The Sinonese settlement town in the Drai Shon Archipelago, Shankong is a - Yellow Flag Port - and allows limited access to vessels from other groups who have signed and agreed The Accords. They do not allow access to Orcs, Hobgoblins or Pirates.

Ruled by: Gonzi Huang Zan Note (Gonzi is a title equivalent to junior-Lord and represents a junior leader of a Clan. Huang is the clan name, back home the head of the clan will rule an estate, Zan is the Given Name) Lord Zan is a scion of the Huang, a mountain clan who are worshippers of Yamatsumi, the god of the mountains (His legend says that he once lived on the highest mountain in the world, but was driven into heaven by demons). When they heard of this magnificent mountain in the middle of the ocean, ruled by devil-men, they knew they should reclaim it for Yamatsumi and the Imperial Throne. While the Huang lead the venture, it is funded more broadly, in the hope of gaining the blessing of both Yamatsumi and the Imperial Court.

Huang Zan believes, strongly, that the Huang (and the Jade Throne, of course) should rule this whole archipelago. Natives that submit to his rule are welcomed. Natives who have not submitted to his rule, as well as foreign interlopers from Hann or Sakhar, are fair game for his freebooting captains.

The Military forces are led by a samurai who is loyal to the Huang Clan, she has a number of samurai (who may be loyal to other clans) as her officers. While they might have different Clan loyalty, they have sworn an oath to the Daimyo. Below them are the soldiers.

Military Commander: Daimyo Huang Lei Note (Daimyo is (in this context) the leader of a samurai chapter) A Non-noble member of the Huang clan who was trained as a Samurai, and then proved both her loyalty and skill. She was promoted to Daimyo, for this expedition.

Officers: Various Samurai. Each has a command responsibility, it might be a ship, it might be a defensive tower, for a junior officer, it might just be a single watch on a ship or with the town guard. However, they all have some sort of command position. There are minor issues, while each Samurai has sworn an Oath to the Daimyo, they come from a range of Noble Houses - all of whom have slightly separate agendas. On top of that, there are a few Ronin (who have also sworn to the Daimyo) but they have their own agenda. While everyone has been vetted, that is no guarantee … Most of the senior land based Samurai are from Clan Huang - but many of the ship's commanders are from different clans. (Treat these as freebooter vessels. In most cases, the 'prize' value is split between the captain (50%), The Noble House the captain belongs to (30%), and House Huang (20%). The captain is expected to remunerate the crew from his share. Successful Captains can get rich. Successful Ronin captains can get very rich.)

The Troops: This is a right mix of troops. There are guards, soldiers, sailors and marines. Most have one (or more) warrior levels, while a few have a fighter level or two. They have different weapons and armour to suit their role.

Use this page for eastern weapons. However, it might be worth adding the Parang (use the same stats as a machete) - particularly for use by sailors & marines (ie the Eastern version of the Cutlass)

Yamatsumi: the shrine to Yamatsumi is set on the peak of the highest hill on Shangkong Island, while the surrounding land is left natural (but carefully manicured) However, there are gardens and other 'respectful' tidying of nature, close to the shrine itself.

The Heavenly Court: Close to the centre of town you will find the temple of the Heavenly Court. The largest shrine is dedicated to Shizuru, the Empress of Heaven, although there are also shrines dedicated to Tsukiyo (Prince of Heaven), Hei Feng (the Duke of Thunder) and Qi Zhong (master of medicine).

Irori: How could the monks of Irori ignore a new land? So much to learn, so many new things to see … There is a Monastery dedicated to Iriori on the outskirts of Shangkong, and monks are often found serving aboard the freebooting ships as the Surgeon, however, they are often seen as a witness to the Captain's Honesty, as well.

List and descriptions of Sinan vessels can be found here - however, Junks and Jongs are the only seagoing vessels. None of the larger warships have been able to make the long voyage. Junks are used by the Freebooting Captains, while Jong serve as merchant vessels, and are a fairly easy target for pirates.

Junks are often armed with Rocket Springals, however, the technology, and the rockets themselves, are considered to be a state secret and are never sold to outsiders.

Rocket Springal: This highly volatile springal propels a group of black-powder rockets that rain down on the targeted square and in a 15-foot burst around the area. If the rocket springal misfires, it explodes, dealing its damage in a 20-foot blast around the springal. This explosion destroys the rocket springal. One use of rocket springal ammunition costs 500 gp and weighs 30 pounds.