Fengdao

睦風道 (Gùsūl)

Wū Fengdaò

Rukui

Molemen

Helian

Tāngqìn Fengdaò

*(For the successor state, see Lemqin)*

**Fengdao** was a semi-isolationist nation defined by its deep rooted religion and philosophy, Fengdaoism.

The nation operated as a monarchy under the rule of a "Changdi (長帝)" who was elected by the 3 person Beiqeòi which was itself usually made up of the Qeòi (教士). The role of the Changdi was to oversee all civil and military matters. Though the Beiqeòi nominally guided the nation on "Spiritual Matters" there are some who claimed the Qeòi are the actual controllers of the nation and act as a shadow cabinet, dictating and approving any actions the Changdi may take. It had even been claimed that the commoners in Fengdao have a slur to refer to these weak rulers, the "Zūjāng" Emperors.

The inhabitants of the nation were humble yet strong and generally adhered to a policy of peaceful co-existence with the outside world. The state was ethnically and culturally diverse too and being united under Fengdaoism many different sentient species co-existed. The empowered religious authority also acted to keep the nation bonded in times of strife and maintained central control over the disparate species of the nation.

### History

#### Prehistory and "Humnal"

The ancient Fengdaoans emerged from the deserts of a land known as Humnal. Valuing water above all else but with their supplies running low, they believed they were destined for death. Lost in deserts and after praying to the spirits for many days and many nights, eventually a spirit emerged and identified itself as Heian Zhi Wàng (黑暗 王) and offered a set of trials in return for their salvation. The result of these trials would change the destiny of the Fengdao forever.

During the ancient years of the Fengdao, there also stories of an war that is passed down via oral tradition. For many younglings in the nation, it is a tale that reminds the citizens of the need to be aggressively defensive in protecting the state. This is officially named as the Shubuk (水兵) or "water-soldier" doctrine and has persisted throughout time.

### Governance

#### The Changdi (長帝)

Officially, the Changdi was the enlightened and benevolent ruler of the Fengdao who oversaw all civil and military matters. Nominally appointed as the *de facto* ruler by the Beiqeòi. Foreign dignitaries were expected to greet the Changdi in a formal ceremony where possible and treat the Changdi with the utmost respect.

Despite being a position of incredible prestige within the Fengdao, it was a position which had seen considerable unrest. Whenever times of strife and unrest occur it was not uncommon for a powerful native of Fengdao to try and claim the throne for themselves. Often, this claim was enforced by scheming, murder or diplomacy.

*See also:* List of Fengdao Rulers

#### The Beiqeòi (委教士)

The triumvirate council of the Fengdao who officially guided the Changdi on matters of day-to-day governance. The Beiqeòi ensured the nation functioned despite any instability regarding the constant competition for the position of Changdi.

Originally a purely religious role (akin to a priestly position in other religions), the Beiqeòi administrated via the guiding principles of Fengdaoism. The council had also gained considerable power over the years and some claimed the Beiqeòi intended on siezing power for themselves and returning Fengdao to a theocracy like in ancient times. Others claimed that the Beiqeòi had *already* siezed power and were governing from the shadows, using the position of Changdi as a puppet. For this reason, some in Fengdao used the term "Zūjāng (卒將)" to refer to the Changdi.

### Culture

#### Language

As an ancient and diverse people, the Fengdaoan language reflects this. It is said that in the days of ancient Fengdao, the proto-fengdaoan language was first codified by a Qeòi called Chī Wàng (浅王). For this service to the Fengdao, Chī Wàng was invited to the Beiqeòi where he helped administer the realm from the mountain top fortress of Kuibaò (夔堡). The legacy of Chī Wàng is still felt today in Fengdao, where he is affectionally remembered as Sūlyì (文士) the "Language Scholar" and was thought of as the patron of all academics and scholars working within Fengdao. As well as the Lemqin successor state.

Since the proto-fengdaoan language had evolved over time, two different branches developed within the Fengdaoan language family. This split had developed in response to the increased separation between the Fengdaoans who live on the surface and those who live underground. In Fengdao, these branches are called Nisūl and Gusūl respectively and are have partial intelligibility and even use the same Orthography, reflecting the centralised writing system within Fengdao. The separation between the two languages is greatly distinct in the pronunciation of certain words, to the extent that spoken Nisūl and Gusūl speakers would often encounter difficulty when attempting to converse.

Of the two extant languages in Fengdao, Gusūl was the more common tongue in the nation and the official language of government. Nisūl was a respected regional language of the surface dwelling Fengdao.

#### Fengdao Chronicle

Also present within the nation was the "Fengdao Chronicle" a locally produced newspaper, controlled directly by the religious triumvirate council. The Chronicle was regularly updated where possible on the Fengdao printing press and acted as an effective method for delivering news (and emergency bulletins) to the masses.

### Economy

Despite being a step back from much of the world, the Fengdaoan economy was heavily codified and regulated by a central authority. While bartering is accepted throughout much of the nation, it was preferred for purchases and sales to be made in the form of the local currency, the Fengdaoan Shu. It had some trade routes and a naval expansion, would later pave the way for the migration to Lemqin.

*For boats see also*: Evolution of Fengdao Ships

*For exploration trips see also*: Fengdao Expeditions

### Religion

Founded originally as a priestly order, Fengdao enjoys strong links to the religion which is named after, Fengdaoism. Ruled in accordance with the principles of the religion and guided by the Beiqeòi, it is expected that all members of the state adopt the official religion.

*See also:* Fengdaoism

### Demographics

#### Species

With no discrimination based upon gender, ethnicity or species. Fengdao had a varied demographic populace. At any one point, within Fengdao there were atleast Humans, Cave Lobsters, Molemen and Cavemen living within her borders.

**Cavemen**

Long, long ago, in a time when man was leaving it's caves and lairs to make great structures and buildings on the surface, the tribes living in the expansive caverns under the Great Mountain of Fengdao grew afraid of the changes in the surface world, terrified of the steel weapons and carts of their brothers, so they retreated down, deep down into the abyss of the caves. Surprisingly, they found the caverns to be full of subterranean life, with moss, algae and unique plants growing in abundance in the depths, along with quite a few beasts on which to hunt and feast, they also found that the caverns were shared by the sentient Cave Lobsters, quickly becoming friends with the crustacean people, who knew the caves much better then the at the time confused and disoriented Cavemen. Over many, many years the people adapted to their environment, their eyes became sunken and white, dysfunctional from the lack of light, though their sense of hearing and sense of navigation greatly improved, using a primitive form of echolocation to detect their surroundings. Their skin also became almost black, to blend in with their underground environment and hide from the hostile predators underground and above world invaders that would sometime come in looking for resources. Generally the Cavemen are seperated into two different 'groups', though there are many tribes in these groups. These are the 'Edge Clans', those Cavemen who live closer to the entrances near the surface and have lately begun slow but beneficial trade negotiations with the surface dwellers, and the 'Abyss Clans', tribes who are situated deep in the caverns and are much more traditonalistic and staunch in their ideals. Lately many Cavemen have been converting to Fengdaoism, the sacredness of water already being quite important in their own culture, though with how traditonal and distrusting Cavemen tend to be this process has been difficult.

Xu Qinshu, a Scholarly member of the TriumvirateLo Tāngfei, Rukui and member of the TriumvirateYan Angneng, Cave Man and Scholar of the Edge Clans

### Terminology

**Fengdao (灃道) -** From Gùsūl, meaning "Watery Path"

**Changdi (長帝) -** From Gùsūl, meaning "Eternal Emperor"

**Zūjāng (卒將) -** From Gùsūl, meaning "Pawn/Fodder King"

**Qeòi (教士) -** From Gùsūl, meaning Guru or "Religious Leader"

**Beiqeòi (委教士)** - From Gùsūl, meaning "Council of Qeòi"

**Heian Zhi Wàng (黑暗 王)** - From Gùsūl, meaning "Abyssal King"

**Shubuk (水兵)** - From Gùsūl meaning "Water-Soldier"