Wanshou
The Successor State of Wanshou was once the top rice-producing province of Imperial Lung Wa, but after the empire's collapse it was beset by a series of disasters that left the kingdom today as little more than a monster-ruled wasteland.1
History
Before the Age of Lost Omens, Wanshou was the most fertile and productive food holding in all of Imperial Lung Wa, its people diligently keeping the empire's kitchens stocked with rice and other foodstuffs. Much of the country had been extensively irrigated to improve its agricultural yield. As the empire of Lung Wa collapsed, Wanshou began to splinter, its people having long suffered both harsh conditions and constant back-breaking overworking in order to keep the empire fed. With the central authority of Lung Wa gone, the people of Wanshou began to rebel. In short order, both field and cities burnt as rebels turned against their cruel overlords. This rebellion was successful but ultimately achieved nothing, for almost as soon as the rebels had seized power, Wanshou was buffeted by a series of colossal storms. With the infrastructure of the country already severely damaged by the rebellion, the storms became a true catastrophe. With the destruction of their home nation seemingly imminent, a group of powerful oracles called upon ancient primal powers to deliver them but what they got was much worse.1
In the aftermath of the rebellion and floods, the massive, midnight-black kraken Zhanagorr rose from the depths of the Xidao Gulf. Whether Zhanagorr had heard the summons of the oracles or had simply been dredged up from the ocean's bottom by the same storms that wracked Wanshou is irrelevant. Zhanagorr arrived at Wanshou's capital of Numijaan, bringing with him even more powerful storms and tsunamis and all but completely destroyed the once-bustling metropolis. After annihilating most of Numijaan, Zhanagorr used his mastery of weather magic to quell the storms across Wanshou, the price of his faux-benevolence was the kingdom of Wanshou itself. To this day, Zhanagorr rules the nation of Wanshou as its absolute tyrant. No one knows Zhanagorr's true motivations but many think he might be preparing to wage war against the athamarus2 of the neighbouring nation of Xidao.1
Geography
Wanshou is located on the western shores of the Xidao Gulf, with the monstrous nation of Chu Ye to its north and the tengu nation of Kwanlai to its south. For much of its length, it is sandwiched between the Xidao Gulf and the Zi Ha Mountains, though it also shares a border with the kingdom of Amanandar. Wanshou was once a land of fertility and prosperity, even its more remote reaches had been carefully irrigated for maximum productivity. With the coming of the floods and Zhanagorr, most of Wanshou's rice fields have reverted back to full-blown swamplands. Zhanagorr also sank much of the once-lively capital of Numijaan below the waves of the Xidao Gulf.1
Inhabitants
Today, much of Wanshou has become swamplands and from these swamps have risen boggards and kappas that serve as Zhanagorr's most trusted minions. These monsters have formed a ruling elite that dominates the lands and keeps the surviving humans enslaved and worshipping Zhanagorr. Ethnically, the surviving humans are mostly Tian-Mins and Tian-Shus most of whom are little more than slaves in the monstrous land, however, some people have given in to madness, or otherwise have become convinced that Zhanagorr really is a god worth worshipping.1 Other humanoids also exist in small numbers in Wanshou. Some who have given in to the madness and consorted with some variety of fiends have given birth to cambions,3 while other families have had more and more undines, beings tied to elemental water, born to them.4
Religion
It is little surprise that in a land with such a monstrous ruler evil deities are now the most widely worshipped. These include Lady Nanbyo, the Widow of Suffering; Lamashtu, Grandmother Nightmare; and Lao Shu Po, the Old Rat Woman. The one exception to this is Hei Feng, the Duke of Thunder, who holds domain over storms, the sea, the winds, and the rain.1
References
For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 1.4 1.5 . “Regions of the Dragon Empires” in Dragon Empires Gazetteer, 42. Paizo Inc., 2011
- ↑ Paizo referred to athamarus as locathahs until the publication of Rage of Elements.
- ↑ . “Blood of Fiends” in Blood of Fiends, 8. Paizo Inc., 2012
- ↑ . “Undines” in Blood of the Elements, 15. Paizo Inc., 2014