The city of progress and opportunities, Klonum represents the shining future of Shinri and is a living symbol of how advanced the once-backwards region has become. The city is the second-most populated city in the continent along with the nation’s economic and financial center. While it is one of the most developed and rich areas of the world, the city has struggled for a long time with economic inequality, organized crime and radical political movements. Nevertheless, there is hope that Klonum can overcome its problems and live up to its reputation as the city of the future.
Index
History
Origin
The region where Klonum is now found was the first area colonized by Drakutian settlers led by prince Shin. Even though it has a fundamental place in Shinri history the region remained underdeveloped during the first Shinri state as it lay far from the imperial capital of Homay and the seat of power of the region’s main clans. There was little more than small fishing villages for a long time and due to the area’s proximity to the domain of the spirit of madness Hentsu-Myokai, giving it the reputation of being haunted.
Age of warlords (4000-4021)
The region would remain like this for centuries until a new wave of colonizers arrived, this time from the growing Ustilian empire. As the Drakutians before them the Ustilians chose Shin’s landing as the place for their settlements and established Klonum as a trading port. While its population was mostly Shinri, Klonum was ruled by a small Ustilian colonial elite who amassed most of its resources. The Ustilian empire’s attempts to conquer the rest of Shinri would mostly end in failure, leaving their influence contained to Klonum and its nearby areas.
Feyn’s death in 4000 would cause a great crisis in the empire and would sentence the nation to nearly a decade of wars and internal strife. They were forced to pull back their troops from the city leaving behind the Ustilian colonists to self-govern it. This period of autonomy would last only three years as the feudal Kajiwara clan took advantage of the empire’s weakness and swiftly conquered the city, adding it to their growing domain. While the colonials attempted to call Ustilus for help the empire was unable to intervene and left its Shinri territories to their own luck.
The Kajiwara clan were poor rulers and administrators, sqandering Klonum’s wealth and expeling the city’s Ustilian elite to replace them with hand-picked cronies. Their greatest contribution to the city was their construction of a fortress on the city’s highest point which would later become Klonum castle. The city also began to expand thanks to the inflow of migrants from rural Shinri regions attracted by its relative security. In 4021 the ambitious warlord Hidetsu Takenaga conquered the city with his great army, removing the Kajiwara from power and placing himself as the new ruler of the city.
Hidetsu Takenaga’s control and new development (4021-4023)
When Hidetsu Takenaga arrived to the city it was poor, crowded and filthy, a testament to the Kajiwara’s incompetent leadership. Seeing its economic potential lord Takenaga opened it once more to Ustilian trade and reestablished its position as a vital trading port in the Inner sea. He cultivated good relations with Ustilus to access the more advanced empire’s firearms and cannons, modernizing his army to make it the most powerful in all Shinri. Because of his good economic policies the city could develop once more and lord Takenaga was beloved by the people of Klonum. He also left a lasting mark by expanding Klonum castle and shifting his seat of power to the city, making it the capital of his powerful domain.
Lord Takenaga’s rule would be unfortunately short-lived since only a year later since his conquest he would be assassinated by the Incarnate’s companions thanks to his ally Setsuzan’s betrayal, throwing the clan into a succession war as a faction backing his son Hakata and another backing his niece Riyoko battled for control of the clan. The Kajiwara clan were Hakata’s main supporters as they saw this as their chance to regain their former power, allying with Setsuzan and Incarnate Renshin to gain powerful economic support. Hakata’s faction regained control of Klonum in 4023, starting a new era for the city.
Setsuzan’s control (4023-4027)
The Kajiwara celebrated their newly gained control of Klonum, but they would soon discover that the deals they made had many strings attached and were forced to make many concessions to Setsuzan, their primary backer. The traitor simply asked the Kajiwara to not get involved in the city’s criminal organizations and open it up to foreign trade, promising to pay his “taxes” in time to the city’s nominal rulers. Seeing as the agreement benefited all sides the Kajiwara chose to look the other way as Setsuzan and his criminal gang the Akatora-Tai took effective control of the city’s economy and turned it into a den of vice and corruption.
During this dark period the city’s economy began to modestly grow as the Kajiwara maintained Hidetsu Takenaga’s trade policies, but many merchants were discouraged from trading in the city due to the elevated sums of protection money they had to pay the gangs in addition to the corruption which infested public authorities, who engaged in many shady practices such as demanding bribes from foreign merchants to allow them to enter the city. The only real winners were Setsuzan and the Akatora-Tai, who grew rich thanks to the drug trade while they caused many of the city’s inhabitants to fall prey to addiction. While the situation seemed hopeless a masked vigilante emerged in the city who began to fight against the gangs, murdering many high-ranking members and gaining strong popularity among the masses.
When the war of two Incarnates broke out Setsuzan would opportunistically move betweeen both factions to gain the best deal out of them, taking advantage of his close links with the Incarnate’s companion Shizen. He cautiously began to support the Seishin-Gumi after Incarnate Seigo allied with his longtime foe Riyoko, who still claimed to be the legitimate ruler of the Takenaga clan. Once it seemed Seigo was winning he made a secret deal with Shizen promising to switch sides in exchange of convincing the Incarnate to eliminate Riyoko.
Once Seigo heard of the deal he contacted Setsuzan and arranged a meeting in Klonum to negotiate with him, news that greatly delighted the crime lord. What Setsuzan did not know is that Seigo sent his spymaster Keito to enter the city and contact the Kajiwara clan, hoping to convince them to turn against Setsuzan. Thanks to Keito’s masterful negotiation skills this agreement was successful as lord Izumo of the Kajiwara had a life-debt with Keito and secretly hated Setsuzan. He also sent Vashir, leader of the Harmonious path, to organize a rebel movement against the Klonum government and draw support to the true Incarnate. This was not a hard task as the notorious masked vigilante was secretly Nira, one of Seigo’s close allies.
Klonum revolt and aftermath (4027)
These plots and tensions would culminate in the Klonum revolt of 4027, triggered by an assassination attempt agains Seigo when he visited the city to negotiate with its authorities. The people, spurred on by Vashir’s agents, revolted against Setsuzan who they blamed for the assassination. Once Izumo called the Klonum guard to back down and arrest Setsuzan for his many crimes the city’s takeover was complete, ending its darkest period. What no one new is that Seigo himself orchestrated the assassination attempt to gain popular support, outsmarting Setsuzan who severely underestimated the Incarnate believing that he was naïve and inexperienced.
Once the city was consolidated under his control he sent Nira to eliminate the remains of the Akatora-Tai, ending their influence on the city. As more Takenaga regions revolted in support of the Incarnate the entire province fell to his control, achieving a spectacular victory. He would then place Riyoko as regional governor, trusting her good leadership and economic vision to develop it once more and attract foreign investment. When the war finally ended the city began to rapidly develop as the powerful Mirai corporation set its main offices in the city and built many chi foundries nearby, creating thousands of new jobs and starting its period of industrialization.
New development and spirit crisis (4027-)
In the city’s first year as part of the Shinri alliance its true potential began to unfold. With a booming economy and many massive infrastructure projects many expected a bright future for the city. Seigo’s ally Shizen, a powerful businessman in his own right, funded the construction of the Klonum arena and showcased it in the Unification Games, a massive sporting event organized to celebrate the first year anniversary of Shinri reunification which attracted great crowds from the nation and beyond. A great combat tournament was organized which drew warriors from all over Shinri and culminated with a duel between Shizen and Akiro over the blade Kage to Hitari. These festivities were interrupted when the Oni broke the seals which bound the spirit Hentsu-Myokai, causing its insiduous influence to seep into the material plane and put the entire city at risk.
(MORE INFORMATION WILL BE ADDED AS THE SHINRI CAMPAIGN PROGRESSES)
Industrialization and the Shinri miracle (until 4097)
The Spirit crisis had devastating consequences on the city, causing great destruction and temporarily halting its development. Nevertheless it managed to grow and develop, entering a prolonged period of economic growth and development which would be known as the Shinri miracle. Klonum eventually become Shinri’s capital as it became the nation’s economic center, causing an expansion of the Klonum castle complex as it now became the seat of Shinri’s government.
The city’s urban planning greatly improved during the government of Kajin, one of the Incarnate’s companions, who built the city’s sewer system and established its first public university. Another of the mayor’s popular positions was his reform of the Klonum guard, once known for its corruption, transforming it into an efficient and just police force which was well-respected among the city’s population. He also allowed the city’s masked vigilante, now called Amatatsu by the press, to operate freely so they could hunt down the city’s most dangerous criminals that the law could not catch.
Thanks to its powerful economic growth the city grew exponentially in population, reaching nearly a million inhabitants throughout its metropolitan area in the late 41st century. Unfortunately for the common people most of the city’s wealth was concentrated in a small group of powerful corporations headed by members of the former nobility such as the Kajiwara clan, causing great economic inequality. Crime was also rampant in the city’s poorer areas as a new criminal organization named the Black Foxes took over from the Akatora-Tai and gained control of the city’s lucrative drug and gambling industries. Allegations persisted that the Black foxes had close ties with powerful local and national government figures, claiming that for this reason they remained immune to the law.
Another important factor of this period was the massive immigration that flowed into the city drawn by its economic development and relative freedom compared to the rest of the world. Some immigrants would find great success such as Cyrus Kepland, a Shirajian who became the founder of the Kepland Industrial Group, one of the city’s most powerful corporations. While stories of success would draw many into the city, the majority of immigrants would end up working in inhuman conditions for little pay and even less rights.
Social conflicts and the coming of the new Incarnate (4090-4097)
Even though Klonum was beset with many problems it still remained a great success even after Incarnate’s death, becoming a symbol of Shinri’s great progress. The city’s cracks began to show around the later 41st century as movements for workers rights began to grow stronger demanding better pay and working conditions. These organizations known as Fraternities were inspired by the writings of a Shirajian intellectual named Rahim who called for equality between all people and a struggle against the nobility and capitalist class. The city’s business elite considered the Fraternities to be dangerous radicals and would even collaborate with Klonum’s criminal organizations to fight against them, triggering a period of social instability.
All these problems were symtoms of a greater problem that was afflicting Shinri, as after the Incarnate’s death there was no one left to fill the throne and most of the nation’s power passed to a regency council led by the Incarnate’s former companions. But as time passed and they grew old there were no good leaders left to solve the nation’s many problems, leaving most of its power in the hands of a business oligarchy headed by former feudal nobles. There was hope that Seigo would reincarnate in a new body as he promised before his death, but the child was never found even after the nation attempted a great search.
This hope for a better future would come true when the city guard found a young woman named Yara who displayed powers similar to the old Incarnate. When asked she claimed to be new Incarnate but knew little of the outside world or what her role even was. Her identity would eventually be confirmed when her guardians, a radical cult named Supreme Truth, terrorized the city to attempt to rescue Yara who they believed was kidnapped by Klonum’s authorities.
This cult was led by the former hero Vashir, who formed it out of hatred for Shinri’s industrialization believing it destroyed the land’s ancient traditions and brought great suffering to the people. When Yara refused to return to them after witnessing the cult’s crimes and realizing they lied to her for her entire life Vashir swore revenge against the city, believing it corrupted her. The cult’s rampage was eventually stopped by Yara and the city authorities but in the battle Amatatsu died fighting against Vashir, a loss that would greatly impact the people of Klonum. In the end most of the leaders were killed and Vashir was banished to Hentsu-Myokai’s domain, returning peace to the city.
Eliosa’s government and the crimson revolution (4097-4100)
With the cult defeated and a new Incarnate in Shinri there was genuine hope things would improve in Klonum. Yara was proclaimed the new Incarnate of Shinri but due to her inexperience most authority passed to Eliosa, a powerful half-ustilian Klonum politician who descended from Kajin himself. Unfortunately for the Shinri people their unrealisitc expectations of the Incarnate solving everything were horribly misplaced as with Renshin before her she was blind to the political machinations around her and knew very little about how the country even functioned due to her isolated upbringing.
Many began to feel dissapointment towards the new Incarnate with many seeing her as nothing but a puppet of Eliosa, who began to amass great power in the city and pass authoritarian laws beneficial to the business elite. This opposition would be led by Arik, Nira’s disciple, who inherited the Amatatsu mantle after her death and used it to challenge Shinri’s social order. Arik gained many followers among the Fraternities and the opposition to Eliosa’s government, becoming more popular than the new Incarnate herself in some circles.
The new governor saw the hero as a convenient scapegoat to pass restrictive laws against the opposition, persecuting political rivals such as Cyrus Kepland by linking them to Amatatsu. This decision would be her downfall as Cyrus would end up joining with Amatatsu and gave him massive financial support with the hope that they could overthrow the current government. Amatatsu’s supporters would come to be known as the Crimson revolutionaries. To respond to this rebel threat Eliosa began to replace key members of the Klonum guard with her supporters and created a secret death squad to hunt down Crimson supporters.
Arik took advantage of his foe’s shortsighted decisions and lust for power to his advantage, recruiting many disgruntled members of the Klonum guard and even got captain of the guard Akiko to join his side after Eliosa attempted to assassinate her due to the captain’s opposition to her death squads and her decision to investigate secret dealings between the city’s elite and organized crime. As these problems brewed Incarnate Yara was on an organized trip through Shinri and beyond, remaining completely ignorant to the growing chaos within Klonum.
These tensions would burst in a massive protest against Eliosa’s government after she sent the guard to burn down Klonum’s slums in a plan to smoke out Crimson rebels. The protests continued for several weeks as Amatatsu’s agents began eliminating Eliosa’s key supporters. Showing how history repeats itself Eliosa’s fate was sealed when Akiko ordered the Klonum guard to back down, letting the rebels take control of the central government. The former governor was publicly executed by Amatatsu for her crimes and the Crimson revolutionaries proclaimed the People’s republic of Klonum.
People’s republic of Klonum (4100-4106)
From the very beginning the People’s republic had unstable foundations as it was ruled by a triumvirate of leaders each with their own vision and goals. Akiko supported the overthrow of the government from a Shinri nationalist perspective, believing that massive reform was necessary to make Shinri into a stronger and more united country free from crime and instability. On the other hand Cyrus was motivated by his hatred for the city’s shinri elites and his lust for power which he disguised with idealism. The public leader Arik was a genuine idealist who wanted to create a utopian society following Crimson ideals. These three were united in their opposition to Eliosa but once she was gone cracks began to form among the leaders.
Once the revolution broke out Yara returned to the capital against the wishes of the Shinri government to stop the rebellion, facing Arik in a public duel for control of Shinri. Against all odds Arik was victorious and while Yara dissapeared at the end of the duel, leading many to believe she was murdered by the revolutionaries. The duel would trigger the Shinri civil war as conservative factions in Homay ordered the Shinri army to reconquer Klonum. This task would become harder than expected as unrest grew in the nation’s industrial cities inspired by the Crimson revolutionaries, escalating into a bloody conflict that engulfed the entire nation for the next six years.
During the time Klonum was wracked by violence and public executions as the Crimson revolutionaries purged all those they considered supporters of the old regime.These were known as the Crimson trials but in truth they were anything but fair, amounting to little more than a witch hunt where even supporters of the Crimson movement were executed. Akiko would fall victim to these trials in 4106 after falling out with Cyrus even though thanks to her strategic brilliance the movement managed to last for so long, a mistake that would doom the revolution.
The Klonum People’s republic would thankfully end in 4106 after a great force led by Akiko recaptured the city of Klonum from the revolutionaries, returning peace once more. Cyrus was murdered by his daughter Jaysha who had begun to see his father as the monster he truly was and Arik abandoned his post in disgust after seeing his dream turn into a nightmare for the Shinri people. Akiko would arrest many of the revolution’s worst offenders and became the new regent of Shinri due to her popularity and military achievements. It was discovered not long after that Yara was still alive and leading a resistance movement against the Mazarines, a good omen for Akiko’s rule.
Mazarine war and rise of the Shinri empire (4106-4114)
Akiko’s leadership would be put to the test when the Mazarine army invaded Shinri with a massive military force due to the nation’s refusal to hand over Yara, who they considered to be a dangerous criminal. Once Homay fell to the Mazarines Akiko rallied the Shinri people around the defense of the homeland and organized the nation’s defenses, achieving great victories against the Mazarines. Yara would help lead the Shinri armies in battle, inspiring them to glory as Seigo did before her.
With the defeat of the Mazarine empire the city of Klonum would bear witness to the proclamation of the Shinri empire, a new united state that would be even greater than the Alliance ever was. Akiko would become its first empress and established a system of constitutional monarchy so the people would be well-represented in the government and avoid another revolution. While some were willing to support Yara as ruler of Shinri, the Incarnate refused and instead went on a pilgrimage to the Spirit World after the end of the Mazarine wars.
The Shinri empire (4114 onwards)
Under the Shinri empire Klonum became one of the world’s most important cities, surpassing even Feyn’s throne in importance. To create greater unity and limit Klonum’s growth Akiko began construction of a new capital for Shinri, one that held the balance between technology and spiritualism. This city still remains under construction and it is expected that once it finishes this chapter of Klonum’s history as the Shinri capital will finally come to a close.
Geography
The city of Klonum is located on the southeastern tip of Shinri on the shores of the Inner sea, giving it a strategic position in the Inner sea trade routes. It sits at a double bend of the Ketagawa river just before it empties into the sea with the river acting as a border to the city’s many districts. Klonum was built around one great hill now known as Castle Hill where the Kajiwara clan built their fortifications. The city’s climate is humid subtropical as with most Shinri, causing wet summers and drier winters.
Klonum is composed of nine main wards each with a small local government to administrate the city’s massive population. Beyond city limits many small towns can be found that act almost as an extension of Klonum itself since the invention of rail has attracted many Klonum residents preferring these calmer areas to the capital’s congestion and high housing prices.
Economy
Klonum is the economic and financial center not only of Shinri but the entire western Inner sea. Its total economic output is greater even than many nations as it houses the headquarters of Shinri’s most important corporations and it is located in the heart of the Ketagawa river industrial zone. Additionally, the city’s traditionally business-friendly laws have attracted many foreign companies to invest and set up branches in it, contributing enourmously to its riches. While historically it has faced great economic downturns due to the spirit crisis and the crimson revolution Klonum has always managed to recover and become even stronger than before.
The city’s most powerful sectors are banking, manufacturing, entretainment and shipping. Tourism is also an important sector due as it houses most of Shinri’s most important landmarks such as Klonum castle, Heroes park and the Shizen arena. It also boasts massive fish and seafood markets which form the basis of the city’s food supply, serving tens of thousands of buyers and sellers. Klonum was also one of the first cities to establish a stock exchange, which opened to trade in the time of the Shinri empire.
Due to its inequality and historically rampant crime the city’s black markets and underground economy are also believed to generate massive amounts of wealth, but exact numbers are still unknown. Gambling, illegal fights, prostitution and drug dealing are massively profitable to all the criminal groups involved in them and their competition for this market often leads to brutal gang wars. This seedy underbelly is often ignored by the authorities who try to hide the city’s worst aspects to not discourage foreign investment.
Culture
While it lacks ancient historical buildings and sacred temples like its rival city Homay, Klonum is by no means a culturally empty city and boasts many internationally-acclaimed attractions. Among them are Klonum castle, the Takenaga clan’s ancient seat of power which is the only part of the capital’s government complex that remains open to the public. The castle watches over Heroes park, a beautiful green area which has great statues of the city’s heroes who helped the Incarnate fight against dark spirits that threatened its destruction. Other great landmarks are the Incarnate spirit sanctuary, a great spirit temple built to commemorate his ascension which now houses his tomb, and the Shizen arena, the largest competitive stadium in Shinri where combat tournaments are frequently celebrated.
Klonum has also many theaters for traditional performing arts and after the Mazarine war it became the heart of Shinri’s film industry. The city boasts the celebration of many festivals both traditional and modern such as the Night of Masks, an ancient celebration made to keep the spirit Hentsu-Myokai at bay where the city’s inhabitants wear masks of all kinds, and Unification day, a commemoration of the Incarnate’s ascension to the throne where recreations of his feats, combat tournaments and parades fill the city with color and spectacle. In conclusion, Klonum is a city well-worth visiting and a worthy rival to Homay as the Shinri capital of tourism.
