09-04-2006, 11:41 PM
09-04-2006, 11:58 PM
I'll just drop this here for easy acess.
Ka Po'Tun
General
The Cat-men were originally the sole inhabitants of their island, and it is theorized that they were close cousins of the Khajiit of Elsweyr. Perhaps they were even colonists. However, as time went on, sometime around the first era, dragons came to their land. The coming of the Dragons almost completely destroyed all records that the Cat-Men had kept if their civilization before the coming of the dragons, and stopped the advancement of the Cat-Men as a people. It is, however, only at this time that they can be truly called the Ka'Po'Tun.
To the rather primitive Cat-men, the dragons were gods. The idea that they shared their lands with the Dragons is somewhat inaccurate. They gave it to the dragons, as a tribute to their new Gods. They worshipped them as Gods, and to them, Gods they were. They were the kings, the landowners, and the possessors of all that the Cat-men had, and the Cat-men were available to their every whim and disposal. For these many hundreds of years, the Cat-men were the veritable slaves of the Dragons.
The era in which the dragon's ruled was called the Hish' Na-Kri, which means Rule of Fire. They ruled with an iron fist, and the cat-men were more than willing to accommodate them. Any task which a dragon could think of, a Ka'Po'Tun could do or provide. Though seemingly a one sided relationship, there was a secondary effect. Through no actual agreement, the dragons provided one service in exchange for the service of the Cat-Men. They protected their lands from the Tsaecsi and the Snow-demons, albeit more out of mere self-preservation rather than any sort of attachment to their slaves. And as long as the Dragons were pampered and served by the Cat-Men, the dragons stayed. This lavish lifestyle reached its peak in 1380 First Era, about 400 years after the first era Dragons came to Akavir. It was at this time that the first true Cat-Dragons were brought into the world. At first, the children of such monstrous unions were killed at birth, but it did not take many years before such children were considered an honour. These are the true Ka Po' Tun, the Tiger-Dragon people.
The end of the Rule of Fire came swiftly and terribly. The Ka'Po' Tun had cared for the Dragons for almost 600 years, and it began to show in the physique of the Dragons. Soft living such a pampered lifestyle, servants in the form of an entire civilization, they grew fat, and weak. The Tsaecsi, the vicious snake-men of Akaviri lore, took it upon themselves to purge the land of the Dragon menace. The war was terrible. The dragons, still terrible even in their weakness, wreaked havoc, and the Tiger-Dragons made up a slave army. The war raged for many years, but in the end the Dragons were dead, and the Tsaecsi and the Tiger-Dragons were decimated.
At this point, the entire civilization of the Ka Po'Tun had been dramatically changed. A godlike worship of the dragons had created a civilization rich in lavish ornamentation, with the dragons themselves being the dominant motif. Artists looking for a visual description of a dragon would do well to look here. Large, spacious palaces dotted the landscape, marble and gold tributes to the dragons that they so venerated. Inside of the large, spacious, and often open-air palaces were the personal treasures of each dragon. Magickal artefacts, gold, and expensive artefacts all made up their fantastic treasure. Unfortunately, most of this was lost or plundered in the war with the Snake-people, but some remained inside the more remote palaces. With the dragons now dead, the Ka'Po' Tun began to live in their former masters palaces, and cities began to spring up from the slave camps the once served as their dwellings.
The people themselves had been changed by the rule of the dragons, with the cat-like features of the people mixed with the draconian interference, creating a hybrid people. Their mixed heritages now created a people with the draconian eyes and teeth of a dragon, with the soft fur and feline faces of their more mundane ancestors. These features caused an aristocracy of sorts to form, those who more closely resembling the Dragons ruling over the others, and those who had no draconian blood serving the others. This aristocracy created a government of sorts, with the criteria of office being a close blood-tie to the dragons. This obsession with the dragons eventually led to the idea of ?becoming' a dragon. Although a seemingly absurd idea, the inherently magical nature of dragons had a strangely mutagenic effect upon the Ka?Po'Tun. As they found out, it was entirely possible to ?awaken' their dragon blood, and thus change their bodies and grow wings, scales, horns, and even progress to the point of a half-dragon.
The blood that flows in their veins affords them many advantages to other races, including the raw magical power in their blood, the enhanced eyesight of dragons, and the abilities in sneaking and stealth that their mundane ancestors passed on to them.
Today, there are almost no pure-blooded Cat-Men. Nearly all of the former Cat-men are now the tiger-dragons of Lore. The current leader of the Cat-Men is Tosh Raka. He is, currently, the only tiger dragon to fully awaken the dragon blood inside of him, and completely become a dragon. His first order of business, he says, is to destroy the snake-men that destroyed the dragons of Old. The Ka Po' Tun rule themselves much like the Dragons did in ages past. Although they must now bow to a king, the aristocracy rules the lower classes with absolute power and authority. The king, in turn, rules the aristocracy with just as much power.
Although it might seem that the same sort of oligarchy established by the dragons has formed, there is one vital difference that keeps the society of Tiger-Dragons from becoming static. The nobility is limited by two factors: A great lack of cohesion, and the dichotomy between the number of nobles and the number of average citizens. When one noble gives a command, it is not uncommon for another noble to contradict him. As well, all of the Aristocracy is always under threat by the possibility of a riot. The nobles have very little power besides that which the prestige of their station gives them. No noble actually has enough influence, power, or money to oppose the will of the majority. More ridiculous would be an effort to oppose the will of the King, which is the only Ka Po' Tun with the power a Dragon to back him up. The nobility simply lack the power to do much of anything.
The aristocracy, while not very powerful, are the most prestigious class in the Ka Po' Tun culture. Below them are the warriors, followed by the merchants, and then the common people. In all cases, eligibility is chosen based upon the amount of manifested draconian blood in one person. To become a noble, one must have the Wings of a Dragon, the Fangs of a Dragon, the Horns of a Dragon, and the Eyes of a Dragon. To be a Warrior, one must have the Fangs, Wings, and Eyes of a dragon. The merchants, while not actually having any requirements except those of being a good merchant, are largely made up of people with at least the fangs and eyes of a dragon. Those who lack any of these qualities are automatically relegated to the lower classes. Those who exhibit only one sign, or even no signs at all, are almost ignored by the upper classes, except as labour. Even the sons of aristocrats who do not exhibit the signs of their station by their fifteenth birthday are no longer considered noble. A quiet killing of the offending family member, usually followed by a quick, private burial, oftentimes solves such situations.
Militarily, The Ka Po' Tun have gained back much of the power that was once lost to them. The Tiger-Dragon King, Tosh Raka, has not only fortified the borders of their kingdom, but has established the first standing army since the time of the Dragons. Though mostly made up of commoners too poor or too unlucky to find a job anywhere else, it is the only place in which the Ka Po'Tun have truly caught up with the others races in terms of technology and tactics.
The Tsaesci have not taken kindly to the sudden uprising in Ka Po' Tun power, and another war seems to be brewing on the horizon. How the Ka Po'Tun will fare without the protection of the mighty dragons, only time will tell.
The most pronounced feature of Ka Po' Tun culture is a series of strange clashes. The opulent palaces of the Dragons are now the dwellings of the Aristocracy, and are usually shoulder-to-shoulder with the poorer members of society. The limited space on the Mountainous terrain has caused almost everything to be mashed down, and cramped into smaller and smaller spaces as the culture grows. The sight of the various periods and subcultures within the cities are a sight to behold. The stoic grey mountains, surrounded by the wooden cities of the Ka Po' Tun and dotted all over with the sometimes gaudy palaces of the dragons gives the landscape a jarring effect. It is not uncommon to see a deeply artistic mural of the surrounding mountains or valleys painted on the side of the gaudy gold and white walls of the palaces.
Another pronounced feature of the Ka Po' Tun society is a meticulous dedication to detail. This is perhaps a leftover from their days as slaves, where overlooking even one flagstone might lead to a beating, or worse. Possibly as a result, the Ka Po' Tun place a very high value upon meticulous planning, and seldom do they anything without first looking over every aspect and angle. This closeness to detail has garnered much fame to the artisans and craftsmen of the Ka Po' Tun. Many of the paintings, sculptures, and artwork that are produced are of the most exquisite detail. Their specialty, however, is the clothes that their clothiers make. Ornate robes, gloves, shoes, and all other forms of clothing are made with fine silk, gathered from the valleys below, and are spun and stitched into the most famous clothes in all of Akavir. A robe of the Ka Po' Tun is truly a robe fit for any Emperor to wear.
Their craftsmen, while they have not had time that the Tsaesci have had to advance in the arts, are quickly gaining a reputation as fine armourers, smiths, carpenters, and stonemasons, creating products of great quality and durability. A Ka Po' Tun sword is valuable for its thick, durable blade; just as a Tsaesci blade is valued for its razor edge. Their armorers, while they do not produce much heavy armour or medium armour, have perfected a system of very thin, very light armours that are capable of allowing those Ka Po' Tun capable of flight the ability to do so.
While life is by no means easy to the average Ka Po' Tun citizen, it is much better than it was under the Dragons. The Aristocracy, too small to actively bother with every single citizen, leaves most free to pursue whatever endeavor catches their fancy. Most Ka Po' Tun work as labourers, or they use prefer to put their draconic heritage to good use, and are found in the army, or in the ports of the other nations. Some, however, use their mundane heritage and turn to thievery as a way to survive. Crime is a large problem in Ka Po' Tun, and a very large thieves guild provides the muscle and money for the majority of the crimes that occur within Ka Po' Tun.
The majority of most Ka Po' Tun are dark and gloomy. They oftentimes exhibit a taste for the ironic, and they find situations that would make most other mortals weep a situation of utmost humour. While they are not a fickle people, they have found a grim acceptance in life, and tend to accept things the way they happen.
Ka Po'Tun
General
The Cat-men were originally the sole inhabitants of their island, and it is theorized that they were close cousins of the Khajiit of Elsweyr. Perhaps they were even colonists. However, as time went on, sometime around the first era, dragons came to their land. The coming of the Dragons almost completely destroyed all records that the Cat-Men had kept if their civilization before the coming of the dragons, and stopped the advancement of the Cat-Men as a people. It is, however, only at this time that they can be truly called the Ka'Po'Tun.
To the rather primitive Cat-men, the dragons were gods. The idea that they shared their lands with the Dragons is somewhat inaccurate. They gave it to the dragons, as a tribute to their new Gods. They worshipped them as Gods, and to them, Gods they were. They were the kings, the landowners, and the possessors of all that the Cat-men had, and the Cat-men were available to their every whim and disposal. For these many hundreds of years, the Cat-men were the veritable slaves of the Dragons.
The era in which the dragon's ruled was called the Hish' Na-Kri, which means Rule of Fire. They ruled with an iron fist, and the cat-men were more than willing to accommodate them. Any task which a dragon could think of, a Ka'Po'Tun could do or provide. Though seemingly a one sided relationship, there was a secondary effect. Through no actual agreement, the dragons provided one service in exchange for the service of the Cat-Men. They protected their lands from the Tsaecsi and the Snow-demons, albeit more out of mere self-preservation rather than any sort of attachment to their slaves. And as long as the Dragons were pampered and served by the Cat-Men, the dragons stayed. This lavish lifestyle reached its peak in 1380 First Era, about 400 years after the first era Dragons came to Akavir. It was at this time that the first true Cat-Dragons were brought into the world. At first, the children of such monstrous unions were killed at birth, but it did not take many years before such children were considered an honour. These are the true Ka Po' Tun, the Tiger-Dragon people.
The end of the Rule of Fire came swiftly and terribly. The Ka'Po' Tun had cared for the Dragons for almost 600 years, and it began to show in the physique of the Dragons. Soft living such a pampered lifestyle, servants in the form of an entire civilization, they grew fat, and weak. The Tsaecsi, the vicious snake-men of Akaviri lore, took it upon themselves to purge the land of the Dragon menace. The war was terrible. The dragons, still terrible even in their weakness, wreaked havoc, and the Tiger-Dragons made up a slave army. The war raged for many years, but in the end the Dragons were dead, and the Tsaecsi and the Tiger-Dragons were decimated.
At this point, the entire civilization of the Ka Po'Tun had been dramatically changed. A godlike worship of the dragons had created a civilization rich in lavish ornamentation, with the dragons themselves being the dominant motif. Artists looking for a visual description of a dragon would do well to look here. Large, spacious palaces dotted the landscape, marble and gold tributes to the dragons that they so venerated. Inside of the large, spacious, and often open-air palaces were the personal treasures of each dragon. Magickal artefacts, gold, and expensive artefacts all made up their fantastic treasure. Unfortunately, most of this was lost or plundered in the war with the Snake-people, but some remained inside the more remote palaces. With the dragons now dead, the Ka'Po' Tun began to live in their former masters palaces, and cities began to spring up from the slave camps the once served as their dwellings.
The people themselves had been changed by the rule of the dragons, with the cat-like features of the people mixed with the draconian interference, creating a hybrid people. Their mixed heritages now created a people with the draconian eyes and teeth of a dragon, with the soft fur and feline faces of their more mundane ancestors. These features caused an aristocracy of sorts to form, those who more closely resembling the Dragons ruling over the others, and those who had no draconian blood serving the others. This aristocracy created a government of sorts, with the criteria of office being a close blood-tie to the dragons. This obsession with the dragons eventually led to the idea of ?becoming' a dragon. Although a seemingly absurd idea, the inherently magical nature of dragons had a strangely mutagenic effect upon the Ka?Po'Tun. As they found out, it was entirely possible to ?awaken' their dragon blood, and thus change their bodies and grow wings, scales, horns, and even progress to the point of a half-dragon.
The blood that flows in their veins affords them many advantages to other races, including the raw magical power in their blood, the enhanced eyesight of dragons, and the abilities in sneaking and stealth that their mundane ancestors passed on to them.
Today, there are almost no pure-blooded Cat-Men. Nearly all of the former Cat-men are now the tiger-dragons of Lore. The current leader of the Cat-Men is Tosh Raka. He is, currently, the only tiger dragon to fully awaken the dragon blood inside of him, and completely become a dragon. His first order of business, he says, is to destroy the snake-men that destroyed the dragons of Old. The Ka Po' Tun rule themselves much like the Dragons did in ages past. Although they must now bow to a king, the aristocracy rules the lower classes with absolute power and authority. The king, in turn, rules the aristocracy with just as much power.
Although it might seem that the same sort of oligarchy established by the dragons has formed, there is one vital difference that keeps the society of Tiger-Dragons from becoming static. The nobility is limited by two factors: A great lack of cohesion, and the dichotomy between the number of nobles and the number of average citizens. When one noble gives a command, it is not uncommon for another noble to contradict him. As well, all of the Aristocracy is always under threat by the possibility of a riot. The nobles have very little power besides that which the prestige of their station gives them. No noble actually has enough influence, power, or money to oppose the will of the majority. More ridiculous would be an effort to oppose the will of the King, which is the only Ka Po' Tun with the power a Dragon to back him up. The nobility simply lack the power to do much of anything.
The aristocracy, while not very powerful, are the most prestigious class in the Ka Po' Tun culture. Below them are the warriors, followed by the merchants, and then the common people. In all cases, eligibility is chosen based upon the amount of manifested draconian blood in one person. To become a noble, one must have the Wings of a Dragon, the Fangs of a Dragon, the Horns of a Dragon, and the Eyes of a Dragon. To be a Warrior, one must have the Fangs, Wings, and Eyes of a dragon. The merchants, while not actually having any requirements except those of being a good merchant, are largely made up of people with at least the fangs and eyes of a dragon. Those who lack any of these qualities are automatically relegated to the lower classes. Those who exhibit only one sign, or even no signs at all, are almost ignored by the upper classes, except as labour. Even the sons of aristocrats who do not exhibit the signs of their station by their fifteenth birthday are no longer considered noble. A quiet killing of the offending family member, usually followed by a quick, private burial, oftentimes solves such situations.
Militarily, The Ka Po' Tun have gained back much of the power that was once lost to them. The Tiger-Dragon King, Tosh Raka, has not only fortified the borders of their kingdom, but has established the first standing army since the time of the Dragons. Though mostly made up of commoners too poor or too unlucky to find a job anywhere else, it is the only place in which the Ka Po'Tun have truly caught up with the others races in terms of technology and tactics.
The Tsaesci have not taken kindly to the sudden uprising in Ka Po' Tun power, and another war seems to be brewing on the horizon. How the Ka Po'Tun will fare without the protection of the mighty dragons, only time will tell.
The most pronounced feature of Ka Po' Tun culture is a series of strange clashes. The opulent palaces of the Dragons are now the dwellings of the Aristocracy, and are usually shoulder-to-shoulder with the poorer members of society. The limited space on the Mountainous terrain has caused almost everything to be mashed down, and cramped into smaller and smaller spaces as the culture grows. The sight of the various periods and subcultures within the cities are a sight to behold. The stoic grey mountains, surrounded by the wooden cities of the Ka Po' Tun and dotted all over with the sometimes gaudy palaces of the dragons gives the landscape a jarring effect. It is not uncommon to see a deeply artistic mural of the surrounding mountains or valleys painted on the side of the gaudy gold and white walls of the palaces.
Another pronounced feature of the Ka Po' Tun society is a meticulous dedication to detail. This is perhaps a leftover from their days as slaves, where overlooking even one flagstone might lead to a beating, or worse. Possibly as a result, the Ka Po' Tun place a very high value upon meticulous planning, and seldom do they anything without first looking over every aspect and angle. This closeness to detail has garnered much fame to the artisans and craftsmen of the Ka Po' Tun. Many of the paintings, sculptures, and artwork that are produced are of the most exquisite detail. Their specialty, however, is the clothes that their clothiers make. Ornate robes, gloves, shoes, and all other forms of clothing are made with fine silk, gathered from the valleys below, and are spun and stitched into the most famous clothes in all of Akavir. A robe of the Ka Po' Tun is truly a robe fit for any Emperor to wear.
Their craftsmen, while they have not had time that the Tsaesci have had to advance in the arts, are quickly gaining a reputation as fine armourers, smiths, carpenters, and stonemasons, creating products of great quality and durability. A Ka Po' Tun sword is valuable for its thick, durable blade; just as a Tsaesci blade is valued for its razor edge. Their armorers, while they do not produce much heavy armour or medium armour, have perfected a system of very thin, very light armours that are capable of allowing those Ka Po' Tun capable of flight the ability to do so.
While life is by no means easy to the average Ka Po' Tun citizen, it is much better than it was under the Dragons. The Aristocracy, too small to actively bother with every single citizen, leaves most free to pursue whatever endeavor catches their fancy. Most Ka Po' Tun work as labourers, or they use prefer to put their draconic heritage to good use, and are found in the army, or in the ports of the other nations. Some, however, use their mundane heritage and turn to thievery as a way to survive. Crime is a large problem in Ka Po' Tun, and a very large thieves guild provides the muscle and money for the majority of the crimes that occur within Ka Po' Tun.
The majority of most Ka Po' Tun are dark and gloomy. They oftentimes exhibit a taste for the ironic, and they find situations that would make most other mortals weep a situation of utmost humour. While they are not a fickle people, they have found a grim acceptance in life, and tend to accept things the way they happen.
09-05-2006, 12:00 AM
Yayz! Lore. 
11-23-2006, 01:31 AM
I have seen a nice armor that we could use for the Ka'Po if we can get permission to use it 
http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=7360#gallery
It's perfect! =)
EDIT: And this bow: http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=7667#gallery
http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=7360#gallery
It's perfect! =)
EDIT: And this bow: http://www.tessource.net/files/file.php?id=7667#gallery
05-20-2007, 03:47 PM
I thought it'd be worth noting MA states that the Ka Po or Tiger didn't change their name to Ka Po'Tun or tiger dragons nutill after the snake men killed all fo the dragons.
05-20-2007, 03:52 PM
Yeah i suppose that would have to be true... do you happen to know how they did call themselves? ?(
05-20-2007, 07:05 PM
Just Po Tun I belive...or maybe Ka Po.
05-20-2007, 07:16 PM
I think what was decided long ago by our team was that the word "Tun" means Empire, i think that works well.
So then it would have to be either Po Tun, or Ka Tun... or whatever.
So then it would have to be either Po Tun, or Ka Tun... or whatever.
05-20-2007, 08:01 PM
Ka Po' Tun is the "Tiger-Dragon's Empire". The cat-folk here are ruled by the divine Tosh Raka, the Tiger-Dragon. They are now a very great empire, stronger than Tsaesci (though not at sea). After the Serpent-Folk ate all the Men, they tried to eat all the Dragons. They managed to enslave the Red Dragons, but the black ones had fled to (then) Po Tun.
You are correct it seems, the decided names seem lore correct.
Tun=Empire
Po=Tiger
Ka=Dragon
All in Ka Po' Tun of course, I'm sure the other races have different words.
You are correct it seems, the decided names seem lore correct.
Tun=Empire
Po=Tiger
Ka=Dragon
All in Ka Po' Tun of course, I'm sure the other races have different words.
10-16-2007, 05:12 AM
I think that there should be rare black tigers(Black fur white stripes) that (like argonians born in the month of the shadow) are chosen to be spies and assassins. it would tie in with the asain theme as ninjas and could be modified to fit any race. :eek: