive - is in a constant fight again the titanic Oni beneath the cities. If you see anything out of the ordinary - such as subway tunnels opening and belching fire: Run. MAP