Purang

Purang was a land that lay between the jungle lands of Laothan and the Kuong Kingdom, and the border of T'u Lung.

Climate
The climate in Purang was more temperate than in the mountains of Kuong and jungles of Laothan. Although rainforest grew throughout Purang, it received less rainfall. The jungles were also easier to journey through.

Inhabitants
The hill tribes of Purang were racially different from the people of Laothan or Tu Lung. The native people had round brown eyes, darker skin, and black wavy hair. These tribes spoke their own language with many dialects, and often were called savages by their neighbors.

These tribes wore loincloths and hunted using bows and javelins. They were very strong fighters who jealously guarded their land from invaders. Between themselves, they were a kind and generous people, but they were quite suspicious of strangers.

Traders or travelers rarely came through Purang.

Architecture
Most of the houses were huts made of bamboo with roofs made of palm leaves. They were also erected on stilts, which was very useful for protection against animals and insects and kept out water during rain and flood.

Cities

 * Feng Nu
 * Kataninh
 * Kumok
 * Luang
 * Lumpur

Government
All the Purang tribes were interrelated, but normally acted independently. They would only act together in case of a threat to every tribe.

Each tribe was governed by a council of elders, with a chief chosen by popular acclaim. When a chief lost the support of the tribe, they chose another in their place.

There were five major tribes in the hilly lands of Purang. The most influential of these tribes was the tribe of White Monkey, located in the hills near the village Kumok, which was governed by Chief Tuan in the mid–14th century DR.

Religion
The Purang tribes worshiped various spirits of nature, such as rain and sun spirits, grouped into "tribes" and collectively known as the Elemental Tribes. For example, the water element tribe consisted of spirits of monsoons, rain, and rivers, while the earth element tribe consisted of fields, plants, and stone. The specific spirits worshiped varied from tribe to tribe and place to place.

Economy
The Purang hill-tribes engaged in gathering and subsistence farming of growing cabbage, tomatoes, and sweet peppers that grew well in the highland climate. They were also hunters and goat-herders.

Local tribes often hunted exotic and magical animals that they later sold at markets.

Political History
The Kuong Kingdom once considered conquering the lands held by the Purang tribes, but the hill-folk preferred guerrilla warfare to open battle, and excelled at these hit-and-run tactics. The priest-kings of Kuong were unable to keep a foothold in the hills, so they abandoned their plans of conquest.