Dorjiloka
 |
This section contains netbook-canon info from netbooks |
| Dorjiloka | |
|---|---|
| [[Image:|350px]] | |
| Culture Level | Dark Ages (5), though it was once a Chivalric (8)[1] |
| Ecology | |
| Climate & Terrain | arid plateau[1]; forests, hills, cold mountains, plains[2] |
| Year Formed | xxx |
| Population | xxx |
| Races (%) | Mostly humans, though potentially any player character race native to Ravenloft, even spirit folk may come from here[3]. Gnomes and Devas make up sizable minorities in Zikhai[4]. |
| Languages | Vajra |
| Religions | A large pantheon of gods and goddesses, with the prospect of mortals to reincarnate into one through dedicated service and freeing oneself from attachment; many monastic traditions[5] |
| Government | Semi-theocracy[5] |
| Ruler(s) | Jampala of the Lotus Hat Order[5] |
| Darklord(s) | Satwa Dorji Kerima[6] |
| Nationality | Dorjilokan[1] |
| Analog | Tibet[7] |
| Related Categories | |
| Locations in Dorjiloka | |
| Transportation in Dorjiloka | |
| Inhabitants of Dorjiloka | |
| Former Inhabitants of Dorjiloka | |
| Flora of Dorjiloka | |
| Fauna of Dorjiloka | |
| Native Monsters of Dorjiloka | |
Once known as Amritloka prior to its transformation into a Ravenloft domain, Dorjiloka is a chilly mountainous realm dominated by a a single plateau. Dorji Kerima, a corrupt deity-seeming monster composed of living lightning claims power over the realm with an army of rakshasa at his beck and call, though Dorjiloka's civilized inhabitants are ruled the government in exile of the jampala and his monk followers in Zikhai's valley[1]. Kerima himself resides in Grulma Palace[4]. in the realm's former capital Sgrol-Ma, now known as the City of the Shattered Bolt[8].
Biology
Flora
Plant life is scarce on the plateau itself, save for fairly basic shrubs and tiny fruit trees that somehow overcome the high-altitude oxygen deprivation.[1] Much more abundance may lie in the greener valleys below the mountains and in the forests to the south.[2]
Fauna
Several high-altitude animals reside on Dorjolika's plateau, such as goats, vulture]]s, yaks, and wild horses[1].
Native Horrors[1]
Geography
Dorjiloka is an arid plateau nestled on a mountain range thirteen-thousand feet above sea level.[1] Fog-shrouded valleys lie below the mountains. Zikhai, the most notable living city in Dorjiloka, is located near one such valley. A heavily forested area can be seen to the south part of the domain, and a flood-plain toward the southeastern edge.[2]
Authority
The humans and civilized humanoids live in a society ruled by a monastic, semi-theocratic form of government. In this ancient hierarchy, the highest monastic position is the Jampala, high monk (satwa) of the Lotus Hat Order. Although the mortals have their own government, the Terrible Lightning holds dominance over the domain itself. With his legions of rakshasa and corrupted devas, he can terrorize the countryside at will.[2]
Language & Culture
Dorjiloka's people can be surprisingly long-lived given their slight frames. Goat and yak hairs comprise the bulk of the Dorjilokan clothing, although women augment this style with braids, beads and gold jewelry inlaid with semi-precious stones.[5]
As harsh as the land is, the people struggle to make the best living they can, clearing aside stone for meager farming, herding mountain goats, or taming yaks for butter and leather.[5]
A familiar sight in Dorjiloka, monks prefer to shave their heads and wear saffron-red robes. The items a monk dons on the head usually distinguishes the monk's order and the monk's rank within that order.[5]
Religion holds deep significance for Dorjilokans. They epitomize their beliefs in the ways they live their lives: plain, austere, and sometimes in deep poverty. "All things are impermanent," as an old but essential proverb goes, "the material world is but an illusion. True power comes from hard work, good relations and devotion to the divine."[5] The realm's people rarely take anything for granted- as everything is considered sacred. The people's slowness to impose change upon the world give the appearance of a society slow to evolve. This is not to say the Dorjilokans devalue technology, for they value even the wheel as its symbol[1].
Dorjiloka has been presented twice in two different netbooks. The first time, for Third Edition, was in Navigaccio. A very different version, for 4th Edition, was in Worlds of Ravenloft.
References
- ↑ 1.00 1.01 1.02 1.03 1.04 1.05 1.06 1.07 1.08 1.09 1.10 Navigaccio p.12
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 Worlds of Ravenloft p.15-16
- ↑ Navigaccio p. 12-13
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Worlds of Ravenloft p.15
- ↑ 5.0 5.1 5.2 5.3 5.4 5.5 5.6 Worlds of Ravenloft p.16
- ↑ Worlds of Ravenloft p.17
- ↑ Navigaccio p.43
- ↑ Navigaccio p.14
