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During the Tide of Honor module in my Jade Regent campaign, the residual influence of the five imperial families of Minkai became important. Though the "Minkai" article on page 62 described the nature of each family, it did not describe the territories governed by each family.
But in my campaign the party encountered people with old stories of the reign of the imperial families. I wanted to sort those stories by geography.
The clues:
It is possible that the families did not have territories. Maybe their holdings were intermixed. Perhaps that is why the Minkai article did not mention the territories. Nevertheless, despite lacking any direct mention, the article and module gave clues that suggest plausible territories.
The fortress Seinaru Heikiko has a vault that can be opened by the Amatatsu Seal. That suggests a relation with the Amatatsu, even though the fortress was founded by Hirabashi Akikaza, a samurai in service to the emperor. North of the fortress is the Osogen Grasslands, technically part of the Sakakabe Province but really divided between the Utare and Yumogu barbarians. Which imperial family would tolerate a non-Minkaian subculture on their lands? Either the far-traveled Amatatsu or the diplomatic Sigumata family.
In addition, the Amatatsu fled northward to escape the oni. I doubt they had enough boats to sail north, nor did they make an obvious journey through other Minkaian provinces. The Amatatsu territory should share a border with the Forest of Spirits. That would give them Sakakabe Province, the northwest corner of Minkai.
Actually, I decided against that. My party contained a ninja, Ebony Blossom of the Tiger's Tears ninja clan, a clan that used to serve the Amatatsu family. We decided that the Tiger's Tears clan resided in a small village near the Seven Venoms Spring in the Kamifushi Mountains. And that decision put the Kamifushi Mountains and the entire Ikkaku Peninsula in Amatatsu territory. I separated the Osogen Grasslands from the Sakakabe Province, declaring that its addition to the province had occurred after the disappearance of the Amatatsu, and joined it with the Ikkaku Peninsula and the Ningyo Gulf to form the Amatatsu territory, the northwest corner of Minkai.
On the east side of Minkai is the kami-inhabited Seseragi Forest. The mystical Shojinawa family seemed best to claim that forest, so that gave them the east coast, the Higashita Coast of the Hiyosai Province.
The city Kasai at the mouth of the Kamiteki River in southwest Minkai became the capital under the ruling Higashiyama family. But back under the rule of the Teikoku family, the city Uddo one hundred miles upstream from Kasai was the capital city. Thus, I made the split: Kasai was in Higashiyama territory and Uddo was in Teikoku territory. Uddo was southeast of Kasai, so the Higashiyama got the west side of Minkai and the Teikoku got the south side of Minkai.
That left the northwest for the Sigumata.
The result:
Amatatsu territory is northeast Minkai: the Osogen Grasslands, the Kamifushi Mountains, the Ikkaku Peninsula, the Ningyo Gulf, and no cities, except that I added a port city on the west shore of the Ningyo Gulf. This territory is undeveloped and partially barbaric, so the Amatatus knew it could manage without them when they fled the oni.
Higashiyama territory is west Minkai: everything south of the Mekkyo River and north of the Kamiteki River, including the Tagiryu River and the south half of the Kyojin Mountain Range in central Minkai. They have two important cities in Minkai, Akafuto and Kasai. This wealthy agricultural area boasts many fine craftsmen and educated bureaucrats, who supported the empire lead by the Higashiyama. The Higashiyama were the last family to be vanquished by the oni.
Shojinawa territory is east Minkai: the Hiyosai Province consisting of the Higashita Coast, the Sesaragi Forest, the Warashi River, and the Sakehiyaku River. The city of Hiyosai at the mouth of the Sakehiyaku River is the only city in this territory. This area thrives on its fishing villages and copper mines, but has more folk culture and mysticism than sophistication. The Shojinawa were virtuous mystics until the oni secretly corrupted them into the dark arts that destroyed them.
Sugimatu territory is northwest Minkai: the Sakakabe Province consisting of the Sankyodai Mountains, the Jikko River, the Mekkyo River, the north half of the Kyojin Mountain Range in central Minkai, and the port cities of Sakakabe and Enganoka. Its cities are known for their rich culture and the Sugimata played key diplomatic roles there and elsewhere in the empire. They lacked the military might to oppose the oni, especially with the oni assassinating their leaders.
Teikoku territory is south Minkai: the Awahana River, the Sorui Gulf, Aogaito Island, and the three cities Shogokabe, Wanshi, and Oda (Uddo is a lost city, so it does not count). This area focuses on fishing and farming rather than on commerce or maufacturing, but it does maintain a strong army and navy. They sent armies to help the Sugimatu against the oni, but the oni made a surprise raid on Teikoku territory to eliminate the younger generation left behind and then outlived the older, more dangerous Teikoku.
