Behind the Serpent Throne: An Original Fantasy Quest of Betrayal, Politics, and Daddy Issues...
Behind the Serpent Throne (CK2)
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OOC: More on Da Rules
- Pronouns
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More on Da Rules
So, allow me to reiterate a few things. In this game, with Turns lasting a month, Kiralo will have Court Influence and State Influence. The former is more plentiful than the latter, and opens up options and possibilities for the latter. Winning the friendship of a bureaucrat in charge of some of the taxation might open up options that way, etc, etc, and the only way you gain State Influence is through the use of the courtly arts, so even options which seem unimportant can actually be very, very important.
You get influence dice, rather than options, and so you may put as many dice towards something as you want. Each dice doesn't add to the other, but you take the highest roll, so it increases the odds of doing well.
Mathematically, you add half of your relevant score (Martial 30=+15) plus any modifiers when making the roll. Some rolls might take the average of two scores as its score modifier if it's an action equally balanced along both poles.
Influence can not only be gained, but traded, and at times there will be offers to trade influence or choose certain actions or give up resources or assets towards a certain cause in exchange for support or temporary dice.
For instance, let it be said that the Sub-Master of Logistics in the Bureau of Defense hates one of the popular Court Poets for some insult towards his wife. And let's say that he wants the man dead...and is willing to be in your debt to do so. By choosing the appropriate action to quietly kill the man, you might gain logistical resources, or dice that can be put to acquiring resources for one's army. In a less negative example, if one of the nobles at court wishes to found a new shrine in his domain but is on the outs with one of the Head Priests, he might ask you to intercede, for instance, in convincing the man, and if you do so he would owe you much and might become an ally.
On and on it goes, but Influence and resources are things to trade and use.
Resources and Assets can exist at both levels. An obvious 'Asset' at the State level would be an army, or an entire spy network, where at the court level a single particularly skilled assassin can count as an asset that adds a modifier to certain actions or a free 'dice' towards certain actions (such as Intrigue.)
A crit success is something that is a 95 or higher. A crit-fail is something that is five or lower.
The target for any action merely is what it takes to succeed, and barely getting it will achieve what is wanted, but with some level of backlash. Barely failing will be barely failing, with all of the consequences, and relative to what is wanted, one doesn't have to crit-fail for things to go very wrong.
Any score whose undivided total is 15 or greater rerolls any natural ones, though they have to take the second roll.
Any score whose undivided total is 20 or greater rerolls all rolls that are five or lower, though they have to take the second roll if somehow their luck is that bad.
A score of thirty or greater means that all rolls that are ten or lower are rerolled, again with the caveat that the second roll is binding.
A score of 35 or greater means that all rolls that are ten or lower are rerolled, and if ten or lower is rolled again, it is rerolled until a higher number is gotten, and that the threshold for a crit-success is 90 instead of 95.
I'll explain War Turns if they actually come up.
Currently in terms of resources and the like, it's all being covered by Kuojah, Kiralo's father, but that does mean that he has to run things by the man, and things that are seen as 'too frivolous' might be vetoed. Hence why there was a potential reason to take money with you.
Information on the state of the realm and important actors will be put on the front-page as it is acquired.
Let's see, any other questions?
So, allow me to reiterate a few things. In this game, with Turns lasting a month, Kiralo will have Court Influence and State Influence. The former is more plentiful than the latter, and opens up options and possibilities for the latter. Winning the friendship of a bureaucrat in charge of some of the taxation might open up options that way, etc, etc, and the only way you gain State Influence is through the use of the courtly arts, so even options which seem unimportant can actually be very, very important.
You get influence dice, rather than options, and so you may put as many dice towards something as you want. Each dice doesn't add to the other, but you take the highest roll, so it increases the odds of doing well.
Mathematically, you add half of your relevant score (Martial 30=+15) plus any modifiers when making the roll. Some rolls might take the average of two scores as its score modifier if it's an action equally balanced along both poles.
Influence can not only be gained, but traded, and at times there will be offers to trade influence or choose certain actions or give up resources or assets towards a certain cause in exchange for support or temporary dice.
For instance, let it be said that the Sub-Master of Logistics in the Bureau of Defense hates one of the popular Court Poets for some insult towards his wife. And let's say that he wants the man dead...and is willing to be in your debt to do so. By choosing the appropriate action to quietly kill the man, you might gain logistical resources, or dice that can be put to acquiring resources for one's army. In a less negative example, if one of the nobles at court wishes to found a new shrine in his domain but is on the outs with one of the Head Priests, he might ask you to intercede, for instance, in convincing the man, and if you do so he would owe you much and might become an ally.
On and on it goes, but Influence and resources are things to trade and use.
Resources and Assets can exist at both levels. An obvious 'Asset' at the State level would be an army, or an entire spy network, where at the court level a single particularly skilled assassin can count as an asset that adds a modifier to certain actions or a free 'dice' towards certain actions (such as Intrigue.)
A crit success is something that is a 95 or higher. A crit-fail is something that is five or lower.
The target for any action merely is what it takes to succeed, and barely getting it will achieve what is wanted, but with some level of backlash. Barely failing will be barely failing, with all of the consequences, and relative to what is wanted, one doesn't have to crit-fail for things to go very wrong.
Any score whose undivided total is 15 or greater rerolls any natural ones, though they have to take the second roll.
Any score whose undivided total is 20 or greater rerolls all rolls that are five or lower, though they have to take the second roll if somehow their luck is that bad.
A score of thirty or greater means that all rolls that are ten or lower are rerolled, again with the caveat that the second roll is binding.
A score of 35 or greater means that all rolls that are ten or lower are rerolled, and if ten or lower is rolled again, it is rerolled until a higher number is gotten, and that the threshold for a crit-success is 90 instead of 95.
I'll explain War Turns if they actually come up.
Currently in terms of resources and the like, it's all being covered by Kuojah, Kiralo's father, but that does mean that he has to run things by the man, and things that are seen as 'too frivolous' might be vetoed. Hence why there was a potential reason to take money with you.
Information on the state of the realm and important actors will be put on the front-page as it is acquired.
Let's see, any other questions?
OOC: Military Units and Organization, Csirit
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Military Units and basic organization/history/etc, Part 1
Csirit:
Csirit has a system in which the central authority of the Emperor in all lands he controls, and through the vassals that are the Hereditary Governors (or other systems that have all but subsumed them in many cases, or worked around them), raises a certain number of troops. These numbers are mandated by area by the adult male population, and represent a certain portion, whose training to a certain standard and equipment up to a certain standard are mandated by law.
In theory, there are inspectors and military advisors from the Imperial Court who would go to each contingent to check this out, but for obvious reasons--160 years of relative peace and a highly isolationist turn of foreign policy--there is far less use and maintenence of this.
Of course, since these are levies, the troops trained, who would make up the majority of the imperial army, would be comparatively untrained.
Each Governor and any local forces are also required to maintain a certain portion of troops. Unlike the number and quality of the levied troops, the number of troops that each Governor may have permanently raised is subject to both a minimum and a maximum, though there is considerable suspected corruption in this regard.
Foundational Units:
The backbone of the active-duty, mostly bandit-killing military of Csirit are the spearmen and basic troops. These are parceled out in groups of one-hundred that can break down into 'tens', and tend to attract people willing to live a military life, but lacking the skills to act as a mercenary, elite trainer or bodyguard, or otherwise side-stepping the official military. The specifics of these units, however, varies widely by region, and often the local military incorporates elements of local military custom into this basic structure, like how the Governor of Hari-Bueli tends to encourage his troops towards lighter gear to deal with the continual raids by Bueli that have plagued the Province for centuries, on and off.
The cavalry of Csirit has had a history of being able to at least not be completely embarrassed by the Southlands. They were still wildly and totally outmatched, but they were once not a joke. Now, not so much. They've withered on the vine, especially in the last half-century, and as it currently stands the cavalry of Csirit is mostly a private affair of gentlemen, horse breeders, and other forces. In the event of a war, Csirit would find itself lacking in horses, even for the purpose of pulling supply trains. They would, however, not lack in couriers and messengers, since Csirit has an excellent system of roads--relative to the time period--and imperial horse-messengers. Still, it's a bit of a mess.
There are also archers to supplament a lot of the bandit-killing forces, but for reasons that will soon be explained, they aren't nearly as important as one might think.
Magically, working for the army is a private matter, and regarded as a dead-end for many in the Imperial Academy. That said, as has been pointed out by me before, everyone has magic. Certain families or old military units with long and storied histories have stored up quite a bit of magic to make their arrows fly truer, to make their horses run faster, to have the winds themselves at their backs...and all of that. But in terms of official magic-users, first which kind? There are those who beg spirits and those who command them, and then there's the more 'professional' way that involves sealing them in paper and ink, as well as artificers who trap them in tools for use.
But what matters is that magic-users who sign on are doing so privately for the most part, except in the case of war, in which case some will be drafted and assigned. Individual parties, such as the generals, have to seek out and hire those who are willing to give their magic-focused expertise to a campaign, and when one is seeking out bandits in the high mountain ridges of northern Yeadalt/southern Garin, having a magic-user who knows the local spirits is the difference between finding them and them finding you...in the worst way possible. But the ability for leaders to do so has been stagnating under Kuojah's control, so that now only those military generals who are personally wealthy can afford to hire on the necessary magical resources to do their job.
It hasn't been a disaster because bandits and other problems have not yet risen to the top of the list of problems, but it is a legitimate complaint, honestly.
And finally, the force that beat the Tarnarins themselves, those elite cavalry troopers that had terrorized and conquered all of Csirit before, the Hanin, as they are called. It is not a perfect counter, and victory or defeat depends on many factors, but this combination unit is the innovation that led the great general (Hanae) to turn back the last invasion from the Southlands, approximately two-hundred.
Several dense rows of heavily armored spearmen, their shields abandoned for armor made to resist at least the arrows of most Tarnarins fairly well, with very long spears indeed, and then backed by rows of highly trained crossbowmen. At the Battle of Arai, the flower of the far Southlands died to bolt and spear, though there have been other battles where the outcome was reversed. But when it was a battle for the fate of the entire southern half of the empire against the feared hordes that had once conquered all before them, that one victory was enough to cement them in the eyes and minds of Csirit as the solution to the Southlands, even after the disaster of the Oasis Campaigns 115 years ago.
These are the main units that make up the Csirit forces, though as noted there's a lot of local variation, and I'm simplying things to be more clear. In part two of this info-dump, I'll talk about the Sea-Raiders, Bueli, and other forces, and then if that's not too long I'll do the Southlands. If it is too long, Southlands will be part three.
Csirit:
Csirit has a system in which the central authority of the Emperor in all lands he controls, and through the vassals that are the Hereditary Governors (or other systems that have all but subsumed them in many cases, or worked around them), raises a certain number of troops. These numbers are mandated by area by the adult male population, and represent a certain portion, whose training to a certain standard and equipment up to a certain standard are mandated by law.
In theory, there are inspectors and military advisors from the Imperial Court who would go to each contingent to check this out, but for obvious reasons--160 years of relative peace and a highly isolationist turn of foreign policy--there is far less use and maintenence of this.
Of course, since these are levies, the troops trained, who would make up the majority of the imperial army, would be comparatively untrained.
Each Governor and any local forces are also required to maintain a certain portion of troops. Unlike the number and quality of the levied troops, the number of troops that each Governor may have permanently raised is subject to both a minimum and a maximum, though there is considerable suspected corruption in this regard.
Foundational Units:
The backbone of the active-duty, mostly bandit-killing military of Csirit are the spearmen and basic troops. These are parceled out in groups of one-hundred that can break down into 'tens', and tend to attract people willing to live a military life, but lacking the skills to act as a mercenary, elite trainer or bodyguard, or otherwise side-stepping the official military. The specifics of these units, however, varies widely by region, and often the local military incorporates elements of local military custom into this basic structure, like how the Governor of Hari-Bueli tends to encourage his troops towards lighter gear to deal with the continual raids by Bueli that have plagued the Province for centuries, on and off.
The cavalry of Csirit has had a history of being able to at least not be completely embarrassed by the Southlands. They were still wildly and totally outmatched, but they were once not a joke. Now, not so much. They've withered on the vine, especially in the last half-century, and as it currently stands the cavalry of Csirit is mostly a private affair of gentlemen, horse breeders, and other forces. In the event of a war, Csirit would find itself lacking in horses, even for the purpose of pulling supply trains. They would, however, not lack in couriers and messengers, since Csirit has an excellent system of roads--relative to the time period--and imperial horse-messengers. Still, it's a bit of a mess.
There are also archers to supplament a lot of the bandit-killing forces, but for reasons that will soon be explained, they aren't nearly as important as one might think.
Magically, working for the army is a private matter, and regarded as a dead-end for many in the Imperial Academy. That said, as has been pointed out by me before, everyone has magic. Certain families or old military units with long and storied histories have stored up quite a bit of magic to make their arrows fly truer, to make their horses run faster, to have the winds themselves at their backs...and all of that. But in terms of official magic-users, first which kind? There are those who beg spirits and those who command them, and then there's the more 'professional' way that involves sealing them in paper and ink, as well as artificers who trap them in tools for use.
But what matters is that magic-users who sign on are doing so privately for the most part, except in the case of war, in which case some will be drafted and assigned. Individual parties, such as the generals, have to seek out and hire those who are willing to give their magic-focused expertise to a campaign, and when one is seeking out bandits in the high mountain ridges of northern Yeadalt/southern Garin, having a magic-user who knows the local spirits is the difference between finding them and them finding you...in the worst way possible. But the ability for leaders to do so has been stagnating under Kuojah's control, so that now only those military generals who are personally wealthy can afford to hire on the necessary magical resources to do their job.
It hasn't been a disaster because bandits and other problems have not yet risen to the top of the list of problems, but it is a legitimate complaint, honestly.
And finally, the force that beat the Tarnarins themselves, those elite cavalry troopers that had terrorized and conquered all of Csirit before, the Hanin, as they are called. It is not a perfect counter, and victory or defeat depends on many factors, but this combination unit is the innovation that led the great general (Hanae) to turn back the last invasion from the Southlands, approximately two-hundred.
Several dense rows of heavily armored spearmen, their shields abandoned for armor made to resist at least the arrows of most Tarnarins fairly well, with very long spears indeed, and then backed by rows of highly trained crossbowmen. At the Battle of Arai, the flower of the far Southlands died to bolt and spear, though there have been other battles where the outcome was reversed. But when it was a battle for the fate of the entire southern half of the empire against the feared hordes that had once conquered all before them, that one victory was enough to cement them in the eyes and minds of Csirit as the solution to the Southlands, even after the disaster of the Oasis Campaigns 115 years ago.
These are the main units that make up the Csirit forces, though as noted there's a lot of local variation, and I'm simplying things to be more clear. In part two of this info-dump, I'll talk about the Sea-Raiders, Bueli, and other forces, and then if that's not too long I'll do the Southlands. If it is too long, Southlands will be part three.
Last edited:
OOC: WIP
- Pronouns
- They/Them
How's this look for the format or a cast?
Dramatis Persona
The Emperor and His Family:
Lineage Ainin: The family of Kuojah and the protagonist, Kiralo, they are prominent and because of the actions of their patriarch, both widespread and powerful, at least for a family whose own name is little more than that of mid-level bureaucrats, at best.
Kuojah: The old Chancellor himself, ancient and in his own ways hard and cruel, and yet powerful beyond belief and a brilliant mind whose many positions and many allies makes him the most powerful man in Court, by far. He's a several times widower, and his relationship with Kiralo is strained and yet not broken. Currently the patriarch/leader of the family, such as it is.
Kiralo: Bastard son of Kuojah, famous Rassit commander of the Wind-Dancer mercenaries. Twenty-five, an accomplished poet, courtier, and warrior, he was called north last fall into the viper's pit of the court, to seek power and fortune, and it seems as if he's finally gaining it, as the Envoy to the Arm. Gay. The protagonist, you know!
Yanmae: The sixteen year old daughter of Kuojah, she is Kiralo's half-sister by a woman who is long since dead. Unmarried, she is rather attractive by Csiritan standards (delicate beauty, refined poise, and a certain fragility) and yet also startlingly intelligent, especially on matters of law and old statues. Clever and cunning, she is still a little bit naive in certain ways. She's afraid of Kiralo, or rather his power over her when or if he becomes head of the family. Currently an advisor in some capacity to Kuojah.
--Yin'la: Yanmae's tutor in feminine arts, at least supposedly. Her comments about hating reading and thinking Yanmae was too learned were an act, and so her real personality remains unknown at the moment.
Aia: Kuojah's daughter, in her forties by now, she has two children by her merchant husband. Refined, poised, and always perfectly made up, she is used to wielding power and yet has respect for the social limitations of her position. Currently looking to use traditional means--so as best to please her father--to find a husband for her daughter.
--Shan: Her husband, a prosperous middle-aged merchant. Seemingly staid in his tastes, relatively intelligent, and careful in his actions, he has amassed a fortune thanks to supposed connections with his father-in-law, Kuojah. He has two children, and is currently going to pursue the connection that Kiralo suggested: a figure in the Messenger's office.
--Ishino: Shan and Aia's son, and thus technically Kuojah's grandson. Despite this, he seems to have no special favor, and currently lives a somewhat dissolute life. A little crude, he wishes for his sister to marry well, but feels as if they should rush. He's not always polite to her, and he clearly likes a good drink and a dirty joke. Not ambitious, but desperate to keep the hounds at bay. Early twenties.
--Mingzhu: The fourteen year old daughter of Aia and Shan, she is a somewhat hasty young woman who loves horseback riding and is a poet of moderate accomplishments. Intelligent, but also quite active, she has few ambitions at the moment.
----Lia: Her maid, a beautiful young woman that they tried to send at Kiralo in an attempt to seduce him. She seems to be almost disappointed at the failure.
----Gaki, the young scholar who almost married Mingzhu. He bought her her latest horse, which she hasn't seen in months, and they were engaged for some time. He was 'like a son' to Kuojah, but seems to have died of illness.
Mishina: Kiralo's niece, Kuojah's granddaughter, he has not yet met her and yet he knows she is a woman of some importance in Rerin, and has recently come to visit her grandfather.
Siyu: An unmarried priestess, she is the daughter of Kuojah and thus Kiralo's sister. Distant, and yet clearly intelligent and involved, she is currently in the maelstrom of chaos surrounding Irit and the rising bandit problems. She seems to have considerable knowledge of spirits. In her thirties.
Meilin: The fifth daughter of Kuojah. Married to a Xissand noble of some type. Has two children.
--Her husband: Nothing is currently known.
--Her son: Sickly, aged three.
--Her daughter: Twenty, rumored to be 'not fit for polite society.'
Song: The second-youngest of Kuojah's daughters, she is married to a prominent Hari-Su noble close to the highest line there is, and is actively involved in southern politics. She seems to support a pro-Imperial line against a powerful Governor, and is joined in this by those who wish to devolve for more local control, since at the moment their 'common enemy' is the Governor. She is currently pregnant and has one daughter.
--Husband: Little is known, but he is a cousin to the Governor.
--Daughter: Nothing is known.
Council of Generals: The Council of Generals is a rather large entity on theory. Compromising of dozens and dozens of men, approaching a hundred, they are in charge of every aspect of the Imperial Army, as well as all potential aspects, and liasing and sorting out all matters between the Imperial Army and any provincial or noble forces. It is a Herculean task, and thus of course there is a large council in which all members have equal power, say, and ability to influence the outcome in order to best fulfill the will of the Emperor and make sure that the army does not stand united and viciously insubordinate against the will of the best people.
Ha. Ha. In truth they are, and have been for almost two or three generations, united in a sense. Their union is that there are always five powers in the Council, and everyone else bends their knee. The General of the East, West, North, South, and the general of the Center, who is in theory that most powerful, and the one who answers most directly to the Emperor...or to whoever in the court is pulling his particular strings.
Into this complicated mix, Kiralo has stepped, as the first Envoy To The Army From The Imperial Seat in decades, and if he is successful in his position for any longer than a year or two before being swept aside or suborned...the first ever to reach such lofty heights. All others have failed miserably.
Qing'lu of Lineage Nu: Born a bastard of some sort, he is a clearly a fighter. In his late forties, he is the 'General of the South' and thus the Southlands, Nestirin and certain portions of Rerin are all under his sway. He is a brash man, who deeply, deeply hates Kuojah, and yet he seems as well to know his policy, and under his sway are the council members who deal in such vital matters (and ones close to Kiralo's heart) as cavalry. He distrusts Kuang, and dislikes Juae...honestly, none of the other five are spared a harsh word when he gets a chance to dish the dirt.
--Chao of Lineage Hao: In charge of the cavalry of Csirit, he is an intelligent man who, six months ago, extended an offer of help and alliance to improve the cavalry of the Empire. Kiralo deflected calls for anything more immediate by saying that 'If the Wind-Dancers come to Csirit, everything changes'. He is still, one assumes, waiting for this miracle.
Juae: The General of the West, he is not a general at all. An enthusiastic and well-read scholar and bureaucrat, he is constantly, according to others, swept along by the winds of his own passions for new weapons, technologies, and other ways that war might be improved. He casts a deciding vote in council matters, and his opinion of the others is impossible to fully grasp. Either way, he's currently obsessed with an Anlan technology that, according to him, has great promise: in fact, Kiralo has agreed to follow up on this when he becomes Envoy. As has fortunately succeeded.
Ha'dong: The General of the East, he used to be a large supporter of Prince Jinhai. The youngest by far, he tends to be well dressed, in his early thirties. Now he leads the charge against the man, and Qing'lu speculates this is out of shame for his previous conduct. Either way, he is strongly opposed to Kuojah, despite his antagonism with Prince Jinhai as well.
Kueng: The General of the Center, and thus the leader of the entire Council, he is an old, withered man, rich, powerful, and entirely Kuojah's man. He is known for his lechery, at least as a younger man, with the young soldiers under his command. Under his command, though, is the key: he's the real deal, a skilled general that for all his reputation as merely Kuojah's mouthpiece, knows how to
Li-Jan: General of the North. A big, bearded man, he seems in some way to be affecting his stance and northern ways, and yet not much more can be said. It has been claimed that he would 'hear out' Kiralo based on his respect for Kuojah, and that much is clearly true, and yet his character and plans have not been sounded out. Qing'lu has accused him of enjoying sitting on the side and being the 'deciding vote' but it is uncertain whether this is mere prejudice, or a fuller truth.
Wind Dancer Rassit
Kiralo's Household
Bureaucrats and Players of Games
Poets
Wizards
Nobles
Figures In Csiritan Politics
Others
Dramatis Persona
The Emperor and His Family:
Lineage Ainin: The family of Kuojah and the protagonist, Kiralo, they are prominent and because of the actions of their patriarch, both widespread and powerful, at least for a family whose own name is little more than that of mid-level bureaucrats, at best.
Kuojah: The old Chancellor himself, ancient and in his own ways hard and cruel, and yet powerful beyond belief and a brilliant mind whose many positions and many allies makes him the most powerful man in Court, by far. He's a several times widower, and his relationship with Kiralo is strained and yet not broken. Currently the patriarch/leader of the family, such as it is.
Kiralo: Bastard son of Kuojah, famous Rassit commander of the Wind-Dancer mercenaries. Twenty-five, an accomplished poet, courtier, and warrior, he was called north last fall into the viper's pit of the court, to seek power and fortune, and it seems as if he's finally gaining it, as the Envoy to the Arm. Gay. The protagonist, you know!
Yanmae: The sixteen year old daughter of Kuojah, she is Kiralo's half-sister by a woman who is long since dead. Unmarried, she is rather attractive by Csiritan standards (delicate beauty, refined poise, and a certain fragility) and yet also startlingly intelligent, especially on matters of law and old statues. Clever and cunning, she is still a little bit naive in certain ways. She's afraid of Kiralo, or rather his power over her when or if he becomes head of the family. Currently an advisor in some capacity to Kuojah.
--Yin'la: Yanmae's tutor in feminine arts, at least supposedly. Her comments about hating reading and thinking Yanmae was too learned were an act, and so her real personality remains unknown at the moment.
Aia: Kuojah's daughter, in her forties by now, she has two children by her merchant husband. Refined, poised, and always perfectly made up, she is used to wielding power and yet has respect for the social limitations of her position. Currently looking to use traditional means--so as best to please her father--to find a husband for her daughter.
--Shan: Her husband, a prosperous middle-aged merchant. Seemingly staid in his tastes, relatively intelligent, and careful in his actions, he has amassed a fortune thanks to supposed connections with his father-in-law, Kuojah. He has two children, and is currently going to pursue the connection that Kiralo suggested: a figure in the Messenger's office.
--Ishino: Shan and Aia's son, and thus technically Kuojah's grandson. Despite this, he seems to have no special favor, and currently lives a somewhat dissolute life. A little crude, he wishes for his sister to marry well, but feels as if they should rush. He's not always polite to her, and he clearly likes a good drink and a dirty joke. Not ambitious, but desperate to keep the hounds at bay. Early twenties.
--Mingzhu: The fourteen year old daughter of Aia and Shan, she is a somewhat hasty young woman who loves horseback riding and is a poet of moderate accomplishments. Intelligent, but also quite active, she has few ambitions at the moment.
----Lia: Her maid, a beautiful young woman that they tried to send at Kiralo in an attempt to seduce him. She seems to be almost disappointed at the failure.
----Gaki, the young scholar who almost married Mingzhu. He bought her her latest horse, which she hasn't seen in months, and they were engaged for some time. He was 'like a son' to Kuojah, but seems to have died of illness.
Mishina: Kiralo's niece, Kuojah's granddaughter, he has not yet met her and yet he knows she is a woman of some importance in Rerin, and has recently come to visit her grandfather.
Siyu: An unmarried priestess, she is the daughter of Kuojah and thus Kiralo's sister. Distant, and yet clearly intelligent and involved, she is currently in the maelstrom of chaos surrounding Irit and the rising bandit problems. She seems to have considerable knowledge of spirits. In her thirties.
Meilin: The fifth daughter of Kuojah. Married to a Xissand noble of some type. Has two children.
--Her husband: Nothing is currently known.
--Her son: Sickly, aged three.
--Her daughter: Twenty, rumored to be 'not fit for polite society.'
Song: The second-youngest of Kuojah's daughters, she is married to a prominent Hari-Su noble close to the highest line there is, and is actively involved in southern politics. She seems to support a pro-Imperial line against a powerful Governor, and is joined in this by those who wish to devolve for more local control, since at the moment their 'common enemy' is the Governor. She is currently pregnant and has one daughter.
--Husband: Little is known, but he is a cousin to the Governor.
--Daughter: Nothing is known.
Council of Generals: The Council of Generals is a rather large entity on theory. Compromising of dozens and dozens of men, approaching a hundred, they are in charge of every aspect of the Imperial Army, as well as all potential aspects, and liasing and sorting out all matters between the Imperial Army and any provincial or noble forces. It is a Herculean task, and thus of course there is a large council in which all members have equal power, say, and ability to influence the outcome in order to best fulfill the will of the Emperor and make sure that the army does not stand united and viciously insubordinate against the will of the best people.
Ha. Ha. In truth they are, and have been for almost two or three generations, united in a sense. Their union is that there are always five powers in the Council, and everyone else bends their knee. The General of the East, West, North, South, and the general of the Center, who is in theory that most powerful, and the one who answers most directly to the Emperor...or to whoever in the court is pulling his particular strings.
Into this complicated mix, Kiralo has stepped, as the first Envoy To The Army From The Imperial Seat in decades, and if he is successful in his position for any longer than a year or two before being swept aside or suborned...the first ever to reach such lofty heights. All others have failed miserably.
Qing'lu of Lineage Nu: Born a bastard of some sort, he is a clearly a fighter. In his late forties, he is the 'General of the South' and thus the Southlands, Nestirin and certain portions of Rerin are all under his sway. He is a brash man, who deeply, deeply hates Kuojah, and yet he seems as well to know his policy, and under his sway are the council members who deal in such vital matters (and ones close to Kiralo's heart) as cavalry. He distrusts Kuang, and dislikes Juae...honestly, none of the other five are spared a harsh word when he gets a chance to dish the dirt.
--Chao of Lineage Hao: In charge of the cavalry of Csirit, he is an intelligent man who, six months ago, extended an offer of help and alliance to improve the cavalry of the Empire. Kiralo deflected calls for anything more immediate by saying that 'If the Wind-Dancers come to Csirit, everything changes'. He is still, one assumes, waiting for this miracle.
Juae: The General of the West, he is not a general at all. An enthusiastic and well-read scholar and bureaucrat, he is constantly, according to others, swept along by the winds of his own passions for new weapons, technologies, and other ways that war might be improved. He casts a deciding vote in council matters, and his opinion of the others is impossible to fully grasp. Either way, he's currently obsessed with an Anlan technology that, according to him, has great promise: in fact, Kiralo has agreed to follow up on this when he becomes Envoy. As has fortunately succeeded.
Ha'dong: The General of the East, he used to be a large supporter of Prince Jinhai. The youngest by far, he tends to be well dressed, in his early thirties. Now he leads the charge against the man, and Qing'lu speculates this is out of shame for his previous conduct. Either way, he is strongly opposed to Kuojah, despite his antagonism with Prince Jinhai as well.
Kueng: The General of the Center, and thus the leader of the entire Council, he is an old, withered man, rich, powerful, and entirely Kuojah's man. He is known for his lechery, at least as a younger man, with the young soldiers under his command. Under his command, though, is the key: he's the real deal, a skilled general that for all his reputation as merely Kuojah's mouthpiece, knows how to
Li-Jan: General of the North. A big, bearded man, he seems in some way to be affecting his stance and northern ways, and yet not much more can be said. It has been claimed that he would 'hear out' Kiralo based on his respect for Kuojah, and that much is clearly true, and yet his character and plans have not been sounded out. Qing'lu has accused him of enjoying sitting on the side and being the 'deciding vote' but it is uncertain whether this is mere prejudice, or a fuller truth.
Wind Dancer Rassit
Kiralo's Household
Bureaucrats and Players of Games
Poets
Wizards
Nobles
Figures In Csiritan Politics
Others
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OOC: Blobby But Basically Accurate-ish Map
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Well...
OOC: Sumptuary Colors
- Pronouns
- They/Them
In this particular case, what I am not talking about are laws against how a person is buried, or against what luxuries they have. In this case I refer to a single thing: the law of colors.
There are four imperial colors. Gold, Silver, Imperial Blue, and Imperial Green. I've been using 'Blue' and 'Green' as shorthands because I am not, in fact, a master of color. So, here we go. Nobody may wear any of the four colors without permission, or wear anything that has that color, and even possessing something colored that way can sometimes be sketchy.
First, Imperial Green. It is a bright green, like a serpent's scales, like life itself, it is said, and it represents craft, creation. It is most often permitted to craftsmen. A man who makes a tea set (obviously not called China
) that pleases the Emperor might be permitted to wear a single small hint of Imperial Green on his robes, as a sign of favor. Green is one of the 'lesser' colors. And, as with Imperial Blue, this one is actually stuck to most of the time. There are obviously signs of confusion in some areas as to what constitutes Imperial Blue and what's a violation, and punishment is very...particular. As in, a person is more likely to be punished for something else and have their violation of sumptuary laws thrown in their face as the opposite of a mitigating factor.
Second, Imperial Blue. This is the blue of a river, dark and powerful and rich, often made very carefully. It represents life, and snakes. And rivers, of course. For a river is like a snake that brings life to farms and crops and fields, and thus it is also thought to be the color of nobles, who lead the people in their actions. Thus, a noble who has done something of worth might be allowed to wear an Imperial Blue hair pen, or an undervest, or slippers...so on and so forth.
Now we get into the hard part. Silver and Gold. One of the big dodges is that it is the *color* that is proscribed, and so many are the people who paint their jewelry or otherwise color and tint it so that it does not qualify. And even that fiction gets more tenuous the farther one gets from court. Basically, in the Imperial Court, wearing so much as a gold earring without permission could destroy your career and life, plunging you into the depths and possibly even having you accused of treason for attempting to declare yourself the equal of the Emperor, able to grant yourself color and power without his permission.
But the farther you get away from the court, and the lower your political ambitions…
Prince Jinhai, for instance, probably wears only what he has earned as a Prince (so some gold, some blue) and a soldier (silver in rather large quantities) because the last thing he needs is for people to claim that he has the ambitions everyone knows he has.
So, Silver is the color of soldiers, because poetically speaking, silver and steel are very close to each other, both in the sound of their words and in description. So, Silver represents that the Emperor is the law-giver, who enforces the rules, and that this, by definition, implies...you know, force. Thus, someone who has done some great service as an enforcer of rules or general is often allowed to wear silver in ever increasing amounts. And when the Emperor wears Silver, he's indicating that he's stepping into a certain sort of role, as he would if he wore all Imperial Blue, or all Imperial Green. This includes the color, but also the colored jewelry, such as the hair stick.
Gold. The color of scholars, priests, philosophers, leaders, rulers. The Imperial Color itself. Kiralo, by his great craft in making a play, got the right to wear a single gold piece of jewelry. It is the rarest to be given out. If silver is the LEAST of all the Imperial Colors, then Gold is the most, and the right to wear it is given out only rarely. Kuojah can wear some, though he has taken to the simpler style common to old men, and thus other than some gold in his robes, there's not much of what he 'deserves.'
There are other rights and privileges that can be granted, such as the right to use certain tea sets, perform certain acts, etc, etc, that all come with rank and favor of the Emperor, but we were after all talking about colors. It is often said, too, that some who wish to hint at favor without stating it wear clothing close to but not quite at Imperial. Such as yellow robes, or a slightly darker shade of blue...you know the tricks a man can get up to.
So, what is Kiralo allowed to wear? A single article of gold jewelry, and a moderate amount of silver. A pure silver Iritu and slippers is obviously out of the question, but a single tasteful ring and a hint of silver in the blossoms on a sash is well within his rights. As he grows more powerful, he'll likely get more and more right to color.
And thus, a cunning courtier watches clothes carefully for hints of favor that might presage the shifting of alliances or the rise of a new courtier to great power.
There are four imperial colors. Gold, Silver, Imperial Blue, and Imperial Green. I've been using 'Blue' and 'Green' as shorthands because I am not, in fact, a master of color. So, here we go. Nobody may wear any of the four colors without permission, or wear anything that has that color, and even possessing something colored that way can sometimes be sketchy.
First, Imperial Green. It is a bright green, like a serpent's scales, like life itself, it is said, and it represents craft, creation. It is most often permitted to craftsmen. A man who makes a tea set (obviously not called China
) that pleases the Emperor might be permitted to wear a single small hint of Imperial Green on his robes, as a sign of favor. Green is one of the 'lesser' colors. And, as with Imperial Blue, this one is actually stuck to most of the time. There are obviously signs of confusion in some areas as to what constitutes Imperial Blue and what's a violation, and punishment is very...particular. As in, a person is more likely to be punished for something else and have their violation of sumptuary laws thrown in their face as the opposite of a mitigating factor.Second, Imperial Blue. This is the blue of a river, dark and powerful and rich, often made very carefully. It represents life, and snakes. And rivers, of course. For a river is like a snake that brings life to farms and crops and fields, and thus it is also thought to be the color of nobles, who lead the people in their actions. Thus, a noble who has done something of worth might be allowed to wear an Imperial Blue hair pen, or an undervest, or slippers...so on and so forth.
Now we get into the hard part. Silver and Gold. One of the big dodges is that it is the *color* that is proscribed, and so many are the people who paint their jewelry or otherwise color and tint it so that it does not qualify. And even that fiction gets more tenuous the farther one gets from court. Basically, in the Imperial Court, wearing so much as a gold earring without permission could destroy your career and life, plunging you into the depths and possibly even having you accused of treason for attempting to declare yourself the equal of the Emperor, able to grant yourself color and power without his permission.
But the farther you get away from the court, and the lower your political ambitions…
Prince Jinhai, for instance, probably wears only what he has earned as a Prince (so some gold, some blue) and a soldier (silver in rather large quantities) because the last thing he needs is for people to claim that he has the ambitions everyone knows he has.
So, Silver is the color of soldiers, because poetically speaking, silver and steel are very close to each other, both in the sound of their words and in description. So, Silver represents that the Emperor is the law-giver, who enforces the rules, and that this, by definition, implies...you know, force. Thus, someone who has done some great service as an enforcer of rules or general is often allowed to wear silver in ever increasing amounts. And when the Emperor wears Silver, he's indicating that he's stepping into a certain sort of role, as he would if he wore all Imperial Blue, or all Imperial Green. This includes the color, but also the colored jewelry, such as the hair stick.
Gold. The color of scholars, priests, philosophers, leaders, rulers. The Imperial Color itself. Kiralo, by his great craft in making a play, got the right to wear a single gold piece of jewelry. It is the rarest to be given out. If silver is the LEAST of all the Imperial Colors, then Gold is the most, and the right to wear it is given out only rarely. Kuojah can wear some, though he has taken to the simpler style common to old men, and thus other than some gold in his robes, there's not much of what he 'deserves.'
There are other rights and privileges that can be granted, such as the right to use certain tea sets, perform certain acts, etc, etc, that all come with rank and favor of the Emperor, but we were after all talking about colors. It is often said, too, that some who wish to hint at favor without stating it wear clothing close to but not quite at Imperial. Such as yellow robes, or a slightly darker shade of blue...you know the tricks a man can get up to.
So, what is Kiralo allowed to wear? A single article of gold jewelry, and a moderate amount of silver. A pure silver Iritu and slippers is obviously out of the question, but a single tasteful ring and a hint of silver in the blossoms on a sash is well within his rights. As he grows more powerful, he'll likely get more and more right to color.
And thus, a cunning courtier watches clothes carefully for hints of favor that might presage the shifting of alliances or the rise of a new courtier to great power.
Timeline (WIP)
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Timeline (Years before the Quest begins, which we'll count as '0'.)
-594: An invasion of Southlanders, led by a charismatic young warrior, begins to devour the dying and failing Empire, which has been beset by provinicial and religious tensions.
-593-583: The conquest of Csirit, and the marrying of the Emperor's daughter to the first Southlander Emperor, who at the time controlled both Csirit and almost all of the Southlands. A system is insituted to maintain cavalry superiority, and enforce the inferiority of the native Iritans and other Csiritan mainstays.
-582: The capital is moved to northern Nestirin, from Center Irit.
-583-555: The reign of the first Southlander Emperor. Filled with rebellions that are crushed time and again, he didn't have control over what is now northern Yeadalt, Xissand, Hirand, and Hari-Nat, which formed a rump state governed by a Prince of the Blood. But his conquests slowly pushed it back almost to the point of destruction.
-554: The division: One of this First Emperor's sons gains Far Southlands. Another gains Near Southlands, and the eldest is put as successor to Csirit. While for the first decade or two, this was actually an era of relative peace and prosperity, eventually the two younger sons fought, and the eldest son captured a chunk of Near Southlands in order to, combined with the ground of Hirand--which was at parts destroyed or altered to support, instead of food, horses--have a supply of horses and trained riders without having to rely on his brothers.
-553-518: Rule of the Second Southlander Emperor.
-517 - 506: Rule of the Third Southlander Emperor
-517: Conquest of Yeadalt by the Southland Csiritan Empire, and the first use of this land as a place of exile for political enemies and religious disputants.
-515: Civil Service Exams abolished.
-512: Official Religion dis-established.
-510: Revolt of Bloody Banners.
-508: Rebellion of the Horse-Nobles leads to the Emperor suddenly shifting back against his Southlander roots, trying to punish both sides, and restoring religious exiles to places of power, where these heretics had reason to hate both Iritans and Southlanders.
-506: Palace coup. New Southlander Emperor established.
-506 - 499: Reign of the Fourth Southlander Emperor.
-498 - 484: 5th Southlander Emperor, first not to be a noted and accomplished horseman.
-484 - 468: 6th Southlander Emperor.
-468 -440: 7th and final Southlander Emperor. In the final years of his reign, a rebellion from modern Basrat, led by an ambitious runaway slave who fought his way to glory and married into what remained of the Old Imperial line, joining himself in ceremony and in holy fact with the religion, conquered and at last was crowned. His reign, which lasted from -440 (before the start of this game) to 400, was a time of autocracy and absolute brutal power. He restored an Iritan capital, but with the war and raiding from the Southlands, the center of balanced seemed to be moving both east and north.
-400 - 300: An era of relative peace. The Sea-Raiders fought a bloody conflict in the -320s, but it failed to conquer Hari-Os, though it did lead to an economic shift that temporarily made the west more potent. However, in this age of peace, the centralized control slipped, and the Civil Service Exams, nor many of the centralized features that had been hallmarks of the Empire before the Southlander Emperor, didn't return. The Southlander Dynasty had devolved much power to the 'provinces' and after the First New True Emperor's long reign and his attempts to reverse this, the trend actually increased in strength, sewing the seeds of later rebellion and problems.
-300 - 270: The era of divided prosperity. The barbarians were encroaching at places, but the court did nothing, and even the power of taxation devolved into the provinces... and yet for a time, the court had wealth enough, and influence enough, that they were able to maintain some degree of balance.
-270- 225: Increased raids by Sea-Raiders, Bueli, and a drift in the southern parts of Csirit towards heresy and, more than that, paying bribes to the Southlanders to keep them from raiding all contributed towards a general malaise, though the Emperor (and they tended to run together) was rich and spoiled and made many Princely Dynasties in an attempt to let his family rule the Empire where he could not.
- 224- 222: Rebellion of Tang, Rebellion of Sui Gen, Rebellion of Basrat, Rebellion of Xissand Nobles, each put down with less and less success.
-221: Peasant revolt nearly overruns the capital and almost kills the Emperor.
-225 - 215: The Prince in Rae (not yet Csrae) starts the "Rectifying and Purifying the Center" movement. Among its demands were Civil Service Exams, greater control of taxation and foreign policy, a return to scholarship, an end to toleration of heresy, purity and an end to corruption, and a stronger scholastic tradition. All of these were embodied in Prince Song, who was known as a man of great virtues, though the farthest thing imaginable from being a warrior himself.
-220: A palace coup leads to almost complete control of the Emperor by the Prince, who moves the capital to a central location in Rae, which is partially demolished to rebuild a city: Csrae, as with Rae. In doing so it hopes to escape the corruption and agricultural exhaustion that had struck Irit.
-219-214: The provinces are conquered or appeased at least enough to fall into line, in the northern portions, but the Prince of Rae, suspected and feared, is exiled, barely avoiding execution.
213-211: The Prince of Rae, exiled to the Bueli border, meets a young officer named Hanae. Whether they become lovers or merely political allies is still a matter of some debate, but they successfully fight off Bueli incursions. They also begin reforms and other acts, gathering strength.
-212-210: The manifold humilations: The Emperor, not having any control over the southern third of the Empire, reacts laxly or not at all to calls to defend it as the Southlanders extort more and more and more from them.
-209: The Great Betrayal: The Emperor determines to sign a treaty presented by the Southlander Envoy from one of the great-lords vying for control of southern Csirit granting him ownership of the bottom third of Csirit in exchange for a huge sum of money. The logic was that since he didn't own it, trading it would be without price.
----A palace coup deposes him, and his sons, and then a nephew who is not obedient, finally falling to the Prince of Rae to arrive, marry his own close cousin, and become Emperor. And Hanae came with him.
-208: After a year of stalling via 'negotiation' the new Emperor repudiates the deal in its entirety. The forty-odd year old Emperor prepares for war.
-208 - -206: The Southlander invasion happens, and is ultimately defeated by both the Hanin and internal divisions, and thus the Empire begins to stretch out its forces.
-208 - -188: Reign of the Rae Emperor, as some call him. The Near Southland is conquered under his auspices and Bueli is pushed back almost to the current border lines. Centralization is only somewhat effective, but control over taxes, roads, and salt monopolies are regained, but not the end of Hereditary Governors. He rules in his own right, leading his own clique.
-187: Without his patron, Hanae, now aging and yet still leading the war efforts down south, begins to lose ground, and is removed because of court politics a year later, and dies bitter and angry two decades later.
-187 - 150: Reign of the Second Revived Emperor. His father's son, he's energetic and intelligent, though having grown up around his advisors, he trusts them quite a bit. But his martial pretenses mean he doesn't follow them in some respects, and about 2/3rds of the Mid-Southlands is conquered. Only one city remains 'free' in the mid-southlands, and the plains and desert tribes and Kingdoms beyond the mountain can do very little.
-150 - -141: Reign of the short Emperor, carried off by disease in his thirties. He was opinionated, but not always competent, but after him, greater strength begins to accrue within the bureaucracy and the advisers.
-141 - 125: Reign of the next Emperor
139- 134: A revolt is put down in the Mid Southlands.
132-129: The current borders/limits of Hari Bueli are reached, though it is not yet a province. Bueli continues to try to push back the borders.
128: Basratan Revolt leads to the creation of a Princely House in Basrat to hold the east, which they do honorably for over a century.
-125 - -114: Reign of the next Emperor, whose life was cut short by suicide.
-117-118: The Bueli are pushed back, seemingly for good. The Sea-Raiders occupy attention for a time.
-116 - 114: Spurred on by courtly plans, an invasion is launched to finally subjugate all of the Southlands.
-115: In the 'Battle of the Oasis' almost the entire army is lost.
-114: Upon hearing the news, the Emperor kills himself.
-114 - 101: Regency of the next Emperor, a time of dissension and desperation, as the Empire tried to hold onto what it could. But attempts to push beyond a certain point by Southlanders failed. In the wake of the invasions and occupations, a divided culture existed, as did many, many cities, the 'Seventeen Cities' which had been nourished by trade both internal and external, and they served as a blockage on any attempt to conquer Csirit again.
-103: Hari-Bueli is created... as a hereditary province, a sign of Imperial weakness.
-100: Upon the ascension of a new Emperor (instead of with a Regent), Hari-Su is created, and more or less the current boundaries of the Empire are set.
-100-85: Reign of Emperor Ji-Law.
-85-55: Reign of Emperor Hia Juang, a time of rampent corruption and even more factionalism, as the Empire's army gained both more independence and less power as the Council truly became what it is to this day.
-80: Birth of Kuojah.
-60: Kuojah, at the age of twenty, reaches the Highest Merit of the Civil Service Exams and begins a glorious career.
-55 - -44: Reign of Emperor Ha So.
-48 -44: The Bueli campaign ends in failure, the Emperor Ha So dying for his folly, and with the disgrace of his enemies for approving, Kuojah enters the full waxing of his power at the age of thirty-six.
-44 - -28: Reign of Emperor Chen'an.
-28: Death of the old Emperor.
-28 - 0: Reign of Emperor Meng
-25: Kiralo born of Jia and Kuojah. Jia steals away Kiralo to the Southlands.
-9: Kiralo becomes a Rassit.
0: Banner Day; Death of Emperor Meng, ascension, and without regency, of Emperor Dai'so; Kiralo recalled by his father.
1: Kiralo declared Envoy to the Council of Generals; Prince Jinhai raises his banner in revolt; Prince Jinhai is defeated in battle by Kiralo.
-594: An invasion of Southlanders, led by a charismatic young warrior, begins to devour the dying and failing Empire, which has been beset by provinicial and religious tensions.
-593-583: The conquest of Csirit, and the marrying of the Emperor's daughter to the first Southlander Emperor, who at the time controlled both Csirit and almost all of the Southlands. A system is insituted to maintain cavalry superiority, and enforce the inferiority of the native Iritans and other Csiritan mainstays.
-582: The capital is moved to northern Nestirin, from Center Irit.
-583-555: The reign of the first Southlander Emperor. Filled with rebellions that are crushed time and again, he didn't have control over what is now northern Yeadalt, Xissand, Hirand, and Hari-Nat, which formed a rump state governed by a Prince of the Blood. But his conquests slowly pushed it back almost to the point of destruction.
-554: The division: One of this First Emperor's sons gains Far Southlands. Another gains Near Southlands, and the eldest is put as successor to Csirit. While for the first decade or two, this was actually an era of relative peace and prosperity, eventually the two younger sons fought, and the eldest son captured a chunk of Near Southlands in order to, combined with the ground of Hirand--which was at parts destroyed or altered to support, instead of food, horses--have a supply of horses and trained riders without having to rely on his brothers.
-553-518: Rule of the Second Southlander Emperor.
-517 - 506: Rule of the Third Southlander Emperor
-517: Conquest of Yeadalt by the Southland Csiritan Empire, and the first use of this land as a place of exile for political enemies and religious disputants.
-515: Civil Service Exams abolished.
-512: Official Religion dis-established.
-510: Revolt of Bloody Banners.
-508: Rebellion of the Horse-Nobles leads to the Emperor suddenly shifting back against his Southlander roots, trying to punish both sides, and restoring religious exiles to places of power, where these heretics had reason to hate both Iritans and Southlanders.
-506: Palace coup. New Southlander Emperor established.
-506 - 499: Reign of the Fourth Southlander Emperor.
-498 - 484: 5th Southlander Emperor, first not to be a noted and accomplished horseman.
-484 - 468: 6th Southlander Emperor.
-468 -440: 7th and final Southlander Emperor. In the final years of his reign, a rebellion from modern Basrat, led by an ambitious runaway slave who fought his way to glory and married into what remained of the Old Imperial line, joining himself in ceremony and in holy fact with the religion, conquered and at last was crowned. His reign, which lasted from -440 (before the start of this game) to 400, was a time of autocracy and absolute brutal power. He restored an Iritan capital, but with the war and raiding from the Southlands, the center of balanced seemed to be moving both east and north.
-400 - 300: An era of relative peace. The Sea-Raiders fought a bloody conflict in the -320s, but it failed to conquer Hari-Os, though it did lead to an economic shift that temporarily made the west more potent. However, in this age of peace, the centralized control slipped, and the Civil Service Exams, nor many of the centralized features that had been hallmarks of the Empire before the Southlander Emperor, didn't return. The Southlander Dynasty had devolved much power to the 'provinces' and after the First New True Emperor's long reign and his attempts to reverse this, the trend actually increased in strength, sewing the seeds of later rebellion and problems.
-300 - 270: The era of divided prosperity. The barbarians were encroaching at places, but the court did nothing, and even the power of taxation devolved into the provinces... and yet for a time, the court had wealth enough, and influence enough, that they were able to maintain some degree of balance.
-270- 225: Increased raids by Sea-Raiders, Bueli, and a drift in the southern parts of Csirit towards heresy and, more than that, paying bribes to the Southlanders to keep them from raiding all contributed towards a general malaise, though the Emperor (and they tended to run together) was rich and spoiled and made many Princely Dynasties in an attempt to let his family rule the Empire where he could not.
- 224- 222: Rebellion of Tang, Rebellion of Sui Gen, Rebellion of Basrat, Rebellion of Xissand Nobles, each put down with less and less success.
-221: Peasant revolt nearly overruns the capital and almost kills the Emperor.
-225 - 215: The Prince in Rae (not yet Csrae) starts the "Rectifying and Purifying the Center" movement. Among its demands were Civil Service Exams, greater control of taxation and foreign policy, a return to scholarship, an end to toleration of heresy, purity and an end to corruption, and a stronger scholastic tradition. All of these were embodied in Prince Song, who was known as a man of great virtues, though the farthest thing imaginable from being a warrior himself.
-220: A palace coup leads to almost complete control of the Emperor by the Prince, who moves the capital to a central location in Rae, which is partially demolished to rebuild a city: Csrae, as with Rae. In doing so it hopes to escape the corruption and agricultural exhaustion that had struck Irit.
-219-214: The provinces are conquered or appeased at least enough to fall into line, in the northern portions, but the Prince of Rae, suspected and feared, is exiled, barely avoiding execution.
213-211: The Prince of Rae, exiled to the Bueli border, meets a young officer named Hanae. Whether they become lovers or merely political allies is still a matter of some debate, but they successfully fight off Bueli incursions. They also begin reforms and other acts, gathering strength.
-212-210: The manifold humilations: The Emperor, not having any control over the southern third of the Empire, reacts laxly or not at all to calls to defend it as the Southlanders extort more and more and more from them.
-209: The Great Betrayal: The Emperor determines to sign a treaty presented by the Southlander Envoy from one of the great-lords vying for control of southern Csirit granting him ownership of the bottom third of Csirit in exchange for a huge sum of money. The logic was that since he didn't own it, trading it would be without price.
----A palace coup deposes him, and his sons, and then a nephew who is not obedient, finally falling to the Prince of Rae to arrive, marry his own close cousin, and become Emperor. And Hanae came with him.
-208: After a year of stalling via 'negotiation' the new Emperor repudiates the deal in its entirety. The forty-odd year old Emperor prepares for war.
-208 - -206: The Southlander invasion happens, and is ultimately defeated by both the Hanin and internal divisions, and thus the Empire begins to stretch out its forces.
-208 - -188: Reign of the Rae Emperor, as some call him. The Near Southland is conquered under his auspices and Bueli is pushed back almost to the current border lines. Centralization is only somewhat effective, but control over taxes, roads, and salt monopolies are regained, but not the end of Hereditary Governors. He rules in his own right, leading his own clique.
-187: Without his patron, Hanae, now aging and yet still leading the war efforts down south, begins to lose ground, and is removed because of court politics a year later, and dies bitter and angry two decades later.
-187 - 150: Reign of the Second Revived Emperor. His father's son, he's energetic and intelligent, though having grown up around his advisors, he trusts them quite a bit. But his martial pretenses mean he doesn't follow them in some respects, and about 2/3rds of the Mid-Southlands is conquered. Only one city remains 'free' in the mid-southlands, and the plains and desert tribes and Kingdoms beyond the mountain can do very little.
-150 - -141: Reign of the short Emperor, carried off by disease in his thirties. He was opinionated, but not always competent, but after him, greater strength begins to accrue within the bureaucracy and the advisers.
-141 - 125: Reign of the next Emperor
139- 134: A revolt is put down in the Mid Southlands.
132-129: The current borders/limits of Hari Bueli are reached, though it is not yet a province. Bueli continues to try to push back the borders.
128: Basratan Revolt leads to the creation of a Princely House in Basrat to hold the east, which they do honorably for over a century.
-125 - -114: Reign of the next Emperor, whose life was cut short by suicide.
-117-118: The Bueli are pushed back, seemingly for good. The Sea-Raiders occupy attention for a time.
-116 - 114: Spurred on by courtly plans, an invasion is launched to finally subjugate all of the Southlands.
-115: In the 'Battle of the Oasis' almost the entire army is lost.
-114: Upon hearing the news, the Emperor kills himself.
-114 - 101: Regency of the next Emperor, a time of dissension and desperation, as the Empire tried to hold onto what it could. But attempts to push beyond a certain point by Southlanders failed. In the wake of the invasions and occupations, a divided culture existed, as did many, many cities, the 'Seventeen Cities' which had been nourished by trade both internal and external, and they served as a blockage on any attempt to conquer Csirit again.
-103: Hari-Bueli is created... as a hereditary province, a sign of Imperial weakness.
-100: Upon the ascension of a new Emperor (instead of with a Regent), Hari-Su is created, and more or less the current boundaries of the Empire are set.
-100-85: Reign of Emperor Ji-Law.
-85-55: Reign of Emperor Hia Juang, a time of rampent corruption and even more factionalism, as the Empire's army gained both more independence and less power as the Council truly became what it is to this day.
-80: Birth of Kuojah.
-60: Kuojah, at the age of twenty, reaches the Highest Merit of the Civil Service Exams and begins a glorious career.
-55 - -44: Reign of Emperor Ha So.
-48 -44: The Bueli campaign ends in failure, the Emperor Ha So dying for his folly, and with the disgrace of his enemies for approving, Kuojah enters the full waxing of his power at the age of thirty-six.
-44 - -28: Reign of Emperor Chen'an.
-28: Death of the old Emperor.
-28 - 0: Reign of Emperor Meng
-25: Kiralo born of Jia and Kuojah. Jia steals away Kiralo to the Southlands.
-9: Kiralo becomes a Rassit.
0: Banner Day; Death of Emperor Meng, ascension, and without regency, of Emperor Dai'so; Kiralo recalled by his father.
1: Kiralo declared Envoy to the Council of Generals; Prince Jinhai raises his banner in revolt; Prince Jinhai is defeated in battle by Kiralo.
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Info Series: Imperial Courtly Groupings
- Pronouns
- They/Them
This will be a series working outwards. Instead of trying to talk about factions, which might well change for reasons and cannot be easily defined as "This group, that group" I'm going to try to talk about groups and categories in the following info-posts. For instance, no matter who is the Empress, and who is the Imperial Consort, and Imperial Concubine, and on and on... no matter who those people are or were, they're a thing that existed in every reign for the past while, and so talking about them as groups will hopefully help readers understand the landscape.
Not the terrain: that takes scouting, and that's a matter of politics. But just the basic landscape, of what's a river and what's a valley and who is in the center of the valley and who is looking down from afar with a monocular.
Not the terrain: that takes scouting, and that's a matter of politics. But just the basic landscape, of what's a river and what's a valley and who is in the center of the valley and who is looking down from afar with a monocular.
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Imperial Groupings: The Emperor
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Imperial Groupings: The Emperor
The Emperor. The center of it all. How is he a grouping? After all, is he not one man? How little you know of the ways of the universe.
It is said by Cao Ren Lung, that august philosopher of Imperial Power, that the Emperor is in fact divided into four.
First, there is the Emperor as a divine figure, chosen by the Gods and with great ritual power. The Emperor oversees a number of important rituals, and his blessing or allowance is required for all sorts of rituals to worship the Gods, or appease the Ten Judges. This Divine Emperor is universal and immortal, and cannot die. In a classical schema, these are the clouds of the sky.
It passes through the Emperor of the Blood. Through the bloodline that unbroken, stretches back, according to myths, five-thousand years. This bloodline guides the Emperor towards right acts by communing with the Emperor Divine. This is the rain that nourishes the earth.
It then goes to the Emperor of the act. This is the Emperor that eats food. This is the Emperor that enjoys plays, or hates plays, or is rude to his mother, or respects his father. This is the Emperor that can get sick, or fail. This is the Emperor that can be led astray, which is why attempting to weaken the morality of the Emperor is treason punishable by death. In the past, Emperors have had men trying to convince the Emperor towards debaunchery executed. Obviously, it depends on whether the Emperor wants to be convinced or not. This Emperor is the stream. If the stream is bad or fouled, then the water, pure up to this point, can become unnourishing. Thus, an Emperor or future Emperor must be brought up well.
Finally, and importantly, there is the Emperor of the Law. This is the Emperor who governs with great sagacity, who makes the laws and allows all to function under him. This Emperor is the result, and the lake in which the streams flow, and if they are pure, then the Heavenly Perfection flows with them.
This company of men (all in one) lives in the greatest luxury. The Emperor does at times put on his silver helm, or traditionally did, and take part in warfare, but in the last three or four centuries this has been disapproved of, as has extensive travel beyond the capital or holy shrines or other sites. If an Emperor needs something, it should be provided for him, it should come to him, unless it cannot. The Emperor is isolated, thus, and lives within an internal palace within the palace city within the city. It can be lonely at times, in theory, but in practice Emperors rarely want for anything, including company.
The Emperor is usually referred to as "The Emperor." His reigning name is usually used only when it is needed, and only a friend very close to him would ever use a diminutive.
The current Emperor is Dai'so, just barely eight years old. With only two sisters, and with his only other relatives now soon to be dead, he is vitally important. His few friends, the noble children and children of palace servants, might call him Dai, but nobody else would. He lives and learns in relative isolation, and his young age means that he is often only briefly present at the ceremonies that an older Emperor might have done more than merely allow by his brief presence.
Unlike previous child Emperors, he does not officially have a Regent, for political reasons, and is in theory fully competent and fully in charge at this very moment. In effect, though, it might be a decade before he can rule in his own right, and depending on how tightly controlled he is by his advisers, it could be a long time before he actually does rule in his own right, if it ever happens at all.
The Emperor. The center of it all. How is he a grouping? After all, is he not one man? How little you know of the ways of the universe.
It is said by Cao Ren Lung, that august philosopher of Imperial Power, that the Emperor is in fact divided into four.
First, there is the Emperor as a divine figure, chosen by the Gods and with great ritual power. The Emperor oversees a number of important rituals, and his blessing or allowance is required for all sorts of rituals to worship the Gods, or appease the Ten Judges. This Divine Emperor is universal and immortal, and cannot die. In a classical schema, these are the clouds of the sky.
It passes through the Emperor of the Blood. Through the bloodline that unbroken, stretches back, according to myths, five-thousand years. This bloodline guides the Emperor towards right acts by communing with the Emperor Divine. This is the rain that nourishes the earth.
It then goes to the Emperor of the act. This is the Emperor that eats food. This is the Emperor that enjoys plays, or hates plays, or is rude to his mother, or respects his father. This is the Emperor that can get sick, or fail. This is the Emperor that can be led astray, which is why attempting to weaken the morality of the Emperor is treason punishable by death. In the past, Emperors have had men trying to convince the Emperor towards debaunchery executed. Obviously, it depends on whether the Emperor wants to be convinced or not. This Emperor is the stream. If the stream is bad or fouled, then the water, pure up to this point, can become unnourishing. Thus, an Emperor or future Emperor must be brought up well.
Finally, and importantly, there is the Emperor of the Law. This is the Emperor who governs with great sagacity, who makes the laws and allows all to function under him. This Emperor is the result, and the lake in which the streams flow, and if they are pure, then the Heavenly Perfection flows with them.
This company of men (all in one) lives in the greatest luxury. The Emperor does at times put on his silver helm, or traditionally did, and take part in warfare, but in the last three or four centuries this has been disapproved of, as has extensive travel beyond the capital or holy shrines or other sites. If an Emperor needs something, it should be provided for him, it should come to him, unless it cannot. The Emperor is isolated, thus, and lives within an internal palace within the palace city within the city. It can be lonely at times, in theory, but in practice Emperors rarely want for anything, including company.
The Emperor is usually referred to as "The Emperor." His reigning name is usually used only when it is needed, and only a friend very close to him would ever use a diminutive.
The current Emperor is Dai'so, just barely eight years old. With only two sisters, and with his only other relatives now soon to be dead, he is vitally important. His few friends, the noble children and children of palace servants, might call him Dai, but nobody else would. He lives and learns in relative isolation, and his young age means that he is often only briefly present at the ceremonies that an older Emperor might have done more than merely allow by his brief presence.
Unlike previous child Emperors, he does not officially have a Regent, for political reasons, and is in theory fully competent and fully in charge at this very moment. In effect, though, it might be a decade before he can rule in his own right, and depending on how tightly controlled he is by his advisers, it could be a long time before he actually does rule in his own right, if it ever happens at all.
Emperor Dai'so, the current reigning Emperor. As of the end of the first year of Harmonious Prosperity, he is eight.
Emperor Meng, his father, deceased just before the start of the Quest
Emperor Meng, his father, deceased just before the start of the Quest
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Imperial Groupings: The Emperor's Siblings
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Imperial Groupings: The Emperor's Siblings
Family is a difficult matter for rulers, both of barbarian, inferior lands and of the Csiritan Empire. In days past, the sons of the Emperor were married far and wide, to spread influence and power, but this power often came back to try to seize the throne, and now the decision to spin off an out-of-court Imperial Princely family is rare.
The one such family, that of Prince Jinhai, has obviously discredited itself, and so for the next while, as long as that memory is fresh, any Imperial brothers are likely to follow the old tradition. They will marry a woman of importance, who will come and live in the Imperial palace with them.
They might still be a threat, of course, but at least they're one in a single place, within reach of the Imperial Guard. And other forces, for that matter. There are currently no brothers of the current Emperor, and obviously no sons, either.
He does, however, have two sisters. Sisters and daughters are difficult, because if one marries them to the wrong person, and they rebel, they can use this blood as an usurpation tool. Thus, the tradition is usually to marry sisters to prominent figures who are both established in their loyalty and not too powerful. Hereditary Governors don't marry the Emperor's sisters.
Instead, prominent landowners in the provinces that might serve as a check or balance against a Governor are a common choice, as are noted scholars. If a man shows little ambition for the top bureaucratic positions, and yet much skill as a poet and a creator of beauty, or an expounder of wisdom, then it might be safe to marry one's sister to him.
It's a delicate dance. All siblings live in the inner palace, and in this case this means two girls. Biyu, who was twelve years old, and Chenhau, who was nine. While only one of them is his sister on both sides (Chenhau also being the daughter of the late Empress), he has been raised to treat both of them as sisters in fact and in name, and thus has many close ties to them.
However, they will certainly not be married off until the new Emperor has at least two sons, however long that will take. They're too valuable, and too much of a risk. Kiralo currently knows essentially nothing about them as people, just that they've been kept in isolation at the moment.
A/N: I'm going to add notable names as a sort of easier, simpler alternative to filling out the cast page, one that has much shorter entries.
Family is a difficult matter for rulers, both of barbarian, inferior lands and of the Csiritan Empire. In days past, the sons of the Emperor were married far and wide, to spread influence and power, but this power often came back to try to seize the throne, and now the decision to spin off an out-of-court Imperial Princely family is rare.
The one such family, that of Prince Jinhai, has obviously discredited itself, and so for the next while, as long as that memory is fresh, any Imperial brothers are likely to follow the old tradition. They will marry a woman of importance, who will come and live in the Imperial palace with them.
They might still be a threat, of course, but at least they're one in a single place, within reach of the Imperial Guard. And other forces, for that matter. There are currently no brothers of the current Emperor, and obviously no sons, either.
He does, however, have two sisters. Sisters and daughters are difficult, because if one marries them to the wrong person, and they rebel, they can use this blood as an usurpation tool. Thus, the tradition is usually to marry sisters to prominent figures who are both established in their loyalty and not too powerful. Hereditary Governors don't marry the Emperor's sisters.
Instead, prominent landowners in the provinces that might serve as a check or balance against a Governor are a common choice, as are noted scholars. If a man shows little ambition for the top bureaucratic positions, and yet much skill as a poet and a creator of beauty, or an expounder of wisdom, then it might be safe to marry one's sister to him.
It's a delicate dance. All siblings live in the inner palace, and in this case this means two girls. Biyu, who was twelve years old, and Chenhau, who was nine. While only one of them is his sister on both sides (Chenhau also being the daughter of the late Empress), he has been raised to treat both of them as sisters in fact and in name, and thus has many close ties to them.
However, they will certainly not be married off until the new Emperor has at least two sons, however long that will take. They're too valuable, and too much of a risk. Kiralo currently knows essentially nothing about them as people, just that they've been kept in isolation at the moment.
Biyu, age twelve, daughter of the Beauteous Consort Ai.
Chenhau, age nine, daughter of the late Empress.
Chenhau, age nine, daughter of the late Empress.
A/N: I'm going to add notable names as a sort of easier, simpler alternative to filling out the cast page, one that has much shorter entries.
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Imperial Groupings: Empresses, Consorts, Concubines, and Others
- Pronouns
- They/Them
Imperial Groupings: Empresses and Consorts
There is but one Empress, but there are others still. Historically, there have been many titles, but the Rectifying Emperor reduced it to a total of five titles, in hierarchical order.
First, there is the Empress. She is almost always to be a woman of high breeding and perfect morals. Charged with many sacred duties as the Emperor's wife, she had little official power, but her control over sacred rites involving Goddesses, as well as the simple fact that she was the wife of the Emperor, meant that she was usually somewhat influential, though also restricted in some ways. It's a very personal sort of power. The last Empress, Xia of Lineage Lin died three years before her husband, and the Emperor did not remarry, despite the strong advice of almost all of his advisors, united as one.
The sons of an Empress are always first in line, and yet considering the desperate straits of the dynasty and its numbers, if he had any brothers from the other Consorts and Concubines, Dai'so would have been pressured and convinced into raising them into the same rank as he, but below him, in order to give some breathing room.
Below the Empress is the Noble And Virtuous Consort of the Emperor. There is only one such woman, and while she is sometimes of high and noble rank, she is also sometimes of less exalted rank. There are standards for her behavior, standards that in theory are equally high, and yet the primary standard is the Emperor's. Whereas his wife has high moral duties, his Virtuous Consort has no duties but those that are given to her by the Emperor, such as helping to plan parties together with the Empress, or other such small tasks. This makes the interaction between the two usually… freer. Her sons, however, do not have the same status as his wife's sons, but still have enough to be powerful players in the dynastic game.
The previous Emperor did in fact have a Virtuous Consort, but she had borne no children, and upon his death, she went into a mourning seclusion that she has not yet left. Even if she did, being merely the consort of a dead Emperor, she would have no direct power or influence, except that which was given to her. Thus, she's not going to be an important player in the courtly game. History does speak of young Emperors who take, out of lust, their father's Consorts and Concubines to be their own, but whether or not Dai'so grows up to be so depraved, he's only eight, so that's not possible anyways.
Next come the Beauteous Consorts. There can be up to three of them, and they are one step down, accorded no gold in their hair except as a mark of especial favor, such as upon the birth of a son. They still live in the lap of luxury, but while it is taboo to discard one's Virtuous Consort without reason--though taboo is not law--the Beauteous Consort's lives are more confined. Those of them that do not bear sons, or cannot hold the Emperor's… attentions generally fall from their station, though usually not without a considerable payment, whether in money, in marriage (for there is no dishonor in marrying a woman who is an official consort, certainly not of an Emperor), or even in some middling plot of land.
Fourth, there are the Imperial Concubines. There may be up to ten of them, and they live in luxury, but only sometimes inhabit the inner-palace, and only then while they are pregnant with the Emperor's child. They're thus, unlike many others, not nearly so close to the Emperor, in the sense that they are not constantly within his presence, and cannot call upon him, or demand his time. But they are in an honorable station, and it affords its own sort of power.
Finally, there are Choice Ladies, as they are called. There could be up to 40 of them, and they were often chosen especially or entirely for their beauty. An Emperor who took a liking to a palace serving girl might make her a Choice Lady, and in the days of conquest (of the Southlands and Bueli), many were the women brought back to the palace because of their notable beauty. Sons and daughters of these people are successors of last resorts, and the Choice Ladies often change, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Emperor. In some senses, though, a few of them are perhaps closer than Imperial Concubines, not in status, but in the fact that they were female servants first, and continued to be so, and thus close to the Emperor in that capacity.
They usually receive gifts during their time as a Choice Lady, but little else when they are discarded, though they are not considered dishonored ,and may still make a marriage equal to their station.
Thus, an Emperor could in theory have up to fifty-five women at his beck and call. A few have gone up to this very limit, though none have gone beyond. It is considered lacking in virtue to make advances on a woman by the Emperor without granting her official status. If an Emperor lusts for some female servant, he is expected to declare her a Choice Lady. But some preferred a little more informality, as despised as this is. And of course, a maximum is not a floor: one Emperor had as few as three women, a wife, and one consort each.
All of these figures do not matter now, and might not matter for a long time, considering the Emperor's age, but it should be noted and known, and if the Emperor does ever get to the age to marry and carry on, this will definitely matter. As it stands, the Choice Ladies (there were seven) and other such figures matter just as little as the Virtuous Consort does, since the death of the Emperor robs them of their power, when none of them have any influence.
...with one exception. The Beauteous Consort, a woman of modest noble birth, Ai, is in fact the mother of Biyu, and while she has been careful in the new Emperor's presence, she does care for her daughter, and might well have plans for her.
Edited in--As a historical note/aside, while male favorites of an Emperor are not uncommon, there is no such system for controlling, ranking, and directing them. It is all very informal, in part because the men can come from many stations, and might aspire--or their fathers might aspire for them--to high office of a kind that no Imperial Consort could hold.
Additionally, since there is not the matter of children to be considered, there are very few, if any, reasons to formalize any relationships that an Emperor might choose to have, and they are generally not regarded as problematic unless A) It leads to undue corruption or favoring of the unworthy, B) The person guides him towards unwise behavior, though that's a given for both genders as a fear, or C) Distracts him from his Gods-Given duty to produce children to continue on the throne.
******
A/N: I feel like a moderately bad person for this, actually. Just because yeah, it's pretty shifty and there's a lot of sexism both stated and implied in all of this.
There is but one Empress, but there are others still. Historically, there have been many titles, but the Rectifying Emperor reduced it to a total of five titles, in hierarchical order.
First, there is the Empress. She is almost always to be a woman of high breeding and perfect morals. Charged with many sacred duties as the Emperor's wife, she had little official power, but her control over sacred rites involving Goddesses, as well as the simple fact that she was the wife of the Emperor, meant that she was usually somewhat influential, though also restricted in some ways. It's a very personal sort of power. The last Empress, Xia of Lineage Lin died three years before her husband, and the Emperor did not remarry, despite the strong advice of almost all of his advisors, united as one.
The sons of an Empress are always first in line, and yet considering the desperate straits of the dynasty and its numbers, if he had any brothers from the other Consorts and Concubines, Dai'so would have been pressured and convinced into raising them into the same rank as he, but below him, in order to give some breathing room.
Below the Empress is the Noble And Virtuous Consort of the Emperor. There is only one such woman, and while she is sometimes of high and noble rank, she is also sometimes of less exalted rank. There are standards for her behavior, standards that in theory are equally high, and yet the primary standard is the Emperor's. Whereas his wife has high moral duties, his Virtuous Consort has no duties but those that are given to her by the Emperor, such as helping to plan parties together with the Empress, or other such small tasks. This makes the interaction between the two usually… freer. Her sons, however, do not have the same status as his wife's sons, but still have enough to be powerful players in the dynastic game.
The previous Emperor did in fact have a Virtuous Consort, but she had borne no children, and upon his death, she went into a mourning seclusion that she has not yet left. Even if she did, being merely the consort of a dead Emperor, she would have no direct power or influence, except that which was given to her. Thus, she's not going to be an important player in the courtly game. History does speak of young Emperors who take, out of lust, their father's Consorts and Concubines to be their own, but whether or not Dai'so grows up to be so depraved, he's only eight, so that's not possible anyways.
Next come the Beauteous Consorts. There can be up to three of them, and they are one step down, accorded no gold in their hair except as a mark of especial favor, such as upon the birth of a son. They still live in the lap of luxury, but while it is taboo to discard one's Virtuous Consort without reason--though taboo is not law--the Beauteous Consort's lives are more confined. Those of them that do not bear sons, or cannot hold the Emperor's… attentions generally fall from their station, though usually not without a considerable payment, whether in money, in marriage (for there is no dishonor in marrying a woman who is an official consort, certainly not of an Emperor), or even in some middling plot of land.
Fourth, there are the Imperial Concubines. There may be up to ten of them, and they live in luxury, but only sometimes inhabit the inner-palace, and only then while they are pregnant with the Emperor's child. They're thus, unlike many others, not nearly so close to the Emperor, in the sense that they are not constantly within his presence, and cannot call upon him, or demand his time. But they are in an honorable station, and it affords its own sort of power.
Finally, there are Choice Ladies, as they are called. There could be up to 40 of them, and they were often chosen especially or entirely for their beauty. An Emperor who took a liking to a palace serving girl might make her a Choice Lady, and in the days of conquest (of the Southlands and Bueli), many were the women brought back to the palace because of their notable beauty. Sons and daughters of these people are successors of last resorts, and the Choice Ladies often change, being entirely dependent on the whims of the Emperor. In some senses, though, a few of them are perhaps closer than Imperial Concubines, not in status, but in the fact that they were female servants first, and continued to be so, and thus close to the Emperor in that capacity.
They usually receive gifts during their time as a Choice Lady, but little else when they are discarded, though they are not considered dishonored ,and may still make a marriage equal to their station.
Thus, an Emperor could in theory have up to fifty-five women at his beck and call. A few have gone up to this very limit, though none have gone beyond. It is considered lacking in virtue to make advances on a woman by the Emperor without granting her official status. If an Emperor lusts for some female servant, he is expected to declare her a Choice Lady. But some preferred a little more informality, as despised as this is. And of course, a maximum is not a floor: one Emperor had as few as three women, a wife, and one consort each.
All of these figures do not matter now, and might not matter for a long time, considering the Emperor's age, but it should be noted and known, and if the Emperor does ever get to the age to marry and carry on, this will definitely matter. As it stands, the Choice Ladies (there were seven) and other such figures matter just as little as the Virtuous Consort does, since the death of the Emperor robs them of their power, when none of them have any influence.
...with one exception. The Beauteous Consort, a woman of modest noble birth, Ai, is in fact the mother of Biyu, and while she has been careful in the new Emperor's presence, she does care for her daughter, and might well have plans for her.
Edited in--As a historical note/aside, while male favorites of an Emperor are not uncommon, there is no such system for controlling, ranking, and directing them. It is all very informal, in part because the men can come from many stations, and might aspire--or their fathers might aspire for them--to high office of a kind that no Imperial Consort could hold.
Additionally, since there is not the matter of children to be considered, there are very few, if any, reasons to formalize any relationships that an Emperor might choose to have, and they are generally not regarded as problematic unless A) It leads to undue corruption or favoring of the unworthy, B) The person guides him towards unwise behavior, though that's a given for both genders as a fear, or C) Distracts him from his Gods-Given duty to produce children to continue on the throne.
Ai, the Beauteous Consort of Emperor Meng, and mother of Biyu
******
A/N: I feel like a moderately bad person for this, actually. Just because yeah, it's pretty shifty and there's a lot of sexism both stated and implied in all of this.
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