Dragons of the Yellow Sea

Dragons of the Yellow Sea

The players will be humans and dragons who are part of the peasant rebellion in Korea. We will play at least 2 characters each. Players should not play their own dragon or human... We're going to play on Jeju-do island in the straits.

General thoughts on game flavor - episodes, how characters become pivotal - Temeraire, Lawrence is a ship captain, not a tiny ship, but not an admiral, of medium importance

• Madeline - leans towards playing an outsider, maybe a Mongol Han Solo.
• Madeline - Japanese spy
• Bill - Jack Sparrow
• Bill -
• Cyn -
• Cyn -
• Lee - Bitter fisherman seeking revenge. could have a dragon.
• Lee - Catholic priest
• Liz -
• Liz - a big hulking military battle veteran/ex bandit/secret military genius/sergeant who became a farmer and swore never to pick up another sword
• Liz - maybe Lee's fisher dragon with leanings towards amateur naturalist/science. i have a collection
• Bob -
• Bob -

Timeline of events

1850 - The Taiping Rebellion in China, lasts around 15 years. Ideals of equality. dragons too!

1862 - Peasant rebellion in Korea. Donghak rebellion Tonghak, religious movement, equality

Around this time there is a 10 year old king whose father is Regent. Paek nak-sin oppressive military commander. (Yi nong-nyun), intellectual who led the rebellion. Investigator sent to the scene.

Background

Government & official reading is in Chinese. Popular stuff, signs, etc in Hangul

Jeju-do (Cheju) Island to the south in the straits - 17th cent. period of taxes where men couldn't dive for pearls; women then did; women gained more economic and political power. Jeju

Climate

Liz's note - I'm thinking of the Outlaws of the Marsh/Water Margin as an inspiration for this game as well though it's China not Korea and the wrong time period... it's the coolest adventure, hero tales, and a rebellion in the mountains, where dragons would fit right in.

Dragon ecology

• Transport - buses! cargo!
• Herding, pastoral, goats - flatlands and mountains
• Agriculture - flatlands
• Fishing - deep sea fishers, giant tuna, coastal

• Mountain dragons - in lakes - wise dragons and bandits
• Korean cockatrice - kye-ryong (Chariot-pulling beasts from legend). (Kingdom of Silla)

• Korean dragons

Quotes:

Bill: "He could be a lady pirate, then." Everyone, suddenly: "Dragons love bling! OMG they DO love bling!"

Sources:

• Wikipedia (list pages)
• Korea: Its History and Culture
• Art Treasures of Seoul
• Korea: An Introduction
• A Handbook of Korea
• Sensational Knitted Socks