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View Full Version : Fluff and Flavor of Quasi Oriental setting



Ing
2007-07-31, 06:01 PM
I'm recently running a semi-oriental style game. The feeling is one of fuedal china/Japan but using next to none of the Oriental Adventures. Decided to list the rich flavor that's been opened up.

Basic History. About 1000 generations ago, the Eastern lands was ruled by demonic and godlike lords in a feudal structure. War was common, all humans were vassals and serfs. One day out of the wilderness a man named Izuno Tzung-no-o. Izuno the stranger came to the aid of a poor provence ruled by the Draconic lord Orzchi, who was consuming his human vassals as live stock. Izuno wielding a quarter staff slew Orzchi and from his bones fordged the sacred sword Ferrakaza from the demon god's metal bones. Izuno Tzung-no-o went on, using Ferrakaza and an ever growing army of fellow humans to defeat the other lords and unite the provinces under one flag. Izuno Tzung-no-o became the first empirer of the western lands, which ever sense have been known as the Tzung empire. 5 generations later his descendant Azzila Tzung-no-o constructed the great wall, a nigh impenetrable barrier bordering all of nation's west to permanently seal out invaders of Barbarians and savages.

Geography the Tzung empire is a vast nation emcompasing a variety of geological and ecological structures. To the north lies both the Edealian forests which houses the Elven lands, and the frozen arctic lands and mountains that the dwarves call home. To the south east lies the dead lands, miles and miles of uncharted swamp, desert and dead forests where the nation of death rules. To the south west are planes and deserts and uncharted forests which are populated by various races, most notably the orc tribes. To the direct west is a vast sandy desert and mountain ranges populated by wandering tribes of nomads, either in exile or sealed off from the safty of the empire. Past there is a mystery, but it is known that somewhere far west is the home of the Barbarian hordes, a vicious army of savage humans who lay waste to the nomadic lands and pose a constant threat to the Tzung and Dwarven lands.

CultureThe Tzung empire is built largely around a unified feudalism. The central city Zijin is official the territory of the emperor, who rules the city and by proxy rest of the country through 8 arch-lords. The rest of the empire is divided up through providences each ruled by a noble lord. Some very distant or backwater towns or territories lack or have since lost noble representation. They are mostly separated from both the direct political demands and benefits of the capital city.

Humans are largely broken up into several classes, Royal Family, Arch Lord, Lord, Vassal, Soldier, squire and commoner. Commoners are given great legal protection for their status, they may not be enslaved or abused legally. Squires are commoners who have signed up for government service, they are granted greater legal rights and government protection in response to their service. Soldiers are non-nobles who serve in the military, they pledge direct loyalty and obidence to their lord (or in especially large provinces a designated Vassal). Vassals are the highest level of non-noble. They are close and valued servants of their lords and are entrusted with many of their powers and responsibilities. Vassals may be granted with their lords permission to wield a sword. Vassals may with their lord's permission send their students to the same boarding schools as Noble Families. Nobles are aristocratic, passed down from the patriarchal line. They officially own all land in their providence, save for that granted to vassals or even rarely explicitly promised to commoners, respond directly to the emperor and are permitted to wield a sword. All noble lines have their own ancestral sword. The ranking member of the noble family (the lord) is the wielder of the sword. A noble can abdicate his position to any male member of his family by passing the sword to them, or even rarer grant the position to a vassal or commoner. Typically a vassal is made the successor in response to the absence of a male heir. If a Lord does not name a successor or succeed in his life the position is passed to the eldest male automatically. Non-nobles can be married into noble families, and through this commoners or vassals can be made lords (via marrying a widowed lady for example) but their position can be challenged by the eldest male family member if the commoner-lord lacks a heir of their own.

Kyff Early in the empire's history, human slavery was abolished and commoners given more rights in response to the creation of the Kyff, an artificially created servant race. Kyff are humanoids possessing skins that are often earth tones and patterned like the wilderness or terrain. Kyff were created via alchemy by the sage Maruta. Kyff in the capital and many of the large surrounding cities are owned by the state, though a few are personally owned by wealthy nobles or well off commoners even. In the more rural or remote areas any Kyff are privately owned, usually by the noble family or the providence or his vassals. Kyff are considered property, but the recent emperor Minzi Tsung IX has enacted laws forbidding explicit violent abuse against them. These laws are sadly only really enforced in the capital city. The empire faces a constant and growing threat from an organization of insurgents calling themselves the Paladins of Freedom who demand an end to slavery and have been freeing and smuggling Elves out of the nation.

Up next...Goblins

Matthew
2007-08-01, 09:03 PM
Are you using Oriental Adventures for this?