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by Agathokles

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Design: AgathoklesEditing: AgathoklesArtworks: Wikipedia PDCartography: AgathoklesTypography: aia (avatar of the Spam Overlord)

Version: 1.0 03/02/07

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OOOOOCHALECHALECHALECHALECHALEAAAAAUNOFFICIAL GAME ACCESSORY

by Agathokles

Table of ContentsTimeline ....................................................... 2

Taymoran Age ....................................................... 2Formation of the Ochalean Culture .................. 2The Thyatian Empire ........................................... 3Rise of Ochalea ..................................................... 3Modern Era ........................................................... 3

Politics ........................................................... 4The Archduke and the Empire ........................... 4The Ochalean Mandarinate ................................. 4Senatorial Representatives ................................... 4

Geography ..................................................... 5Population .............................................................. 5Provinces ................................................................ 5

Ochalean Defense Forces ............................ 10Army Roster ........................................................10Wartime Army .....................................................12

Temples of Ochalea ..................................... 13Church of Thyatis ..............................................13Yingzi Dantang: Order of the Shadow Court 14Fajia Shendao: Mystic Way of Order ...............14Yutan: Jade Temple of Ochalea ........................14

Chang Shi Hetuan: Benevolent Order of Chang Dangsu 15Baxian Shendao: Mystic Way of the Eight Immortals .16Ganquian Huan: Circle of Heaven and Earth 16Jianghu Shenren: Independent/Wandering Priests .17Non-human Faiths in Ochalea ..........................17

Guilds and Secret Societies .......................... 19Biaoshi Hui: Escort Master Council ................19Demon Cults .......................................................20Yingshu Dang: The Shadow Hand ..................20Shar-Pei Mercenaries ..........................................20Feihau Dang: Society of the Blue Flower .......21

Mandarins & Monks ....................................22Ochalean Bestiary ........................................24

Animals ................................................................24Constructs ............................................................24Demons ................................................................25Dragons ................................................................25Faeries ...................................................................25Naga ......................................................................25Shapechangers .....................................................25Spirits ....................................................................26Undead .................................................................26

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TimelineThis section reports the history of

Ochalea as the Immortals know it.

Taymoran Age

3000 BC - Formation of OchaleaThe Great Rain of Fire causes the

land around modern Ochalea to beflooded, separating the island fromBrun. Pardasta tribes are blocked inOchalea by the rising waters. 2200 BC - Taymoran Lupins

The Taymoran Hairless and theTaymoran Hound Lupin breeds arecreated as the original Lupins fallunder the sway of the NecromancerKings of Taymor. They uses theirpowerful magics to instil usefulabilities in these Lupins - a specialability to recognise werewolves, anda racial hatred of these creatures, aswell as heightened strength and alarger body frame, making themmore suited to act as soldiers andguards. 1500 BC - Lupins reach Ochalea

Several large clans of TaymoranLupins, both Hound and Hairless,flee west and south from thedestruction of Taymor. After a longjourney, they land in the westernreaches of Ochalea.1000 BC - Alphatian Landfall

Old Alphatia is destroyed in thewar between followers of thephilosophies of Fire and Air. TheFollowers of Air flee to Mystara,settling on the continent they nameAlphatia. They bring strains oflycanthropy - in particular, tigerlycanthropy, with them.900 BC - Dark Ages

In Ochalea, the Foo Dogsinteraction with the OchaleanHoundling (direct descendants ofthe Taymoran Hairless), has resultedin the birth of the OchaleanCrested, and the Ogre Magi havebreeded the Chow-Chow from

Houndling and Shar-Pei (derivedfrom the Taymoran Hounds) slaves.The Shar-Pei, Ochalean Crested andFoo Dogs lead a war against theOgre Magi kingdom, with somehelp from Pardasta clans.

By this time, the Lupins controlthe Shun, Yuen and Ta’angprovinces, while the rest of Ochaleais controlled by the Ogre Magikingdom.

Formation of theOchalean Culture

800 BC - Arrival of the CypriA large number of common

Alphatians, born without the traitof magic use, flee the southernAlphatian kingdoms (mainlyArogansa and Greenspur) to escapepersecution and enslavement at thehands of magic-using Alphatians.They land in Ochalea (in themodern Celestial Domains, whichthey named Bei at the time), hopingto build a new homeland, wherethey can live free from the wizards.

They find the island in the midstof a century-long war betweenLupins and Ogre-Magi, and sidewith the former, turning the balancein the near-humans’ favor. TheOgre Magi kingdom is destroyed,and only three clans survive, retiringdeep into the forests.700 BC - Colonization of Kiang

By this time, the Cypri have settledWang and Shou. Independent Cypripioneers from Wang push into theKiang province, claiming new lands.

Meanwhile, the Lupins expandinto the Daisun province.500 BC - Rise of the Ochalean

CultureBy this time, the Ochalean cultu-

re, an original mix of Cypric,Rakastan and Lupin culture is born,under the supervision of thebenevolent Foo Dogs.

The Wang Cypri family from

Wang unifies the Bei, Shou andWang nations, and begin thecolonization of Sung. They alsoobtain the submission of the Kiangaristocracy - the heirs of thepioneers - but must concede a semi-independent status to that provin-ce. Radical elements of Kiang startmoving towards Chun and Cao as aresult of this interference.300 BC - Alphatian Occupation

Alphatian armies led by powerfulwizards land in Beitung, kill theWang royal family and establish a“Protectorate”, milling the localfarmers to fill their own coffers andthe imperial treasury.

The Shar-Pei and the Chow-Chow retreat to the badlands, wherethey fight a guerrilla war, while theHoundling are mostly forced tosubmit to the invaders. TheOchalean Crested, who havepowerful mages among them, areleft alone, but secretly provide helpto the rebels.

During the following centuries,the Lupin and human populationmix heavily, so that by the end ofthe millennium, Yuen and Shun arenot anymore recognizable as aLupin territory, while Lupin becomecommon in Daisun, Chun, Kiangand Cao.

Chi and Bohan also see the firstwaves of colonization at this time.The province of Cao is also settledup to the current extent during theAlphatian occupation, as theAlphatian governors hope to findgold there.200 BC - Emergence of the Gu

By this time, Alphatian overlordsin Ochalea have been mostlyreplaced by mixed-breed Ochalean-Alphatian governors. The Gu familyacquire a dominance, so that, by theend of the century, the Gu leader isnamed King of Ochalea, as asubject nation to the Empire of

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Alphatia.

The Thyatian Empire

1 AC - Foundation of the Empi-reThe wizard Lucinius

Trezantebium and the warriorZendrolion Tatriokanitas lead theThyatians in a liberation war againstAlphatia. Pearl Islanders andOchaleans ally with them, throwingoff the Alphatian yoke. Afterobtaining independence,Zendrolion murders Lucinius andthe Ochalean and Nuari kings,proclaiming himself Emperor ofThyatis. He conquers Ochalea andthe Pearl Islands.

The Gu dynasty dies out in thefollowing years.20 AC - Valentia’s Proclamation

Valentia the Justiciar, Zendrolion’swidow, makes the Citizen’sProclamation. Ochalea re-joins theEmpire as a Grand Duchy. Thephilo-Thyatian Wai dynasty isenstated.

Rise of Ochalea

380 AC - Creation of the NavalFortress at BeitungTiberius II Kerdolion, after

repelling an Alphatian attack on thePearl Islands, orders theconstruction of fortifications atSeagirt and Beitung.

Crown Prince Gabrionus is sentto supervise the works. The vastimperial funds allow Beitung to livea time of economic boom.

Moreover, Gabrionus marries anOchalean noblewoman of the Tengfamily, who becomes the firstEmpress of Ochalean descent in386 AC. They have no male heirs,so the husband of their daughter,Fabia, becomes the next Emperor.426 AC - Ascension of the Teng

The Wai dynasty dies out.

Emperor Alexian II names a secondcousin of his wife, Fabia, as the newArchduke, strengthening Ochalea’sties with the Kerdolion dynasty.563 AC - The Ochalean Usurper

Building on the growing unrest ofthe military, not pleased with therule of Emperor Lucius Nuar, anOchalean naval officer, Tien DunWei, declares himself Emperor andleads a revolt, sailing with his fleetto the mainland. Tien Dun Wei’sforces are defeated, and the usurperis captured and executed.567 AC - The Ochalean Emperor

Senator Wein Dein-Ling, aPhilosopher of Law, is electedEmperor after the death of hispredecessor, Lucius Naur. He is thefirst, and only, full-bloodedOchalean to raise to the Imperialthrone.

Wein Dien-Ling enacts penalreforms, instituting penal coloniesin the Ierendian Isles in 571. Theprisoners, according to EmperorWein’s philosophy, must be alloweda chance to reform by working hardand paying their debt to the society- building new infrastructures,settlements, and ships in thecolonies.

The Ochalean Emperor alsodrives the rebuilding of the militaryforces, elevating the Retebius AirCorps, to the rank of Air Fleet, andusing the new penal colonies tospeed up the reconstruction of theThyatian fleet.622 AC - Ochalean Philosophy

divulged in the mainlandRang Tchou-Chan, a cleric of the

Jade Temple, writes “A Look intomy Soul”, a summary of the mainphilosophical and religious workspublished in Thyatis, which includesa chapter on Ochalean religion. Itis the first such work to reach themainstream public of the Thyatianmainland.

Modern Era

985 AC - Construction of the newharbor at WumingdouEmperor Thincol Torion orders

the construction of new militaryfacilities at Wumingdou, in the pro-vince of Bohan, to support hisplans for the colonization of theFour Kingdoms in northernDavania.988 AC - Colonization of the

HinterlandsTroops led by Governor-General

Leila ben Nadir land in the FourKingdoms, and establish the Pro-vince of the Thyatian Hinterlands.Sea trading intensifies in the pro-vince of Bohan.1000 AC - Present

This is the present in theGazetteer era; it also marks the endof the first millennium of life forthe Empire.

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PoliticsThis sections briefly describes the

political scenario of Ochalea, as wellas the Ochalean bureaucracy.

The Archduke and theEmpire

Ochalea is, and has been for thelast millennium, one of the GrandDuchies of the Empire of Thyatis.The title of Archduke is the highestrank of nobility in Thyatis, rightbelow the Emperor and the CrownPrinces.

This allows Ochalea a great dealof independence in mostadministrative matters, even thoughthe Grand Duchy does not have aforeign policy of its own, and mustcomply to the imperial regulations.That is why, regardless of the deeplyingrained Ochalean mistrust ofdemi-humans, wizards, and femaleadventurers, all three types can befound, though in small numbers, inthe island: while they can dislikethese people, the Ochalean officialsare bound by law and cannotprevent them from entering theirterritory. Moreover, they cannotprevent women (including those ofOchalean origin) from joining thearmy or choosing another careerthat is considered unacceptable inthe traditional Ochalean society.

The OchaleanMandarinate

The Ochalean bureaucracy isdivided into a central administrationand a series of provincialgovernment bodies.

The central bureaucracy isorganized into several ministries:much like other Thyatian GrandDuchies, Ochalea has ministries ofState, of Trade, of Finances, of theArmy. In addition to these,ministries of Justice, History,

Agriculture, and Religious Affairsalso exist. The centraladministration has also dozens oflesser bureaus and ministries, eachcontrolling some specific aspect ofthe Ochalean legislation or of thecourt life. These bureaucrats arerecruited through a nationwideselection process, consisting ofmany tests and examinations,mostly thought to check theexaminee’s knowledge of Ochaleanhistory, law, literature andphilosophical currents. While theselection process is usually quite fair,corruption does exist - though theOchalean bureaucracy is still veryhonest, compared with the imperialone.

The provincial administration isnot so hypertrophic - provincialgovernors are usually named by theministry of State, though thegovernor of Yuen is by traditionalways chosen to be the heir of theprevious governor, and thegovernor of Kiang lasts littlewithout the support of the Societyof the Blue Flower. Each provincialgovernor has an administrative staff,but few bureaucrats volunteer forassignment in a provincialadministration. The result is thatprovincial bureaucrats are thosewho have passed the tests with thelowest marks, or as a result ofbribing the examiners. Someprovincial governors supplementtheir staff with private assistants,others simply try to work with thematerial they have. Therefore, theprovincial administration cannot beexpected to be as efficient or honestas the central mandarinate.

SenatorialRepresentatives

Since Ochalea is part of theThyatian empire, it sends itsrepresentatives to the Imperial

Senate, the primary legislative bodyof the empire.

There are eight Senators fromOchalea, including of course theArchduke himself, Abbot Teng Lee-Dai and High Priest Ling Tzu-Chen,high-ranking members of the JadeTemple who have been chosen bythe Archduke to fill the seats thatare assigned to the Teng family andto the governor of Ochalea, as wellas five elected representatives.Aristocratic Senator Ran-WenZenobius and Duchess Triella Tien-Tang are also of Ochalean origin.Senators Teng, Ling, and Zenobiusbelong to the Philosophers faction(headed by Archduke Teng), whileDuchess Triella is a member of theZendrolian faction.

The elected Senators representthe following regions, eachincluding two to four provinces:North-East: Sung and the CelestialDomain (127.000), currently asenator of the Philosophers;North-West: Yuen and Ta’ang(140.000), currently a senator of thePhilosophers;South-West: Bohan, Chi, Shun(136.000), currently a senator of theGens Aurelia;South-East: Cao, Chung, Daisunand the Celestial Territories(114.000), currently a senator of theFree Thinkers;Central: Kiang, Wang and Shou(127.000), currently a senator of theGens Aemilia.

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GeographyOchalea is a large island, located

south of the Known World andwest of the Pearl Islands. While itscoastal areas are mostly plains,allowing a considerable agriculturaldevelopment, the interior is mostlycomposed of rocky badlands, shortmountain chains, and deep forestsand jungles. Most of the Ochaleanpopulation lives either in the coastalplains or along the Chungkiang, awide, slow-flowing river that cutsthe islands in twain.

Population

Overall, circa 680.000 people,mostly humans and Lupins, live in

Ochalea. Demihumans andgoblinoids are not native of thisland, while a small Rakastapopulation survives - mostOchalean Rakasta left the islandcenturies ago. Table 1 shows theracial breakdown of the Ochaleanpopulation - with the exclusion ofmost intelligent monsters, which arenot taken into account here.

Humans are mostly of commonAlphatian stock, copper skinnedand brown haired, with slanted eyesand high cheekbones. A minority ofThyatians is also present, mostlyworking the administration and themilitary. Few non-Thyatians live inOchalea, though a small mercantilecommunity can be found in the

foreign ward of Beitung.Four native Lupin breeds are

found in Ochalea: the larger HighShar-Pei and Ogrish Chow-Chow,and the smaller Ochalean Crestedand Ochalean Houndling. Shar-Peiand Chow-Chow clans originated inthe wilder areas, though Shar-Pei aresought after as mercenaries - theyare well known for their skill withpolearms, and can be foundeverywhere, from Beitung to themost isolated fortress. Most Chow-Chow Lupins are hunters orherders. Ochalean Crested are theLupin aristocracy - most of themlive in Beitung or in the provincialcapitols, and work in the imperialbureaucracy or have businness orland-owning interests. OchaleanHoundling and mongrels mostlybelong to the commoner classes.Many Lupins of Thyatian origin arealso found in Ochalea, more or lessin the same range of occupationsof their human counterparts.

The only Rakasta breed presentin Ochalea is the Pardasta - proud,aloof hunters and rangers whorarely leave the rocky badlands, andseldom interact with either humansor Lupins.

Due to the great interest shownby Ochaleans in religious mattersand in the Immortals, outer andinner planar creatures visit this landmore than usual. A small populationof so-called “spirit folk” is thereforefound in Ochalea. These representonly small, rural communities wherethe extraplanar blood is commonenough to maintain itself throughthe generation - in larger towns,such bloodlines tend to dilutequickly.

Provinces

This section describes thefourteen provinces of Ochalea.

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BohanBohan begun as a remote, lightly

populated agricultural province.However, the presence of a largeriver, the Wuxingjiang, allowedgood irrigation and thedevelopment of large rice farms.

Around AC 985, the preliminaryoperations of the Thyatiancolonization effort in theHinterlands in Davania ledWumingdou, the provincial capitol,to be chosen as a major waypointin the Thyatis-Hinterlands route.The Empire funded major upgradesof the town harbor, and builtweapon and ship maintainancefacilities, depots, and barracks,boosting an otherwise minor townto the rank of fifth larger center inOchalea.

This sudden influx of fundsbrought also a wave of immigrationfrom neighbouring provinces aswell as from the mainland, as wellas the development of fishingactivities and a more agressive useof the farming land. Right now,Bohan is one of the morecosmopolitan provinces, and arising economic power - which iswhy it is also known as the tigerprovince.

This province has a larger amountof settled land than most. The onlytrue wilderness here is the Wa’angforest, which marks Bohan borderwith the Chi province.

Wumingdou is also the provincewhere the first temple of ChangDangsu was build, and this cult andthe Church of Thyatis are especiallypopular here. The Imperialinfluence is so strong that theelected senator for the region ofBohan, Chi and Shun is aWumingdou-based merchantaligned with the Church of Thyatis,and a close friend of General benNadir.

CaoThe Cao province bases its wealth

on a combination of riversideagriculture and mining activity. TheGreat Dragon Spires are dottedwith small but numerous iron andcopper mines - usually a village orenlarged family will work one mineon its own. Smelted ore is sent tothe metal market in WongzhaoTsushao, where merchants from thecentral provinces of Chung, Kiangand Yuen gather to buy it. Severalmining villages are home to EarthGenasi (a.k.a. mountain spirit folk),who are only found here and in theCelestial Territories.

Unfortunately, Cao has veryunsafe border regions, including theundead-infested Marsh of the DeadMen (also home to the dangerouspurple worms), the bandit-riddenForest of the Green Men, and themysterious Weilunglin, the Forestof Little Dragons. Therefore,exporting the ore to Kiang orChung requires heavy escorts withspecialized skills. These services areprovided - at a significan price - bythe Escort Masters (biaoshi) andtheir organizations. Professionalcaravan guard services includeexpert guards, scouts, animalhandlers, guides and negotiators.The escort organizations maintaina corporative monopoly of theirprofessional field, basically forcingthe merchant to use their servicesby “discouraging” individualguards-for-hire. Only veteran guidesare allowed to found neworganizations, and permissions areonly issued by the biaoshi council.

Wongzhao Tsushao housesseveral temples, but the Mystic Wayof Order is especially popular here,as several monasteries, including theZhonghu Siyuan, are located in themountains at the border with theCelestial Territories. This province

is also home to several member ofthe Circle of Heaven and Earth,though that cult is not especiallypopular.

Celestial DomainThe Celestial Domain is

composed of the city of Beitungand the surronding countryside. Itwas originally known as the Bei pro-vince, but the name was changedwhen the Bei kingdom was unitedto the Wang kingdom as the Wangheir married the last of the Beiqueens. The Wang moved theircapitol to Beitung, and gave the pro-vince the current name.

The economy of the provincerevolves entirely around the court,the naval fortress and the relatedpersonnel and services: the uppertiers of the society are composedby wealthy court officers,merchants, and noblemen related tothe current ruling dynasty, while thelower tiers provide servants, guards,soldiers, lower-ranking bureaucratsand clerks. The countryside isdevoted to intensive agriculturalexploitation, in order to support thelarge urban population. Food is alsoimported from other provinces, andmerchants and traders make up alarge part of the middle class.

This territory is also one of thebest defended, with several unitspresent in the city itself. Cohorts ofthe XXV Imperial Legion alsopatrol the countryside.

Celestial TerritoriesThe most wild areas of the Grand

Duchy of Ochalea are collected ina large province, known as theCelestial Territories. Largelycomposed of rocky badlands,mountains, and the impenetrableJungle of the Tiger Men, theCelestial Territories are onlypopulated by a number of

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Weretigers, Pardasta, and a smallhuman population in the village ofWaping Piao and the surroundingcountryside. The Demon Cults alsomaintain a significant presence inthe Jungle of the Tiger Men and inthe neighbouring areas.

Other humans in the region aremostly hermits, or small coastalcommunities. Some of these arefully inhabited by Genasi, Aasimaror Tieflings. Most, if not all, “FireSpirit Folk” (Fire Genasi) and“Half-Demons” (Tieflings) live inthis province.

The Ogre Magi Ox clan maintainsits last strongholds in the forestedhills in the southern part of theCelestial Territories. Ox clan Ogresare not the brightest of their kin,but they are fiercer and morenumerous, making the southernhills as dangerous as the Jungle ofthe Tiger Men.

ChiThe Grasslands of Chi dominate

the landscape of this province.Most of the population iscomposed of semi-nomadicherders and hunters, and a largeproportion of the population ismade up by Lupins, descendents ofthose who fled from Shun duringthe first years of the Ogre Magiwars. Chi is not rich, and onlysparsely populated. Its wildernesses,however, are not home to manymonsters, though human and Lupinbandits are more common than inother regions, due to the proximityof the rich Bohan province.

The Warmasters of the FiveDirections are so popular here thateven many humans revere them.The cult of Chang Dangsu and theJade Temple are the other majorreligions in Chi, which is also hometo many wandering priests.

ChungThis central province is mostly

composed of wilderness. Its humanand Lupin population, with theexception of some small Chow-Chow hunting clans, concentratesalong the coastal trade route and inthe plains around the capitol, WuLi. Wu Li is one of the smallestprovincial capitols, really more avillage than a town.

The economy of Chung is mostlydependent on subsistenceagriculture and a little trade, thoughthe profits of the trade taxes mostlygo to line the pockets of a greedyand over-ambitious provincialgovernor.

Bandits are very common, andvery aggressive, in this lightlyprotected province. A Jade Dragonis also reputed to lair in the Forestof Little Dragons, while the largeOgre-Mage clan of the Kingfisherdwells near the borders with theSung and Daisun provinces. Finally,the Forest of Spirits is home to theonly Faerie Kingdom in Ochalea -sprites, mandrakes, elemental drakesand brownies are all found here,together with a number of otherfriendly woodland beings, such asHsiao and Dryads.

Culturally, Chung is not verydeveloped - it mostly copies trendsand ideas from the neighbouringprovinces. However, it is home tosome monasteries of the MysticWay of Order, and to a Jade Temple.Wu Li is the only provincial capitolto have only a small shrinemaintained by the Church ofThyatis - all others have full featuredtemples with at least a dozen priests.

DaisunFor the most part, Daisun is a

dangerous wilderness. Itspopulation concentrates in thecoastal plains, where it supports

itself by a combination ofagriculture and fishing.

The only major product of thisregion are trained birds, especiallyfalcons and eagles, which arecommon in the wild lands. Thelocals have developed excellent trai-ning skills, and practice the art ofhunting with hawks. Manyfalconeers have a bit of “windspirit” blood, and Air Genasivillages are mostly found within thisprovince.

The Bear Woods (Xionglin) areavoided by the locals, due to thepresence of aggressive cave bearsand owlbears that lair in theneighbouring hills. The Forest ofFear (Weishulin), at the boundarywith the Celestial Territories, ownsits name to the evil spirits that dwellin its depths. The vilest Ogre Magiof the Kingfisher clan are alsofound there.

KiangOne of the major provinces,

Kiang is densely populated,especially along the banks of theChungkiang and along the coast.The border region are more sparselypopulated, with many smallPardasta clans living in the Forestof Li. Water Genasi (River SpiritFolk) are particularly common inthis province.

This province originated as a placewhere independent-minded Cypripioneers settled, driving away thenative Ogre Magi, and keeping farfrom the power of the risingOchalean kingdom during the Wangdynasty. These pioneers evolvedinto a strong aristocracy of wealthylandowners, and Kiang remained asemi-independent vassal of theWang kings until the AlphatianEmpire took control of Ochalea.The Fields of Yi still are thestronghold of Ochalean aristocracy,

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and the town of Chungkiang Li ispolitically aligned with the Thyatianpro-senatorial faction, the GensAemilia.

As one of the key provinces,Kiang enjoys a greater degree ofprotection, and the native Kiangregiment is supported by twocohorts of the XXV Legion andthree centuries of Lupins. TheLupin guards are in charge ofprotecting the road to Beitung fromtheir base in the village of Wu Li,keeping the dangers of the forestof Li (marauding Ogre Magi andPardasta bandits, mostly) at bay.

Rice growing and fishing are thestaple of Kiang economy, but thelarge aristocracy supports also asignificant craftsmen class, andsome jade mines are also found inthis region. The artisans of Kiangare reputed to produce moredurable goods than those ofBeitung, but the latter are betterregarded (and better paid) for theartistic value of their goods.

ShouA small but historically important

province, Shou was one of the firstCypri nations in Ochalea. The Shouprinces where defeated early on bythe kings of Wang, who absorbedthe province into their kingdom. Itis currently much reduced in statusand power, as it has few naturalresources - most of the populationsurvives by combining fishing andsubsistence agriculture.

The population of Shou is mostlyhumans, with a few “Sea SpiritFolk” (Water Genasi) villages and alimited Lupin population in thecapitol town, Wangzhao Ha. Thisregion is not very dangerous, and isgenerally considered quite dull byforeigners - and the locals like it thisway. Some evil shapechangers do,however, infest the upper reaches

of Shou, though they are usuallycontent with the abduction oflivestock or the occasional humanstraggler.

SungColonized by Houndlings from

Ta’ang and Cypri from Bei andWang, Sung was never veryimportant, until rich gold mineswhere discovered in the Hills of theSun, prompting the Alphatianoccupation. Gold mining is still therichest industry of the region,though hunting and farming areimportant to guarantee the survivalof the population.

A large number of hermit refugesand small monasteries of the MysticWay of the Eight Immortals islocated in the hills and mountainsof this region. The Mystic Way ofthe Eight Immortals is the mostpopular religion here, but the peopleof Sung stress more the passiveaspects of the faith than the focuson personal achievements. Acontent, modest folk, even thehumans of Sung seem to haveabsorbed the stereotypicaldeferential attitude of the OchaleanHoundlings.

ShunA minerary region well known for

its high-quality jade, Shun was oneof the first regions settled by theLupins. It was, however, heavilyraided by the Ogre Magi of theneighbouring Chung and Kiangprovinces for slaves, and in moderntimes the Lupin population is onlyaverage, though Chow-Chow areslightly more common here than inother regions.

Shun is the center of the cult ofChang Dangsu, who is believed tohave resided in Chung Tsu sometime before the Alphatianoccupation. A large temple-hospital

is located in the provincial capitol,and it is known for a massive, whitejade statue of the god which isbelieve to protect from all disease.Thanks to the large priesthood ofthe Benevolent Order, indeed, thecitizen of Chung Tsu enjoy goodhealth, and some of the oldest menand Lupins in Ochalea live in thetown.

The Blue Woods, west of theDragon Spire Mountains, areknown to the priests of ChangDangsu for the medicinal andalchemical value of its trees.However, it is guarded by powerfultree spirits, who do not appreciateintruders - especially those whocarry axes!

Ta’angTa’ang was the landing point of

the first Taymoran Lupins to reachOchalea, and still is one of theprovinces with a higher percentageof Lupins, especially Shar-Pei andHoundlings.

The Immortal Spire is the sacredlocation where the Archdukes ofthe Wai dynasty were traditionallyburied before reforms enacted in430 AC by the first Teng Archdukemoved the tombs near Beitung.

The Tang hills in the northernpart of the province are dotted byhermit refuges and smallmonasteries of the Mystic Way ofthe Eight Immortals, which is themost popular religion in this area.Less concerned with order andmore with balance and harmony, thepeople of Ta’ang are independent-minded and focused on personalgrowth. Scholarly and martial trai-ning are common among the upperclasses, and even the members ofthe lower classes invest whateverspare time they have in thesepursuits.

The Forest of the Ancients is

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another refuge for hermits andmonks. Some people believe thatelixirs of long life can be brewedfrom herbs found in this forest, andthat, in general, the forest itselfinvigorates those who live under itscanopies and lessens the effects ofold age. The Forest of the Ancientsis certainly home to many naturespirits, who closely protect itssecrets.

WangWang is a poor, sparsely populated

province. Its meager economy ismostly based on cattle raising.Livestock is exported to Beitung tofeed the Legions and the court.

Historically, Wang is importantbecause the first dynasty of Cyprikings (the Wang dynasty) arose here.However, most of the province’sstrength was sapped during theThyatian-Alphatian war, whenOchalean freedom fighters joinedbattle against well equipped andmagically armed Alphatian troopsin the Plains of the Dead - which

gained their name for the enormousnumber of casualties that theOchaleans suffered before pushingthe Alphatians back to Beitung.

Spirits of the dead warriors andwizards still haunt the plains, whichis another reason why Ochaleansnever tried to develop this region,preferring to leave the dead to theirown mourning.

YuenOne of the economic powers of

Ochalea since the very beginning,Yuen was the siege of the firstOchalean Crested kingdom. Duringthe late Yuen kingdom, silkproduction was introduced by Cyprisettlers, who became more andmore important as the war with theOgre Magi kingdom in Sung andKiang escalated. An alliance ofYuen, Bei, Wang and the Pardastaclans of the forest of Li finallyshattered the Ogre Magi resistance,and in modern times only the Frogclan survives in the darker reachesof the woods.

By the time of the Alphatianoccupation, the humans where thelarger part of the Yuen population,but the Ochalean Crested, beingpowerful magic users, where able toobtain Alphatian citizenship, andprotected their kingdom - reducedto a simple administrative province- from the worst of the Alphatianabuses. However, the merchantsresented the higher tax levels, andprompted Yuen to side withLucinius Trezantebium when theThyatian envoys reached WongzhaoTsu Yi. The Yuen Ochalean Crestedstill maintain their role as provincialgovernors to this time, though theirmagic users tend to keep tothemselves, and let the priests andwarriors rule.

Silk production is the strong suitof the Yuen economy. Yuen silk isexported not only to Beitung, butto Thyatis city and to Thothia aswell. Minrothaddan merchants canalso be found in Wongzhao Tsu Yion a regular basis.

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OchaleanDefense Forces

The army of Ochalea is adefensive force, mostly maintainedby the Thyatian Imperialgovernment using Ochalean funds.The core of the army is composedby a standard Imperial Legion,maintained at half strength. Thislegion is supposed to recruit and

train local warriors to fill the ranksin wartime. In addition to the landarmy, the Empire has also stationeda defense fleet, composed of threebattle squadrons, one scoutingsquadron, and six transportsquadrons.

The native forces, on the otherhand, are built around a core ofShar-Pei halberdiers and humancavalrymen. The first group is larger

and, with the addition of lupinarchers, scouts, and wizardscomposes a powerful combat force,the Lupin Home Guard. The LupinHome Guard is deployed in unitscalled “duibai” (centuries) to helpkeep the peace in the major towns,especially those with a large lupinpopulation. The Duke’s Guard isthe core of the native humanstroops, which are also deployed aspolice force in the major towns.

Local governors, especially indangerous areas, sometimes keepprovincial armies, or, more often,rely on mercenary Shar-Pei Lupins,personal retainers, or monks tosupport the army.

Overall, the Ochalean armedforces amount to circa 1.5% of thepopulation.

Army Roster

Unit 1 - Ochalean Defense FleetPersonnel: 1000 Marines, plus

1600 Sailors and Rowers; most ofthem are Thyatian humans. Thefleet is deployed in three battlegroups (each led by a war galley orlarge galley, with two small galleysas support force), plus a scoutinggroup of four small galleys, and sixtransport groups (each composedby a single troop transport or onelarge and two small ships).

Overall, the Ochalean Fleet canfield the following units:

Ship class ..................... # UnitsSmall Galleys ............................... 10Large Galleys ................................ 2War Galleys ................................... 1Sailing Ships .................................. 8Large Ships .................................... 4Troop Transports ......................... 2

Marines, sailors and rowers in thefleet are armed and equippedaccording to the Imperial standards.

These ships are only part of the

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fleet usually stationed at Beitungand other Ochalean ports. Largerimperial fleets also help in patrollingthe seas around Ochalea, especiallythe Strait of Furmenglaive.

Unit 2 - Lupin Home Guard(Quanren Weibing)

Personnel: 2200 Ochalean Lupins,mostly infantry and archers. TheLupin Home Guard can field thefollowing troops:

Shar-Pei Halberdiers .............1.200Chow-Chow Hunters .............. 600Houndling Archers .................. 200Crested and Houndling Wizards50Auxiliaries .................................. 150

Lupin armed forces keep to theirtraditional weaponry - lamellararmor (metal for the halberdiers,leather for archers and scouts),complemented by broadswords(dao), plus composite short bowsor crossbows for archers andhunters, and broad-bladed halberds(pudao) for the Shar-Pei.

Unit 3 - XXV Imperial LegionPersonnel (half-strength): 2000

Thyatian humans and Lupins. TheXXV Imperial Legion can field thefollowing troops:

Legionnaries, Heavy Infantry1.000Legionnaries, Light Infantry ... 500Equites, Medium Cavalry ........150Sagittarii ..................................... 100Artillerists .................................... 80Wizards and Priests .................... 50Auxiliaries .................................. 120

This unit is equipped accordingto the Imperial standards - it isbasically a Thyatian legion fundedby the Ochalean Archduke.

The XXV Legion is kept at halfstrength in peacetime - it is actuallyjust the core of a full legion. In

wartime, local warriors are recruitedto fill the ranks of the legionnaries,as well as to increase size of thecavalry and archer units. At fullstrength, this legion would include3.000 infantrymen, plus 500 cavalryand 500 archers.

Unit 4 - Duke’s Guard (DawangWeibing)

Personnel: 400 Ochalean humans.The Duke’s Guard can field thefollowing troops:

Medium Cavalry ....................... 300Priests .......................................... 60Auxiliaries .................................... 40

The house guard of the Archdukeof Ochalea is a unit of mediumcavalry, supported by a number ofpriests. These élite guardsmen wearmetal lamellar armor and carryshields, broadswords and longspears (shuo).

Unit 5 - Beitung Garrison(Beitung Jingwei)

Personnel: 400 Ochalean andThyatian humans. The BeitungGarrison can field the followingtroops:

Artillerists .................................. 160Shortbowmen ............................. 50Wizards and Priests .................... 40Light Infantry ........................... 100Auxiliaries .................................... 50

The Beitung Garrison is a mix ofmilitarized police force and garrisonunit. Its main task is to man thecatapults and ballistae in the navalfortress and city walls of Beitung,but it also helps keep the peace inthe city itself - in this duty, it is alsohelped by the Duke’s Guard and bythree Lupin centuries.

The artillerists, archers and wizardsin this units are mostly Thyatians,

and are equipped more or less in theThyatian style (though Ochaleanbroadswords are more commonlyissued than Thyatian gladii). Thelight infantry, on the other hand, isequipped in the Ochalean style, withleather lamellar armor, broadswordsand spears (quiang).

Unit 6-13 - Ochalean Regiments(Difangbing)

Personnel 2400 (300x8) Ochaleanhumans. Each Ochalean Regimentcan field the following troops:

Light Infantry ........................... 175Shortbowmen ............................. 75Artillerists .................................... 20

Auxiliaries .................................... 30These are the most common na-

tive Ochalean units, mostlydeployed in the provinces to helpthe local governors. They arecomposed almost exclusively ofOchalean natives, and are armedwith with leather lamellar armor,broadswords and spears or shortbows. Small artillery teams areavailable to man the defenses of theprovincial capitols.

Wartime ArmyIn wartime, the Archduke tries to

keep his commitment minimal - hedoes not agree with the Emperor’sagressive politics. However, Ochaleamust usually respond to theImperial requests, and must alsoreplace Thyatian troops that arewithdrawn from the island whenrequired elsewhere as a response toemergencies.

In those cases, the Archduke canquickly levy some militia from theprovincial capitols and thesurrounding countryside, as well ascontract the Shar-Pei mercenaryclans, effectively doubling the sizeof the army (i.e., 1.5% of thepopulation is levied). Militia units

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are armed with spears, bows, shieldsand light armor (padded, leather orleather lamellar), while Shar-Peimercenaries are armed as the Shar-Pei Halberdiers of the Lupin HomeGuard.

If Ochalea was attacked, theFighting Monks and templeDefenders of the four major orderswould be called upon for defense,adding 10.000 more skilled fighters.

Wartime Army

In wartime, the Archduke tries to

keep his commitment minimal - hedoes not agree with the Emperor’sagressive politics. However, Ochaleamust usually respond to theImperial requests, and must alsoreplace Thyatian troops that arewithdrawn from the island whenrequired elsewhere as a response toemergencies.

In those cases, the Archduke canquickly levy some militia from theprovincial capitols and thesurrounding countryside, as well ascontract the Shar-Pei mercenary

clans, effectively doubling the sizeof the army (i.e., 1.5% of thepopulation is levied). Militia unitsare armed with spears, bows, shieldsand light armor (padded, leather orleather lamellar), while Shar-Peimercenaries are armed as the Shar-Pei Halberdiers of the Lupin HomeGuard.

If Ochalea was attacked, theFighting Monks and templeDefenders of the four major orderswould be called upon for defense,adding 10.000 more skilled fighters.

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Temples ofOchalea

Even though most Ochaleansrevere a large number of Immortals,and consider their patron Koryis asthe most worthy of worship amongthem, that is not to say that thereare no differences in philosophicaloutlook between different sects -actually, several major temples andmany independent priests co-existin this land.

Church of Thyatis

Total membership .................2.350 Pantheists .............................1.000 Philosophers of Law ............. 350 Philosophers of Neutrality ..... 50 Priests of Koryis .................... 200 Other Specialists .................... 750

The Church of Thyatis wasimported from the mainland whenOchalea joined the Empire circaone millennium ago. It is a mostlytolerant, polytheistic faith, whichalso includes some philosophers.The faith leans towards lawfulness,though it worships ChaoticImmortals as well, and freedom(especially from Alphatian rule) isan important element of the faith.

Core ImmortalsThe Church of Thyatis worships

all the Immortals that have beenformally acknowledged in theThyatian Mainland. In Ochalea,however, the role of Koryis is muchlarger than in the mainland, whilethe traditional Thyatian Immortalsare less popular. Halav, Odin, Thorand the demihuman patrons areworshipped only by the Thyatianhumans and demihumans. Vanya,

Tarastia, Diulanna, Korotiku,Valerias and Protius are the mostpopular after Koryis.

DiffusionThe follower of the Church of

Thyatis are mostly found among theThyatian humans and lupins - fewOchaleans are interested in thisreligion. Therefore, the Church’sstrongholds are the provicial capitalsand Beitung itself.

Major TemplesThe cathedral of Ochalea is

located in the Thyatian sector ofBeitung. Other temples are foundin each of the provincial capital. Atemple dedicated to Vanya, theprimary Thyatian Immortal, is alsolocated in Beitung.

ActivitiesPriests of the Church of Thyatis

are commonly found in the Imperialmilitary - especially in the fleet - asmilitary chaplains, as well as in theImperial administration.

Classes and AlignmentsSpecialty Priests of any Immortal

formally accepted in the ThyatianPantheon, Philosophers and

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Pantheists are all accepted. ChaoticPhilosophers and Evil priests arenot present in the Ochalean branchof this faith, though they sometimesappear in the mainland branch.

Yingzi Dantang: Orderof the Shadow Court

Total Membership .................2.000 Priests of Nyx ........................ 400 Priests of Thanatos ............... 100 Priests of Masauwu ............... 200 Priests of Alphaks ................. 200 Priests of Jammudaru ........... 100 Philosophers of Chaos ........... 50 Pantheists ................................950

The Shadow Court mirrors theHeavenly Court in the Ochaleanpantheon. It is composed byImmortals associated with Entropy,though they are much more subtlein their activities here than in mostother nations. However, the Orderof the Shadow Court is definitelymalignant, even though it presentsa more or less neutral facade in thetowns. Its wilderness branches, theDemon Cults, are often moreovertly evil.

Core ImmortalsNyx is the pantheon leader for this

cult; Thanatos, Masauwu, Alphaksand Jammudaru are her mainministers; a plethora of otherImmortals serve in minor roles.

DiffusionThe Shadow Court is followed

mostly by the city underworld - butalso, less overtly, by many citizen,often rich or powerful, who try tokeep the evil Immortals at bay bypaying some respect to them. Also,more aggressive branches - the so-called Demon Cults - are found inthe wilderness.

Major Temples

A Shadow Court temple is presentin every major city. There is wordof a great complex somewhere inthe jungles of southern Ochaleawhere the Demon Cult trains itsadepts in odd martial and magicaltraditions, handed down by theancient Alphatian Followers of Fireand even darker sects.

ActivitiesSome members of the Shadow

Court priesthood double as spies,assassins or thieves, though othersact as legitimate merchants or evenwork for the government or themilitary.

Classes and AlignmentsSpecialty Priests of any Entropic

Immortal, Chaotic Philosophersand Pantheists are all accepted. Onlynon-Good priests would join thiscult.

Fajia Shendao:Mystic Way of Order

Total membership .................3.500 Fighting Monks ...................2.000 Philosophers of Law ..........1.000 Pantheists ................................ 500

The Mystic Way of Order is afaith derived from almost twomillennia of philosophical traditionon the theme of Order as the mainelement of civilization, tolerance,and personal progress towards a sta-te of enlightenment. This faith dealsonly marginally with Immortals,considering some of them asenlightened beings returned from astate of union with the SupremeOrder to teach mortals.

Core ImmortalsThis faith is mostly philosophic.

All lawful Immortals areacknowledged, and Tarastia andKoryis are worshipped by the few

pantheists of this cult.

DiffusionThis philosophic order is

somewhat popular in the towns andwith the rural aristocracy. However,most monasteries are built insecluded locations. The south-eastern hills are home to several ofthese monasteries.

Major TemplesThe Mystic Way maintains a

presence in Beitung, Chungkiang Liand Wongzhao Tsushao. The siegeof the Grand Abbot is in the mainmonastery, the Zhonghu Siyuan.

ActivitiesThese priests lead a cloistered life.

They take many restrictive vows,preventing them from marrying,eating meat or drinking alcoholics,as well as engaging in any of theFour Vices. The monks of eachmonastery are divided into martial,scholarly and religious branches,depending on their favored training.

Classes and AlignmentsFighting Monks, Philosophers of

Law and Pantheists are accepted,each by the corresponding branchof the faith. Only those stronglydedicated to the concept of Order,and not burdened with wordlyconcerns are considered formembership, so only priests ofLawful Neutral alignment areacceptable.

Yutan: Jade Templeof Ochalea

Total membership .............. 11.700 Priests of Koryis .................6.000 Pantheists ................................ 600 Philosophers of Law ............. 550 Fighting Monks ...................2.650 Shamans ...............................1.000 Other Specialists .................... 900

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The Jade Temple is the mainreligion of Ochalea, headed by theArchduke himself - by tradition, theArchdukes are always priests ofKoryis, and very often they becomehigh priests. Paramount ofOchalean religions, the Jade Templeis a cult of a single Immortal thatmanages to include all knownImmortals in its folds as well,though in lesser roles.

Core ImmortalsKoryis is by far the most

respected Immortal in this cult.However, even Koryis specialistpriests acknowledge the existanceand worthiness of all the Immortalsknown in Ochalea, including thoseof the Shadow Court. Somepantheists and specialists areactually devoted to the specializedceremonies needed to properlyappease all the Immortals. Mostspecialist priests not devoted toKoryis choose to serve Chardastes,Alphatia, Tarastia, Ssu-Ma and orone of the Dragon Rulers.

DiffusionThis is the major faith of Ochalea,

focused on the worship of the JadeEmperor, Koru Yi-Si, and theDragon Kings. The templeacknowledges most otherImmortals popular in Ochalea, andeach temple has one or more priestsspecialized in the rituals of severalImmortals. Most priests, though,follow one of two other paths -either the scholastic worship ofKoryis or the martial discipline ofthe Fighting Monks, who specializein disarming and disabling theiropponents without using weapons- preferring always to negotiaterather than fight, and when forcedto fight to obtain surrender ratherthan killing.

Major TemplesJade Monasteries are common,

and exist both in or near town andin more secluded locations (toughthe first are more common). TheMajor temple is within theArchduke’s palace in Beitung, sincethe Archduke of Ochalea is also theleader of the church.

ActivitiesMany of the non-cloistered

members of this cult work asmandarins (government officers).Other are noble rulers of provincesand counties, or local bureaucrats.

Classes and AlignmentsSpecialty Priests of any Immortal

listed in the religious classics ofOchalea, Philosophers of Law,Shamans and Pantheists are allaccepted. The faith itself is strictlyLawful Good, though NeutralGood and Lawful Neutral priestsare common outside the cloisters -Fighting Monks are strictly LawfulGood, though.

Chang Shi Hetuan:Benevolent Order ofChang Dangsu

Total membership .................3.300 Priests of Chardastes ............ 800 Fighting Monks ...................2.000 Shamans .................................. 500

A mystic order devoted toresearch on the human body andnature, the Benevolent Order ofChang Dangsu is well liked inOchalea, as its priests are competenthealers and supporters of thecommon people. This faith is notthat different in outlook andphilosophy from the Jade Templeor other Ochalean religions, but itstresses more personal

responsibility than order or law.

Core ImmortalsChardastes is the main Immortal

of this cult. Just like most othercults of Ochalea, this does notmean that the members of theBenevolent Order do notacknowledge the other members ofthe Celestial Bureaucracy - they justfollow the teachings of ChangDangsu as a way to fulfill their rolewithin the order set by the JadeEmperor and his ministers.

DiffusionThis cult originated in the western

provinces of Ochalea, and it still ismost popular there.

Major TemplesThe Benevolent Order has few

temples and many monasteries. Themain temple is located in ChungTsu, where Chang Dangsu isthought to have lived.

ActivitiesMost members of the Benevolent

Order are cloistered mystics,devoted to martial disciplines thatare thought to provide major healthbenefits if practiced extensively.Specialty priests of Chardastes andShamans also act as itinerant healers.

Classes and AlignmentsSpecialty Priests of Chang

Dangsu (Chardastes), FightingMonks and Shamans are allaccepted. Most members areNeutral Good, as befits a sect ofhealers, but non-monastic memberscan also be Lawful Good or ChaoticGood.

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Baxian Shendao:Mystic Way of theEight Immortals

Total Membership .................4.500 Specialist Priests ..................... 900 Fighting Monks ...................2.100 Pantheists ................................800 Shamans .................................. 400 Philosophers of Neutrality ... 300

The Eight Immortals are apowerful symbol of balance in allthings. They have been chosen asmodels by groups of mystics andpriests who believe that Immortalityis within the reach of the man (orlupin) who cultivates all aspects ofhis character. By studying “innermagic” (a form of mystical/religious discipline linked closely tothe martial arts of Baxianquan), themystic can reach Immortality. This“inner magic” is seen as opposedto the outer (or lesser) magic of theAlphatians, which is on the otherhand considered a false path leadingto a stifling of inner growth.

Core ImmortalsThe Eight Immortals are Valerias,

Ixion, Zirchev, Khoronus, Tiresias,Ssu-Ma, Faunus and Protius. Theyrepresents the various states ofbeing: feminine and masculine(Valerias and Ixion), youth and oldage (Tiresias and Khoronous), na-ture and civilization (Zirchev andSsu-Ma), virtue and vice (Protiusand Faunus).

DiffusionThis “modern” faith is popular

throughout northern Ochalea, lessso in the southern reaches.Members include priests of theindividual members of the EightImmortals, as well as pantheists andancestor worshippers. Somescholars devoted to the Prefect of

Time or the inventor of writing arealso present.

Major TemplesThe center of this order is found

in a group of monasteries clingingto the cliffs of the Five Peaks(Wushan) overlooking the Strait ofFurmenglaive. Other monasteriesare scattered in the northernprovinces.

ActivitiesThese mystics often conduct a

cloistered life, though some may actas advisors or even alchemists orscientists for noble houses - muchlike wizards in other lands - or bewanderers or hermits. EightImmortals monasteries tend to besmaller than those of other faiths,sometimes housing only an hermitand his apprentices.

Classes and AlignmentsShamans, Specialty Priests of any

of the Eight Immortals,Philosophers of Neutrality andPantheists are all accepted. The faithitself is strongly oriented towardsthe True Neutral alignment, but allpriests except Fighting Monks canalso be of any non-extremealignment.

Ganquian Huan:Circle of Heaven andEarth

Total membership .................... 550 Druids...................................... 350 Shamans .................................. 200

The teachings of the DavanianDruids have been adapted toOchalean culture back in the earlydays of the Empire of Thyatis.However, the limited contactsbetween Davania and Ochalea, and

the civilized, urban nature of theOchalean culture have limited thegrowth of this faith. It is stillrecognizably druidic, and its leaderis a druid belonging to the DavanianCircle of Djaea.

Core ImmortalsThis faith holds the Eight

Immortals and the Four DragonKings as emblems of balance in allthings. The Earth (Djaea) andHeaven (Odin) are another majorfocus of the cult.

DiffusionThis small druidic circle includes

also many shamans that focus onnature or animal spirits as well asancestor spirit worship. Its membersare spread over the wide areas ofwilderness of Ochalea, from thenorthern and central forests to thesouthern jungle, rocky badlands andplains.

Major TemplesThis cult has no temples at all. Its

members meet twice a year, once ina sacred grove the Forest of theAncients (Gu Shulin) where theascension of the Eight Immortalsis celebrated, once on the DragonMountains (Lung Shan), where theLung Wang are worshipped.

ActivitiesMembers of this cult are mostly

hermits. Some trade herbalremedies and minor potions withthe rural communities.

Classes and AlignmentsDruids and Shamans are the only

type of priests in this cult. They canhave any alignment acceptable forMystaran Druids.

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Jianghu Shenren:Independent/Wandering Priests

Total membership .................6.700 Shamans ...............................5.000 Philosophers of Law ............. 500 Philosophers of Neutrality ... 700 Philosophers of Chaos ......... 300 Priests of Koryis ....................100 Other Specialists ....................200

Many priests in Ochalea are notattached to any church or cult. Theyare often shamans that follow asyncretic religion combiningancestor worship and tenets of theJade Temple, the Eight Immortals,and other major religions. Othersare individual followers of lessknown Immortals, or wanderingphilosophers, masters of the “innermagic” of Ochalean tradition.

Core ImmortalsMost independent priests worship

the Immortals popular in Ochalea,though few do so in an exclusiveway; Koryis, Chardastes, theDragon Rulers and Ssu-Ma areespecially popular.

DiffusionFew of these priests are found in

the larger towns: Shamans, the mostcommon type of independentpriests, prefer to keep to thewilderness or to rural regions. Manyof these independent priests arealso village priests. Some few (10%)are foreign priests hoping to convertthe locals, or wandering prophetsand other, less common types.

Major TemplesThere are no major independent

temples - most independent priestsare either wanderers, or else theyworship privately in their family orvillage shrine.

ActivitiesMany independent priests are

either local leaders (village shamansor chiefs, family leaders, etc.) orwandering healers, herbalists andexorcists. Most also practice a familytrade or run a businness (which maybe peddler, calligrapher, herbalist orhealer, in the case of wanderingpriests).

Classes and AlignmentsShaman are most common as

independent priests, but anySpecialist or Philosopher priest canbe an independent or wanderer.Since these priests are independent,they are not constrained except bytheir individual Immortal patron orphilosophy.

Non-human Faiths inOchalea

While there are few, if any, demi-humans and goblinoids in Ochalea,this large island is home to a sizableLupin population, and a smaller butfiercely independent Rakasta one.

Moreover, other intelligent non-

humans can be found here, eachwith their own patron Immortalsand philosophies.

Lupin Pantheon: Warmasters ofthe Five directions

The Lupins of Ochalea are almostcompletely integrated in the humansociety, sharing the same language,writing system, culture andmannerisms of the Ochaleans. Theydo keep a set of traditional deities,though, which are mostlyworshipped through independentShamans, and sometimes added tothe human religions or philosophies.

Chief among the traditional Lupinpatrons is the Eight Tails Fox(Korotiku), a sometimesmischievous deity that is consideredthe master of the central direction,of harmony and balance in allthings, and all things that arecompound or mixed, including theMongrel Lupins. The other fourImmortals are masters of the otherfour directions and of the fourseasons, as well as patrons of thefour native Lupin breeds.

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ehtfonortap,edutitroFdnawohC-wohC

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ehtfonortap,noitiutnIdnasgnildnuoHnaelahcO

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fonortaP,ecnalaBslergnoM

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Shi Jielang is represented as abrawny, dark-furred, Chow-Chow,dressed in leather lamellar armorlacquered in black and gray andarmed with a large double-bladedaxe. This axe is known as the Ogre-Slayer Wolf ’s Fang. Lupin talesmaintain that Shi Jielang worked atits blade for ten years, and built thehandle from the trunk of theGrandfather Tree Devil, which hehad slain to free the Forest of Lifrom its evil influence. The axe isthought to be able to slay Ogre-Magi with a single strike, and to bre-ak any chain, lock or gate, no matterhow strong, with a single blow.

Shi Tiangou, the CelestialGuardian, is represented as anuncommonly tall OchaleanHoundling, wearing plain silkclothes and armed with a compositeshort bow and a quiver of arrows.The quivers contains the SupremeRevealing Arrows, mystical arrowsbuilt with Phoenix feathers and jadearrowheads. The SupremeRevealing Arrows are said tounerringly strike the nearestLycanthrope, if one is in the rangeof Tianguo’s bow. Moreover, ifTianguo uses one of these arrowsto strike an enemy, he can alwaysuse it to track him down, as thearrow will point in the enemy’sdirection when ordered to do so.

Shi Su-Ma is portrayed as anOchalean Crested courtier of nobledescent and bearing, holding a scrollin one hand and a brush in the other- hints to the magical nature of theOchalean Crested. The scroll isenscribed with the first charactersof the Summer King’s Classic -considered the oldest Ochalean text.The brush is the Dragon andPhoenix Brush - built with anhollowed dragon fang holding theashes of a Phoenix, and topped witha tuft of Su-Ma’s own hair, and is

attributed all kinds of magicalpowers in Lupin legends.

Shi Doushang is usually portrayedas a well-muscled Shar-Pei warriorwith heavily wrinkled face - to indi-cate his young age - wearing a sky-blue metal lamellar armor andbrandishing an ornated polearm(guan dao), called the Thunder andLightning Blade. Shar-Pei legendssay that when a lighting hits abattlefield, Shi Doushang is incitingthe warriors by whirling hispolearm. This weapon is alsothought to have the power todestroy all undead - a memory ofbattles fought by the ancestors ofthe Shar-Pei against the TaymoraVampire kings. Moreover, when ShiDoushang rotates the Thunder andLightning Blade, he can stop allincoming attacks - physical ormagical.

The Pardasta AncestorsThe Rakasta of Ochalea live in the

central rocky lands, aloof fromhuman and Lupin civilization. Theybelong to the Pardasta breed.

These feline humanoids follow anancestor cult, including several oftheir Immortal patrons. Ka, Bastetand Ninfangle are worshipped alongto the Exalted servant of Ka,Kumrah, who was with Bastet thefirst of the Rakasta.

These mythical ancestorsrepresent specific roles or activitiesof the Pardasta society, includingthe adventurous hunter (Ninfangle),the lazy elder male (Kumrah), and

the beautiful maiden (Bastet). Ka isworshipped as the DragonAncestor, with the role of the worldcreator.

Ogre Magi PantheonThis magically powerful Ogre

subspecies is the only type ofgoblinoid commonly found inOchalea. The reclusive Ogre Magican develop into powerful Shamans,mostly calling on ancestor spirits,and sometimes on animal or evilspirits as well.

They do also worship Immortals,especially Jammudaru - who is wellpleased by the focus on revenge theOgre Magi can develop - andKaarash, who is worshipped as thegod of battle. Iliric is also part oftheir pantheon as the god of magic.

Faiths of the ShapechangersThere are many shapechangers,

including lycanthropes, in Ochalea.Most shapechangers tend toworship ancestor spirits or animalspirits of the same phenotype, buta few Immortals are alsoworshipped.

Werefoxes (especially the non-evilones) worship Korotiku as the EightTails Fox, while wererats haveimported the cult of Mrikitat (MiLaoshu). Weretigers often worshipthe Rakasta pantheon.

Evil shapechangers revereImmortals of the Shadow Court, orOrcus (Ou Rong).

Aranea worship Arachne Prime,Iliric or (less commonly) Korotiku.

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gnoLgnoK aK rotsecnAnogarDehTgnain-naiToaB tetsaB nediaMylnevaeHehT

nal-nuKuF harmuK rehtaFypeelSehTiL-gneFgniN elgnafniN rerutnevdAdloBehT

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Guilds andSecretSocieties

Ochalean are known for their loveof order. This propension is alsoexemplified by the high number oforganizations, associations, guildsand secret societies that holdtogether the Ochalean society.

In general, mercantileorganizations - trade guilds and thelike - are known as gonghui (guilds),while political, secret, illegal orunderground societies are known asdang (factions). This sectiondescribes the most important guildsand factions in Ochalea.

Biaoshi Hui: EscortMaster Council

Escort guilds are firms thatprovide caravan guards to themerchants of Ochalea. They arevery common, and highlyorganized, in the most regions. Themain exceptions are Bohan, wheremost trade is conducted by sea, andthe presence of large garrisonsmakes travel safe even inland, andthe Celestial Territories, where thereis very little trade, and none on thescale that would allow the formationof such organizations.

Escort guilds aggressively policetheir field, making it impossible forindependent guards to operatewithin their provinces. The Biaoshicouncil, an organization of the mostimportant masters, controls theallocation of trade routes and theauthorization of new guilds. Thecouncil meets in Chungkiang Li,once at the beginning of spring andonce in mid-autumn.

Each guild has a single base ofoperation, but maintains outpostsat regular intervals on their majorroutes.

The rest of this section describesthe most powerful guilds, thosecontrolled by the members of theBiaoshi Hui.

Fortune and Benevolence EscortGuild

Based in Cao, Fortune andBenevolence covers the routebetween Wongzhao Tsushao andChungkiang Li, making it one of therichest guilds. Fortune andBenevolence biaoshi work withboth land and river-based caravans.This is the second most powerfulescort guild in Ochalea.

Bright Future Caravan ServiceBright Future shares a lesser, but

still very important, part of the themajor Cao-Kiang trade route. Itmostly escorts land caravans. Thisfirm is based in Wongzhao Tsushao.

Upper Cao Escort GuildThis guild has a monopoly over

the lesser trade routes in Cao. Itsmembers protect transports fromthe mining villages to the provincialcapitol. It is a less profitablebusinness than the main route toKiang, but the Upper Cao stillmanages to be the third strongestguild of the province, and the sixthoverall. This outstanding perfor-mance is explained by the highlyskilled personnel employed by theUpper Cao master, which allow theguild to function with much smallerteams than most competitors.

Golden Sun Trade GuildBased in Wutang Dongha, the

Golden Sun controls only a singletrade route, from its hometown toBeitung, yet the fact that most goldtrade occurs on this route makes itthe third richest guild in Ochalea.A very conservative guild, theGolden Sun is known to routinely

oppose any request for theestablishment of new guilds, as wellas any modification to thetraditional route allocation. Itsoperatives are only moderatelyskilled, however. The Golden Sunprides itself on its traditionally goodrelations with the monks of theMystic Way of the Eight Immortals.Golden Sun biaoshi are alwaysavailable to escort the high rankingmonks and priests.

Jade Hawk Escort Guild(Shun/Daisun) This aggressive

guild is based in Shun, but hasexpanded to Daisun, and is nowbent on taking control of the smalltraffic that goes on in Chi as well,using its master’s position in theBiaoshi council to obtain better andbetter route assignments every year,and hamper the work of the smallercompetitors. Jade Hawk escorts aremore likely than most to solve anyencounter with combat.

Green Lupin Trade ServicesThe major Lupin-owned Biaoshi

firm, Green Lupin mostly escortssilk traders from Yuen to Beitung,as well as sharing control of themajor route between Ta’ang andSung with minor firms. This firmhas been controlled by a family ofOchalean Houndlings since itsfoundation, and it is known for itsskill in dealing with the localauthorities. The Green Lupin isbased in Wongzhao Tsu Yi.

Harmonious TemperanceEscort Guild

The most powerful guild inOchalea, Harmonious Temperancehas the advantage of a centralposition, controlling the routesbetween Kiang, Chung, and Yuen.Harmonious Temperance biaoshiare known for their mild character

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and their ability to negotiate out ofany trouble without recurring tocombat. This guild is based inChungkiang Li.

Demon Cults

Demon cults are quite a mixedbunch - the name generally refersto militant sects of the Order of theShadow Court, but these groups canbe very different, depending ontheir patron Immortal, philosophy,and history. This section outlinessome of the most important cults,but in the chaotic underworld of theShadow Court, these organizationsare not as stable as the morelegitimate ones, and new groupsemerge frequently, just as oldgroups are destroyed or implodedue to internal dissention.

Demon cults take the name pai,that is school of thought, to showtheir devotion to specificphilosophies. The informal leaderstake the title of Elder (laoda).

Huo Pai: School of FirePossibly the oldest of the Demon

Cults, the Huo Pai focuses on theworship of Hua Fan-Liang, thoughthe Fiery General, Rong Han, is alsorespected by this school of thought.Huo Pai members believe in thesupremacy of fire over the otherelements, and originated from theancient Cypri who had brought,hidden, the teachings of theFollowers of Fire from OldAlphatia. The Followers of Fire hidamong the non-magical Cypri, andmoved with them to Ochalea.

The Huo Pai took part in theOchalean uprising against theAlphatians, and was a legal factionfor the first three centuriesthereafter. A string of especiallyagressive Elders in the fourthcentury AC led to the outlawing of

the Huo Pai. Since the sixth centuryAC, the Huo Pai are only present insignificant numbers in the CelestialTerritories, though cells survive inBeitung as well as in the provincesof Cao, Chun and Kiang.

Bao Pai: School of RevengeOnly the evilest demon cultist

compose the Bao Pai - the Revengeof the Dreamwalker, Jiang Da-Ru.This sect acts mostly as an assassins’guild, offering its services to anyonewho has a wrong (real or perceived)to avenge.

Bao Pai members are expertmartial artists, and are highly skilledin stealth as well.

Gui Pai: School of the GhostThis sect developed in the towns

of Ochalea as the frequency ofundead occurence grew. The lack ofaction on the part of the establishedpriesthoods led the poorest localsto form self-defense groups, wholater developed into crime gangsmanaging protection rackets. TheGui Pai is accounted as a sect ofthe Shadow Order, but it has onlyfew priests in its ranks, which areinstead filled mostly by thieves andwarriors.

Yinghe Pai: School of theShadow Lotus

The main sect of followers of theshadow empress, Nü Yue-Wang, theYinghe Pai is among the less overtlyevil of the Demon Cults. Itsmembers do, however, hold anunhealthy fascination with undeath,which they consider as one of thepossible evolutions of life. Mostelders of the Yinghe Pai are actuallysentient undead - ghosts and theoccasiona nosferatu - which putsthem at odds with the Gui Pai.

Yingshu Dang: TheShadow Hand

The Yingshu is the Ochaleanbranch of the Shadow Hand, theThyatian guild of thieves andassassins. It is mostly active inBohan and in the Celestial Domain,though cells are also present in thecapitols of Yuen, Shun and Kiang.

This is one of the few societies,criminal or not, to allow foreignmembers.

Shar-PeiMercenaries

The Shar-Pei Lupins are wellknown in Ochalea, and even inThyatis, for the quality of theirmartial training. They provideseveral units of heavy infantry tothe Ochalean and imperial armies,but many veterans also work inmercenary units, usually clan-based.The four largest clans are theZhang, Lang, Gou, and Kuang.

The Zhang clan is probably thelargest, and operates mostly withinthe province of Ta’ang, though it issometimes employed in Yuen orSung. Zhang captains employHoundling scouts and sometimeseven Crested wizards to supporttheir units.

A smaller but successful clan, theGou operates in the CelestialDomains and the neighbouringprovinces. It specializes incontaining large undead threats,such as the dead warriors of Wang.To this end, it includes an higherthan usual number of shamans andpriests.

The Lang is especially warlike, andis known to be devoted to ShiJielang almost as much as to ShiDoushang. This clan operatesprevalently in the central regions,Cao, Chung, and Kiang. It workswith Chow-Chow auxiliaries (scouts

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and archers), and is though to in-clude a Wolvenfolk bloodline ofpowerful necromancers.

The Kuang clan is reputed to pro-duce the fiercest warriors. It roamsbetween Chi, Daisun and Shun,offering its services to the highestbidder. Chi authorities suspect thatrogue Kuang units are alsoresponsible for some acts ofbanditry on the Chi-Bohan border.Kuang maintains a blood feud withthe Ogre Magi Kingfisher clan.

Feihau Dang: Societyof the Blue Flower

A political faction associated withthe Thyatian Gens Aemilia, theSociety of the Blue Flower is basedin Chungkiang Li, and is mostlycomposed of aristocrats from theKiang and Yuen provinces. Its goalsare mostly to support friendlysenatorial candidates, and push fora greater role of the aristocracy inthe political life. One of therecurring requests is the

establishment of an OchaleanSenate mirroring the Thyatian one.

The society originated from theleague of Kiang aristocrats whotried to resist the annexation to theWang kingdom. Later, the BlueFlower supported the Wai dynasty.Since the beginning of the Tengdynasty, the society has lost someof its power. It still manages to keepenough control of the political lifeof Kiang to elect one of its leadersas senator for the Kiang, Wang andShou area.

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Mandarins &Monks

This section details a number ofimportant NPCs - the movers andshakers of the Ochalean society.

Archduke Teng Lin-DieuOchalean Human Pacifist Pr18(Koryis), LG.

Archduke of Ochalea, High Priestof the Jade Temple.

Abbot Teng Lee-DaiOchalean Human Fighting MonkPr14, LG.

An abbot of the Jade Temple,Teng Lee-Dai is a distant relative ofthe Archduke. This 50 years-oldscholar is a master of defensivemartial arts, as well as an expert inOchalean history. He currentlyrepresents the Teng family in theImperial Senate, a duty that keepshim in Thyatis city most of the time.

High Priest Ling Tzu-ChenOchalean Human Noble Pr11(Koryis), LG.

High Priest of Koryis in the JadeTemple of Ochalea, Senator for theOchalean government.

Senator Chong Li-YiOchalean Human Noble F7, LN.

Senator of the Central region,member of the Gens Aemilia,member of the Society of the BlueFlower.

Senator Song Yun-WuOchalean Human, Pr5 (Pantheist),NG.

An elderly priest of the EightImmortals, Song Yun-Wu has beenSenator of the North-Westernregion for five times in a row. A verypopular man, he is a member of thePhilosophers faction, preachingmoderation in all things. Contrary

to many priests, he worships all ofthe Eight Immortals equally, sincehe believes that the Immortals eachemphasize a particular trait orvirtue, and only a good balance ofall can lead to perfection. He is oneof the few Ochalean Senators to bepopular in Thyatis as well as in hishomeland.

Senator Quintus Chen Lao-WaiOchalean/Thyatian Human T5,TN.

A middle-aged merchant ofmixed Ochalean and Thyatiandescent, Chen Lao-Wai (QuintusChen to the Thyatians) has boughthis way into the Senatorial seat ofthe South-Western region, byfinancing the building of the newCathedral of Wumingdou - anddistributing money to many of hissupporters, in pure Thyatian style.A member of the Gens Aurelia,Quintus supports the Church ofThyatis in its efforts to control thegovernment. He is not a fanatic,though - he just sees the church ashis ticket toward a permanentSenatorial seat, and perhaps evenhigher.

Senator Yang Lao-YeOchalean Human Pr8 (Philosopherof Law), LN.

Recently elected Senator of theNorth-Eastern region, this memberof the Philosophers faction is asomewhat boring scholar andresearcher in natural and human law.His considerable magical powersderive entirely from his faith in thepower of Order, not from worshipof any Immortal. Yang Lao-Ye is amember of the Mystic Way ofOrder. He keeps his headcompletely shaven, and strictlyrespects a number of taboos,including not eating meat, notdrinking alcohol, and bathing in

cold water only. He is dressed informal priestly robes at all times.Perhaps not surprisingly, he is notat all popular with the society ofThyatis city - not that the factconcerns him: he only accepted tobe elected to the Senate so that hecould travel to Thyatis city andconsult the library there. However,being extremely respectful of hisrole, he is present in the Senate forevery debate or vote, which actuallyprevents him from spending asmuch time as he would like in thelibraries.

Senator Wen Zi-YouOchalean Human, 0-level, NG.

A weak candidate for the positionof Senator of the South-Easternregion, Wen Zi-You was, to his ownsurprise, elected thanks to acombination of low number ofvoters and the Shadow Courtmanaging to converge all its votingpower on him - as well aseliminating several other candidates.A member of the Free Thinkers,Wen has no contact whatsoeverwith the Demon Cults, but someelders consider him weak enough tobe manipulated through threats,blackmail or magic. Prior to hiselection, Wen worked as a medium-ranked bureaucrat in the provincialbureaucracy of Daisun. His primeinterest in the Senate is currently toobtain some funding for his homeprovince.

Yuen Chong-WuOchalean Crested Lupin ShamanPr6, TN.

Governor of Yuen is an OchaleanCrested Lupin of ancient nobility:the Yuen when among the firstLupin families to reach Ochalea,and can lay claim to a strong FooDog bloodline. They have managedto withstand two millennia of wars,

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Liu HuangOchalean Human Pr4 (Masauwu),NE.

This bureaucrat of the Chungprovincial administration is secretlya follower of the Shadow Court. Heserves the Demon Cults in Chungby passing them key informationfrom the police records. Liu joinedthe Shadow Court has a mean to puthis career back in motion, after hewas assigned to the Chung provin-ce - which he considers a demotion,as the Chung province is consideredan irrelevant backwater by mostBeitungese.

Zhang DafengShar-Pei Lupin Myrmidon F12, LN.

A senior member of the Zhangclan, Dafeng is the paragon Shar-Pei warlord - honorable, fearless anda master of the guan dao. A Shar-Pei Lupin old enough to have lostmost of his facial wrinkles, Dafenghis known for his tactical cunning,as well as for his forceful attacks thathave earned him the nickname ofHurricane of Yuen. Knowing wellthat an old warrior cannot last long,Dafeng is scouring the clan fortalented Lupin tacticians - he feelshe might need to be replaced soon.

Kuang San-DaoShar-Pei Lupin Myrmidon F8, CN.

San-Dao is a Shar-Pei warrior ofKuang clan. An impoverishedmercenary, San-Dao has turned tobanditry with his entire warband.Now, he waylays travelers fromBohan from his hideout in thewoods. Not known for his wisdom,Kuang San-Dao has probably madea big mistake - while the Chigovernor might be ineffective, thegovernor of Bohan is energic andsupported by a strong military, andthe Kuang clan may well have bit

more that it can chew.

Shan Hou-YanFire Genasi W7/F8, CN.

An Elder of the Huo Pai demoncult, Shan Hou-Yan descends froman ancient Cypri bloodline, whichhad a more recent brush with outerplanar entities, resulting in the statusof Fire Spirit Folk of its moderndescendents. Hou-Yan is extremelyproud of his Fire Spirit blood, andis a firm believer in Fire supremacy.Even though he is an elder memberof the sect, he still likes to raid thevillages of the Celestial Territoriesto “prove the superiority of Fire” -that is, to vent his anger at beingconfined into the wild Territories onsome helpless villager. However,Hou-Yan is not just a bully - he is adangerous warrior, mixing unarmedfighting, magic, and mastery of thetwin daggers and three-section staff.

Wu Wei-LinChow-Chow R5, LG.

A biaoshi in the lesser Wu FamilyEscort Firm from Daisun, Wu Wei-Lin is struggling to keep the familybusinness viable in face of theunderhanded businness tactics ofthe Jade Hawk, the major escortguild of south-western Ochalea.The Jade Hawk leaders, in fact, haverecently recurred to hiring an OgreMage of the Kingfisher clan tohinder the Wu businness. An expertoutdoorsman, Wei-Lin personallyguides most expeditions of hishouse. He is well known in Daisunfor his sense of direction, whichallows him to set the shortest (andsafest) path in the featureless plainsof Chi.

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OchaleanBestiary

Ochalea is generally considered aland free of monsters - at least whencompared to the Known World.This is mostly due to two facts: first,there are few goblinoids in Ochalea;second, many monsters in Ochaleaare adept at disguising theirpresence, by means ofshapechanging, charming magics,invisibility or simple stealth.

Table 8 shows a list of the mostcommon monsters in Ochalea.

Animals

There are many dangerouspredators in Ochalea, from thenatural to the supernatural ones.Tigers are common in the southernjungles, as are panthers.

Snakes of the common types arepresent, as are rare varieties such asthe Hypnosnake.

Finally, giant animals such as theRoc and the Purple Worm can befound in the more remote areas.

Constructs

Magically animated monsters aresometimes created to protecttemples, ancient treasures or tombs.

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aenarA aramaLspolcyC edaJ,eutatSgniviL gnojniJ

adgraB agaN gnijehSeinworB nehsoaZ naidrauG gnijehsieW

taerG,taC tiripS gnijehseiXregiT retaW gnijehsgnaiJrehtnaP igaMergO gnaiLgnaW

nogarD gnoL nalcrehsifgniK uziucieFdloG gnoLniJ nalcgorF uzawgniQedaJ gnoLuY nalcxO uzuingnauHaeS gnoLiaH xineohP gnauhgneF

daednU gnoLiS mroWelpruP uqiZekarD coR gneP

ekardnaM notelekSekarDlatnemelE tiripS nehS

tnaiG,hsiF resseL,laminA nehsuohShsiftaCtnaiG retaerG,laminApraCautnagraG erutaN nehsnariZ

noiL/goDuF livE nehsEelyograG daednU nehsiS

luohG etirpS naixieWyarG

rehposolihP xofereW gnijiluH

naidrauGroirraW gnojamgniB tarereW gnijuhsoaL

tsohG,tnuaH regitereW gnijuhoaLoaisH oaiX thgiW ihsgnaiJ

ekansonpyH eibmoZeerTrelliK

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Guardian Warriors and their horsesare often created to protect thetombs of the Ochalean rulers,Archdukes and provincialgovernors. Jade Statues were createdbefore the rise of the Empire ofThyatis and during theindependence war to protecttemples from the Alphatian wizards- to this end, these constructs weredesigned to be able to survivemassive magical attacks. Finally,Gargoyles are sometimes found insubterranean tombs or largerfortifications - they are never builton palaces, houses or temples, sincethese are mostly built using woodrather than stone.Demons

Ochaleans lump several types ofcreatures related with evil, Entropiccults under the “demon” label.Some of these demons, like theOne-eyed demon (Cyclops) and theOx-headed demon (Bargda) are justevil or cursed creatures that servethe Demon Cults as mercenaries orbound by powerful spells.

Others, like the Tree demon (Kil-ler Tree) are actually unrelated withthe Demon Cults, and just happento share appearances with some evilspirits.

Finally, evil spirits are corruptednature or animal spirits that haveabsorbed magical energies - seeSection 8.8.

Dragons

Ochaleans consider Dragons as amajor symbol of power. While realdragons are uncommon at best, theyare a common theme in Ochaleanart and religion.

Dragons of the Sea, Gold andJade subspecies are the mostcommon. There is a powerfuldraconic kingdom in the DragonMountains, ruled by an aged Gold

dragon. Other kingdoms are foundin the seas around Ochalea.

Ochalean dragons sometimeschoose to disguise themselves ashumans to observe or manipulatethe human society for theirpurposes.

Faeries

Faeries generally dislikeImmortals, yet some of them aredeeply interested in the concept ofreligion. So, while few faeries -mostly Sprites - live in Ochalea,some envoys of the Faerie courtscan be found hidden among the cityfolk (Mandrakes) or posing as na-ture spirits (Elemental Drakes).Brownies are probably the onlyfaeries well liked by the Ochalean,who consider them as kitchen gods(Zaoshen).

Friendly to the faeries, but notfaeries themselves, the Hsiao aredevoted to the way of Law. MostHsiao in Ochalea live in nests builton the forested mountains, near themonasteries of the Lawful faiths. Asclerical scholars, the Hsiao areextremely interested in theOchalean philosophical studies, andare often sought by abbots andother high-ranking priests foradvice. The Hsiao worship LafwulGood and Lawful NeutralImmortals, especially those focusingon Law itself as their main area ofinterest, including Koryis, Tarastiaand Ka.

The Fu Dogs and Lions, envoysof the Lupin Immortals, oftensojourn at the faerie court ofOchalea - while, just like otherfaeries - the Ochalean Sprites findImmortals somewhat distastefuland are generally alien to theconcept of divine magic andworship, they are as curious as theDreamlands faeries about them, andtake every opportunity to discuss

the philosophies of Law and Chaoswith their guests.

Naga

These human-headed giant snakesare sometimes found in the rockybadlands (Guardian and SpiritNaga) or in the waters of theChungkiang (Water Nage).Guardian Naga are ancient servantsof Kong Long (Ka), oftenhonorbound to protect specific sitesor preserve ancient histories, whileWater Naga are related to the riverspirits and are generally neutraltowards outsiders. Spirit Naga arecorrupt Naga that serve evil spiritsas guardians or assassins.

Shapechangers

The Ochalean belief holds thatShapechangers (or “Spirit Folk”) arethe result of interbreeding betweenanimal spirits and mortals. They in-clude in this broad class a varietyof creatures, from Aranea (spiderfolk) to Lamara (snake folk) tolycanthropes (fox folk, tiger folk andgoblin rats - only werefoxes,weretigers and wererats are presentin Ochalea).

The Wang Liang (Ogre Magi) arealso part of this group. There arethree Wang Liang clans, eachcomposed of many small families(3-11 adults plus 1-3 children), theKingfisher clan, the Frog clan andthe Ox clan. Members of theKingfisher clan are light-blueskinned, with dark green hair; Frogclan Ogres are light-green skinned,with dark blue hair, while those ofthe Ox clan are yellow-haired andlight-brown skinned.

Most Shapechangers are craftyenought to merge with ease into theOchalean society, lending to theimage of Ochalea as a monster-freeland.

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XSpirits

Nature spirits and animal spiritsfind it easy to materialize in Ochaleamore than in other areas of Mystara.Also, the presence of large numbersof Shamans means that spirits oftenfind their way to Ochalea throughsummonings. Indeed, mostShamans receive their spells frompowerful spirits, and only the mostpowerful deal with the Spirit Lords(i.e., the Immortals).

Evil and undead spirits areunfortunately present as well,though they use their innate abilitiesto pass undetected. Many DemonCults are lead by or allied withpowerful evil spirits. Undead spiritsare sometimes summoned by evilDemon Cult priests and shamans.

Undead

Perhaps most surprisingly in aland known for its large priesthood,Ochalea is haunted by a largenumber of undead monsters.However, most priests in Ochalealive a cloistered life, and remainaloof from the problems of themore remote areas of the sparselypopulated country.

Ancient Demon Cult elders, lost

in their ponderings of evilphilosophical concepts, becomeGray Philosophers. A legend saysthat once Lan Yi-Xiong assaulted afortress of the Demon Cultists: soabsorbed in their thoughts were thecult elders, that they were obliviousto the battle outside theunderground council hall. In theend, Lan Yi-Xiong brought amountain down to crush thecultists, burying the entire councilall - the elders did not even noticetheir own deaths, and might be stillfound seated on their council daisin front of tea cups reduced to dustby the violence of the impact.

Ghosts, remains of people whoselife ended tragically, are perhaps themost dangerous of the undead -they can appear seductive, or lowerthe guard of their opponents bylamenting their tragedies, only to killthem when they are defenseless.Not all ghosts are evil, though -some just look for a release fromtheir suffering, in the form of arighting of whatever wrong broughtthem to their undead state. Someghosts can end up serving other,more powerful entities.

Undead spirits can exist both in

the Spirit World and in the PrimeMaterial. These entities are powerfulenough to be fully independent, andcan be a major threat for Ochaleancities. However, they also tend toattract more attention from thepriesthood than other undead, sothey are remarkably rare.

Restless dead animated by lower,animalistic souls, the HoppingCorpses (Wights) are dangerous,because they try to absorb the qi(life force) of the mortals, pushedby incredible hunger. They are notvery intelligent, since they lack thehigher soul.

Skeletons and zombies are the lesspowerful undead, mere animatedcorpses existing thanks tonecromantic magic wielded by evilspirits, priests or wizards, or createdby other undead. They are rarelyfound on their own, so theadventurer who meets a group ofthese monsters should consider thisa warning that some greater evil isafoot.

Ghouls are among the mostcommon undead in Ochalea, andcan be found in graveyards as wellas in the sewers of Beitung.