Tsaesci Consortium

The Court of Pasha Barakus has been in contact with the Shogunate of The Tsaesci Empire and has reported to them various findings in the UR mountains of dwarven ruins and lost technologies. This is for two reasons, the first in the hope of initiating trade between the two regions, and the second is UR is too large to manage for the forces available to the Pasha, two birds one stone. The Shogunate in their infinite wisdom has sent a detachment of officials, scholars, enforcers, and taken the opportunity to dispose of certain undesirables and created the “Consortium”. They have made an extremely long and perilous journey from Kara-Tur to Viriscali.

The Tsaesci Consortium is composed of but not limited to the following factions:

The Hasu (The Lotus) - Merchants

An ancient and somewhat secret society that transcends the boundaries of the nations, seeking gold, trade, philosophy, and beauty. Life, death, and even suffering should be beautiful. They are devoted to the collection, and sharing of ancient knowledge across national and political divides for the right price. They are mostly a collection of Noble houses funding trade and lesser merchants who have earned their places among the Hasu with major contributions.

Tanken-ka Girudo - Relic Society

This organization is dedicated to first researching the origin of the Dwarven race, and secondarily lost technologies and items of power. Their leader, Kotaro-sama, works closely with lorekeepers, forge clerics, and artificers to find, and study relics of interest. A Short History of the Tsaesci Empire

Akaviri

Ancestral and hereditary professional warriors of the noble class who adhered to the code of bushido. warriors who are sworn to serve lords and the noble houses of the Tsaesci Empire. These warriors swear allegiance to one noble house or another and through them are granted authority over people and lands. Their training is extensive from martial skills, science, alchemy, and philosophy. Many of these warriors are sworn to the members of the Lotus, and nobles amongst the Tsaesci Consortium.

Hori Clan

At face value the Hori Clan is a group of all female entertainers ranging from flying opera theater, to personal intimate companionship of paying patrons usually in prominent positions. This is a disguise however the true business of the Hori Clan is information, secrets, and leverage. They are a decentralized, grassroots, group of spies and enforcers. They seek to expand the range and location of their “cells” and lone operatives throughout lands with power and influence. Their leadership chooses people in power to back or undermine and the field agents seek to do so. The ultimate goal is to discern the political dynamics within each region or realm of interests, promote fairness and equality by covert means. Act openly as a last resort. Thwart tyrants and any leader, government, or group that grows too powerful, and aid the weak, the poor, and the oppressed.

Government

The Tsaesci empire is an absolute monarchy. Loyalty and merit to the throne will be rewarded by control over a region. Historically within the leadership however, where the previous regime and/or dynasty changed they have been overpowered and executed. As a part of Tsaesci culture, when a clan's leader is killed, it is customary for rivals to immediately murder his family and thus exterminate the clan lineage forever.

Magic

The Tsaesci do not have an arcane tradition that resembles wizardry. Rather spellcasters are usually innate spellcasters. From what is known about Tsaesci usage of magic, it is clear that their magic users do not fall into known categories outside of their borders. Instead of the wizardly arts the wizened people of the Tsaesci focus on Rune Magic, Advanced Alchemy, and Artifistry. There is also a tradition of flesh-shaping, making, or spirit-capture magic. Some of the magic users are flesh-shapers and can create other creatures like terracotta warriors‎, golems and animated constructs. Death is not always final for some Tsaesci, instead being a mere stop over on the path to a new body. Spirit binders used their magic to transfer these spirits from one shell to the next (generally frowned upon).

Slavery

Even with powerful magic at their disposal, some of the Tsaesci often preferred to use slaves to build their massive monuments. Enslaved humanoids were marked with branding irons. Forged of iron and imbued with spells of subjugation and pain, manacles with inward facing spikes are forced onto the slaves of the Tsaesci. The blood of many Tsaesci slaves were shed with a bone whip fashioned from the spine of some large and ancient creature.

Companions

Favorite pets of the Tsaesci Nobles, the lions dogs who make loyal and fearless companions and mounts. Some innate spellcasters, keepers of the secret to bringing stone to life, prefer solid animated stone companions over more beastly familiars.

A short History of The Tsaesci Empire & Consortium

The Tsaesci Empire have been largely isolated and unknown by the rest of the realm. The consortium is a group of Dwarves and Human explorers, settlers, and merchants (and some undesirables) forged by a millennia of infighting and war with themselves and the hostile beings of their lands. They now find themselves in an unprecedented age of peace united finally under one victorious and glorious Tsaesci Shogunate. They’re entering an age of relative peace, exploration, and possible expansion. To the rest of the realm.
After the Emperor Shou Lung died before naming an heir, civil war broke out between the north and the south. The northern factions backed Shin Lu, while the southern lords of T'u Lung backed Shin Gisen. Two years later, Shin Gisen was made Emperor of T'u Lung and the nation was officially founded. Emperor Shin Rokan tried to remove power from the barons and increase taxes. He was soon assassinated by Wai Long Hwa, who proclaimed himself Emperor. Some of the powerful noble families made alliances and seceded from the Emperor and the period of the "Three Kingdoms" began.
A potter of Chedoru named Jo He Ting created a set of eight magical bowls for the imperial court. Anyone who ate from the bowls was bestowed with clear thought for an hour after using them. Emperor Wai Chu Doang was killed by poison while using the bowls. After the death of Wai Lo Yan, one of T'u Lung's most long-lived emperors, the only heir was his daughter Wai Yeh Ying. Tradition meant that she should have been made emperor but the nobles of T'u Lung instead made her regent until Wai Lo Yan's nephew came of age. After 242 years of conflicts and incursions with Shou Lung, diplomatic overtures were made and major invasions ceased. Despite this, Shou Lung continued to send small forces into T'u Lung on a regular basis, justifying these intrusions as hunting fleeing criminals.
T'u Lung was split into six provinces, each ruled by a hereditary governor. The Emperor of T'u Lung was the overall leader but his power was diminished by the numerous wealthy noble families that controlled the various offices across the country. In order to gain support for his rebellion against the north, Emperor Shin Gisen had given power to the wealthy noble families. However, after T'u Lung was established as its own nation, it became near-impossible for the Emperor to regain this power.
Several centuries later, the noble families still held a lot of power to the extent that the Emperor couldn't enforce his edicts without consent from the majority of nobles. The majority of Humans and Dwarves of T'u Lung share racial characteristics like epicanthic folds, brown eyes, and fine, straight black hair. T'u Lung people were also known to be slightly taller with thinner cheekbones than the humans in neighboring lands.
The most common language spoken in T'u Lung was Common but other languages also exited such as Kao te Shou. Local accents and dialects of Kao te Shou were numerous and varied greatly across the country. T'u Lung did also have its own unique language, also named T'u Lung, but this was probably not commonly used.