A Gazetteer of Ochalea - Mandarins & Monks
by Giampaolo Agosta Next: Magic and Mundane Items
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Mandarins & Monks
This section details a number of important NPCs - the movers and shakers of the Ochalean society - as well as a set of minor NPCs that can serve as sidekicks, contacts or opponents for Player Characters involved in a Ochalean campaign.
Quintus Chen Lao-Wai
Male Ochalean/Thyatian Human T5, TN.A middle-aged merchant of mixed Ochalean and Thyatian descent, Chen Lao-Wai (Quintus Chen to the Thyatians) has bought his way into the Senatorial seat of the South-Western region, by financing the building of the new Cathedral of Wumingdou - and distributing money to many of his supporters, in pure Thyatian style. A member of the Gens Aurelia, Quintus supports the Church of Thyatis in its efforts to control the government. He is not a fanatic, though - he just sees the church as his ticket toward a permanent Senatorial seat, and perhaps even higher.
Chong Li-Yi
Male Ochalean Human Noble F7, LN.Chong Li-Yi is the current Senator of the Central region. He is an ally of the Gens Aemilia, since he represents the Society of the Blue Flower in Thyatis. Li-Yi is considered the third highest ranking member of the Society, and is one of the wealthiest landowners in the Yi area. This senator is a middle aged man, with short mustaches and a tuft of hair dangling from his chin. He was trained as a fighter in his youth, and knows how to fight with longsword or broadsword, but does not carry weapons at most times. Chong has a large family, with three sons and two daughters - the eldest son is 22, and is already helping his father manage the family lands, since Chong spends most of his time in Thyatis city.
Feng Zha-Dan
Male Ochalean Human Defender F15 (Ixion), NG.This aged master is reputed to be the most skilled swordsman in Ochalea. A lay member of the Mystic Way of the Eight Immortals, Feng is especially devoted to Lan Yi-Xiong. He was known in his youth as ``Seven Strikes Feng'', for he was told to be able to strike seven times when a common swordsman would be able to strike only once. Nowadays, Grandmaster Feng is not active anymore - he has retreated to the Forest of the Ancients. His pupils, however, are all masters of great fame, and carry on the name of the Feng style.
Hu Fei-Fei
Female Werefox T3, CG.Hu Fei-Fei appears as a beautiful Ochalean girl, but her behaviour is often inappropriate for an Ochalean lady, though not enough to be noticed by a foreigner. She lives in the small town of Chung Tsu with her mother - a witch of some skill. Fei-Fei can take a romantic interest in a player character - most likely a scholarly character, though possibly not a very religious one. This is a mixed blessing, because Fei-Fei is a werefox, and a jewel thief as well, and is wanted in two provinces.
Kuang San-Dao
Male Shar-Pei Lupin Myrmidon F8, CN.San-Dao is a Shar-Pei warrior of Kuang clan. An impoverished mercenary, San-Dao has turned to banditry with his entire warband. Now, he waylays travelers from Bohan from his hideout in the Wa'ang Woods. Not known for his wisdom, Kuang San-Dao has probably made a big mistake - while the Chi governor might be ineffective, the governor of Bohan is energic and supported by a strong military, and the Kuang clan may well have bit more that it can chew.
Li Xiao-Mei
Female Ochalean Human T6, TN.A middle aged Ochalean woman, Madam Li is the widow of the master of the Bright Future Caravan Service firm. Aptly nicknamed ``The Iron Flower of Cao'', Madam Li manages the family company with a firm hand, keeping control away from her inept nephews. In addition to being a canny manager, Madam Li is also a good guide and a competent martial artist, though she rarely has the chanche to show her skill.
Ling Tzu-Chen
Male Ochalean Human Noble Pr11 (Koryis), LG.A High Priest of Koryis in the Jade Temple of Ochalea, Ling Tzu-Chen was chosen by the Archduke as the Senator representing the Ochalean government. At 52, Ling has a remarkable cursus honorum - he entered the priesthood at thirteen, the civil service at seventeen, and passed into the highest ranks of the mandarinate before thirty. He was vice-minister of State, secretary of internal affairs, and delegate for relations with the Imperial frumentarii before being chosen to fill the position of Senator. A kind man for the role he covers, this priest has managed to survive the worst of Thyatian politics, while learning much about it.
Liu Huang
Male Ochalean Human Pr4 (Masauwu), NE.This bureaucrat of the Chung provincial administration is secretly a follower of the Shadow Court. He serves the Demon Cults in Chung by passing them key information from the police records. Liu joined the Shadow Court has a mean to put his career back in motion, after he was assigned to the Chung province - which he considers a demotion, as the Chung province is considered an irrelevant backwater by most Beitungese.
Qian Qi
Female Tiefling W7 (Conjurer)/T7, NE.The Demon Sorceress of Piao, Qian Qi is a fourty years old woman of clear demonic ancestry, with red eyes, small horns and a leathery skin. After escaping from the clutches of the Demon Cult to with her mother belonged, she retreated to the hills of Piao, scaring the locals away with her magics. She is wanted in Cao and Wang - the result of a few assassin jobs she took when she was younger. Quian Qi is evil, but not as much as the demon cultists she fled from, and can be bargained with. She can be a source of information of the School of Revenge and on the Jungle of the Tiger Men.
Shan Hou-Yan
Male Fire Genasi W7/F8, CN.An Elder of the Huo Pai demon cult, Shan Hou-Yan descends from an ancient Cypri bloodline, which had a more recent brush with outer planar entities, resulting in the status of Fire Spirit Folk of its modern descendents. Hou-Yan is extremely proud of his Fire Spirit blood, and is a firm believer in Fire supremacy. Even though he is an elder member of the sect, he still likes to raid the villages of the Celestial Territories to ``prove the superiority of Fire'' - that is, to vent his anger at being confined into the wild Territories on some helpless villager. However, Hou-Yan is not just a bully - he is a dangerous warrior, mixing unarmed fighting, magic, and mastery of the twin daggers and three-section staff.
Song Yun-Wu
Male Ochalean Human, Pr5 (Pantheist), NG.An elderly priest of the Eight Immortals, Song Yun-Wu has been Senator of the North-Western region for five times in a row. A very popular man, he is a member of the Philosophers faction, preaching moderation in all things. Contrary to many priests, he worships all of the Eight Immortals equally, since he believes that the Immortals each emphasize a particular trait or virtue, and only a good balance of all can lead to perfection. He is one of the few Ochalean Senators to be popular in Thyatis as well as in his homeland.
Teng Lee-Dai
Male Ochalean Human Fighting Monk Pr14, LG.An Abbot of the Jade Temple, Teng Lee-Dai is a distant relative of the Archduke. He currently represents the Teng family in the Imperial Senate, a duty that keeps him in Thyatis city most of the time. This 50 years-old scholar is a master of defensive martial arts, as well as an expert in Ochalean history. His masterful combat technique has gained him the nickname ``Cloud Hands Lightning Feet''.
Teng Lin-Dieu
Male Ochalean Human Pacifist Pr18 (Koryis), LG.Teng Lin-Dieu, the Archduke of Ochalea, is a soft-spoken, middle aged man of Ochalean descent. While he is formally the ruler of Ochalea, the large bureaucracy leaves him enough spare time to pursue his primary calling, the scholarly devotion of the Jade Temple of Ochalea. Like most of his ancestors, Lin-Dieu is a priest in the Jade Temple, but his achievement in this field have surpassed those of his fathers. Lin-Dieu is currently the most powerful, though not the most senior, High Priest of the Jade Temple.
Yang Lao-Ye
Male Ochalean Human Pr8 (Philosopher of Law), LN.Recently elected Senator of the North-Eastern region, this member of the Philosophers faction is a somewhat boring scholar and researcher in natural and human law. His considerable magical powers derive entirely from his faith in the power of Order, not from worship of any Immortal. Yang Lao-Ye is a member of the Mystic Way of Order. He keeps his head completely shaven, and strictly respects a number of taboos, including not eating meat, not drinking alcohol, and bathing in cold water only. He is dressed in formal priestly robes at all times. Perhaps not surprisingly, he is not at all popular with the society of Thyatis city - not that the fact concerns him: he only accepted to be elected to the Senate so that he could travel to Thyatis city and consult the library there. However, being extremely respectful of his role, he is present in the Senate for every debate or vote, which actually prevents him from spending as much time as he would like in the libraries.
Yuen Chong-Wu
Male Ochalean Crested Lupin Shaman Pr6, TN.Governor of Yuen is an Ochalean Crested Lupin of ancient nobility: the Yuen when among the first Lupin families to reach Ochalea, and can lay claim to a strong Foo Dog bloodline. They have managed to withstand two millennia of wars, changing governments, and the influx of human population in Yuen, and are still passing the position of governor of Yuen from father to son. Chong-Wu is a politician, and also a moderately powerful Shaman - his primary spirit patron is his grandfather, Jian-Wu, who helps him with his wide administrative experience. Chong-Wu can also count on several close relatives who live in his household, as well as on his aunt Xiaozhang, a powerful enchantress who resides in the Forest of the Ancients.
Wai Fang
Male Ochalean Human, Noble B3, TN.This young aristocrat belongs to a lesser branch of the old Wai royal family. Thanks to this bloodline, he enjoys a high rank in the Blue Flower's leadership, even though his age, experience and willpower do not warrant it. The Blue Flower leaders expect Wai Fang to campaign for a senatorial seat in the next elections in the Celestial Domain, though they realize that he is not ready.
Wen Zi-You
Male Ochalean Human, 0-level, NG.A weak candidate for the position of Senator of the South-Eastern region, Wen Zi-You was, to his own surprise, elected thanks to a combination of low number of voters and the Shadow Court managing to converge all its voting power on him - as well as eliminating several other candidates. A member of the Free Thinkers, Wen has no contact whatsoever with the Demon Cults, but some elders consider him weak enough to be manipulated through threats, blackmail or magic. Prior to his election, Wen worked as a medium-ranked bureaucrat in the provincial bureaucracy of Daisun. His prime interest in the Senate is currently to obtain some funding for his home province.
Wu Wei-Lin
Male Chow-Chow R5, LG.A biaoshi in the lesser Wu Family Escort Firm from Daisun, Wu Wei-Lin is struggling to keep the family businness viable in face of the underhanded businness tactics of the Jade Hawk, the major escort guild of south-western Ochalea. The Jade Hawk leaders, in fact, have recently recurred to hiring an Ogre Mage of the Kingfisher clan to hinder the Wu businness. An expert outdoorsman, Wei-Lin personally guides most expeditions of his house. He is well known in Daisun for his sense of direction, which allows him to set the shortest (and safest) path in the featureless plains of Chi.
Zhang Dafeng
Male Shar-Pei Lupin Myrmidon F12, LN.A senior member of the Zhang clan, Dafeng is the paragon Shar-Pei warlord - honorable, fearless and a master of the guan dao. A Shar-Pei Lupin old enough to have lost most of his facial wrinkles, Dafeng his known for his tactical cunning, as well as for his forceful attacks that have earned him the nickname of ``Hurricane of Yuen''. Knowing well that an old warrior cannot last long, Dafeng is scouring the clan for talented Lupin tacticians - he feels he might need to be replaced soon.
Zhou Fang
Male Ochalean Human T8, LE.The head of the biaoshi firm Jade Hawk, Zhou Fang is a ruthless businnessman who exploits every loophole in the law, and all of his power as a member of the Biaoshi Council, to expand his businness at the expenses of his competitors. Money is just about the only thing that matters for Mister Zhou - he deals with anyone, on any terms that allow him a neat profit. In addition to his escort businness, he runs a smuggling ring, providing thieves' guilds, demon cults and Wang Liang chieftains with poisons, alchemical ingredients, weapons, books and other goods.
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