Panguro

Panguro
Country Information
Ethnic Groups:	Humans, Elves, Halflings
Religion:	The Celestial Dragons
Government:	Empire

Far to the north and east of Arangoth lies the frigid continent of Panguro and its premiere nation, Nipangu. Panguro's remoteness is evident in its most commonly known name: The Sword Islands, after the weapon through which most Westerners know the land of the Dragon-Worshipers. But contact increases every day in this shrinking world of three-masted ships and katana-export. Some westerners call any inhabitants of these many lands the ‘Nipangese,’ regardless of race or nation. It is also common western parlance to replace any ‘ui’ ending (the local plural), with ‘ese.’ Nipangese might refer to the continent or the nation, Sainogese and Irniqese are also regular. Those more informed as to the workings of the continent and its peoples refer to the inhabitants of the island chain as simply the Pangese or Pangui. However, few westerners have visited Panguro and thus most are only familiar with the Nipangui.

History

Main Article: History of Panguro

From the mists of the bronze age to the present, Panguro has seen three waves of immigrants and many wars. Recently, direct contact with the Berjeron mariners has had a pronounced effect on the status quo.

Geographical Features

The Sword Islands lie months of sea-travel to the east and north of Arangoth in waters only roughly charted. To the northwest of Xiunhai-la lies an archipelago about the size of Arangoth, full of ethnically related peoples. In western parlance, this archipelago, considered a largely isolated continent of its own, is usually called the Sword Islands, or Nipangu, after that nation with which they first had contact, but its local name is Panguro. Other known nations within this archipelago are Sai-No-Gu, culturally quite similar to Nipangu, and the polar halfling land, Saku Irniq. A number of tribes of camel-mounted nomads in the interior of the largest island are known by the Nipangui, who are largely the West's only source of knowledge, as the Sho Gokkan or simply ‘The Inlanders.’ There are also scores of tribes of strange barbarian people living in the southern islands called the Odan.

This archipelago lies so far north that the seas are stormy and violent, rarely fit for sailing by any but hardy and experienced seamen, and that the northern edges are completely covered in glaciers. Icebergs are not an uncommon threat in Pangese waters (contributing to their fear of the open sea.)

The islands’ landcape range from treeless tundra in the habitable areas of the north, to coniferous forests and mountainsides in the midranges, broad, flat prairie in the east, and tracts of thick, cold forests in the south. There are remote islands to the south which are humid and warm, and the few tiny colonies here are prized for their products.

The climate of Panguro is generally quite cold and harsh by Arangothian standards, and includes a great deal of precipitation and often six or more months of subzero winter for even the southernmost islands. Coastal areas, however, have a more temperate climate, though they are subject to the occasional violent monsoon.

There are a great number of prized hot springs located throughout the mountainous islands, heated by the several dormant volcanoes. Iron-rich sand is common, and it is from here that the famous Pangese steel is drawn.

Notable Pangese Cities

• Ko-Ho-Nui Amatsu Ga, A northern port city owing loyalty to the Shogun.
• Kaoru Ka-Su-No, The main Eizo port.
• Okabe-Oh, Site of Tenrai Ryuu Sword School
• Ju-No-Nokonjo, Capital of Sai-No-Gu
• An-Akio, Capital of Nipangu
• Inimara-Yo, Forbidden City, Nipangu
• Uosinen-Yo, Forbidden City, Sai-No-Gu

Religion

Main Article: Pangui Religion