Homare-Jima

Homare-Jima ("Jima" = island) is one of the three named islands of the Tokuno Islands facet, introduced with the Samurai Empire expansion (2004). Inhabited by many creatures from Asian mythos — bake-kitsune (were-foxes), oni, gaman, kappa, lesser hiryu, rai-ju, yamandon, tsuki wolves — the island is a Tokuno-fiction-rich environment with limited housing that keeps it less crowded than its sister islands. Homare-Jima's signature feature is its distinctive road running from Crane Marsh in the south to Kitsune Woods in the north, with the island bisected by a small Zen Maze and the Homare-Jima Shrine to honor. The Yomotsu Mines dungeon and the Bushido Dojo are the principal combat zones.

Geography (10-region map)

1. Crane Marsh (south)

A vast swamp on the southern end of the island. Houses a small Lizardman village and other creatures. Houses in ruin suggest prior habitation.

2. Yomotsu Mines

A dungeon built and inhabited by the Yomotsu — a hostile humanoid race. The mines are well known as the spawn location for the famous Fire Beetle — a tameable mount that can smelt metal ore through itself, eliminating travel-to-forge for miners.

The Fire Beetle is one of the most valuable mounts in UO — a tamer who acquires one gains in-field smelting capability.

3. Lightening Watch

Mysterious ruins inhabited by Rai-Ju — the lightning-aspect mythological creature.

4. Field of Echoes

A massive dead forest in the west, ending in a peninsula. Filled with the Living Dead.

5. Homare Moongate

6. Bushido Dojo

A single-room building — practically the only building on the island. Inhabited by samurai and ninjas corrupted by evil.

7. Homare's Eye

The largest lake in the area — home to the hated Yamandon. South of the lake is a good place to farm Tsuki Wolves for bones.

8. Kitsune Woods

Kitsune is Japanese for fox — making this Fox Woods, named for the were-foxes found within. Densely forested and difficult to navigate at speed. Two mountain tunnels lead through to the plain of Sho Toh.

9. Sho Toh

A small plain at the northeast end of the island. Cut off from the rest of the island by a mountain — accessed through a cave that runs through it.

10. Revenant-Jima

The large island off the north coast of Homare-Jima.

Strategic notes

• The Fire Beetle of Yomotsu Mines is the practical signature draw — tamers come to Homare-Jima specifically for this mount.
• The Bake Kitsune of Kitsune Woods is a tameable, highly-prized rare pet — five-slot tame, cha-magic-aligned.
• The Yamandon at multiple locations is one of UO's hardest non-Peerless creatures — high HP, high resists, demands prep.
• Lesser Hiryu at Kitsune Woods is a low-tier hiryu — accessible to mid-skill tamers.
• Limited housing = Homare-Jima is a quiet island; some shards still have available house plots.

Cultural notes

• Crane spawns appear at multiple regions — they are pacifist, do not attack, do not award artifacts (except in Treasures of Tokuno, where they were excluded from drops).
• Kappa are prevalent in Crane Marsh — Japanese-mythos river-imps.
• The Zen Maze in the middle of the island is a small navigation puzzle — a worthwhile detail.

See also

• Tokuno_Islands — parent facet
• Isamu-Jima · Makoto-Jima — sister Tokuno islands
• Zento — only city on the Tokuno facet (Makoto-Jima)
• Samurai_Empire — the introducing expansion (2004)
• Fire_Beetle — Yomotsu Mines mount
• Bake_Kitsune — Kitsune Woods rare pet
• Yamandon — high-tier hostile across multiple regions
• Bushido · Ninjitsu — Tokuno-introduced skills
• Yomotsu — the hostile humanoid race in the Mines