Xianlian
The Harmonious Kingdom of Xianlian has reigned in southern Orela for over 1500 years, and are arguably one of the oldest and unchanged societies in Terra Rynn. Made up of small statured halflings, the Xianlian have lived through several catastrophes, wars, and political strife without fracturing completely.
Their society is held together through a strict caste system, one that assigns its people to a social group for life, and which channels their duties during their time in their mortal life. Despite the harsh and domineering cultural control placed over the people, the kingdom has endured.
Culture The Xianlian are a dominant race of halflings residing in Southern Orela. The Xianlian society can trace its cultural traditions back thousands of years, and has (for good or bad) remained relatively unchanged over that time. The Xianlian order themselves into a strict caste system that is passed on to the next generation.
While alterations to the balance or relative power have been made within the caste system, the innate structure of society is central to Xianlian identify. So much so that even their sepratist neighbors, the Jakati, have been unable to shed the traditional behaviors of this system, even though they barred their enforcement at a legal level.
Currently, there are four castes in Xianlian Tradition: Huo (fire), Shi (earth), Feng (air), and Liu (water).
Region Size: Large Major Cities: 9 Density: High Infrastructure: Average
Population Urban: 25% Rural: 75% Literacy Rate: 15% Immigrant Population: 5%
Gender Ratio: 0.7 male(s)/female Fertility Rate: 6.3 children/family Life Expectancy: 45.7 years
Culture Highly Values: obedience Known For: discipline Popular Entertainment: painting Respected Profession: advisor
Discrimination: caste-based Major Taboo: disobedience Major Social Ill: gangs
Ecology Main Climate: temperate plains Ocean: two sides Mountains: a few Frequent Trouble: hurricanes/moonsoons
Wilderness: 25% Wild Animals: common Natural Resources: poor
Economy Main Export: food crops Main Import: tools Main Resource: Trade: a slight surplus
Strength: middling, but growing Wealth: concentrated in higher castes
Magic Occurrence: rare Primary Source: learned through study Major Use: personal defense
Viewed: as exotic Enchanted Items: rare
Military Strength: strong Focus: land Main Unit: militia
Soldiers: militia/conscripts Main Use: domestic peacekeeping Rank: promoted by superiors
Politics Political Structure: autocracy – hereditary Strong Influence: castes Popular Issue: border security Stability: very stable
Personal Freedoms: very few Scandals: very few Foreign Relations: poor
Religion Type: monotheisic Focus: ancestral worship Worship: solemn private prayer by all
Associated Art form: heirlooms Prevalence: believed by many Holidays: a few
The Xianlian hold four castes in society. The Huo caste represent the light and flame of the eternal fire, and are considered the highest caste. The Huo caste make up the bulk of the ministers, functionaries, and nobles that inhabit the kingdom. Divine spellcasters of the fire caste are often called to serve the Keepers of the flame, and non-Huo caste Xianlian who exhibit divine power are elevated to the Huo caste (are rare but significant act).
The Shi caste represent the enduring stone, and are the second tier caste. These Xianlian make up the professional army and security for Xianlian. All Shi caste Xianlian are eligible to be officers and command militia or other soldiers, but the Shi are the most stratified of all castes.
The Feng caste represent the ever-moving wind, and are the third tier caste. The Feng caste are politely known as free Xianlian, and are allowed to travel the world, and are unbound from the controls on migration and movement. However, the Feng caste are often prohibited in the amount of land they can own. As such, many Feng become artisans and merchants, and pursue activities that don’t require large resources.
Lastly, the Liu caste represent the flowing river, and are the lowest tier caste. The Liu are abundant, and make up the bulk of the Xianlian society. Nonetheless, that live simple lives, and are the primary labor force for the kingdom, conducting all farming for the empire. While some groups, such as the Remnant, advocate for their liberation, many Liu believe their station to be just, if not always fair. Cultural stories abound among the Liu of sins of their ancestors, and great wrongs that must be righted; many find purpose in struggle and simplicity, and few seek to change their fortunes.
There is also the Mei caste, though it is not a real caste. The strict nature of the Xianlian caste can only view members of a caste as enlightened beings. As such, Xianlian who are stripped of their caste, or most foreigners are considered to be Mei. Such protocol dictates that such Mei are to be ignored or disregarded as worthy of acknowledgement, though in practice this formality is used more or less depending on local circumstances.
In order for foreign agents to trade and work with the Xianlian, they must have a sponsor, a xianlian citizen. In this way, Mei adopt the caste of their sponsor, and enjoy all of rights and privileges such caste would allow. Furthermore, the sponsor now shares responsibility for any and all transgressions done in their name.
The Xianlian kingdom is ruled by an emperor, seated on the Tranquil Throne in the heart of Xian. A large bureaucracy of minister, advisors, and functionaries oversee the daily duties of maintaining the empire. The Emperor is the ultimate seat of all power in the realm, and serves to create policy, administer decisions, and oversee claims of crime and judgement related to the law.
To aide the emperor, he maintains a coterie of Prime Ministers to oversee the aspects of the kingdom. As of 115 B.E., those titles include the Grand Marshal, Treasury, Communication, Justice, Diplomacy, Culture, and History.
Ministers and functionaries are selected from the populace based on caste and a merit-based system of instruction, and this education varies depending on class, and takes several years. Functionaries are primarily selected from the Fire caste, usually second sons from large noble houses. On rare occasion, members of lower castes are selected (usually with sponsorship) for select ministry positions, usually in order to secure loyalty, or to select for expertise.
Once trained, ministers either serve under the imperial ministry, or are sponsored to serve regional ministries (usually administered from a city. The exact policies have varied from era to era, and between rulers; emperor’s often directing their ministers to change course, so as to differentiate themselves from their predecessor.
The main fighting force of the Xianlian are the Zhu-jen Guo [Zhoo-gen-gwo], or army of the Lord Ruler. The Guo are the backbone of the defense forces in the kingdom, and composed primarily of Shi caste Xianlian. While any Xianlian can serve in the militia and fight for the defense of the kingdom, only the Shi caste can gain the rank of officers, and command troops. The Zhu-jen Guo serve as both the army as well as domestic police and guards. On the matter of security, the empire sees very little distinction between its own subjects and foreign peoples.
The Yan Li serve as the eyes and ears of the emperor. Unlike the Guo, these agents are selected based on their merit as much as by their caste. This organization also has members of other castes, but these individuals are often considered traitors or outcastes from their own families or communities. Lower caste Yan Li are often valued for their experience an insights, provided their loyalty is maintained.
Lastly, there are the Shendao. Known as assassins and spies, they go by several names, such as the emperor’s shadow or the night walkers. Little is known about the Shendao other than that they are formidable killers, trained in ancient monasteries, and serve the emperor. The Shendao are universally feared among the Xianlian, and rumors and stories abound about their nature or actives.
As the Xianlian are a physically small and less powerful race, they must utilize their strengths to the fullest. As such, the Xianlian are masters of urban warfare, and prefer to fight in narrow and cramped spaces rather than in a field. While they have cities to prevent raids and barbarian attacks, they are not designed to withstand organized military invasions.
Instead, when threatened with siege, they often relinquish direct control of a city to invaders. Once ensconced, the Xianlian often engage in guerilla warfare in the streets until an invader retreats, or is crippled beyond effective means.
When invading, the Xianlian often resort to envelopment of supplies, and then usually midnight sorties or incursions to break a city from the inside. The best example of this tactic was the siege/liberation of sapabel in the year 205. The Xianlian, therefore, have little need for siege weapons. A common joke is “To the Xianlian, a catapult isn’t a weapon, it’s just another transportation system”, though some suggest it isn’t merely a joke.
Magic is relatively uncommon, and severely regulated among the Xianlain. The main magic is that used by the Bahaku, marital magic users – this is the only magic even allowed by all castes, and those not of earth or fire caste must have some sort of signed commission or ancestral sigil to practice such arts without reprisal. Bahaku is, arguably, the only magical power deemed to be pure and honorable.
Rare xianlian who are discovered to possess divine power are recruited into a sect known as the Eternal Keepers. This order that serve as the caretakers and guardians of Imperial histories and divine the secrets from the ancestors. Their activities are mostly a mystery, and for the most part, they do not interact with Xianlian society except for ritual observances and significant cultural ceremonies.
Arcane magic users are rare, but there is one school of training that is cultivated and educated in Xianlian. Known as Moshi Kuai, they are Shi caste mages trained in the arcane schools of abjuration and divination. They are trained to hunt spell casters and protect important dignitaries. The Moshi Kuai are technically not a branch, and have members in all sects of the Xianlian military.
Several esoteric noble houses practice the art of necromancy, as part of an ancestral heritage. Seen as a means to worship the ancestors, most practitioners primary utilize these arts to commune with the dead, or pass into shadow realms to seek guidance. Necromancers such as these are only just tolerated by the communities they serve, and usually with the strictest guidelines set forth by ancient law. They often keep strict records of all their activities, and have a tense relationship with the Tranquil Throne.
All other magicians are branded as rogue, with few exceptions, are either locked away or executed. Of those exceptions, only foreign Mei are granted a temporary reprieve, and only with the aide of a sponsor to intercede on their behalf. Such individuals are still responsible for all actions taken in the kingdom, and should their be a question that a Mei has acted improperly, the fact of their magical power will likely be used against them in any legal proceeding. Rumor holds that the emperor keeps a few of these Mei spellcasters as a private fighting force, though such talk is considered blasphemous.
The Xianlian all believe that the gods of one and many peoples existed, but they place little faith in their absolute divinity. Instead, they hold them as the first ancestors, and revere them in and as much as younger and more recent ancestor. For the Xianlian, it is the line of succession, and burden of legacy that demands respect, and not merely the power or supernatural origin of an immortal one.
Their society is held together through a strict caste system, one that assigns its people to a social group for life, and which channels their duties during their time in their mortal life. Despite the harsh and domineering cultural control placed over the people, the kingdom has endured.
Culture The Xianlian are a dominant race of halflings residing in Southern Orela. The Xianlian society can trace its cultural traditions back thousands of years, and has (for good or bad) remained relatively unchanged over that time. The Xianlian order themselves into a strict caste system that is passed on to the next generation.
While alterations to the balance or relative power have been made within the caste system, the innate structure of society is central to Xianlian identify. So much so that even their sepratist neighbors, the Jakati, have been unable to shed the traditional behaviors of this system, even though they barred their enforcement at a legal level.
Currently, there are four castes in Xianlian Tradition: Huo (fire), Shi (earth), Feng (air), and Liu (water).
Region Size: Large Major Cities: 9 Density: High Infrastructure: Average
Population Urban: 25% Rural: 75% Literacy Rate: 15% Immigrant Population: 5%
Gender Ratio: 0.7 male(s)/female Fertility Rate: 6.3 children/family Life Expectancy: 45.7 years
Culture Highly Values: obedience Known For: discipline Popular Entertainment: painting Respected Profession: advisor
Discrimination: caste-based Major Taboo: disobedience Major Social Ill: gangs
Ecology Main Climate: temperate plains Ocean: two sides Mountains: a few Frequent Trouble: hurricanes/moonsoons
Wilderness: 25% Wild Animals: common Natural Resources: poor
Economy Main Export: food crops Main Import: tools Main Resource: Trade: a slight surplus
Strength: middling, but growing Wealth: concentrated in higher castes
Magic Occurrence: rare Primary Source: learned through study Major Use: personal defense
Viewed: as exotic Enchanted Items: rare
Military Strength: strong Focus: land Main Unit: militia
Soldiers: militia/conscripts Main Use: domestic peacekeeping Rank: promoted by superiors
Politics Political Structure: autocracy – hereditary Strong Influence: castes Popular Issue: border security Stability: very stable
Personal Freedoms: very few Scandals: very few Foreign Relations: poor
Religion Type: monotheisic Focus: ancestral worship Worship: solemn private prayer by all
Associated Art form: heirlooms Prevalence: believed by many Holidays: a few
Culture
Castes
The Xianlian hold four castes in society. The Huo caste represent the light and flame of the eternal fire, and are considered the highest caste. The Huo caste make up the bulk of the ministers, functionaries, and nobles that inhabit the kingdom. Divine spellcasters of the fire caste are often called to serve the Keepers of the flame, and non-Huo caste Xianlian who exhibit divine power are elevated to the Huo caste (are rare but significant act).
The Shi caste represent the enduring stone, and are the second tier caste. These Xianlian make up the professional army and security for Xianlian. All Shi caste Xianlian are eligible to be officers and command militia or other soldiers, but the Shi are the most stratified of all castes.
The Feng caste represent the ever-moving wind, and are the third tier caste. The Feng caste are politely known as free Xianlian, and are allowed to travel the world, and are unbound from the controls on migration and movement. However, the Feng caste are often prohibited in the amount of land they can own. As such, many Feng become artisans and merchants, and pursue activities that don’t require large resources.
Lastly, the Liu caste represent the flowing river, and are the lowest tier caste. The Liu are abundant, and make up the bulk of the Xianlian society. Nonetheless, that live simple lives, and are the primary labor force for the kingdom, conducting all farming for the empire. While some groups, such as the Remnant, advocate for their liberation, many Liu believe their station to be just, if not always fair. Cultural stories abound among the Liu of sins of their ancestors, and great wrongs that must be righted; many find purpose in struggle and simplicity, and few seek to change their fortunes.
There is also the Mei caste, though it is not a real caste. The strict nature of the Xianlian caste can only view members of a caste as enlightened beings. As such, Xianlian who are stripped of their caste, or most foreigners are considered to be Mei. Such protocol dictates that such Mei are to be ignored or disregarded as worthy of acknowledgement, though in practice this formality is used more or less depending on local circumstances.
In order for foreign agents to trade and work with the Xianlian, they must have a sponsor, a xianlian citizen. In this way, Mei adopt the caste of their sponsor, and enjoy all of rights and privileges such caste would allow. Furthermore, the sponsor now shares responsibility for any and all transgressions done in their name.
Government
The Imperial Ministry
The Xianlian kingdom is ruled by an emperor, seated on the Tranquil Throne in the heart of Xian. A large bureaucracy of minister, advisors, and functionaries oversee the daily duties of maintaining the empire. The Emperor is the ultimate seat of all power in the realm, and serves to create policy, administer decisions, and oversee claims of crime and judgement related to the law.
To aide the emperor, he maintains a coterie of Prime Ministers to oversee the aspects of the kingdom. As of 115 B.E., those titles include the Grand Marshal, Treasury, Communication, Justice, Diplomacy, Culture, and History.
Ministers and functionaries are selected from the populace based on caste and a merit-based system of instruction, and this education varies depending on class, and takes several years. Functionaries are primarily selected from the Fire caste, usually second sons from large noble houses. On rare occasion, members of lower castes are selected (usually with sponsorship) for select ministry positions, usually in order to secure loyalty, or to select for expertise.
Once trained, ministers either serve under the imperial ministry, or are sponsored to serve regional ministries (usually administered from a city. The exact policies have varied from era to era, and between rulers; emperor’s often directing their ministers to change course, so as to differentiate themselves from their predecessor.
Military
Branches
The main fighting force of the Xianlian are the Zhu-jen Guo [Zhoo-gen-gwo], or army of the Lord Ruler. The Guo are the backbone of the defense forces in the kingdom, and composed primarily of Shi caste Xianlian. While any Xianlian can serve in the militia and fight for the defense of the kingdom, only the Shi caste can gain the rank of officers, and command troops. The Zhu-jen Guo serve as both the army as well as domestic police and guards. On the matter of security, the empire sees very little distinction between its own subjects and foreign peoples.
The Yan Li serve as the eyes and ears of the emperor. Unlike the Guo, these agents are selected based on their merit as much as by their caste. This organization also has members of other castes, but these individuals are often considered traitors or outcastes from their own families or communities. Lower caste Yan Li are often valued for their experience an insights, provided their loyalty is maintained.
Lastly, there are the Shendao. Known as assassins and spies, they go by several names, such as the emperor’s shadow or the night walkers. Little is known about the Shendao other than that they are formidable killers, trained in ancient monasteries, and serve the emperor. The Shendao are universally feared among the Xianlian, and rumors and stories abound about their nature or actives.
Cities
As the Xianlian are a physically small and less powerful race, they must utilize their strengths to the fullest. As such, the Xianlian are masters of urban warfare, and prefer to fight in narrow and cramped spaces rather than in a field. While they have cities to prevent raids and barbarian attacks, they are not designed to withstand organized military invasions.
Instead, when threatened with siege, they often relinquish direct control of a city to invaders. Once ensconced, the Xianlian often engage in guerilla warfare in the streets until an invader retreats, or is crippled beyond effective means.
When invading, the Xianlian often resort to envelopment of supplies, and then usually midnight sorties or incursions to break a city from the inside. The best example of this tactic was the siege/liberation of sapabel in the year 205. The Xianlian, therefore, have little need for siege weapons. A common joke is “To the Xianlian, a catapult isn’t a weapon, it’s just another transportation system”, though some suggest it isn’t merely a joke.
Magic
Bahaku
Magic is relatively uncommon, and severely regulated among the Xianlain. The main magic is that used by the Bahaku, marital magic users – this is the only magic even allowed by all castes, and those not of earth or fire caste must have some sort of signed commission or ancestral sigil to practice such arts without reprisal. Bahaku is, arguably, the only magical power deemed to be pure and honorable.
Divine
Rare xianlian who are discovered to possess divine power are recruited into a sect known as the Eternal Keepers. This order that serve as the caretakers and guardians of Imperial histories and divine the secrets from the ancestors. Their activities are mostly a mystery, and for the most part, they do not interact with Xianlian society except for ritual observances and significant cultural ceremonies.
Arcane
Arcane magic users are rare, but there is one school of training that is cultivated and educated in Xianlian. Known as Moshi Kuai, they are Shi caste mages trained in the arcane schools of abjuration and divination. They are trained to hunt spell casters and protect important dignitaries. The Moshi Kuai are technically not a branch, and have members in all sects of the Xianlian military.
Several esoteric noble houses practice the art of necromancy, as part of an ancestral heritage. Seen as a means to worship the ancestors, most practitioners primary utilize these arts to commune with the dead, or pass into shadow realms to seek guidance. Necromancers such as these are only just tolerated by the communities they serve, and usually with the strictest guidelines set forth by ancient law. They often keep strict records of all their activities, and have a tense relationship with the Tranquil Throne.
All other magicians are branded as rogue, with few exceptions, are either locked away or executed. Of those exceptions, only foreign Mei are granted a temporary reprieve, and only with the aide of a sponsor to intercede on their behalf. Such individuals are still responsible for all actions taken in the kingdom, and should their be a question that a Mei has acted improperly, the fact of their magical power will likely be used against them in any legal proceeding. Rumor holds that the emperor keeps a few of these Mei spellcasters as a private fighting force, though such talk is considered blasphemous.
The Gods
The Xianlian all believe that the gods of one and many peoples existed, but they place little faith in their absolute divinity. Instead, they hold them as the first ancestors, and revere them in and as much as younger and more recent ancestor. For the Xianlian, it is the line of succession, and burden of legacy that demands respect, and not merely the power or supernatural origin of an immortal one.
Comments