Leng
Structure
Until the Age of Awakening the Kingdom of Leng was ruled by a line of internally minded and harmony focused monarches stretching back so far that their house did not have a family name, simply being referred to by their royal titles. This ended when a black robed man claiming to house's founder the First Ancestor assassinated the sitting king and took control of the island through his own magical force as well as an army of similarly magical samurai. He was crowned as the Lord of Witchfire, King of Leng, and Master of the Hiddenways.
Unlike most other nations the Lengians consider the divine an inherently feminine concept, and as a rule men are forbidden from participating in religious ceremonies. They also find the divine present in all aspects of nature and as such have many small shrines build near all of Leng's natural environments rather than large singular churches in cities. These shrines are tended to by priestesses whose duties include calming troublesome spirits, requesting good fortune from the gods, and offering consoling to those in grief. In modern times this has expanded to include providing magical support to the royal armies, but the religious establishment resents this co-opting of their powers.
Public Agenda
The Lengian state has become incredibly centralized during the reign of the Witchfire King. Civilian nobility have been stripped of much of their ancestral power in favor of military governors whose titles are not hereditary and report directly to the capital. Those nobles whose houses were deemed necessary to state functions or too insignificant to pose a threat have still been forced to sent all of their heirs to the capital as hostages, and must always address the King as "Dearest Grandfather". Additionally the state has cultivated a massive standing army, drafting one in every ten citizens between the ages of 14 and 30. It is clear that this is a part of preparations to break free from Daqin, with the only question being when revolt will occur.
Assets
While there are some resources found in abundance on Leng, such as fish and tropical woods, it is poor in metals and its overlord Daqin has been loath to allow it access to the sort of open trade which could remedy the deficiency. As such the people have developed a culture of robust design for all devices made of metal or other imported goods. There is an assumption that any sword, axe, or plow will have to last not for mere years but generations due to its cost of construction. As a consequence smiths are the most valued and honored type of craftsman.
History
It is clear that there was some form of civilization in Leng since before its colonization by the Olm people of southern Daqin, but who they were was never recorded. Their cities of unmortared stone were found empty save for obsidian artifacts, by the first settlers to cross the Green Sea.
These were refugees of the great Daqin famine of 800 AS. These cities already built and waiting were taken as a good omen and rapidly occupied. It is said that in these early days there were many hauntings and the numbers of priestesses had to be massively expanded to combat the ghosts.
Founding Date
800 AS
Type
Geopolitical, Kingdom
Alternative Names
The Sorcerer's Isle
Demonym
Lengian
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Parent Organization
Related Ethnicities
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