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Message: <blockquote data-quote="Nightbreeze" data-source="post: 4499000" data-attributes="member: 46755">Ok. First of all, I am really not versed in ancient China, so I may blunder and propose something that is not consistent.I have some proposals (more like: hey, it would be cool if...), pick and take whatever you like.It seems to me that the world is clearly human-dominated, at least the Middle Kingdom (it is called middle kingdom, right? i mean the empire). Sure, there are spirits of nature, demons and so on, but there are no clearly famous Elven, dwarven or so on civilization. And if there are, they are secluded.Given the fact that it is not typical for a standard setting, why not move it further? Let it be an almost monotheistic world. After all, the Golden Dragon IS supposed to be the major thing. As far as the imperial church is concerned, the Golden Dragon is the demiurge (not in the christian sense: he has shaped the world, but not created it, or the elements of it. You can see him as the creator and protector of the human race, the obvious center of all that exists) and only real deity. Other kinds of great beings (the equivalents of, say, boccob, silvanus etc), are superior spirits ascended to great power, maybe even great enough so that if united, they could challenge the Dragon. But the difference between them is not only in power: it is ontological. They are just way below him.What is Pelor's dogma? The Orthodox dogma is that he is the creator of humanity, and it's protector. Humans are the pinnacle of the creation (something that is common in our world, but uncommon in most fantasy worlds), but they have to prove themselves worthy, as the Dragon is not going to defend them if they don't defend themselves. Thus, there is no "surrender thyselve to his will". His will is not for the humanity, or for you, to suffer. Thus, don't accept the inevitable, and fight for your life and your well-being, under the limits that are imposed by HIM, of course. And those limits are, obviously, respect for good and respect for law. The mandate of heaven fits easily into this pattern. As the Dragon is more like a guide than a silent and aloof creator, but given the fact that he doesn't sully himself by spoiling his children, an emperor dynasty is chosen to see that that his will is done. And if the dynasty fails, that means that it has losen the mandate.Now, a monopolistic religion is boring, I know. But no religion stay monolithic for millennia, or heck, even for centuries. Thus, multiple philosofical currents may exists: there may be the Mystic Ascetes, which claim that the creation and the order is ALREADY perfect, so the drive to improve is not only fruitless, but wrong. There may be the liberals, which claim that accepting other faiths and races is the right path. There may be currents valuing law over good, and other valuing good over law.Which is the dominant current? And what are the relationships between the different schools, and their real world power? That, I fear, would be your task.</blockquote>

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