Hokkame

Nation Name: Hokkame Empire

[Flag](https://imgur.com/a/7S0Oo1w)

Starting Provinces:[Map](https://i.imgur.com/srm8dIVh.jpg)

Cultural Information:

According to legend, over four hundred years ago, A falling star struck the heart and capital of The Eternal Empire, causing it to collapse, and in its place was left War, poverty, death, and destruction. The remnants of the Empire tore themselves apart. The lands withered to barren wastes, and the seas were poisoned by blood split. The gods looked down from their celestial abode and wept, and from their tears came unlikely salvation. The seasons changed many times and a bandit by the name of Huang Xue, came down from the northern Harai mountains, she waged a bloody war to “restore” the Empire, after many years and countless battles Xue was successful, she restored the empire under the control of her dynasty, placing herself on the long-vacant Wisteria Throne, declaring herself as Empress. Xue’s reign was bloody, suppressing all dissent with an iron fist, but the nation in the end learned loyalty. The Empress brought peace, harmony, and stability, things that the people lacked during the broken age in between the “old empire” and the “new”. While initially seen as nothing more than a despot at the end of her days she was beloved, she restored the capital, repaved roads, minted coinage, and improved the lives of nearly every citizen. After her passing she was succeeded by Empress Shuyin, her eldest daughter, her reign was known for the flourishing of Culture and religion within the Empire. According to this legend made official in the Empire, The Empire is currently ruled by 15-year-old O-Shizuka. and the list of Imperial succession has been as follows

Xue “The Bandit Queen”

Shuyin “The Gentle”

Ihn “The Poet” 2nd Empress

Temma “The Lawspeaker” 3rd Empress

Usoku I “The Fair” 4th Emperor

Haebaragi

Temma I

Ihn II

Ihn III

Yin

Ichika

Yui Minami

Lai Baozhai

Jiang

Mizuya

Sung

Yian

Ihn IV

Surime

Tumenabayar

Umigami

Shefali “The Tiger”

O-Shizuka “The Fox”

Another story of the origin of the Empire is Xue, or even a later Imperial through force brought about synoecism of various Xinshan villages and clans, afterward rewrote their national history to legitimize the new state.

The Empire is home to the Xinshan, they are a race that appears almost human except they have pale skin that would appear sickly on a human, they bleed black blood, and are born with a natural affinity towards magic. Their other trademark is their bright green eyes.

The City of flowers, the Capital city of Miyako is at the banks of the Yùhé river, and the mouth of Hougetsu bay. To the Xinshan, Miyako is the center of the universe, and the court is naturally the envy of the world. To the Xinshan Loyalty, honor, and perfection is everything, A Xinshan wants to be great or nothing. their culture is highly rigid and hierarchical, obsessive about etiquette Everything from how to address another of the same, lower or higher station, to which napkin to wipe away spilled water during the tea ceremony is designed to smooth over potential arguments that could turn ugly.

Most Imperial citizens enjoy many hobbies and artistic pursuits ranging from poetry, scroll painting, flower arrangement, music, and martial arts.

Religious Information: for how centralized the empire is, there is no state religion. The people tend to follow local polytheistic and animistic religions.

Economic Information:

The Hokkame rely on trade for many strategic materials, due to their island's lack of tin, they trade luxury goods and tea. Internally the Empire uses a system of coinage issued by the Imperial treasury, all forms of foreign currency are illegal within the island.

Military Information:

The standing military of the Empire is actually small, moving away from the form of conscription described in the “Old Empire” to make up for its small stature the highly trained soldiers go through rigorous training and their numbers are bolstered by Mages.

Notable Characters:

O-Shizuka Empress of the Hokkame Empire,

The Sixteen Swords, the sixteen greatest swords-people who are honored by the Empress herself

The Dragon Guard, the throne's personal Guard.

Shiori, Imperial poet and Minister of the Right

Strengths:

The Xinshan of Hokkame have a natural affinity for Magic, the highest form of said magic is the Celestial Song, A magic in which the singer imbues their voice with magic causing any who hears its haunting melody to become affected by it.

Weaknesses: the island homeland of the Empire has no tin to make bronze with, and what iron there is to be had is of poor quality. With iron largely overlooked by the bronze-using natives