The Return of the Ancient( Warhammer X Rwby)

Chapter 3: Nagoya

Author's Note: Welp, this has taken far longer than I originally anticipated. My personal life has, unfortunately, stopped my writing efforts, and I must admit that the chapter itself proved to be rather more challenging than I had expected. In order to provide a more accurate representation of Nagoya—and by extension, Mistral—which are evidently influenced by Japanese culture with Edo period echoes, I did research of Edo period history. As such, I believe the terminology and descriptions have improved. Additionally, to provide more accurate detail(and not commit the same errors of the past), I conducted further research into smithing and its processes, ensuring a more comprehensive depiction. I am sorry for the extended delay

Rylanor opened his eyes as he got up from his bed. There was nothing here in the village that could sustain his weight. Rylanor asked for a stone plinth, like all astartes like ... .but they thought it was a jest. The annoying part of sleeping in hay is that it gets in the hair. As Rylanor ran his hand across his still very thin but growing platinum blonde hair, removing the odd stray hay that was here and there, his mind drifted to his first task of the day. As he got up, his left leg made a sound, the metal protesting under Rylanor's weight, yet it held and it was good enough, but it sounded anytime he walked. The crude prosthetic had a simple mechanism, which to properly bend, needed at times nudge from Rylanor's hand to properly bend.

He stretched, a sensation he quite enjoyed as opposed to being confined in a dreadnought shell. It was still peculiar that he didn't hear the familiar clicking of his servo bundles or the heavy stomping of his movements. Nevertheless, Rylanor was content to be in his flesh once more. He was dressed in a plain beige tunic and white breeches, which were snug as they tried to conceal his figure. It was obvious that the villagers had improvised, evident from the clear sewing marking of his clothes. Rylanor couldn't help but chuckle to himself, the last surviving member of the Palatine host...now clad in patched-up garments. He did not have any foot wear and quite frankly did not need to...and while he would not admit it, he enjoyed the feeling of the ground on his feet.

He ducked as he emerged from the cellar of the blacksmith, sunlight streaming into the room as he exited, but unlike the rest of Nagoya, Chris's blacksmith shop had a completely different design and clearly belonged to a different culture. Nagoya itself had an Asian design, further adding to the Japanese influence on Rylanor's mind... Wood is the main material, selected for its availability and flexibility, along with paper and a bamboo-like material. Structures are often raised slightly off the ground to protect against moisture or heavy rainfall. Sliding doors were common (Fusuma and Shoji), replacing walls and creating versatile interior spaces with a seamless connection to the outdoors. Rooms are typically covered in tatami mats, providing a soft and natural flooring. The emphasis is on simplicity and minimalism, avoiding unnecessary use of materials or space, which is sensible in a society plagued by foul warp spawn creatures lurking in the woods. Architectural designs often include features like verandas and seamlessly blend in with nature, with Rylanor noticing plant-like patterns across the houses. Roofs are designed to withstand weather conditions and provide shade/protection against rain, usually covered with tiles, thatch, or tree bark. As he stood outside, he stepped onto the gravel road that made the street road, flanked on either side by tightly packed houses. This was one of the five streets in the village which connected to the village centre. Nagoya is of moderate size and quite populous by the standards of these people. Behind him stood Chris's smithy, which was distinctly different to the other houses

Chris's smithy was constructed from materials of greater durability and sophistication, namely brick and timber. The exterior façade would likely have been rendered in either stucco or plaster, although Rylanor was unable to discern which, being neither a son of Dorn nor of Perturabo. The roofing would have comprised slates. The residence is characterised by multiple rooms, each designated for a specific function; nevertheless, it remains compact and utilitarian in essence. The furnishings and the chambers featured intricate carvings and embellishments. The tables he seen, both the counter in front and the table on the back was presumably fashioned from solid mahogany, whilst the chairs would likely have been crafted from oak or walnut. The overall aesthetic possessed a distinctly European style, which, for Rylanor, bore an uncanny resemblance to that of Albia's distant past—strikingly so—inspiring within him a plethora of questions regarding the history of this world and its original colonists.