Itaria

Itaria is a vast, far-off island empire located eastwards of Cathay in the Far Sea. It is an independent state of tough, sea-going peasantry and stern feudal overlords.  

Society

  The inscrutable Eastern empire known as Itaria is ruled by a reclusive semi-divine Emperor, also known as the Divine Sun, but real power lies in the hands of the many feudal warlords or 'Yagoni', knights resplendent in brightly coloured armour made of lacquered wood that enforce a complex and rigid class system.   These warrior nobles govern large domains and command retinues with which they frequently indulge in private wars among themselves. Itaria is an island realm and a notable sea power and it sometimes happens that a Yagoni war fleet is dispersed by a typhoon, scattering the ships far and wide. Should an isolated war junk fetch up on a foreign shore the Yagoni commander will gather his men and march straight for the nearest representative of authority to offer his service in return for food and shelter. Sometimes Yagoni Lords deliberately embark their followers into war junks and set sail towards the rising sun in search of adventure.   The Yagoni classes dominate Itarian society. Their land is so vast and so often inhospitable, the Yagoni so strong and the Emperor so weak, that central control has all but disappeared. Society is normally run by the Yagoni, who exchange their protection for control over the towns and cities, along with taxes and the right to levy militias. As the Yagoni have grown in strength, so has each settlement's need for the Yagoni. The Yagoni's training, devotion and continual practice have turned them into capable warriors.   Itaria abounds with diverse orders of monks, either martial or clerical. The Orders select their members at a very early age and the chosen ones devote their entire lives to philosophy, theology and the martial arts. A lifetime of gruelling study hones their bodies and minds to a very fine edge.   Itarians are said to be intensely distrustful of outsiders -- they only permit foreigners to travel in their lands rarely, and so little else is known about Itaria, though doubtless if the rest of the world is anything to go by, it will be populated by its own unique and deadly monsters and perils.  

Religion

  ike many of the far east, Itarians worship a numerous range of different deities, whose monks wear robes and spend most of their time in contemplation. Vim-to is the martial arts they ever try to master.   The stone statues known as Temple Dogs can be found guarding temple entrances in the lands of Itaria. They resemble nothing so much as a cross between a giant pekinese and a lion. In times of war, the power of the temple gods is channeled into these statues to animate them. It is a great honour to mount this divine animal, indicating that the rider has found great favour with the gods.   Some Itarians worship Lord Tsien-Tsin, known in Aiandell as Tzeentch.  

Military

  The might of the island race of Itaria is considered a threat even in the Great Empire of Cathay, as it is a notable sea power.   Yagoni are the warrior nobility of Itaria. Yagoni Lords lead bands of disciplined and utterly devoted followers. The Yagoni martial code does not recognise failure and there can be no honour in defeat. The Yagoni are much concerned with their personal reputation as warriors and always fight to the utmost of their ability.   In Itaria the Yagoni have developed their skills to a level far above those of normal humans. Fatalism has reached such a peak in these warriors that some (up to 10% in any battle) regard it as a high honour to die in battle and become Kamikaze. These warriors are prepared to go into battle as human bombs, carrying either a cask of black powder or bandoliers loaded with separate explosive charges. Kamikaze warriors hide in other regiments, lighting the fuses on their explosive packs and rushing to meet the enemy as soon as it gets close to them. A Kamikaze not killed during a battle will slay himself, believing that his time has come and that to live on would affront the gods (Kami).   Even these warriors are outclassed by the various orders of Warrior Monks, such as the Vim-toists. They do not need weapons but fight with their bare hands, and while they cannot wear armour or carry shields, their agility is such that they can dodge and parry blows with their limbs alone.   Inoga Assassins are indispensable members of a Yagoni lord's retinue, dark agents of death who prey upon the unwary and slay them without mercy. They remain disguised within regiments of ordinary troops until it is time for them to spring. Once a regiment is engaged in hand-to-hand combat, the assassin throws off his disguise, leaps out of the regiment, and may attack any important figures in the enemy regiment. They can fight unarmed, or with a wide variety of weapons, such as the kusarigama (a sickle on a length of cord or light chain that can be thrown or used as a hand weapon), shuriken or throwing stars, and torinoko grenades (which can be loaded with explosives, blinding flash powder, or confusing firecrackers).   Iatrian peasants are extremely reluctant to fight for their Yagoni overlords, however, sometimes they have no choice. They form regiments of Ashigaru, highly disciplined warriors that follow the Yagoni and obey them without question. They can be armed with hand weapons, spears, longbows or arquebuses.   Itarian armies know how to use black powder weapons, such as crude muzzle-loaded arquebuses, simple firelock pistols (favoured by mounted Yagoni, alongside bows and crossbows), cannons and very precise, 6 to 9 feet long war rockets filled with a mixture of fireworks that are designed to frighten, disorganise and distract the survivors of a hit. While no Yagoni would lower himself to work so closely with the lower orders and operate fundamentally 'cowardly' weapons, the profession of bombardier is regarded with great esteem amongst the lower military orders.   Because of their geographical isolation, Itarian armies can only employ Ogre mercenaries and allied Giants.   Yagoni Lords are known to ride on War Horses, Temple Dogs, and Ki-rin.