[Region 2] Empire of Kaidan (startup thread)

[Redrobes]

I modded the CWBP script to add region 2 to the list so this is on that now too.

[Gamerprinter]

I've also started a thread in the forums of our friends in the Campaign Builders Guild and some interesting discussion has come about.

Religion and the Caste System:

Most gaming systems for Japanese settings, including L5R and Oriental Adventures feature the mythology of the Shinto system, as it is polythiestic with its own heroes and monsters - good tropes to work with in a fantasy environment.

However, I am going to emphasize Buddhism and its Wheel of Life construct in defining both religion and the caste system in the Empire of Asahi. Rather than calling it Buddhism (because it is a respected active religion) I am currently calling it "Zao", a kind of conjunction of "Zen" and "Tao".

Under the Wheel of Life construct, your thoughts and actions in this life will determine where you will reincarnate in the next life. The six realms of the Wheel of Life include: heaven, asuras (realm of jealousy), human realm (here and now), animal realm, the hungry ghost realm, and Hell. Each of these realms are defined by certain sins or character flaws that take you there in death.

The true goal of Buddhism is to break from this construct and seek salvation through the dispostion of the sins, needs, desires and instincts of life and achieving a state of perfection, the absence of materialism, or Nirvana.

Rather than being different planes of existence (as in the Buddhist philosophy) the social caste system of Asahi: emperor/nobility, samurai, farmers/priests, merchants, and the bottom or untouchable caste are each defined by one of the realms of the Wheel of Life. Thus the construct is the empire, and all realms of the construct exist in Asahi, in the form of the caste system.

Heaven, the realm of pride, complacency and intoxication is the noble caste, thus those who have the precepts of pride, complacency and intoxication in this life will grant you into the Noble Caste in your next life. The Imperial Court and the Provincial Daimyos (ruling clans) are both the nobility caste and the heaven realm. Note most of the nobility of Asahi are undead, its not the Heaven you're thinking of...

Asuras, the realm of jealousy, resentment and ambition, characterized by endless strife and war to achieve success. This is the samurai caste, from the Shogun to the lowest retainer serving a lord.

The Human realm characterized by desire, freedom of choice and dissatisfaction comprises the bulk of Asahi society - the farmers, fishers and artisans and the priests caste.

The Hungry Ghost realm is defined by greed, insatiable cravings and addictions exists as the Merchant Caste, which also includes entertainers, yakuza and prostitutes.

The two other realms of the Wheel of Life, fall outside normal Asahi society, but still within the island empire.

The Animal realm characterized by ignorance and domination of instinctual needs (sex, food, territory...) are barbarians and Animals of the wilderness. The animal barbarians of Asahi are shape-changers, called the Hengeyokai. They actually have the largest territories not controlled by the emperor, but are not a cohesive territory, rather any extensive tracts of wilderness throughout the empire - mountain ranges, woodland tracts, inaccessable coasts, etc.

Edit: the untouchables or bottom caste are very much considered non-human by the upper classes so they technically fall under the Animal realm.

The last realm of the Wheel of Life is Hell, defined by rage, torment and despair, this is the Underworld, the realms of the Oni or demon people. This is the only metaphysical, other planar existence in the religion of Zao and life in Asahi. Theologians could consider it the Ethereal Plane, as it coexists with Asahi, but just slight out of sync breachable only through dark sorcery.

This means that each realm is not a separate province or defined geographic region, (except for two) but rather coexists throughout the land defined in your social placement. Which also means, you're not a peasant farmer because of your parentage, but because of things you did in your previous life. The Empire of Asahi is Heaven, Hell and the material world in one.

Final note, the goal of Buddhism is achieving Nirvana. However, this means breaking away from the Wheel of Life Construct, leaving material things behind. This is counter to the existence of the Asahi Empire, which is the construct put into reality. While priests are tolerated as healers, teachers, raisers of orphans, caretakers for the poor, and calmers for the masses. Those priests who follow the true path to Nirvana and guide those to finding that path are enemies of the state - identified, sought and executed by Imperial decree, enforced by the Shogunate.

"Nirvana is something that should be kept in a box and hidden away, for it is the pin pulled that will end the construct of Asahi." spoken by the Taira no Kiyomori to the imperial court on its founding day, 1000 years ago.

Thoughts?

Is this too weird, or outside setting of Ansium as far as religion goes?

I intend to keep this phenomenon local to the Islands of Asahi exclusively, and not spread across the world and not worry a spellsinger of Thrubmorton Fen.

GP

PS: sorry for extra long post, I wanted to get my thoughts out there cohesively and explained.