T'u Lung

T'u Lung was an oppressive and politically unstable country in Kara-Tur. After splitting from Shou Lung after a rebellion, the two states were at war for almost 250 years.

History
After the Emperor of Shou Lung died before naming an heir, civil war broke out between the north and the south. The northern factions backed Shin Lu, while the southern lords of T'u Lung backed Shin Gisen. Two years later, in 2316 (1066 DR) Shin Gisen was made Emperor of T'u Lung and the nation was officially founded.

In 2366 (1116 DR), Emperor Shin Rokan tried to remove power from the barons and increase taxes. He was soon assassinated by Wai Long Hwa, who proclaimed himself Emperor. Some of the powerful noble families made alliances and seceded from the Emperor and the period of the "Three Kingdoms" began.

In 2419 (1169 DR), a potter of Chedoru named Jo He Ting created a set of eight magical bowls for the imperial court. Anyone who ate from the bowls was bestowed with clear thought for an hour after using them. Four years later, in 2424 (1173 DR), Emperor Wai Chu Doang was killed by poison while using the bowls.

After the death of Wai Lo Yan, one of T'u Lung's most long-lived emperors, the only heir was his daughter Wai Yeh Ying. Tradition meant that she should have been made emperor but the nobles of T'u Lung instead made her regent until Wai Lo Yan's nephew came of age.

After 242 years of conflicts and incursions with Shou Lung, diplomatic overtures were made and major invasions ceased. Despite this, Shou Lung continued to send small forces into T'u Lung on a regular basis, justifying these intrusions as hunting fleeing criminals.

Wai Yong, the young tenth emperor of the Lui Dynasty, secretly visited the western nation of Mulhorand under an assumed identity in 2625 (1375 DR). The reasons for this journey were unknown.

Geography
T'u Lung was split into six provinces: Joi Chang Peninsula, Ausa, East Wai, West Wai, Bashan Do, and Fengnao Province. Each province was administered by a hereditary governor and divided into several districts.

A vast range of climates and environments could be found within T'u Lung, including mountains, hills, rivers, lakes and plains.

Notable settlements

 * Ausa
 * Ausa was a large city and port in the Ausa province. The port was known for its fifteen wharves, each one named after a different god. There was a natural spring in the center of the city, which provided water for the entire population. Just off the east coast of the port was the Xifung Reef. This reef caused a lot of trouble for navigators and was said to be haunted.


 * Balanzia
 * Once one of the largest and most powerful port cities in Kara-Tur, Balanzia was destroyed in 2403 (1153 DR). After surviving numerous attacks from Shou Lung forces, the city's walls were brought down by a powerful elemental and the inhabitants of Balanzia were driven mad with fear. Within a month, the city was desolate and haunted. People avoided the city for many decades to come.


 * Ca'hong Chwi
 * Also known as the "Flooded City", Ca'hong Chwi used to be a mighty fortress. When the south rebelled against the north in 2316 (1066 DR), the walled town of Ca'hong Chwi remained loyal to Shou Lung and was laid siege by the armies of T'u Lung. T'u Lung forces couldn't bring down the walls of Ca'hong Chwi and were ready to abandon the siege when Wantu Fang invented a strategy. The T'u Lung forces headed north away from the fortress and built the S'tuni Dam. After four months, the fortress of Ca'hong Chwi began to flood. Centuries later, all that could be seen of Ca'hong Chwi was the tops of five towers rising out of Sin Bukai lake. The towers were rumored to be haunted.


 * Ha'chou
 * Ha'chou was a well-kept city with strict law enforcement. The city had 25 towers and each one was painted a different color. One of Ha-chou's most famous residents was the sage Nift of the Silver Eye. He was the keeper of a vast library and only ever allowed one person entry to his archives at any one time.


 * Wai (formerly "Chia Wan Ch'uan")
 * Wai was the capital of T'u Lung and also the home of the Emperor. The oldest part of the city was founded in 469 (−781 DR). The city was filled with all kinds of life; from squalor to the most extravagant palaces in the entire country. The majority of the city was well kept and splendid. The city was also rife with political plotting and scheming. Often innocent bystanders would be dragged into political conflicts or arrested by paranoid officials for being in the wrong place at the wrong time.

Notable locations

 * E'do Formal Gardens
 * The formal gardens of E'do were considered to be the ultimate tranquility in all of T'u Lung. The gardens were vast and contained many separate groves and sections. The innermost grove never needed tending and was rarely visited, thanks to the shrine at its center that bestowed arcane visions—often sending people mad. Numerous historic events took place in the E'do Formal Gardens over the years.


 * The Fenghsintzu River
 * Used as the main method of travel in T'u Lung, the Fenghsintzu River had many names. The river was home to a variety of wildlife, including crocodiles and water buffalo as well as water serpents that were able to sink 40-ft-long barges.


 * I'wa Geyser
 * The I'wa Geyser was a natural spring that shot boiling sulfur every three hours. The site also held three shrines and an outdoor altar. The geyser was the destination for pilgrimages where a Cleansing Festival would take place. The pilgrims believed these rituals would extend their life.


 * The Okaning School
 * The art of illusory magic was taught at the Okaning School in Ventrax. The masters of the school were called upon in times of war to cast impressive illusions. One of the most notable achievements of the sages at the school was making their entire village disappear for two weeks.


 * T'hai Salt Flats
 * Originally a vast salt lake, the T'hai Salt Flats were formed when deep underground upheaval cased the water to drain away. No plants of animals lived in this wasteland. The only known inhabitant was a necromancer named Utwa So. Utwa controlled a large number of "salt-zombies" that he created from peasants and adventurers who wandered too far into his territory.


 * The Yengso Rocks
 * Exactly 124 naturally carved pillars stood about 70 ft high in this region. The rocks were carved by the wind and became a holy place frequented by shukenja and monks. Some believed that the stones whispered truths to those who could sit long enough to hear. Another myth stated that the rocks were once a mighty army that tried to challenge the Celestial Heavens but were turned to stone by the gods.

Government
T'u Lung was split into six provinces, each ruled by a hereditary governor. The Emperor of T'u Lung was the overall leader but his power was diminished by the numerous wealthy noble families that controlled the various offices across the country. In order to gain support for his rebellion against the north, Emperor Shin Gisen had given power to the wealthy noble families. However, after T'u Lung was established as its own nation, it became near-impossible for the Emperor to regain this power. Several centuries later, the noble families still held a lot of power to the extent that the Emperor couldn't enforce his edicts without consent from the majority of nobles.

The administration of T'u Lung was largely corrupt and favored only the wealthy. Commoners had almost no chance of rising up into positions of government.

Foreign relations
Although major incursions from Shou Lung ended in 2258 (1308 DR), small skirmishes continued to occur and relations with Shou Lung remained fragile.

T'u Lung had diplomatic relations with Tabot, Wa, and Kozakura. These were set up in 2589 (1139 DR) as a response to Shou Lung beginning the "Gathering of Pearls".

Along the coast of the jungles south of T'u Lung, there were several small city-states that formed alliances with T'u Lung and paid regular tributes.

Economy
The most common trade in T'u Lung was farming, which occurred almost everywhere in the country but especially along the banks of the Fenghsintzu river. In the southern hills of T'u Lung, lumbering was more widespread.

Taxation in T'u Lung was strict but many managed to avoid paying each year. Everyone who made money in T'u Lung (including adventurers) was required to pay exactly one third of their income to township officers. Tax evasion could lead to confiscation of all assets and deportation.

T'u Lung minted its own coinage, although the currency used the same values and denominations as the Shou Lung currency. The exchange rate with Shou Lung coins was notoriously bad as away from the border Shou Lung currency had basically no value.

Ethnic groups
Kara-Tur wasn't home to any indigenous populations of elves, dwarves or other humanoids common in Faerûn. The majority of T'u Lung's population was human, but hengeyokai, korobokuru, and spirit folk were also common.

The majority of humans of T'u Lung shared racial characteristics like epicanthic folds, brown eyes, and fine, straight black hair. T'u Lung people were also known to be slightly taller with thinner cheekbones than the humans in neighboring lands.

Language
The most common language spoken in T'u Lung was Kao te Shou, as in Shou Lung. Local accents and dialects of Kao te Shou were numerous and varied greatly across the country. T'u Lung did also have its own unique language, also named T'u Lung, but this was probably not commonly used.

Events & Festivals
Once a year, on the fifth day of the month of Yu, the inhabitants of T'u Lung celebrated the Festival to Welcome the Ethers.

Cuisine
Rice was by far the most common food in T'u Lung. It was served in some form with every meal. In both Shou Lung and T'u Lung, the most commonly used greeting was "Have you eaten rice today?". This had the same effect as saying "Hello" in Faerûn and showed how important rice was in daily life. Fish was the most commonly consumed meat and tea the most popular drink.