Shaoshu Empire
The first and most ancient empire in the world, founded by the legendary Taneslayer, now a shadow of its former glory
Structure
Noble titles and ranks
The Shaoshu Empire was by no exaggeration the template by which all countries that followed in its footsteps of an Aristocratic nation ruled by a monarch designed themselves around - it is divided into many neat ranks that make up the ranks of the Aristocracy, or Ruling Elite. These Ranks are listed below, alongside a short description of the rank. King/Queen - The title given to the ones who hold the thrones of the Empire - they set the country's policies and laws, and hold absolute power over the country and its people. For most of the Empire the power of the King/Queen was checked by Parliament, which acted as a seat where elected officials could draft and pass legislature. However, with King Harlow's rise to power, the Parliament sits dissolved and the twin governmental houses sit empty, all declared "Excommunicate Traitoris"(Traitors of the highest order) to the Shaoshuan Crown - meaning for now, the Shaoshu Empire has returned to its original form of a true and singular monarchy. Prince/Princess - A rank given to the royal family. Signifies one as a member of the Royalty, and confers near absolute power over the country and its people, overturnable only by the King. Wayfarer - A rank re-instituted very recently by the new king Harlow Fairchilde(Not having seen use since the dawn of the empire 1000 years ago), the Wayfarers act as a 'nobility police' that roam about the Empire as undercover investigators, moving unseen in the throngs of peasants and serfs that exist within the Empire to judge everyone from Local Lords to Dukes on the justness of their actions and ruling policies. They have the full authority of the Crown, and are fully equipped and allowed to make arrests of any member of society - they are chosen personally by the king, and trained in the palace by the most capable of tutors and advisors. They are a mysterious bunch better known by the populace by the informal, colloquial nickname "The Harrowers", for their tendency to don ragged garb to obfuscate their identities to slip into the nooks and crannies of the empire, going unnoticed and serving as a first line of defense against corruption and internal strife. Duke/Duchess - The highest rank of Shaoshuan Nobility, who rules over the vast Duchies and Dukedoms that make up the Empire. In times past the title was reserved for those of Royal Blood, but the rank has since been opened up to any who prove themselves worthy of the title by deed or who earn it by marriage or as a reward for some other action. Only a mere two decades ago, the ranks of the Dukes were completely upset as the new King Harlow Fairchilde imprisoned each and every duke for corruption, crimes against the Empire, and conspiring with the corrupt Shaoshuan Parliament to keep the country spiraling into decay - to replace the ranks of the Dukes, a grand tournament was held in the capital city of the Empire which saw prospective nobles, knights, and even some commoners and foreigners take part in a wide variety of games designed to test combat abilities, charisma, wit and intellect, and one's abilities as a ruler of others. Marquess/Marchioness - The rank of Marquess, while technically superior to the Earl, does not rule over them - instead, the rank of Marquess signifies members of the artistocracy who act as the Earls or Counts of highly important border counties or other counties of extremely military or national importance. Since securing such counties is a critical job, they are given a higher ranking that normal Earls or Counts. They report to the Duke in charge of the Dukedom/Duchy their given county is a part of. Earl/Countess - The rank of Earl, also known as 'Count', is as one might expect a member of the Aristocracy who rules over an entire County for the King, reporting to the Duke in charge of the Dukedom/Duchy that the given Earl counts themselves as a member of. Viscount/Viscountess - The rank immediately below that of Earl, Viscounts are a specialized rank of peerage that are given the right to rule over specific sections of a county beneath an Earl - they act as the go-between for the Earls and the Barons, and act as administrators and judges of the areas they rule over. Baron/Baroness - Barons are the basic building block of feudal land ownership; holding land in a barony means that they act on the king's behalf to own a chunk of land. Barons are not actually called barons, but are rather called Lord or Lady - and report to the Viscount in charge of the land they rule. Knight - While the title of knight itself is a Title of Honor and not a title that grants land or peerage, it does confer the right to manage small manors for a Baron or Baroness, and is as such somewhat disputed as to whether or not it is a rank of the aristocracy or not. It is included here for posterity, as Knights enjoy some of the privileges of the aristocracy while still considered 'peasantry'.Societal Ranks
While the Shaoshu Empire does not break its citizens up into dozens of 'ranks' like the Kingdom of Osneia, it is very simply divided into four societal 'classes' that its citizens fall into - these ranks are listed below alongside short descriptions of the rank and what it entails. Royalty - The rank reserved exclusively for the ruling family of the Empire whose heads sits at the country's top as King and Queen. They enjoy absolute privilege in the Empire, and their word is quite literally law - the words of a member of Royalty supersede all other Shaoshuan Laws, and they hold absolute power over society at large. The Crown Prince of the Royal Family, additionally, holds the title of "Prince of Westwick", or sometimes more archaically "Duke of Westfordshire" - a title that grants the right to rule over the modern day territory of Westwick(Historically, Westfordshire), a stretch of land long considered to be a symbol of the power and lineage of the Royal Family. Aristocracy - The ruling class of the Empire, made up of all landed nobility, members of the Shaoshuan Parliament, and anyone with an official land-granting noble title. They enjoy a bevvy of special privileges and rights, own a vast majority of the Empire's land for the King and ensure it is worked and kept profitable, handle most of the day-to-day decision making in the Empire's government at all levels, and more. The ranks of the Aristocracy have historically been almost universally patriarchal, though in very recent years this has changed ever so slightly - though it remains a largely male-dominated societal ranking. Peasantry - The rank and file citizens of Shaoshu. They live hard lives full of toil and do not have all the privileges of the Aristocracy, but are nonetheless not the lowest class. It is the lot of a peasant's life to work for a lord, typically by caring for the lands of the Lord they serve by working their fields to help provide food supplies to the entire Empire, by serving in their armies, and more. They are often lended land in exchange for this work, though they must often either pay rent for the land or serve the knight or lord that rules over them. They have an array of rights, though most require consent from their ruling Lord to exercise - such as the Rights of Marriage, Rights of Travel, Rights of Landownership, and more. Other rights, such as the Rights of Speech, Rights of Protection, and more have recently been made 'Unalienable' by even the aristocracy as the country takes notes from more democratic nations such as the Dharan Alliance. Serfs - Basically slaves. They are owned by the estates of the lords they serve, and are required to give payments to their lords on top of normal peasant taxes and the like at certain times of the year. Their lives are extremely difficult, are not allowed to travel, hardly ever know about the outside world, and cannot typically read or write. The position is used as a punishment in the modern day - to solve the country's increasingly crowded prison system, all prisoners were made into serfs and made to work a period of time equal to their sentence.Culture
Though many visitors to the Shaoshu Empire marvel at how reserved and polite Shaoshuans can be as they have a cultural norm of frequently apologizing and thanking others, they are simultaneously surprised at their incredible love of privacy - Shaoshuans tend not to like extended eye contact and see it as intimidating, and do not like others getting overly close to them or 'touching' them if they are not a close friend or family. Tradition and lineage is extremely important to many Shaoshuans, and though their empire is a far-cry from the continent spanning goliath it once was, remnants of this ancient empire remain in the multicultural cuisine, customs, and more that litter their society.
Their immense patriotism and pride in their country and everything that comes from it is oftentimes off-putting to others, as their intense fervor can oftentimes come off to others as xenophobia - and while in times past the Shaoshuans were notorious for their elitist xenophobia and incredibly unfair treatment of women compared to men, the people of Shaoshu have calmed from this period of intensity after a number of rebellions and societal reforms rocked the country like cannon blasts...most notably, that of the Demon Queen Dahmunara Worldthrone, who nearly destroyed not only the Shaoshu Empire but the entire continent of Zheng-Kitar.
For more info on the culture of the empire, see the "Shao-shu" section of the Shaoshuan ethnicity.
Public Agenda
Currently, the agenda of the Shaoshu Empire is refreshingly simple - King Harlow Fairchilde is chiefly concerned with restoring the empire to its former glory, and cares more about resolving internal strife than expanding his borders at present. However, many believe the Empire's renewed expansion is now inevitable - and that when it does, neighboring countries will come into conflict with them.
History
The history of the empire is a long and storied thing - founded over a thousand years ago by the now-Saint Kazusada the Elite, the Shaoshu Empire soon rose to prominence as the first and greatest empire of the Age of Conquest, spanning the entire central area of Zheng-Kitar from the Tianzhao Peaks in the west to the Guezhan Mountains in the east. However, it was eventually brought to destruction by Jilixia Worldthrone, whose machinations tore the country apart and caused the monolithic Shaoshu Empire to fracture, its conquered territories rebelling and forming nations of their own as the Shaoshu Empire itself barely managed to retain control of its central homeland, hemorrhaging most of its land and territories merely to avoid total destruction.
Now, it stands on the brink of another golden age - with its internal corruption at an all-time low and its national morale and public trust at an all-time high, it is poised to reclaim its former glory beneath the banner of its ruling family, The Fairchilde Family.
Demography and Population
Though many races call the Shaoshu Empire home thanks to its position as the Gateway between the west and east of Zheng-Kitar, its main population is made up of Humans,
Territories
The lands of the Shaoshu Empire once extended across all of central mainland Zheng-Kitar, from the lands of the Coalition of Nine in the south to those of the Kassau Matriarchy in the east.
Now, however, it is a mere shadow of its former self - during the collapse of the larger Shaoshu Empire at the hands of Jilixia Worldthrone, its armies fragmented so severely that it was barely able to hold on to its true 'homeland', better known as the cradle of its empire from which it was originally founded upon. This land, demarcated by Skytree Forest in the south, the Rakmouran Sea in the north, and the tip of the Tianzhao Peaks in the west, is the homeland it has fought tooth and nail to hold onto in the centuries of slow, rotting decay that has set into the empire's heart since the collapse of it's true 'Empire'.
Now, it refers to itself as an 'Empire' in name only - a pale effort to hold onto its halcyon days of yore, where its empire stretched far and wide across the land.
Military
The military of Shaoshu is in large part made up of peasant levvies supplemented by regiments of trained soldiers and knights - unlike in the past where it relied upon its constituent territories such as the Kingdom of Osneia for more experienced and professional soldiers, the Shaoshu Empire has now had to retrain its armies to better protect itself. Now, it maintains a mixture of levvies and supplementary professional soldiers drawn from multiple sources to defend its borders.
Most of the Empire's troops are garnered through contractual obligations between the government and the aristocratic lords who oversee the country's land - these obligations come in three central tenets outlined below:
- The peasantry who are not otherwise occupied tending to the fields and/or the serfs who have no choice in the matter but to obey must serve in the armies of Shaoshu for some period of time as needed.
- The old, the infirm, females, inheriting knights, or the clergy, all are required to send substitutes, or pay the money needed to recruit and equip the equivalent number of troops.
- Troops are to be provided by contracts with various feudal lords and knights. The agreements specify the number of troops, the time they are to be available, and the amount of pay per man enlisted. Those feudal lords or knights who do not or cannot meet these troop requirements are fined and/or punished appropriately.
- The physically fit and capable of equipping themselves according to the standards set by the crown.
- Those fit but financially poor.
- People with financial means but unfit for service.
- The Crownsmen - The Crownsmen are the organization that serves as the primary law enforcement arm of the empire, as well as its military reserve. They have a presence in most all population centers across the empire to keep the peace, and typically are commanded by local lords who rule the surrounding land(Reporting to the highest ranking aristocrat in the area, with lower ranking ones issuing commands and requesting support as needed).
- The Aublurad - The military arm of the Shaoshu Empire. Organized into Legions operated by commanders who are given an assigned area to oversee, reporting to the respective ranking noble in their area to coordinate duties and serving as their military advisor. Each legion of the Aublurad has a regimental banner woven with the stories, names, tales, and such of the legion, its warriors, and its history, as well as a battle standard infused with incredible magical power handed down since the creation of the empire - these standards were forged by Kazusada the Elite himself, and each one is said to have incredible power such that, when they are lost, the legion can and will do anything possible to retrieve it.
- The Ichorian Guard - The royal guard of the Shaoshu Empire, responsible for guarding the capital of the empire and the palace complex of the royal family. Secondarily, they have also served as the personal army of the King. They are drawn mainly from the ranks of The Aublurad, with exceptional members of The Crownsmen also accepted on occasion - they are given the absolute best training and equipment the Empire can provide, and are the empire's very best fighters. They are commanded by Knight-Commander Jaxton Carter-Pierce, commander of The Five Knights of Fairchilde, better known as The Golden Lion. They are held to an insanely high standard, and are well-known throughout the empire as humorless, unresponsible automata when on duty that many tourists or troublemakers enjoy attempting to provoke a response from.
- The Order of Saint John - The most distinguished(Albeit smallest in number) military arm of the empire, that was once a brotherhood or fraternity that many knights all across the empire swore allegience to - but has now become a military order all its own. The elite fighting force of the empire, they are a flexible, 100% professional army made up of the most elite Knights, Knight-Commanders, and the like that distinguish themselves in battle across the empire, showing off not only battle skill but noble spirit and strength of morality and personality required to act as the faces of the Empire's armed forces. Their duties are flexible, and they have been known to carry out duties ranging from supporting the Crownsmen with keeping the peace, dealing with the most dangerous foreign incursions, serving as auxiliaries to the Ichorian Guard, to even fighting monsters or beasts on occasion. To be invited to join the ranks of the Order of Saint John is one of the highest honors any citizen of Shaoshu can possibly recieve, and their very name and heraldry are synonymous with honor, duty, and purity of spirit - the mere sight of one is enough to ease the minds of the common folk and reassure those in the most turbulent of war-zones that all will be alright. Unlike normal fighting units, they are trained to be veritable one-man armies, focusing on making truly invincible lone wolf warriors rather than focusing on fostering strength through unity - though when they have an occasion to work together, they do so with the trained skill of an adventuring party rather than the careful discipline of a legion.
Religion
The main religion practiced in Shaoshu is that of Saint Kazusada the Elite - though other religions are allowed and encouraged.
Foreign Relations
As all of its neighbors save The Narixian Empire were once a part of the ancient Shaoshu Empire that have only somewhat recently gained their independence, Shaoshu's foreign relations with its neighbors have historically been somewhat terrible - it is only recently with the rise of King Harlow Wyatt Fairchilde that the empire has begun to repair its damaged relations with its neighbors, assuring them that its previous foreign policies of 'imperialism at any cost' are over.
Now, while not 'friendly' pers se, it is at least tolerant and tolerated in turn by its neighboring nations.
Agriculture & Industry
The Shaoshu Empire's agriculture is its main industry - it is a veritable breadbasket of the continent, capable of outproducing the agricultural output of several other countries combined. Its more refined industries are not as up to date as those of other countries, however, and they lag behind in this regard compared to their neighbors.
Trade & Transport
The roads of the Shaoshu Empire, established centuries ago during its halcyon days, have been kept extremely well even after its fall - meaning its well-laid cobblestone roads are some of the best on Zheng-Kitar.
Education
Despite strides made by the current King Harlow Fairchilde to make education available for all, it remains a hallmark of noble or aristocratic birth available almost exclusively to the elite.
For King and Country.
Founding Date
3514 ASK
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
Great Shaoshu, The Empire
Successor Organizations
Demonym
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
The Shaoshu Empire accepts a variety of currencies, but mainly uses the Narixian Credit and the three-coin system(Copper, Silver, Gold).
Major Exports
Wool, Cloth, Grain, Tin, Silver, Lead, Woodworking
Major Imports
Ore, Spices, Raw Materials, Slaves, Wine, Luxury Goods
Legislative Body
Though the Shaoshu Empire once relied on its Parliament for legislative business, the recently crowned King Harlow has dissolved Parliament for rampant corruption, returning the job of Legislation to the King and Queen alone.
Judicial Body
Though the Shaoshu Empire once relied on its Parliament for Judicial business, the recently crowned King Harlow has dissolved Parliament for rampant corruption, returning the job of Judiciary Business to the King and Queen alone.
Executive Body
The King and Queen serve as the executive body of the empire.
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Neighboring Nations
Related Ethnicities
A Monarchy Restored
Though for a majority of its thousand year lifespan the Shaoshu Empire has been a constitutional monarchy with a King that has historically had their powers checked by the power of the Shaoshuan Parliament, this ancient and time-honored tradition recently came to an end with the rise of The Fairchilde Family to the throne of the Empire - thanks to the legendary "Time of Troubles" that raged for nearly a century during which no King managed to hold power for more than 5 years, large amounts of governmental authority had to be invested in the Shaoshuan Parliament if the country was to survive in any form or fashion. However, as a side effect of this century where the King had nearly no official power, the lords of the Shaoshuan Parliament soon became fat on the corrupting power that came with running the empire in the King's stead - meaning that in time, as they 'stabilized' the country by placing a puppet king on the throne, they were now loathe to give up their power in any way...forcing the rising star and soon to be king Harlow Fairchilde to have the entirety of Parliament as well as countless governmental officials arrested, jailed, and eventually sentenced to a lifetime as serfs as punishment for their crimes against the Empire if the country was to return back on track to the hopeful future he knew it could have. Even now, after King Harlow ascended to the throne of King after arresting Parliament and announcing a temporary 'closure' of Parliament and the two governmental houses, declaring all three and its members "Excommunicate Traitoris"(Traitors of the Highest Order), none of them have re-opened even two decades later in the modern day - meaning the country as a whole has slowly shifted back to its original state as an Absolute Monarchy, where King Harlow and his family hold absolute power over the country. However, despite what many might view as a fundamental takeover of power and shift of the country's entire power structure, few members of the populace actually care. Instead, they view such a change as a welcome relief, and proof that the country is finally back on track beneath the current monarch, who has, to his credit, promised to re-instate Parliament and the twin governmental Houses once he has decided the country can trust them to operate...or, if all else fails, trusting his eldest 'male' heir Briar(Born as one of the Twiceborn, possessing sexual organs of both genders, thus 'technically' a male heir despite identifying as a female) to do so if he passes away before he can follow through on that promise.
Related Reading
Allied Nations
As a nation that was founded by a sibling of the last Emperor of the Unified Shaoshu Empire, the Principality is perhaps expectedly friendly with the current-day Shaoshu Empire - the two nations have even gone so far under the new regime of The Fairchilde Family, royal family of the Shaoshu Empire, that they have signed pacts of mutual assistance to further the relationship the two nations have had since their first meetings.
Loosely Hostile
Though the Highland Clans of Astara are not really unified enough to present a solid 'diplomatic relation' of hostilty towards Shaoshu, the people of Astara on the whole have a strong distate for their Shaoshuan neighbors for their history of oppressing them and their country.
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