Vongchou
Home of the almighty Shards from Heaven palace, Vongchou is the capital of The Empire of the Silver Sun , and the second largest city in the known world after Lioduong. Home to hundreds of thousands of centaurs as well as slaves of various species, it is said that the Emperor's palace alone could fit the Ten Flames of the Decarchs inside it five times over, and even has its own private forest so the Emperor and his court can worship the Sky-Fathers.
Aside from this, the city is a huge place full of traders, magisters from around the Empire, and an enormous civilian population. Craftsmanship is one of the most well known accomplishments of the Vongchii, and they put the most work into their city. Even the poorer stables for centaurs age of a higher standard than their equivalents in Xu or the Dominion, and for the nobility, they are almost palaces in and of themselves.
Located near the Bishyan river, the capital is not directly on the river as with other cities, but relies on trade nevertheless. This is because the river is unpredictable when it comes to flooding, which can devastate local communities at times. Instead, the walled city serves as an overlord over the region, watching from afar and intervening when necessary.
The emperor is considered ‘worthy’ by the Skyfathers and descends from a bloodline that managed to unite the squabbling kingdoms of the south-east many years ago. As such, the emperors gage a great deal to live up for, and though they are considered semidivine, there are some who question this. Repeated rebellions have occurred against imperial authority, either to seek the independence of their people, establish a republic similar to the Dominion or Svotz to the northwest, or simply to replace the Silver Sun with themselves.
Demographics
75% of the population, including all of its ruling class belong to the dominant ethnic gorup of Vongchii, though 5% of the population also belongs to centaur minorities such as Scoulei, Yikono, Hurgrar and even Solashites. The remaining 20% consists of a large portion of slaves, mainly humans of the Jeumjaa ethnicity, as well as golden Yamachai, Thül and most spectacularly, Collosataurs. Slaves are considered a significant part of the capital’s economy, doing the jobs considered ‘beneath’ the city’s paid citizens.
Government
The height of Vongchou and the Silver Sun as a whole is the Emperor and his family, who live in the Shards from Heaven palace. As well as holding the highest political authority, the emperor serves as high priest, leading the ceremonies where animals, human slaves and even volunteering centaurs are sacrificed to appease the Sky Fathers once every year. The crown-prince serves more direct purposes of negotiating with the generals and nobility, often serving as a diplomat to train him for future rulership. While lacking the geldlings of Xu, considering it an outdated and barbaric practise towards fellow centaurs, they instead rely on a promoted group of human slaves known as the ‘Shepards’, who privately assist the Emperor in running the city and the empire asa whole. As with the Dominion, governors and generals are appointed to rule over provinces in the emperor’s name, though a more directly involved nobility is also present to ensure that the people remain loyal. The nobles are free to tax their citizens at whatever rate they please, while the governors have much tighter restrictions on them.
Defences
Walled and with pearl gates, the outer rims of the city are an imposing sight, as is the imperial palace itself. Specially trained war-Collosataurs patrol the outer walls as well as soldiers, serving as walking siege engines to stave off enemy attacks-unless with their own weapons or Collosataurs, few would dare attack the city this way. A highly efficient legal system ensures that no matter what time of day or year, there are always a large active guard maintaining order.
Guilds and Factions
As well as the governmental factions, a notorious and ruthless rebel group exists in the form of the Blue Moon, a heretical religious cult that seeks to overthrow the imperial dynasty and establish a genuine theocracy with their enigmatic leader as a new emperor.
Architecture
To call the city grandiose would be to undersell its achievements. Having had centuries to build itself up from smaller settlements, the Silver Emperors wasted no time investing their great labourers, including enslaved collosataurs to build mighty structures of marble, granite and other precious rocks. Gold taken from the defeated Solashite tributaries has arrived to further enrich the grandeur of the imperial palace and other important buildings, creating a general aesthetic of silver and white with streaks of gold. The colour blue has been banned for buildings and robes in the city due to its association with the Blue Moons, though other colours are generally permitted. Until the current emperor, the colour violet was also banned due to its association with the now defunct Screaming Violets, a peasant army who repeatedly rose up against imperial authority.
Alternative Name(s)
The Silver City, The Centre of Creation
Type
Capital
Population
>800,000
Inhabitant Demonym
Owner/Ruler
Owning Organization
Characters in Location
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