Some other stuff about Cathay:
They have the same 12 passions as Barsaive but different names and there seems to be no mad passions.
The Dragon Luung(or Lung) is in Cathay in Earthdawn and he is the head monk of Mount Xao which if like the Shaolin temple of Cathay. It is staffed by the power Cathayan monks who were responsible for repelling the Theran invasion(they destroyed two Theran legions in the process).
Cathayan airships seem to be varied but the powerful ones are huge about 500 feet in length with jade hulls.
The Five Kingdoms of Cathay correspond to the Five elements(Air, Water, Fire, Earth, Metal): Tiet Dei(Metal)West Cathay), Feng Dei(air)(North Cathay), Shan Dei(earth)(South Cathay) has a significant Theran military presence of 1 legion, Shui Dei(East)(water), which is the richest of the Five Kingdoms, their capital Pei Lin is a massive city floating 50 feet of the ground on the Emerald sea(Pacific Ocean) held by True Air. For Dei(central Cathay0 Fire.
Others: Jih Po(Japan): Currently in a civil war between daimyos, and yes they have samurai., The Gar, nomadic elves at the periphery of Cathay who have a deep hatred for Cathay(Elvish Mongols).
continued....