Yi Ti

Yi Ti is the name given to both the region and nation found in eastern Essos beyond the Bone Mountains, sometimes known as the Golden Empire of Yi Ti.

It is ruled by a God-Emperor, who claims descent from the rulers of the legendary Great Empire of the Dawn. However, three separate God-Emperors currently claim dominion over the Empire.

## Geography and Climate

### Topography and Weather

* The Yang-Tho Province - Defined by the territory of the city of Tiqui to the north and the source of the river Yan, which runs south towards the Jade Sea via Yin, the largest city in the Known World, the Yang-Tho Province is the name given to the central region of Yi Ti. As one travels north through the Forest of Yin, jungle gradually gives way to temperate forest, and in turn mountains covered in thin soils and falls of snow. The few trees that can survive the harsher climates to the north of the Province give shelter to the creatures that inhabit the region, principal amongst them giant species of cats not dissimilar to the shadowcats of the mountainous regions of Westeros, although their fur is more commonly white and pale-grey, in contrast the darker hue of their counterpart.
* The Xu-Jun Province - Conflicted by the ongoing tensions with Qarth, the influence of the God-Emperor and YiTish culture has dwindled greatly in the past century, and as such the Qartheen frequently boast of control of the region of Essos. Within this territory, the settlements of Tiqui and Trader Town may be found.
* The Cao-Yang Province - Defined by Jinqi to the east and the territory of the non-YiTish city of Asabhad to the west, the Cao-Yang Province contains the Golden Empire’s coastline with the Jade Sea, and most of the major imperial cities.
* The Gao-Jie Province - The largest of the Provinces of the Golden Empire, the Gao-Jie Province makes the entirety of the eastern border of Yi Ti, from the Bleeding Sea to the lands east of Jinqi. It is highly contested territory with the residents of the Shadow Lands.
* The Hanlin Province - Spanning the north of YiTish territory, the Hanlin Province is the one most frequently raided by the Jogos Nhai, and as such is the least populated of the Provinces. Despite this, it is to the Hanlin Province that the wayfarers on the Great Pilgrimage of the Dawn travel every ten years.

### Cities and Towns

* The Five Forts - The Five Forts are a series of colossal fortresses along the northeastern boundaries of the Golden Empire, defining the northeastern border of Yi Ti, and creating a barrier to the Land of the Shrykes, K'Dath, Bonetown, the Grey Waste, and the Cannibal Sands. They are located between the Bleeding Sea and the Mountains of the Morn, and constructed from bricks of fused black stone. The forts are said to be able to house nearly fifty thousand men between them, and tower nearly a thousand feet high. The land upon which they are built is considered by many to be part of Grey Waste, for the sand in the area takes a dull slate-like colour, and as such many maps will mark the area as an extension of the desert, despite being claimed by the YiTish.
* Jinqi - Jinqi is a city in Yi Ti, located near a delta along the Jade Sea, north of the island of Leng. The nearby river Jinqa links the Jade Sea to the Bleeding Sea in the north. The dynasty of the maroon emperors kept their martial court at this city, to better guard the eastern frontiers of the empire against reavers from the Shadow Lands.
* Si Qo - Si Qo, historically known as Si Qo the Glorious, was a city located in the heart of Yi Ti's jungle. Over a century ago, it was abandoned following a great plague, and has since fallen in disrepair, overgrown by the forest surrounding it. It was once the capital of the Empire during the rule of the scarlet emperors.
* Tiqui -  Located in the western hills of the Golden Empire, the city of Tiqui is a populous and prosperous settlement. Another of the ancient capitals of Yi Ti, and was the origin of some of the nation's past god-emperors, in particular the dynasty of the purple emperors, who had their seat located at Tiqui.
* Trader Town - Found in northern Yi Ti, Trader Town is a garrison town that lies to the east of the Great Sand Sea, but west of the Shrinking Sea. It is connected to the city of Tiqui and the fortress-city of Bayasabhad by the Sand Road. Sellsword companies from western Essos rarely venture as Far East as Yi Ti, but when they do, it is often through Trader Town, which serves as the primary route of trade via land with the Golden Empire.
* Huiji - The second largest city in Yi Ti, Huiji is located due north of the large isle of Leng, and east and west of the coastal cities of Yin and Jinqi respectively. The three great port cities of Yi Ti are connected via the Salt Road, which spans the entire of the south coast of the Golden Empire. Huiji is famed for its craft of fine silk and paper, and considered the home of modern writing and art. Many travelers from the city seek the familiar sights of the city in a district of Qarth known colloquially as West Huiji, for it resembles many similarities to the YiTish city itself.
* Yin - The greatest port city in the Known World, a claim that the Qartheen consistently refute, Yin is the largest city in Yi Ti, and perhaps the Known World. The territory of the city is said to be large enough for all the Free Cities to be combined with room to spare, as the settlement is said to serve as home to men, women, children and beasts “too numerous for even ten-thousand men to count.” The dynasties of the grey, indigo, and pearl-white emperors ruled the Golden Empire of Yi Ti from their seats at Yin, and, in the present, the azure emperors have done the same.

### Notable Locations

* The Palace of All-Writing-and-Understanding-To-Be-Known - Known to foreigners as the Great Library, the Palace is technically found within the coastal city of Huiji, but far to the north of the actual city. The Palace has a number of levels that sprawl over the side of the Mount Fol, and access is defined by caste. All may enjoy the gardens that surround the buildings at the base of the mountain, but only the working Castes may enter the first buildings. Warriors may pilgrimage a level further, and the warrior monks at the top of the Revered Caste another still, but only those of amongst the Scholars and above may visit the summit, and the information it holds within.
* The Roads of the Pearl-White God-Emperors - Laced across the nation of Yi Ti like a web of stone, the roads built by the Seven Eunuchs are said to parallel even the Valyrian Dragonroads in quality, and link all major cities of the Golden Empire, facilitating ease and speed of travel through forest, snow, mountains and sands.
* The Mountains of the Maiden-Made-Of-Light - Found in the heart of the Yang-Tho Province, the Mountains of the Maiden-Made-Of-Light are a collection of two major mountains and around a dozen minor ones. Atop the snow-capped tip of the highest amongst them, Mount Mai, the Temple-Of-Peace-That-Never-Breaks is built, and within it one of the Order of the Oracles can be found. Upon the lesser mountains and hills, numerous small temples, shrines and hot springs can be found, and many will come from the cities of the north of south to meditate in the presence of the ancestors of the Golden Empire at the sites.
* The Imperial Monastery of Yin - Built upon a hill known throughout history as the Place-Where-The-Forest-Began, the Imperial Monastery of Yin is located near to the eponymous coastal city, at the border of the Forest of the same name. Entrance is offered only through the gates of Cherry Blossom, upon which a rose-gold shield depicting a tree covered in bloom is mounted. Currently maintained by Grandmaster Ren Wu, initiates who display the obedience, diligence and appropriate respectfulness expected of them may learn the Ways of the Steadfast Auroch, Calming Bee and Silent Rooster, as well as the Paths of Lan and Quan.
* The Imperial Monastery of Huiji - Sometimes known as the Temple of Sea-Green Dragon, The Imperial Monastery of Huiji is constructed upon a outcrop jutting forth from the Jade Sea, and upon its gates of Willow, a great disk of jade depicts a Dragon emerging triumphantly from a wave of water. Grandmaster Po Fin teaches those that are permitted to join the Ways of the Black Tortoise, the Moonlight Owl and Darting Horse, in accordance with the teachings of elevated Scholar, General Rei.
* The Imperial Monastery of Tiqui - Watched over and governed by the teachings of Grandmaster Da Duan, the Temple-Of-Snow-And-Ice-And-Wind is found at the northeast border of the Yang-Tho Province, where it borders the western region of Xu-Jun. Behind gates of Evergreen Pine, upon which a shield of silver has been carved into the appearance of a Striped Snow Cat, novices and acolytes learn the Ways of the Upwards Eagle, the Purple Dove and Restless Moth.
* The Imperial Monastery of Jinqi - The newest of the four Imperial Monasteries, although still older than the Freehold of Old Valyria, the Imperial Monastery of Jinqi remains damaged since a surprisingly organised and precise attack by raiders out of the Shadow Lands to the east. Its Cypress gates have been repaired, by the circular disk of topaz was stolen and is yet to be replaced.
* The Forest of Yin - The Forest of Yin is one of the largest forests in the Known World, and the largest to be fully mapped, which the continent of Sothoryos has not. Rich in life and humid to the south, it grows increasingly temperate to its north, before giving way to the snowy peaks of the Mountains of the Maiden-Made-Of-Light further north still. Larger than nearly the Reach and the Westerlands combined, it is home to countless rivers and lakes, springs and waterfalls, each covered by shrines and protected by a separate guardian spirit. Basilisks are roam the warmer southern regions, whereas the north is home to Striped Snow Cats larger than the lions that once inhabited Casterly Rock.

## Culture and Society

### The Tenets

1. All actions of the peoples of the Golden Empire must be made in the interest of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti and the God-Emperor who is the conduit between man and the Creator-Gods.
2. Those of lower Caste must not speak in the presence of those of higher Caste, unless explicitly permitted to do so by said higher member, or at times of Festival.
3. Even when permitted to speak, members of lower Caste must not meet those of highest Caste in the eye, and should instead bow their head in continuous respect, unless commanded to do otherwise.
4. All landowners must, on the anniversary of Battle for the Next Dawn, dedicate themselves to pilgrimage to the site within the Hanlin Province to make an offering in memory of Yin Tar, also known as The-Champion-Of-All-Humankind.
5. The export of the unprocessed YiTish crops is forbidden, by order of the fifth Pearl-White God-Emperor, so that rivals of the Golden Empire may never grow strong from their most valuable resources.

### Ceremonies and Festivals

There are four great Festivals that take place in Yi Ti annually, and they serve to section the year into four even periods of time.

* The Festival of Never-Ceasing Light, also known as the Festival of the Maiden-Made-Of-Light - Marking the transition of one year into the next, the Festival of Never-Ceasing Light is most famous for its floating lanterns. Shaped from paper, two lanterns are released by every household and family in Yi Ti at the stroke of midnight. The first is covered in script listing the worries and fears of the past year, and crafted from white paper, thus representing the death of those things written on the lantern. The second is made from black paper, and left blank, to represent the optimistic uncertainty that the next year brings.
* The Summer Lotus Festival - Taking place around three moons after the turn of the new year, the Summer Lotus Festival is a celebration filled with light, colour and vibrancy unparalleled outside of Yi Ti. Custom dictates that all participants carry a streamer in accordance with both their social caste and their marital status. Whereas those of the working Castes will use handles of fir or cypress, the middle castes use cherry blossom and fragrant ginseng. The highest castes carry streamers of goldenheart, which is extremely rare within the lands of the Golden Empire, and thus imported from the Summer Isles at great personal cost. The ribbons that trail from the handles are independent of caste, and instead indicate marital status, with jade-green fabric representing unpaired, scarlet promised to another but not yet married, maroon married and white a widow or widower. It has grown popular for individuals seeking companionship to trail a ribbon of purple, although this custom is frowned upon in many cities, including Yin. Foreigners may join in with the celebrations, and are typically given a rod of iron, from which a ribbon of blue ripples.
* Festival of the Ravenous Spirits - Taking place half way through the year, the Festival of the Ravenous Spirits is intended to celebrate and remember the ancestors, and takes place over three days. On the first day, offerings of food, water and rice wine are made at the shrines in each household, presented in an intricately decorated clay bowl that is made anew each year. The next day, offerings of clothing are made. Poorer families might offer a pair of boots, whereas the wealthier will have enough fine silk shirts spun to clothe a Westerosi Noble House several times over. On the third day, it is traditional for the family to spend the day at the shrine, meditating in the presence of the ancestors. When the day draws to a close, a fire fuelled by branches of the wolfberry tree is prepared, and the offerings placed within the flames.
* The Plum Blossom Festival - Steadfast even through winter, the Plum Blossom gives its name to the celebration remembers times of frigid, trying weather and is the last to be celebrated before the cycle begins anew. Said to represent endurance and hardiness of the YiTish people, it is traditional for men to wear a bloom of the Plum Blossom behind their left ear through the week of celebration, whereas women wear the flowers upon a band around their wrists.

### Pilgrimage

* The Great Pilgrimage of the Dawn - On every tenth year since the birth of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti after the saviour Yin Tar slayed the denizens of darkness with his blade of living flame, all landowners within Imperial lands make a great pilgrimage to the supposed site of the Battle for the Next Dawn within the Hanlin Province. A shrine built in the likeness of a sword marks the location, and is visited by hundreds of thousands, if not millions when the time comes. It is traditional to leave an offering at the shrine, and every decade the Daughters-Of-The-Champion-Of-All-Humankind gather up the piles of coins, clothing, food, weapons and crafts, using their value to sustain the shrine for another decade.

### Food and Drink

* Tea - All Castes drink tea on a daily basis, but only the highest Castes can afford the premium buds and leaves required to create the finest quality drink. Most famous of these luxury blends is the Tea-of-A-Thousand-Stars, in which a deeply aromatic black tea is sprinkled with a dusting of gold and silver, the brew resembling the night’s sky. Regardless of the style of tea, if it traditional to serve the drink in a glazed clay pot with a handle shaped from the branch of a clove tree.
* Rice - A staple of YiTish cuisine, the rice crop is considered so sacred that it is forbidden for any individual, be they are resident of the Golden Empire or otherwise to transport seeds beyond the borders of Yi Ti, on pain of death. The same applies to any product that uses the crop in its production, including the sharp and pungent rice-wines sold throughout the drinking-houses of the region. The eunuch Pearl-White Emperors decreed this ban on trade so that no other nation in the Known World might benefits from the versatility and abundance of the cereal crop.
* Wine - Yi Ti is known across the Known World for its fine wines flavoured with a range of fruits grown across its many provinces. Of increasing popularity throughout the wealthy Yi Ti is poppy wine, the appearance similar to that of a thick sappy milk. Unlike rice or fruit-based wines however, poppy wine is instead heated in a heavy iron-based pot, and the fumes drawn in through the nose and mouth, although there are those who drink the liquid regardless. The poppy is not a flower native to Yi Ti, and as such the Balarr Trading Company currently hold a monopoly on its import to the Golden Empire.
* Spices - It is traditional for YiTish cuisine to utilise large quantities of spice, particularly saffron, ginseng and nutmeg, which are amongst their primary exports. Vendors in the streets and plazas of the great cities offer a wide range of flavoured vegetables and fish, typically skewed upon points of painted wood. The spice and fish markets of Huiji are a bustling and frantic place, and traders from Qarth, Slaver’s Bay and the Free Cities are often seen trying to acquire exotic ingredients intended for sale elsewhere in the Known World.

### Religion

Lomas Longstrider called Yi Ti "the land of a thousand gods and a hundred princes, ruled by one god-emperor”, a statement that remains as true in The Year of the Scarlet Crab that Pinches Pearl as it did in the days of the Westerosi explorer. Each household has space for a shrine, although the size and grandeur of the feature varies considerably, from the corner of a room, decorated with a solitary candle in those of lower Caste, to the colossal temples and sanctums in the God-Emperor’s palace, where ten thousand lanterns flicker day and night.

Each stream, lake and spring is said to be watched over by a Guardian Spirit, which ward harm from all those that make an offering into the waters. Neglected Spirits are said to become resentful and malign, at which point they are considered wraiths, and require ceremonial sacrifices of livestock to temper their wrath.

Very few of the gods of Yi Ti are known outside of the Golden Empire, but shrines to the Maiden-Made-of-Light and the Lion of Night can be found amongst the islands that make up Braavos.

### Calendar

The calendar system used by YiTish is considered confusing, unusual and convoluted by the standards of the Westeros, and even those of Essos. Instead of using numbers to represent years, decades and centuries are assigned names that fit into three separate categories.

Individual years are given a ten yearly cycle of usage, and named for animals, both mythical and real.

In turn, the decades of each century are then given names that correspond to colours found commonly within YiTish culture.

Finally, each century is given a name inspired by the precious stones from which the Emperors of the Great Empire of the Dawn took their name. The last millennia has been named as such.

Some examples of dates of significant dates throughout history, written in the form of the YiTish calendar are provided below. Note that YiTish custom is to place the decade before the year, with the century following after with an adage that often varies with the beast corresponding with the year in question. Of additional confusion, it is worth noting that as YiTish naming conventions are not centred around Aegon’s Conquest, dates before the conquest will, at a glance, seem not to match up, as 92BC is in fact only eight years into a new century in YiTish culture, and 101BC would represent a century about to draw to a close.

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## God-Emperors and the Castes

The population of Yi Ti is split into eight castes, based primarily on occupation. It is possible for an individual to move up castes by betterment of their employment, but uncommon, as it is traditional for fathers to teach their son their craft in order to continue the family legacy.

* Traders, called the Bronzed - Lowest of the Castes, traders are considered the least of the residents of the Golden Empire for they do not provide for Yi Ti, and instead only serve to transport and sell what others have grown, created or crafted. Foreigners are considered amongst the Trader Caste.
* Craftsmen, called the Travailed - Creators of works of wood, metal and fabric, Craftsmen are considered the lowest of the working class Castes for although their skill is unparalleled, they do not toil in the fields, forests or mines seeking wealth and resources for the Golden Empire, and instead rely upon the work of others for their own talents.
* Farmers, called the Blessed - Along with miners, fishermen and all those which work the lands of the Yi Ti, farmers enjoy a social standing much higher than those found elsewhere in the Known World, and their dedication to the Golden Empire is acknowledged.
* Warriors, called the Revered - The Warrior Caste is split again into sub-castes, with the equivalent of Westerosi footmen at the bottom, and warrior monks of the Imperial Monasteries are at the top. Swordsmen in dedicated service to a master are considered higher than those currently unbound, and above both are the guardsmen of the major cities of the Golden Empire.
* Scholars, called the Scribed - The lowest of the Scribed Caste are the officials, administrators and judicials of the Golden Empire, although they are still treated with the utmost respect, for the Scholars are the highest amongst the working classes of Yi Ti. Above them are the great thinkers and philosophers, who reside almost exclusively within the Imperial Monasteries of Yin, Huiji, Tiqui and Jinqi. At the top of the Caste are the Oracles, who never number more or less than three. One can be found within the Five Forts, another at the God-Emperor’s side, and a third in the Temple-Of-Peace-That-Never-Breaks, a place for meditation near the centre of the Empire.
* Nobility, called the Treasured - Made up of the families and descendents of the great dynasties of the Golden Empire and, if the claims are to be believed, the Great Empire of the Dawn before it, the Treasured Caste are one of the highest Castes, considered above all those deemed working classes. The family of the God-Emperor themselves are the highest placed, but not thought of as greater than those of the Venerated Caste.
* Monks, called the Venerated - Exclusive amongst the Castes because one cannot seek to become amongst their number, the Venerated Caste is held in a position of extremely high esteem by the people of Yi Ti, the highest amongst them second only to the God-Emperor themselves, greater even than the noble families. Infants are chosen by the Monks shortly after birth for admission into the Venerated Caste, and many families vie for their children to be chosen.
* The God-Emperor, descendant of the son of the Maiden-Made-Of-Light - The God-Emperor is the ruler of the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, as well as the ruler of its mythic predecessor, the Great Empire of the Dawn. Only he may don the gowns of cloth-of-gold, green pearls, and jade that tradition allows the emperor to wear.

## Recent History

Three Emperors lay claim to the Golden Empire of Yi Ti, each declaring their right to be the truest. Only time will tell however, whether it is the Ochre Emperor of Trader Town, the Azure Emperor of Yin or the Amber Emperor of Jinqi that will eventually find victory.

Nearby, rumours have started to spread that upon the isle of Leng, the sealed underground cities have been once again opened by the mad God-Empresses Khalia the Zeal, and all visitors must now tread with caution upon the isle, for the massacres have begun once more.

## History

Since its origins in the wake of the Long Night to the present, eleven dynasties have ruled over the Empire. Some lasted no more than half a century, whereas others endured for seven hundred years. Some gave way to others peacefully, others in war; and on four occasions, the end of a dynasty was followed by a period of anarchy and lawlessness when warlords and petty kings warred for supremacy, with the longest of these interregnums lasting more than a century.

The Empire lives in a constant state of war against the Jogos Nhai, with many an imperial general and three God-Emperors having led armies across the plains to bring the nomads to heel, but such attempts seldom ended well and eventually the Jogos Nhai raids began anew, even when emperors compelled handfuls of jhats to vow them eternal fealty, as Jogos Nhai tended to flee rather than face armies in battle.

During his long reign, forty-second scarlet emperor Lo Han led three such invasions of the plains, yet by the time of his death the Jogos Nhai carried out bolder and more rapacious raids than when he began his reign. His successor, Lo Bu determined to end the threat of the nomads for all time. He assembled a mighty host, said to be three hundred thousand strong, and crossed the borders of the empire with slaughter as his only purpose. Tributes, hostages, oaths of fealty, or offerings of peace failed to sway him and his vast army swept the plains, leaving behind a burning wasteland.

When the nomads resorted to their traditional tactic of melting away at the approach of the army, Lo Bu divided his host into thirteen smaller armies and sent them forth in all directions to hunt down the zorse-riders. History tells a million Jogos Nhai died at their hands.

The rival clans of Jogos Nhai unified under jhattar Zhea, who, in a period of two years isolated each of Lo Bu's thirteen armies, slew their scouts and foragers, starved them, denied them water, led them into wastelands and traps, thus destroying each army one by one. Finally, her riders fell on Lo Bu's own host and carried out a slaughter so terrible that every stream for twenty leagues around was choked in blood. Among the slain was Lo Bu himself, whose skull was stripped of flesh and dipped in gold, becoming Zhea's drinking cup.