Cultures -- Multiple Pan-Asian sources in a WELL DONE "mashup"

[sktarq]

I'm not sure I want a strong and heavy-handed caste system, I have to keep mulling that over.

I would actually recommend something closer to Japanese headman based feudal system. People are linked to a certain land and have to provide certain taxes (which are often linked to the original purpose of the land grant). What I would change is that anything they do externally is just flat taxed. As the culture's main trade and maritime system became more developed it led to the original tax and "purpose" of the clan to be less and less relevant to the clan's overall life. Basically each village/clan group can and usually does act more like a corporation. The original purpose having been subsumed by their mercantile and maritime activities and the original tax reduced to a ritualistic thing. This makes sure that clan etc have a strong

There's a map in the first post that gives a rough sense of what the island chain is like in terms of size, density, and latitudes covered (the one in the "east" view). Pretty much everything from ocean-tropical at the south end to maritime arctic at the north end. .

only if I assume that is it has an earthlike climate as baseline. If this world is heavily influences by the Frostburn or Sandstorm books it could be something else. I ask because it effects food clothes etc. I would suggest either Japanese style fashion or tracking north in a similar way to tracking up the Himalayan foothills