Benevolent Kappa Village

"Jinjutsu Kappa Mura" is a small trading village in Crab Lands, laying just within the outskirts of the slight Hiruma territory on the fortunate side of the Carpenter Wall. The village is well-known for a unique oolong tea blend that is exclusively made within the village.

The Benevolent Kappa
Benevolent Kappa Village is so-named due to an ancient legend surrounding the village's founding. It is said that the daughter of a noble Samurai was able to tame the heart of the Kappa living in the pond, and that to fulfill her wish of a private garden, he rose a great island in the center of the pond, which is where the village currently resides.

Geography
Benevolent Kappa Village is situated on an island in the center of a small lake. The lake forms a natural moat roughly thirty-five jō across. There are two curved wooden bridges that form the only entrance or exit from the village, unless one counts the tiny docks for paddle-boats (the lake is too small for proper kobune). The lake is fed from an underground river which in turn is connected to the pennisula and fed by the mountains.

The village is small, housing roughly one-hundred people. There is a blacksmith, two inns, a weaver, and land for farming. However, the major distinctive feature of this town are the tea fields, where one half of the distinctive tea (the village's claim to fame) are grown.

Hiruma Kaku - Village Magistrate
The village is governed by a single Crab Magistrate, who cooperates with the village elder. The magistrate keeps a small retinue of yoriki to maintain order within the village, but since Jinjutsu Kappa Mura is so peaceful, not much is required to keep the peace.

The current Magistrate overseeing the village is Hiruma Kaku, the eldest of two brothers, both magistrates, who was born in this village as the son of the previous magistrate. When his father, the honorable and celebrated Hiruma Usigo was promoted to Emerald Magistrate status, his eldest son stepped up to oversee the village. It was during that time that the unique blend was created, and he has watched as the village's focus turned towards commerce, lending his guiding hand to ensure the money did not corrupt the friendly folk of the village.

Hiruma Kaku is said to be a gentle soul, yet stern when inforcing the law. He lives in a small house connected to the Town Hall with his wife, Hiruma Asi, his sister, Hiruma Kenpei, and his only son Tomo, who is eight years old.

Kappa's Tongue Kamairicha
The unique tea blend of this village is known as "Kappa's Tongue," and has become a popular favorite of the Imperial Family, ever since a brick was gifted to the late Otomo Jiru several years ago. The Emperor's extended family favors the unique blend, and ever since this has been made public, the village has found its meager harvest inadequate to meet the demand.

The ingredients in Kappa's Tongue Blend is a carefully guarded secret, known only to a handful within the community. The merchants in charge of concocting the blend import leaves from many provinces, but not all of the leaves are actually used in the blend; this way, no one can be truly sure what is actually used.

A major factor of the unique blend, however, is not a secret: the unique green tea grown in the village is a major part of the blend. Known as "Kappa's Tongue" due to the unique shape of the leaves, the exclusive tea is harvested from leaves that are exposed directly to sunlight, giving the leaves a stronger flavor than those grown in the shade. This tea is actually a Kamairicha, meaning that it is pan-fried after harvest, rather than steamed, which removes the bitter flavor of more common teas. This also increases the expense, but that is not seen as a negative factor in the production of the tea.

The resulting brew is strong and assertive, but not bitter like other strong teas. The tea is actually slightly sweet and mildly roasted-tasting, with an undercurrent of almond flavor, very aromatic with a smell similar to roasted chestnuts. It has a high caffine content considering its mild flavor, making it very suitable for winter court, which is known for its long demanding nights and early mornings. It is best as the cap on a meal, consumed on its own, and does not pair well with food or sweets.