Nung Chiang

Nung Chiang,(pronounced: nung chee-ang), called the Teacher of the Plow or the Master of the Red Earth, was one of the Nine Immortals who served the Celestial Emperor in the Celestial Empire, the dominant religion of Kara-Tur, particularly Shou Lung. He was a god of agriculture and fertility, and represented the virtue of karma in the Path of Enlightenment. As one of the Nine Immortals, Nung Chiang also held an important place in the Faith of the Nine Travelers.

The immortal
According to the legendary history of Kara-Tur, shortly after the beginning of the world and humankind, the Celestial Emperor sent his great emissaries among the people, with each to teach one aspect of the True Path of Enlightenment. Nung Chiang was one of these emissaries, teacher of the virtue of karma.

In the legend, nine tired travelers stopped at a poor remote inn in the dead of winter, and the innkeeper lamented he had no more food to spare. So, despite their tiredness, four went to hunt for game, four went to forage, and the last cooked a meal for the travelers, the innkeeper, and his family. Afterward, they preserved the remainder of the food to see the folk through the rest of winter. Overjoyed, the innkeeper made a gift, and a revelation—he was no mortal but the last of the old gods of the land, and he gave the land to the nine to rule. Afterward, these Nine Travelers became the Nine Great Sovereigns, and they ruled Shou Lung for thirty cycles of years. They became the first emperors of Shou Lung, and were recorded in legend as the "Nine Immortals".

Finally, the Nine Great Sovereigns, dressed as ordinary travelers, returned to the site of the inn, but found only a simple peasant's hut. The peasant, Nung Fu, welcomed them in and fed them freely, though it was the depths of winter and he had little to spare. Afterward, these Nine Travelers offered a gift in exchange for this hospitality, and presented Nung Fu with the Emblems of Authority. They took him to their courts, investing him as emperor of Shou Lung. This marked the start of the Third Age of Shou Lung, the beginning of the calendar in Shou Year 0 (−1250 DR).

The Nine Great Sovereigns were then the Nine Travelers once more. The tales disagree as to what became of them after that. According to some, they simply faded away. To others, they went with the gods into the heavens. More tell that the Nine Travelers still wander Shou Lung to ensure that rulers respect the memory of Nung Fu, and that innkeepers take good care of their guests.

In historical time Nung Chiang, in order to protect the beautiful nature of Shao Mountains, menaced by the construction of a highway, had activated the volcano Mount Tengkorak, destroying the city of Tempat Larang.

After he had always took a look to the ruined city, full of dark spirits. In 1358 DR he noticed first the Governor Kawabi and later the General Goyat Nagumo trying to use the power of the Tempat Larang stone spirits. So Nung Chiang manipulated and helped an adventuring party to stop the menace As security plan he was ready to activated again Mount Tengkorak, despite his fellow Immortals will severely punished him for intervene in mortal businesses.

Description
As one of the Nine Immortals, Nung Chiang had two forms: one was as a vast dragon, the other was a man, always in farmer dress wearing worn sandals and carrying along pole loaded with goods for market.

Activities
As one of the Nine Immortals, Nung Chiang served the Celestial Emperor directly, and stood beside his throne, ready to serve his will. In particular, Nung Chiang was responsible for the virtue of karma within the Path of Enlightenment. His duties were to exemplify it, to teach by example, and to reward the good and just and punish the guilty within these responsibilities.

As one of the Nine Great Dragons, Nung Chiang helped hold up the world, and could all things with his mind.

In the Emperor's name, the Nine Immortals administered and directed all the Lesser Immortals of the Celestial Empire. In particular, Nung Chiang commanded the Rice Spirits, who had the duties of making the rice grown strong and tall. Rice Spirits also made fertile the fields and beasts. They even judged when and whether a family should be allowed children.

Nung Chiang personally answered to people that prey him near special golden shrines that he had scattered for the land.

Worshipers
Nung Chiang was venerated by almost all peasants, especially farmers, of Shou Lung in all the rural shrines of the country. They preyed upon him in order to have good harvests and fair weather

Nung Chiang was the patron of The White Tiger Monastery

He had always a special attention to Shao Mountains

Realm
He had a small realm in the Spirit World of the Celestial Bureaucracy. Nung Chiang had also a refuge in mortal plane, in Shao Mountains at the Sumitra Tower on the road that split the Kumandang Valley. There he was harassed by the requests of local habitants that asked his help for all kind of misfortune