Tabot

Tabot (a name meaning "the Roof of the World" ) was a cold mountainous country in central Kara-Tur and home to the Tabotan people. It was founded jointly by native barbarian tribes and monks who fled persecution in Shou Lung, and developed into a theocracy dedicated to the Path of Enlightenment and its leader, the High Lord of Oceans. "Tabot is a holy land, first and always, but while the dzong-pon rule in the districts, the High One sits with the Celestial Emperor and watches over his chosen land. We are a stable and committed nation, ruled sensibly by the hands of the gods… It is a place for prayer and ceremony and scholarly learning, a restful place."

- Pang, monk and scribe of Pokarr Gompa

Geography
The land was a vast high plateau formed by the three easterly arms of the mighty Yehimal: the Kun-Yen Shan in the north; the Po Yul Dzayul Range in the middle; and the Wu Pi Te Shar, or Peerless Mountains in the south. Three rivers also ran through Tabot and were tributaries of the Hungtse River in Shou Lung, which bordered Tabot in the east. Geographically, it had much in common with the Katakoro Plateau, lying north of the Yehimal. Shou Lung's Kao Shan and Yu' I provinces abutted northern Tabot; the many misty mountain passes linking the two lands were often snowed over in winter, and even year around. In the southwest corner, Tabot bordered, and entirely contained, the small nation of Phutan.

The Silver Road of Shou Lung reportedly ran northwest alongside the Upper Hungtse River and then through Tabot before ultimately crossing to Faerûn.

Tabot was a rough, stark, and wild mountainous land. The lowlands were largely rocky hills, gray and boulder-strewn, where lichen clung to stones and gravel slides were a risk. Between these were fields of tough grasses, thick brush beside the rivers, and barely any trees but those cultivated by humans. A few areas, such as near Phutan in the south, were thick forests of bamboo. The mountains, meanwhile, were massive and impassable, topped with glaciers and where mudslides and avalanches were a hazard. The only roads to cross this terrain were simple trails and many areas had yet to be settled.

Geographic Features

 * Cliffs
 * Marnu Cliffs


 * Mountains
 * Mount E'kwong • Haraki Ridge • Hokla Mountain • Noko-Ji Peak • Mesku Peak • Mount Pojah • Po Yul Dzayul Range • Mount Shun • Mount Wiz'tcu Tan • Wu Pi Te Shar Mountains


 * Lakes:
 * Nad Ho Ting • Nam Tso


 * Rivers
 * Nam River • Wohani River


 * Valleys
 * Valley of Wings


 * Passes
 * Lokar Pass • Razi Pass

Fauna
The mountains of Tabot were inhabited by snow apes, snow birds with downy coats, goats and sheep in their thousands, and wild and domesticated yaks, as well as the predatory white tigers.

However, the yeti were probably the most dangerous creatures found in the mountains. These beasts constantly menaced the monasteries.

Climate
Tabot's climate was cold and harsh. Winters brought heavy snow and the high altitude and prevailing winds ensured that the glaciers in the mountains endured year-around; what ice they lost in summer, they regained in winter. Freezing winds descended from these glaciers and swept the land, and dust-storms were also an issue. Lakes like Nad Ho Ting remained frozen for all but a few months in a year. The short growing season only lasted six to eight weeks, even in the lower river valleys. However, in the southern reaches, the weather grew warm and humid.

People
The Tabotans were close kin to the Shou and the people of the Plain of Horses. They had straight but somewhat coarse black hair and brown eyes, and were shorter than the Shou. They tended to be hardy and strong and accustomed to the cold, harsh weather. They were apt to celebrate every little victory won in their difficult lives.

Society
The ordinary Tabotans remained a nomadic people who followed their herds. They only assembled in cities for the sake of trade and other conveniences and the key settlements were in fact the monasteries, or gompas. The monks taught them the deeds of the first High Lord of Oceans, so they were zealously firm in their faith and patriotically loyal to the government, which they believed to be strong and improving their lives. The people were relatively well educated at all levels of society, particularly in matters of religion and faith. The monks claimed to preserve the wealth and cultural heritage of Tabot.

Trade
Though the land was poor and the growing season short, it was somewhat arable. The nomads also managed herds of domesticated wild yaks, as well as goats and sheep.

The Tabotans exported furs, copper, and glacier ice, the latter in particular to Shou Lung. In turn, they imported grains, rice, and steel. Tabotan goods entering Shou Lung were often traded at Yentai.

They seemed short on food—one of Hu Sen's Rule #1s was "Eat your coconut soup. There are starving people in Tabot who would appreciate coconut soup." Or maybe they just liked coconut soup?

Culture
Although settled by monks of Shou Lung, Tabot developed in isolation for some two millennia and retained its original language and created its own unique religious traditions, giving rise to a culture quite distinct from that of Shou Lung or T'u Lung.

Tabotan clothing was made of yak or sheep wool and of pounded leather, and usually dyed forest green or bright red. For headwear, men wore simple white linen caps that covered the tops of the ears, thick fur caps with earflaps when it was cold, and handsewn caps on festival days. Women were typically tightly bundled up in woolen dresses that were black or gray in color, and added colorful scarves, rainbow head-wraps, or ornate headpieces on special occasions. Servants also typically wore grey-and-black woolen garb. Tabotan noblemen donned dark silk gowns and arranged their hair in certain knots adorned with jewels, while noblewomen wore extravagant dresses bedecked with bells and chimes. Every child and every lama had shaved heads. Individual monasteries had their own distinct uniforms, such as monks in simple orange loincloths to temple guards in dark-green pants and blouses, to warrior priests with brass skullcaps bearing peacock feathers, and so on.

Appreciating any game or sport with some element of risk, whether it was physical or financial, Tabotans enjoyed gambling and physical contests such as wrestling, roping yaks, and breaking in horses for bareback riding.

A popular alcoholic beverage was co'wii, meaning "cow's kick". It was brewed from tubers and was quite strong, as the nickname attested. Another was mujahroom, brewed from figs.

The majority of peasants dwelled in simple tents and yurts, even in the towns, while a few possessed longhouses with sod-brick or tamped-earth walls and thatched roofs supported by a few rough-hewn wooden beams; these roofs were flat because of the limited rainfall. The houses of the nobility were two or three stories high and had tiled roofs raised above the building and a wide open attic. In such houses, the first floor was used to keep animals as a sign of wealth, the second and even third floors were living space for the family, and the attic was used for storage of supplies; birds also lived in this space.

Classes
Tabotan adventurers were often monks. As in other cultures of Kara-Tur, shamans were usually found among the common people, working as elders, healers, and midwives, even local leaders. Runepriests (of the Defiant Word) were common in Tabot. Some heroes were descended from famed trackers or hunters and carried on their mountaineering and survival skills.

Some Tabotans followed the paths of the Henshin mystic, shapeshifter, Shintao monk, tattooed monk, Void disciple, and witch hunter.

Language
The inhabitants spoke the Tabotan language, which held the nation together but local accents were thick. It was a simple language and the common form was easy to learn. However, few outsiders knew it, and few Tabotans knew the Trade Tongue, necessitating the use of interpreters, who were available in most cities and villages, especially those near the borders and along trade routes. Interpreters could be hired for between 10 and 30 yuan a day. They were fewer in the smaller towns, and hence their prices were higher.

Government
Tabot was a theocracy headed by the High Lord of Oceans, also titled the High Lama, the High Lord, and the Lord of Oceans. Both a spiritual and political leader, the High Lord was the sole authority in the realm, whose word was law and decisions were final. The High Lord took counsel from only the Lon Chen, received petitions from the Council Kashag, and granted audiences to the Chi-kyap Khempo, who each in turn governed different aspects of the country. All the councils of Tabotan government met in the capital city at U'Chan Gompa, also known as Koko Nur. Circa, the High Lord was Ning D'Ahn. The High Lord was commonly believed to wield god-like powers and their symbol of authority was the Staff of Oceans.

The Lon Chen (translated as chief ministers) oversaw monastic matters and advised the High Lord, giving them direct influence. A yig-tsang, or monk council, sent delegates known as tse-khor to the Lon Chen. Circa 2607, the tse-khor were seen as corrupt and untrustworthy and the monk council was split over many issues. In particular, southern monasteries like Nafeen and Zotung Gompas complained strenuously about the High Lord's tithings and adopted radical stances, thus paralyzing the yig-tsang and presaging a separatist movement. The High Lord filled the Lon Chen with trusted northern monks, which only alienated the southerners further. One of the Lon Chen was Mo Kin, Abbot of Pokarr, who had the responsibility of patrolling Tabot's eastern border with Shou Lung.

The Chi-kyap Khempo (translated as lord chamberlain) represented the old nobility of Tabot. The nobles had no powers or authorities, and possessed only their hereditary titles and small estates within their historical kingdoms. Their only contact with the High Lord was via the Chi-kyap Khempo, who was appointed by the High Lord. Baron Phen Do bribed the Chi-kyap Khempo to aid his rebellion.

The Council Kashag comprised four members: one monk and three lay followers drawn from the peasantry. They oversaw secular matters via five distinct bureaucratic bodies: the Chi-gye Le-Khung or Foreign Bureau for international relations; the La-Cha or Treasurers for taxes and trade; the Mag-chi Le-Khung or Military Office for defense; the Tsong-Du or National Assembly as a public forum; and the Dzong-Pon or District Officers, who acted as sheriffs and policed their districts and were aided by deputies and assistant deputies. In practice, however, the dzong-pong could rule within their districts or might be puppets of local nobility.

The country of Tabot was divided by the Council Kashag into a number of districts, which were on much the same lines as the former baronies. Each of course was under a dzong-pon.

Religion
The Way of Enlightenment (known elsewhere as the "Path of Enlightenment"), with its faith in the Celestial Emperor and the Celestial Heavens, was the state religion of the theocracy of Tabot. It was embodied in the High Lord of Oceans and in the fifteen gompas, or monasteries, that dominated the land. The great sages of the Celestial Empire were known in Tabot as Buddas or as boddas. This form of the faith was also followed by the Yellow Mountain Sect in Khazari and Tabotan gompas were established in Fatula Chupa, the City of Monasteries on the Katakoro Plateau. In Fatula Chupa, the Tabotan gompas and the Yellow Mountain monastery were in alliance.

The founding figure of this faith was the first High Lord of Oceans, H'Dang Li, who wrote his teachings down in works like the Puvarna.

A sacred site of the faith was Mount Shun, where the Holy Mysteries of the faith unfolded, where the lances of Tabja Rung were forged, and where demons were defeated. An annual pilgrimage was undertaken to the site. The calendar was marked by many holy days and religious festivals and parades, with events running all through the year. Their scale, artistry, and grandiose nature were comparable to those of Shou Lung. The priests believed these displays brought joy to the peasants' otherwise boring lives. The Tabotan festival calendar was known to include the Qwa'chein Goh celebrations, the Wona Chu'ing festival in the middle of winter, and the Dui'yu festival to celebrate the harvest; the latter two were outdoors and the only time High Lords were glimpsed by the common folk. The Crystal Day commemoration was on the third day of the fifth month. On Penance Day, participants were temporarily released from all their vows. A winter month was known as Maki.

In particular, at the start of each year, the priests of U'Chan Gompa conducted a special ceremony in which they asked a question of the gods and burned a tortoise shell by placing it in cherry-red hot coals. From the markings that appeared, they divined the future. They inscribed their interpretations on the tortoise shells and hung them on the temple wall, so lamas and common folk alike could consult them and plan for the year ahead. Countless questions were asked of the gods in this way, and many influential people submitted their own questions.

Tabot was famous for its hermits, sages, oracles, and ascetics who lived in the mountains. It was said they had powerful visions, could predict the future, protected holy relics, and could raise heroes from the dead for good causes. A legend held that when a true oracle died, every bell in Lii Gompa would spontaneously ring nine times to help their soul travel to the Celestial Heavens. Circa, the monks recognized only five true oracles still living in the mountains who'd foretold events and resurrected the dead; they were Smirnk of the Willows of Hokla Mountain, Morka Fooztang from Noko-Ji Peak, Tzu Wan the Entrusted on the Marnu Cliffs, Ti Horr of Mount Wiz'tcu Tan, and the Forgotten One of Pojar Mountain. Most of the rest were dismissed as frauds and pretenders.

The common people, meanwhile, also believed in mighty spirits that lived in the mountains and that these should be acknowledged and appeased. They included the Wind Spirits that reigned over the Wu Pi Te Shar and the Great Cat, a power of law and vengeance recognized in the south. This was a remnant of the Black Leopard Cult and some legends of the Black Leopard were remembered there. Rumors claimed "the frog and the snake" were even worshiped in the twin cities of Motra and Joya.

They held that the souls of the deceased were absorbed into nearby stones and that a storm without rain brought good luck while one with rain brought bad luck. A common story was of the badger Hignog, who would disguise itself as a man and kidnap and devour naughty children; naturally, these were used to frighten misbehaving children. The monks dismissed such folklore as superstition.

Prehistory
Originally, the land was the domain of barbarian kings and tribal chiefs with their own noble class. They built cities in the lowlands and followed a pagan faith. In their founding myth, millennia previously, the moon descended to the earth one night in the form of a beautiful woman. As she wandered through the night, all the white tigers of the land gathered at her side and were entranced by her. She touched her hand to the foreheads of nineteen of them and they were transformed into human men of strength and intelligence. After the moon woman returned to the sky, the new men performed heroic deeds and founded the various clans, including Phutan.

Their records dated back to around, mentioning such ancient structures as the mysterious Temple of Saigai over the border in Shou Lung's Yu' I province. Though sparsely populated, the nation remained independent of the vast empire of Shou Lung, even at its height.

The Years of Frost
Then, following proclamation of the Organization of Thought in Shou Lung in, temple militias there were falsely accused and persecuted, so they escaped to the southwest. Many of the monks and temple guardians were looking for a holy land that would remain pure and lasting, ideal for isolated hermitages, and they found it among the high mountain wilds. The first group founded an outpost in (considered a holy year), and fourteen more such groups would follow by. The lamas would remember this period as the Years of Frost, when they endured blizzards, battled monsters, avoided both the barbarian kings and Shou retribution, went without food, and struggled to survive even as their numbers grew few.

Finally, in, soldiers of Shou Lung invaded Tabot, forcing the priests and the barbarians to ally against them. Led by the great sohei Ramara and Baron Ohn of Han Chao, they repelled the Shou in the Battle of Tsagang.

Under the Peace Land Treaty
Afterward, Ohn and Ramara negotiated for ten days and established the Peace Land Treaty between the tribes and the monks. It legitimized the monks' hermitages (now mountain keeps) and gave them a role in the defense of the lowland tribes and thereby cemented land and peace. Together, they founded a new city, Tsagang, at the place of their victory and founded the new nation of Tabot. All present blessed the union and it came to be a holy place and a holy word.

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.

But Tabot continued to be invaded by the forces of Shou Lung, with attempts in, in , and finally in. In this last invasion, the Shou seized the whole of northern Tabot, from Lokar Pass to Ko'Chung. With the fate of their nation hanging in the balance, artisans in Ji fashioned the five crystalline warriors and a group of great dang-ki and wu jen animated them and gave them magical abilities. On the third day of the fifth month, the ragged defenders of Tabot and their five crystalline warriors confronted the Shou Lung army as they marched out of Lokar Pass. Though the battle was terrific, they were victorious, and went on to reclaim all of the conquered lands. The crystalline warriors went into the mountains to await the day when Tabot again had need of them. The date of the battle would be considered holy and celebrated as Crystal Day.

At some point, Tabotans looking for new farmland migrated east and settled what would become Shou Lung's Kao Shan province.

The Tabotan merchant Gheta Xax traded in T'u Lung, keeping yards within the great city of Balanzia around.

The High Lord of Oceans
In, a boy named H'Dang Li was born under a conjunction of constellations. A shepherd found him crying in the wastelands just north of the Haraki Ridge and brought him to the lamas of Do'dzin Gompa. The monks saw the child as pure, born enlightened, and fully at one with the Celestial Heavens, as well as highly intelligent and capable of magical powers, even creating the great Staff of Oceans. Before long, the holy boy was recognized by all the monasteries and loved by the peasants, who gave him many presents.

Very soon, the monasteries were reformed and united under the rule of the High Lord of Oceans, H'Dang Li. Over the years and, they even pushed for control of Tabot itself. The monks later assessed the nobles' reign as "thousands of years of misrule". The nobles mustered their armies against the monks, but H'Dang Li confronted them alone and wielded mighty magic against them. Using the Staff of Oceans, he brought a great flood to a frozen battlefield, and defeating the nobles' army. Unwilling to fight a six-year-old boy, the soldiers lowered their weapons and surrendered.

In the years following, the High Lord of Oceans assumed control of the government and established the Council Kashag system. He took away the lands and powers of the nobles and allowed the monasteries to disband their armies, while arbitrating personally on disputed territories and objects.

In, yeti descended from the Wu Pi Te Shar Mountains and fell upon Frekang Gompa in a great pack hunt known as the Kume Sa Yeti. They killed or kidnapped 280 lamas out of the total of 400 at the monastery. In response, H'Dang Li created the Gates of Ocean to protect the monks of Frekang Gompa.

H'Dang Li reigned for 82 years before selecting a successor and walking away into the mountains.

Modern History
The seventh High Lama, Ning D'Ahn, was chosen by his predecessor at the tender age of eight, circa. As was now custom, the former High Lama left the boy to his new life and wandered away into the mountains. Ning D'Ahn would have a turbulent reign. First, seeking to restore the nobility to power and depose the High Lord, Baron Phen Do of Khampo launched a rebellion, with an army nicknamed the "Raccoon-dogs" hiding in the mountains. In response, the worried Mag-chi Le-Khung stationed three divisions in Khampo.

At one point, Tabot sent an ambassadorial delegation to Shou Lung to propose a peace treaty. As part of negotiations, they invited the Shou to an important ceremony at the Temple of Heaven's Heart on Mount E'kwong. Desiring to visit Tabot, the Dragon Lord Mei Lung elected to attend in person, presumably in disguise. While on pilgrimage, he spoke with the monk Pang and learned on Tabot; this information he later related to Elminster of Shadowdale.

In, a tortoise-shell divination at U'Chan suggested burning rocks would fall on Khampo during Qwa'chein Goh celebrations; they elected not to warn the city, as punishment for its rebellion.

But that year, Buchan Do lamas reported a Phutanese army assembling at the border. Tabot went on a war footing, with the Mag-chi Le-Khung mustering soldiers in the area. They ordered conscription in Bidnop So, Darka, Thok, and Khampo; accepted volunteers from among the temple guards; and hired mercenaries.

Meanwhile, General Hiso Sing of T'u Lung invaded Shou Lung, north of the Tabotan border city of Joya. The Mag-chi Le-Khung feared any retreat would inevitably mean an invasion of Tabot, and started stationing forces along the southern border and even contemplated further conscription. In any case, T'u Lung sent a diplomatic mission to Tabot, its destination U'Chan Gompa. To curry favor with the High Lord, they transported a number of treasure chests and even a princess of the Wai clan, all escorted by fifty mounted soldiers. In turn, in the month of Ku, a renowned Tabotan lama or monk, acting as ambassador of the High Lord, visited the court of Emperor Wai Gada Sinzu of T'u Lung with an offer of a trade agreement and a military alliance to prevent aggression from Shou Lung; the emperor welcomed the lama and was reportedly intrigued by the offer. The leaders of T'u Lung's Fengnao province already had political relations with the High Lord.

Notable Locations

 * Cities
 * Bidnop So • Darka • Koko Nur • Joya • Khampo • Motra • Rokstang


 * Towns & Villages
 * Chophon • Draya • Fij • Han Chao • Ji • Nad Ho • Pabex • Pim Tung • Shentsa • Talung • Thok • Tsagang • Tsetu


 * Monasteries
 * Buchan Do Gompa • Do'dzin Gompa • Eo'tzi Gompa • Frekang Gompa • Hoshki Gompa • Jo'nai Gompa • Ko'Chung Gompa • Lii Gompa • Lo'S'sem Gompa • Mafensea Gompa • M'tsin Gompa • Nafeen Gompa • Pokarr Gompa • U'Chan Gompa • Zotung Gompa

Behind the Scenes
Tabot was inspired by Tibet and Nepal.

Appearances

 * Adventures:
 * Dungeon #8, "The Flowers of Flame"