Eastern NPCs
At a Glance
Meet the rulers, warriors, sailors and wanderers whose deeds shape the routes from the Volga and Mongol steppe to Ming China, Japan and the Indian subcontinent. Some fight for power in the present; others are remembered from different ages, heroic epics or tales still told around the fire.
20 character profiles
Directly linked rulers, champions, travellers and extraordinary companions.
The Volga frontier
In the Khanate of Kazan, Myev Stone-Eye and Azgar fight over the river strongholds.
Choose your encounter
Seek an audience, bargain for passage, face a champion or join a legendary pilgrimage.
Power in the Present
The Ming court and Kazan’s river fortresses draw emissaries, spies and adventurers into their rivalries.
Courts, Caravans and Sea Roads
From steppe champions and long-distance merchants to far-reaching fleets, these names open doors to new lands and dangerous alliances.
Swords, Banners and Hidden Blades
Warrior monks, cavalry champions, duellists and secret agents offer allies, rivals and challenges.
Epic Heroes and Pilgrims
Great epics and long journeys bring sacred oaths, supernatural protectors, magic and terrible trials into play.
Where Will the Road Lead?
Start at Kazan, where clans feud over Volga trade and command of the river crossings. Further roads lead to imperial halls, frontier camps, sword schools and haunted passes. Beyond these lands, the Heroes and Villains directory leads to every regional character collection.
Artwork notes: The Arjuna illustration comes from Indian Myth and Legend (1913), via Wikimedia Commons. The public-domain Mongol cavalry illustration beside Khutulun represents her steppe setting, not her likeness. The Musashi illustration is credited to GenzoMan in the original media filename.
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