Zheng has always been a poor province, it was chiefly populated to provide a pool of labor for the great wall and farmers to feed the garrison who patrolled the wall. 400 years ago the Chihina withdrew from interests in running the empire to pursue more personal pursuits. The Duke of Zheng choose to not acknowledge the next Emperor and began to burn the tax collectors alive. The emperor could not be bothered to deal with the Duke so the province has been allowed to go its own way. When the Han dynasty took over they were too busy bringing rival lords under their sway to have any interest in the Zheng, up till now.
The current ruler of most of Zheng is the little grandmother, Zheng Anis, a descendant of the old duke and the matriarch of the widespread clan Zheng. Anis has buried 7 husbands and rules Zheng with a iron fist.
Three years ago a half breed Mongol warrior named Ironteeth came over the wall with a band of outcast Mongols. Ironteeth married one of Anis’s grand daughters and has spread her rule over the small mining towns and many of the bandits bands.
A mountain range filled with abandoned quarry from the great wall and number of small mines. The mountains are rich in small veins of metals, but they are too far from civilization for any major efforts at mining. Currently populated by a number of small towns selling services to rowdy miners. Each town has a tax-collector working for Ironteeth. Beyond the mountains is the lush valleys of Kush, home of the white apes.
Unclaimed territory. A haven for bandits, escaped slaves, and outlaws. Ironteeth is slowly moving in and taking over each band one at a time. The land is forested and good for farming, but undeveloped due to the bandits.
A section of the great wall This section is no longer garrisoned, although regular patrols walk it about 4 times a day on a irregular basis. The Land to the immediate south is dry and arid, useless for anything but keep an invading army hungry.
A true desired. Useless for any purposes. Beyond the desired lies the mountain of gray thunder, said to be inhabited by hairy men and the province of Shezshawhan, the homeland of the ming.
Centered around the city of Zheng on the shores of a great lake is a relatively civilized area of irrigated farms and pastures.
Zheng has become a thieves haven where any thing is for sale and the gods of the black temple are openly worshipped. Honorless warriors and assassins gather to hire out their services, and stolen goods are sold in the open market.
A band of former samurai who chose to not die with the destruction of their lords house. They work as mercenary guards. They number 14 not counting other mercenary who often work with them.
A black furred giant with one eye and large tusks. It is controlled by theblack temple priest dedicated to greed.