zz Qing'lai: Land of Splendor (on indefinite hiatus) [ EDIT ]

Qing'lai. Shining Jewel of the East. A land bordered on the north-east by the orc-infested Barrier Mountains, on the south-east by the nigh-impassable Haunted Desert, elsewhere by the sea.

On the nation's south-west coast, Qing'lai's great ports trade in silk, spices, tea, and opium. To the east, beyond the mountains, lies the Sea of Storms, criss-crossed by seasonal kaiju migrations that bring both destruction and prosperity. Some of these behemoths are so large, entire communities have been established on their carapace: a shining monastery, a roving market, an ancient necropolis roamed by maddened minotaurs, the mighty fortress headquarters of a fabled mercenary company.

Beyond the Sea of Storms lies the mysterious land, Yatpun, said to be inhabited by people who couple with fox-headed spirits, siring the world's most fearsome warriors.



The capital of Qing'lai sits in the center of the Perfumed Lake like a silk-swathed whore shrouded in opium smoke. Like her people, the Opal City is equal parts opulent and squalid, refined and depraved, ascetic and debauched. She is bloated by her excess, only saved from collapse by a strict societal hierarchy.

In the highest strata are the slug-people, the race who built the city's first buildings, founded its great civilization, and who have lived here since, they say, the dawn of time. They alone are permitted to own fixed property, to import and export goods, and to attend many of the city's libraries, archives and educational institutions. They are a pompous and effete people, fascinated by clothes and fashions and the decoration of their own appearances, though they love learning and study and pursuits scientific, aesthetic, and sorcerous.

Below the slug-people are the "noble" humanoid races, who are themselves separated into castes. Some are warriors in private employ, others are shopkeepers or sailors, while others fight for money or sell their love (the whores in the Opal City being notable for their beauty and skill). Their lowest rank is called the mumin, the people who herd giant cockroaches in the darkest alleyways. These cockroaches eat the city's litter and are in turn eaten by their herders.

Lowest of all are the crab-people, grasshopper men, and other "lowly" humanoid races who live outside the city in the mangroves and the saltwater marsh to the northwest, and are not permitted to enter the city proper except in servitude. They are unintelligent things, but strong and tough, and they are sometimes forced to do manual labor or simple tasks, on pain of death or torture and for scant reward. They are undoubtedly unfortunate and pathetic beings, very meek of character, though the people of the city think of them as the reincarnated souls of criminals and breakers of taboo, and deserving of their miserable lot. They do not generally have names, though those in employment are often daubed with paint to signify who is their master.

In the midst of all this, opportunities abound for a band of intrepid adventurers. Do they seek riches, fame, power, or glory? Peace and refuge from a dark past better left forgotten? Welcome to Qing'lai, Land of Splendor!