Great Zhi Empire

The Great Zhi Empire, known also as Michu, is among the great powers of the world, resting atop countless generations of heroes, villains and commoners. The Empire is composed of hundreds of distinct ethnic and cultural groups, each with their part to play in the endless bureaucratic machine that keeps the people compliant and fed. The competing interests of all social classes are masterfully balanced by the supremely benevolent government in Zhijing, under the eye of the virtuous Emperor and their humble officials. Underneath the veneer of contentment, however, resides a near constant state of ethnic tensions, with the Zheng chafing under the Imperial system designed to divide and rule. The ancient traditions, with roots centuries old, grow less relevant to the average subject by the day, as modernity erodes the one pristine culture of the endless Empire. The vaunted officials clash with democratic figures in a race to the bottom in corruption and vice, while the dulled, apathetic Imperial Court merely watches with disdain. The byzantine government structure of the Empire causes outsiders to question who is truly in control, perhaps the Emperor? The venerated Great Zhi Emperor never leaves the walls of Shaozi Palace, destined to spend their lives in a gilded cage, in ignorance or without care. Perhaps the Prime Minister? The great man chosen by the people through mass parliamentarian-ism, who must wrestle his own party and the bureaucrats more than the opposition. Perhaps the studious Chancellor, who commands the various bureaucracies, when not touring foreign countries in lavishly opulent state visits. Perhaps the aristocrats, crawling in their ancestral lands scheming with their clans to achieve dominance, loaning the Imperial treasury immeasurable sums of money. The experienced analyst, most often simply comes to the conclusion that the system operates itself, autonomously in an almost perfectly balanced orchestra of entropy.

Or, that is, until the rise of one man, who has united all in adoration, fear, or hate. Hongli Cuyan, rising from humble origins in a lower class Weishun town, taking his loyal followers in the Imperial Army, he marched upon Zhijing, blew open the gates of Shaozi, and expelled all who stood in his way. He seized the Emperor, as the heroes of old did, and proclaimed the start of national revival, as the nobility and common man alike cheered. The Consort Chancellor, ‘protecting’ the Emperor, now governs with ruthless aggression. Although all his backers, from the aristocrats, to the military, to the lowly clans, support him for their own goals, seeing him as dimwitted or irrational, Hongli maintains an iron will, and a clear vision in mind for restoration.

## History

The history of the Great Zhi Empire, and its immediate predecessor, is vast beyond belief. For the purpose of simplicity, traditional Imperial history is recorded into eras, segregated into sections of a dragon, usually lasting four hundred years. The beginning of Imperial history, known as the Juwarin Period, covers three thousand years of history, during which city states, nation states, and nomadic groups warred near constantly for prestige, territory, and the favour of the illusive Great Master. Through war, sacrifice and glory, an endless war in heaven is waged by Tianqing, god of the golden dragons.

### Dragon Head (4482 - 4000)

The earliest period in Michurian history, the first Dragon Head covers the beginning of civilisation, the earliest city states, and the emergence of the Grand Master. Official Imperial histories convey much of this era through folklore, oral tradition, and song. According to such sources, the world existed in a state of great scarcity, cursed with pain, darkness and drought. Demons and gods wandered the world, reaping the suffering and toil of all. The first Great Master listened to the sounds of the world’s pain, correctly deducing that the Heavens were in turmoil, as Tianqing, god of golden dragons and all heaven was ousted, falling into the sea. This man is known to Michu today as ‘Shouci’, though his true name is lost to time. Tianqing commanded Shouci to raise him from the depths of the sea, so that Tianqing could ascend to heaven and restore balance. Shouci, fully willing to comply with the will of the mighty beast, sacrificed much of his own clan through ritualistic drowning, to reinvigorate the dragon. Pleased with the sacrifice, Tianqing arose from the oceans after being cast from heaven, captivating those who would listen with divine music. His tail was said to encompass the mountains, his wings covered the skies. Yet, being beneath the Dragon’s gaze felt far warmer, and more comfortable than the sun. In return for the sacrifices, Tianqing declared that Shouci’s clan would forever guide the mighty as the Great Masters, teachers of all. He bestowed the Weishun, his heavenly vassals, as warriors under Shouci’s command. In 4438, Shouci, alongside his son and daughter, spread the revelations of Tianqing, dividing society into various strata. When the Weishun conquered, they established domains, hunting territories, and slaves of their own. The first Dragon Head ends in 4000. Little is known of history between 4430 - 4000.

### Dragon Body (4000 - 3600)

The first dragon body is the least documented time in Michurian history. The earliest true examples of organised warfare, as well as early architecture began to appear in this era. The oldest of the modern day Weishun Clans trace their origins to this era, competing against themselves and the subject races for prestige.

### Dragon Wings (3600 - 3200)

By the time of the Dragon Wings, Michurian society had reached a turning point, as early yet powerful agricultural yields provided the various Lords with ample resources for war. Spoken and unspoken rules concerning warfare and diplomacy solidified, the destruction of agricultural lands became a capital offence. The regimentation of warfare into grand games, wherein the combatants maintained fixed territories, losing only small portions of land, along with seas of peasants. Figures of Imperial legend become more common during this time, such as Tucin Long and Pulinzi, start to emerge. The first Dragon Wings era is also where the earliest examples of the written word were recorded, in the ancient Qia language. The Qia people are generally considered to have been subsumed into the Zheng culture by the beginning of the Great Zhi Empire. The words are inscribed upon a monument, known as the ‘Well Wishing Monument’ dated roughly to 3200, reading “May (y?)our sons succeed me/us…” The translation is contested, due to corrosion.

### Dragon Legs (3200 - 2800)

With the advent of writing, the Dragon Legs gradually becomes more clear, and the names of more prominent political figures start to emerge. Shen Ji, King of Zaife, was declared as the Great Protector for a period of sixty years, after taking over the role from his father, Neng Ji. The Ji dynasty lasted for roughly two hundred years, before catastrophically failing in roughly 2950, when uncharacteristically long droughts and icey temperatures wrecked the land. This period of global cooling is debated, with several linking it to volcanic eruptions. Regardless, the first Dragon Legs Era ended in chaos, suffering, as well as significant tribal raiding. The capital of Zaife was pillaged and burned to the ground in 2947, though by that time, most prominent political figures had fled. These times were known as a dark age retrospectively, though many modern scholars have postulated that the true conditions outside of Zaife changed little during this period.

### Dragon Tail (2800 - 2400)

Known colloquially, as the ‘High Ancient Period’, the first Dragon Tail Era saw the high period of the Juwarin Dominate, as successive competent Grand Protectors, fruitful harvests, and a series of ‘civilised’ wars blessed the nation. Territorial expansion in this period remained limited, however. The borders of the Juwarin Dominate were generally static, withdrawing during the winters, though rarely advancing past geographic barriers, or political boundaries set by treaties. The state remained oriented around mass sacrifice, abundant harvests, and spirituality, though now, the Zheng began to climb the ranks, and Zheng Kings became accepted, so long as they nominally respect their Weishun kin.

## Geography

The geography of the Great Zhi Empire reflects the vast territories under its domain, dominated by a mountain range in the far west, and vast tundras in the traditional homeland of the Weishun. The south and central portions of the state are covered in fertile plains and marshes, the envy of several historical rivals. Many of the greatest Michurian landmarks include the Meishan waterfall, among the largest of the eastern world, the Xishan mountain range near the Celesterran borders, and the Yushan Mountain range near Ruoning.