Chukei

Chukei Province was the northernmost province of the empire of Shou Lung in Kara-Tur by the 14th century DR. In ancient times, it was Chu'ta Te, first a province of Anok-Imaskar and later an independent realm in its own right, before becoming Chu'ta Te Province of early Shou Lung. It largely encompassed the Chukei Plateau.

Geography
By the 14th century, the Chukei Plateau was a vast plain scoured by winds and stricken with droughts. There was little water and sparse grasses. Nights were freezing cold.

Etymology
The early name "Chu'ta Te" could be translated to "The Great".

Ancient History
By around −2300 DR, the land was a part of the empire of Anok-Imaskar. The empire collapsed in −1943 DR, fracturing into a number of warring states, among them the new independent realm called Chu'ta Te.

According to Shou legend, the empire of Shou Lung first began here, when it was known as Chu'ta Te Province. At this time, the land was a green and open plain, where barley and millet grew and the empire flourished. However, the destruction of the Imperial city of Kuo Meilan in inferno and drought changed all this. Those left alive migrated southward, leaving behind a dry wasteland.

People
The folk of Chukei stood as the tallest of the Shou peoples. They typically had high cheekbones and brown or reddish hair, in contrast with the typical black, such that the Shou word for a redhead was "chukien". They closely resembled the Koryoan people. The Chukei people had a reputation for courageous bearing reflected in a cold anger, alongside a fairly wild temperament.

They were known to be talented horse-riders and swordfighters. Some, especially those descending from the original people of Chu'ta Te, were superb survivalists, able to flourish in the harshest environments and knowledgeable in the ways of the wild.

They spoke a dialect of the empire's Kao te Shou language, called Chukei Kao. It sounded blunt and harsh compared to the empire's other dialects.

The Chukei people produced Northern Cuisine, which included a number of noodle dishes.

Government
For officials of the Shou Lung empire, Chukei Province was never one's first posting. Instead, it was the destination of those who'd failed or disgraced themselves, being essentially a punishment.

Locations
Chukei Province was home to Fukiow, a large mining city; Kangste, a major trade town; and Chaoyang, which maintained a border garrison at the meeting of the Spice Road and the Kuangchiu Road.

The great city of Kuo Meilan, abandoned and shunned, rested in the center of the Chukei Plateau, surrounded by a landscape devoid of life.

Legends
The Chukei Plateau was claimed to be haunted by ghosts from Kuo Meilan, screaming endlessly through the chill night. The city itself was full of legends, ghost stories, and threats. The plains were thought cursed and widely feared.