Empire of Kuan

May it please the Emperor, son of Heaven; Defender of humanity; Champion of the Order of Heaven and deliverer of Harmonious balance between the Land, People and Heaven; and High King of the Four Provinces, we present this treatise for the education of students on the Empire. The student may read and learn of the glorious duty, responsibility and burden of delivering to the humans of the world the rightful order under the mandate of Heaven and the true Gods. Each citizen must carry this banner in their heart and banish primitive backward ways and pagan gods wherever they find them!

Structure

The ruler of the Empire is the Emperor or Empress- whichever is eldest in the succession line. The current glorious Emperor is Xian Lou, of the Xian clan, the Second Red Emperor of the Phoenix Throne. Beside him are his wife, Empress Honam Mojia and Consort Sadhi Uja of the Yellow Terrace Clan. The Emperor has one heir of the Empress, Aihon, daughter age 10. The three children of Uja are ages 1 (daughter), 3 (son) and 5 (son). There are also common concubines with 4 low born bastards- the oldest is an 18 yr old son, Azan. The Xian ascended with the eldest cousin of the main Yellow Zhia line being married to a Xian.


The Imperial Xian consist of the Emperor's Sister, Fequan-hu and husband Hoga Oloxi and 2 children, and six first cousins of the Xian line and four second cousins and their spouses or partners/ consorts. There are also at least 29 Imperial bastards. These may expect to serve as military officers or local Masters in the Provinces. These persons are gentry due to the touch of the Divine Imperial blood, though they are born of lowly commoner mothers.

The Purple (Torga) Imperial line are extinct. The Zhia Yellow Jade line cousins can be found in the Hogam, Tziju, Hoga and Sahdi Imperiate families.

Lords: Below and directly serving the Emperor are the Lords: These offices are typically filled by significant Noble leaders and selected by the Emperor's hand under the guidance of Heaven.
Chancellor- over sees Prefects
Vizier - over sees ministers
Lord Commander of the Guard - ( most likely filled by a Noble bastard)
Lord Commander of the armies - Golam Quol “Lord
Lord Monitor - inspectors, Monitors and informers. These are the eyes and ears of the emperor throughout the empire and beyond. They also control and monitor the Gates that allow instant teleportation of upto 20 persons at a time between gates.
Lord Wizard - Court wizard ( Position open to aristocrats and low born). The post is traditionally held by the Master of the Imperial Magic school, though the Master may appoint another to the Court. The Masters of the Keys are Imperial wizards that run the Gates.

Ministers: These report to the Lord Vizer.
Minister of Ceremonies: the chief official in charge of festivals, religious rites, rituals, prayers, and the maintenance of ancestral temples and altars.
Minister of Attendants ( minister of House): the house servants, slave keepers, cooks and butlers and maids are under this minister's direction.
Minister of Justice: Consults with the Lords and Emperor in forming and enforcing laws and passing this information down to local Masters of Justice and judges. The Green Legion is under the Ministers of Justice and service in policing functions for imperial law. Local lords and militias police local law.
Minister of Agriculture: In charge of the territorial resources and financial affairs of the state. Specifically, manages the farmland and the census register as well as the taxation, tributes and distribution of salaries.
Grand Herald: Organizes functions and appointments with the Lords and Emperor. Also over sees the Imperial messengers and records.
Minister of the Revenues: the keeper of accounts and records, paymaster and master of mints as well as the Imperial bank.
Minister of Works: oversees Imperial roads, Pillars and ports. Maintains and repairs bridges, roads and government and official buildings.

Prefects (oversee governors) - viceroys of the imperial family who report to the Lord Chancellor and over see and are reported to by Governors and Legates of the Counties.
Central: Strictly held by Virtuous Torga Nobles and over seeing the 24 clans and 75 great families of the Core and Shards.
Northern: The overseer for the Olian Provinces and frontier.
Eastern: The Overseer of the Esereti Provinces and frontier.
Western: Overseer of the Golam Provinces and frontier.
Southern: Overseer of the Fae Commonwealth and frontier.

Dominars: Regional Military Commanders - for each region: central, eastern, western, north and south under the Prefects. There is also a High Dominar of the Navy. Each Dominar ( High Dominar) commands the Generals of the Legion units serving the Governors and Legates.
Dominars - Oversee Provincial Dominar Commanders ( provincial and frontier for the 5 regions) plus Dominar of the Navy.

Dominar Generals are commanding the legions of each Province and Frontier province). They work with Governors for political and military goals and missions. Naval Dominar Generals of the North, South, East. and West.

Marshall Generals - for each of the Imperial Legions ( Legion infantry, Legion scouts, Legion Missile unit, Legion Cavalry, Legion Magi) under the Dominar Generals. Marshall Generals of the Navy Fleets command 3 fleets of 5 ships.  Each region has 12 fleets.
Green Legion are under the Governors and Legate command rather than Dominars while the Green Marshall Generals for each region report to Green Dominar General under the Minster of Justice.

Governor Generals report to the local Governors on Legion forces and availability and carry out orders from Dominars and Marshall Generals or the Governors ( in that order of hierarchy). They command Legion Units of 5 legion Cohorts.

Garrison Line Generals: These are commanders of local levies from local Noble house troops. These include city guard. They are outside of the Imperial Command lines but may be used for support or primary local defense against outside hazards.

Legion Commanders: these command the cohorts of the Legion Units. 1 cohort is 10 Units of 100.  Exception is the Magi which is a squad per Legion Unit.

Legion Unit Commander commands each Unit. With 2 Line Officers. Each Unit is made of Divisions of 10, plus a Division Commander.

The Basic structure of the legion is a squad of 5 - composed of a Line Officer (veteran) and privates (1st, second or 3rd rank)

Governors: Local Imperial agents and rulers supported by units of Imperial Legions, regular and Green Legion. In name the Governor commands the local Legions via the Generals - but the Generals are under control and direction of the Dominars. The Governors head the Small Councils made of the local nobles and other representatives. The Small Councils are commanding and receive reports from the local Grand Masters. Governors are appointed by the Emperor and serve at the pleasure of the emperor.
Inner Core Governor of Kuan and the Inner Shards.
Outer Shards Governor.
Provinces - 11 (one for each Kingdom)
Frontiers- 33 ( approximately 3 per Province)

Legates: Imperial Officers for the counties of the Provinces and Frontiers, typically 3-4 for each. They direct the Local Masters in small local issues under advisement of Governors and Great Masters. Legates make recommendations for local nobles and gentry, perform Imperial duties and may suggest students to the Imperial academies. Legates monitor local Nobles compliance with Imperial Law and accept appeals of locals to Imperial Law. Nobles may not swear oaths between each other. A local lord may not deal with or interfere with the people of another. Houses shall not allow rebels, murderers, outlaws or fugitives in their lands or holdings. Marriages and other negotiations require 3 officials of the Empire as witness. Fortifications may be repaired but not expanded without Imperial authority and any such activity must be reported to Imperial Officials.

Local Masters: County Officers reporting to Greater Masters under the Governor
Master of Ceremonies and protocol. Coordinates with the Church and other officials for celebrations, festivals and holidays.
Master of Justice: Local Masters of Justice oversee courts and Judges who are also investigators to find the truth. They appoint Magistrates or they may be appointed by Governors or higher government officials.
Master of Works (road, bridges, water & waste)
Master of Revenues: Keeps rolls of Noble Houses and taxes due from them as well as any special taxes on roads or ports.
Master of Agriculture ( farms and markets, weight accounts, imperial granaries)

Culture

Imperial culture carries down the Harmonious Virtues of the Order of Heaven to the world of men. The right-hand path is proper order: Gods to Emperor, to Nobles, to gentry and officials, farmers and makers and down to laborers, traders and finally beasts, slaves and the lowest of the low. Likewise Government officials and Nobles are as Gods to the common man, the father or grandfather is the emperor of the house, the wife or wives as ministers and children as common folk. The body is received from mother and energy from father, and parents and grandparents raise the child to stand on their own - so debt and respect is owed. This is reflected in the cosmology of the Holy Order, where Gods bless and support humans as spiritual parents, and the emperor is intermediary as material parent of the people and nation. This is the the right and proper order descended from Heaven. Some allowances is made for nongender conforming individuals under Quol and Lolak classifications and followers of left hand path Gods
Order is all important. The lower ranks should be obedient and serve the higher dutifully, skillfully, diligently and never question or make demands except in the most dire of situations. Expect punishment for acting above one's station! The exception is slaves - nonpersons that have no status. A chair or book doesn't act out of place, it performs it's function equally to high and low born. So too the slave. The higher status do not pollute themselves with lessers of baser classes and the low born should not act above their place or disturb noble persons of two or higher stations above themselves. Virtuous and Noble behavior is obedience to The Gods, the Emperor, deference and obedience to higher status, the clan, parents and ancestors, loyalty to one’s race and nation, truthfulness, and avoidance of excess. Ignoble, unvirtuous behavior is lying, theft, disobedience, disrespect, worship of foreign Gods and abandonment of family and tradition. These are not all crimes, but are unsavory and mark someone of low quality and to be avoided
The Torga Peoples rule the Empire because they have been given the fire of Heaven and the drive to Order. Torga Persons understand that there is only victory or failure. They expect proper respect and obedience from lessers of all societies. The Golam are admirable in their traditions of devotion to clan and land, though still harbor superstitious and pagan ways from their demon worshiping olden days. Esereti and Olia tolerate weakness and sentimentality that Torga do not. Olia or Esereti nobles lower themselves and dirty hands with gross trade and petty common affairs, while Golam and Torga receive goods and services from their clients and the small folk of their lands. Rightly, the commons offer up dutiful worship to their betters. Olian and Esereti sentimentalism limits the types and numbers of slave livestock they keep or allow- the Olia see the beastmen and animals as reflections of their primitive Totems, almost relatives. This draws down the Olia to common laborers with peasant pursuits and little above beasts. The empire seeks to raise them to higher station and place their lessers under their foot. Esereti despise the keeping of slaves generally and like the Olia see some commonality with inferior beasts, creatures and even devil Fae. Esereti people have a whimsical tradition of the Esereti Walkabout where travelers forget their proper places and duties with high and low persons mixing together in unseemly manner. 
The Fae races seem as if they are in the family of humans, but this is false. They are strange, wild and all, even the lowest, infused with magics that confound, confuse and enchant humans. The Seelie try to keep to a just path and refuse the devil Unseelie ways, but still are known to steal children and would attempt to impose themselves wrongly as lords and masters over men as they did in the ancient past. Heaven demands even left hand path has a place in service to Heaven's order. Thus the empire keeps it's faith in reward for past good, to allow them a place under the empire.
The monsters, creatures and lesser things are enemies, competitors or dominion of humans. Humans are set as the servants of Heaven under the hand of the Emperors, and all others must ultimately be destroyed, conquered, banished or submit to the Emperor's rule.

Foreign Relations

The Empire has a bounty on The Harrowland pirates and other pirates on the great inner sea. Undead threats in the northern Golam provinces and western Olia are addressed by Legions and Imperial Magi.
The empire has established boundaries at the Frontiers. These regions may be incorporated into the empire in the future and are current protectorates. Some rebels and imperial resistors exist in the frontiers.  These are counted as bandits and under bounty or hunted by Imperial Legions.
Old Kingdoms:  some Olia, Golam and Esereti kingdoms are independent in the wilderness outside of the Imperial provinces and frontiers.  Skirmishes and watchful wariness across the borders.
LizardKings: off and on war with skirmishes by aggressive Golam lords in the southern Golam lands.  The Fae Commonwealth is neutral with the Lizardkings. fae merchants and Octnon cross back and forth for trade.  Humans are suspect generally - more negative towards Golam ancestry than Esereti.  Some Lizardking ships trade with Olian ports, the outer Shards and Esereti.   Golam are not traded with even in the north.
Bahku and other barbarians trade or raid on tribe by tribe basis in the eastern Esereti frontier. War with the monster races. Taurien: The Centaur and Minotaur republic trades with Esereti across the frontier. Some merchants will buy cargo from Taurien traders for transport to the western Provinces and the greater empire.  The Taurien are wary of Imperial ambitions.
Moon People  some live in the frontier or eastern Esereti provinces, though the principle Moon People cities and states are largely North of the Taurien States beyond the Esereti Red Dragon Dominion.

Trade & Transport

Imperial Bank: Located in Government offices in cities.
Pays 1% interest per year. Citizens may take out loans at 10% interest per month.
Issues Tickets or exchanges tickets for coin.
Records and Monitors Zhohanzi - (Chartered merchant monopolies with joint stock holding. 1 share cost= 100 Dragons). Shares lose 10% in face value taxes, then roll profit chart.
Insurance: Merchants pay 20% of listed value to be insured. Claims are investigated by Inspectors and Monitors. Fraud is punishable by death.
The Masters of Agriculture are responsible for seeing that tribute payments of agricultural product are collected, stored and transported to the Core or to the local Governor's warehouses and graineries.

Education

Most towns and cities have Church schools of the Order of Heaven. Some nobles and others may sponsor local schools. At the province level the old Kingdoms have chartered schools, academies and universities. The Empire also has junior academies for children of Nobles, gentry and officials. For advanced training one may enter the Imperial Academies. These train officials, military and Mages. State Church also trains and monitors Mages. Hermetic magic is approved. Sorcerery allowed as are Dragon Line Magics. Necromancy is suspect. Shamanism is seen as barbaric. Black and blood magics are banned, as are many aspects of Necromancy. Similarly, Sorcerery involving summoning proper demonic or devilish entities is banned - though sorcerers call all the spirits they deal with "demons".

Infrastructure

The empire maintains networks of roads across the lower lands of the empire and in some mountain regions. Typically the mountains are wild, poorly patrolled and home to monsters, rebels and bandits.
Along the roads and at regular intervals are Imperial Pillar Markers "NAILS" which are mile markers and raise the local gauntlet- the barrier between planes. The Nails make it harder for creatures and beings from other planes to pass into the world and help reduce risks of incursion or invasion by The Sidereal Fae, yokai and Oni.
Imperial Messengers travel the roads and have small keep or tower rest stops and monitoring stations. Messengers may be hired to deliver messages and packages and are under Imperial seal of privacy.
The Empire bans mercenary armies though small groups of adventurers may be hired. If one desired assured loyalty there are Imperial Guard who are specially trained and magically sealed to assure loyalty and privacy - so long as obeying doesn't threaten the emperor or empire it's self. Imperial Guard have a small gem implanted in the forehead.
Imperial Magus have been trained and tested by the Imperial school of magic. These mages are easily identified by the conical hat they are entitled to wear and the forehead gem of the Imperial Seal. These mages are highly desired by all significant persons.  Hedge primitive talents may practice so long as they are not in violation of Imperial Magic law. ( no enchanting persons against their will, no curses or dealing in black magics or demonic entities, no raising the dead.)

Capital

Imperial Palace of Lanhou

Head of State

Xian Lou

Head of Government

Xian Lou

Currency

Copper wedge - corner hole : worth 2 Brass.

Brass Wheel - center hole

Silver Talent - rectangle w hole on one end

Golden Dragon - pentagon w off center hole.

Imperial Bank Tickets: water mark, iron and antimagic threads. Bread slice size paper

100 coin = 1 lb. 100 coin to next level. Coins may be kept in a purse or on a line/ cord that may be worn or stored in pockets, bags or pouches.

Judicial Body

At the local level there is local law controlled by the local Nobles and city councils. Traditional local law is recognized but Imperial law and jurisdiction dominates for citizens or at Legate or Governor discretion. Imperial law is an option for imperial Citizens ( All Torga persons, all Nobles, gentry, and officials and those who have taken the test for citizenship: Any free person may apply with 5 sponsors vouching for character. Written test on ceremonies and offices. 100 sp x Target Status to be achieved).

Local Masters of Justice oversee courts and Judges who are also investigators to find the truth. Plaintiff brings complaint. Defendent is expected to respond or send a pleader. Lawyers and pleaders support either side in writing the complaint or answer presented to the Magistrates. The Judge calls for witnesses - sending magistrates. Witness statements under oath and lying subject to punishment sought against the accused. Simple assault - paid in pounds of silver x status.
Punishment: Fines. Light Rod. Heavy Rod. Imprisonment. Slavery. Exile. Death.
Factors: Blood relations, Motive, Status (Victim and Perpetrator), Past Merits, Friends and connections, diligent Character, Ability of culprit. Witness and other testimony.

Greater Master of the Judiciary may take appeals, treason or Noble cases at the level of the Provincial Governor. Or Cases as presented by the Governor.
At the national level or matters in the Imperial Court jurisdiction goes the the Minister of Justice to appoint judges and magistrates to investigate and try cases.

Executive Body

The Emperor and Lords are the principle legislative and executive body. The Imperial Court is made of representatives of each of the thousands of Noble houses. Many houses have sons and daughters attending the Imperial academies and the Emperor demands that each house have a representative in Court. The Court may propose legislation and the representatives are expected to convey Imperial orders and wishes to their families across the empire.