# Forgotten Realms - What Gods and Languages Does Kara-Tur Have?



## MadMaxim (Dec 8, 2007)

I've desperately been searching for some information concerning Kara-Tur in the Forgotten Realms. I haven't been able to find any of this anywhere, so I'm really hoping that you can help me out. I've had the player characters run into a shugenja from the Shou Lung empire in Kara-Tur, and it suddenly occured to me that 3rd edition has virtually no information on Kara-Tur, so my questions are:

1: What Gods do the people of Kara-Tur worship? I've heard something about a Celestial Bureaucracy, but are their others and are their any game mechanics about them (possible domains, favored weapons, doctrines, alignments, etc.)?

2: What languages do the people of Kara-Tur speak? I don't expect them to speak Mulhorandi.

Any advice concerning good source material about Kara-Tur would be greatly appreciated.

Thanks in advance


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## DrunkonDuty (Dec 9, 2007)

IIRC the Kara-tur gods aren't really well defined. The religions were "The Way" and the "Eight-Fold Path." OR something like that.  BAscially they were fantasy versions of Buddhism and Taoism.

There are other religions of course and nature spirits abound. 

As for languages: the Shou speak Shou. Heck, can't even remember the name for the Kara-Tur version of Japan.

Sorry, about all I got. My memories have grown dim with time.


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## ivocaliban (Dec 9, 2007)

I know there's at least one person ranger on this forum who never shuts up about _Kara-Tur_.   

He should be able to help you.


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## Arkhandus (Dec 9, 2007)

Ia!  Ia!  Wikipedia Ftaghn!  

Kara-Tur link

"The Shou practice mainly two forms of religion, "The Path of Enlightenment" (analog for Confucianism) and "The Way" (analog for Daoism and Theravadan Buddhism). The majority of the people in Shou Lung practice the Path of Enlightenment, in which they worship the Celestial Emperor and the Nine Travelers and a whole host of lesser immortals and spirits who make up what is called the Celestial Bureaucracy. Unlike the people of Faerun, devotion to a single deity is very rare in Shou Lung. The other Shou religion, which is more popular in the southern provinces, is simply called "The Way" and is more of an ethical philosophy than a true religion characterized by divinities, spirits and a fully realized metaphysics. It focuses on the enlightenment of the self through the practice of certain spiritual exercises rather than the worship of particular gods. Kana and her family were practitioners of the Way."

"Kara-Turan pantheon
Most people in the far eastern lands of Kara-Tur follow one of the two philosophical religions called "The Path of Enlightenment" and "The Way".

In the island kingdom of Kozakura the worship of a large number of spirits collectively called "The Eight Million Gods" is predominant.

The people of Shou Lung believe in the Celestial Empire headed by the Celestial Emperor who is served by the Nine Immortals:
Kwan Ying: Goddess of compassion, mercy, joy 
Chan Cheng: God of war, the martial arts, combat, bravery
Ch'en Hsiang: God of poetry, music, literature
Chih Shih: God of history, lore, tradition
Ai Ch'hing: Goddess of love, marriage
Fa Kuan: God of justice
Hsing Yong: God of fortune, prosperity
Shi Chia: God of artificers, the arts
They in turn are aided by the Lesser Immortals, namely Jade Ladies, Rice Spirits, Moon Women, Spirit Warriors, Ladies of Compassion, the Lords of Karma and the Sages.
Mad Monkey is a demideity of mischief who sometimes helps and sometimes hinders the Celestial Bureaucracy"

"The current Emperor is Kai Tsao Shou Chin."

Good ol' Wikipedia.

Too bad I couldn't find any info on Kara-Tur languages, other than mention of the Shou language in the FRCS.


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## Faraer (Dec 9, 2007)

I would buy the _Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms_ PDF from Paizo.com for $4. It has the best information on Kara-Turan religion and language. Additional lore is in the OA modules, the MC6 Monstrous Compendium appendix, and some _Dragon_ articles.


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## Herobizkit (Dec 9, 2007)

IIRC, the 3.x Deities and Demigods has a selection of D&D-ified Chinese and Japanese deities that you could use in a more traditional D&D way.  If not, I'm positive the 2ed Legends and Lore does.


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## NiTessine (Dec 9, 2007)

According to Thomas M. Costa's article "Speaking in Tongues" from Dragon Annual 4...

In Shou Lung, they speak Kao the Shou (High Shou). The T'u Lung speak T'u Lung. The Koryans speak Koryo, the Kozakurans speak Kozakuran, and in Wa, they speak Wa-an. There's also a common Trade Tongue in Kara-Tur.


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## Ry (Dec 9, 2007)

The Dragon mag article on the hordelands was awesome; last year or so of the real dragon


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## ObiAndy (Dec 9, 2007)

Faraer said:
			
		

> I would buy the _Kara-Tur: The Eastern Realms_ PDF from Paizo.com for $4. It has the best information on Kara-Turan religion and language. Additional lore is in the OA modules, the MC6 Monstrous Compendium appendix, and some _Dragon_ articles.




I sold off a bunch of old gaming stuff this past summer, but this boxed set was the ONE thing I knew I would be keeping.  I even have a stipulation in my will that it stays in the family!  (Lord, I am such a geek!)

Anyway, this was truly one of the best gaming purchases I've ever made.  I can't recommend it enough.  I may just get the PDF for $4 anyway!

Sorry for the threadjack............


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## MadMaxim (Dec 9, 2007)

Thanks a lot for all the feedback  The reason for my sudden interest in Kara-Tur is solely because of Jade Empire Special Edition for the PC which I've been playing the heck out of for a week or so now. Then it occured to me that I had to put something really oriental into my campaign (Thay just isn't enough)


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 9, 2007)

I thoroughly recommend the Kara-Tur boxed set. I got the pdf from Paizo and there is LOADS in there. Pick up Hordelands for free from the Wizards website (might take some hunting) - another awesome boxed set.


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## Ranger REG (Dec 10, 2007)

ivocaliban said:
			
		

> I know there's at least one person ranger on this forum who never shuts up about _Kara-Tur_.
> 
> He should be able to help you.



Please feel free to ignore me. I want you to ignore me.


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## WayneLigon (Dec 10, 2007)

DrunkonDuty said:
			
		

> As for languages: the Shou speak Shou. Heck, can't even remember the name for the Kara-Tur version of Japan.




Kozakura and Wa are the Japan analogs, I think.


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## Arkhandus (Dec 10, 2007)

Herobizkit said:
			
		

> IIRC, the 3.x Deities and Demigods has a selection of D&D-ified Chinese and Japanese deities that you could use in a more traditional D&D way.  If not, I'm positive the 2ed Legends and Lore does.




That's not a Deities & Demigods section, but rather, an article in Dragon Magazine.  Issue 283, May 2001.  Cover is a cleric with a flail, beating up a ghoul, with the words SMITE EVIL in big letters next to it.

Starting on page 34, it gives some very basic info for the Greek Pantheon, Celtic Pantheon, Egyptian Pantheon, Aztec Pantheon, Chinese Pantheon, Norse Pantheon, and a sample mixed pantheon of mythological deities and D&D racial deities (for the core races, like Gruumsh for orcs/half-orcs, and Moradin for dwarves).  It only lists about a dozen or so deities for each pantheon, with their name, title/descriptor (like "Ra, God of the Sun"), alignment, domains, and typical worshippers.


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## Ranger REG (Dec 10, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> I thoroughly recommend the Kara-Tur boxed set. I got the pdf from Paizo and there is LOADS in there. Pick up Hordelands for free from the Wizards website (might take some hunting) - another awesome boxed set.



Do they accept money order?


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## Cthulhudrew (Dec 10, 2007)

There's a lot about Kara-Tur languages in OA6: Ronin's Challenge, available as a free download from Wizards.


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## Shroomy (Dec 10, 2007)

I loved that box-set and I can only hope that when (and if) WoTC resurrects OA for 4e, they return to Kara-Tur.


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## Voadam (Dec 10, 2007)

Herobizkit said:
			
		

> IIRC, the 3.x Deities and Demigods has a selection of D&D-ified Chinese and Japanese deities that you could use in a more traditional D&D way.  If not, I'm positive the 2ed Legends and Lore does.




I think 3e DDG has only Egyptian, Greek, Greyhawk, and Norse Pantheon stuff. 1e and 2e DDG/Legends and Lore had Chinese and Japanese pantheons though.


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## Lorthanoth (Dec 10, 2007)

Ranger REG said:
			
		

> Do they accept money order?




No idea - check out their site.


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## Ranger REG (Dec 11, 2007)

Lorthanoth said:
			
		

> No idea - check out their site.



RPGNow used to accept money order, but that was before they merged with DriveThruRPG and OBS.


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