🎴 Imperial Calendar, Year 700

The sun of Sha'ul rises over the walls of Momouchi Castle, the oldest standing fortress in the entire region. Its stones carry seven centuries of history, ink, and secrets. Within those walls was born and raised a young Momouchi, the youngest brother of five sisters, descendant of the legendary blonde-haired, round-glassed cartographers who drew the first formal maps of the world.

This morning begins like so many others:

The soft aroma of coffee—served punctually by your trusted Amakami—warms your hands as the light enters obliquely through the studio window. The stacked scrolls, the drying quills, and the whisper of ancient pages remind you that your duty is not to the sword… but to the accuracy of history.

But today, something changes.

Among your documents you find a sealed letter, delivered at dawn by a Saonji messenger. Breaking the seal, you read a short yet unsettling message:

"The Kisaki clan from the west and the Natsume clan from the south request recognition. Both seek alliances to secure their presence on the Imperial map. They wish to speak with you, young Momouchi."

Kisaki, a warrior clan forgotten among the quarries and rebel tribes of the west. Natsume, another combatant clan that controls fishing routes and southern fields.

Both know that no territory formally exists unless it appears on a Momouchi map. Both understand that your signature can change their fate. And both, of course, hope the Empire will see them… as allies.

Outside your windows, Inaba troops patrol in silence. The Reijo watch the roads. The castle breathes an air of ancient decisions.

Your coffee grows cold.

And before you, the letter awaits your first cartographic decision of real weight.