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 Do any Sword Coast cities have a Shou-town?

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moonbeast Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 07:13:54
Maybe it's been mentioned in one of the past books or campaign guides? I'm asking specifically about Shou presence in the Sword Coast (or West Faerun around the west coastal region).

I already know about the Shou-town of Xiousing District in Marsember. But that's NOT in the Sword Coast (where my campaign resides).

And where does one find good Wa'an ramen in Waterdeep?
11   L A T E S T    R E P L I E S    (Newest First)
killerasus Posted - 06 Dec 2017 : 12:45:30
In the 4th Edition Luskan there was a Shou crime syndicate operating in Blood Island, but it doesn't seem to be part of a Shou town. The Sword Coast Adventurer's Guide doesn't mention it, though. Maybe the return of the Hosttower of the Arcane drove them off.
Martinsky Posted - 21 Nov 2017 : 16:20:21
After spell-plague it have Shou town in lot of place, I remember for sure pre-spellplague it have some along the Golden way, mostly in Thesk region in the Unaproachable EASt book. For those in Wesgate I not sure it was pre or post, but I will not put any Shou town or district farther west than Wesgate on a pre-spell plague campaign.
Maybe some mercenary company or some monk community can be easy to implent, like the Bushido from Kara-tur mercenary of Gold & Glory 2nd book. Im trying to remember about Calimshan but it was probably something about Shoon empire and not eastern Shou-lung.
moonbeast Posted - 16 Nov 2017 : 17:45:21
quote:
Originally posted by Markustay

I just assume (for gaming purposes, which is pretty much all 5e is about) that all major settlements have Shou-towns now.

I explain this by saying something REALLY BAD went down in Kara-Tur post-Spellplague, and people fled their by the millions.



Yeah, Spellplague-to-Sundering events wreaked havoc on Toril. Islands like Lantan were engulfed under water, and possibly hundreds of thousands (maybe millions) of Halflings in the Luiren Shires were drowned underwater. It's unlikely that a large and populous continent like Kara-Tur would have been spared of calamities.

If anything, they would have probably lost millions more lives and experienced such misery moreso because of the population density as compared to the Western lands (Faerun). So I'd buy your rationale…… that the calamities brought about between the Spellplague and the Sundering would have brought endless suffering and misery to the people of Kara-Tur. And many survivors may have just said "Our lives are ruined here. We have nothing left to live for here. Let's pack up and start a new life elsewhere."



Markustay Posted - 15 Nov 2017 : 00:36:53
Just a minor correction - the article states that Vaelen is in Var the Golden; there are TWO Vaelen (one a ruin in Veldorn, one the capitol of Durpar) and neither are in Var the Golden.

And as of 4e, there is no Var the Golden - it is underwater, and called 'Var the Drowned'. Regardless of whether its back or not in 5e, Vaelen was not part of it, so it may have survived intact (so maybe a Shou town there, but why there and not on the other side of the Golden Water is beyond me).

EDIT:
Tharsult is also a very odd choice.

EDIT2:
The article is also written pre-Spellplague, so assume a LOT more refugees since it was written. A LOT more. They may even have a town or two (I'm thinking in Thesk) that's entirely theirs.

And if you really wanted to have fun with it, and bring 'old Thay back', one way to repopulate the kingdom of the dead is to say its mostly Shou now... and then it would be a lot more like how Ed pictured it.
TomCosta Posted - 15 Nov 2017 : 00:02:31
Check out http://archive.wizards.com/default.asp?x=dnd/frcc/20070918
Zeromaru X Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 21:37:40
That is something that happened in canon, btw (according to the hengeyokai article in Dragon 404, there were a lot of kara-turan refugees in Faerūn, including a lot of hengeyokai, after the Spellplague).
Markustay Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 21:31:52
I just assume (for gaming purposes, which is pretty much all 5e is about) that all major settlements have Shou-towns now.

I explain this by saying something REALLY BAD went down in Kara-Tur post-Spellplague, and people fled their by the millions.
moonbeast Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 19:27:46
"West Coast Ninjas". Sounds like the new tv series on History Channel
Ayrik Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 14:23:20
Shou-lin monks at Candlekeep?
Starshade Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 13:29:09
Along the southern side of the Sea of fallen stars, it's many, 3. and 4. ed campaign guides have some references to those, most important is Westport, and the country Nathlan in 4. ed.
It's possible there is some Spelljamming reference to trade in the west coast, but again, don't own the books, and spelljammer.net simply states the Shou flies off to explore outside the Realmsspace, not trading much (citing 2e spelljammer books).
All in all, seems from the references Shou got some "silk road" ish trade, and a few Shou town along the route westward, and that's as far I know.
Tbh I'd be tempted to just homebrew there to be a small Shou district in Waterdeep, where you can buy noodles and other exotics, as a source of origin for west coast Ninjas, if anyone want to play one.
Ayrik Posted - 14 Nov 2017 : 07:52:26
Chinatowns (outside China) are formed when large Chinese-ethnic populations form enclaves in foreign cities.

Vancouver's Chinatown was formed because a lot of Chinese labourers were imported to build railroads. San Francisco's Chinatown was formed by Chinese labourers imported to work in (gold) mines. Many of the Chinese were natural immigrants but many more were indentured workers specifically brought over specifically to provide cheap (slave-like) labour in important (profitable) but dangerous and unpleasant work. Chinatowns exist in Europe and Australia which were formed as trade outposts.

I can't really think of any Shou populations or enclaves (outside of Shou itself) in the Realms. But it's easy to imagine Shou trade enclaves in port cities like Waterdeep and Baldur's Gate. They might explicitly trade such items as Shou silks, porcelain wares, and spices for Sword Coast minerals, metals, furs, and woods - but once enough Shou folk make permanent residence they could "trade" books/philosophies, cooking/recipes, spellcraft, and other culturally-intimate items with increasing frequency. It's basically a question of how large the resident population of Shou becomes vs how cosmopolitan (or intolerant) the non-Shou population responds.

The "exotic" food is the biggest draw of Chinatown. But once there, browsing through the shops and knick-knacks are compelling pastimes. Interestingly, Chinatown in Vancouver has become a lot less popular (and a lot less interesting or economical or even authentically "Chinese") than it used to be since the local population of Chinese immigrants has outnumbered the non-Chinese populations. Vancouver has even become known as "Hongcouver", initially a racist term but now simply the global nickname for the city.

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