Kusanagi
Claimant: Snackycakes
Kusanagi is a small city island situated in the expanse of water between the Jungles of Ka, Westphalia, and the elven territories. It is the home of the Sororas Draconis, a group of dragon-slaying femme fatale who have purposefully altered their bodies to suit their task.
History
The origins of these sisters cannot be traced; though it was initially believed that the order was comprised of members from the respective nearest-local nations, this has been proven incorrect. In truth, the women of the order represent an ethnic group not found anywhere else D’hennex. See Sororas Draconis for more information.
The order retains fierce political independence, and swears allegiance to no nation. This became particularly notable during the recent uprisings of undead that have plagued mainland D’hennex to a greater extent than normal, as well as the mutant beasts spewing forth from Ka. At times the goals of the order have even placed them on the opposite side of unfriendly swords, as they appear to be wholly indiscriminate in their dragon-slaying.
The tradition of dragon-slaying traces its roots back to the birth of D’hennex as a civilized land. While those who call Kusanagi home profess ignorance to their own roots, it is arguable whether or not that is actually the case or simply a front. Few know or care of their existence, so speculation on their origins and writings on the subject are both exceedingly rare. What compiled knowledge that actually exists outside of the city’s living walls conjectures beginnings in the same barbarian tribes that marched to the south to do battle with the undead. Because generations of inbreeding with dragons have altered the genetic makeup of these women, it is also difficult to compare them to any majorly-prevalent ethnic group and find any meaningful similarities.
All but the most determined and curious scholars simply accept this small cell’s history for lost, though their peculiar ways still remain the subject of much curiosity and debate in the small circles that care to acknowledge them.
Geography and Climate
Kusanagi, being located between three considerable landmasses, is spared from extreme weather, though the cold can become downright bitter during the winter months as it is not located near a tropical region. Deep sea fishing accounts for the majority of their food resources, as they do not trade with other nations. Gardens are maintained to provide suitable space for farming, though in comparison to the amount of meat in a typical Sororas Draconis' diet, fruits and vegetables hardly play a significant role. The choppy seas have also made most Sororas Draconis capable sailors, as they venture from their island quite often and those without the ability to fly represent a significant portion of the population.
City Structure
The city itself is slightly smaller than what could pass for a capital city in most other civilized nations. Its buildings and structures possess a unique aesthetic, also unlike those favored by any known nation. Structures are composed of a substance called Sung Stone, which is in essence minerals tempered with the use of ki to be shaped in ways that only much softer materials (such as clay) could. This gives the city a very organic appearance. Many buildings actually appear to be large statues, and there is an apparently random arrangement to the whole of it. A stranger to the city would be unable to tell the difference between any two major structures, though those who call it home can, of course, navigate it preternaturally.
Because of its independence from and stark refusal to cooperate with any other nation, Kusanagi has no local currency and makes use of no foreign currency. Basic needs and bare necessities are provided for through the use of slave labor. As dragons tend to make very competent slaves, their population in the city is typically very small compared to the population of women living there, though it occasionally experiences sharp rises (as in an influx of fresh slaves or new breeding stock) or sharp drops (as in a generation of slaves becoming old and weak, proving unsuitable for use as breeding stock, or being too strong to properly ‘Gentle.’)
Government
There is no defining political structure with the exception that the order is headed by an original Kusanagi. Though family lines otherwise play very little importance, a single line from the first founder of the city has been maintained since its founding nearly eight hundred years ago. Typically, the head of the clan possesses power and ability far beyond her subordinates, though at a few times in the history of Kusanagi other members of the order have approached levels of power to rival the purity of the Kusanagi bloodline. Because their power is rare, original Kusanagis invariably choose to have only one child, and do so as quickly as they come of age so that there is a single, unquestioned successor to the head of the clan should the current clan head die unexpectedly.
Daily Life
Because slaves are used for manual labor and mundane tasks, sisters of the order are free to train constantly. Because of this, their powers and abilities grow rapidly and from a young age. It is uncommon for a sister to not be an expert with a sword by the time they have reached their mid twenties, save in the instance of preference shown for other weapons. Though control over magic and even command over heightened mental awareness are possessed by a small number of sisters, these skills are applied explicitly for the purpose of subverting and maintaining control over dragon slaves. All other sisters posses power-capable physical bodies, great reserves of spiritual strength, and in some rare cases, even both. By breeding with dragons, they also gain some abilities that humans normally do not, such as breath weapons, greater physical durability, greater strength, and occasional physical mutations such as wings, tails, and scale-covered bodies. Their draconic blood also burdens them with common weaknesses that dragons share, as well, however.
