Two pages of background information on the world of Pajan from Hub’s Okko series site for inclusion in the upcoming first issue. The imaginary Empire of Pajan (read: Japan) is Hub’s setting for his series. I’m not sure if these two pages, one on major clans and one on the Empire, will be reproduced in the issue in their entirety or edited, so I’m posting the translations below for all interested parties.
The action of the first cycle of Okko takes place at the very edges of Pajan’s charted territories. Although the Empire is barely mentioned in The Cycle of Water, here are a few facts to whet your curiosity.
Pajan is a sizable island with a highly varied topography, surrounded by a multitude of archipelagoes. It takes its name from its Imperial family, the legitimacy of whose millennium-long reign has recently been challenged by three prominent families who have engaged in constant warfare.
This struggle for power has destabilized the empire. Famine and disaster have followed in its wake.
This time of chaos is commonly known as the Asagiri Era (The Time of Mists). Okko is set in the very heart of these turbulent time, in Year 1108 of the official calendar.
The lifestyle and customs of the Empire’s citizens are similar to those of people in medieval Japan.
However, a major technological leap from a few centuries ago separates the two cultures: the “exo-bunrakuâ€.
These colossal suits of combat armor are controlled from within by puppeteers. Their use has radically transformed the ancestral arts of war. The Ataku clan are masters of the construction and operation of these formidable war machines (see the section on Clans).
The ancestral clan of the Imperial family. Placing great value on the warrior’s code of honor, their dojos have the reputation of producing the Empire’s most valiant samurai. Their peerless tacticians defend the Imperial family’s interests, stopping at nothing to restore its power.
The Family Ataku
In the last few decades, this family has gained a clear political advantage, winning many celebrated battles with the help of their “Exo-bunrakusâ€. The clan are masters of the construction and operation of these formidable war machines.
The Family Yommo
This mystical clan comprises the Empire’s greatest sorcerers. On the battlefield, its elementalists can, with their powerful spells, sway the tide of the encounter in their favor.
The Family Bashimon
A cunning and mysterious clan composed of calculating diplomats, widely feared and dreaded. They are masters of Machiavellian manipulation, after every secret or scrap of information that might further their interests. They prefer to work in shadow and have the habit of employing ninjas for certain more delicate missions.
Leave a Reply