Joseon Outpost

"Never forget who we were; never lose sight of who we are."

## Description

A small colony located on an isolated island off the coast of Etera, Joseon Outpost is the name of the largest settlement to be found upon the island, thus often leading to many referring to the entire island when they call it Joseon Outpost. How it got to Chronus, no one is quite certain, but the small colony is a group of displaced refugees from Hwanggot, a small nation in Tian Xia, from the world of Golarion.

Displaced through both space and time, these Tian-Hwan people have largely kept to themselves, knowledge of the outside world often gathered through individual traders that sail to the wider world and trade with others, bringing back updates, information, and the like. Yet, unlike many of their people, these Tian-Hwan are secretive and recluse, avoiding outsiders where they can.

## Geography

The island that holds Joseon Outpost has no recorded name in history, but it is said to be wild and beautiful. The region is characterized by extensive jungles, covered in dense and clumped vegetation, with a predominant presence of verdant trees and thick vines. The terrain is challenging to traverse, requiring a practical approach due to the intricacies of the overgrown foliage.

The jungle's environment offers a complex ecosystem, with numerous species of flora and fauna thriving in the region. The air is filled with the sounds of diverse wildlife, including exotic birds, unidentified creatures rustling in the underbrush, and the constant hum of insects. Occasionally, clearings reveal natural features such as waterfalls flowing into clear pools, providing habitats for a variety of plant and animal life.

The only break in this wilds is the settlements of the Tian-Hwan people. Stone structures rise from the earth like great guardians against the encroaching wilds. Archways adorned in artistic depictions often serve as markers for gateways to and from the various villages. Those closer to the sea also often boast a dock, though it's never been so large as to hold more than only a few ships.

## Government

Adopted from their homeland of Hwanggot, the people of this island hold true to a hereditary monarchy, established when the first ruler came to this land with the displaced people. Now, a few generations later, the current ruler is Queen Cheong Hae-Min, having succeeded her father, Cheong Lao. Besides this monarch, there are a few lords and ladies that oversee each individual settlement, to which Queen Cheong Hae-Min delegates her rule and will to.

## Trade

Joseon and the island as a whole rely on only a few things for trade. As the jungles predominately provide much of what they could want, they participate in the more global markets when it comes to exporting agricultural foods that grow within jungles, as well as a select variety of timber, paper, and such.

In exchange, their most popular import is often information, as well as a variety of grains and other agricultural plants that don't sustain well in such a hot and humid environment.

## Military

Though small in numbers, the people of this island are well-trained soldiers. Taught from a young age to traverse the land with ease, they are skilled at both hiding from and tracking foreigners who make their way to their shores. Typically, they harry them with magic or tricks to convince them the jungle is nothing more than a haunted place, full of ancient ruins and a dead people. Those who have traveled there report the place appears eroded, empty, and abandoned.

Yet, for the few who are resilient, they find themselves often swiftly and surely dealt with, never to be heard from again, as the people of the island are just as protective of it as the island is of them.

## Rumors & Legends

Stranger still than the arrival of these people is the nature of the island itself. While the island is benevolent and helpful towards them, the island appears to have an almost protective instinct, shielding them from the outside world. Some believe that when the first displaced refugees arrived upon these shores that they made a deal with the spirits of the island. Others believe the island is the result of magic carried over from their world.

Yet whatever the case, there is no denial that the magic and the power of the isle shields them from most. Obscuring fogs miles into the waters, a shifting location of the island itself, and hallucinatory veils to obscure and mask their settlements are but a few of the feats of magic that have been discussed occurring. Those who are born here have no issue moving to and from the island, but those foreign to the soil struggle to ever make landfall; those who do rarely find their way back again.

## Notable Locations

Joseon Outpost - The only place on the island that could be perceived as 'friendly' to outsiders, this Outpost is both the largest and capital of the people who live here. Joseon Outpost is where most of the Tian-Hwan that adventure into the world at large are born from, and some believe that the Outpost has a special connection to the wider world, as in time they've come to learn that the only Sparkbearers born within their colony is in the Outpost.

## Inhabitants

The only sapient inhabitants of the island are the Tian-Hwan humans. There are also a few other creatures of note that live on the island. A large amount of Kami can be found here, as well as other Yokai, such as dragons and ghosts. Whether as a result of some strange deal, or a carry-over from the colony's ancient practices, it's not uncommon to find tieflings among the population. However, all tieflings seem to be born of human parents, and their infernal heritages don't manifest until later, leading some to believe that such infernal powers are tethered to a familial curse, rather than a natural genetic development.

## History

The history of the island is rather short. The displaced refugees are unaware of exactly how they got here, but the most believed rumor is that a magical ritual had gone wrong, initially having been performed to try and transport the village away from an encroaching army. Whether something went wrong because of something one of their people did, or as a result of the enemy attempting to counter the ritual, they were sent hurtling through space and time, before appearing on the jungle floors of this island hundreds of years before present day.

Cut off from their people, for a few months they had scattered, everyone squabbling and blaming themselves. Yet over time, survival overtook mistrust, and they banded together, creating Joseon Outpost. It was a reminder of home, and the most authentic to their village they could manage. Yet as the years went by, desires to return home waned, as many found the island provided and protected them in ways that Tian Xia had failed to do.

Eventually, new generations began on the island, and the people found themselves in cooperation with the local Yokai. In exchange for knowledge of where they came from, the dragons and ghosts among the isle aided them in settling, and over time the Kami came to befriend them as well. This resulted in quite interesting offspring, as some of the humans coupled with the Kami, and others with the dragons.

Yet, despite such, the children always came out as human, as Tian-Hwan as the original ancestors who arrived here. Whether it was the result of a lingering temporal oddity, or some other strange magic at work, none knew, and none really asked, grateful that at least they had survived, and thrived.