'I am the divine punishment… If you had not committed great sins, they would not have sent a punishment like me upon you.'
- Words of Gal Khan during the siege of the Imperial Capital
Beyond the Northern borders of Chi'in lies a great mountainous region, the peaks dominating the horizon. Here it is darker and colder than the Empire, crops wither and die, animals become weak and feeble, and people struggle to survive. It is for these reasons that the Empire has not yet expanded north, for who would want ownership of such a blighted land.
And yet the mountains and the steppes beyond are inhabited. The land is divided by warring tribes, barbarians who each struggling for supremacy as is so often the case. Occasionally these barbarians venture south, through the mountain passes and into Chi'in to pillage and plunder, yet these attacks have always been swiftly dealt with by the Imperial Army.
The people of the Empire firmly believe those who inhabit the steppes to be nothing more than crude barbarians who have rejected the light of civilization. Their constant internecine wars and their martial prowess has nonetheless earned them a measure of respect from the Imperial Army.
The people of the North reject the Celestial Bureaucracy. The tribes of the North all worship the Horse God, but each tribe has its attendant spirits, customs, and traditions. The tribes are constantly on the move, as the soil is too poor to support fields, they must rely on their herds. Constant wars over the best grazing grounds have made the people of the north formidable warriors.
Owing to the perpetually frigid climate, the northerners are often wrapped head-to-toe in pelts for warmth, in greys and browns to blend in with the landscape. Their warriors favour boiled leather armour, short bows and long blades or spears.
The highest summit in the mountain range, the peak is usually obscured by clouds. The base is covered by a forest, the trees so thick it is impossible to see. Just on the outskirts of the forest, there lies a rock with the words 'The First Trial' carved into it. There are many rumours as to who wrote this, how many trials there are, and most importantly what lies at the top: great power, a fountain of youth, riches. These and a hundred more stories are told, each with no more evidence than the last, for none who have attempted the climb have ever returned.
While a skilled mountaineer may be able to make their way over some of the smaller mountains with great effort, the main method of travel north is through one of two passes through the mountain range. Called the Twin Passes it is said that they were made when a pair of dragons traveled through the mountains, coming to Chi'in to pay respect to the Emperor.
Most recently Huang Hao, the 3rd General of the Imperial Legion has begun construction of outposts at each pass to further deter the barbarians. The passes themselves are rife with danger, being home to vicious wildlife and with the threat of a rockslide coming down with little warning. The western passage in particular has a great many twists and turns and several places where the path splits. Travellers should be wary, for it is said that there is only one route through to the other side.
A savage land full of barbaric tribesmen, where the right to rule is won by conquest. Fortunately this disorganized rabble is of little threat to the Empire. Only once has a warlord ever managed to unite the people, this was Gal Khan, who many years ago marched an army south, taking advantage of the confusion caused by the War of Jade, only to be defeated by Imperial forces and was made to grovel before the Empress before execution.
Far in the frozen north, a week or more on horse from where the grass stops growing, lies the Valley of the Dragons. Only a handful in the Empire's history can claim to have laid eyes upon it. In the 'Travels of Master Kong,' it is described as a fertile and bounteous ground amid the frozen wastes. Here, it is said, lives the last of the great Dragon Kings of old.
One year ago, an unknown warrior bested a mighty warlord. This man proclaimed himself Gal Khan reborn and vowed to rule over all lands. The threat this new Khan poses to the Empire cannot be left alone, and a month ago, the Order of the Black Lotus was mobilised. Since then, no word has been heard from the Khan.
The Great Shaman of the Horse God, Batu leads a great many tribesmen in their primitive rituals of fire and sacrifice. The force behind several raids into Chi'in, he and his horsemen pile the heads of their enemies atop the mountain passes, to ward off any interlopers.
The most infamous murderer of the Steppes, none know what this mysterious assassin looks like. It is rumored that they can find their way into any camp, any home. Suspected of several murders in Chi'in, they remain elusive, the victims crudely hacked apart by the signature blunt knife.