Ochalea (Kingdom of)

Location: Island south of the Isle of Dawn, north of the Jungle Coast, west of the Pearl Islands and southwest of the Alatian Islands.
Area: 190,054 sq. mi.
Population: 125,000, including 50,000 in the capital Beitung
Languages: Alphatian (Ochalean dialect), Thyatian (Ochalean dialect).
Coinage: King (a.k.a. Teng, 5 gp), one (gp), tenth (sp), hundredth (cp) (Ochalean coins are octagonal with square holes in the middle).
Taxes: 15% income tax, inheritance tax of 10%.
Government Type: Monarchy.
Industries: Agriculture (wheat and rice), textiles (silk).
Important Figures: King Teng Lin-Dieu (human, male, Pr20 of Koryis).
Flora and Fauna: Ochalea is mostly free of monsters. Dangerous creatures encountered include ghouls, weretigers, tigers, panthers and the rare purple worm. Also common are sheep, goats, and snakes.
Intelligent monsters would include ogres (many who know magic and are often called ogre-magi), while lupins and rakasta often roam the Grasslands of Chi.
Further Reading: GAZ - Dawn of the Emperors boxed Set, AC1010 - Poor Wizard's Almanac to AC1012 - Poor Wizard's Almanac 3.

Description: by Kalitoru Nuar

Ochalea be a strange land indeed, with customs unlike those found anywhere else in de world. Even der architecture is unique, with der tiered an' slanted roofs and strange, sliding doors made out of what appears to be paper [I doubt they are made of paper, but I left this here because that is what the writer believes. Ed.]. A small bamboo fence be surroundin' their houses. Stepping stones lead around de houses to a little garden with a few trees an' perhaps a shrubbery or two. Even der gardens are designed to give a feelin' of quiet and peace.

The Land

Ochalea be an island kingdom, just like the Pearl Islands, mohn. But dis island is not rich in farmlands and palm trees like Nuar. It be a rocky place, with large uneven hills everywhere. These hills once be volcanoes, but are now completely inactive and have been so for the past hundreds of years.

In de valleys between de hills, however, dere be another story. Water rolls down de hills, mohn, creatin' rivers that make fertile lands. De Shino-Gawa River be de largest of dem crossing almost de entire nation, mohn. It start from de hills around de town of Wongzhao Tsuhao, den moves down to de lake around the town of Chungklang. From this lake, de largest one in Ochalea, de Shino-Gawa then pours into the Sea of Dawn several days walking away. All along this river are forests and very productive farmlands. Dey be so productive that dey be makin' enough food to feed everyone in de kingdom an' even export some out to other nations.

Dere also be two huge grasslands steppes on de island. One, on de western shore, is also the location of Beitung, the capital city. De other, called de Grasslands of Chi, covers de southern shore of Ochalea. De most southern portion of de flat terrain is actually a tropical jungle, mohn, mostly du to de southerly ocean currents that warm its shores.

The People

Ochaleans are Alphatian an' be having de same coppery skin as all de other Alphatians. Dey usually have dark brown hair, an' eyes vary from brown to amber or golden. Fine facial features are very common.

Ochaleans are a peaceful bunch, satisfied with de status quo instead of seekin' to improve themselves. Dey be very scholarly, doing a lot of research an' educatin' der people. Many claim dey be de third most educated nation in de world, only behind Glantri an' Darokin, wherever those places be.

De philosophies of Koryis, de Immortal of peace an' prosperity, have made de Ochaleans very quiet and reserved. Dey be extremely polite, mohn, an' often things that everyone else do are considered rude here in Ochalea. True to de ways of Koryis, all arguments are settled peacefully through negotiation.

Ochaleans believe in de equality of all men, an' der king be treated no differently den any of de peasants that work on de farms. Women, on de other hand, be treated as inferiors. Der husbands decide der every fate, mohn, an' girls are often items to be negotiated away for pre-arranged marriages instead of children to be loved and thought to live der own lives.

One strange custom of de Ochaleans involves der greeting. Dey be seemin' to like kissin' each other, regardless of gender. It be not uncommon to see a man kissin' a man, or a woman kissin' another woman. An' this be a full kiss on de mouth, mohn, not on de cheek. This appears to be der method of handshaking which be common in de rest of de world. Der be no romantic connotations involved in der greeting kisses.

Recent History

Not much be happening in this land over de years. In AC 1007, Ochalea declared der independence from Thyatis with de Pearl Islands, succeeding thanks to de war Thyatis was in against Alphatia.

Recently, uncovered scrolls have stirred up a big debate between der scholars, mohn. De scrolls seem to indicate that de Ochalean architecture be not from Alphatians but from a race previously living on de Alphatian continent before dey arrived from der own world. This other race was displaced to de island of Ochalea along with other Alphatian undesirables [mainly non- spellcasters, that is. Ed.] where dey created der own culture. De Alphatians seem to have dominated in terms of appearance, since no other racial traits are visible among dem, but it is de philosophies an' architecture of this mysterious race that have dominated Ochalea ever since. Scholars believe that de other race be from de land of Skothar and might actually be de same as de ancestors of de Nuari of de Pearl Islands. Would this not be an interesting development, mohn.

Don't Miss

De architecture is unique throughout de world, mohn, so Ochalea deserves a visit by any tourist. It be a land of beauty, one definitely worth seeing. An' they be havin' an interesting culture as well, worthy of study as any other.