Orientals in Aduria ?

[agoulart]

In my actual campaign I'm running, I have the players
involved with a race of Snake Man (I haven't read about your ideas of the Ssrak race yet).

In my campaign, this race have an oriental flavor, much like
a mix between chinese and hindus.

IMHO, if we create a lot of new races for the continent of
Aduria, they should look and feel different from the others
in Cerilia.
From the point of view of our world, it seems that the
orientals are missing from the Birthright scenario.

Maybe we could insert a little more of Veda and Chinese
cultures in the continent of Aduria. This would give the
continent a feeling of ancient mysteries.

What do you think ?

[Lord Eldred]

I think that if you feel the need to give your Birthright campaign an oriental flavor you should go for it. For me, I am still working on getting an understanding of all the different entities the game has now. I wouldn't want to complicate things further by adding the oriental flavor.

[Lofwyr]

...you can use the Oriental adventure material and adapt it to an adurian campaign. In fact, you'll have to come with a reason why this civilization didn't participate in Deismaar and, as such, has no blood powers... or have they ?

So good luck...

Lofwyr, an eternal dragon

[Satanta]

in my campaign i had some oriental colonys along the west coast of anduria . their homeland was supposed to be on a seprate continent to the west. i thought they didnt quite suit anduria as a native culture but had them heavily involved in trade and running trade posts.

[Satanta]

woops forgot this pit.
the rason i didnt see them as being native to anduria was because the tribes that came from their to Cerilia were largely caucasian(european)

[Keovar]

I think that the home of an "oriental" type culture should be based on the far side of the Sea of Dragons. Since most of the Cerilian cultures came from the West and South, and the Basarji came from the Southeast, then there aren't any clues about the peoples of the Western and Northwestern areas. I think it would be interesting to place some Oriental and Hindic type cultures there. Such a land wouldn't have standard magic as it is known in Cerilia, so it culd be the home of Psions, Psychic Warriors, and Monks (who have always seemed to be a type of physical-psi users to me).

The northern parts of the Oriental lands could be populated by unblooded Vos - they were a lost colony from the times after they were corrupted by Azrai, so they are strong rather than intelligent, but before Deismaar, so they do not have or even know of bloodlines. They are still warlike, however, and have adapted to a nomadic horseman culture, much like the Mongols of Earth.

South of the Vos/Mongol area would be the Oriental cultures, and south of that would be the Hindic cultures. Their lands would be near and overlapping the Equator, so there would be alot of jungles and such throughout that area.

On the southern side of the Equator, and across a narrow sea, would be the ancient Basarji lands. Perhaps arcane magic has developed here, albeit from a different source. A host of elemental spirits called Djinni and Efreets started appearing after Deismaar, when the Shadow World corruption started spreading worldwide and forcing them from their natural home. Some of the lesser spirits have formed bonds with humans, allowing them to gain spells that are harvested from short forays into the Shadow World. These genie-mages are known as Sha'ir, and have come to equal the clerics as formidable men and women of Magic.

[Keovar]

Originally posted by KeovarI think that the home of an "oriental" type culture should be based on the far side of the Sea of Dragons. Since most of the Cerilian cultures came from the West and South, and the Basarji came from the Southeast, then there aren't any clues about the peoples of the Western and Northwestern areas.

Oops... I mean there aren't any clues about the EASTern and NorthEASTern areas.

[Lord Grave]

>
> Keovar wrote:
>
Originally posted by KeovarI think that the
> home of an "oriental" type culture should be based on the
> far side of the Sea of Dragons. Since most of the Cerilian
> cultures came from the West and South, and the Basarji came
> from the Southeast, then there aren`t any clues about the
> peoples of the Western and Northwestern areas.
>
> Oops... I mean there aren`t any clues about the EASTern and
> NorthEASTern areas.
>

Djapar is quite large, and I doubt that it is inhabited exclusively by
Basarji. Oriental cultures could be placed there. I`d really like to see
some UNIQUE culturesi in Aduria.

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[Athos69]

I've placed an Oriental culture in my home campaign -- they are the source from which the original colonists of Cerillia fled.

The Orientals are ruled by a single God-King and a ruling caste of Yuan-ti. They were the Overlords who kept the servitor tribes in line. As history indicated, all of the migrating tribes were led by their patron Gods away from the Old Empire and to Cerillia. There was no account of any tribes beign left behind, nor was there any record that all of the tribes that were in the Old Empire left.

The God King was granted a good portion of Azrai's essence just before Deismaar for "safekeeping". When Azrai was destroyed, the largest portion of his essence went to Belenik and Kreisha, but a good 20% of his power was also stored in the human homelands.

In the Old Empire, you will find the classes from OA, as well as Monks.

Just what I'm doing.. and it's a good thing that my players don't frequent this board -- I'm planning an invasion from the Old Empire in the next few years.. :)

-Mike

[Ariadne]

Generally I don't like the oriental setting at all and I don't think, it exists on Cerilia...

In Germany the "oriental setting" sometimes is confused with the "arabian nights". The last I prefer (and I'm glad, with th Khinasi part it is realized).

[Sthenelos]

Logically you could have dozens of cultures all over cerillia ... when the anuireans conquered a big part of it, they certainly sent some colonists which influenced the life-style of the local residents... On djafar you could have a realm influenced by the masetians from the early beginning wich ended in a - Ancient greece or Athenian - Kind of people... Depending on your view about the masetians... Something simillar could have happened in aduria wich could have modified the modus vivendi of the new "oriental" peoples...

[ryancaveney]

On Wed, 4 Dec 2002, Athos69 wrote:

> The Orientals are ruled by a single God-King and a ruling caste of Yuan-ti.
> The God King was granted a good portion of Azrai`s essence

Regardless of whether one thinks OA cultures and classes are nifty (I was
fond of the 1e version, but haven`t seen the 3e one; and I never liked
monks much at all), I definitely think that somewhere on Aebrynis there
has to be a society of evil snake-people worshipping Azrai (whose totem
animal is the snake). The Serpent is a good start, but I really do like
groups of Yuan-ti as intelligent monster villains.


Ryan Caveney

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[Caelcormac]

I think that looking at the world map of Aebrynis that a Japanese or Chinese flavored campaign is absolutely possible!

Who better than the Feudal Japanese to have a "Living God" as their Emperor and to have various other lords ruling fiefs for him; but warring constantly against each other.

As for explaining the bloodlines of these various royalty and nobility; you could easily have had many present at Deismaar...magic does wonderful things and a band of adventurers could have easily been present at the battle that were from the "Oriental" area. Their bloodlines might not be quite as powerful as even a True bloodline...but even this could have happened if some scion of a noble house of Anuire sporting Haelyn's True Bloodline had at some point gone adventuring, to find himself on the end of the blade of a mighty proto-samurai warrior in some far land.

I myself have a very detailed plan for how I was going to make an Asian styled campaign centered on a Japanese type culture. However, I wasn't going to rely on the typical bloodlines...I had made up my own Pantheon, decided that the Emperor WAS a direct descendant of the Emperor of the Pantheon and was the divine ruler of the "earth" as his greatest grandfather was the Emperor of Heaven. The various noble houses were going to be related to the Emperor's house, or other gods of the Pantheon by direct blood descent as well...and even some that were NOT noble (such as peasants who were also Ninja) would have bloodlines as well.

Non-Human races would have been available as well, on a limited basis, because the Spirits (Si, Dwarves, etc.) would be available in such a setting.

I think Fuedal Japanese culture made an excellent source for this...but I never got around to it. :(

[Thelandrin]

Caelcormac, this thread is nearly six years old! Your opinion is valued, but perhaps a newer thread might have been more useful :)

[Rey]

Actually, it's more than 7 years old, but it's ok, time passes differently in elven realms. :D
Never too late for good ideas.

[Caelcormac]

Aye, the age of a thing doesn't matter if everyone is now back to seeing it. ;)

I'm an avid reader of all things...so going back in history is one of my favorite things to do.

Also, I didn't want to start yet another thread when this one would suffice.

So, on the topic:

Ninshon looks like it would be a very good place to have an Asian Styled game. The mountains in the center of the Australian Sized continent would make for a great place for the Dwarves (as Korabukuru, sp?) to hail from...or even for the Emperor to make his central holdings. The Si (sorry I like to use the Irish word for Fey) would easily find holdings within the same highland woodlands perhaps, and other races of a faerie nature, considered spirits, could live scattered about the islands. The lowland/coastal provinces would be dominated by various warlords each vying for control of the Emperors Coart as "Shogun" but none of them realizing that perhaps the Emperor simply allows them their excesses, but could crack down at will because of his immense power/bloodline.

I pictured that the Samurai could have evolved as the dominant warrior caste, but to be a member of this elite society you had to at least be "of divine heritage" and so we find many duels of honor between samurai who seek the death of their foes to increase their power. So Samurai would all be at least Tainted in blood strength. This might make for thousands of scions on the land; but since mostly they would only be tainted in strength (with few having strength above 5), only the mightiest scions would belong to the true noble houses and hold domains. The Samurai of Ninshon would be akin to the earliest Champion Warriors of Japan that fought primarily as individuals on the battle-field in the quest for glory and honor.

Meanwhile, the common man would indeed live in fear of the samurai because of their divine heritage and even actively worship the Emperor as the manifest will of the Celestial Emperor on earth.

Technologically, the people of Ninshon might be very advanced in certain areas; but lacking in others as it is "Against the Will of the Emperor" to leave the island nation. Their sword making, for instance, might be well in advance of the rest of the world because of their need to ensure an ability to properly harvest the power of a defeated foe...thus is born the Katana.

Because of strong ties to the Spirits, Ninshon would be a place where the land was greatly respected as well...and many Wu Jen would find instruction at the hands of the Spirit People who would guide them in magic that was less harmful to the lands.

The "underworld" would be dominated perhaps by less savory non-noble individuals still infused with bloodlines stolen by means of assassination. While not just Ninja, the criminal elements of Ninshon would be quite powerful as the various warlords often found that they were in need of funding to be gained in loans from these people, or perhaps even the warlords would exert power over the criminal elements through their own criminal agents. I don't picture trade being as pronounced in Ninshon because sea-going vessels (junks) would be used primarily for warfare...and there is a obvious lack of wagons, carts and the like because of the very mountainous/hilly terrain of the land.

Temple holdings would be very common here. Monks would indeed have a place in Ninshon, and might hold many of the Temple holdings as well. The often violent clashes between temples in feudal Japan would hold true here as well, often pitting them in wars against each other where Ronin were enlisted as mercenaries; or even whole Noble Families brought into conflict because of the will of some powerful Monk...who might be the uncle of the current Daimyo of the said clan. Monks were very often of nobility, choosing to join a Monastery to gain power if they were a second or third son.

Over all of this would of course be an Emperor who was considered both the military master and spiritual master of Ninshon...but in practice might be controlled by the most powerful factions and his holdings in truth quite limited despite his powerful True Bloodline...with Emperors often being "retired" when they reached the age of maturity (when their bloodline would begin to manifest) to be replaced by their most likely infant offspring as the new Emperor. Such retirees often found that they were now Monks, who had to forswear temporal power because of the religion they found they were no part of...but such men often became the master of their order because they had such a powerful bloodline.

The interlacing between how bloodlines work and the workings of a Japanese type nation can go on and on...

[Rey]

Just a reminder that Ninshon isn't a part of what TSR/WOTC developed. It is a fan made cont(in)ent, but nevertheless usable and certainly recommended (since it was made by a member of BR community after all).

Well, instead of just pushing them all under the same Mt. Deismaar to have a little bloodline here, a little bloodline there, why not create a mirrored version (I'm repeating myself, I know) on the other side of Aebrynis to put together all the others. And develop a whole world in the end. At least with a general idea.

And yes, I'm in favor for other continent than Aduria for oriental adventures.

[AndrewTall]

I've never dug into the archives much, so I don't mind frankenstein threads.

I toyed with a continent of the utter west, eqyptian and japanese natives who were partly conquered by the Anuirean Empire, and then 'liberated' by orog Janissaries who settled in as overlords.

Aduria was the home of the ancient tribes, so fitting in orientals might be tough, unless Azrai had another corrupted people beyond the Vos and beast-men.

I posted an outline of my thoughts in Sept 07 under the thread Other continents? :
http://www.birthright.net/forums/other-continentsi-t4004.html?t=4004&highlight=torele+roele

[Sorontar]

I have just uploaded the missing Aduria map to the wiki.

http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Image:Aduria.JPG

Don't forget that someone has proposed a Dragon-based culture for the Dragon Isles that is very oriental.

http://www.birthright.net/brwiki/index.php/Dragon_Isles