Strangehaven LRP: The Five Thunders

The lands which form the Thunders or Five Thunders are host to a people who's culture, traditions and costume have a distinctly Far Eastern feel. Originally known as the Courts of the Five Thunders, this land was long split into five realms each held by a separate emperor: the Courts of Jade, Iron, Jet, Gold and Silver. Repeated wars, invasions and political upheavals have torn this land and it is now split between three warring factions.

The Empire
The Empire is ruled by the young Emperor who was granted the mandate of Heaven to rule the whole of the Thunders. He is protected and served by the Twelve Tigers, powerful heroes of the people. The Empire is a mix of ancient tradition and new technology. The culture of the Empire is similar in feel to The Last Samurai without the open warfare between internal factions.

Imagawa Shogunate
This is a land ruled by the Shogun, as such it is more like ancient Japan where Samurai rule. Heavy on mystical abilities and ancient arts of war, technology is almost outlawed as the Shogun seeks to recreate the order of the past. Daimyo are allowed to war on each other but only in secret with assassinations and raids common and the Shogun will punish those who are caught or are foolish enough to leave sufficient evidence to prove the guilt of the perpetrator. The Shogun is elected by the Daimyo from one of the five great families, the Imagawa, the Mori, the Assegai, The Kamabushi and the Kublai. Peasants do what they are told in the hope they will be born into a higher station when they die and the most shameful death is by hanging.

The Sanctuary
The final land is Kinryoku or The Sanctuary. This land is ruled by peasants and the Samurai are outlawed; any Samurai found within this land with his swords is put to death. This is a land ruled by bureaucracy and headed by a council of three, each representing one of the branches of government:- the military, the bureaucracy and the judiciary. The military control the army, the bureaucracy civil matters, while the judiciary enforce the laws set by the other two branches of government. The current heads are Shika, Kuboji and Winter (Mitsuhide Akechi the founder of Kinryoku) respectively. Every position is elected and political parties battle for supremacy. This land has thrown away all the traditions of the past and is looking for a new path.

The Kuragari
In the middle of the three lands is a great wall around the Kuragari. Manned by troops from all three factions this land is filled with various types of undead, demons, oni, human warlocks, and crazed cannibalistic warriors. No one knows who or what rules this place (if anything) but it is the only thing preventing all out war between the three factions who would rule the Thunders as they all fear what is within the wall too much to remove their troops. Player characters do not come from this region.

Costume
The predominant cultures are similar to those from of China, Japan, Tibet, India and Mongolia of Earth history, with costume and cultural examples from all these places co-existing within the same land. This gives players many archetypes to choose from such as warrior monks, noble Samurai, ninja assassins, peaceful traders, inscrutable wise men, mandarin soldiers, geisha woman and of course, the understated peasant rice planter who is really a powerful wizard.

Clothing of notables is usually colourful and highly patterned with many layers. A kimono worn by both men and women forms the basic starting point for most outfits, hair tied up for women, or pony tails (or top-knots) common for men. Samurai wear the traditional Hakama skirt like trousers, worn with a kimono belted with fabric belt or armour. Ninja wear typical pajama style pants with black gi style jacket with a black hood and when 'on duty' a fabric mask concealing the face. Women following the Chinese or Japanese style would wear their kimonos with wide belt from below the chest to the waist. Other costume options which players may want to consider, include tunics, surcoats, vest or waistcoat like garments, furs and wrapped around robes, dependent on the cultural references most relevant to your character and availability of suitable kit.

Peasants frequently choose to wear flattened connical hats woven from straw - indeed a long standing nickname for residents of the Thunders is 'Wikki' for this very reason - whilst others may choose small round mandarin hat, elaborate head-dresses, helms or to leave their heads bare as is practical for their character. Popular accessories include painted fans and tea sets, while typical weapons cover almost everything excluding blackpowder weapons (except within The Empire), with the katana being particularly favoured by samurai and the Shogunate.

To help those new to Shards, we've pulled together a few examples of costumes worn by players, representing characters past and present who originate from the Five Thunders. This is intended as a guide and a starting point only, to help inspire you to create your character's own unique look.

Photos below left to right: Samurai fully armed and armoured, Major Domo or head servant , Noble lady of imperial court