Care to help make a Gothic Asia netbook?

[Dion of the Fraternity]

As an Asian IMHO, "Oriental" isn't offensive per se, but the term always connotes something "Eastern," as supposed to Ravenloft where there really isn't any sort of "East" or "West" in the first place. "Oriental Adventures" assumes such because the 1st-ed product of the title I thiunk was focused on Kara-Tur, the eastern Asian-themed lands of the Forgotten Realms. I can see in your map that its ocean is positioned to the west,. connoting that it isn't "Oriental" at all

We can't really use those from 3rd Edition Oriental Adventures as they're HIGHLY fantasized, besides all being based on Japan

And as a tip, don't count out using Oriental Adventures 3e--it may be mostly Japanese high-fantasy, but it's helped me a lot fleshing out the "Worlds of Ravenloft" Asian-themed domains.

We will have to look more closely at the magic system for the Jade Kingdoms, but I think the Siranga Purang and jungle domains would be well suited to Necromancy (sort of a like an Asian version of voodoo). Would you be interested in making Wong a practitioner of necromancy?

Asian cultures are more focused on transmutation magic, I guess.

[Waldi]

Asian cultures are more focused on transmutation magic, I guess.

That is, why I wanted to avoid the classical necromantic spell in the case of the darklord Dr. Wong.
One thing about necromancy, I could imagine would be a "good" necromancy within some ancestral cults. The praying person is realy able to speak to his not yet reincarnated ancestors through some kind of divine magic, but of course he cannot controll them. What do you think of it ?

@Dion:
I planned a phillipine-based domain within the western ocean that is either conquered by the Jomon-jin or terribly plagued by the pirate-fleet of "Twistleg". Would you, as an expert , have some suggestions for that ?

[HuManBing]

As far as game system changes go:

I agree magic needs to be carefully examined and overhauled for the Asian lands. The traditional corpus of Chinese magical lore has been that if you want to draw a wondrous effect from nature or the heavens, you have to petition them and wait. Hence all the temples and ceremony.

On the other hand, if you want to train yourself so you can create it from your own qi (mystical energy), then that often results in an explosive and immediate (and impressive!) outcome right when you need it.

I will be researching other magic systems: I have ordered a copy of the Legend of the Five Rings book and I'll be looking at their magic system. I also have older editions of other RPGs, including Call of Cthulhu and Star Wars and I'll look into how they use their occult/Force systems.

The store near me has a copy of the Tome of Magic 3rd edition, but I flipped through it and wasn't impressed with the three new types of magic.

Meanwhile, I'm going to keep at this until I've posted everything pertaining to the politics. I know MistShadow is planning to tackle the actual game mechanics at a later date, so I won't interfere with that milestone.

Now, we've spoken about rebellions before, but we haven't included any. This following power, the Empire of the Mighty Firmament of Heaven, should serve as an ample specimen.

Weixiao Tiandiguo ("Great Firmament Heaven Empire")

Sandwiched between the Liang and the Wen kingdoms, the Weixiao Tiandiguo was forcibly carved from the surrounding forests and mountains when Xie Huanzhi (whose name means "bright wisdom") led a rebellion. The rebellion gathered momentum among the oppressed workers in southeast Liang, and they even succeeded in bringing a defecting captain to their flock. Drawn by the promise of a "Heaven on Earth", peasants and serfs joined the movement and studied the scriptures of the prophet ("Jiaofu" or "religion's father") and his god, Jiaketa. (Loosely translated to "The many-grained", or "The Provider".)

Jiaketa was a god that demanded sacrifices but guaranteed food. Legend has it that Jiaketa sired the Most Holy Blessor, Pei Yanuo. The Blessor led his people through famine and dismay to Jiaketa's throne, and they were blessed with harvests of plenty and bounty. Xie Huanzhi had a dream where the Blessor stood before him, speaking with the voice of Jiaketa, calling upon him as a younger brother to fulfill his manifest destiny.

Xie Huanzhi's conquests in the Wen kingdom encountered little armed resistance, but he encountered learned monks who wished to debate the merits of his god. Amid great pomp and fanfare, the Jiaofu and his loyal church leaders met with the monks of the monasteries. For days they debated the philosophical intricacies of Jiaketa. Although he argued well and intelligently, Xie Huanzhi felt his faith begin to slide, and sensed that his followers were watching his every move.

On the eleventh night, Xie had a vision of the Blessor, speaking to him again. He heard that the Minglun and Shuangqi monks were false, calling upon peasants and paupers to give alms and leave food at their altars for their supposed gods. He dreamed that the Blessor gave him a spade, and told him to till over the earth.

The following day, Xie ordered his captain to seal the gates and went in to the discussion hall. There, he invited the monks to the rear courtyard to show them the fruits of his god.

In the rear courtyard, the servants had laid out a banquet meal. Xie waited until the monks were seated, then rose and strode to the speaker's corner. The monks, expecting to hear him give a speech, were entirely unprepared for the hail of arrows and bolts his followers rained down upon them. When the last monk lay dying on the ground, Xie and his followers come forth with spades and knives and chopped their bodies up and buried them in the ground, planting seeds for a harvest with them. That act resulted in the formation of a new domain - the Weixiao Tiandiguo.

Based on: Taiping Tianguo, the Heavenly Kingdom of Surpassing Peace.
CL: 6 in settlements. Many former towns and villages were CL 4, but the misrule of Xie's followers drops that down to 3 or even 2.
Landscape: The Heavenly Empire carves a living from the forest and hillside. Some of the peasants have hewn terraced fields out of the hillside, hinting at the scope of things that they might yet accomplish.
Major Settlements: The Jiaofu and his retinue of advisors keeps on the move between villages, and there is no proper capital. By actual size, the largest settlements are Xinongtian, Beishandu, Qing'an, and Lügui (pop. 3,000 to 8,000 ).
The Folk: 99% human (55% Liang, 30% Wen, 15% Darta). 1% other. Most of the folk are hardy commoner humans. The majority of them hail from the Liang kingdom, as they would have lived at a lower level than those in the Wen. The relative minority who used to be Wen commoners more likely joined because they were persuaded by the teachings of the Jiaofu. Another minority of them, whom the Hua call the "Darta", hail from the mountainous region to the south. These were the outermost fringes of a high-altitude religious society ruled over by the Lama priests. The Darta speak a completely different language, and most converted to the Weixiao religion because of its promise of bountiful nourishment (physical and spiritual).
Population: In total, less than 100,000 individuals, spread around 500 villages.
Language: Liang, Wen, Darta, many other polyglot tongues. The leader, Jiaofu Xie Huanzhi, is a native speaker of a very heavily accented Liang dialect (even standard Liang speakers find it hard to understand him) and his advisors serve in some capacity simply to translate his edicts to be understandable.
Religion: Weixiao Tiandiguo - a religion that promises spiritual and material nourishment in return for absolute obedience. The religion functions somewhat as a cult of personality, with one of the central edicts being acceptance of Xie Huanzhi as the younger brother of the holy being The Blessor, Pei Yanuo.
The Law: Xie Huanzhi is a man of excellent intentions. His rule nominally treats women on an equal footing with men, and - aside from the everpresent need to cultivate food - nominally ensures privacy and personal choice for each individual. In practice, however, the rules are bent or willfully misinterpreted by Xie Huanzhi and his followers. Women are often treated as de facto concubines, and children as chattel. Currently, the entire nation is on a war footing, with the avowed intent of evangelizing the entire Hua Empire from their "unassailable" hill bases. This means that the promised freedoms of the self, as well as the abundance of food, are temporarily put on hold until the Jiaofu has enforced his enlightened will upon the populace. Currently, the conclave's main focus is on arming for war, and tilling enough soil to feed their troops.
Trade: The Heavenly Empire acquires its supplies through dealing with sympathetic villages and towns near its borders. One product that the forests yield is a mild narcotic drug which numbs the body to pain. This drug often finds its way to the diet of followers, so they will work harder. It also is traded to the serfs in the Liang and Wen kingdoms, despite the best efforts of the local dukes to stop it. The main import is metal for weapons and agricultural tools, as the Weixiao Tiandiguo is unable to smelt sufficient stockpiles of metal for their own operating needs.
Resources: In a naturally resource-poor area, the Weixiao Tiandiguo has succeeded in setting up rudimentary schools, mines, and crop fields. Scant fruits and nuts comprise the basic starvation diet, usually given to captives and those who have offended against the nation's law. Those of commoner status get wheat or rice gruel and basic vegetables. Generals in the army, and the Jiaofu, eat much richer diets.
Coinage: The Weixiao Tiandiguo does not use money, with church leaders instead allocating their resources according to the piety and devotion of their followers.
Characters: At this early stage, the Weixiao Tiandiguo enjoys mostly full-hearted support from its followers. PCs originating from this region would most likely have received a scholastic regimen of body exercises intended to train them in to soldiers and farmers, and a spiritual diet of praise to the Jiaofu's name and to Jiaketa.
Politics: Xie Huanzhi is the nation's paramount leader, with Zhou Quanchui as its general (formerly he was a relatively lowly captain in a county guard in Liang). Despite the talk of meritocratic advancement, the five appointees to Zhujiao status (bishop) are arbitrary picks, with Xie seeking to contain the popularity and power of his general. With other domains, the Weixiao Tiandiguo has no effective diplomacy. The Jiaofu views them all as inevitable convertees to the faith.
Encounters: Wolves, lynxes, bobcats, and bears stalk through the forests. Snakes and large spiders also make themselves comfortable in warm indoor areas.
Darklord: Xie Huanzhi is wracked with uncertainty. He has given everything he had in life to be a deliverer of good news to the people, yet his visions have grown fainter and less certain. In his moments of doubt, he questions the chain of events that brought him this far, and wonders whether there truly is a Jiaketa and Pei Yanuo. When these doubts occur, one look at his followers, who hang in his every word, is enough to remind the Jiaofu that there is no alternative but to forge on. He is currently planning an assault on a major Liang stronghold, and hopes to seize it as his own capital, complete with court.
Unknown to Xie Huanzhi, Pei Yanuo does indeed exist, and is himself a darklord on an island domain in the mists, where the people have followed his faith and are still waiting for Jiaketa The Provider to appear.
Whether Jiaketa exists, however, is another question entirely. Xie Huanzhi is able to cast divine spells and use magic, but the feeling leaves him empty and uneasy all the same.

In case it wasn't painfully obvious already, this false religion is based on the worship of Zhakata, the Devourer God, who is the same religious entity worshipped by the populace of G'Henna. The reference to "Pei Yanuo" is a Chinese transliteration of Yagno Petrovna's name. This further cements the similarities to the historical Boxer Rebellion, where a Chinese man converted to a western religion (Christianity) and then believed himself to be the younger brother of that religion's prophet (i.e. Jesus' younger brother).

[HuManBing]

Hua Military Advances

The Hua Empire has traditionally survived through a reasonably efficient bureaucratic system. Although individual dynasties rose and fell in cycles, the underlying structure of rule tended to renew and resume itself more or less unchanged each time.

Militarily, this had the effect of delaying any unified military-industrial complex. Individual inventors may come up with a new tactic, but it would take a mjor conflict for opposing sides to adopt the new tactic or device.

Thus, while the Hua Empire has some or all of the following, it is erroneous to assume that all the kingdoms will use them equally. Gunpowder weapons were developed, but if you can keep the peace equally well with Zhugenu crossbows at a fraction of the cost, they would be used far less than you'd expect if the country were fighting for its life.

Melee weapons:
Dao: Literally, blade. This usually specifies a metal edge that is curved, not straight, and many dao are flexible. Some one-handed dao can in fact be folded and spring back fluidly. In the hands of a master, this makes them distracting and harder to block, as there is a limited degree of "wraparound". The dao also has polearm variants, see below.
Jian: A straight blade. This specifies a rigid metal edge, often double-edged, that is inflexible and which can parry most attacks regardless of angle, unlike the dao. The jian is not of the same metallurgic quality as the Jomon katana, but it is far cheaper to produce and easy to distribute. Most noble soldiers will carry one.
Shuang Gou Jian: "Double hook swords". Also known by other names in varying regions. These swords are expensive and rare, because of the intricacy of their design and the difficulty in making them balance in the hand. A hook sword is similar to a sword, but with a hook in the end, a parallel crescent blade to protect the knuckles of the grasping hand, and a sharp dagger like spike at the pommel. This makes for two piercing points of attack and two slicing points of attack on each sword. The hooks also can grapple and disarm at a distance. The true master practitioner knows how to link two such swords together at the hooks, and can use them akin to a flail. This requires intensive training and is more likely to feature in small-scale combat than battlefield formations.
Shuang Lian Gun: "Double chain staff". Better known to the west as nunchaku. A three-section variant - "San Lian Gun", also exists. Again, a weapon for personal defence rather than army maneuvers.

Long reach melee weapons
Qiang: This can mean spear or lance, and later on (with the advent of gunpowder) it also means firearm, from the resemblance of a rifle barrel to a spear. The spears are made of varying degrees of rigidity. Some very flexible spears are made, with the same intent as the dao - to confuse and mislead opponents in combat. Others are made of metal alloy shafts, to allow blocking and bludgeoning. For firearm, see huoqiang below. The majority of soldiers on a battlefield will carry a spear.
Liuxing Chui: Literally "flowing star hammer", translated as Meteor Hammer. This is a rope or chain with a dense weight at the end. Using this weapon requires excellent hand-eye coordination, as the hammer must be kept in motion constantly. A skilled user can switch directions by interfering with the rotation of the chain (usually sticking a hand, foot, or elbow into the chain to redirect it quickly) and mislead his opponent. This can be used as a lariat to bind and immobilize opponents, or as a bludgeoning weapon. Blocking against this weapon also is difficult. A variant of this has a knife on a chain. This weapon is popular with martial artists but uncommon on the battlefield, counting as an exotic weapon requiring intensive training to use.
Guan dao: This is a polearm, usually with a dao configuration on the end of a staff. The Hua Empire has many different polearms, and this is one of the most popular. It strongly resembles a curved sabre or scimitar blade, mounted on the end of a pole.
Ji: The halberd equivalent in the Hua army, this resembles a spear with a crescent shaped blade placed parallel to the main spearpoint. There is usually some empty space between the crescent blade and the spearpoint, so a craft warrior can trap an enemy's weapon in the middle and tug it away from him.
Zhanmadao: This is the equivalent of a greatsword, requiring two hands to hold and featuring a curved blade that can reach five or six feet in length. The use of the zhanmadao is relatively unsophisticated compared to other Hua weapons - it is most often used against cavalry, to chop the legs or head of their horses and unseat the riders. Used to good effect against the Taiga tribes.

Missile Weapons
Gong: Bow. Perhaps the first truly universal human handicraft, this has appeared on all continents and features the same, surprisingly advanced, physical premise - that stored elastic potential energy in the form of a drawstring and bent wood piece can be rapidly converted into kinetic energy, propelling a projectile with enough force to kill.
Nu: Crossbow. Invented by the Hua, this later spread around the globe as an expensive but easy to use variant of the standard bow. The nu used by the Hua are particularly high quality, and are especially well-designed to penetrate armor. At close range (without range increment penalty), the weapon ignores the first 5 points of armor protection when rolling to hit. This drops to 2 points ignored in the first range increment, and is negated entirely in further range increments. This penetrative bonus only counts against armor. Unarmored targets are treated normally.
Heavy crossbows are so large the Hua use them as seige weapons in groups to launch a cover of fire across long, arcing distances. The crossbow is light enough for one person to carry, but to use it they must lie on their backs, holding the drawstring in their hands, and push upwards with their feet lodged in the bow to set the string for firing. A large bolt, roughly the size of a half-spear, is loaded. These are usually fired in groups, as a single launch is rarely effective in hitting anything. They are especially effective against massed infantry.
Zhuge nu: So called because it was allegedly invented by the famous battlefield strategist, Zhuge Liang. This crossbow comes with a repeating action and a magazine, sacrificing accuracy and penetration for a high rate of fire. To get around this disadvantage, most users coat their bolts with a contact poison.
Biao: Dart. Largely identical to the western dart, the main difference in usage is the Hua like to throw theirs with a thrusting motion of the open palm. This also applies to throwing knives, giving the knife a straight motion instead of tumbling end over end.

Gunpowder weapons

Huo qiang: A bamboo barrel, coated in tar and other sealant fluids, is left to dry or is baked. The result is a cylinder strong enough to contain and focus the gases emitted when gunpowder is lit. The different nations use different gauges and calibres, but the general principle is the same: take a small bag with a thread hanging loose, and pour powder to fill up to half or two-thirds. Place lead balls into the bag and then tie it up. Drop the bag down the bamboo pipe, and wheedle it so the thread sticks out the side. Prepare as many as you think you'll need ahead of time, then when the enemy is charging you astride their Steppe horses, calmly aim and light the thread. When the huo qiang discharges, check to see if your enemy is still standing. If he is, drop the used bamboo (which is now cracked and will need to be thrown away or retarred) and pick up another. Repeat the process.
Like the nu crossbow, the huoqiang ignores a certain degree of armor bonus. Depending on the type of ammunition being used, this can be anywhere from 1 point (if scattershot is used) to 5 points (if a single solid lead slug is used).
Some enterprising specialists strapped several barrels together, with an attached shield featuring an aiming slit. Although effective, the cost of this weapon configuration has prevented it from seeing commonplace use on the battlefield. The city and palace guards at Yujing are outfitted with these, and they are especially effective when used in massed fire from battlements.

One famous gunsmith was a Nürfan/Hua mixed blood who was known to the Hua as "BeiYing", or the "northern hawk". Legend has it that Beiying not only knew how to fight with a firearm at a distance, he also was a consummate martial artist up close. Ever a wanderer, Beiying boarded a Jomon trading ship four years ago with his firelance, the trusty "She Ya" ('snaketooth') and has not been seen since. In the Western Core, there is a whispered legend of a foreign assassin named "Bane", who was hired by Count Strahd von Zarovich to kill Azalin Rex. Although some discount this as mere coincidence, the legend tells of Bane's martial arts skills, and even mentions a magical arquebus, called "The Adder". (See 2nd edition sourcebook "Forged of Darkness" for further details, especially "Bane's Adder" entry.)

Pao: While the huo qiang works well against living creatures, sometimes you need something that will bring down fortifications. That's where cannons come in. The Hua Empire has yet to find an alloy of metal that is strong enough to reliably withstand the heat and pressure of firing a lead cannonball, while still being light enough to deploy in large numbers. Cannons therefore are used only in very specific circumstances, namely when there is an especially heavy fortification that humans cannot work around. A realistic army - even a very large one - would not have more than a dozen such cannons, as the supply wagons carrying the ammunition would seriously slow the army's travel.

Di lei: Land mine. Literally: "earth thunder". This is occasionally used, mostly when you know your enemy is using heavy artillery such as a pao, above. A more frequent use of this is when defending a high point, your soldiers can kick or throw wooden or stone containers of these into upwards-moving enemy troops.

Huo she: Fire arrow. This differs from the fire lance in that the projectile is itself a gunpowder weapon - this time, an explosive. These were first used on the battlefield against the Nürfan, and appeared as a rack with many spears tipped with specially-designed heads. When lit, the spark would ignite a propellant, firing the heads into an arc that may (or may not) land near the enemy. Upon impact, the head would explode, causing burn wounds or temporary deafness or blindness. The amount of gunpowder involved meant that no significant explosive force could be carried. The battlefield use of this weapon was not satisfactory and it has largely disappeared.

In the water, however, the huo she has a new lease on life. When carried onboard a ship, the huo she can be designed with greater explosive load, as mobility is no longer a problem. Even a localized explosion could hole an enemy ship and cause it to sink. Hua wise men have come up with several designs, the most promising of which focuses on using the viscosity of the water itself as a support. The huo she would be aimed horizontally at the enemy craft, and fired. The head skims across the water's surface and strikes the craft, detonating at roughly water level. If a hole is created, water immediately begins flooding the enemy ship.

In response to this threat, some Hua shipbuilders have begun designing larger ships with redundant air-holding rooms on the inside, to give added buoyancy even if the ship has a hole or two.

The organization of the army
Early Hua armies were comprised largely of conscripts, with a column of trained soldiers to support and lead. In the chivalric era before gunpowder, military leaders would sometime challenge and accept duels, thus sparing the lives of their followers.

These days, however, the most effective armies are those where each soldier is trained and draws salary, rather than relies on looting for their income. The Liang kingdom has instituted a structured hierarchy of command, which others are in various stages of adopting.

The smallest unit is generally the zuoling, consisting of 300 men.
The intermediate unit is the canling, which consists of five zuoling, for a total of 1,500 men.
The largest battlefield unit is the zhi (flag), which consists of five canling, for a total of 7,500 men.
For large scale campaigns, and for administrative purposes, a larger body, known as the qizhi (banner) was used. These could range anywhere upwards of two zhi. The largest such mobilization was about 60,000 men, mustered by the Liang kingdom to oust the Taiga emperor, meaning about 8 zhi together.

Bing: Footsoldier. This is the lowest station. Normally armed with a spear or polearm, or a missile weapon.
Guan: Low officer. Usually on foot, they command between 50 and 100 footsoldiers. They were typically armed with a sword and missile weapon.
Wei: A mid level officer, these were responsible for a zuoling and circled on horseback.
Xiao: A high level officer, responsible for a canling. Horseback.
Jiang: A general. Usually present in a chariot ("ju") and responsible for a zhi. Accompanied by an elite guard.

[Waldi]

Hmm....those revolutionary realm is great, as the asian weapon-listing !
I wonder, if the landmines could be a southern invention that is extensively used in the Ahng-Nam-war ?
I also like the Durta !! Originaly, I also intended the southern mountain-domain to be something like Tibet or Nepal. I think, this people would fit also to the kingdom of Wen ! Could there be a Durta-population in Wen, too ?
This is a raw concept of the ravenloftian Tibet, Durthan:

Durthan
CL: 5
Landscape:
Full Ecology; temperate Forrests in deep valleys; high mountains; dry, cool and windy highlands
Major Settlements:
Lhao-Sung, sacred city of the Minglun-Lama (pop. 4500, Altitude 5360 meters)
The Folk:
Pop. ca. 15.000 (no exact numbers)
90 % Human; 10 % Dwarfs
The Durta are slightly shorter than the Hua and have a darker skin-color.
Durta are well known for their iron constitution and great strength as for their modest and pious livestile
Languages:
Durta; Hua; Sanskrit (the language of the Buddha and the holy scripture)
Religion:
(of course) Minglun-Jiao in its purest form and traces of Shamanism (the two religions do not exclude each other)
The Law:
Absolutistic Theocraty. The head of the state is the Minglun-Lama who dwells in the priory of Lhao-Sung. It is believed, that the Minglun-Lama is still the same one, who was the best student of the Buddha. He now rules Durtha in his 23. reincarnation.
Ressources:
rice, tea, yak-fur, yak-milk, yak-butter, yak-meet, theological knowledge, wise monks
Characters:
Monks (who would think that ?); Psionics ; Rangers; Warriors
Important notes:
The Buddha tought his followers, that even the gods and dragons are just part of the great wheel of karma, nothing less and nothing more. So, the monks of Durthan trust much more in the internal powers of the mind than in the magic of dragons or gods. So, Durthan is home of the mighties Psionics in the Jade-Kingdoms.
Darklord:
The darklord of Durtha is one of the most unorthodox darklords of Ravenloft. Tell me, what you think of this concept.
Every Durta knows this legend: Once, before the Buddha arrived in the mountains and before his apprentice, the Minglun-Lama founded the kingdom of Durthan the mountains where inhabited by a cruel and demonic race of three-eyed giants. This immortal creatures lived on the souls of mortals and terrorised the neighboring realms. The Buddha and his followers repelled them in a battle of pure thoughts and closed them up in the cave-labyrinth deep below the mountains, where they live until today. The three-eyed giants keep trying to come back to the surface and reconquer the world of man. Thanks to the Buddha, the sacred forces of the Minglun-Lama and his dwarven guards, this can be avoided.
What is kept secret:
The three-eyed where ruled by a cruel and brutal warlord, both a mighty warrior and a skilled warlock, a soul-devouring creature of purest evil.
Nobody would have thought, that a little men from Sri-Raji could beat him without sword and spell. He just talked to the demon-king. And the demon-king suddenly seemed to understand. He understood now, why he was trapped in the demiplane of dread, why he could not leave his mountain-realm and what terrible crimes he commited. And, most miraculous of all, the demon-king confessed his sins. He could see clearly now and took his sword , started to battle his own evil advisors and generals underground and locked them in the hellish underdark beneath the mountains. The demon-king was slain in this epic battle, but his immortal soul is still bent to the domain of Durthan. Today, he rules Duthan as the Minglun-Lama. He has to posses a human host (but never totaly supresses the human soul inside) when the old body dies and returns as "reincarnated" new, Minglun-Lama.
He managed to reject evil and sees himself as the defender of mankind against his former brothers, who still want revenge. Yet, the cruel sins of his former live as demon-king seem to be to great to be forgiven instantly by the dark powers. So, the Minglun-Lama functions still as the darklord of Durthan. Nevertheless, he prays and hopes, that the dark powers will forgive his sins one day and set him free and grand him the eternal peace of the true death.
His newest host is the 6 year old boy Rinchen, who was recently "discovered" to be the Minglun-Lamas reincarnation and brought to the temple-palace in Lhao-Sung. The demon-king seldom meddles in the live of the young boy and just gives him advices by apearing to him in the ghostly form of the bypassed Minglun-Lama. So, Rinchen apears to be a normal 6 year old boy who is accidently a godking.

[Gemathustra]

The Minglun Lama sounds very interesting, though, it would be more interesting if he were prone to relapses, or even subjected to temptations, whether be agents of his former brethren, or manifestations of the Dark Powers.

[Shadow]

It might be good to include a section on superstitions...lot's of plot hooks.
For example in Chinese and Japanese culture, the number four is unluckly because the word for four is the same as the word for death.

[Waldi]

The Minglun Lama sounds very interesting, though, it would be more interesting if he were prone to relapses, or even subjected to temptations, whether be agents of his former brethren, or manifestations of the Dark Powers.

Hmm...you are completely right with that !!!! Those Agents would be great....what could they look like ? Cultists ? Shapeshifters ??
I would tend more to his former brethrens being the cause of the temptations, because I would prefer the dark powers to stay hidden in the dark...

[Dion of the Fraternity]

@Dion:
I planned a phillipine-based domain within the western ocean that is either conquered by the Jomon-jin or terribly plagued by the pirate-fleet of "Twistleg". Would you, as an expert , have some suggestions for that ?

A pre-Hispanic Philippine domain sounds nice for piracy. For a Filipino domain, try to steer away from the stereotypic "revolution" theme endemic to the literature that we Filipinos export.

[Waldi]

OK ! Pirates !!
I think, they would be the better idea. Also because there are nearly no great evil pirate-darklords in Ravenloft yet ! (Or did I miss some ? )
And I will follow your advice and stay away from any revolution-stuff !
I immagined the Pirate-Darklord to have his base on a shifting island surrounded by eternal storm. Perhaps the island is shifting because of some magic, or the island is on the back of a real huge dragonturtle...
Would that fit or is it to far over-the-top for Ravenloft ?

[HuManBing]

I think it would be cool to have the pirates vying for power against the ninjas. Anybody who's familiar with realultimatepower.net will know why.

Maybe if we have a swamplands area they may have hippos too.

[Waldi]

I checked the site !!! Perhaps, in this case, it would be better to have a Ninja-Darklord. Remember: The ninjas killed all the pirates
( whoa....those music at that site... )

[Gemathustra]

The Minglun Lama sounds very interesting, though, it would be more interesting if he were prone to relapses, or even subjected to temptations, whether be agents of his former brethren, or manifestations of the Dark Powers.

Hmm...you are completely right with that !!!! Those Agents would be great....what could they look like ? Cultists ? Shapeshifters ??
I would tend more to his former brethrens being the cause of the temptations, because I would prefer the dark powers to stay hidden in the dark...

I recommend that most of the aforementioned agents be spirits given/forced into physical form by one of his previous associates...

[mistshadow2k4]

I've been doing some research on Asian magic online and I'm thinking the best way to mimic it would be to simply have a different spell list for Asian characters. Now, you'd think that you'd need separate lists for different cultures, but from the look of things that may not be necessary. Just having certain spells originating from particular domains shoudl be suficient. What do you guys think?

[Gemathustra]

I wouldn't think that different spell lists for each of the domains would be necessary...
But, it would be possible to have various spirits/dragons be able to grant magic-using supplicants arcane spells, as though they were sorcerers, and that wizards would be more akin to alchemists researching magical formulas, though, they, too, can be granted additional spells, powers and rituals by propituating the appropriate spirits and or dragons.