Kingdom of Sullia (Sul-lee-uh)

To the far East, at the eastern shores of the Chientzu region, in a peninsula with bountiful rice paddies and rivers, thrives the small Kingdom of Sullia.   This nation as managed to survive being absorbed by their neighbours through witty diplomacy and profitable trade agreements. Giving it enough space to develop itself into a Kingdom who's stable rulership has allowed for higher learning than most of the human kingdoms.   In Sullia, philosophy is an important aspect of every citizen. They do not just thrive for inner ascendancy but also physical. According to their teachings, a person must strive to constantly pursue perfection, like a flower just before blooming. Thus beauty, both physical and mental, is a very important part of their society.   Thus they have built solid places of learning, filled with academies filled with vibrant students. These academies are not just to bolster the mind. Their personnel have strong physical routines that not only make them strive for peak physical condition, but also teach their students several important tenets. Effectively making the general populace an able bodied fighting force.   With an effective fighting force, the Sullians built an organization to help these young people to help their communities and the kingdom's defence. Thus the Order of the Flowering Knights (described further below) was born.   Flowering Knights, or Hwarang, focus on several guidelines that help them guide the country forward:  
  • Oe Gong - The pursuit for continuous physical perfection and development of their self-defense skills.
  • Nae Gong - The search for inner peace and development of self-control and restraint.
  • Mugi Gong - The pursuit for continuous improvement of their skills with the Sullian traditional weapons.
  • Sin Gong - The pursuit of knowledge.
  • Monks have a honored position in the society. They work as priests and guides of the Sullian Path, making the bulk of the clergy of the society, though a few more devout people follow the path of cleric. Paladins are also frequent among the Hwarang, usually coming from prestigious families. Inquisitors are rare, their zealotry make them a path a lot see as the opposite of the Sullian way, nevertheless, some more radical sullians see it as a way of enforcing and defending the Sullian way.   Besides the above mentioned guidelines, thanks to their monks' teachings, they strive to be loyal, loving, respectful, trusting, courageous and just as individuals.   A Sullian has dark hair and slight slander eyes. They usually have a tone of skin from pale to slightly tanned. The traditional color of their vests is dark blue. Men prefer to have clean shaved faces, to have their facial features more prominent.  

    Main Hub

    Geongju

      The Sullian Capital is located in the Sullian Golf, where their big port and geographical location allows it to be easily defended. The city's centered location in the kingdom also permits for a more effective centrality of the rulership.   Geongju is an interesting city and a place of visit for many scholars. It's academies are known worldwide and it's tall white painted pagodas are a fascinating place to visit, with the academies students kiai shouts as a background.   Since Geongju is an important port city, it's docks district is one of the busiest in the city, especially for foreigners, who strive to try some of the country's more humble food on it's many food shacks.   The inner districts are mostly for the Sullian Nobility, composed mainly of either rich merchants or high ranking Hwarangs. In it's center, the royal family live in the Geongju Castle, who oversees most of the city.  

    New Order

     

    Order of the Flowering Knights

      Edicts: The Cavalier must strive to perfect himself, both physically and mentally. He respects knowledge and culture of any kind, and strives to acquire such. As a defender of perfection and knowledge, he abhors abominations and undead and must destroy them. They also will try their best to defend knowledge from being destroyed.   Challenge: Whenever they issue a challenge, they get +1 on saving throws against that target. Abominations and undead get -1 to their saving throws against the cavalier. This bonus/penalty increases by 1 for every 5 levels.   Skills: they add Acrobatics, Knowledge (local) and Use Magic Device to their class skills. They can attempt any knowledge and linguistics skill check untrained. Whenever they use Acrobatics, they add their strength bonus to the check in addition to their dexterity modifier.   Order Abilities:   2nd : Studied Combat (ex) - at 2nd lvl, they can use studied combat and studied strike, as the investigator abilities of the same name. At 2nd level, their precision damage is +1d6. This damage increases by 1d6 at 8th level and every 6 levels thereafter. If the cavalier gets a studied strike bonus from another source, the bonus damage stacks.   8th : Powerful Knowledge (ex) - At 8th level, the cavalier gains the ability to read scrolls and cast arcane and divine spells from a scroll as if he had a caster level of his cavalier level –4. He can decipher all scrolls, using his Linguistics skill in place of Spellcraft, and does not need to cast read magic in order to decipher a scroll.   15th : Hwarang's Challenge (ex) - At 15th level, the cavalier can make this challenge once per day. This functions like a normal challenge, but the cavalier adds his Charisma bonus on all attack rolls and damage roles made against the target of his challenge. In addition, he receives a +4 circumstance bonus on attack rolls made to confirm critical hits against the target of his knight’s challenge.

    Kingdom of Sullia Traits

     

    Sullian Ethnic Proficiencies

    Characters with this trait are proficient with: Nunchaku, Staff, Bo Staff, Longsword, Shortsword, Dan Bong, Shortbow. They get improved unarmed strike as a bonus feat at level 1.

    Heavy Armor Restrictions

    These characters can't use heavy armor.

    Eastern Restrictions

    Characters with this trait can only use Eastern Weaponry and Armor, and may not use shields. They can use normal simple weapons, firearms, bows and crossbows, if they are proficient with it.

    Hwarang Oe Gong

    +1 to reflex saves. +2 to dodge AC and CMD while unarmed or using weapons from the Sullian Ethnic proficiencies trait. +1+⅕ their level to Acrobatics skill checks.

    Hwarang Sin Gong

    +1+⅕ their level to the following skill checks: Heal, Linguistics, Diplomacy, Perception and one Knowledge of their choice.

    Hwarang Nae Gong

    +1 to will saves and an extra +1+⅕ their level to mind-affecting effects.

    Sullian Philosophy

    Spellcasters get +1+⅕ their level to their spell DCs.

    Flowering Knights

    Cavaliers must be from the following order: Order of the Flowering Knights. They get +1+⅕ their level to the total amount of challenges per day they can do and to the bonuses from their banner ability.