The Phoenix lands are primarily plains, with only a rare few hills to break their monotony. The vast majority of the major Phoenix settlements can be found on these plains, along with most of the population, who follow the traditional Rokugani model of small agricultural villages cultivating the land. However, the sameness of the Phoenix lands does have one very large interruption: the Mori Isawa, easily the second largest forest in the Empire (exceeded only by the Shinomen itself). The Isawa Mori is dominated by evergreens, retaining thick foliage all year long despite the bitter winters. While not as mysterious or dangerous as the Shinomen Mori, Isawa Mori is nonetheless known as a place of tremendous spiritual power and corresponding enigma, home to many otherworldly beings and peculiar legends. While only a few Phoenix samurai dwell within it, the Isawa Mori has shaped the clan in many ways.
Two mountain ranges also define the Phoenix landscape; the Great Wall of the North closes off the northern border of the clan’s territory, but an offshoot of that range extends south within the Phoenix borders, forming a barrier between their lands and the near-vacant Dragon Heart Plain. Although sparsely populated, these Phoenix Mountains are popular with several monastic orders and are home to many shrines and temples, as well as a few lesser clan holdings. On the other hand, the small mountain chain known as the Mountains of Regret which forms the clan’s southern border is avoided by most, for it is both treacherous and populated by many dangerous beasts. Only a single passage, the so-called Treacherous Pass, traverses this range.
The Phoenix are one of three clans with an extensive coastline. However, much of it – particularly in the northern regions – is comprised of jagged rocks and cliffs, inhospitable to settlement. Still, the Phoenix made the most of what they have, and fishing villages can be found in all of the rare spots where openings appear in the cliffs, as well as in the more hospitable southern portion of the coast. Overall, the coast sees only modest commercial traffic, especially when compared to the Imperial and Crane lands further to the south. On the other hand, the same cliffs and reefs which make the coast difficult to exploit also make it hard to use as an invasion route.
Due to the mountains that surround them on several sides, the Phoenix provinces are accessed by only a handful of roads; this gives the Phoenix considerable control over movement of both trade and troops into their borders. This is especially useful to this clan since it has less military manpower than any of the other Great Clans. Commerce with the Phoenix lands passes through two main avenues. The first is the Drowned Merchant River, which finds its source in the Phoenix lands and flows west toward the lands of the Dragon, Lion, and eventually Unicorn. The river acts as both a source of fresh fish and a way for the Phoenix to trade with those inland clans. Banditry can be a problem, however, since the lands between the Dragon and the Phoenix are sparsely populated and often home to outlaws. A slower but safer route is the inland road which connects to the Phoenix settlement of Nikesake, a road dutifully patrolled by Shiba bushi. Many tradesmen only travel so far as the Shiba provinces anyway, since they are the southernmost and most easily accessed, leaving the Isawa and Asako with the quiet they relish. Of course, this also means that during the rare invasions of Phoenix lands the Shiba always bear the heaviest cost. While they are honored to serve as the protectors of the Phoenix, they sometimes wonder if the Isawa would more often commit to martial efforts if their own lands were more directly threatened.
As noted earlier, the climate of Phoenix territory is infamous for the harshness of its winters. The temperatures in the area reach some of the lowest levels found in Rokugan, on par with the mountainous regions of the Dragon and Crab territories. Plains and mountains alike receive a prodigious amount of snow, and travel comes to a complete stop during most of the season. Of course, the Isawa can simply use magic when winter travel is needed, so while the peasantry is definitely isolated during winter, the clan’s samurai can travel and communicate if need be. Spring also comes later in Phoenix lands than in most of the rest of Rokugan; among other things, this means the cherry blossom trees there are the last to flower, drawing samurai from across the Empire to witness the fortuitous event. On the negative side, the heavy snowfalls mean the spring can often see flash floods as the snows melt. Summer is milder in Phoenix lands than in most of Rokugan, which some see as a metaphor for Phoenix pacifism – the “season of war” is shorter and less marked for them than for other clans. Autumn is cooler than elsewhere, with almost constant rain – albeit usually light enough not to disrupt the harvest.
Although the Phoenix are known as pacifists, their borders have seen violence all too often throughout their history. The plains of their southwestern provinces are dangerously close to the territory of the bellicose Lion, and have seen more battles than any other regions in the Phoenix lands. In contrast to the Lion border, the southeastern edge of the Phoenix lands are guarded by the Mountains of Regret and border on Imperial lands, hardly likely to present a danger. The western border of Phoenix lands is also warded by mountains, and few samurai patrol that region during most times since the reclusive Dragon rarely manifest interest in their neighbor.