The Celestial Empire of Sin

Celestial Empire of Sin




Description: A realm with a rich and long history, the Celestial Empire of Sin is one of the most complex countries, ruled by the God-Emperor Yuan since its formation more than 20,000 years ago. Once an imperialistic great power, the Celestial Empire conquered a majority of Southern Ishgar as well as today's Pergrande kingdom holding the lands for almost 14,000 years before diplomatic tensions and influence from the since Ascended Yuan sanctioned the independence of the surrounding lands. Since establishing its current borders over 9,000 years ago, it has become recognized as a country of peace and harmony fostering beliefs of self-realization even if the country is under the rulership of a Zhenren, an immortal Sage.

Localization: Sin is a largely coastal-oriented country only sharing borders with the Pergrande Kingdom to the west, while they are limited by land, they commonly interact with Desierto, Bellum, and Enca navally. A country blessed with plentiful yearwide rain, it's said the arid winds of Bellum and Desierto blow the liveliness in those lands further east, where they rain down upon the lands of Sin. A country of mountains of rivers, it's said that Sinese farmers can grow crops anywhere.

Politics: The Celestial Empire of Sin is first and foremost a nation led by councils of individuals who are appointed by God-Emperor Yuan based upon neither nepotism nor their skill in their field but rather "fate" as it is said. Both chaotic and orderly, this decision process of relying on fate has often led to short and mid-term issues, however, as the God-Emperor thinks in the centuries rather than years, even bad outcomes are said to be a part of the plan. As a country revolving around a single Sage with Godly wisdom, Sinese politics lack concepts other countries take for granted. The people believe in the concept of the Mandate of Heaven, where a leader is simply allowed to rule for as long as the heavens decree it, or show their displeasure through natural disasters. Throughout millenia, Emperor Yuan's successes outweighed his failures to the point where he was eternalized in his office and become known as God-Emperor, heading the oldest, continuous human kingdom of known history. Between their amicable diplomatic posture and openness to the Magic Council, Sin keeps war away from their borders while simultanously using the country's military prowess and extensive knowledge to aid neighbouring regions in their time of need.

Economy: A rich country despite its size, Sin commonly trades with Desierto, Bellum and Minstrel using scheduled merchant vessels, these are commonly intercepted by Enca raiding ships who seek to plunder their wares and enslave their workers while heavy sanctioned are felt by the Empire's governance from the Pergrande Kingdom. With self sufficient food production, the Sinese depend on nobody else to feed their people, and export not only surplus food, but also knowledge, as well as high craftsmanship that exists nowhere else in Earthland.

Culture: It's said the people of Sin have originated most cultures of Eastern Ishgar, and that statement wouldn't be far from the truth. Joya directly descends from Sinese immigrants in the region and their heritage, and other neighbours such as Bosco or Perengrande have inherited Sinese culture in different ways. Sinese culture is ancient, and while other countries may lay claim to an older heritage, no other Ishgarian nation has survived uninterruptedly for as long as the nation of Sin has, and they especially can't claim to having been successfully led by the same monarch. Emperor Yuan was once admired as a man, but as an immortal Sage, he is commonly referred to as a Zhenren: A perfected human. Other cultures would call him a Demigod, but to the Sinese, he is simply regarded as a man whose wisdom transcended the realm of mortals. The Sinese revere wisdom, intelligence and culture, and as such, there is no greater feat than achieving the peak of elightenment, for which one will be rewarded by finding the Fusang tree as their God Emperor was. Wisdom and spirituality are regarded as one and the same, and nothing else is a more fitting strength for a ruler.

Religion: The dominant religious belief in Sin is called Daoism, or simply "The way". Different from the religions of other countries, it focuses not on Gods but on the Shen, or "spirit", and the duality between Yin and Yang: These two terms represent balance between opposing forces; Sun and Moon, Light and Darkness, Fire and Water... People are encouraged to find harmony between opposites in their lives, to seek enlightenment in that harmony, and in that way achieve a higher state of being. Those who devote themselves to this pursuit earn the title of Sages, and are revered for their wisdom. This faith reveres those with long lives, and immortals chief among all. These are known as Xian, while those born as mortals are known as Zhenren, or "Ascended Mortals", originating from the sacred Fusang tree. Additionally, Sinese faith has elements of ancestor worship as well, and they offer animal sacrifices in an attempt to contact their world, which they believe to be parallel to the earthly one. The dead were said to simply have moved from one world to the other. The rituals mentioned, as well as others, served two purposes: To ensure that the dead journeyed and stayed in the other realm, and to receive blessings from the spirit realm.

Language: Sinese is a complex, and difficult language to study, infamous for having countless unique characters, each representing a single word with a distinct meaning behind it. Yet this complexity enabled the Sinese to express elaborate ideas and in that way become the most widespread language in Eastern Ishgar, one that all scholars in the region must study if they wish to glean knowledge from that region's ancestral wisdom. Sinese language is ancient, with a single extensive alphabet used by distinct, unique dialects. Chief among which, the Joyan language is derived from Sinese, and uses the same calligraphy.

Locations



Tianjing: The Heavenly Capital of Sin is a large, grandiose city located at the country's Far South. A vast, wide spanning metropolis near the mouth of the Longhe River, it's a world famous center of knowledge and learning where most of the country's bureaucrats and intellectuals make their home, alongside many foreigners who come to learn. God Emperor Yuan has made this city his home for millenia, with only rare public appearances.

Longhe River: The largest river in the land of Sin, the mighty Longhe is born high up in the falls and winds its way through the land. Many cities and villages large and small adorn the riverbanks where the land is most plentiful and population booms. It's said the entire country of Sin thrives off the Longhe River, but it was once a source of woes for the Sinese, due to catastrophic flooding during the rain season, until tamed centuries ago by God-Emperor Yuan's ingenuity.

Laoshi Forest: Many worldly travellers consider this one of the most beautiful sights in all of Ishgar. The forest grows around tall, sky scraping pillars of stone that pierce across the clouds. Daoist sages and those of other religions are said to come here in search of quietude to be alone with their thoughts, and for this reason, many temples make their home here. It's said that amidst the woodlands and rocky pillars lies the sacred Fusang tree, that only one who has reached enlightenment may find.

Shanshui Mountains: The heavy rain, falls and rapids of the high, wide spanning Shanshui Mountains are said to be the origin of the Longhe and the other mighty rivers of Sin. This mountainous region to the North of Sin offers a natural barrier to those seeking to invade from the North, while rich soils and plentiful rains encouraged people to grow crops along the slopes of the mountain. Thus, the people of Shanshui are known for their hardiness, tending to one of Sin's most plentiful farmlands.

Huzhao Wetlands: As one approaches the mouth of the Longhe River, they arrive upon the fertile lowlands of Huzhao, a region adorned by lakes, marshes and grasslands. This is the southern region of Sin, dominated by flat, wide spanning lowlands. Water gathers down here until rice paddies flood with plentiful water. Construction in Huzhao must accomodate for the rising and falling water levels, and people adapt just as well by leaning to paddle their way around in dinghies.