The Golden Empire
Essential Details
Name of Realm: The Golden Empire of Qinghan | Qinghan (heaven on earth) | The Middle Kingdom (Zhong Guo)
Rulers
The God Emperor | The Golden Emperor | Tian Kehan | The Emperor of emperors | Huang Cao Dai | The Silk LordRuler of the Qinghanese and the bearer of the
"Mandate of Heaven". A position inherited within the current dynastic line of Han. The current God Emperor is
The Kangjin EmperorThe Celestial Cult of Sacrifice | The Celestial CultXishengkai or the
Path of Sacrifice is the dominant religion of Qinghan. It is led by the Priest Kings of the Celestial Cult of Sacrifice who supports and worships the God Emperor/Empress of Qinghan as the deified representative of the one true god,
Huang Shangdi.
The Grand Council The God Emperor's privy council, consisting of selected members of the imperial family and the princes of the empire's nobility who are given the rank of
Grand Councillor. They handle military and administrative duties and serve to advice the God Emperor and centralize authority under the
Dragon Throne.
Culture & Races
Overtime, the once isolationist Qinghan became more open to the outside world. At present, it's Golden Empire has established itself as a multicultural empire of major trade, exports and commerce. Many races are present within the Golden Empire, but there are three particular ethnic groups that dominate the rest as the rightful natives who were the first to conquer Qinghan.
The Qintai- The most dominant Qinghanese ethnic group who consider themselves the apex of the whole human species and their culture its pinnacle. As such, they are a deeply arrogant, fanatically religious and a patriotic human race, united under the
Xishengkai and the ancient human tongue of
Mandaran. They are often portrayed as extremely proud, aloof and superstitious, but strong-willed, intellectual and very cultured. The Qintai are described as having oriental features with narrow or slit eyes complete with fair to porcelain colored skins and black hair.
The Monggan- A major Qinghanese ethnic group of people, who are descendants of the horselords of the
Monggattai Plains. Due to their origins, they tend to be more humble and less cultured than The Qintai, but are equally as proud and protective of their people's ancient traditions and superstitious beliefs. Like the Qintai, they also have similar oriental features but with more darker and tanned complexions along with a much rugged appearance.
The Jurichen - the third largest ethnic group in Qinhan who originate from the
Outer Isles surrounding the main peninsula. Their ancestors were mighty corsair kings who once terrorized the Qintai and the Monggan with their lightning raids and pillaging on the mainland.
Religion
The Xishengkai - The Xishengkai meaning
"Path of Sacrifice" is the worship of the one true god named
Huang Shangdi. It is one of the oldest religions in the known world and the most dominant religion of Qinghan. It originates from the Qintai slaves of orcs and goblins that once roamed commonly in The Middle Kingdom before the coming of
The Mortal God. The Priest Kings of the Celestial Cult believe that Huang Shangdi has sent a "divine calling" for all the mortal races to bring His paradise of peace and prosperity to all under heaven, no matter the means, and to guard such a paradise regardless of the cost. He gave the "Mandate of Heaven" to His son, The Mortal God, before sending him to earth to be the unifying beacon of the world and ensure that His Will was made a reality. Ever since The Mortal God descended, united and conquered the warring races of The Middle Kingdom, his descendants,
The God Emperors, are seen as having inherited The Mandate of Heaven.
The Priest Kings preach that one must sacrifice their all to the glory of their God Emperor and the fulfillment of his Mandate of Heaven. The higher one's sacrifice, the more assured their place in eternal paradise will be. Which is why, slavery is seen as a sacred and honorable commitment in Qinghan, as they are the ones who will sacrifice the most for god and nation. There have even been records of a few slaves becoming God Emperors in their own right. The warrior monks of the Celestial Cult are responsible for the military training of the Iron Banner Legions.
The Celestial Cult are receptive to all compliant races and tolerent of religions that share similar beliefs, virtues and doctrines to their faith. As a trading empire in the center of the world, Qinghanese cities cater to a variety of different religious temples for the sake of the merchants and traders that visit them. But while worship and private educations are permitted, the public preaching of all foreign religions are banned in Qinghan.
History
The Qinghanese boasts of having one of the most ancient, advanced and wealthiest civilizations in the world. One whose culture has managed to outlived a great many into this current generation. Countless civil wars in their own lands have stopped Qinghan from outward expansions and always threatened to destroy their civilization from within. But the Qinghanese persevered and grew to become more united and hardened in the face of foreign powers that they soon realized are becoming more of a threat to them then themselves. Due to the major influence of The Xishengkai, The Golden Empire remains one of the few civilizations to show more respect and leniency to its slave populace.
Age of Heroes Era -Ancient legends tell that The Middle Kingdom was once home to a number of native races such as orcs, goblins and lizardmen. Surrounded by such creatures, the human tribes of the Qintai, Monggan and the seafaring Jurichen, found themselves united in a constant state of war on all sides with the barbarian races. Outnumbered, the majority of the Qintai were soon enslaved by their inhuman oppressors, while their allies forsook the cause and fled to protect their own territories. Centuries of slavery were all that the Qintai knew at the end of the war and it was from the Qintai slaves that the Xishengkai was born, in the hopes of giving meaning to an already meaningless existence. To answer the cries of his chosen people, the son of Huang Shangdi was sent to the earth in all his glory. The Mortal God broke the chains off the Qintai and united them once more with the Monggan and the Jurichen to begin another war for dominance.
The barbarian races would not submit and be subservient to the cause of The Mortal God and his Father, so the divine hero decided to eradicate them all from The Middle Kingdom. He succeeded in driving the lizard-men to extinction and forcing the orcs and the goblins to flee and hide themselves within their rocky strongholds in The Wicked Mountains. The plains, forests, riverlands and lush valleys of The Middle Kingdom now belonged solely to the humans, and The Mortal God renamed the lands
Qinghan, meaning
"heaven on earth". He became the first
God Emperor of the first
Golden Empire of Qinghan and under his divine rule, peace and prosperity reigned as was dictated by the
Mandate of Heaven. The legend ends, when a century later, The Mortal God fell in battle while trying to destroy the last orcs and goblin barbarians residing within the Wicked Mountain. Some accounts claim that when he died, his soul ascended into the heavens in the shape of a fiery dragon. Most of the legend are unproven accounts at best. But what is certain was that somebody did unite the ancestors of the Qinghanese and drove the barbarian races off from the lands of Qinghan. The orcs and goblins of the Wicked Mountains would continue to plague Qinghan for a thousand centuries, until the rise of the Yantze Dynasty, where they were finally exterminated.
The Three Gods Warring Period -The children of The Mortal God, continued to inherit his Golden Empire. But the Qintai never forgot nor forgave the Monggan and the Jurichen for abandoning them as slaves to the barbarians. This rift between the three ethnic groups grew increasingly bitter overtime, until one day, the Mortal God's line of succession was endangered when its last God Emperor died without an heir. Immediately, three factions arose to elect their own candidates to the Dragon Throne. Even the Priest Kings of the Celestial Cult were divided between the three factions, which made it near impossible to reach a consensus as to who would be the next God Emperor. As a result, each faction proclaimed their own God Emperors and divided the Golden Empire into three kingdoms.
The Kingdom of Yao, led by the Qintai,
The Kingdom of Jat, led by the Monggan and
The Kingdom of San led by the Jurichen. This let to the end of the first Golden Empire, with each kingdom fighting the other for dominance over all Qinghan.
The First Golden Age & The Rise of Mongattai -Centuries later, a Monggan warlord from the Kingdom of Jat, would successfully defeat the other kingdoms and once again unite Qinghan under a new dynastic empire,
The Mongattai Empire. Under
Jagar Khan and his descendants, the Mongattai Empire would go on to rule Qinghan peacefully while dedicating itself to advancing and reforming its civilization for the next 500 years. The Mongattai Empire were the first Qinghanese sovereignty to open trade relations between Qinghan and the rest of the world. They were the ones to establish the famous
"silk roads" that serve as a trading network that runs throughout the entire country. The Mongattai Empire grew immensely corrupt from all their wealth of trade and ultimately met its demise at the hands of Jurichen warlords who succeeded them as rulers of the
Outer Empire or
Xin Dynasty.
The Era of Exploration and the Centuries of Great Divide -The reign of the Outer Empire, saw a unified Qinghan begin its first forays at exploring and colonizing unoccupied lands overseas.
Emperor Hu Wei decided to expand Qinghanese trade relations with nearby foreign nations and aimed to spread Qinghanese rule to lands beyond The Middle Kingdom. For a time they were successful, and the Outer Empire was the first Qinghanese sovereignty to expand the territorial boundaries of Qinghan from beyond their motherland. But at the death of the heir-less
Emperor Dao Xi, civil war once again erupted in The Middle Kingdom, tearing the Outer Empire apart. During its inner strife, their fledgling colonies were slowly ruined or abandoned, due to the severe disruption of crucial supply-lines between them and the mainland. Decades later, when the Qintai-controlled
Ning Dynasty succeeded the Outer Empire, they attempted to reestablish contact with their lost colonies. Unfortunately by then, their abandoned lands had been long re-settled by other foreign powers. With their naval power already spent by civil wars and unable to challenge established sea-faring civilizations, the Qinghanese left these lands to the foreigners with a bitter taste in their mouth. From the time of the Ning Dynasty to the present era, Qinghan saw the rise and fall of twelve more petty empires and dynasties, all ruined by similar civil wars that plagued their predecessors.
The High Qinghan Era or The 2nd Golden Age -At the end of the "Centuries of Great Divide", Qinghan was once again united under the Qintai-ruled
Yantze Dynasty. Their empress,
Han Qintian, finally wiped out the orcs and goblins of the Wicked Mountains, succeeding where even The Mortal God himself failed. This event brought back a resurgence of the Xishengkai religion and it's Celestial Cult, whose power and influence had declined severely since the fall of the Mongattai Empire. Qinghan had not been ruled by a God Emperor since the end of The Three Gods Warring Period. Taking advantage of this, the new Priest Kings of the Celestial Cult anointed Han Qintian as the first God Empress of Qinghan and gave her the additional title of
Huang Cao Dai or
"They of Highest Power". Under Han Qintian, Qinghan underwent a massive administrative and military reformation. The Qintian Empress centralized the Qinghanese armies and took military power away from the individual princes and warlords of The Middle Kingdom. In return, she established the Grand Council so that they may have a voice and a say in the governing of the Yantze Dynasty. She also founded the
Baitang Chun Siao or
Baitang Military Academy to train, educate & update her Qinghanese officers/commanders in the ever-changing ways of warfare. She created the
Taizijian or
Imperial College as a national central institution of higher learning for all who aspired to become imperial ministers in her government. Among all these, Wu Qintian also prioritized improving the economy of Qinghan via export of goods to foreign nations who had need of them. To protect and increase Qinghanese trade interests overseas, she set the goal to make Qinghan a naval superpower in the oceans of the Central Isles. The Qintian Empress began by greatly diminishing the manpower of her land forces by three fourths and investing it all to the creation of her
Imperial Treasure Fleets. Unfortunately, she passed away before she could foresee its completion. For all her great deeds, The God Empress was given the posthumous title of
"The Magnificent" and she became known as, Han Qintian The Magnificent, in the annals of Qinghanese history.
The Golden Empire Era - Present CenturyOne and half a century after the death of Han Qintian, her grandson, Han Kangjin, fought a brief civil war between his younger brothers to succeed as the rightful heir to the Dragon Throne. After killing his brothers and winning the so-called
100 Days War, Han Kangjin was anointed by the Priest Kings as the new God Emperor of Qinghan and became The Kangjin Emperor. Upon succeeding the throne, The Kangjin Emperor announced the end of the Yantze Dynasty and the start of a new
Golden Empire of Qinghan. Under him, the great Imperial Treasure Fleets that his grandmother started, was finally finished and ready to begin their first treasure voyages around the known world.
Assets
Notable Cities: - Nanyangtze - Known as the Floating City of Wonder, the foundations of Nanyantze are built on several islets within a vast lagoon. It is the current capital of The Golden Empire, held and connected together by countless stone bridges spanning over numerous canals that surround towering pagodas, temples, palaces and communities of houses of Qinghanese architecture. While it is surrounded by the rocky highlands and stony alpines of the mainland, Nanyangtze is not physically connected to any of it. It has no need of walls for the only way to reach Nanyantze was through the mouth of the Bloody Bay where the humongous Three Guardians of The Heavenly Gate guard its entrance. The Three Guardians are colossal statues made of stone and bronze, each built on a rocky and mountainous islet that riddles the entrance of The Bloody Bay. They act as gigantic man-made fortresses to garrison troops and defend Nanyangtze from enemy naval invasions. Hidden beneath the bay-waters and connected between each of the Three Guardians's islets are long and thick iron chains called, Demon's Teeth, which could be raised from sea-level to block entrance to unwanted vessels. The sea-faring Jurichen were the original builders of Nanyangtze during the reign of the Outer Empire. Since then, nobody has ever been able to take Nanyangtze by force. Due to its distance to the seas and the protection it gives, Nanyangtze has thrived as the central trading hub of Qinghan for many centuries.
- Luoyan
- Changyai
- Hamangdu
- Kifeng
Economy: Qinghan is deserving of its name and reputation as a heaven on earth. Not only is the country blessed with beautiful environments and natural resources of its own, but they are located at the center of the known world, surrounded by other civilizations of different sizes, races and cultures. As a result, the entirety of Qinghan practically serves as a trading center for all their neighboring nations. Goods of countless varieties flow through Qinghan via its ancient
"silk roads" that run from one end of the country to the other, while connecting to all of its great trading cities before being exported out to foreign regions in the north, south, east and west. This fact has went on to continuously swell the country with wealth and riches beyond imagining, despite centuries of constant chaos and strife. From the Qinghanese, themselves, come precious silk, jade, tea, sugar, salt, paper, porcelain, ginseng and herbal medicines; Exotic luxury goods that, so far, only they have been able to provide in large quantities.
The core of Qinghan's economical power lies in the naturally fertile
Greater Qinghan &
Lower Qinghan regions, consisting of the majority of its provinces, along with all the agricultural, woodland and farming lands. From there, ginseng, rice, sugar, tea, silk, paper, bamboo & softwood timbers are grown and produced. In
Central Qinghan, the region is covered by the Wicked Mountains that stretch out horizontally from west to east, barring the way into Lower Qinghan, that is accessible only through the mountain path known as the
"Way of Tears". Around, within & beneath the mountains, high-grade kaolin and large nephrite & bronze deposits have been uncovered, allowing Qinghan to be one of the major crafters and exporters of porcelain-ware, bronze-ware and jade jewelry. On the rocky and mountainous
Outer Isles surrounding the mainland, not much is found besides salt along with seems and veins of sulphur, saltpetre and coal. Thanks to this, gunpowder technology has been used by the Qinghanese since the reign of the Outer Empire, whose founding Jurichens were one of it's early discoverers and inventors. As a result, the alchemists and gunsmiths of Qinghan are highly-renowned for their skill and creativity in inventing gunpowder-based weaponry and other non-military utilities such as fireworks.
In return, The Golden Empire depends heavily on imports of iron, steel, gold, silver, gemstones, glass, hardwood timbers, spices, furs and various crops and livestock. In recent centuries, slaves have also become an important commodity, to work the mines & fields, as well as to serve at the pleasure of The Golden Empire's citizenry, nobility & soldiery. The Golden Empire's newly formed slave army, The Iron Banner Legions, also serve as mercenary companies whose martial services can be leased out to foreign nations for a steep price. At present, the economy of The Golden Empire has seen significant strain, due to the heavy investments in their mighty Treasure Fleets.
Population: 11,000,000 (15th century Italy) inclusive of 2,100,000 slaves.
Military
Command: The God Emperor/Empress or
The General of All Under Heaven is the supreme commander of all Qinghanese forces on both land and sea. Their power of command is delegated to the following top offices of the military hierarchy.
The Grand Admirals -In the wake of Han Qintian's military reformations and efforts to project Qinghan's supremacy on the seas, a new level in the hierarchy of naval command has been added. Three of the oldest, most experienced and military-educated fleet admirals of the former
Imperial Qinghanese Navy are given the title of Grand Admiral and command of an Imperial Treasure Fleet. Under them are the remaining fleet admirals commanding different sections that work in cohesion with one another within the large mercantile armadas. Because of the importance of this rank and role, the Grand Admirals report directly to the God Emperor himself.
The Generals or Jiangjun -The army generals responsible for supervision and training of army officers. The Jiangjun have the top most military rank of an army division and is responsible for all the military operations of that division. All generals must be graduates of the
Baitang Military Academy. Only the Grand Council, or the General of All Under Heaven, can challenge the authority of a Jiangjun.
Strength: Professional land force of 80,000 slave soldiers. Mass levy of 100,000 imperial citizens to be mobilized in times of national emergencies. Large standing naval force of 690
junks manned by 90,000 marines and sailors.
Han Qintian's aim of making Qinghan a naval superpower, meant that she had to introduce drastic changes to her entire military infrastructure. To direct much of her nation's wealth and manpower into the creation of her Treasure Fleets, the Qintian Empress issued an imperial decree, commanding all the free soldiers of the former
Imperial Qinghan Army to enter the Baitang Military Academy and be re-educated in their naval branch to become sailors and marines of the Treasure Fleets. A second imperial decree was later issued, changing the recruitment of all Qinghanese volunteers to be conscripted for the navy and
only the navy for a certain period of time. During this time, 3/4 of the imperial treasury was emptied to ensure that all this was made possible. Due to the great cost of creating and maintaining such an expensive fleet, the imperial treasury continues to remain 3/4 emptied, even after the death of Han Qintian and the ascension of The Kangjin Emperor to the Dragon Throne.
The Iron Banner Legions - The end of the Three Gods Warring Period also signaled the introduction of slave soldiers into Qinghanese armies. From the time of the Mongottai Empire until Han Qintian's rise to power, about 15% of Qinghan's dynastic armies consisted of slave soldiers, who were more cheap to train and maintain than the free Qinghanese citizens. To greatly lessen the burden of the imperial treasury's military expenditure in the long-run, Han Qintian decided to compose the entirety of her land forces with a new, more well-trained and disciplined force of slave soldiers. For this, the Imperial Qinghan Army was reformed into the
Iron Banner Legions.
The Iron Banner Legions consists of slave soldiers, trained from childhood by the warrior monks of the Celestial Cult as well as officer trainers from The Baitang Military Academy. The military trainers teach them the arts of warfare, marching, fighting in tactical formations, while the warrior monks strip them of all individuality to instill unbreakable discipline, unquestionable obedience & martial prowess into them. Iron Banner Legionnaires do not have wages, with everything the need being provided by their overlords. They are all indoctrinated followers & fanatics of the Xishengkai, who were taught to be nothing. For if they have nothing and are nothing, then they can sacrifice
everything for The God Emperor and his paradise on earth. As reward for their ultimate sacrifice, Huang Shangdi will grant them a place in His eternal blue sky of heaven, where they will want for nothing.
Iron Banner Legions fight in formations of heavy shields, swords, pikes & dagger-axes, usually supported by longbowmen and dedicated regiments of crossbowmen wielding the deadly
Qin No crossbows. Several Iron Banner Legions even have regiments of
fire lancers instead of crossbowmen. Some legionnaires are trained to become horse archers/mounted skirmishers to provide their largely, infantry-based army with some semblance of light cavalry support. Legionnaires who show leadership potential are allowed to receive further military education in the Baitang Military Academy. Like it's predecessors, the true power of the Iron Banner Legions lies, not in their discipline and obedience, but in the organisational and strategical prowess of their generals. Intellectually enriched from their own ancient history of constant warfare and bloodshed, Qinghanese generals are trained to be versatile with their minds, utilizing drums, flags and light commands to issue quick orders to their armies and adapt to the flow of battle in a near instant.
To further contribute to the imperial treasury, Han Qintian created the
Army Lease System. 50% of the newly-trained Iron Banner Legions will be divided into combined-arms forces of 10,000 using the ratios of 6/10 missile support and 4/10 heavy infantry. For a service period of 3 years, they will be temporarily designated as
Guowai, becoming semi-independent mercenary armies, that could be leased to any foreign nation, able to afford a professional military force to fight their wars. When or if that half survives and come back from the wars, the other half will be designated Guowai and given the same turn. In this way, Han Qintian not only eased the burden of her treasury, but also made sure that her land forces remained blooded and battle-hardened while getting other nations to pay for the upkeep of half her army in 3 year periods.
Hiring an Iron Banner Legion depends heavily on a nation's stance towards The Golden Empire as well as it's current economic situation. A hiring nation is able to request for a service extension for double the original price. Iron Banner Legions are only allowed to break their contract if their masters fail to supply and maintain the upkeep of its soldiers during the 3 year period of service. In times of national emergency, Iron Banner Legions may be recalled back to defend the motherland, in which case The Golden Empire will pay back the hiring nation three times the price of the original amount. When a nation hires an Iron Banner Legion, they also hire the Qinghanese general that comes with it, which greatly increases its value. Graduating officers from the Army Branch of the Baitang Military Academy, are often attached to Iron Banner Legions who are about to be shipped out to distant wars. In this way, future greenhorn commanders gain firsthand experience under the guidance of military veterans.
The Imperial Treasure FleetsThe pride and glory of Qinghan that took nearly a century and a half to complete. Seeing that her nation was surrounded by well-established foreign powers that could choke the Qinghanese trade supply at anytime, Han Qintian's primary goal for its creation, was to ensure the freedom of the trading centers along the maritime routes for Qinghan, as well as for friendly neighboring trading partners, who have no significant naval presence in her oceans. This was an effort to further promote and increase international trade with her dynasty. That same goal is upheld by her grandson, the current God Emperor. Neither the pursuit for exclusive access, nor the forceful exploitation of foreign civilizations' wealth, was to be a feature of the Treasure Fleet's expeditions. The secondary goal bolstered the first, as its aim was to project Qinghanese military presence on all the waters surrounding Qinghan, in order to stabilize sea passages from hostile entities and strengthen their own position and status as a naval power within the region.
An Imperial Treasure Fleet is seen as a floating city of trade, similar to The Golden Empire's capital of Nanyangtze, with the exception that it can move. The prize of the Imperial Treasure Fleets are its colossal
"Baoshans" or
Treasure ships. Measuring between 440 and 538 feet long by 210 feet wide, the 4-decked Baoshans had an estimated displacement of 20-30,000 tons with each having nine masts on its deck, rigged with square sails that could be adjusted in series to maximize efficiency under different wind conditions. Before her death, Han Qintian ordered at least 60 Treasure ships to be built. Since then, that order has increased tenfold under the reign of her son and grandson. At present, there are now 90 Treasure ships in total, along with 600 junks to guard and maintain the entire Treasure Fleets.
Currently, the total Qinghanese naval power has been divided into three Imperial Treasure Fleets, consisting of 200 junks and 30 treasure ships each. Within the fleets are specialized vessels that play a cohesive role in either maintaining or protecting the armada. Eight-masted ships, called
"Machuan" or "horse ships," that are about 2/3 the size of the Baoshans and measuring approximately 340 feet by 138 feet, are responsible for carrying horses, along with timber for repairs and tribute goods. They are followed by the seven-masted
"Liangchuan" or grain ships, carrying rice and other food supplies for the sailors and marines in the fleet. Next come the "Zuochuan" junks or troopships, serving as barracks for the marines during the voyages. Finally, there are the small, five-masted warships or "Zhanchuan," each about 165 feet long, all designed for maneuverability in battle.
Diplomatic Relations
Interests: - Naval supremacy on the seas of The Central Isles and the security of Qinghanese trade interests from foreign powers.
- Use of the Treasure Fleets to promote and increase international trade with The Golden Empire.
- Use of the Treasure Fleets to refill the imperial coffers and supplement the economy by establishing greater trade with civilizations at the edges of the known world.
Rivals: The Kniazite League and other foreign powers with a significant naval presence.
Other Information
Location:https://imgur.com/a/y1WeiEM