Asian Locations: Romance of the Three Kingdoms & Dynasty Warriors

The Three Kingdoms period takes place at the end of the Han Dynasty. From 184 AD to 280 AD, China experiences a period of civil unrest as the the Imperial Court is weakened from both within as well as several powerful warlords and nobles that would eventually consolidate power as the Kingdoms of Shu, Wei, and Wu.

Trouble started early on with a number of rebellions, one of them growing from the Five Pecks of Rice rebellion decades earlier. The Yellow Turban Rebellion as it came to be known as, lasted from 184-215 AD. It was a religious movement and a response to the state's abuses of its' peasants and farmer class, as well as the corruption by the 10 Eunuchs within the court of Empress He. For some time, 189-199 AD 10 Eunuchs were known to abusive their stations of power. Both Noble to peasant were at the whims of these individuals and seemed to have the complete protection of Empress He. Internal struggles years earlier had caused the future Emperors Shao and and Xian to flee the court and go on the run.

Shao and Xian found an ally and protector under a northern Warlord known as Dong Zhou.
He used the two nobles to his own ends until a rebellion occurred within his own domain in which a band of Nobles rescued the future Emperors. With all this strife, the Han Dynasty began to fracture. A long period of battles occurred as the nobles started squabbling over areas. It didn't climax until 208 when the division of Three Kingdoms began. The Kingdom of Wei to the North who held the last Emperor of the Han Dynasty, the Kingdom of Shu to the east who managed to have held the Imperial Seal, and the Kingdom of Wu to the West.

This period of the The Three Kingdoms is a popular setting for several video game franchises. Koei has capitalized on this with its game series "Romance of the Three Kingdoms" and "Dynasty Warriors". In both of these series you play out one of the three major faction who attempt to unify China. This historical period makes a wonderful RPG setting as their is much battlefield action and political intrigue going on.

Dungeons and Dragon 5E

As many of you know by now, the death of 4E reigns has tolled....it ends this year. For what ever reasons
that 4E has been back shelved....a new versions of Dungeons and Dragons is coming 2/2013.
It promises to incorporate any style of game play (rules systems) and support the many editions of D&D.
As many of you may have come to know that 4E split the Dungeons and Dragon fan based down the line, where many people where upset that the D20 and 3E were being canceled. There had always been hold outs, keeping the previous editions alive... but 3ED&D may have succeeded to well in convincing and producing the ultimate compatible game system in RPGs. 

5E glimpses are appearing all around the web, most you can see here at the official message board for WOTC.
They are promising that all ages of the timeline will be available for play and the first campaign setting supported will be the Realms aka Faerun. Although each edition had its flagship Campaign Setting.....

D&D : Mystara
AD&D: World of Greyhawk
2ED&D: Forgotten Realms
3ED&D: Eberron/Pathfinder
D20 System: Everything and Anything 
4ED&D: Conquest of Nerath

It would be great for them to final flesh out areas of these campaign worlds. Oearth stills has the western half of the continent to be filled out... Chainmail did a wonderful job setting the stage for a new Campaign Setting based on Greyhawk. The Forgotten Realms still have to address Osse and update some of the other continents before the odd shift to 4E. Dragonlance needs a Taladas Update.... Mystara need more in depth exploration of the other continents beside the info from the Voyage of the Princess Ark...even Ravenloft has a few more domains to shed light upon..... even bring back Star Frontiers! Heck perhaps finally do what people what.... make the 5E Official Campaign Setting,,, Magic the Gathering!

There is so much I hope for.....yet... at this point... they are only dreams..