Diguo, The Empire. One of the four worlds of my upcoming Worlds Collide campaign.

[EisenKreutzer]

http://i22.photobucket.com/albums/b340/kreutzer/kart1.png

This is a map of Digou, or the Empire. It's full name is Shénshèng de Jìngjiè Dìguó, the Empire of the Divine Realm.

Digou is based around ancient China. It is ruled by an Emperor, and populated mostly by peasants and other lowly people who work the Emperors land, grow the Emperors crops and tend the Emperors livestock. Everything under the sun belongs to the Emperor, who in turn is only the wordly custodian of the Divine Realm. The Empires true ruler, as well as the ruler of every land mans feet have ever touched is Pai Lo, God of the Sun and Divine Emperor of Heaven and Earth.

Diguo has no arcane magic. There is divine magic provided by a pantheon of gods (which are renamed gods from the Players Handbook, for reasons that have to do with how I am planning the Worlds Collide campaign), and blade magic from Tome of Battle.

On the map you can see Diguo, which encompasses Diguo itself, as well as Tetsunoshima (The Iron Islands, a Japan-analogue) and The Kingdoms of Stone (seen to the far right, a dwarven kingdom with a chinese flair). To the upper north the Horde Mountains make up the northern borders of the Empire, populated by savage orks (meant to evoke a feeling of the Mongols).
To the south, the Beast Lands of Ramchatpuri (populated by several races of anthropomorphic animals as well as elves, inspired by Indian culture) and the Elephant Kingdoms of Alangpay (based on Thailand, Burma and similiar cultures) are still unclaimedd by the Imperial throne, and several invasions have been attempted.

I apologise for the poor map, it was done in MSPaint, and for the norwegian place names. I originally had a version of the map without the names an bordders, but accidentally saved over it. :P

Anyway, this world is nothing but a sketch yet, but I will add to it in time. I still have three more worlds to design for this campaign, but this is the most complete one for now.

This is not ment to become a huge project, I intend to only flesh out parts of the world and let the rest develop through play.

[EisenKreutzer]

The Kingdoms of Stone is a tributary kingdom of Digou. It's capitol is Shen Dun, the mighty stone fortress which houses it's royal families and which is the economical and cultural centre of the kingdoms. The dwarves who live here call themselves The Stone People, and this is the name by which they are known throughout the rest of Diguo.

Several centuries ago they were known as the Empire of Stone, ruled over by the Stone Emperor. The very existence of a second empire was a blasphemous affront to the Imperial Throne of Diguo. After all, there can be only one terrestrial Emperor. After many centuries of uneasy peace war finally broke out between the two empires.

The war lasted a century, through the reign of no less than five Divine Emperors, until the Stone People forces were finally defeated at the bridge of Sian Sin, and the Stone Emperor was forced to lay down his crown at the Divine Emperors feet and relinquish his title of Emperor. From then on, the Empire of Stone was no more, and the former Stone Emperor became one of the Stone Kings whom he had ruled during the war.

Today, the Kingdoms of Stone pays it's tributes to the Imperial Throne in the form of precious minerals, arms and armor and soldiers to serve in the Emperors armies. Shan Dun is still percieved as a cultural centre, and has one of the busiest trade districts in Diguo.

Though it has been 100 years since the end of the war, the Stone People have not forgotten the shame and dishonor of defeat at human hands. The current Divine Emperor may not be concerned, believing that the Stone Kingdoms have been pacified long ago, but the memory and patience of the Stone People should not be underestimated.
As Diguo spreads it's rsources thin in the war against Ramchatpuri and the Elephant Kings of Alangpay, a Stone rebellion may be imminent sooner than anyone suspects...