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I'm starting my new CotCT campaign in a couple of weeks, and a player wanted to make a monk whose family took him to live in Tian Xia for a while. He seems pretty into the idea, but I'm having a hard time justifying it. It sounds like the continent is on the other side of the world, and the only people who even leave to come to Varisia are few and far between, usually explorers or adventurers.
Can anyone see a merchant group (he wants his family to have been merchants originally from Korvosa) having traveled to Tian Xia, lived there for a few years, then he decides to return?
For a 1st level PC, it all seems a little unbelievable, but I want to make sure I'm not being too harsh. Any information could help, or suggestions on something closer that could feel like Tian Xia.
I'm starting my new CotCT campaign in a couple of weeks, and a player wanted to make a monk whose family took him to live in Tian Xia for a while. He seems pretty into the idea, but I'm having a hard time justifying it. It sounds like the continent is on the other side of the world, and the only people who even leave to come to Varisia are few and far between, usually explorers or adventurers.
Can anyone see a merchant group (he wants his family to have been merchants originally from Korvosa) having traveled to Tian Xia, lived there for a few years, then he decides to return?
For a 1st level PC, it all seems a little unbelievable, but I want to make sure I'm not being too harsh. Any information could help, or suggestions on something closer that could feel like Tian Xia.
If you are having trouble justifying it, on behalf of the player, I'll reference a real world example of this scenario. Though I am no historian, I seem to remember that Marco Polo's father was an Italian (Venitian I believe) merchant who traded reguarly with Kublai Khan in China. One of those journeys culminated with Marco Polo living among Kublai Khan's court for several years....
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I thought of the real world reference too, though I didn't think of Italy. As it says it's on the opposite side of the world, on a completely different continent, I likened it to going from Seattle to China. Only in medieval times. With monsters and dragons and the like in between.
I think he's settled on the idea of the closer island, which works a little better. At least it's actually ON the map in the back of the Gazetteer. :)
Maybe his parents worked for the Aspis Consortium? I get the impression that they get around. That might also pave the way for some nice plot hooks...
Creative Director
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Vudra has many connections to Korvosa, and it's not THAT far from Tian Xia. If a PC wants to play a character whose parents visited Tian Xia and then came back to Korvosa, that'd probably be actually pretty okay, I think. The only problem there, of course, is that there's not an awful lot of Tian Xia material out there for anyone to read up on yet...
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I thought of the real world reference too, though I didn't think of Italy. As it says it's on the opposite side of the world, on a completely different continent, I likened it to going from Seattle to China.
Tian Xia and Avistan (the continent that Varisia is part of) form one big super-continent called Casmoran in much the same way that Europe and Asia form Eurasia. The main difference being that Casmoran goes over the Crown of the World (northern polar cap) instead of wrapping around the world in a west-to-east fashion.
So, instead of Seattle to China, it would be more like Paris to China.
Trent
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Creative Director
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Man, I really need to see a globe of this world. :) The only information I could find about Tian Xia was that it was 'on a different continent on the opposite side of the world'. I assumed that meant separated by ocean, but I guess it doesn't need to be.
Nope; you can walk to Tian Xia from Avistan. In fact, the SHORTER route, for Varisia, at least, is to walk over the Crown of the World. Of course... this is also the Much More Dangerous Route...
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Creative Director
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Anyway I can get you to tell me more about Hermia? :) He decided he'd be from there, but yeah, there's not much information available on any of the 'monk' style locales.
Hermia has about 2 pages of info in the hardcover, and in a strange sort of way, having someone come from there is actually more difficult than having them come from Tian Xia. Basically, this is an island ruled by a dragon who's doing a grand experiment in the selective breeding of humans; he tightly controls who gets to come to the island, and also who gets to leave.
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Well geez. We had figured the reasoning of not coming from Tian Xia was his level, in a sort of way. Being level 1, having made a trip there with his family and back by himself, you'd think he'd have gained at least some experience (mechanical or not) from the long journey. Hermia looked much closer, just out to sea, but now I'm not sure which would be easier to do. :)
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Creative Director
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Well geez. We had figured the reasoning of not coming from Tian Xia was his level, in a sort of way. Being level 1, having made a trip there with his family and back by himself, you'd think he'd have gained at least some experience (mechanical or not) from the long journey. Hermia looked much closer, just out to sea, but now I'm not sure which would be easier to do. :)
(Assuming the PC is human...) If his parents went to Tian Xia when he was, say, 6, and then left Tian Xia to return to Korvosa when he was, say 14... he'd be back in Korvosa at about the point where his starting age for whatever class he's taking kicks in, I suspect. Which puts him nice and neat at level 1! :-)
What I'm saying is that there ARE established naval trade routes between Avistan and Tian Xia. It's a long journey, but commoners and kids can certainly survive it. And he WOULD gain some experience. Not experience POINTS... but certainly he'd gain the benefits of his first character level from it.
Also, there is a priest of Irori in the Pantheon of Many. As part of his retinue, he's bound to have a few monks and monks-in-training (or at least be willing to accept one into service).
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Well geez. We had figured the reasoning of not coming from Tian Xia was his level, in a sort of way. Being level 1, having made a trip there with his family and back by himself, you'd think he'd have gained at least some experience (mechanical or not) from the long journey. Hermia looked much closer, just out to sea, but now I'm not sure which would be easier to do. :)(Assuming the PC is human...) If his parents went to Tian Xia when he was, say, 6, and then left Tian Xia to return to Korvosa when he was, say 14... he'd be back in Korvosa at about the point where his starting age for whatever class he's taking kicks in, I suspect. Which puts him nice and neat at level 1! :-)
What I'm saying is that there ARE established naval trade routes between Avistan and Tian Xia. It's a long journey, but commoners and kids can certainly survive it. And he WOULD gain some experience. Not experience POINTS... but certainly he'd gain the benefits of his first character level from it.
You make some good points. I'll present the idea to him. He wanted to have it that his parents stayed in Tian Xia and he returned by himself, but I suppose if there are naval routes he could always stow away. Hmmm.
Thanks for your help!