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Kara-tur
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Seadin:
I've noticed that a lot of Kara-turian characters have shown up, and I think I got a little mixed up with the far east setting in FR. I think that the campaign setting in the Oriental Handbook is Rokugan, a fantasy land formally in a card game and book series. However in the Forgotten Realms world the oriental land would be known as Kara-tur, which has different places that'd mimic ancient China, Japan, and India, along with maybe some others. Anywho this is what I found on Wikipedia on Kara-tur.
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Kara-Tur
Ceronicous:
As one of those that speak of more background, I can say this:
I use Rokugan as Kozakura, except I've changed the name to Kozakura. Why? I can't find ANY good sourcebooks, online or offline, about Kara-Tur. I hope no-one minds this.
Seadin:
Yeah....I looked up a sourcebook for Kara-tur....it dated back to like two years before I was born and was out of print.
Ceronicous:
--- Quote from: "Seadin" ---Yeah....I looked up a sourcebook for Kara-tur....it dated back to like two years before I was born and was out of print. --- End quote ---
Bingo.
If anyone wants, I could try to make up some info instead, creating a new small island nation that has the name Kozakura, so that we have more originality.
Gossamer Faith:
I've found A Tour to Kara-Tur by Tim Martin to be very useful.
http://www.geocities.com/phillipriley/kttour.html
As for Kozakura, here's what he writes :
--- Quote ---Kozakura Or the "Little Cherry Blossom," is inhabited by the same race of people as found on Wa, and has similiar customs and traditons. Kozakura howerver is far from a unified state. For several centuries it has been the scene of incessant warfare between powerful daimyos, all struggling to gain the title of shogun.
Kozakura exists as a number of islands (some volcanic), the largest of which is Shinkoku. This island of snowy mountains, piney woods, dense bamboo forests, and rice paddies is home to almost three quarters of the Kozakuran populaiton, and is the center of Kozakuran politics, culture, and civilization.
Unlike Wa, Kozakura is open to foreign trade, and ships are able to visit many ports. Shinkoku, as noted above, is a major population center; among its larger cities are Fukama, Senita, Dojyu and Masakado. Fukama was the original captial of Kozakura, and is best known for its artwork, handicrafts, and its Noh. Senita has been known as an area of fighting, but in more peaceful times exports of large amounts of rice, its fine seaport, and its excellent horses make it a wealthy city. Dojyu is the capital but due to fighting is many times not a port of call to visiting ships. This grand city is rumored to be a major source of leather, silk, and sake. Masakado has one of the finest harbors anywhere, and is a site of the otherwise infrequent trade with Wa. It is also known for its wicker and basket handicrafts and for a local red dye made from the roots of an indigenous tree.
The second largest island is that of Tenmei, which lies to the north of Shinkoku and forms the northern barrier of the Inland Sea. Major cities are Yoshida, which is the captial of Tenmei province and source of rice, fish, and ceramics, and Tanegawa, which is inhabited by barbarian humans and korobokuru and is the site of tin and copper exports.
Major trade goods of Kozakura include rice, artwork, fish, handicrafts, art, pottery, enamel work, obisidan, tin, copper, dyes, horses, and jade.
Kozakura is open to trade, but much of the country's focus is on the struggle for power and national unification. The country is still dealing, some nine years later, with the outcome of a major war - the Hojo War. Factions fight factions, samurai battle samurai, and ninja find much to do; the foreigner must be cautious.
A notable religion of Kozakura is that of the Eight Million Gods; an ancient religion of both Kozakura and Wa, a collection of beliefs and rituals that relate to various nature deities. There is no great teacher or book for the Eight Million Gods, nor uniform rituals of worship. Observances vary from deity to deity and shrine to shrine.
Nonhuman races also live in Kozakura. The Bamboo Spirit Folk are found in forested areas. Hengeyokai live in isloated enclaves throughtout the nation. Korobokuru (Kara-Tur dwarves) live in the remotest areas of Shinkoku and Tenmei.
--- End quote ---
Also, since people tend to make nipponinzed characters, they might want to know about the country Wa, even though they're a nation closed to the world.
--- Quote ---Wa A series of islands that are a unified military state. Like Kozakura, Wa is a nation of islands, with Tsukishima being the largest, home to the captial of Uwaji. Although there is an emperor, the title is honorary and real power rests in the hands of the shogun or "barbarian-suppressing general." The island is divided into fiefs, granted by the shogun, and ruled individually by the daimyos.
Within Wa the status of the warrior, particularly the samurai, has been raised above all others. Each daimyo maintains a household of samurai, each expected to give absolute and loyal service to their daimyo. Under the warriors come the peasants, then the craftsmen, and finally the merchants.
Wa has a culture similar to that of Kozakura, but here law and order prevails. The same rigid social system which ensures domestic tranqulity borders on tyranny and oppression for most. Distinct social classes are rigidly enforced, travel is closely monitored, even relgion is regulated by the state. Prosperity is concentrated among the ruling military, condemning a staggering number of commoners to lives of hardship and poverty.
Regardless of their social status, the citizens of Wa are united by their fierce national pride and deep distrust of foreigners. Contact with the rest of the world is limited to a few trusted Kozakuran merchants, and very few details of Wa are known outside its borders even in Kara-tur.
Foregin and especially non Kara-Tur ships are intercepted by ships of the Wa navy and are not permitted to make landfall. Wa apparently has no interest in relations with its neighbors, let alone gaijin. --- End quote ---
EDIT: Hopefully, this'll be enough to save people the trouble of making up new worlds and everything. ;)
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