Jinzhu
The Golden Pearl of the Orchid Provinces
Nestled at the confluence of three great rivers, surrounded by endless terraces of rice and flowering orchards, lies Jinzhu—the Golden Pearl, the crowning jewel of the Orchid Provinces and the beating heart of Capellan subtlety.
Jinzhu is a city of deliberate beauty. Its streets unfold in geometric precision, each district arranged around airy plazas and tranquil canals shaded by flowering trees. The city's walls, faced with pale jade and alabaster stone, rise not for war but for dignity, reflecting the Chancellor’s vision of order imposed through grace rather than brute strength. At Jinzhu’s heart stands the Verdant Throne, an intricate palace complex where marble corridors wind through walled gardens, koi ponds, and silent courtyards. It is here that the Orchid Mandarins—the most trusted advisors, ministers, and governors of the Confederation—gather to advise the will of House Liao. It is said that no policy, no edict, no law touches the Sphere without first passing through Jinzhu’s veiled halls.
Artistry flourishes alongside politics. Sculptors and painters compete for the patronage of mandarins and generals alike, their works immortalized in the city's temples and salons. Poetry and music fill the evening air, drifting from the balconies of perfumed pleasure houses and scholarly academies. Magic, as elsewhere in the Provinces, is practiced with utmost care: gardens enchanted to bloom in impossible seasons, wards hidden within mural frescoes, subtle charms sewn into the sleeves of noble garments. Yet beneath Jinzhu’s gilded surface lies a world of shadows. The Emerald Office, House Liao’s elite intelligence corps, maintains a quiet but absolute presence in the city. Whispers of betrayal rarely bloom into open scandal, for disloyalty is dealt with swiftly, silently, and without public disturbance—disappearances explained with poetic euphemism and new officials rising as if by natural succession.
To walk the polished avenues of Jinzhu is to understand the Confederation’s soul: serene, implacable, and utterly ruthless when crossed.
“A city that does not tremble under the weight of its own beauty is a city built to endure.” — Lady Sun Mei, First Architect of Jinzhu
