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Cathay
TheFiveKingdoms
GAMEMASTERS GUIDE

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Cathay
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CREDITS

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Writing: Hank Woon, Cassy Petrich, Craig Guarisco

Additional Material: Eike-Christian Bertram,
Steven J. Black, Lars Heitmann, Jason U. Wallace
Editing and Development: Carsten Damm,
Steven J. Black, Eike-Christian Bertram, Lars Heitmann,
Jason U. Wallace, Donovan Winch, Hank Woon
Layout: Carsten Damm, Kathy Schad
Art Direction: Kathy Schad
Cover Artwork: Paul Tobin
Interior Artwork: Jeff Laubenstein, Kathy Schad, Peter
Tikos & Richard Vass, David M. Wright, Micha Vogt
Line Developer: Carsten Damm
Managing Director: James D. Sutton

TheFiveKingdoms
GAMEMASTERS GUIDE

Earthdawn is a Registered Trademark of FASA

Corporation. Barsaive is a Trademark of FASA Corporation. Copyright 19932010 FASA Corporation. Cathay:
The Five Kingdoms is a Trademark of FASA Corporation. Earthdawn and all associated Trademarks used under
license from FASA Corporation. Cover artwork copyright 2010 Paul Tobin. Cover artwork and interior
illustrations used under license from Kathy Schad, David Wright, Jeff Laubenstein, and Micha Vogt. All Rights
Reserved. Published by RedBrick LLC.
No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying,
recording, or otherwise, without the prior written permission of the publishers.
Internet: http://www.earthdawn.com Contact: info@earthdawn.com

November 2010First Printing

Table of Contents
Introduction.................................................4
Overview of Cathay................................................ 5

The Emerald Sea.................................................... 75

The Imperial Capital.............................................76

History of Cathay......................................10
On the Creation..................................................... 11

Secret Societies of Cathay..................78

Assassins of the Tower..........................................79
Brotherhood of the Jade Liferock........................79
The Shadowed........................................................80
Traditionalists....................................................... 81
Creatures of Cathay...............................83
New Creature Powers...........................................84
Creature Descriptions..........................................85
Spirits.................................................................. 101

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Dragons of Cathay...................................102
Cathay Dragons...................................................103
Great Dragons of Cathay....................................106
The Five Guardians.............................................109

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On CATHAYAN CULTURE.............................. 21
The Cathayan Calendar.........................................22
On the Importance of Rituals..............................22
On the Rites of Marriage......................................22
On Polygamy.........................................................22
On Birth and Naming...........................................23
On Death and Burial.............................................23
On the Duality of Life...........................................23
On the Importance of Honor................................24
On the War Chariot..............................................24
On the Importance of Ancestor Worship............24
On the Importance of Dragons............................25
On the Cathayan Language..................................25
Magic in Cathay....................................................26
Festivals of Cathay................................................26

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The Lands of Cathay.................................28

Introduction to the Five Kingdoms.....................29
On Tiet Dei, the Land of Metal.............................29
On Shan Dei, the Land of Earth...........................34
On For Dei, the Land of Fire.................................38
On Feng Dei, the Land of Wind............................42
On Shui Dei, the Land of Water............................ 47
The Land of the Gar............................................... 51
PLACES OF LEGEND AND PERIL.................. 55
The Tower of Secrets..............................................56
The Golden Desert................................................. 61
The Desert of Swallowed Tears.............................65
The Jungle of Endless Wandering.........................69
Pillars of Heaven...................................................72
The Jade Liferock...................................................72
Demon Gate Mountains.......................................72
Phoenix Throne Mountains..................................73
The Realm of Twilight...........................................73
The Veiled Pagoda ................................................. 74
The Wandering Mountains of Cathay .................. 74
Dragon Spine Mountains...................................... 74
The Gar Mountains................................................ 75
JihPo..................................................................... 75

Horrors of Cathay.................................. 111

Horror Descriptions...........................................112

Magical Treasures.................................. 121

General Treasures...............................................122
Unique Treasures................................................128
The Five Imperial Symbols.................................136
Ships of Cathay .........................................138
Ship Descriptions...............................................139
Adventures in Cathay ..........................142
Campaign Themes............................................... 143
Campaign Ideas.................................................. 143
Adventure Frameworks...................................... 145
Running the Adventure......................................148
Blood in the sands...................................148
Plot Synopsis.......................................................149
The Ruins of Johe...............................................149
A Time for Murder.............................................. 151
A Missing Prisoner..............................................152
A Misfortune of Greed .......................................153
The Shrine ...........................................................154
Aftermath............................................................154
Cast of Characters...............................................155

Chapter One

Introduction

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I come from a long line of merchants. My

ancestors were among the first to open trade
negotiations with Throal when they were still
carving their first stone. In fact, it is even said
in my family that there have been Jagaros who
have traveled to the nether realms to trade on
different worlds! But that is another story.
When word reached Bartertown that the
fabled land of Cathay had opened its arms to
the West, I was one of the first to book passage
on an airship. The arrival of the Therans in
Barsaive had crippled my business, and I was
eager to see what riches awaited me in the faroff eastern land.
What I found instead was war. The great
golden empire I had read about as a child was
no more; the land had been shattered into five
distinct kingdoms, each ruler struggling for the
right to sit on the Jade Throne.
But along with the despair and misery that
so often shadows these violent conflicts, I
also discovered a land of deep wonder and
spirituality and a people rich with culture and
traditions. Cathay seemed a land of impossible
contradictions, a place of unspeakable
danger and vile cruelty tempered with selfless
benevolence and a sincere humility.
I offer my experiences to you, the reader, so that
you may come to understand these foreigners
as I have, and so that you may share in the
wonder of their mystical land that has existed
for thousands upon thousands of years, in the
hopes that one day our two lands might join
hands in friendship.
Daylen Jagaro,
Merchant of Bartertown

C H A P T E R 1 | Introduc tion

he age of Earthdawn is an era of magic that existed thousands

of years ago in our worlds dim past. Magic touched every
aspect of the lives of men and women of the Namegiver races:
humans, elves, dwarfs, orks, trolls, windlings, tskrang, and obsidimen.
However, as the levels of magic rose, so did the dangers in the world.
The rise of magic brought the Horrors to Earth, creatures from the
depths of astral space that devoured all life in their path.
For centuries, the people of Cathay were sheltered by the dragons
from the cleansing of the world by the Horrors. Now, the people of
Cathay have emerged and reclaimed the devastated land but have
lost their emperor. All across the land there is conflict, as each of
the Five Kingdoms of Cathay fight to regain the Jade Throne. The
peasants are caught in the middle, while schemers in the shadows
grow in strength. There is hope, however, as throughout the land
heroes step up to champion their land, arming themselves for their
daunting task with powerful magical abilities and ancient relics.
Through honor, skill, and magic, Cathays heroes strive to reunite
their land while keeping it safe from those who would usurp it, and
in doing so become part of the legends of tomorrow.

The second half of the sourcebook contains descriptions of

the Namegiver races dwelling in Cathay and rules for Creating
Cathayan Characters, new Disciplines and Talents, Spells for
magicians including the new Sorcerer Discipline, a new Goods
and Services chapter, new Magical Treasures (both general and
unique), Ships of Cathay (seafaring, sand-faring, and airships),
new Creatures, Dragons, and Horrors.
The book continues with providing the gamemaster with ideas
for creating Adventures in Cathay, from describing major villains and antagonists over Cathays many wondrous themes, to a
number of Adventure Frameworks and the introductory adventure Blood in the Sands.

Overview of Cathay

Where cranes and passions and wonders are soaring;

the nightingale sings to the glory of our land; where
heroes dance upon the bones of ages past; and legends
are born in the dew of the morning.
From The Whisperings of Willows,
by renowned Cathayan Poet, Lange Kun Wun

he following overview of Cathay portrays the lands geography and people. It gives a brief description of Cathays
trade and resources, current political situations, and daily
life within the five kingdoms.

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Cathay: The Five Kingdoms is a sourcebook for Earthdawn

players and gamemasters. This book details the history, customs,
legends, and political situations of Cathay, as well as offering a
wide variety of new creatures, Horrors, Disciplines, talents, and
spells. Together with the Players and Gamemasters Guide and
Companion, the information provided contains enough detail for
a gamemaster to create an entire campaign set completely within
Cathay, whether by transferring characters from Barsaive or creating new ones native to the realm. Several adventure frameworks
and ideas are provided, as well as tips and suggestions about running campaigns set in this mystical land.
This chapter contains a brief overview of the land, its geography,
and a glimpse into the daily life of most Cathayans. It is followed
by History of Cathay, a chapter providing comprehensive detail
of the lands history, beginning with the Cathayans creation myth
and continuing up to the present time. The Lands of Cathay delves
into the five kingdoms of Cathay and the Land of the Gar, each
including descriptions of its rulers, politics, histories, and major
gamemaster characters.
After that, Places of Legend and Peril describes some
areas of interest in more detail, offering gamemasters
everything they need to know to include these locations in their campaigns. On Cathayan Culture
describes the culture of Cathay, detailing festivals,
customs, rituals, and a calendar. Secret Societies of
Cathay provides information about the most prominent secret societies for use in your campaigns.

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How to Use This Book

C H A P T E R 1 | Introduc tion