Tang Empire - Revision history

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The largest island in the Realm is home to the ratmen of the Tang Empire. It is clear that ratmen society was established there early in the First Age of Man, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.

Little is actually known of the Tang homeland, as visitors are not welcome on the island. The Tang are ruled by a hereditary emperor, and there seems to be little discord about his rule. He is said to sit upon a ruby throne in a palace made of solid gold. There, he has a crystal ball which allows him to watch for the safety of all the Tang ships in all the oceans of the Realm. There are no known concentrations of ratmen other than on the island of Tang. In fact, while ratmen may visit for a few months or even a year at a port of call, they always return to Tang after a short while.

In the middle of the Third Age, Tang traders began a tradition of carrying one human merchant on all of their galleys. This master merchant is responsible for negotiating with the humans of the Realm. It is said that these merchants are allowed to disembark on the island, and some have been rumored to have met the Emperor. These rumors have never been verified.

The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratmen typically act as warehousemen and ferriers in most exchanges.

← Older revision		Revision as of 07:55, 24 March 2017
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	The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratfolk typically act as warehousers and ferriers in most exchanges.		The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratfolk typically act as warehousers and ferriers in most exchanges.
−
−	~~== Interesting Places Nearby ==~~
−
−	~~'''Huhueteotl Islands'''~~
−
−	Little is known of the Huhueteotl Islands, except that it is inhabited by tribes of cannibal savages - purportedly descended uncivilized since the Second Age. Expeditions have sometimes retuned with considerable wealth and tales of mines where gems abound. A massive, ancient tree is reportedly the gathering place for the savage tribes when they ready for warfare and raiding. Contact has been through various merchants of the Tang Empire.

@@ Line 13: / Line 13: @@
 The Tang Empire includes the largest island in the Realm and a number of small islands in an archipelago in the southern waters of the [[The Realm|Great Sea]]. Warm currents keep the northern parts of the Empire in a temperate climate, although the southern half of the main island is famous for frigid, howling winds and icy conditions in winter.
-The population of the Tang Empire is almost entirely ratfolk.  Shorter and thinner than most humans - averaging four feet in height with a weight of eighty pounds - ratfolk typically have whiskered snouts and long scaly tails.  These distinguishing features make them easy to identify, although many wear loose hooded cloaks to blend in more easily when traveling outside the Empire.
+The population of the Tang Empire is almost entirely [[ratfolk]].  The ratfolk are counted as the best sailors in the Realm, and the Tang Empire galleys can be found in ports throughout the world.  The traders of the Tang Empire are well trusted, and most of the Realm's sea trade happens under their jurisdiction.  Few ratfolk are found in the nations outside the Tang Empire - with no major known communities.  In fact, while ratfolk may visit for a few months or even a year at a port of call, they always return to the island after a short while.
 Around 900 TA, the first appearance of a powerful drug, a hallucinogen which gives the user tremendous strength in exchange for brief periods of insanity, began showing up in ports around the Realm.  Given the nickname "warpstone dust", the origins of the drug appear to coincide with the arrival of Win Lu, Grandmaster of Chaos.  In some areas, the use of warpstone dust has created pockets of instability and insurrection with local rule.  The drug is forbidden by law in most ports, making it the most highly prized black market commodity.

@@ Line 29: / Line 29: @@
 Although his last five years were guided by Win Lu, Grandmaster of Chaos, the Emperor Shiba reluctantly embraced change to the millennium-old lawful traditions of the Tang.  It is rumored that his last years were also influenced by Valdemar, deposed ruler of [[Sandal]].  In 900 TA, he declared the Code of Honor and Law broken and ordered the first of a number of unsuccessful invasions of the Reaches releasing the [[The Runebound Warriors|Runebound Warriors]] to execute the Great Summoning of the Forbidden.
-In October 905 TA, after devastating losses to the Reaches in the first [[Invasion of the Tang Empire|invasion of the Tang homeland]] in centuries, the Emperor Shiba and several advisers - including Koto, First Admiral of the Fleet - were found dead at the emperor's retreat in the Holy Mountains.
+In October 905 TA, after devastating losses to the Reaches in the first [[Invasion of the Tang Empire|invasion of the Tang homeland]] in centuries, the Emperor Shiba and several advisers - including his son Prince Oda and Koto, First Admiral of the Fleet - were found dead at the emperor's retreat in the Holy Mountains.
 '''The Emperor Kaji (905-present TA)'''

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 The ratfolk are counted as the best sailors in the Realm, and the Tang Empire galleys can be found in ports throughout the world.  The traders of the Tang Empire are well trusted, and most of the Realm's sea trade happens under their jurisdiction.  Few ratfolk are found in the nations outside the Tang Empire - with no major known communities.  In fact, while ratfolk may visit for a few months or even a year at a port of call, they always return to the island after a short while.
 == Organization of the Tang Empire ==
-'''The Emperor'''
+The Tang Empire has long been shrouded in secrecy, although its roots go back to the very beginning of time. For as long as history has been recorded in the ancient stone scriptoriums of Sarth, there has been an unbroken line of Tang Emperors – whose power is absolute.
-The Tang Empire has long been shrouded in secrecy, although its roots go back to the very beginning of time. For as long as history has been recorded in the ancient stone scriptoriums of Sarth, there has been an unbroken line of Tang Emperors – whose power is absolute.
+Although his last five years were guided by Win Lu, Grandmaster of Chaos, the Emperor Shiba reluctantly embraced change to the millennium-old lawful traditions of the Tang.  It is rumored that his last years were also influenced by Valdemar, deposed ruler of [[Sandal]].  In 900 TA, he declared the Code of Honor and Law broken and ordered the first of a number of unsuccessful invasions of the Reaches releasing the [[The Runebound Warriors|Runebound Warriors]] to execute the Great Summoning of the Forbidden.
-In October 905 TA, after devastating losses to the Reaches in the [[Invasion of the Tang Empire|first invasion of the Tang homeland]] in centuries, the Emperor and several advisers - including Koto, First Admiral of the Fleet - were found dead at the emperor's retreat in the Holy Mountains.
+'''The Emperor Kaji (905-present TA)'''
 In November 905 TA, a new Emperor - Kaji of the South Wind - assumed the throne at the palace in the walled city of Heaven's Gate.  A middle-aged ratman of unimpeachable lineage, Kaji has already proclaimed peace with the Reaches and a resumption of free trade with all ports of call.  In a break from his predecessor who deemed them unlawful, Kaji has also opened up dialog with the pirates of Tormod Bay and the dark elves of [[Dor Daedeloth]].  Some believe this is the influence of Win Lu, Grandmaster of Chaos.

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 '''Kanpaku'''
-The wisdom - and some say the power - of the Emperor is found in his ten advisers: the kanpaku.  Each of these advisers holds dominion over one important facet of Tang life.  The Grandmaster of Shipwrights, for instance, oversees advances and changes to the powerful Tang Armada. The kanpaku are chosen from a number cloistered shrines scattered throughout the islands of the empire.  Of the kanpaku, the most enigmatic was the Grandmaster of Law - the oldest living ratman having emerged from the the Tenth Shrine in the late Second Age until his disappearance in 899 TA.  While serving, the Grandmaster of Law could be found at the Emperor's side for all critical decisions of state.
+The wisdom - and some say the power - of the Emperor is found in his ten advisers: the kanpaku.  Each of these advisers holds dominion over one important facet of Tang life.  The Grandmaster of Shipwrights, for instance, oversees advances and changes to the powerful Tang Armada. The kanpaku are chosen from a number cloistered shrines scattered throughout the islands of the empire.  Of the kanpaku, the most enigmatic was the Grandmaster of Law - the oldest living ratman having emerged from the the Tenth Shrine in the late Second Age until his disappearance in 889 TA.  While serving, the Grandmaster of Law could be found at the Emperor's side for all critical decisions of state.
 In June 899 TA, the most mystical shrine, [[the Tenth Shrine]], opened for the first time in a thousand years.  From it, emerged a single figure - Win Lu, the Grandmaster of Chaos.

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 <table align="center">
 <tr><td>
-[[File:map-tang-north.jpg|center]]
+[[File:map-tang-north.jpg|center|750px]]
 </td></tr>
 <tr><td>
@@ Line 74: / Line 74: @@
 <table align="center">
 <tr><td>
-[[File:map-tang-south.jpg|center]]
+[[File:map-tang-south.jpg|center|750px]]
 </td></tr>
 <tr><td>
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 == History of the Tang Empire ==
-It is clear that ratfolk society was established there early in the First Age of Man, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.
+It is clear that ratfolk society was established early in the First Age, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.
 Little is actually known of the Tang homeland, as visitors are not welcome on the island. The Tang are ruled by a hereditary Emperor, and there seems to be little discord about his rule. He is rumored to sit upon a ruby throne in a palace made of solid gold. There, he has a crystal ball which allows him to watch for the safety of all the Tang ships in all the oceans of the Realm.

@@ Line 3: / Line 3: @@
 |header1 = [[File:shield-tang.png|120px]]
 |label2 = Founded
-|data2 = early SA
+|data2 = early FA
 |label3 = Size
 |data3 = Major Kingdom
 |label4 = Ruler
-|data4 = Emperor
+|data4 = Emperor Kaji of the South Wind
 }}
-The largest island in the Realm is home to the ratmen of the Tang Empire. It is clear that ratmen society was established there early in the First Age of Man, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.
+== About the Tang Empire==
-Little is actually known of the Tang homeland, as visitors are not welcome on the island. The Tang are ruled by a hereditary emperor, and there seems to be little discord about his rule. He is said to sit upon a ruby throne in a palace made of solid gold. There, he has a crystal ball which allows him to watch for the safety of all the Tang ships in all the oceans of the Realm. There are no known concentrations of ratmen other than on the island of Tang. In fact, while ratmen may visit for a few months or even a year at a port of call, they always return to Tang after a short while.
+The Tang Empire includes the largest island in the Realm and a number of small islands in an archipelago in the southern waters of the [[The Realm|Great Sea]]. Warm currents keep the northern parts of the Empire in a temperate climate, although the southern half of the main island is famous for frigid, howling winds and icy conditions in winter.
 In the middle of the Third Age, Tang traders began a tradition of carrying one human merchant on all of their galleys. This master merchant is responsible for negotiating with the humans of the Realm. It is said that these merchants are allowed to disembark on the island, and some have been rumored to have met the Emperor. These rumors have never been verified.
-The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratmen typically act as warehousemen and ferriers in most exchanges.
+The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratfolk typically act as warehousers and ferriers in most exchanges.
 == Interesting Places Nearby ==

← Older revision		Revision as of 21:44, 24 November 2015
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		+	{{Infobox
		+	\|title = Tang Empire
		+	\|header1 = [[File:shield-tang.png\|120px]]
		+	\|label2 = Founded
		+	\|data2 = early SA
		+	\|label3 = Size
		+	\|data3 = Major Kingdom
		+	\|label4 = Ruler
		+	\|data4 = Emperor
		+	}}
	The largest island in the Realm is home to the ratmen of the Tang Empire. It is clear that ratmen society was established there early in the First Age of Man, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.		The largest island in the Realm is home to the ratmen of the Tang Empire. It is clear that ratmen society was established there early in the First Age of Man, as written records tracing the lineage of the Tang emperors can be found dating from that time. Confined on a small island with limited natural resources, the Tang were quickly forced to learn how to build ships and sail. At first, these early sailors focused mostly on fishing which provided the staple of their diet. As their skills increased, the Tang ventured further into the sea in search of larger fish and whales. Eventually, the Tang made contact with the outside world, first encountering the elves in the present-day Wilderlands. Documents from the Elven Histories of the First Age tell of this meeting. By the end of the First Age, the sight of Tang sailing ships was common in most of the harbors of the Realm. This tradition has continued throughout the Second and Third Ages.

← Older revision		Revision as of 00:56, 29 September 2015
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	The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratmen typically act as warehousemen and ferriers in most exchanges.		The Tang remain politically neutral and seem just as comfortable dealing with pirates as kings. There are no significant exports from the Tang Empire, as the ratmen typically act as warehousemen and ferriers in most exchanges.
		+
		+	== Interesting Places Nearby ==
		+
		+	'''Huhueteotl Islands'''
		+
		+	Little is known of the Huhueteotl Islands, except that it is inhabited by tribes of cannibal savages - purportedly descended uncivilized since the Second Age. Expeditions have sometimes retuned with considerable wealth and tales of mines where gems abound. A massive, ancient tree is reportedly the gathering place for the savage tribes when they ready for warfare and raiding. Contact has been through various merchants of the Tang Empire.