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Latest revision as of 17:02, 8 June 2010

The State of Cantrev Lotus

Lord Morrish Bo made a fatal mistake in the past; he insulted the honor of a Circle of Solar Exalted by not bowing to their whim instantly. (Leastwise, that's how he'd express it.) In exchange, the Solars stole, in one night, he Cantrev and his library. They allowed him one hour to gather supplies and his family that resided in the capital, and then leave. So he did, making way for a hopeful ally in Lady Jung- whom the Solars reached first and won over. His current whereabouts are unknown; it is believed by a select few that he entered a Shadowland and is currently in the Underworld for reasons unknown.

The Cantrev itself is composed of five Provinces, to ease the administrative work. They are, going clockwise, the Uotsuri Province, the Toku Province, the Yanoe Province, the Jou Province, and the Capital Province.

The northernmost and smallest, sandwhiched between Lu and Jung and the ocean, is the Uotsuri Province. The provincial capital is Uotsu City, named after the original Cantrev, Uotsu, which existed prior to it's annexation into Bo. It serves primarily as a source of salt production; the land in Uotsuri Province is little more than a massive saltwater marsh, and excellent salt is boiled and strained from it, then shipped across and out of the country. Additionally, Uotsu City itself commands a rare and impressive bluff, a hill rising both out of the mire and with a powerful view of Cantrev Lu and the ocean for well over a hundred miles westward. A pair of quasi-lighthouses, the Unblinking Eyes of Bo, squat, wooden buildings built on isles of silt and sand near the coast of Uotsuri aid in this task, ensuring that virtually no coastal invasion from the north is possible, without diverting far into the deeper blue waters.

Uotsuri City is presently governed by one of Lord Bo's cousin's, Wen Jung. Wen is married to Kiet's second-eldest daughter; given the other lack of available heirs, he is looking like a possible canidate for succedding both Lady Jung and Lord Kiet when they die, one through blood and the later through marriage. He has four children himself, already grown; his eldest daughter mostly runs the Province, while his two eldest sons are in charge of the land based military. His youngest daughter has recently begun a merecntile company, piloting the ship herself. She's begun with trading salt to Lu, but plans to make a journey far west soon.

Wen has not made any reply to the news of his cousin's deposition, nor has Morrish made any effort at contacting him. Relations between the two were always businesslike; Wen ran his province well, and brought honor to the family, so Morrish mostly left him alone.

The Toku Province stretches long and windswept, bordering Jung. Trade eastward through the capital to Jung must pass through one of the Toku Checkpoints between the two Cantrevs- Checkpoints which can serve as emergency redoubts in time of war. Such a threat is unlikely, but these checkpoints also serve as a major source of income for the nation, taxing goods incoming from farther east. Province Toku also serves as a major production source of the nation; it is more heavily forested than much else of the Cantrev, and the wood of Toku is used in all manner of building, both locally, for ships, and abroad- it's dark brown shine makes it a favorite.

The Toku Province is governed from Boson. Boson is a relatively new city, built on the ruins and ashes of a far older one; the original city dated back to the First Age, and fell during the Contagion. It's original name was Gaozu, The Sentienal Against All Odds. Much of Gaozu's original construction can still be seen in the old part of the city, where the Wyld did not sweep as heavily. Boson presently serves as the military training ground of the armies; the Academy of Death holds lessons there of mock combat and proper officer carriage and such. Lord Bo was beginning to bring this training under his command in the capital when he lost power.

Boson has traditionally been ruled by the third son of the Bo family; in this case, that's a sickly young man by the name of Lu Hu Bo. Lu Hu would have much rather studied in the Academy of Joy than been given over to running a military city, but such was tradition, and tradition is not to be argued with. He is a competent bureaucrat, able to easily detect deception, but weak at enforcing strong discipline- which he then overcompensates for by too harshly punishing people of questionable guilt. The Toku province shifts uneasily at his unsteady leadership; with the old Lord Bo gone, old oaths of fealty may vanish overnight. Rumor also persists regarding Lu Hu's unmarried status, virtually unheard of in a man his age; speculation ranges from the crude to the serious, but it all serves to only make the situation less stable.

The Yanoe Province is the southernmost province in Lotus, and one of the more cultured and settled. A number of freshwater lakes dot the lands east of the capital city, Shandi, and many of the Cantrev's finest orchids are there. In the Capital Province is the proveribal breadbasket of the land, Yanoe is the jug of wine; it's famous for it's vintages as far away as the Northern Coasts, and a well preserved bottle of a good vintage of Yanoe spirits has spared a ship from more than a single Little God's wrath. The land between the lakes is also exceptionally moist, making it excellent for growing rice, and the lakes themselves are well stocked with fish and crab. Finally, the mud from these lakes is of exceptional color, and, when properly fired, makes excellent porcelian. In short, Yanoe is arguably the richest of the Provinces, with a multitude of natural advantages.

Shandi itself is a marvel; it is one of the few cities geniunely built entirely in the Second Age, from scratch; the old capital of the Yanoe Province was Twillight, and it is no longer spoken of, having been terribly warped by the Wyld. Shandi was built mostly from Toku wood, but many of the buildings have obsidian roofs, and the skillful use of the black glass is a highly respected art. The govenor's mansion is itself a smallish townhouse- but built of dark granite and basalt. The city is a study in contrasts- built of dark wood and black glass, but colored vibrantly by fruit trees and wineries and spirits.

Shandi is ruled, by long tradition, by a branch of Bo's family that has strong ties with Zhao. Presently, the govenor of Yanoe is Liusong Bo, a ccousin to Morrish Bo and cousin once removed from Lord Zhao. He was married once, but during a sharp war between Bo and Zhao, his wife was killed in a raid- by some of Moirrish's own men, deserters. When he demanded the blood money from Bo to recompense his loss, Bo refused, to continue assuring Liusong's good behavior, he took his youngest son as a hostage. Said son travels with Morrish still; he was not to be returned for two more years. Liusong is unlikely to go willingly with Lotus' new direction; unless his injured pride or broken family are restored to him.

The Jou province, capital Wudi, I dunno. Blahblah. Stuff. More details on Jou and the Capital Province tomorrow.

The (Former) Lord and Lady of the Cantrev

Lord Morish Bo (46): An older man, past the peak of his physical prime but more than a match for any young buck that thinks him dodering. His hair is thinning and paunch spreading as he takes an increasing amount of leisure in the manor house, delegating out the hard tasks of ruling to his twin sons. He is widely read, and collects First Age artifacts- he has, perhaps, the largest library of First Age texts in the Hundred Kingdoms.

Lady Tomoni Bo (Kobiyasha) (44): Lord Bo's wife, she delights in the simplier things of life- her garden is a minor delight to the senses, while her needlepoint is fashionably regarded even in Tinalion. she has a deft eye and hand for such chores, and is more often seen is hard wearing work clothes than a noble's finery. Not suprising, she was once a simple peasant woman, and like in a fairy tale, her good looks and fine graces caught the attention of the young Morish. She was swept away into marrying a Cantrev Lord, and has tried to live the part as best she could.

The Direct Bloodline of the Lord and Lady

Sir Ikuro Bo (34): Ikuro is a HUGE man, easily a head and shoulders over most of his countrymen. He loves the sea, and spends as much time amid ship as he can- both directing the Cantrev's few trieme's about, hunting rogue pirates and guarding merchants on their way through Bo waters. He doesn't act much like a noble, and seems somewhat uncomfortable when forced into fine situations- although not stupid or slow, he prefers to leave delicate matters to his brother.

Madam Zi Bo DariusSolluman/TinalionCantrevLordsAmil) (38): Lord Amil's sister and Ikuro's wife, Zi hates the ocean. Hates it with a passion. As a result, she rarely sees her husband, much to her relief. Almost all her days are spent on the edge of Bo land, overseeing the cultivation of several peach orchards and grape vineyards. She also helps in the distillery- much of the finer Tinalion vintage has comes from Zi's press. Her marriage was a love match, at first- although Zi and Ikuro both knew they were from different worlds, a passionate affair led to sudden matrimony. Now, bound by oaths to Heaven and her husband, Zi would like nothing more than her freedom again.

Sir Ishiga Bo (34): Ishiga is the mirror of his brother, another giant, but one more finely featured. Although the two were clearly identical twins at some point, time and the world have given them different faces, such that they are but rarely mistaken for the same person now. As Ikuro lives to sail ships, Ishiga lives for the stormy weather of politics- of leading friends and enemies to benefical goals that are shared by all. Something of a fop, he largely roams the Cantrev, seeing what good he can set to right, typically not even revealing his parentage until after a decision has been reached, but he makes sure to return home at regular intervals, to help Lord Bu with any matters of state that may be pressing.

Madam Miya Lu DariusSolluman/TinalionCantrevLordsLu) (32): Married to Sir Jin-Wu Lu .

Lord Bo additionally has several others sons and daughters; over ten in total. The Eclipse Caste, Searching Serpent, is one of his youngest sons, and in a state of self-exile to reduce his burden on the family. Several of the other sons and daughters have been entrusted with the administration of the provinces that compose Bo.

Other Family Members

Sir Hong Bo (45): Hong has aged better than his brother Morish, his beard and hair more pepper than salt. He's a friendly, happy man, content in his duties of managing the family's fishing interests while going out for the occusional evening of drinking. He loves his nephews, his wife and his life in general- and would hate for anything to interfere with any of them.

Madam Ching Bo DariusSolluman/TinalionCantrevLordsZhao) (31): Ching is a striking woman, tall and sharp with bright red hair and a commanding demeanor, who has a tendency to somewhat dominate her weaker willed husband Hong. Part of an alliance between the Bo and Zhao families was for Ching to be married off to Hong, helping keep relations friendly. It's mostly worked- the Zhao family gifted the Bo with a large interest in a whale oil factory, and the two have more closely guarded against geniune sea bandits, those who rob Tinalion's ships as well as those of outsiders.

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