realm of the rising sun guide

Realm of the Rising Sun

Gazetteer

Realm of the Rising Sun

History:

For thousands of years the Mazoku (Elves) dominated the realm, their influence spread across the land to the northern

waste and west to the great deserts, they worshiped to gawds of nature and balance but found that when tribes of men,

orcs and ogres began to multiply in their realm, the found that such balance was impossible to maintain, so they used

their superior knowledge and magic to conquer and enslave the “lesser” species, turning them into a military and labor

force to expand their influence.

The Mazoku Empire of the Rising Sun reigned over the realm for millennia, the Mazoku grew decadent, and they became

callous and cruel to their slaves performing various magical experiments of them to make the perfect slave, feasted on

pixie meat, and dabbled in dark magic’s. This sowed the seeds of rebellion among the subjugated.

A sub species of Ogres breed using various magic’s found that they could command powerful magical forces. The

humans also discovered magic picking it up from various scraps of lore the Mazoku discarded, a secret order was

established among the humans to catalog and learn the ways of the arcane.

Over the course of 200 years Humans, Orcs, Ogres, Oni, Orgima (half-Ogre), and Xi-Yi-Mogui (half-orc) fought against

their oppressors forming an alliance, whittling down their resources though guerrilla tactics and using their own magical

might against them. The rebellion was hard fought but in the end the realm was free, those that were not killed were

enslaved by their former slaves while the rest fled into the feywilde regions.

The rebellion became the three empires, Humans took the Golden Isles as their own, and the Oni and their Xi-Yi-Mogui

generals took the Jade Mountain's in the west. A splinter group of Blood Mages that practiced Dark Magic the Obsidian

Tower in the northern reaches.

Some have gone back to their more traditional barbarian ways and a collection of tribes known simply as the Horde

roam the outlands. While others have put down roots and have established what are called the Free Cities in the Eastern

plains.

It has been over 900 years since the rebellion (954AR) the Golden Empire is thriving as is their staunch allies the Jade

Empire, 300 years ago a group of Dwarves came to their shores offering trade form the far reaches of wurld. The Golden

Emperor traded them a remote island that they have named Torgal Island after their clan's founder.

The exiled Makozu sulk in the Feywilde and plot revenge calling themselves the Phoenix Empire, In the northern waste

the Undead Obsidian Empire is a looming threat and the Dread Pirate fleet terrorizes the seas.

Golden Empire

Racial makeup Human 70%, Dwarf/halfling/Gnome 5%,

Xi-Yi-Mogui 10% Orgima 5%, Elf/Pixie Slaves 10%

Religions: Entire Japanese Pantheon is venerated here,

popular Gawds are: Amaterasu Omikami: LG (sun, Light),

Kishijoten NG (luck), Raiden N (thunder), Reverence is

given to the Emperor as well akin to a minor demi-gawd

Societal Alignment: LG/LN

Government: Feodality

Current Leader: The Golden Emperor, Shogun

Capital: The Golden City

Legal system: World Empire

Political Factions: Emperors Guard, Crimson Ink Order,

Shogun, Daimyo Assembly, Samurai

Diplomatic Relations:

Allies: Jade Empire, Salty Beards

Enemies: The Horde, Phoenix Empire, Obsidian Empire

History: The golden Isles have always been the primary domain of man since they first emerged from their caves and

began to form a civilization, rich with precious metals and other resources, the fertile lands have known abundance,

when they first encounter the Mazoku the Humans were curious to learn their ways, the Mazoku encouraged human

ingenuity, to a point, the humans became their most trusted an autonomous subjects for centuries, but toward the end

of the Mazoku's reign they began to tax the golden isles and conscript more humans for the conquest of the out lands.

When Human, Orc, and Oger barbarian tribes began open revolt, the Mazoku sent the armies of the Golden isles to quell

the violence, but the spirit of revolution took the men and they joined the cause. In 46 BR a wise philosopher leader

managed to unite the tribes and the armies of humans, orcs and ogres into a cohesive force and routed the Mazoku out

of their strongholds. This man would become the Golden Emperor; legend states that when the emperor dies he is

reincarnated somewhere within the empire, the

Emperors Guard is tasked with finding the

young emperor before his 25th birthday so he

can be coordinated as the new Emperor, how

the guard determines this is unknown to all but

the highest inner circles of the empire, during

the emperors absence the Shogun rules as

regent. There have only been 8 emperors as

they tend to lead unusually long lives, the most

recent passed away in 935 AR, the Emperors

Guard is searching for the reincarnated emperor

they believe to be between 18 and 20 years old.

Jade Empire

Racial makeup Oni 3%, Orc 10%, Oger 10%, Xi-Yi-Mogui 25% Orgima

20%, Human 7%, Elf/Pixie Slaves 25%

Religions: Marduk, Gruumsh, Vaprak, Hokalas

Societal Alignment: LE/LN

Government: Magocracy

Current Leader: The Jade Empress, Council of Mystics

Capital: The Jade Mountain


Political Factions: Racial groups, Mystic’s, Military, Slavers


Allies: Golden Empire, Salty Beards

Enemies: Phoenix Empire, Obsidian Empire

History: Oger and Orc tribes lived in the Jade Mountains, this area was also the first conquest of Mazoku, the tribes were

unorganized and easy to subjugate with their magics, seeing a raw labor force the Mazoku enslaved them to build their

mountain palaces and cities. Seeing the Orcs and Ogres as races with little potential, some Mazoku wizards cross bred

them with the more adaptable human's, creating new breeds of Xi-Yi-Mogui and Orgima, these half breeds began to

supplant the pure blooded population, but with their new blood came increased intelligence and resistance to the

magic’s that enslaved them, one particular cross breed of Ogre became

adept at arcane magic, sages speculate that the Mazoku used their own

blood or perhaps pixie's to cross blood lines to create the Oni. The Mazoku

always kept the Jade Mountains on a short lease and were particularly

oppressive, when the existence of this new breed was discovered all efforts

were made to exterminate them, When revolution took the realm the

Magi emerged to provide valuable magical support for the revolution, and

together with the humans they pushed the Mazoku out of the Jade

Mountains into the Feywild. The Head Magus of the Ogres became the first

Jade Emperor, and the Ogre Magi have presided over the empire as

competent rulers, they have effectively directed their populaces more

violent tendencies outward to the Mazoku, frequently raiding the Feywilde

for more slaves, a lord in the Jade Empire measures his worth by how many

Mazoku slaves they possess.

Salty Beard Clan;

Coin, Loot & Danger Trading Company

Racial makeup Dwarves 80% Halfling 7% Gnomes 8% Other 5%

Religions: Vergadain (almost exclusively), Draper, Brandobaris, Ama-Tsu-Mara

Societal Alignment: N / CG

Government: Syndicracy

Current Leader: Admiral Grall Firebeard, Chairman of the Board, CEO

Capital: Torgal Island, Port Vergadain


Political Factions: Captains, Trade Guilds


Allies: The Golden Empire, Jade Empire, The Horde (trade only), Free Cities

Enemies: Dread Pirates, Ryugu-jo

History: Tales of Dwarves or Koro, appear in some of the Mazoku ancient histories and folk tales far, it it said that they

were an ancient race like the Mazoku far predating the rise of men, or orc and ogre. The Mazoku forced them to leave

their mountain hold fast in the northern reaches and eradicated them from the realm, no one had ever seen a Koro,

sages speculate that the Obsidian tower is actually of Koro construction as it doesn’t not fit with Mazoku designs. The

Salty Beard Clan dose not claim any link to the Koro but the similarities in how they are described are uncanny. The Clan

are a group of sea going traders from regions beyond the Sun Sea. The clans founder was a priest of Vergadain, the

Dwarven Gawd of Wealth and Luck, calming that Vergadain wanted his to take his kinsmen to the seas to find their

wealth he gathered his followers in a fleet of ships and set sail for uncharted seas. After nearly 100 years at sea exploring

ports of call, trading wares and acquiring new members, even adopting from Gnomish and Halfling communities, looking

for the foretold “Sea of Riches”, their ships reached the

Sun Sea in 624 AR. First making contact with the

Barbarian Tribes of the Horde and the Free Cities,

thinking their search would have to continue, they

reached the Golden Isles, the Priest, now entering old

age, gained an audience with the Emperor, who was so

taken with the Dwarves and their search for trade grated

them dominion over a small island on the outskirts of the

isles, the emperor knew that healthy trade with Free

cities and the empires would help cement peace but

years of fighting and distrust made it difficult, the Salty

Beards could act as intermediaries. The Dwarves took

the opportunity as a sign form Vergadain and established

a port in his name, after the Priest passed on they

named the island Torgal Island in his honor. They have

established Trade routes throughout the Realm and

beyond the Sun Sea.

The Horde/ Outlands

Racial makeup Human 80%, Xi-Yi-Mogui 10%, Orgima 5%, Other 5%

Religions: Varies from tribe to tribe, Kahn, The Great Hordemaster is

venerated as a Demi-Gawd among most tribes

Societal Alignment: CN

Government: No Central Government

Current Leader: Every Tribe has its own leader, a Hordemaster may

rise to unite

Legal system: Barbarian Tribe

Political Factions: Each Tribe


Allies: Salty Beards (trade only), The Free Cities

Enemies: Golden Empire, Phoenix Empire, Obsidian Empire

History: The barbarian tribes of the horde can all trace their linage back to Kang The Great Hordemaster, the barbarian chief that is credited for sparking the great revolution, while the men of the golden isles and the Oni may have provided the resources and magic to win the fight, it was the Horde that was the revolutions beating heart. The barbarians of the east were the most oppressed of the Mozaku’s subjects and suffered the greatest at their whip. The Hordemaster gave his life to secure the revolution, personally slaying the Mozaku Emperor in the Jade Mountain Fortress. With no leader to unite them the tribes returned to the outlands and their ancestral divisions, the Golden Empire tried to bring them in to the fold but they chafed at the thought of replacing one “civilized” master for another. Today the tribes of The horde roam the outlands living as they have for centuries, some hunt, some farm, other rape and pillage, they are all fiercely independent, and seek to make sure the Great Hordemasters sacrifice was not in vain.

The Free Cities

Racial makeup: Human 70%, Xi-Yi-Mogui 5%,

Orgima 5%, Halfling 10%, Other 10%

Religions: Varies, each city follows its own

Gawds

Societal Alignment: N

Government: Independent city states, varying

forms of government

Current Leader: n/a Varies

Capital: n/a, Dhazatanar is the largest most

prominent of the cities

Legal system: World Empire / Remote Village

Political Factions: Each City


Allies: Salty Beards (trade only), Golden Empire

(some), The Horde (Mixed), Other Free Cities

Enemies: Obsidian Empire, Phoenix Empire, The

Horde (mixed), Other Free Cities may war against

each other

History: When the Mazoku’s empire spread to the

east across the outlands, they built a series of outpost

and oasis in the harsh region, When the Mazoku were

driven from the outlands, the cities remained, these

outpost remained, clamined by the peoples on the outlands they became the Free Cities. There are seven cities;

Dhazatanar, Huzuz, Qudra, Hiyal, Vtaqa, Almorel, Manass. These cities have prospered and maintain their independence

as fiercely as The Horde dose. They serve as the

major land trade route to the east and the deserts

beyond the outlands.

Phoenix Empire (Feywilde)

Racial makeup Mazoku (Elves) 15%, Slaves (human, orc, ogre) 20%, Pixie-

hybrids (65%- Fairy 10%, Sprite 15%, Brownie 15%, Nixie 3%, Leprechaun 15%

Elvaeiels 4%, Fae-Born 2%, Grixie 1% )

Religions: Arnuya, Shevarash, Fenmarel Mestarine, Puck, Titania


Government: Monarchy

Current Leader: Queen Illaria

Capital: The Feywilde, exact location unknown


Political Factions: Five Surviving Noble houses


Allies: Ryugu-jo, Dragon Lands (?)

Enemies: Golden Empire, Jade Empire, Phoenix Empire,

Obsidian Empire, Free Cities

History: After their Emperor was killed and they were

forced from their strongholds across the realm, the

surviving Noble Mazoku families fled to their last redoubt

in the Feywilde, using the magical forest to hide them and

regroup, they have established a civilization in exile,

supported by what slaves they could bring with them.

They call themselves the Phoenix Empire, stating that the Mazoku will rise from the ashes and retake the realm,

however they have done little offensively in the past 400 years. The Jade Empire has constantly pushed into the

Feywilde to try and eliminate the last remnants of the Mazoku. But the Phoenix Empire are not without defenses, they

have used the wild fairies and pixies of the region to great effect in repelling would-be invaders, The Natural magical

properties of the area combined with powerful Mazoku

sorcery make the Feywilde is a dangerous and unforgiving

place for the unprepared. Little else is known about the

Feywilde, during the height of their empire it was largely

left untouched except as a source for Pixie slaves and

meat, rumors of the pixies mounting there own rebelling

have circulated but never confirmed, it is assume that the

pixies were inherently too chaotic to organize any type of

effective resistance against the Mazoku, and that the

Mazoku have special magical means of controlling the fey

creatures. Pixie hybrids are still highly valued by Magi as

familiars and pets, and the Jade Empire makes a profitable

trade from its raids in the outer edges of the feywilde for

them.

Obsidian Empire

Racial makeup Human 15% Undead 65% Living Slaves 20%

Religions: Yen-Wang-Yeh, Kuchooloo, Grawdyng

Societal Alignment: N / CE

Government: Magocracy

Current Leader: Obsidian Emperor

Capital: Obsidian Tower

Legal system: Magocracy

Political Factions: Magelords


Allies: Dread Pirates, Free City of Almorel

Enemies: Golden Empire, Jade Empire, Phoenix Empire

History: Blood Magic is one of the oldest ad darkest forms of the arcane arts

known in the realm, Mozaku barbarian mystics are said to have used it at the

dawn of creation, its practice had fallen out of favor at the height to the Mozaku

Empire but when humans and Oni began to discover magic for themselves the

primitive practice was rediscovered, one of the first arcane orders founded

among the humans was the Bleeding Eyes, during the great revolution their

talents were used to predict the enemies moves, when the Mazoku began to use

necromancy to raise an army of undead defenders the Bleeding Eyes responded

in kind, the Oni-Magi and the Magus’ of the Golden Empire did not approve, but

in times of war, honor was not a luxury they could afford. The difficult task of

taking the harsh northern

reaches was given to them and

their undead armies, when the

revolution was over the issue

could no longer be avoided, the Blood mages hunger for power was a

threat to the living. It is rumored that the Mages discovered even darker

secrets in the north and that is why they proclaimed the Obsidian tower

and the reaches as their own. Today little is known about what goes on

inside the Obsidian Empire; scattered reports of undead raiding the

northern outlands and ships with black sails on the seas have the rest of

the empires on edge.

Other Powers/Lands

Dread Pirates

Racial makeup (Undead 45%

Goblins 35%, Other 20% )

Religions: Yen-Wang-Yeh,

Kuchooloo, Grawdyng

Societal Alignment: NE

Government: Autocracy

Current Leader: Dread Captain

Capital: Skull Port

Legal system: none

Political Factions: none


Allies: Obsidian Empire

Enemies: Salty Beards, Ryugu-jo

Ryugu-jo

Racial makeup Aquatic-Elves 60%,

Hai Nu 20% Nixie 20%

Religions: Ryujin (Dragon Gawd of the Sea)


Government: Monarchy

Current Leader: Queen Elahras

Capital: Ryugu-jo, exact location unknown


Political Factions: unknown


Allies: Phoenix Empire

Enemies: Salty Beards, Dread Pirates

Dragon Lands

Racial makeup: Unknown

Religions: Io, Aasterinian, Astilabor, Chronepsis, Lendys, Tiamat, Bahamut

Societal Alignment: N

Current Leader: Unknown


Allies: Phoenix Empire (unknown)

Enemies: None

History:

The Area called the Dragon Lands is shrouded in myth and secrecy, even the

Mozaku did not dare to encroach on the areas north of the Feywilde, it is said

that the most powerful Dragon Lords of legend slumber here. All expeditions

into the Dragon Lands for the past 500 years have failed to return. It is

unknown why the Mozaku retreated so close to the area, it is speculated in

ancient times they were allied with the Dragons.

The Crimson Ink Order

Name of Members: Suzuri (inkstone)

Location: Golden Empire, Golden Mountain Monastery

History: Among the humans a secret order was established to learn the elves

magical knowledge they gathered this knowledge via any means and

preserved it for future generations of men, they became known as the

Crimson Ink order because of the cost in blood that such knowledge carries.

Over the centuries their quest for knowledge has grown to encompass

intelligence gathering for the Empire as well. They report directly to the

Emperor.

Purpose: To gather and preserve knowledge, at all costs

Master of Organization: Master Sung-chi Monk 9 (PM 3)

Organization Alignment: LE

Membership restrictions: Must have an Int of 14 or higher

Symbol: A Calligraphy brush dripping with red

Allies: Golden Empire, Emperors Guard

Enemies/ Rivals: Magus Guild

Sayings: Knowledge is Power, With Great Power Comes Great Responsibility

STPs: Arcane Lore, Read / Write Makozu (elven), Intelligence Gathering, Scribe Skill Suite, Photographic Memory, Spell

Tattooing (@ level 3)

Special Abilities: Due to their intense training and magical knowledge Monk members of the order can advance as a

Painted mage for every 3 levels of Monk (a lvl 3 monk can cast spells as a lvl 1 painted mage,, level 6 as level 2 ect)

Magus Guild

Name of Members: Magi / Magus

Location: The Golden City, Magus Guildhall

History: Established as a secret society in 154 AR by a group of magic users that

were dissatisfied at the Crimson Inks restrictive and secretive ways the guild

was established to research magic and not just collect old Makozu tomes. The

Shogun acting as regent formally recognized them in 200 AR and gave them

sanction, all magic users in the Golden Empire must belong to either the guild

or the Crimson Ink Order. The guild is responsible for assigning a court Magus to

each Daimyo house and deploying magical support for the Shogun’s armies.

Purpose: To advance mankind’s understanding of arcane forces and represent the interest of Magi in the Empire

Master of Organization: Magus Ito (level 9 Elementalist)

Alignment: Any Allowed

Allies: Shogunate, Order of the Holy Fist

Enemies/ Rivals: Crimson Ink

Sayings: Magic is the universes power made manifest, we only need to have the will to wield it.

STPs: Arcane Speak, Diplomacy, Hearldry,

Special Abilities: Upon induction into the order undergoes a ritual that will bond a specialized familiar to the Magus. (see

alternate familiar rules). Upon gaining access to a new spell level a Magus may attempt to learn any one spell from the

previous spell level from the guilds library.

Order of the Celestial Fist

Name of Members: Lifers

Location: Crystal Mountains

History: Blood Magic and Necromancy had long been forbidden

magic’s in the Empire but The Crimson Ink Order still maintained

quite a wealth of knowledge about its practice in order to

understand the threats it may pose to the Empire, the sect that

was charged with maintaining this knowledge wanted to be more

proactive in combating the undead and rooting out the practice of these unholy arts, the leaders of the Order however

did not agree for they feared that training more with this knowledge might lead to its spread. In 334 AR The Crimson Ink

Order suffered another schism, with the support of the Temple of Amaterasu Omikami the Order of the Celestial Fist

was established by sanction of the Emperor. Their mandate was to be experts on undead, sprits, Necromancers and

Blood Mages, and protect the empire from these threats. Over the Centuries they have formed a good working

relationship with the Magus Guild.

Purpose: To combat the undead

Master of Organization: Master Lee-hu (lvl 9 Monk)

Alignment: LG / LN

Allies: Magus Guild, Temple of Amaterasu Omikami, Crimson Ink (shaky)

Enemies/Rivals: Obsidian Empire, Dread Pirates

Sayings: Life is the light

STP: Sprit Lore, Arcane Lore, Life Smite, Curse Resistance

Special Abilities: May take the Undead Hunter Package, Due to their intense training and close association with the

Temple of Amaterasu Omikami; Lawful Good members of the order can cast healing and anti-undead spells as a shaman

of the same level, they may also turn undead as a Cleric 3 levels lower than their Monk level (a lvl 3 monk can turn as a

lvl 1 Cleric, level 4 as level 2 ect)

Class / Race Notes

General restrictions:

Barred Classes: Magic-User, Specialist, Double Specialist, Dark Knight, Knight Errant, Cavalier, Paladin, Blood-Mage, Holy

Knight, Charlatan, Non related Zealots

Humans: All humans from the Golden Empire get 3 mastery dice of a single Skill Suite that fits with the social class and

background And the Lucky Talent

Dwarves Halflings. Gnomes: get 3 mastery die of the Sailor Skill Set and they get the Aquatic Background Talent

(regardless of race) Dwarves can also be Swashbucklers, Dwarves and Gnomes lose their underground detection abilities

Gnomes can be illusionist

Half-Orc- Xi-Yi-Moguis: May change their +1 str for a +1 int or their +1 con for a +1 wis, Can be Monk, Ninja,

Elementalist, Battle Mage, Wild Mage, and Yakuza, use human modifies for social class

Half Ogre- Ogrima: May change their +2 str for a +2 int (+0 to in net) may purchase the Spell abilities talent, can be a

Painted Mage, Elementalist, Battle Mage, Wild Mage, or Power Speaker, use elf modifiers for social class

Elves: All PC elves will be slaves, they are barred from learning magic, but they all receive the spell like abilities talent at

no cost, social class is automatically slave class.

Pixie Fairies: Are considered magical animals, they are well treated pets at best, dinner at worst. Always will be

considered property. They are naturally magical thus can take magical classes, can be illusionists.

Packages

Magic User Packages

Hermit -Preferred for Elementalist, cost is half (8bp)for Elementalist

Mystic – Preferred for painted mages- cost is 7 BP for PM

Witch – cost is lowered to 12 BP, Pixie & Elf Spell casters must take this package, they get it for free

Fighter Packages

Falconer-Samurai are preferred for this package and may take it for 2 fewer BP

Thief Packages

Blade- Ninja receive a 2 bp discount

Corsair – Salty Dwarves can take this package regardless of class and for 3 less BP

Loremaster- Monks can take this package for 2 less BP

Skald - Salty Dwarves can take this package regardless of class and for 3 less BP

Sleuth – Monks and Samurai can take this package for 2 less BP

Spy- ninja's can take this package for 7 BP

Swashbuckler- Salty Dwarves can take this package regardless of class and for 3 less BP

Warbler- Monks Can take this Package for 2 less BP

Cleric

Fighting Monk – Any Human of any Non fighter class may take for 10 BP must be Lawful alignment and will be part of a

monk order

Inquisitor - Monks can take this package for 2 less BP

Pacifist- cost reduced to 5 BP

Undead Slayer- Monks and Samurai can take this package for 8 BP

realm of the rising sun guide

Documents

mazoku empire

jade empire

golden emperor

phoenix empire

years humans

golden isles

gazetteer realm

undead obsidian empire