Daizhou

**Daizhou** is a large country located at the east of Esami. It is surrounded by Tukshara to the northwest; Mandala, Zhang La, and Hmoong Av to the west and southwest; Pju to the south; Lan Xang, Sai La, and Iozae to the southeast; Ragise and Pinoguni to the east; Afangurun to the northeast; and Tamatura to the north.

## Flag

The modern national flag of the Republic of Daizhou consists of a red-and-blue banner. Red is for the sacrifice of the people, blue for their dream of a better future for Daizhou, and the yellow bar is for prosperity and progress. The yin-yang represents tradition and peace, and the stars represent the unity of Daizhou's eight main regions or the main *batgwe* signs used in divination.

## History

Daizhou is one of the oldest civilisations in the world, being as old as Rannar, Prisapura, Zarandu, and Redjetesh. Much of the more advanced technologies used by the Wonaos and Hiriwans were derived from Daizhouvian inventions, such as metalworking and horse-riding.

In ancient Wonao legends, Daizhou was the far western realm where pirates and merchants brought bronze, horses, and other new inventions, so it became known as Ñruñarant, the Land of Bronze. "ñruñ" was from "tong" (or \*ngrum, 彤), a contemporary word meaning "bronze" or "copper". In turn, after the reign of Motakol, Daizhouvian farmers at the eastern delta learned to plant mangrove forests to expand more land, and methods of paper from other Wonao tribes.

It was home to various successive dynasties in its long history, the most notable being the Hia; the Shang; Great Zhou (its namesake) and Lesser Zhou; the Zhem; the Western and Eastern Hon; the Sam Guok (three kingdoms of Leu Shu, Son Ngo, and Zao Wei; Wei became the victor in that conflict, eventually morphing into the Teng and Diek); the seafaring Teng; the Diek, Sou, and Lam; the Tong (which became the basis for Siangwaan's culture) and the Great Meng and Shjun dynasties when Daizhou was at its greatest territorial extent.

In the Seventh Age, the Daizhouvians were the first people in Jerde to discover and use gunpowder. Shortly afterwards, other civilisations in the west independently also discovered and used gunpowder from local deposits.

During the Eighth Age, Daizhou was invaded by the two-headed Aspuruk aliens. After the Daizhouvians defeated the aliens, they took their technology to make its civilisation more advanced. They waged a war against their rival Tukshara and lost, and agreed with the leaders of Tukshara and several other powers to establish an "ecumene" to watch over the world with their new technology. Among those projects included flying cities and floating castles built from mined mountain rocks, which explored and conquered parts of the world until their demise at the Sixteenth Age; and various space colonies. It also joined an alliance of powerful civilisations that also used alien technology, the Ecumene, which defended the solar system until the Fifteenth Age.

However, in later times, its rulers sometimes waged wars to expand their empires, and other empires (such as Pinoguni during the Sixteenth Age) also waged wars to conquer it. Also, the personnel who worked at its floating cities began to suffer from altitude sickness.

During Sarmelonid times, this country was invaded by the Sarmelonid Empire, who took some of its people as slaves and prisoners of war. These slaves later revolted and created their own nation, Siangwaan, which distanced itself from Daizhou and its backwardsness.

In 1830's AT, republican revolutionaries overthrew the latest monarchy, the Luk Dynasty, as they sought to prepare their country for war against the Wannaenid Empire.

## Geography

It stretches from the steppes of the north to the jungles of the south, and from the desert plateaus of the west to limestone peaks along rivers in the east.

* Gan Province
	+ Tiencheng (capital)
* Luai Province
	+ Zocheng
* Lai Province
	+ Hwocheng
* Zhin Province
	+ Laaicheng
* Xun Procince
	+ Fongcheng
* Kam Province
	+ Shuiduk
* Gon Province
	+ Shaanduk
* Kuon Province
	+ Deiduk
* Zinxi Province
	+ Fonghao
		- This city was the capital of the Great Zhou Dynasty.
* Honam Province
	+ Ki
		- This city in Honam is the home of the descendants of the Hia Dynasty.
	+ Lokjang
		- This city was the capital of the Hon Dynasty.
* Hobek Province
* Daiho Province
* Giao Province
	+ This province borders the peninsula of Iozae to the south.
	+ Chaangping
	+ Küjong
	+ Nügei
	+ Hialok
* Geng Province
	+ This province borders Hmoong Av and Pju to the south. One of the Nine Ancient Realms, its size was reduced in later dynasties.
	+ Honshou (capital)
	+ Giongzhou
	+ Namhiang
* Liaoxi Province
	+ Kielü (capital)
	+ Jing
	+ Bincong
* Liaodong Province
	+ This province borders Afangurun and Ragise to the east.
	+ Houcheng (capital)
	+ Xiangping
* Jau Province
	+ This province borders Afangurun to the north. One of the Nine Ancient Realms, its size was reduced in later dynasties.
	+ Gie
		- This capital of Jau Province (since ancient times), known for its Scarlet Citadel (former imperial palace) and the Crane Nest Stadium.

## Politics

Daizhou is a republic ruled by a President.

## Military

Daizhou's military is among the strongest militaries in all of Jerde.

## Economy

Daizhou's developed economy is the strongest economy in the whole continent.

## Culture

Daizhou's culture has influenced much of the cultures east of it, such as Pinoguni and Ragise. Some Daizhouvian inventions were also utilised as far away as Hiriwa and Visenga, such as metallurgy, horse-riding, and crossbows.

The treatise by the ancient official, Sun Chak, is known all over the world as The Craft of Combat.

## Religion

Daizhou has its own religions, such as Dao Giao and Ruism. Buddhism is also a popular religion in Daizhou.

## Trivia

* Daizhou is based on China, especially the Zhou Dynasty. The author had the idea while watching the film, "League of Gods".
* The author used a mixture of Mandarin, Cantonese Chinese, and Middle Chinese phonology to make the modern Daizhouvian language.
	+ Some words in Wonao languages were derived from Daizhouvian. The author used reconstructed Chinese phonology to represent archaic Daizhouvian loanwords in these languages, similar to how ancient Chinese influenced the Korean and Japanese languages.
* Western Daizhou, near the borders to the Goturean kingdoms and Tukshara, is home to the snow leopards, known as "western cats" in Wonao languages and folklore. The snow leopard became a traditional symbol of the western direction in Wonao art.

### Pronunciation

* a - [a(ː)]
* aa - [ɐ~a]
* ao - [aʊ̯]
* b - [p]
* c - [tsʰ]
* ch - [tɕʰ]
* d - [t]
* e - [ɛ]
* g - [k]
* hi- [ç]
* j - [j]
* sh - [ʂ]
* ü - [y]
* x - [ɕ]
* z - [ts]
* zh - [tʂ]