Empire of Lu'Xang

—Allegonian Knight's Battlecry

Empire of Lu'xang.

Power for power’s sake is not the answer, power has purpose, and that must be understood.  The purpose of power is to maintain order, and to protect one’s home. - Qi-Zho, The First Emperor

(In answer to lords who challenged his claim to rule over all Lu Xang.)

The Lu-Xang owe their creation to the Ilythrian Empire, which drew together many separate kingdoms and clans and drew them together under one Saperii.

New Emperor’s are chosen by the Ash Priests, who commune with the cremated ash of previous emperors to name a new one.  However, the Ash Priests are in the pocket of lthe Sonji dynasty of lords, which has been repeatedly picking weak emperors who can be easily controlled.

After the Secret War, a period of conflict and political violence between the various powerful Lords of the Golden Circle, Xuan-Shue has risen up in rebellion against the state of stagnation that the Empire has fallen into.

The Empire has been consumed by the conspirations and plots of its Lords, its emperor kept a a puppet to whichever lord has his ear for the moment, all while the people suffer.  Xuan-Shue was an architect born to a wealthy family that was torn asunder in the Secret War by the Secret Police, who had taken the side of Lord Qo JiMeng in the Secret War.  He lead the Mason’s guild to rise up in the city of Zhenun of the Marble Valley, and his rebellion, “The Mason’s Rebellion” has spread across Lu Xang.  The Masons have the support of the common people, and face off against the Golden Circle, which stands mostly united to crush this opposition to the status quo.

Xuan-She he's short of stature, and entirely unassuming, although he has a stocky build

Zenzen was the beaurocratic heart of the Empire, so the rebellion has plenty of secrataries and accountants

Zheng-Shi  supports the Masons and gathers the party to aid them.\

Xu Xue is a great hero to the rebellion.  He is the Undying Hero, the Hero who Never Dies, the Walking Dead, etc.  He is selfless, a defender of the people, beloved by all.  He is believed to walk among the ancestors beyond the Veil, however he is simply a gifted Necromancer with knowledge to bring himself back after each death.  Technically a form of Lich.  No one knows hewre he came from, but he was one of the first to find Xuan-Shue and sign on.  But, necromancy is hated in Lu xang.  Party can learn his secret, and decide to keep his secret or not.  He has black hair, a pretty face, and a long ponytail.  Big glaive, and shining, magically enhanced lamellar.  He’s level 20

The Imperial Seal, a golden box that glows

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The Divine Mirror, said to tell the future, as only the future emperor could use it.  Used to choose emperors(edited)

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Xu Shan's the old capitol

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It was submerged in the Night of Many Tears

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the entire lake coming into being that day

MAJOR CITIES

Lo

Zenzen - port city, recently raided by centaurs from the east

Zhenun of the Marble Valley

Mezong - Fortress city.  Most defensive place in the country, with its towering Great Walls of Mezong,  triple-layer fortifications taht surround the city.  Behind the city is its ‘Fourth Wall’, the mountain range.  Mezong is known for its highly disciplined spear and shield infantry, and its Eagle Cavalry, elite heavy horsemen, the best in Lu Xang.

Driftwood Town - A collection of towns on many attached islands in teh center of a swamp.  The city is of decent size, but in poor shape.  The people of Driftwood Town were onc refugees, from many small kingdoms on the coastlines of Kiyo, destroyed by the Centaurs.  They fled westward, and were brought into luxang, although Imperial bureaucracy and the refusal to aid from the dominant families in Tsungao meant their refugee camp became their permanent home.

Xo Tsung - A small village nearby where the rebellion fought the disastrous Battle of Xo Tsung, where the golden circle’s army escaped and the rebels took heavy casualties, despite outnumbering their enemies

REGIONS

Fei Haian

Shangxi

Da Lo

Produces best lumber

Paizho

Tsungao

Huoan

Lu Xang

In the Lu Xang Empire, especially in the cities, there exists a special culture of food.  While the men and women of the empire work, they do not leave for lunch.  Instead, several ‘qiqao’ carts move from workplace to workplace, selling food. This works due to the widespread presence of currency in Lu Xang cities.  The carts are often run by children, as their parents often make the food for the children to then bring out and sell.  These qiqao children are much loved by the workers of the city, as they show up daily on a tight schedule to deliver cheap food to the workers.

And there was once a series of riots over the execution of a qiqao boy for offending some cunty lord

The Lu Xang have an obsession with building.  They have learned that entire civilizations can be forgotten with time, and their fear of oblivion and the end of their people leads them to endless building projects.  Their cities are in a sense, share between the dead and the living, for massive tombs and catacombs fill sections of their cities.  Emperors and lords constantly want to outshine their predecessors with ever more grand monuments and statues.  War is a waste of time, although unfortunately necessary to deal with those who cannot appreciate the desire to fight time.

Land is filled with buildings  ONe emperor, who went insane later in life, had an entire city built for the ancestors in a lake, so it was mostly submerged as it was built.  Tons of people died building it