Til-Xiao, The Golden Seat

**Religions** | Shrine of the Raku-Kami

## History

In the early stages of the Cassian Formation, the rise of a large landmass was found by a group of nomads. Traveling perilously overwater to explore, it was found that this risen island was rich in many things- with the large mountain range on the island being particularly rich in mineral deposits. This island, labeled Til-Xiao, was designated as the birthplace of the similarly named nation. A mercantile nation that specialized in mining, it set to trade the metals and jewels mined with other nations, and found a lot of success with the rise of the use of technology. The precious metals being good for wiring, and the jewels good for a multitude of other aspects of engineering, at the turn of the era where trade bloomed amidst the countries that rose in Morisia, Til-Xiao quickly grew into a true “golden seat” in the world.

Staunchly traditionalist, however, Til-Xiao viewed outside works as “inferior” in many ways, preferring it’s trade to focus on in return bringing in raw materials they struggled to maintain in their own home and creating from there. Engineering, culinary, blacksmithing, magic craft… In some way, the rhetoric of perfection lead to a struggle in and of itself, where a perspective of “creating the greatest'' lead to them competing with every other nation in its field- aiming for their engineers to outperform the greats of the Cassian Federation, their mining to compete with Al’Dina, and their mages to compete with the Imperium Arcanae. Quite obviously, this meant that they did not out-perform any individual group in their areas of expertise, however it did lend itself to a sort of universalist vantage, where one could find specialists of any field who could accomplish great acts. Importantly, this also meant they could hybridize these aspects, building upon them to create great works that truly gave Til-Xiao a life of its own.

This lead to another issue in it’s interactions with other nations, however, in that the nation’s collective superiority complex often grated on the patience of other countries and their peoples. This was doubly so with the oft-playful way their people operated, making them seem flighty and unconcerned in one, yet speaking of honor in another. This ‘hot-and-cold’ mentality and perspective often lead to conflict that did not help the mercantile aspect of the kingdom at all, and while few countries directly attacked them due to their location or saw fit to declare war, it was not uncommon that Til-Xiao was viewed as almost a joke.

### Descent of the Kami

During the early days of the Empire of Til-Xiao, the nation took on the attention of one of the gods. Specifically, through some method or another, the prayers of people within the nation for some form of good fortune awoke one of the gods' attention. The Kami, Hibiki, descended upon Til-Xiao, making their home in the forefront of the city. The villagers at the time viewed this as divine providence as she began to bestow luck on their people, and in result the ones who’s home she resided before- opening a small portal through wish she made her domain- were viewed as chosen by her, becoming the rulers of the nation. Hibiki honestly had not cared much one way or the other for this, and only appeared here because it was where she had felt a draw. Since the people continued to pay tribute to her, she simply paid in kind by returning their attention in the form of luck.

In truth, it was the attentions of a single child- a young boy by the name of Rito Sahashi- that was the reason she had taken an interest in staying at all. Unknowing of who or what he had encountered, Rito found Hibiki wandering by his house, and shared his snacks with her. In turn, she had given him the first of her divine blessings. A blessing of fortune, in order to aid in his future endeavors. Not too long after, he stumbled upon the first of the mines that would eventually become the main source of income for the nation as it grew. Rito Sahashi grew to become the head of the town, and as it branched, his children took on managerial roles. They continued to pay tributes to Hibiki regularly, leaving her food or various forms of entertainment from what the nation produced, much to her enjoyment. In result, the family rose to power through this method, being viewed as divinely ordained. The Sahashi name continues to be the royal line to this day.

Arguably, this is what lead to the mentality of perfection the nation maintains. The nation both believes that, due to their goods being viewed so well by a god, it is proof of the perfection of the nation… But in turn, they seek to continue to grow their craft, so that their goddess never loses interest. The people of Til-Xiao are ever seeking new forms of growth so as to impress their goddess, and yet refusing the arts of other nations, worried that if she ever sees the creations of these nations and enjoys the new beauty of that nation, she will leave them.

### War of the Seven Stars

A century after the rise of the Sahashi Line, there was dissent in the country about the legitimacy of their rule. The goddess showed her favor to any who presented good enough presents- so then, why is it that the Sahashi imperium should be granted their power, and not those who actually created the crafts? The varying merchant guilds that had risen to power during this time believed that they, by nature of their work, should be in charge of the nation, though they did not all agree in how this should look. Some, even, truly believed that the Sahashi line had the right of it, and rose to defend the imperial line.

This lead to a long and bloody war involving the seven merchant guilds. Three guilds had stood beside Sahashi’s lineage, while four against, but even amongst the ones who rose against Sahashi, without any unifying tie, they began to war with each other as well. This lead to the fall of the war, as they were not able to maintain battle on multiple fronts. The leaders of these guilds, expecting the current empress, Fumiko Sahashi, to execute them as traitors, stood defiant before her when she called them forward. Instead, where others would see blood and death, Fumiko saw opportunity. She called fourth all seven guilds, and declared them advisors to the Empire. “We cannot always see what the people see, feel what the people feel. Were we more in line with them, this war never would have happened. I wish to let bygones be bygones, and move forward, stronger, as a unified country.”

From the ashes of war, Til-Xiao came stronger. Although this did not stop some of the bad blood between the guilds, as time progressed. They grew loyal to the empire, seeing now that the strength of their ruler and wisdom of their reign brought stability and profit… But the individual guilds continued to war against each other, often in the shadows, to gain an upper hand. These “Seven Stars” as they were dubbed by Fumiko, always had different ideas about what the best next steps for the empire were, but since the War of the Seven Stars, generally defer to the Emperor or Empress to resolve these disputes before they become too bloody.

## Government

Til-Xiao is an empire run by a believed Divine Right of the Sahashi line. In truth, the goddess doesn’t overly favor anyone- rather, she tends to show favor sometimes at random. Still, though, with the Golden Seat- the Palace of the Emperor- being placed with the one entrance to Hibiki’s divine realm in a shrine tended to by the royal family and their retainers, this meant that the Sahashi line tended to receive much of this divine favor, and in result the appearance that they were divinely ordained continued.

Beneath the emperor are the “Seven Stars” of the empire. Seven merchant guilds that have been around nearly since the foundation of the empire. While once at war, they for the most part work together for the betterment of the country. However, due to the fact that they don’t always agree on what that looked like, disputes often flare between the guilds, leading to some level of turmoil. This rarely comes to too heavy of a head, as the emperor or empress at the time is often quick to make decisions when things begin to become bloody, but this doesn’t stop some of the backdoor dealings and assassinations that occur frequently between the guilds at large.

### Sakana-Dori

The guild involved primarily in the fishing industry, the Sakana are the primary source of the nation’s protein intake, but also a source of many of the riches used in art and technology in the nation- aquamarine and other semi-precious gems, coral, or the like often coming in from the guild and directly going to the different crafters and traders both foreign and domestic.

### Hōseki-Dori

The guild primarily involved in the mining industry, the Hōseki are well-known for the quality of ores and jewels they bring in. These miners tend to be a bit more isolationist by nature due to their trade, having set their main branch in the capitol to have a direct connection with the city, but for the most part their actual operations revolve around the mountains around the place- Most especially the Morayuki Mountains, which have proven to be a goldmine of precious metals and minerals in spite of the dangers.

### Nōgyō-Dori

The guild primarily involved in the agriculture of the country. They handle and advocate for the farmers, mostly, and maintain the stockpiles of grain and food for the nation. At times of great duress, they are often paid by the country to either reduce or outright remove the costs of basic grains and vegetables necessary to keep the citizens fed and starvation down. While it is not common that this happens, all nations have recessions, making Nōgyō a vital part of the country during times like this.

### Sumisu-Dori

The guild primarily involved in forging and metalcraft, Sumisu often works quite well with Hōseki due to their mutual codependency. Hōseki frequently trades metals to Sumisu to create the pickaxes and other tools to help mine, but also discounts on weapons to protect their miners from whatever creatures may live in the areas they are mining in. Given the dangers of mining in general, this is an incredibly important interchange. They also are in charge of the forging of weapons for the military- ironically, however, many of the Sumisu also make up the ground force for Til-Xiao due to their familiarity with the weapons they create, so warrior-smiths are not entirely uncommon in the nation.

### Kikai-Dori

The guild primarily involved in mechanization, Kikai also works quite a lot with Hōseki, however rivals with Sumisu due to their competition over metals. The machines they create often help Hōseki with their mining expeditions through the use of drills and explosives. They do not outright hold hostility for Sumisu, however, as both sides sometimes share work by virtue, but this does not mean they do not still hold some level of grudge at times about certain special materials and their lack of abundance.

### Fune-Dori

The guild primarily involved as shipwrights and in shipping between other nations. Many of the other guilds are somewhat forced to rely on the Fune for their shipping, with some being rather lax to admit it. Many of the sailors of the nation work alongside either the Fune or the Sakana. By necessity as a result of pirates and the like, the Fune have also somewhat become the primary naval force of the country, working alongside the Kikai to create naval fleets to handle both pirates and opposing militaries.

### Mahō-Dori

The Mahō are the magical guild of the country, handling the creation of magical items and enchantment therein. This often leads to conflict with the Kikai, who strongly contest that technology is superior to magic, while the Mahō are quite emphatic that this is the opposite of truth. While these conflicts are not quite as bloody as in some other parts of the world, this frequently is a source of conflict within Til-Xiao.

## Religion

Shrine of the Rakku-Kami, a religion dedicated to the fickle and dualistic Hibiki, is something of an outlier but active participant in the governance of Til-Xiao. Unlike the seven stars, the Rakku-Dori consists entirely of the Sahashi household and it’s retainers who see to the needs of Hibiki. All are allowed to attend to the shrines to Hibiki throughout the world, but very few ever see the face of the Kami… Or at least, so they believe.

Rumor has it that the Kami occasionally leaves her home in a humble visage, seeking times where she can meld with the populace and enjoy some of the simplicities of life, taking with her a bag of gold tributes, and redistributing it among the businesses of the people in a quite manual way- purchasing goods, and enjoying the product of the land. It is believed, often, that when a business suddenly finds itself in abundance and skyrocketing, that the Kami had patroned their store and found the experience pleasant. So, too, is a belief that should the Kami find one’s business wanting in some way, that they will find business plummeting, and that even the greatest of businesses can fall to the whims of their goddess’ disdainful ire.

In result of this, it is often believed that the best way to ensure that Hibiki does not disdain one’s business, that even the most homely of person be treated as a beloved guest to one’s business. The idea that any individual from the most bedecked noble visage to the poorest looking potato farmer could be the Kami in disguise leads to a business culture that trends toward the customer in the hopes of attracting Hibiki’s favor.

Frequent attendance to the Kami’s shrines by followers of her faith sees many merchants and nobles hoping to appease her in exchange for the fortune to reach their dreams. This, however, is not limited to businesses: Often times adventurers and gamblers will come to the Kami’s doors in the hopes of appealing to her sense of justice or fortune in the hopes of receiving luck. It is sometimes said among adventurers in Til Xiao that those who have had a near brush with death that seemed to be stopped in an almost ludicrous way- such as a rock falling and barely stopping an arrow, a bullet being stopped by a coin, or a spell seeming to have a random mishap before taking their life- have been blessed by the Kami… Or those on the other side cursed…

Gods of other lands, however, are not ignored. Worship of Ripthene, god of mercenaries, is prevalent among the Sumisu-Dori, while Kahapaq is often hailed by the Nōgyō-Dori for the growth of plants. A spattering of other deities is not uncommon, however due to the locale as well as the direct hand she often takes in the land, worship of the Damasu-Kami is still the most common.

## Geography

Mostly an island nation, Til Xiao often operates as a maritime country that relies on trade from other countries that can be reached by boat. The islands themselves are quite prevalent with mountains and valleys, with cities built either in these valleys or staggered along the mountains themselves. Many of the smaller mining towns are built into the mountains- sometimes even using caves that they mine out and leave for a while as the basis for towns. This tactic for creating towns is not commonly employed, however there are a few towns- Kumiro, Sandanzuki, and Zandenzu- that have taken to this method as a way of stabilizing space and ensuring a level of safety in the often dangerous mountain regions.

Most towns, however, are along the shoreline or valleys, using rivers that stretch across the vast island as a means of providing shipping by using small boats or rafts to transport goods either out to coastal cities for processing or inland. Due to the rocky and uneven terrain, few roads are maintained along the lands, instead using river inlets for travel unless you are on foot. Most of these roads are purely to go to and from the mining towns that would not otherwise be able to be reached.

Supple forests are scattered across the area as well, although these often also are dangerous. Spirits and monsters tend to live amongst the woodlands, dissuading the harvesting of trees, or simply seeking blood for one reason or another. As a result of these constant threats from the wilderness both in the mountains and forests, the hiring of adventurers to clear out monster threats for the sake of progress is not entirely uncommon.

## Places of Interest

### Kendoku

Settled, nestled, in one of the larger valleys, and right up against the shoreline, is the nation’s capital, Kendoku. This sprawling city is home to a population of over 500 thousand, this nation also is built with two batteries on their outskirts.These two locations are used quite extensively by the Kikai-dori for powering their mechanics and creation of smaller energy packs that are used to help power the mining tools of the Hōseki primarily.

### The Glimmering Port

Kendoku is the primary shipping location, containing the Glimmering Port, a massive port that is responsible for over half of the transportation and travel throughout Til-Xiao, and almost monopolizes the mercantile tradition toward the outside world. The Glimmering Port, given it’s name not out of any specialty of it’s creation, is named so due to the eternal passing of coin that occurs on it’s docks. It is often said by those living in Til Xiao that every coin in the world has at one point passed hands in the Glimmering Port, the mercantile monolith maintaining much of the comings and goings of currency in the world.

### The Imperial Palace

Finally is the seat of Hibiki and the imperial palace. The two buildings, nearly side-by-side, are quite different from each other. The imperial palace looks almost like a fort. An unassailable monolith that towers into the sky, a marvel both of engineering with the various lifts and lightings used to work the location, as well as a marvel of art, with corruscating patterns of lapis and gold used to bedeck the walls and broadcast to the world the merchant power of the nation. In truth, the location is not as well-defended as it makes itself out to be, with only the inner sanctums truly being difficult to penetrate… The outer buildings are very much more decor than practicality.

### The Seat of the Hibiki

Meanwhile, the seat of the Hibiki is quite a bit more mystical. Redwood Cedar arches decorate a glade that leads to a small shrine, coruscating energies seem to constantly lift and peter through the area, with small tables here and there and offering boxes and plaques at the entrance to the shrine itself. Within is a corsucating portal that is what shapes the environment in the area, the power of the divine energies tilting the zone into one that seems quite a bit more wild and untamed. This portal leads into the home of Hibiki, a location that few mortals ever have the privilege to lay eyes on.

### The Morayuki Mountain

Near the capital sits one of the largest mountains in the world. Far from the heights of mountains such as the near-cataclysmic ones in Ethent, it still holds quite the size, and is definitely the largest in Til Xiao. The snow-capped towering location is also one of the most dangerous, home to the oni cabals, Morayuki is often a dangerous and unpredictable location with rampant snowstorms that the Oni use to ambush the unprepared. Those that do not succumb to the Oni, however, often succumb to their victims… Terrifying Yuki-Onna, departed spirits of the once-slaves of the Oni, bemourn their lost lives and unsuccessful burials, dragging others into the snow to freeze.

Still, though, it is also a land of opportunity to those strong enough to overcome the cold and danger. The ice freezes many secrets over, with past oni cabals having left ruins behind that are ripe for the picking with treasure and powerful magical artifacts of centuries past. To those brave, strong, and perhaps foolish enough to brave it, the mountain still has many secrets left to uncover.

## Inhabitants

Humans

The primary race in Morisia, much like most of the rest of the world, humans are a prosperous and far-breeding race prone to luck and misfortune in odd amounts. As a result, it’s rather expected that humans will be rather prosperous in the Nation of Fortune. Most humans native to Til Xiao possess an odd penchant for trickery in playful ways. It is actually not entirely uncommon for a Tillian Human to be viewed as up to “no good” in spite of the mischief they get up to being entirely good natured- a little playfulness being a rather desirable quality among the denizens of Til Xiao.

Kitsune

Often viewed as blessed by the Damasu-Kami, Kitsune are fairly common in Til Xiao. Due to their connection to the Damasu-Kami by apparent race, kitsune are sometimes viewed as the ‘favored of the Damasu-Kami’ and it’s thought that Hibiki has a particular love for the people. So far, this is yet to be proven or disproven, but it is noted that they seem to be quite a bit more apt at getting out of trouble and their pranks have a tendency of being slightly more successful in Til Xiao than for members of the race in other places. Many of the retainers of the Sahasi family and tenders to the Seat of the Damasu-Kami tend to be Kitsune by nature. Kitsune Oracles seem to be surprisingly (or unsurprisingly) common in the Damasu-Kami’s lands, and unlike in many other locations in the country, being an oracle is often viewed as a gift. Especially among the kitsune.

Tengu

The dutiful followers of the Damasu-Kami often are viewed to maintain quite a bit of the fickle deity’s favor. Whether they be loyal community-driven members of the society, or the more chaotic opportunists, the Damasu-Kami appears to have quite a bit of a love for the crow-like race. Often living in mountain towns due to their proclivities, many Tengu find themselves drawn to lives as mercenaries or adventurers who help the lands rid themselves of monster problems… And take advantage of the necessity for said skills as they do…

Sea Elves

These beautiful dwellers of the ocean frequent themselves in The Glimmering Port, their ability to live both above and below the water without much effort is often a prized ability among sailors, and the graceful beauty they possess is certainly a welcome thing in the city- a pretty face often turns coin purses a lot faster in business, so the port city often has a place for those among the Sea Elf colonies that choose to separate from their homes and learn more about life on the shore. It is, therefore, also somewhat unsurprising that half elves in  Kendoku tend to bare traits of these aquatic humanoids.