The Guo Empire

The Guo Empire on the continent of Elia is headed by Emperor Wei Guo. House Guo has ruled much of the continent for the past 180 years, which according to them is because of their divine mandate from Sola (goddess of the sun) from whom they claim to have derived the powers that allowed them to slay Tiamat the dragon queen who had previously ruled and terrorized much of Elia.

Foreign Relationships

The most significant foreign threats to the Guo each correspond to one of their standing armies: The Kingdom of Camkhia (the south-east Army of the Snake), monsters and raiders out of the The Daku Wilds (the north-east Army of the Pig), Moatli states (the north-west Army of the Tiger (the south-west [Army of the Ox]). As of the present day (April 11th 221 GS), the Empire is actively at war with The Kingdom of Camkhia in Third Tanglong War and has been for roughly six months. Moatli resistance movements continue to be active but largely unsuccessful on occupied Huati, and nearby Moatli islands such as Huacapan have signed non-interferance treaties, ending island-to-island hostilities. The Al'Kahar Peninsula continues to be disputed with the Empire exerting direct control only over the eastern half, but fighting has been minimal for the past two years on the peninsula and for even longer on the island of Ji. Lastly, while danger from The Daku Wilds is never far away, there have neither been any significant incursions in the past decade nor have the Guo attempted to push past their fortress at The Bulwark to claim territory beyond the gap between The Dents and [Cheng Bay].

Commerce & Trade

The Empire has benefited by being a commercial power as much as a military one and they trade heavily with virtually all of their neighbours who they are not actively at war with, receieving mercenaries and rare magic items from The Daku Wilds, dyes and specialty foods such as fruits, coffee, and chocolate from the Moatli, lumber and grain from The Kingdom of Camkhia, and precious silks, gems, and artisan products from Kubriya. Relative to its neighbours, the Empire is rich in minerals, exporting both raw ore and worked weapons, tools, and ornaments, in addition to silver and gold.

Politics

The Imperial family has maintained power not simply through divine aid but through savvy political maneuvers, turning the great houses who might seek to supplant them against each other or uniting them against carefully selected common enemies. The Empire is made up of 12 provinces and the Imperial Territory which contains Chengdon, the Imperial City. Roughly speaking, the 12 great houses who control the provinces are split into the 4 most powerful who have guaranteed positions on the Emperor's Council (often called "The Favoured"), 4 houses of middling power who scheme in the hopes of one day supplanting The Favoured, and 4 that are only technically “great houses”, who rule over the 4 Marches, that is, the poorest and least populated provinces. One of the Marches is The Cahnars, ruled by House Nahib for close to 60 years. Lastly, The Goheung Protectorate that, while it exercises greater independence than any of the provinces, ultimately must bow to the Emperor's demands.