Shou Lung
Encyclopedia
In the fictional campaign setting known as the Forgotten Realms
, Shou Lung is a country in the continent of Kara-Tur
, which is located to the east of Faerûn
. It is modeled on Imperial China and is arguably the largest and most powerful nation in the world, due to the sheer size of their armies.
boxed set.
was tasked by the Shou emperor to find a way to keep the Tuigan hordes from raiding Shou Lung's northern provinces. The wu jen stole the Jade Mirror from the sea dragon
Pao Hu Jen, whose body was thousands of kilometers long. The wu jen led the dragon on a chase along the border, and at a certain point stopped and held up the Jade Mirror to the dragon's eyes, which instantly turned him to stone. After his petrified body fell to the ground, the emperor had his engineers carve fortifications into it so that it could serve them as a defensive wall.
The government is composed of eight ministries: State, War, Magic, Faith, Sea, Agriculture, Public Works and State Security. It is a meritocratic system; every year the Civil Service Examination holds examinations to test candidates for government jobs.
The Forbidden City is a walled compound which contains the Imperial Palace and the halls of government. Only governmental staff are allowed inside during the day, and during the night only the royal family and their domestic staff may remain; trespassers are punished by death.
The nobility of Shou Lung is much weaker than those of most Faerûnian nations. They have less power than government ministers, and their private armies are kept small by law. They constantly scheme to wrest more power from the priesthood and bureaucrats.
Forgotten Realms
The Forgotten Realms is a campaign setting for the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. Commonly referred to by players and game designers alike as "The Realms", it was created by game designer Ed Greenwood around 1967 as a setting for his childhood stories...
, Shou Lung is a country in the continent of Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur
Kara-Tur is a fantasy world created by David Cook in the Oriental Adventures rulebook for the First Edition Advanced Dungeons & Dragons role-playing game in 1986. Kara-Tur's cultures and peoples are fantasy analogues of medieval China, Korea, Japan, the Ryukyu Islands, Tibet, and other regions of...
, which is located to the east of Faerûn
Faerûn
Faerûn is a fictional subcontinent, the primary setting of the Dungeons & Dragons world of Forgotten Realms. It is described at a relatively high level in the Forgotten Realms Campaign Setting from Wizards of the Coast, and various locales and aspects are described in more detail by separate...
. It is modeled on Imperial China and is arguably the largest and most powerful nation in the world, due to the sheer size of their armies.
Publication history
Shou Lung is described in the 1988 Kara-Tur: The Eastern RealmsKara-Tur: The Eastern Realms
Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms is an accessory for the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game.-Contents:Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms details a Forgotten Realms campaign setting for use with Oriental Adventures, which describes the eastern land of Kara-Tur and its geography, population,...
boxed set.
Geography
Lying between Kara-Tur and Faerûn is a Great Wall of Stone, better known as the Dragonwall. According to legend, a wu jen wizardWizard (Dungeons & Dragons)
The wizard is one of the standard character class in the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game. A wizard uses arcane magic, and is considered less effective in melee combat than other classes.-Creative origins:...
was tasked by the Shou emperor to find a way to keep the Tuigan hordes from raiding Shou Lung's northern provinces. The wu jen stole the Jade Mirror from the sea dragon
Dragon (Dungeons & Dragons)
In the Dungeons & Dragons fantasy role-playing game , dragons are an iconic type of monstrous creature used as adversaries or, less commonly, allies of player characters...
Pao Hu Jen, whose body was thousands of kilometers long. The wu jen led the dragon on a chase along the border, and at a certain point stopped and held up the Jade Mirror to the dragon's eyes, which instantly turned him to stone. After his petrified body fell to the ground, the emperor had his engineers carve fortifications into it so that it could serve them as a defensive wall.
Government
The official head of the government is the Emperor, but in practice everyday affairs of state are handled by the Chancellor, who executes the Emperor's decrees, oversees the bureaucracy and controls the information that reaches the emperor's ears. The current Emperor is Kai Tsao Shou Chin (LG lvl 10 Samurai/Noble). The Wu Jen is the Emperor's official court wizard, who advises the Emperor's policies with divinations and deals with magical threats.The government is composed of eight ministries: State, War, Magic, Faith, Sea, Agriculture, Public Works and State Security. It is a meritocratic system; every year the Civil Service Examination holds examinations to test candidates for government jobs.
The Forbidden City is a walled compound which contains the Imperial Palace and the halls of government. Only governmental staff are allowed inside during the day, and during the night only the royal family and their domestic staff may remain; trespassers are punished by death.
The nobility of Shou Lung is much weaker than those of most Faerûnian nations. They have less power than government ministers, and their private armies are kept small by law. They constantly scheme to wrest more power from the priesthood and bureaucrats.