The Heavenly Sun Kingdom of Great Eternal Longguo
The Heavenly Kingdom of Longguo
(until 1905 known as The Dragon Empire of Impeccable Jinguo)
The Greatest Empire to Ever Be, The Land Existing Without the Bounds of Time, The Land of Golden Virtue, The Emerald of the World, The Eternal Kingdom, The Jade Gardens of The World Between The Heavens, The Home of Dragons, Crucible of Golden Enlightenment, The Chosen Land of the Sun, The Empire of Golden Starlight, The Glimmering Jewel of Heaven, Land of Splendor and Plenty Without Peer, The Land of Equality Before the Stars From Which Injustice Has Been Banished
Summary of Nation:
Lead by High Priestess Daiyu Nuyiloc Xiaolong, Longguo is a massive nation in the western end of the great continent of the world, and referred to by some as the world’s emerald for its lush greenery and the vast open plains that dominate much of its landscape. From the verdant plains upon which grow vast bumper crops of rice, wheat, and potatoes to the towering peaks of the Xindonjian Mountains Range. In both north and south the land is bounded by rolling hills that give way to yet more imposing mountain ranges, forming a fertile basin within which one of the oldest civilizations in history began to flourish. The capital of Laiguantzu is located at the merging of the two main tributaries of the famous Tsuyan river, and its thriving port has a long history within the vast waterway. Further north is the Guanzu river, “the yellow serpent” as it has some times been called. Known in myth as the spot at which the great wyrms from beyond the stars first touched down, the river has been a blessing and a curse for the people of the region since the dawn of civilization upon its banks. Prone to violent flooding owing to heavy deposits of sediment giving it its characteristic color, the river likewise deposits these fertile sediments upon the floodplains surrounding it nearly every year. The danger lies within the severity of the yearly flood, and the unpredictability of its timing. As such, housing near it and along its banks is frequently built on elevated stilts to survive these floods and enable rapid cultivation of rice and other crops in their wake.
The largest group by far within Longguo are the people who lend it its name - the Longzhen people. Derisively referred to as “lizards” or “wyrm spawn” by some others, they have existed since before the dawn of recorded history. Some speculate that they arose from normal humanity through some contact with the wyrms from the stars, though this is impossible to confirm for sure and as such remains fringe speculation. The Longzhen are notable for their generally short stature, with females averaging between 156-160 centimeters, and males averaging 148-152 centimeters. Longzhen are known for their long lifespans, and some have been recorded to live to over two hundred years old and showing almost no signs of age until dying peacefully in their sleep. Despite this they are known to possess surprising strength, and throughout history their armies have been well regarded for not only their sheer size, but the discipline and sophisticated logistics with which they are managed in battle and out of it. The Longzhen are similar to humanity in most regards, barring some notable differences: they have large horns and tails reminiscent of the wyrms themselves, an above average rate of female births to male births, patches of scales or scale like material grow in place of skin on seemingly random parts of their bodies, their eyes show a more reptilian appearance, and many of their teeth are larger and sharper than the human norm, alongside numerous smaller differences.
The Longzhen, culturally, are well known for a collectivist mindset. Though their society has seen huge upheaval since the end of the revolution in 1903, this is one facet that has not only remained, but gotten stronger. With the advent of the new state ideology of Heavenly Socialism, the focus on the traditional family unit has somewhat decreased, and instead this collectivist mindset has been expanded to all of broader society.
Traditionally a matriarchal society, the sexes have been declared formally equal by decree of High Priestess Daiyu. At the culmination of the civil war in the aftermath of the revolution, she honored her commitments to the progressive social movements that had been one of her greatest bases of support. Though the old attitudes remain, and men and women are still expected to adhere to their dress codes, there is a steadily growing sentiment of true equality buoyed by her fervent speeches on the matter. As such, males, while still forming a minority within the armed forces, are growing rapidly within it and all other branches of society.
Government:
The government of Longguo is an usual one based upon a hybrid of other models assembled by Priestess-Premier Daiyu Nuyiloc Xiaolong during the initial stages of the Longguozhen Revolution
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History:
Pre-War:
The land of Longguo is one that has seen no end of strife and hardship in its recent history. From the year 872 until 1903 it was ruled by the last of the Great Wyrms that descended upon the world from the stars beyond. For this time, Longguo was almost a hermit kingdom, the Wyrm and its retainers paranoid of outside interference upon its miniature realm upon this backwards world. With an iron fist, the Wyrm ruled over the Longzhen for over a thousand years. In 1891, the people of Longguo, then called Jingguo, had had enough and revolted against its rule. For twelve long, bloody years the revolution raged. Formed of a coalition of different groups, the alliance was not expected to last. The revolution was spearheaded by the radical visionary Huan Ji Zhuan Tzu Bai, and in the year 1903 the wyrm was brought down in a climactic final battle. It was recorded that thousands of shells were fired to finally bring down the great beast, and tens of thousands of brave soldiers matyred against it.
In the aftermath of this revolution, Huan began her reforms, only to be assassinated by the conservative coalition following what they referred to as The Old Faith. Seeing Huan and her secular policies as a threat to their vision for the nation with the false god of the old wyrm gone, they rose against their erstwhile allies, now united into a single army calling itself the National Unification Army.
The left wing coalition had been formed of two principle groups - the Socialist Revolutionary Front, and the Heavenly Sun Kingdom. The Heavenly Sun Kingdom was lead from its creation by High Priestess Daiyu, and on hearing the news of Huan’s assassination she rallied the forces of the left wing coalition around her before they could fracture and lead the second civil war against enemy forces until the year 1912, becoming blinded in the process by shell fragments whilst orchestrating a breakout during the Siege of Djan Loc Hin. With the defeat of the enemy, Daiyu began the long process of rebuilding her home and enacting her sweeping social reforms. Daily thanks was given to the sun for the inspiration and strength to ensure justice was done. The captive members of the enemy leadership were sacrificed upon the summer solstice to the heavens, and the nation rejoiced as the stars drank their fill.
Outbreak of War:
Longguo had, though ravaged by its internal wars, been keeping close eyes upon world events at large. Alarmed by the rising power of the Reiyk, Daiyu ordered arms production into high gear and began to expand the military, preparing for possible confrontation. Fleets were ordered into standby positions, and garrisons upon their island holdings were strengthened and their fortifications improved.
Recent History: Longguo has perhaps suffered the worst of any belligerent nation attacked by the Reiyk that has not been outright defeated by them. Huge swathes of its industry for the production of tanks, aircraft, and artillery have been captured by the lightning fast naval landings of the Reiyk. The navy has been ordered to remain out of engagements unless a victory can be assured, in order to preserve precious resources against the foe. Arms factories are being built with all haste within the nation’s heartland, but it will be some time before they are ready for production. The armies of Longguo suffer terribly against the foe, but they are holding the line.
Pressing Issues:
Longguo is a nation, first and foremost, beset with the imminent threat of the enemy at the gate. The armies of the Reiyk do not threaten their border, but have overrun an entire southern section of the nation, pushing into the territory of Longguo and taking more of the Eternal Kingdom under the grasp of the foul foe. Exacerbated by this, and in turn exacerbating the situation against the Reiyk, the country has yet to recover from its devastating decade long revolution and subsequent six year civil war. Though it has been twi and a half decades since, twenty six years is not enough time to rebuild a country with few allies and few outside funds from complete and utter ruin. To say that the High Priestess and her ministries have done an admirable job considering the circumstances is no exaggeration, for before the invasion Longguo had become a powerful and world renowned innovator in numerous technological fields, a net exporter of grain and other foods, and a significant and rising industrial producer. Since then, one of its most key industrial regions has been occupied by the Reiyk - and with it, the bulk of Longguo’s existing tooling and industry to produce tanks and heavy weapons. While there is hurried work involved in building new factories located safely out of the reach of the Reiyk, the military high command is desperately attempting to secure the purchase of foreign armor and artillery made to use the ordnance of Longguo to close the looming lack of such.
Notable Strengths:
Longguo is perhaps most notable for its significant resources, in soldiers, in agricultural bounty, and in raw material. No other country save the Alfheiches Reiyk itself can compare to the vast population of Longguo, and its rich diversity in terrain and sheer size have afforded the Longzhen a cornucopia of natural resources throughout their history. As such, its armies are seemingly infinite in manpower, and though its industry has been ravaged by war, every soldier can count upon food in her belly and sufficient ammunition to continue the fight.
National Priorities:
The army of Longguo is one of the most formidable in the world. In the wake of the invasion by the Alfheiches Reiyk, Longguo’s attention has been wholly diverted to its desperate war for existence. Struggling to remain standing under the almighty onslaught from the beasts from across the sea, the timeless empire has poured all of its resources into forging a mighty army to hold back the invaders. And, slowly, it is working. The advances of the enemy are slowed day by day. New weapons and tactics are developed with every day of combat. With the growing strength of the army and its limitless supply of soldiers, Longguo is a true force to be reckoned with by any foe. And with aid from comrades abroad, there is real hope that the barbarians from eastern shores will be swept from their shores.
In turn, external trade has been drastically reduced. Before the war, Longguo was a significant exporter of goods and materials to the global market. With the onset of total war, however, the government has redirected the nation’s entire energy towards the desperate struggle for existence against their foe. In doing so, exports and non-critical imports have almost completely halted.
- The Army
- Industry
- Ideology
- The Common People
- Agriculture
- Technology
- The Navy
- Diplomacy
- The Economy: Internal Trade
- Resource Extraction
- Cultural Issues
- Espionage and Intelligence
- The Upper Classes
- The Economy: External Trade
