Ao Mizhao

Ao Mizhao is a large city within the Three Dynasties of Shavhan. It is ruled by the Zheng dynasty of emperors, and currently ruled by Empress Zanadi Zheng.

Ao Mizhao is a haven for magic and science, and is world-renowned for its library, which is the largest collection of knowledge in the world.

## City Layout

Ao Mizhao is a particularly unique city that seems to defy physics. Over centuries of mages meddling with arcane science, the city has become partially intersected with the Weird. Whenever the Warlock Synod attempt to repair this, they only end up making it worse. The result is a city that cannot be mapped and does not stay still.

Fortunately for the residents, the city is dotted with teleportation stations, which act as a public transport system. Specialised Ziochi (Navigators) understand the weave and flow of the city, and can be hired to take people where they need to be, however, even the Ziochi can be caught off guard when a street disappears.

The Night City is a large portion of the city where mages accidentally extended one of the many pocket dimensions of the city to an incredible size. This dimension had the unique property of being permanently night time, and the stars in the sky were different. Mages tried to close it off, but thieves and criminals took over the area and built in it, creating a shadowy society which most people were unable to get to. It is now an un-policed district and a haven for illegal activities.

The City's Edge is a portion of the city where mages deliberately tried to extend a pocket dimension, to create more building space. While building in this space, they realised that the dimension was unstable. People would disappear, and strange creatures appeared from nowhere. The mages blocked off the area entirely and evacuated everybody.

## Government

### Political Parties

Though the Emperor of Ao Mizhao is chosen by the stars, their advisors are not. The people running the Palace are elected by notable Ministers of the city. Particularly, Ministers vote for which political party they want aiding the Emperor. These parties are usually lead by a charismatic individual, called a , who becomes one of the Emperor's main advisors if they are voted in. The Ministers elect a new party for the Palace every ten years, and every time a new emperor or empress is placed in charge of the city.

There are four political parties;

#### The Keepers / Sha-Lingkao

The current leading party of Ao Mizhao. The Keepers, as their name would suggest, focus on secrecy, protection, and keeping things. They like to hoard artefacts and knowledge, and take pride in protecting these. Additionally, the Keepers have a strong sense of tradition, and work to keep the strong customs of Shavhan alive in this modern, technologically evolving time. Members of The Keepers control the majority of the militia and defenses of the city, and also perform many of the spiritual guidance roles.

#### The Seekers / Lo-Chingkao

The seekers are one of the most prominent parties of Ao Mizhao. They focus on discovery and invention. The seekers often travel the world searching for the answers to various mysteries, and are the biggest contributors to expanding the knowledge contained within the Library. They like to experiment, with magic and mechanics, and some of their experiments are seen as highly controversial. Members of the The Seekers are often explorers, mechanics, and mages.

#### The Watchers / Zuu-Tingkao

The Watchers are the most enigmatic and mysterious of the political parties. While the Seekers focus on unraveling the scientific and magical mysteries of the world, the Watchers prefer to keep an eye on the political and social aspects of the world. The watchers keep an eye on the actions of other nations, and who to make alliances with, or war against. They often act as the ambassadors and diplomats of Ao Mizhao. Additionally, the Watchers are said to control the espionage services of the city, though this is unconfirmed.

#### The Speakers / Yuu-Shingkao

The Speakers are, unsurprisingly, the most outspoken party. Each member of the party swears by the ideal of truth, and even when not in charge, are not averse to telling the emperor and his advisors what they think he's doing wrong. The Speakers are the most likely party to bring about major policy changes, and have been instrumental in ensuring that Ao Mizhao is at the forefront of social progressiveness. Members of the speakers also control the legal system, acting as judges and lawmakers. They also compete with the keepers in terms of spiritually guiding the people of the city.

### The Warlock Synod

While the political parties technically govern the city and advise the emperor, one of the most influential groups in Ao Mizhao is the mysterious Cān Yuan, the Warlock Synod. This group are secretive and its members are anonymous. Not much is known about them, but many rumours circulate. It is said they make pacts and perform blood rituals to achieve knowledge and power, and that each of them has been so distorted from their connection to the outer realms that they aren't recognisable as human anymore. It is said that not even the Watchers know the members of this group, but they willingly reveal themselves to the emperor. What is known is that they are the supreme authority of magic in Ao Mizhao, and they run the Library.

The Warlock Synod live in Cān Bao, the forbidden castle, supposedly hidden within a pocket dimension. None are allowed to enter, and the castle has no doors.