Japanese-inspired Modern Setting Player Handout for DnD

1. 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.

2. THE SETTING
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

3. THE CITIZENS
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.

4. THE CITIZENS
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.

5. FACTIONS
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.

6. FACTIONS
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.
AND MUCH MORE...
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.

7. 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.

8. 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 SPIRIT 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.

9. MAP