Kios, a world as old as it mysterious. Explored and charted for millions of years and still holding as many secrets as ever. A large world with diverse life living all throughout, molding with and influencing the mana present throughout the lands and seas. Aliens crashed and formed lands of great science, early humans displaced formed nations based on their ancestral ideas, gods created havens under the seas and dotted across hidden isles. And of course there are the Zhu, a mighty Empire who were created on Kios long ago and whose ancient enemies split the planet in hopes of erasing them. But they survived, with their core still remaining on Kios and they thrived once again despite their separation. In recent years however their stability has been threatened as society has slowly begun to change, the old ways that for countless generations were the sturdy foundation of all they were have begun to show the cracks of age. Monsters beneath their world, dread from beyond the stars, shady on goings within the streets, and secrets that hold more danger than any nation realizes. No one knows exactly what the future holds, but Zhu will at the forefront of something big for better or for worse.
In the Name of the Empress is an action/adventure roleplay taking place in well fleshed out sci-fi/fantasy setting with a emphasis on martial arts. The style of the rp is a mix of free form play with events and things orchestrated by me to help push the larger narrative forward. The types of characters and roles they have can be very diverse, as all sorts of things are possible. But for the moment while the group is small I would prefer people to make one of the natives races to the empire.
So here is some lore stuff to help explain things and give a feel for the setting, most of which is focused on the capital kingdom but I will add more diverse stuff eventually.
Zhu is a general term for the collective of species and are the descendants of the final creatures created by the Great Mother. They are natives of the Zhu Empire, a space faring (through magical means) highly militaristic society that originated on the planet Kios. A diverse species made up of distinct races and many more subraces, they are all largely humanoid in shape though with various non human traits. Outside of their military they are a race most known for their natural attunement with energy and their intense love for nature.
While there are differences between the various Zhu races they all share certain key biological traits as well as certain things programmed into their minds. Most notably is their chi, the backbone of all Zhu life. Unlike most other creatures their chi isn't some passive energy that flows through all life forms, instead a unique living energy; their true selves in a sense. It is housed in their dantian like with humans but it is made up of an unknown energy type, theorized to have been brought into the Universe with the Great Mother. This energy is naturally drawn to others for the purposes of absorbing, granting every Zhu the ability to absorb energy and perceive all forms of it. These sense of energy perception is their strongest allowing them to fully navigate their environment through it as well as communicate with one another and other chi based creatures. Their ability to absorb energy is very powerful and can be used as a substitute for actually eating if the individual has strengthened the ability enough.
As they are at their core, energy beings, their physical shell is moldable to a degree making the Zhu populace latent shape shifters. Some speculate they were meant to have full control over their forms but the process wasn't fully developed, and others say it was a quirk that developed randomly through evolution. Regardless of how and why it is known that Zhu are capable of altering their bodies to a degree, most commonly in things such as forming claws, fangs, and in rare cases extra sets of arms. So far all instances of shape shifting are known to be additions to the body such as that, though it is possible more advanced techniques exist and are kept hidden from most people.
While all Zhu have free will, their minds are inclined to certain ways of thinking most notably towards preferring balance with one another and the environment, leading to them being very strict conservationists. Each Zhu race taking the minimum amount from the environment and leaving the vast majority as it was initially created by The Great Mother. Great care being taken to ensure everything is and every creature is kept in stable numbers and in as close to the proper condition as is possible. A large example of how such a thing consistently is shown is through every Zhu being born with an innate connection to their dragons. If a baby Zhu sees a baby dragon the two will instantly be comfortable around each other and even communicate through altering the wavelength of their chi. Similar innate interaction exist with other intelligent lifeforms in Zhu, leading to a deep understanding with every creature around them.
Zhuni:The native people of Zhu Shang Qiao and majority of the mainland population are a race known as the Zhuni. Appearance wise they are very human, specifically appearing as humans from the region of East Asia. That appearance extends to the common aesthetic of many buildings and the majority of their clothing, resulting in the superficial feel of being in ancient china to travelers from Earth. The most major difference between humans and Zhuni is of course that that as Zhu, Zhuni have a different form of chi and extra senses built solely around energy. In general Zhuni are also physical greater than humans in every aspect, although with significant training a human could bridge the gap on most. They as a whole tend to look pretty fit, with the partial energy being state of their existence pretty much making even the unhealthy Zhuni rarely look it unless the result of a powerful poison or illness. When it moments of high emotion or stress their eyes tend to glow whatever color their chi tends to manifest itself as, their aura subtly becoming visible around them as well. Appearance wise the sexual differences between men and women are the same as with humans, though it mostly ends there. Physically speaking there is no difference between Zhuni men and women in regards to strength, speed, or toughness,; though the women tend to be lighter and thus easier to knock backwards. In regards to the Dantian women have a much wider center and their chi reserves go deeper on average, with men having a narrow dantian that makes using chi easier but normally weaker.
Zhuni have a very stable birth rate and although spikes occur they mostly keep around the same population for extended periods of time, with the majority of people almost always being in their teens and 20s. The average life expectancy is around 50 although through magic and chi control one can live to be hundreds of years old, it simply takes too much to be a practical solution to most. For the same reasons the physical effects of aging rarely show on Zhu outside of their 20s, their bodies keeping a mostly consistent form no matter how old they get and only the energy itself beginning to wear down. Most couples have their first child between the ages of 15 and 17 and another one shortly after; the Zhuni having a pregnancy of only 4 months makes many births end up closer together then on Earth. The family duties are pretty evenly split although with the fathers normally having a much larger role than the mother while the first child is a toddler as she will be in the military and on active duty in most cases. A mostly matriarchal society (this extends to the most other Zhu races also), the Zhuni mothers are head of the household and tend to be who makes all the major decisions involving a family or clan.
Culturally they are a society that admires strength and martial prowess above most things, resulting in the highest levels of fame being that of great warriors and martial artists. To keep that focus all women are forced to undergo military training and brief service upon graduation from school, with men being able to choose if they want to. They are deeply entrenched in tradition and it shows in their extreme respect for their environment, animals, and the importance of family. They are bound by the concept of honor to such a degree that if known for having been dishonored you are treated as subhuman by many and stripped of your job in most cases. Entire books and branches of government exists to help define what things are dishonorable and honorable as well as to what degree since it is such an important part of life within the nation.
Xerin:Native to the kingdom of Xerathis are the Zhu race known as Xerin. Outside of the Zhuni the Xerin are the most populous Zhu race within the Capital Kingdom. Appearance wise they look like Zhuni with fox ears and tails naturally growing on them, the tails ranging anywhere from 1 to 9 in number. With more tails being a sign of higher magic potential (3 Being the average 9 being very rare) and being one of the biggest status symbols among each other. Unlike the Zhuni who live as individuals and small family units, Xerin tend to be divided in much larger clans with all of their communities both in their own kingdom and within Zhu Shang Qiao being made up of people within the same or closely related clans. The clans that the royals come from is often a subject of heated debate among Xerin and can get ugly fast., and they will frequently go and try to speak to the Empress about how the certain clans shouldn't be allowed to.
Culturally they are very similar to Zhuni when it comes to how important Honor is to them but differ when it comes to their primary form of worship. Whereas for Zhuni it is discipline, for Xerin it is grace resulting in their major form of expression being not in the martial arts but in elaborate dances. Through these dances they activate their chi much how a Zhuni would with a stance, allowing them to manipulate their own and nearby energy as they do so. These dances range from forms of complex communication (Zhu Races can see more layers of the dance than other races) to ways of dueling, and when large numbers of them do certain dances they are known to directly alter the weather of their kingdom. This results in them mostly being support units in military situations, dancing from behind the front lines to aid the more directly combat minded Zhu in a battle. Their dances can easily be altered for battle though and many of the stronger ones are more then capable of channeling up waves of mystical energy and such.
Xenkorian:e Xenkorians are a Zhu race who mostly stay within their own kingdom (Xenkor Hu), with very few full bloods living in the other Zhu kingdoms, although Zhu Shang has more than others due to being the capital. Their most distinct physical feature is the fact that they all have gray skin and bright red eyes, making their very human appearance seem very alien. These gray skinned Zhu's kingdom is on a world where barely any sunlight gets through, resulting in most areas being in complete darkness. As such Xenkorians have weak eyesight only able to see up close and in low light, them being completely blind during a sunny day on another world. As such they primarily see through energy perception and a form of echolocation allowing them to maneuver around and go about their lives with very little problems, as they are able to get all but the small details of people and things.
The main cultural distinction between them and the other Zhu is that they value cunning as second to honor. The Xenkorian people are just as aggressive and violent as the Zhuni can be only they don't brawl in the streets like their siblings, instead they goad, trick, and trap each other when they have problems. Moving up in a position is all about persuasion, it's not enough to have the needed skill you have to convince or trick the others into agreeing with you. They are very rapid thinkers, their minds thinking things about everything they know to aid them the second they learn something. Their chi tends to be less refined than the others as they use it primarily as a way to survive, but it allows them to require next to know training to use it as a sense augmenter and they even are born being able to use it to substitute breathing for a few minutes at a time. In the military Xenkorians tend to be assassins and spies and stick to ranged energy based combat when in direct fights. Given their methods of seeing, they are virtually impossible to sneak up on, and also make good look outs. While not normally training beyond basic level fighting, the Xenkorians that do decide to become more dedicated warriors are very feared given their unique way of seeing and rapid minds making misdirection and feints all be useless on them.
Etherian: Rediscovered in the arid Galkahr region of the planet Ternu Si, are the race known as Etherians. They are one of the younger Zhu races, one of the last few to be created and the most recent to be reintegrated. Their appearance is that of humans with very rich solid red and pink skin tones and often glowing chi points across their body. They tended to be heavier than most other Zhu races, their bones being very dense and their muscles capable of growing at a moment's notice. They are the most naturally gifted of the Zhu races in terms of power both physical and magical, quickly coming upon more potent applications of their abilities with little to no training. They are capable of boosting their abilities even more by going into a berserker state where their chi pushes itself into overdrive their bodies becoming harder to damage and all of their abilities vastly increasing as their mind does nothing but pump the energy out at whatever is before it. The ability is very powerful and hardwired into their genes, occurring on its own both when stressed and randomly until they learn to control it. During the state they are unable of stopping themselves until they run out of energy and fall asleep, or are incapacitated. While various objects and methods arose to snap them out of this, the only reliable way was through special signals sent from chi of other Zhu races. The most effective and reliable method was through the dancing of talented or powerful Xerin, the dance calming them back to normal rather quickly in most cases.
When the Zhu races were split apart thousands of years ago, the Etherians handled the isolation the worst. Their natural aggression and uneasy mental state made them quickly become enemies with other intelligent species on the planet their home ended up forming on. Eventually they ended up the only species of any intelligence left on the planet, resulting in a society that was only stable long enough to rebuild after it destroyed its cities fighting itself. When they were found by the rest of Zhu and their world reconnected to the Empire they were immensely grateful, and have reformed their actual Zhu society with the help of their sister races keeping them calm.
While there are differences between the various Zhu races they all share certain key biological traits as well as certain things programmed into their minds. Most notably is their chi, the backbone of all Zhu life. Unlike most other creatures their chi isn't some passive energy that flows through all life forms, instead a unique living energy; their true selves in a sense. It is housed in their dantian like with humans but it is made up of an unknown energy type, theorized to have been brought into the Universe with the Great Mother. This energy is naturally drawn to others for the purposes of absorbing, granting every Zhu the ability to absorb energy and perceive all forms of it. These sense of energy perception is their strongest allowing them to fully navigate their environment through it as well as communicate with one another and other chi based creatures. Their ability to absorb energy is very powerful and can be used as a substitute for actually eating if the individual has strengthened the ability enough.
As they are at their core, energy beings, their physical shell is moldable to a degree making the Zhu populace latent shape shifters. Some speculate they were meant to have full control over their forms but the process wasn't fully developed, and others say it was a quirk that developed randomly through evolution. Regardless of how and why it is known that Zhu are capable of altering their bodies to a degree, most commonly in things such as forming claws, fangs, and in rare cases extra sets of arms. So far all instances of shape shifting are known to be additions to the body such as that, though it is possible more advanced techniques exist and are kept hidden from most people.
While all Zhu have free will, their minds are inclined to certain ways of thinking most notably towards preferring balance with one another and the environment, leading to them being very strict conservationists. Each Zhu race taking the minimum amount from the environment and leaving the vast majority as it was initially created by The Great Mother. Great care being taken to ensure everything is and every creature is kept in stable numbers and in as close to the proper condition as is possible. A large example of how such a thing consistently is shown is through every Zhu being born with an innate connection to their dragons. If a baby Zhu sees a baby dragon the two will instantly be comfortable around each other and even communicate through altering the wavelength of their chi. Similar innate interaction exist with other intelligent lifeforms in Zhu, leading to a deep understanding with every creature around them.
Some specific ones:
Zhuni:The native people of Zhu Shang Qiao and majority of the mainland population are a race known as the Zhuni. Appearance wise they are very human, specifically appearing as humans from the region of East Asia. That appearance extends to the common aesthetic of many buildings and the majority of their clothing, resulting in the superficial feel of being in ancient china to travelers from Earth. The most major difference between humans and Zhuni is of course that that as Zhu, Zhuni have a different form of chi and extra senses built solely around energy. In general Zhuni are also physical greater than humans in every aspect, although with significant training a human could bridge the gap on most. They as a whole tend to look pretty fit, with the partial energy being state of their existence pretty much making even the unhealthy Zhuni rarely look it unless the result of a powerful poison or illness. When it moments of high emotion or stress their eyes tend to glow whatever color their chi tends to manifest itself as, their aura subtly becoming visible around them as well. Appearance wise the sexual differences between men and women are the same as with humans, though it mostly ends there. Physically speaking there is no difference between Zhuni men and women in regards to strength, speed, or toughness,; though the women tend to be lighter and thus easier to knock backwards. In regards to the Dantian women have a much wider center and their chi reserves go deeper on average, with men having a narrow dantian that makes using chi easier but normally weaker.
Zhuni have a very stable birth rate and although spikes occur they mostly keep around the same population for extended periods of time, with the majority of people almost always being in their teens and 20s. The average life expectancy is around 50 although through magic and chi control one can live to be hundreds of years old, it simply takes too much to be a practical solution to most. For the same reasons the physical effects of aging rarely show on Zhu outside of their 20s, their bodies keeping a mostly consistent form no matter how old they get and only the energy itself beginning to wear down. Most couples have their first child between the ages of 15 and 17 and another one shortly after; the Zhuni having a pregnancy of only 4 months makes many births end up closer together then on Earth. The family duties are pretty evenly split although with the fathers normally having a much larger role than the mother while the first child is a toddler as she will be in the military and on active duty in most cases. A mostly matriarchal society (this extends to the most other Zhu races also), the Zhuni mothers are head of the household and tend to be who makes all the major decisions involving a family or clan.
Culturally they are a society that admires strength and martial prowess above most things, resulting in the highest levels of fame being that of great warriors and martial artists. To keep that focus all women are forced to undergo military training and brief service upon graduation from school, with men being able to choose if they want to. They are deeply entrenched in tradition and it shows in their extreme respect for their environment, animals, and the importance of family. They are bound by the concept of honor to such a degree that if known for having been dishonored you are treated as subhuman by many and stripped of your job in most cases. Entire books and branches of government exists to help define what things are dishonorable and honorable as well as to what degree since it is such an important part of life within the nation.
Xerin:Native to the kingdom of Xerathis are the Zhu race known as Xerin. Outside of the Zhuni the Xerin are the most populous Zhu race within the Capital Kingdom. Appearance wise they look like Zhuni with fox ears and tails naturally growing on them, the tails ranging anywhere from 1 to 9 in number. With more tails being a sign of higher magic potential (3 Being the average 9 being very rare) and being one of the biggest status symbols among each other. Unlike the Zhuni who live as individuals and small family units, Xerin tend to be divided in much larger clans with all of their communities both in their own kingdom and within Zhu Shang Qiao being made up of people within the same or closely related clans. The clans that the royals come from is often a subject of heated debate among Xerin and can get ugly fast., and they will frequently go and try to speak to the Empress about how the certain clans shouldn't be allowed to.
Culturally they are very similar to Zhuni when it comes to how important Honor is to them but differ when it comes to their primary form of worship. Whereas for Zhuni it is discipline, for Xerin it is grace resulting in their major form of expression being not in the martial arts but in elaborate dances. Through these dances they activate their chi much how a Zhuni would with a stance, allowing them to manipulate their own and nearby energy as they do so. These dances range from forms of complex communication (Zhu Races can see more layers of the dance than other races) to ways of dueling, and when large numbers of them do certain dances they are known to directly alter the weather of their kingdom. This results in them mostly being support units in military situations, dancing from behind the front lines to aid the more directly combat minded Zhu in a battle. Their dances can easily be altered for battle though and many of the stronger ones are more then capable of channeling up waves of mystical energy and such.
Xenkorian:e Xenkorians are a Zhu race who mostly stay within their own kingdom (Xenkor Hu), with very few full bloods living in the other Zhu kingdoms, although Zhu Shang has more than others due to being the capital. Their most distinct physical feature is the fact that they all have gray skin and bright red eyes, making their very human appearance seem very alien. These gray skinned Zhu's kingdom is on a world where barely any sunlight gets through, resulting in most areas being in complete darkness. As such Xenkorians have weak eyesight only able to see up close and in low light, them being completely blind during a sunny day on another world. As such they primarily see through energy perception and a form of echolocation allowing them to maneuver around and go about their lives with very little problems, as they are able to get all but the small details of people and things.
The main cultural distinction between them and the other Zhu is that they value cunning as second to honor. The Xenkorian people are just as aggressive and violent as the Zhuni can be only they don't brawl in the streets like their siblings, instead they goad, trick, and trap each other when they have problems. Moving up in a position is all about persuasion, it's not enough to have the needed skill you have to convince or trick the others into agreeing with you. They are very rapid thinkers, their minds thinking things about everything they know to aid them the second they learn something. Their chi tends to be less refined than the others as they use it primarily as a way to survive, but it allows them to require next to know training to use it as a sense augmenter and they even are born being able to use it to substitute breathing for a few minutes at a time. In the military Xenkorians tend to be assassins and spies and stick to ranged energy based combat when in direct fights. Given their methods of seeing, they are virtually impossible to sneak up on, and also make good look outs. While not normally training beyond basic level fighting, the Xenkorians that do decide to become more dedicated warriors are very feared given their unique way of seeing and rapid minds making misdirection and feints all be useless on them.
Etherian: Rediscovered in the arid Galkahr region of the planet Ternu Si, are the race known as Etherians. They are one of the younger Zhu races, one of the last few to be created and the most recent to be reintegrated. Their appearance is that of humans with very rich solid red and pink skin tones and often glowing chi points across their body. They tended to be heavier than most other Zhu races, their bones being very dense and their muscles capable of growing at a moment's notice. They are the most naturally gifted of the Zhu races in terms of power both physical and magical, quickly coming upon more potent applications of their abilities with little to no training. They are capable of boosting their abilities even more by going into a berserker state where their chi pushes itself into overdrive their bodies becoming harder to damage and all of their abilities vastly increasing as their mind does nothing but pump the energy out at whatever is before it. The ability is very powerful and hardwired into their genes, occurring on its own both when stressed and randomly until they learn to control it. During the state they are unable of stopping themselves until they run out of energy and fall asleep, or are incapacitated. While various objects and methods arose to snap them out of this, the only reliable way was through special signals sent from chi of other Zhu races. The most effective and reliable method was through the dancing of talented or powerful Xerin, the dance calming them back to normal rather quickly in most cases.
When the Zhu races were split apart thousands of years ago, the Etherians handled the isolation the worst. Their natural aggression and uneasy mental state made them quickly become enemies with other intelligent species on the planet their home ended up forming on. Eventually they ended up the only species of any intelligence left on the planet, resulting in a society that was only stable long enough to rebuild after it destroyed its cities fighting itself. When they were found by the rest of Zhu and their world reconnected to the Empire they were immensely grateful, and have reformed their actual Zhu society with the help of their sister races keeping them calm.
The kingdom of Zhu Shang Qiao is widely known for being the largest tropical island on Kios as well as being the only one to hold a civilization beyond the stone age. Covered in massive jungles all over the landmass, most of the landscape has been unchanged for tens of thousands of years, the cities few in number and the villages built where they wouldn't disturb much. Many races consider it very hot temperature wise, it almost never getting below 90 F and often getting above 100 degrees all year round.
Seasons: There are two season that take place in the area around Zhu Shang Qiao, the Season of Fu and the Season of Sa. The Season of Sa is known for its long days, with the night regularly dropping as short as a couple of hours. Clouds rarely form and it hardly ever rains, the moisture instead coming from the rather high humidity, so thick it is visible in the deeper jungle regions. It is during this 7 month season that the majority of fruit is collected and stored as well as any crops harvested for very few are ready in the other half of the year. The rivers and lakes stay rather calm allowing aquatic creatures to migrate and wander into Zhu Shang waters from elsewhere with little difficulty and most animals staying in their territory out of the way of Zhu settlements.
The Season of Fu is a seven month period where night increased to encompass 60% of the day, with the hours of day mostly covered in overcast. The thick humidity and temperature is lessened and replaced with frequent torrential rain and powerful winds. Most crops still up growing end up destroyed by floods or desperate animals, meaning most food is either stored from earlier or taken purely from hunted animals as 90% of viable plant life is poisonous during Fu. Various shields and other defenses are put in place around cities to protect from the frequent flooding, with less powerful versions but still effective ones in place near the villages. As such it isn't uncommon for people to sit and watch the really large floods without too much worry even as the waters rise above their own homes and many of the trees. Many of the animals are less lucky, the sudden and long lasting change in environment waking up many dangerous beasts that hibernate during the calm sunshine and causing some others to frenzy and swarm making the already dangerous landscape even more deadly.
Jungles: he vast majority of the Zhuni landscape is covered in thick jungle, the Zhuni people only removing what was needed to survive and even then avoiding it if they could. These jungles have been mostly left to nature and evolution, with the only influence the Zhu had being through hunting and gathering. Massive trees blot out the sky with canopies spreading for miles and wild plants of all types sprawling across the jungle floor. All manner of creatures call the jungle home, preying on one another and sometimes being preyed on by the very plants they live in. They are a place where one could stumble across a beautiful plant capable of curing most ailments or wander into the mouth of a several hundred foot snake. Zhu is known for beauty masking horrible danger, and nowhere is that more apparent than within its jungles.
Outside of the natural things within them, there are several things that came about as a result of more intelligent life. Ancient temples and lairs can be found scattered about, overtaken by the plants and animals around them, and some swallowed by the land itself. Mystical artifacts lie at the base of carnivorous trees, and small mammals find homes in rusted scrap of ancient probes and shreds of war golems. In certain areas one may even find Tribal settlements among the trees, or cults hiding among the ruins hidden within the mists.
Regardless of the source there is always something to find.
Grasslands: Taking up much less space than the jungles are the grasslands, both naturally occurring and the ones created by the Zhu people for various reasons. These are often right outside of cities and a much safer place than the jungles, lacking the carnivorous plants and the very large predators normally only passing through. That said at night and far from society things kind of shift, with the danger being more so the other people. Bandits wait just off the path always looking for the next rich traveler, gangs and mercenaries take down caravans , and slavers on the look for lost foreigners. That isn't to say going off the path at night will always end badly, but it is a fact that people are aware of. The government doesn't actively guard the areas between population cities and doesn't guard the wild at all, in fact encouraging vigilantism which has its own set of pros and cons.
Dotted much more liberally are small villages rarely having more than a 100 people living in them on a permanent basis. These villages show a much simpler side of the culture mostly consisting of farmers, hunters, and fishermen who then sell their stuff to the large cities. They are common employers of monster hunters as well as offering good accommodations for travelers of all kinds, making them very valued in society. They are less guarded then the cities normally only having a few official Qilun and whatever martial artists happen to be resting there for the time being. Despite this lessened security attacking a village is much more risky than a city due to their valued nature, and the fact that Dragons regularly sleep nearby. Damaging a village is easy, surviving to tell about it is a whole different matter.
City List: Xhey Huin City: The largest and most populated city in the kingdom, it's known for its large minority communities and densely packed market areas. The School of Magi headquarters is located on the outskirts making it a well protected city even without taking the Qizhou into account. It's is also home to the most famous arena within the Empire and as such many warriors pass through to compete or open schools there.
Kap Pao: A coastal city located in the northeast, it's the primary coast used for voyages to other countries and as such has a large amount of people and shipments coming in from all over. It's the best area to go to in order to get foreign items.
Mi-sui bay: Sprawling city across the southern bay area. Is mostly used for inner kingdom trade and shipments , it's location leads to lots of people needed to travel through it and plenty of work is available for monster hunters and warriors looking for work. The primary head Quarters of the Twin Suns is located within the city.
The Capital: The most diverse of the major Zhuni cities as it is where most of the merchants and traders go to sell their high end and rare goods. The buildings within have more of a combination of various cultures since many decide to set up shops there from all around known space. Outside of being a shopper's paradise it is known for its many temples and those of a more religious journey tend to go there for assistance. The Capital also has more legal authority then the other cities and is the step before the Empress when it comes to crime and punishment and where most new propositions and laws are discussed by the lesser nobles.
The Palace Grounds: The Palace Grounds is as the name suggests everything within the palace grounds but also the city that was build around it. It is a medium sized city extending for a few miles outward from the area that is directly part of the Palace. It has its own temples, it's own shops and restaurants, and pretty much anything else that the people could need. Most of the people who live there work for the palace in some way or for the area right by the palace, with the others mostly being merchants and people who live at the various embassies. While the capital is the legal center of the kingdom, the Palace is the political center where any and all groups, nations, and factions would send people in hopes of speaking to the Empress. The entire city is gated off from outside with the entrance heavily guarded and all items checked, but once through people find it the most beautiful city of them all.
Seasons: There are two season that take place in the area around Zhu Shang Qiao, the Season of Fu and the Season of Sa. The Season of Sa is known for its long days, with the night regularly dropping as short as a couple of hours. Clouds rarely form and it hardly ever rains, the moisture instead coming from the rather high humidity, so thick it is visible in the deeper jungle regions. It is during this 7 month season that the majority of fruit is collected and stored as well as any crops harvested for very few are ready in the other half of the year. The rivers and lakes stay rather calm allowing aquatic creatures to migrate and wander into Zhu Shang waters from elsewhere with little difficulty and most animals staying in their territory out of the way of Zhu settlements.
The Season of Fu is a seven month period where night increased to encompass 60% of the day, with the hours of day mostly covered in overcast. The thick humidity and temperature is lessened and replaced with frequent torrential rain and powerful winds. Most crops still up growing end up destroyed by floods or desperate animals, meaning most food is either stored from earlier or taken purely from hunted animals as 90% of viable plant life is poisonous during Fu. Various shields and other defenses are put in place around cities to protect from the frequent flooding, with less powerful versions but still effective ones in place near the villages. As such it isn't uncommon for people to sit and watch the really large floods without too much worry even as the waters rise above their own homes and many of the trees. Many of the animals are less lucky, the sudden and long lasting change in environment waking up many dangerous beasts that hibernate during the calm sunshine and causing some others to frenzy and swarm making the already dangerous landscape even more deadly.
Jungles: he vast majority of the Zhuni landscape is covered in thick jungle, the Zhuni people only removing what was needed to survive and even then avoiding it if they could. These jungles have been mostly left to nature and evolution, with the only influence the Zhu had being through hunting and gathering. Massive trees blot out the sky with canopies spreading for miles and wild plants of all types sprawling across the jungle floor. All manner of creatures call the jungle home, preying on one another and sometimes being preyed on by the very plants they live in. They are a place where one could stumble across a beautiful plant capable of curing most ailments or wander into the mouth of a several hundred foot snake. Zhu is known for beauty masking horrible danger, and nowhere is that more apparent than within its jungles.
Outside of the natural things within them, there are several things that came about as a result of more intelligent life. Ancient temples and lairs can be found scattered about, overtaken by the plants and animals around them, and some swallowed by the land itself. Mystical artifacts lie at the base of carnivorous trees, and small mammals find homes in rusted scrap of ancient probes and shreds of war golems. In certain areas one may even find Tribal settlements among the trees, or cults hiding among the ruins hidden within the mists.
Regardless of the source there is always something to find.
Grasslands: Taking up much less space than the jungles are the grasslands, both naturally occurring and the ones created by the Zhu people for various reasons. These are often right outside of cities and a much safer place than the jungles, lacking the carnivorous plants and the very large predators normally only passing through. That said at night and far from society things kind of shift, with the danger being more so the other people. Bandits wait just off the path always looking for the next rich traveler, gangs and mercenaries take down caravans , and slavers on the look for lost foreigners. That isn't to say going off the path at night will always end badly, but it is a fact that people are aware of. The government doesn't actively guard the areas between population cities and doesn't guard the wild at all, in fact encouraging vigilantism which has its own set of pros and cons.
Population centers
As the Zhuni prefer to leave nature as it is, they have only a handful of actual cities each spread out in different areas of the landmass. While the exact demographics of the city vary, they are each very densely populated and rather large. These population hubs are most of the Zhuni culture is on show at, where the schools and temples lie, the largest shops, the headquarters of various factions etc. They are incredibly well guarded by both the Qizhou and any Qilun or Qigekki who happened to be stationed in or nearby, making external threats almost nonexistent and frequent crackdowns on internal issues. Dotted much more liberally are small villages rarely having more than a 100 people living in them on a permanent basis. These villages show a much simpler side of the culture mostly consisting of farmers, hunters, and fishermen who then sell their stuff to the large cities. They are common employers of monster hunters as well as offering good accommodations for travelers of all kinds, making them very valued in society. They are less guarded then the cities normally only having a few official Qilun and whatever martial artists happen to be resting there for the time being. Despite this lessened security attacking a village is much more risky than a city due to their valued nature, and the fact that Dragons regularly sleep nearby. Damaging a village is easy, surviving to tell about it is a whole different matter.
City List: Xhey Huin City: The largest and most populated city in the kingdom, it's known for its large minority communities and densely packed market areas. The School of Magi headquarters is located on the outskirts making it a well protected city even without taking the Qizhou into account. It's is also home to the most famous arena within the Empire and as such many warriors pass through to compete or open schools there.
Kap Pao: A coastal city located in the northeast, it's the primary coast used for voyages to other countries and as such has a large amount of people and shipments coming in from all over. It's the best area to go to in order to get foreign items.
Mi-sui bay: Sprawling city across the southern bay area. Is mostly used for inner kingdom trade and shipments , it's location leads to lots of people needed to travel through it and plenty of work is available for monster hunters and warriors looking for work. The primary head Quarters of the Twin Suns is located within the city.
The Capital: The most diverse of the major Zhuni cities as it is where most of the merchants and traders go to sell their high end and rare goods. The buildings within have more of a combination of various cultures since many decide to set up shops there from all around known space. Outside of being a shopper's paradise it is known for its many temples and those of a more religious journey tend to go there for assistance. The Capital also has more legal authority then the other cities and is the step before the Empress when it comes to crime and punishment and where most new propositions and laws are discussed by the lesser nobles.
The Palace Grounds: The Palace Grounds is as the name suggests everything within the palace grounds but also the city that was build around it. It is a medium sized city extending for a few miles outward from the area that is directly part of the Palace. It has its own temples, it's own shops and restaurants, and pretty much anything else that the people could need. Most of the people who live there work for the palace in some way or for the area right by the palace, with the others mostly being merchants and people who live at the various embassies. While the capital is the legal center of the kingdom, the Palace is the political center where any and all groups, nations, and factions would send people in hopes of speaking to the Empress. The entire city is gated off from outside with the entrance heavily guarded and all items checked, but once through people find it the most beautiful city of them all.
*note: These will be updated as I create more of the language. This are things that natives or people who have been there for a while should know.
Ryu-koga: demon worshiper
Zhu: Collective term for all races of Zhu empire as well as name of language and religion.
Ni: Daughter
Qigekki: Special elite all female warrior caste
Qizhou: Local law enforcement/guards
Gakeouzu: Patron mage of a government official, or place.
Kogauri: Kios Demon
Na: Son
Qilun: Standard Zhu soldiers
Zy-karo: The small crystal used for communications. (basically their phones) (will be explained more in the tech section)
Galeizou: essentially the healers of society, a mix of doctors and priests
Kios: The name of the planet itself
Miziri: The mirror like crystal viewing unit, where they watch broadcasts. (basically tv) Tuning spheres are the remotes
Yin-cor: Zhu equivalent of a debit card
Ba: Mother
Mo: Father
Dantian: Core source of energy within a body.
Mak-Ti: School/Family of techniques.
Ryu-koga: demon worshiper
Zhu: Collective term for all races of Zhu empire as well as name of language and religion.
Ni: Daughter
Qigekki: Special elite all female warrior caste
Qizhou: Local law enforcement/guards
Gakeouzu: Patron mage of a government official, or place.
Kogauri: Kios Demon
Na: Son
Qilun: Standard Zhu soldiers
Zy-karo: The small crystal used for communications. (basically their phones) (will be explained more in the tech section)
Galeizou: essentially the healers of society, a mix of doctors and priests
Kios: The name of the planet itself
Miziri: The mirror like crystal viewing unit, where they watch broadcasts. (basically tv) Tuning spheres are the remotes
Yin-cor: Zhu equivalent of a debit card
Ba: Mother
Mo: Father
Dantian: Core source of energy within a body.
Mak-Ti: School/Family of techniques.
This will be a brief explanation of how it works written as a guideline for an average newcomer, I'll rewrite it in a better way at some other point, or you can ask me about specifics.
If someone has wronged you, you bring the case before the local Qizhou commander of your city or village where they will analyze it and decide if they deserve punishment or not. For simple stuff like that the punishment is normally temporarily servitude of the victim and their family. This is normally for dishonoring agreements and shady business dealings.
Conversely if it is something that the law enforcement gets involved in, they are escorted to the nearest station while bound where their fate is decided. This normally leads to being a servant of the government making them mine, farm, help blacksmiths, etc for free for a set time. That tends to be for dishonorable assault of both physical or sexual nature, unneeded clearing of trees, trespassing, or for stealing. If the crime is more serious such as dishonorable murder, destruction and/or theft of important property or items, or demon worship; it results in imprisonment for a while near the location of the crime.
More serious still are the unforgivable crimes: murder of children, corruption of children, vandalizing holy grounds, demon summoning, repeat blasphemy against the Goddess, planning or being involving with attempts to overthrow the government, treason, exposing Zhu Shang Qiao knowledge to foreign media without permission, serial dishonorable murder, or dishonorable assault of active military. Those cases are handled by the Empress or her adviser and if found guilty you are normally executed, imprisoned for life and used as training tools, or sterilized and dishonored forever; wearing a mark of shame that will ascend throughout your family line.
The severity of the punishment depends on intent, how honorable you have been in the past, and how much society benefits from you. Thus a Qigekki is punished less harshly than a mercenary for the same crime, likewise to a farmer compared to a trader. On the same hand frequent dishonorable behavior can quickly get you a more serious punishment. And any association with Order of Ri-Sun, is an automatic execution. With the exception of slaves for they had no choice.
If someone has wronged you, you bring the case before the local Qizhou commander of your city or village where they will analyze it and decide if they deserve punishment or not. For simple stuff like that the punishment is normally temporarily servitude of the victim and their family. This is normally for dishonoring agreements and shady business dealings.
Conversely if it is something that the law enforcement gets involved in, they are escorted to the nearest station while bound where their fate is decided. This normally leads to being a servant of the government making them mine, farm, help blacksmiths, etc for free for a set time. That tends to be for dishonorable assault of both physical or sexual nature, unneeded clearing of trees, trespassing, or for stealing. If the crime is more serious such as dishonorable murder, destruction and/or theft of important property or items, or demon worship; it results in imprisonment for a while near the location of the crime.
More serious still are the unforgivable crimes: murder of children, corruption of children, vandalizing holy grounds, demon summoning, repeat blasphemy against the Goddess, planning or being involving with attempts to overthrow the government, treason, exposing Zhu Shang Qiao knowledge to foreign media without permission, serial dishonorable murder, or dishonorable assault of active military. Those cases are handled by the Empress or her adviser and if found guilty you are normally executed, imprisoned for life and used as training tools, or sterilized and dishonored forever; wearing a mark of shame that will ascend throughout your family line.
The severity of the punishment depends on intent, how honorable you have been in the past, and how much society benefits from you. Thus a Qigekki is punished less harshly than a mercenary for the same crime, likewise to a farmer compared to a trader. On the same hand frequent dishonorable behavior can quickly get you a more serious punishment. And any association with Order of Ri-Sun, is an automatic execution. With the exception of slaves for they had no choice.
The dominant Religion of the Zhu Empire has no unique name in its but is referred to under the umbrella term of Zhu by most outsiders and in conversation with outsiders. As old as the society itself it focuses on a set way of life and virtues that are to be followed and interpreted in a way that benefits both yourself and society. In terms of Deities it is a monotheistic faith but with various lesser beings of power and prophets within the cosmology that are revered or of great power but not really worshipped. It is a somewhat ethnocentric religion but it is more than accepting of others who follow similar codes of ethics.
For most of the Empire's history their system of beliefs was completely nameless, it being so ingrained in to them and simply how they lived that the notion of it needing a name was strange to them and even offensive to some. It wasn't something labeled or really discussed it simply was just as they just were, what more was there to it? It was only when they began having more and more communication with other cultures that the need for labels and names become more important for explanations and reference purposes. They settled on the name Zhu as a collective term for the people, the language, and their faith/philosophy. Zhu was them in all of their aspects so why differentiate?
The Religion is as mentioned, completely inseparable from the Empire as it is the foundation of it. Priestesses and such are important members of government, ethics are shaped by what the teachings of it dictate, and the belief is the primary thing that binds each race to one another and makes them so loyal. There are temples in every neighborhood and attendance is mandatory for Zhu at least once a week, though more encouraged. The Temples are important community centers and how the religious community sees someone has a large baring on how the rest of society sees them. Religious stories and aspects are taught in all schools and whole castes of society are devoted to areas of it. Blasphemy is regarded as a serious crime for Zhu, and a moderate crime for non Zhu.
Strength: Weakness in all of its forms is to be challenged and overcome and not allowed to fester within one's body, mind, or soul. To accept the weakness within is to fail the Great mother and accept dishonor.
Courage: Never allow fear to take hold of your mind, one must fight through it and continue on with whatever causes them distress. To follow Zhu is never whimper in the face of fear, but to bear your fangs and destroy it.
Loyalty: Blood may be thicker than water but Loyalty is stronger than blood. Your loyalty must be the most sacred bond you have no matter who it may be too. When you swear loyalty you must stay true to it as long as it stays honorable, the faith and those who you are loyal to must take precedence over any others.
Discipline(this one is flexible and can be replaced with things like grace or guile I'll explain more on that later): A sound soul resides within a sound mind, and a sound body. Followers of Zhu must strive to achieve harmony within themselves and the universe at large, for only when one has mastered them self can they even begin to perceive the Great Mother in all her glory. Only those who have been enlightened will become Warriors of the Faith and be her favored children in the next life.
Honor: The most important of all tenets is to be an honorable person at all times. To disregard Honor is to forsake the Great mother and be a blight on society and those above you. Even in the face of certain death, Honor must be maintained for the integrity of one's soul is more important than the vessel of flesh.
Every one of those can be ignored for self preservation except for honor. Honor is to be upheld at all times even in the face of death.
For most of the Empire's history their system of beliefs was completely nameless, it being so ingrained in to them and simply how they lived that the notion of it needing a name was strange to them and even offensive to some. It wasn't something labeled or really discussed it simply was just as they just were, what more was there to it? It was only when they began having more and more communication with other cultures that the need for labels and names become more important for explanations and reference purposes. They settled on the name Zhu as a collective term for the people, the language, and their faith/philosophy. Zhu was them in all of their aspects so why differentiate?
The Religion is as mentioned, completely inseparable from the Empire as it is the foundation of it. Priestesses and such are important members of government, ethics are shaped by what the teachings of it dictate, and the belief is the primary thing that binds each race to one another and makes them so loyal. There are temples in every neighborhood and attendance is mandatory for Zhu at least once a week, though more encouraged. The Temples are important community centers and how the religious community sees someone has a large baring on how the rest of society sees them. Religious stories and aspects are taught in all schools and whole castes of society are devoted to areas of it. Blasphemy is regarded as a serious crime for Zhu, and a moderate crime for non Zhu.
Tenets of Faith:
Strength: Weakness in all of its forms is to be challenged and overcome and not allowed to fester within one's body, mind, or soul. To accept the weakness within is to fail the Great mother and accept dishonor.
Courage: Never allow fear to take hold of your mind, one must fight through it and continue on with whatever causes them distress. To follow Zhu is never whimper in the face of fear, but to bear your fangs and destroy it.
Loyalty: Blood may be thicker than water but Loyalty is stronger than blood. Your loyalty must be the most sacred bond you have no matter who it may be too. When you swear loyalty you must stay true to it as long as it stays honorable, the faith and those who you are loyal to must take precedence over any others.
Discipline(this one is flexible and can be replaced with things like grace or guile I'll explain more on that later): A sound soul resides within a sound mind, and a sound body. Followers of Zhu must strive to achieve harmony within themselves and the universe at large, for only when one has mastered them self can they even begin to perceive the Great Mother in all her glory. Only those who have been enlightened will become Warriors of the Faith and be her favored children in the next life.
Honor: The most important of all tenets is to be an honorable person at all times. To disregard Honor is to forsake the Great mother and be a blight on society and those above you. Even in the face of certain death, Honor must be maintained for the integrity of one's soul is more important than the vessel of flesh.
Every one of those can be ignored for self preservation except for honor. Honor is to be upheld at all times even in the face of death.
Generally speaking their lighting is achieved through a combination of electricity and magical items depending on what kind of light they need. An average home or building will utilize electrical lights in the ceiling and such much like a building or home on Earth would use. When they need to achieve a certain glow during either day time or night they use small magical wires that they insert into the light bulb, these lights can be normal glowing ones or in some cases cause certain subtle effects on the people under them.
Their electricity is produced through generators which are in turn powered by chi. These generators are the same things that power their various types of stoves and refrigeration units, only in the later case the chi activates small crystals that release chilling air.
Golems:The robots of the empire essentially. They are magical automatons made from really any material their creators chose as long as they have enough of it and enough skill to make it work. They are mostly humanoid but the degree varies from simple featureless shape, to metallic, or to a replica of a specific person and anything in between. They are almost always forged to do a specific tasks or set of tasks for their creator and their intelligence often reflects that but most are at least semi sentient with many being fully independent and free willed beings. Regardless of how intelligent one is they are expected to serve their creator until their death or the task they were made for is completely complete. After that happens they are normally given jobs within the empire, normally doing manual labor, extra security, or being assists to others. They are treated like anyone else as long as they have the intelligence to hold some form of conversations and do their jobs right, many having their own houses and as close as they can get to a family unit.
Zy-karo: Zy-karo is the primary form of long distance communication, the result of magical engineering. They are grayish blue crystals ranging anywhere from the size of an average shoe to a small disc that can fit in a wristband or watch. Although the shape and size varies the primary structure is the same, a small cube or sphere of various mystical energies is trapped inside structure of solid chi, which is surrounded in the crystal casing. The casing is self repairing, so as long as the core is fine it will continue working.
It is used by making a mental command to turn it on while holding it, from there you are able to command it to contact any other Zy-karo that it has access to. You get/give access by breaking off a piece of the casing after energy flows into it, you hold the fragment to another device and it gets absorbed resulting it saving the data. When you contact another Zy-karo the device in question begins to glow and vibrate during which they can make it stop or answer. If they answer a small holographic display appears from both devices showing the person calling as well as projecting their voice, making it basically a video phone, although you can make it audio only. It's ended by making the mental command and tapping the center. Organizations tend to have one or more larger immobile versions of these that house hundreds to thousands to data from their employees and associates.
Weapons:Zhu have developed their weaponry to match their primary power source as well, on the surface someone would mostly notice various types of swords and spears being the primary up close weapons. While that is correct there is more to them then just that, every weapon is specially forged to tap into internal energy. This is accomplished with special forges that are built upon spots where the lands energy escapes through natural vents. By taking a chi sample and using certain mystical materials they can even forge it to work better or solely with a specific individual.
There range weaponry is more infused with it, the most common form are box like devices that fire spheres of pure energy. The energy can be regulated to be concussive force or more commonly just disintegrating power. A slightly less common but still common is develop other hand held weapons that fire energy charged objects in a kind of mix between a fireball and a bomb. Larger scale versions of those are mounted on their warships.
Miziri: The primary form of home entertainment is basically the Zhuni form of television. Instead of using cameras and such certain magi attend various sporting events, plays (which work more like movies then our kinds of plays), concerts, the news, etc. They use a spell that captures what they see and sends it all across the nation to home device called Miziri. They are mirror like structures where instead of glass they are made from a soft flexible crystal covered in a thin liquid film. From there it is saved as a certain frequency during that time, and normally will repeat itself at a set time later that day or the following day. Much like actual TVs they come in all shapes and sizes from small handheld ones, to large theaters, even to ones that actually double as bedroom mirrors (by having glass in the center)
They work very similar to TVs in that at any given time there are various different broadcasts on the multiple frequencies stored. One controls it through the use of two small magnetic spheres, one for changing the frequency and another for the volume. These frequencies are maintained by various magi working for entertainment companies in Zhu lands, their job to make sure the right thing is sent at the right time, and when things are rerun.
Something of note, due the existence of magic, their plays feature "special effects" that are indistinguishable from the real deal, allowing them to accomplish any setting or creature for practically nothing. (assuming they have a decent illusionist involved)
Long distance Travel: s most citizens don't have dragons or vast magical power, the Zhuni had to develop methods for timely long distance travel in order to keep the empire well connected. Here I'll go over the common methods.
For those trying to reach a different area on the same landmass as them the fastest and most common way is through the use of Audways. Using domesticated Audik Worms large tunnels are dug underground connecting two locations together. They then line the tunnel with the sturdiest of stone or metal to ensure that it doesn't collapse and fill up before proceeding to build a railway within it. It works much like a subway in that people go to the underground entrance and pay or present their ticket before being let aboard one of the many trams. At certain times every day the Golems living within the tunnels will push the trams at high speeds along the railway until stopping at their next location. Every city in Zhu owned lands are connected to the others on its landmass by Audways which are used as a cheap way for distant travel.
For places separated by sea most go by boat ranging from simple sailing to passenger ships utilizing the same technology as warships depending on how much money one is willing to spend and how fast you need to be there. This is very reliable and all though seas between distant Zhuni lands can be dangerous, any non private journey is accompanied by guards and escort beasts who help ensure safety at all times.
The most expensive (but not unattainable for lower castes who save up) long distant travel is going to a different world entirely. To that end in certain cities there are Nexus ports where large constructed (massive metal rings inscribed with mystic symbols and with mystic energy in the center) portals are housed. After paying and going through a brief process of making sure the person don't have any contagious illnesses they are carefully led through the gate. Where after a few seconds of flashing lights and a feeling of vertigo they'll end up on whatever world it was linked to. In the other port they'll be encouraged to rest for a little while in order to not throw up or be sick in general. But other than that can go on there. Anything and anyone can be taken with you as long as it breaks no laws, and you pay the fee for a child or animal.
Sui is the lowest in values and are mostly coins of various values, these are mostly used by farmers and fishermen, as well as people in small villages where they normally have only base materials to make things from. That's not to say their things are necessarily inferior just they are worth less according to the culture. It is also a way to ensure that even though they are poor by comparison they still can afford a good life.
Next is Yil which are some of the metal strips mentioned above, they are a soft metal and as such can be bent and folded for easier storage. It takes exactly 1000 Sui to equal 1 Yil (the highest single amount of Sui coin being 100 sui, so 10 of those) Yil is the most common form of money used seeing it's what the people in the cities are paid with and normally the amount that the goods are measured in. The average person gets around 35,000 Yil a year with more or less depending on there job and how successful they are of course.
Rai is the currency of the upper class and is similar in design to Yil with the exception of having tiny gems in on the money as well as the faces of various Empresses. A Rai is equal to 100,000 Yil and as such is only used for extremely expensive purchases due to the sheer value of each metal strip. While the highest single value for a Yil strip is 5000, the highest for a Rai is 10 due to how much each is.
Other Payment forms: The most common alternate way of paying among middle class and above castes is by using a Yin-cor which is essentially their version of debit cards. When purchasing something at a large store one states that they intend to charge it and the clerk will pull out a palm sized pad filled with a thin liquid crystal, the Zhu would place a finger onto the liquid and hold it for a few seconds. If said Zhu had an account with a bank in any Zhu owned land it would send a signal instantly to it. The signal would pull up the account matched with that energy signature and either a Golem or magic inclined worker would send a message back either approving or declining the charge.
A non Zhu can't do it the same way but can still use the same form of payment. Whenever they set up a bank account they need to get a Yin-cor glove which has a uniquely generated synthetic energy signature created specifically for their account. For payment they'd just put the glove on then press the gloved finger onto the pad.
Another way of payment is by bartering. Zhuni society has money for convenience but they still very much accept bartering as a valid form of payment. Virtually any store or person will accept jewels or valuable items instead of money, or simply accept something they currently need for some reason. A major downside to this is that what is accepted or how valued something is varies greatly from store to store. One place your family heirloom could get you a high grade suit of armor, another might get you a tomato.
Next is Yil which are some of the metal strips mentioned above, they are a soft metal and as such can be bent and folded for easier storage. It takes exactly 1000 Sui to equal 1 Yil (the highest single amount of Sui coin being 100 sui, so 10 of those) Yil is the most common form of money used seeing it's what the people in the cities are paid with and normally the amount that the goods are measured in. The average person gets around 35,000 Yil a year with more or less depending on there job and how successful they are of course.
Rai is the currency of the upper class and is similar in design to Yil with the exception of having tiny gems in on the money as well as the faces of various Empresses. A Rai is equal to 100,000 Yil and as such is only used for extremely expensive purchases due to the sheer value of each metal strip. While the highest single value for a Yil strip is 5000, the highest for a Rai is 10 due to how much each is.
Other Payment forms: The most common alternate way of paying among middle class and above castes is by using a Yin-cor which is essentially their version of debit cards. When purchasing something at a large store one states that they intend to charge it and the clerk will pull out a palm sized pad filled with a thin liquid crystal, the Zhu would place a finger onto the liquid and hold it for a few seconds. If said Zhu had an account with a bank in any Zhu owned land it would send a signal instantly to it. The signal would pull up the account matched with that energy signature and either a Golem or magic inclined worker would send a message back either approving or declining the charge.
A non Zhu can't do it the same way but can still use the same form of payment. Whenever they set up a bank account they need to get a Yin-cor glove which has a uniquely generated synthetic energy signature created specifically for their account. For payment they'd just put the glove on then press the gloved finger onto the pad.
Another way of payment is by bartering. Zhuni society has money for convenience but they still very much accept bartering as a valid form of payment. Virtually any store or person will accept jewels or valuable items instead of money, or simply accept something they currently need for some reason. A major downside to this is that what is accepted or how valued something is varies greatly from store to store. One place your family heirloom could get you a high grade suit of armor, another might get you a tomato.
Zhu Beasts of Burden Link
These large reptile-esque creatures are best friends and companions of the Zhu people, Dragons are an immensely important part of the environment and culture. These noble creatures come in various shapes and sizes but all serve similar purposes as Guardians of the Zhu land. To an outsider they may seem like pets of the Zhu people, or some sort of servants but the Zhu see them as loving friends and protectors despite what outside appearances may look like. They may be mounts, workers, and guards, but above all else the creatures are a part of Zhu, and considered one of their most sacred.
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The Qizhou carry out the will of the law in Zhu society, from street level crime to corruption in companies and people of power. They operate as a well oiled machine with various different departments and positions working together to reduce, stop, and solve various crimes that go on every day. There are the warriors who patrol the streets and respond to reports which tend to be the people most seen and thought about when Qizhou are brought up. Within the stations are people who handle the reports and negotiations with various groups who either need help or want a reduced sentence/punishment. There are more heavily armed and powerful units of Qizhou who handle raids and serious threats to society, such as holding off hostile forces until military aid can arrive. There are various detectives and magi who specialize in figuring things out, such as who a criminal was, and how exactly someone died. Smiths employed to forge the equipment along with old warriors to train the recruits. And of course various leaders who run the local stations and assign everything.
When a report is given the Qizhou normally send someone to investigate, a warrior if it's still going on and a detective if it's an older crime. If a criminal is found on the spot the Qizhou can do whatever they personally deem necessary to bring them in, and can kill them if they chose to, assuming it's a violent criminal. They don't find one a case is opened where depending on the priority the leader will set up a certain amount of people to search through various ways of finding the criminal, generally speaking they can search anyone or any place or bring in any person for questioning simply because they think it will help and need no form of review or consul beyond asking their commander if the person is protected. In all but the most extreme cases the Qizhou themselves set up what a criminals punishment will be and operate the prisons and talks with servant agencies themselves, acts of high level terrorism and magic based crime are handled by Royals and School of Magi accordingly.
While some outsiders view such aggressive power as uncomfortable most Zhu are fine with it, being a society that is quick to handle their problems any way they can. The Qizhou are regarded as heroes and given respect all through Zhu, from free food and services, to the unmarried men and women receiving dozens of marriage offers. The few years of training needed makes it a very attractive looking career path but the dangerous nature means less actually stay then would like to, as they openly get into fights to the death with various killers, gangs, and cults. Regardless successful Qizhou are important members of the community and the commanders are considered high ranking government officials in their own right giving them the authority to change or completely overturn sentences as long as they get at least two other commanders to agree, regardless of who the criminal was (unless a Royal family member overrules it).
When a report is given the Qizhou normally send someone to investigate, a warrior if it's still going on and a detective if it's an older crime. If a criminal is found on the spot the Qizhou can do whatever they personally deem necessary to bring them in, and can kill them if they chose to, assuming it's a violent criminal. They don't find one a case is opened where depending on the priority the leader will set up a certain amount of people to search through various ways of finding the criminal, generally speaking they can search anyone or any place or bring in any person for questioning simply because they think it will help and need no form of review or consul beyond asking their commander if the person is protected. In all but the most extreme cases the Qizhou themselves set up what a criminals punishment will be and operate the prisons and talks with servant agencies themselves, acts of high level terrorism and magic based crime are handled by Royals and School of Magi accordingly.
While some outsiders view such aggressive power as uncomfortable most Zhu are fine with it, being a society that is quick to handle their problems any way they can. The Qizhou are regarded as heroes and given respect all through Zhu, from free food and services, to the unmarried men and women receiving dozens of marriage offers. The few years of training needed makes it a very attractive looking career path but the dangerous nature means less actually stay then would like to, as they openly get into fights to the death with various killers, gangs, and cults. Regardless successful Qizhou are important members of the community and the commanders are considered high ranking government officials in their own right giving them the authority to change or completely overturn sentences as long as they get at least two other commanders to agree, regardless of who the criminal was (unless a Royal family member overrules it).
Deep within the core of Kios (well what people think is the core, there's more to it then they know) a special energy known as mana is generated. From there it flows throughout all areas of the planet but in a very uneven flow, with some barely getting any and others getting vast amounts. This magical energy is what causes the various magical creatures to evolve over time as well as create beings and spirits of great power on occasion. To a certain extent is in everything from the air to the smallest grain of sand; some things like clay hold only trace amounts while certain crystals are practically made of it. This extends to people as well and that fact had a major effect on the various cultures that would rise up on the planet.
Those born on Kios (and its moon, since it exists within its field) are naturally drawing in this energy while still in the womb and even more after birth. Those whose body accepts it easily and absorb high amounts are natural Magi who will normally begin to produce magical abilities on their own subconsciously at a random point in their life. Those who don't can still do magic but most be specially trained to harness it from the land and use it for spells and such. How powerful of magic they can use without killing themselves depends on both their bodies ability to channel it as well as their mental fortitude and training. Even then using spells and magic too far beyond what you are used to runs the risk of making you go insane and your body taken by one of the many malevolent spirits who exist in Kios.
Despite the Zhuni being all natural magi only about 20% of the population actually get's any training beyond the very basic (which happens in school). They instead opting for an actual Magi caste who would do the magical protection and development for everyone else. Zhuni magi receive an extreme amount of training with a lot of focus on finding a balance between power and peace of spirit in order to ensure that they will always be in control and capable of handling themselves. They tend to specialize in offensive spells with defense oriented stuff being primarily taught to those who would uphold barriers around places during war and focus on fortification during other conflicts. There is a second group of healing and anti curse Zhuni Magi who serve as a mix of doctors and priests known Galeizou. Much like Qigekki they are an all female order and tend to do a lot of training alongside their warrior sisters.
Those born on Kios (and its moon, since it exists within its field) are naturally drawing in this energy while still in the womb and even more after birth. Those whose body accepts it easily and absorb high amounts are natural Magi who will normally begin to produce magical abilities on their own subconsciously at a random point in their life. Those who don't can still do magic but most be specially trained to harness it from the land and use it for spells and such. How powerful of magic they can use without killing themselves depends on both their bodies ability to channel it as well as their mental fortitude and training. Even then using spells and magic too far beyond what you are used to runs the risk of making you go insane and your body taken by one of the many malevolent spirits who exist in Kios.
Despite the Zhuni being all natural magi only about 20% of the population actually get's any training beyond the very basic (which happens in school). They instead opting for an actual Magi caste who would do the magical protection and development for everyone else. Zhuni magi receive an extreme amount of training with a lot of focus on finding a balance between power and peace of spirit in order to ensure that they will always be in control and capable of handling themselves. They tend to specialize in offensive spells with defense oriented stuff being primarily taught to those who would uphold barriers around places during war and focus on fortification during other conflicts. There is a second group of healing and anti curse Zhuni Magi who serve as a mix of doctors and priests known Galeizou. Much like Qigekki they are an all female order and tend to do a lot of training alongside their warrior sisters.
Bestiary list for central kingdom
