Zotung Gompa

Zotung Gompa was a monastery (a gompa in the Tabotan language) of the Way of Enlightenment in Tabot. It was previously known as Zotung Keep.

Geography
It stood in southern Tabot, amongst the jungles south of the Haraki Ridge.

History
It was founded some time between and, when fifteen groups of monks and temple guardians escaped persecution in Shou Lung and journeyed southwest in search of a holy land that would remain pure and lasting, ideal for isolated hermitages. One of these groups built the beginnings of Zotung.

In, seven lamas of the Zotung Keep discovered a man frozen in ice on Mesku Peak. They recovered the man and defrosted him, but he melted away with the ice and in his place they found a male leopard cub. They raised the leopard and it grew as big as a horse. Finally, one day it even talked, and asked to be allowed to go free. Surprised, the lamas opened the gates to the leopard, which returned to Mesku Peak. Afterward, the new abbot of the new Zotung Gompa called on the leopard for help when making decisions, and since then, it was said to visit many lamas in dreams to dispense advice on the proper way to achieve enlightenment. The whole affair was declared a miracle, the first of the young nation.

Around, Zotung and Nafeen Gompas and the other southern monasteries complained strenuously about the High Lord's tithings and adopted radical stances, thus paralyzing the yig-tsang (monk council) and presaging a separatist movement. Meanwhile, the High Lord filled the Lon Chen (chief ministers) with trusted northern monks, which only alienated the southerners further. Thus, the rebel Baron Phen Do influenced both the Zotung and Nafeen Gompas through gifts and spies. It was even rumored they harbored Phen Do.

Relationships
Pang, a monk of Pokarr Gompa was dismissive of Zotung and Nafeen Gompas, declaring they did not follow "the true and holy laws of the High Lord" as Pokarr did.