Do Chaka

Do Chaka is a turbulent region in the northwest of Tsolyanu. It has changed hands many times between the empires of Tsolyanu and Mu'ugalavya, and has at times been an independent state under the ancient Sarku worshipping Ito clan.

Provinces and Protectorates

The Empire of Tsolyanu is governed by a vast civil service beuracracy, grouped into four great departments or Palaces, the Palace of the Realm, the Palce of Ever-Glorious War, the Palace of the Priesthoods of the Gods and the Palace of Foreign Lands, the duties of which are detailed in the T:EPT rulebook, p220.

In each province there are four equally high ranking officials who are the regional heads of these four palaces. The most important is the Governor, who leads the Palace of the Realm, but he cannot command the heads of the other three palaces, thus ensuring that civil, military and religious power are kept separate and that no governor can become monarch of his own province.

However this separation of powers can be a disadvantage in frontier areas; if a provincial governor wants to deploy military force he must apply to Avanthar who will issue the approproiate orders to his local Palace of Ever-Glorious War, a procedure that may take weeks or months. Thus in certain areas the office of Protector has been established. A Protector can draw on any resources within his Protectorate from any palace to defend the area, and can overrule any court decision immediately (though any such action is reviewed by Avanthar when the emergency is past).

There are five curent protectorates:

Do Chaka, which covers Do Chaka and Nemudlu provinces

Pan Chaka, covering Pan Chaka province

Kaija, covering Kaija and Teshkuru Provinces

Kerunan, which covers Ru'anu, Kerunan and those portions of Songga and Ferinara south east of the Rananga River

Chaigari, which covers Chaigari province and the eastern half of Heku'u

Physical Geography

Do Chaka is a hilly province, most of which is covered by tropical forest.

Its southern border is the sakbe road from Tumissa west to Kheiris, which follows a small tributray to the Tumissa river. All along this road lie small towns and villages in cleared agricultural land in a densely populated strip up to 80 tsan wide at the eastern end near Tumissa.

In the west the border with Mu'ugalavya is marked by the Barrier Range, a moderately sized range of hills and small mountains in the midst of the forest. There are several passes leading over into Mu'ugalavyani territory, each guarded by a small fortress. The civllian population of this area consists of mixed human and Pe Choi tribes of dubious loyalty to either state.

Along the upper valley of the Turina river lie numerous small agricultural villages, getting smaller and more isolated as you head upstream. Each has a patch of agricultural land round it rarely stretching more than 5-10 tsan into the forest. To the south of the valley there is another range of volcanic hills, the Nettu ridge, dotted with human forest villages. To the north of the valley lies the Seven Canyon Forest, a high limestone plateau cut by seven small rivers flowing south and north to the main river valleys, and the range of crags called the Inner Range. This area is rugged and covered in dense jungle and is the home of the wildest and most independent Pe Choi tribes, and the alleged site of the forest of Hh-kk-ssa.

Along the Chiktikan Valley which forms the northern border of the province settlement is denser with larger towns among the villages and a wider swathe of agricultural land has been established. Around this valley live the Kachor tribes, human tribesmen with their own variant culture. This area also has numerous silver mines.

The most densely populated part of the province lies to the east around the city of Paya Gupa. This is pleasant rolling hill country, with small patches of woodland on the highest hills, many of which hide the brooding black tombs of (possibly) departed Ito nobles.

Religion

As previously mentioned Do Chaka was once ruled by the fanatical worshipper of Sarku, the Ito. Sarku is still very popular in the south arund the western Sakbe road and upper Turina velley, as well as among the wild Pe Choi of the Seven Canyon Forest.

In the Chiktikan Valley and throughout much of the Paya Gupa area Thumis rules supreme, with vast tracts under the administration of Thumis monasteries such the Sapient Eye.

There is a sizeable area where Vimuhla is strong in the southeast of the province in the hinterland of Tumissa, and several strongly Vimuhla and Karakan towns along the sakbe road east.

History

During the Time of No Kings Do Chaka was part of an independent Kingdom ruled by the Ito preist-kings of Sarku. At it's height this kingdon stretched south along the Turina valley to Butrus and to Tu'umra in the east, and included much of Nemedlu province (though not Chene Ho, which was under Pijenan rule).