A Show of Fear in a Handful of Dust

Apparently the Great Server Migration is happening this weekend, so I'm pushing the start back.

In other words, try to have your sign-ups ready on Monday. Update will come Wednesday.
 
Ok, just a quick heads up, my sign up is mostly done, but I need to sleep and I have work tomorrow.

I'll finish my sign up 100% then but it's got pretty much everything. Cya then
 
...Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaand we're back.

Lets get this show on the road good sirs and kind gentlemen (and gentle ladies where it applies I suppose) :D
 


The Jiajou Dynasty​

History

First there was nothing…..then there was the dragon. A small isolated tribe in the mountains, led by a charismatic young woman named Yiling, went from tribe to tribe in the mountains, assimilating them through conquest or diplomacy. It was with these mountain folk that this girl, no older than sixteen, took to the valley and conquered the petty herd lords, their cattle seized by her tribals. Then they went to the Bay, and brought the great Raiders of the Colosseum down to their knees. And then, when in the south, she defeated the great armies of the Red and Blue, at last conquering all of what she termed “Jiajou”. It was upon her creation of the Dragon’s Crown that the current imperial calendar system “After Dragon” begins.

For the next millennia, the Jiajou have gone through cycles of great wealth and prosperity to poverty and famine. From eras where the pen is mightier than the sword to eras where the sword breaks the pen. From eras where the power of the Empress reaches every corner to the era where the lords and ladies pay her no more than lip service. And that is an era we are in now.

Great famine and plague tore apart these lands a century and a half ago. Warlords, some not even bothering to pay lip service to the Empress, were attempting to carve for themselves petty kingdoms. even as the barbarians leered across the river. The new Empress ascended to the throne with no armies or gold, given the crown hours after her elder sister had been brutally murdered. Desperate, the Empress called together the three greatest generals of the Empire, and asked them to restore order.

And restore it they did. The Bay, the Valley, and the South, all of them were broken to the will of the three generals. And though the threat to end the Empire was over, the lands were still rife with bandits and even some straggling rebels. The Empress gave leave to the three generals, now known as Kuīnrūru, to govern the lands they pacified with full authority. However, as the years went on, the Kuīnrūru strayed from their noble origins of bringing back peace, and instead became tempted by the prospects of personal and familial power. The original generals died, and then the title went to their daughters, and then to theirs. Their courts became miniature reflections of that of the Imperial Court, and they became the true powers of the land, with the Imperial City becoming an expensive (though entertaining!) sideshow.

Now, the winds of change seem once more on the horizon. Though the Empresses of the past century have been content to be merely religious figures, this new crown princess is determined to break the powers of old. And there are other rumblings as well, dogs threatening to bite the heels of the Kuīnrūru if they are not careful. In any case, as the Empress draws her last breaths, this next act is about to begin….

Family Members

Main Family

Empress Yun-rei (Regnal name), Age 71-The 98th Empress of the Jiajou dynasty. After many decades of rule, Empress Yuna-Rei i drawing her final breaths as she lies on her bed, drifting in and out of conscience. Devoted to the great Shenron and the honoring of the past empresses, Yuna-Rei has been a very inspiring religious figure. However, politically she has presided over one of the weakest periods of Imperial power of all time, and has been reduced to more or less a figurehead. Her influence only lightly controls the Imperial City, and even there it is her eunuchs and officials who hold the true power. Her four daughters have all passed, and her eldest granddaughter Rukina will soon ascend to the throne.
Diplomacy: 4
Martial: 1
Intrigue: 1
Stewardship: 1
Learning: 9

Crown Princess Rukina, Age 14, Heiress to the Throne. She is seen by many as the ideal empress to end the decadence of the Jiajou dynasty and the Imperial City. She is a noted warrior, though she has yet to learn the art of ruling, and is completely out of her element with court intrigue. She is determined to reform the Jiajou Dynasty and change her country’s fate. Born to the first daughter of Yun-rei.
Diplomacy: 5
Martial: 14
Intrigue:1
Stewardship: 1
Learning: 1

Prince Mako, Age 16. Elder brother to Rukina, of the same mother. A great warrior in his own right, he rejected becoming a concubine to a distant cousin, and has instead dedicated his life and blade to the service to his sister.

Second Princess Tianzi, Age 9-Another granddaughter of Yuna-Rei [though of a different branch of the family as Rukina and Mako (they are cousins to Tianzi)], Tianzi is the de facto second in line to the Imperial Throne. She is the choice for the conservatives of the court, who hope to use her youth to dominate politics through the reign of another Empress. Born to the second daughter of Yun-rei

Third Princess Rei, Age 7-Born to the second daughter of Yuna-rei
Prince Mairu, Age 9-Born to the third daughter of Yuna-Sei
Fourth Princess Tohka, Age 6-Born to the third daughter of Yuna-rei
Fifth Princess Lin Fei, Age 8-Born to the fourth daughter of Yuna-rei
Sixth Princess Saku-Rai, Age 7-Born to the fourth daughter of Yuna-rei
Prince Guan Ye, Age 5-Born to the fourth daughter of Yuna-rei

Honored Retainers

Ji Shen, Age 49-The fourth son of a merchant, Ji Shen was a young boy when his parents died, and his elder siblings, not looking to divide the familial wealth, gave the boy to Imperial Service, where he was made into a Eunuch. Ji Shen has since found his way into various positions of power, in no small part due to his ability to seemingly generate gold out of thin air. And so long as the Imperial treasury has some money in it, who would notice if it were a few dragons short?

Rén Guāng, Age 38-A formerly favored member of the Imperial Pleasure Harem, Rén Guāng was recruited when he caught the eye of the former Third Princess Seira. While a former steward to a powerful eunuch might be expected to engage in some sort of spying, Rén gave his complete and total devotion to Seira. When she suddenly died in a horrific accident, Rén went into mourning and immediately became a new eunuch. However, owing to his past as a skilled manager of household management, Rén stayed on as a steward for the Imperial Harem, helping to bring its spending under control and making key additions to staff. After ten years, Rén rose high enough to become the “Atamawòshì” when the previous occupant retired. With the Imperial Harem having been mostly stagnant due to the premature deaths of the children of the Empress (and her own growing disinterest in dalliances in the harem), Rén is preparing to create a new harem for Crown Princess Rukina. Of particular importance will be the selecting of her concubines, which will be the most likely to partake in the creation of the next heiress. As of late, the attempts by nobles to get their son as a concubine or harem member has taken a majority of Rén’s time as he looks to find a specimen worthy enough to present to his future Empress.

Dà Wang-One of the first additions to the future harem of Empress Rukina, Dà is a well-noted athlete that caught the eye of Rén Guāng.

Chàn Shǒu-Imperial advisor

Cì Shāng-Imperial advisor

Shòu Liè-Imperial advisor

Ahiru Heishi-Imperial advisor

---

Religions


Jùlùjìng-The official and only recognized faith of the Jiajou, the Jùlùjìng reveres worship of the great dragon Shen Long, and believe that his blood flows through the veins of the Jiajou family, giving them divinity status. They believe Shen Long will welcome them in the next life if they were kind, honorable souls, and that a second dragon, Pucharinka, will haunt them for eternity if they were not. Shen Long is the ruler and arbitrator over all, and is considered the highest divinity and sky ruler, and they await his cleansing flame. Some faithful even will burn themselves to become closer to Shen Long and his love, and burning is the only proper way to dispose of a body. The Imperial Family has crafted this faith over the years, replacing various local and tribal traditions, and a major focus is the reverement of the Empresses, both past and present. The Imperial Crypt is a holy place, and at home, everyone from the simplest laborer to the highest noble will keep a shrine to the Empress at their home, well maintained with flowers, pictures, and other ornaments. Some lucky clans have blessed artifacts of the Imperial family; noble clans may posses a full outfit worn by the Empress or a sword wielded by her, while some peasants count themselves blessed to hold a piece of ground the Empress once stepped upon, or if they are truly blessed, the sandal itself. Prayer is done twice a day; once at sun up and once at sundown,and it is believed that Shen Long can even grant wishes to the truly faithful and worthy, but only after they have taken a quest of great personal fulfillment.

Zhōnlùjìng-Commonly seen as a subsect of the Jùlùjìng, it may actually be more appropriate to call Zhōnlùjìng a predecessor faith. It may be hard pressed to even call it a religion, and more so a collection of beliefs. The hinterland tribes where Yiling initially hailed from commonly worshiped a variety of spirits. Many believe that the spirits were associated with animals, and often had elemental powers to accompany them. The Zhōnlùjìng do believe in the associated divinity of the Imperial family, though to a lesser extent than the Jùlùjìng, but are also highly fond of the occult. Fortune telling via dragon bone, for example, is one of the most common and sought after uses of the priests of Zhōnlùjìng. The Zhōnlùjìng will also take pieces of other faiths into their own mythology; they do not discriminate, and instead take other faiths as further proof if the strange ways of this world. Those in the south for example, have a belief in a skeletal death god, while in the north, the use of the mythical weed of the 420ists is not uncommon. Perhaps the biggest common denominator of the Zhōnlùjìng is their belief in the mortal vessel and its spirit, and their connection. It is why they still insist on burying, not burning, the bodies of their dead.

Cult of the 420: Predating the Jiajou by at least hundreds of years, the Cult of the 420 was the original dominant religion of the region for centuries, though has since greatly declined in significance. This cult is devoted to the veneration of a total of 420 “great gurus,” canonically listed by the Book of , who lived in the mythical, heroic Age of Aquarius before the current times, of which notable examples include Siddhartha, Oscar the Wild, Kerouac, McCartney, Hendrix, Cobain, and - chiefly and the wisest amongst them all - the Great Sagan. The cultists attempt to grow closer to nirvana. A great part of the cult’s practices is conducted through the usage of the so-called “magic plants,” chiefly the mystical “weed” and the even more mystical “mushroom.” The Cult of the 420 makes clear that all devotees are equal without matter of race, gender, or any such thing, but some of the most learned (or gifted) cultists are supposedly able to see the future and utter prophecies.

(Related to the Cult of 420) Cult of the 88: While similar to the cult of the 420, in that they too partake in the mystical weed of enlightenment, the 88 are far more strict than their counterparts. Devotees of the 88 adhere to their 88 verses, and put themselves under the tutalage of one “wizard”, who they will worship for as long as that wizard lives. Generally shy away from violence, two wizards will battle one another in a duel through rhyming lyrics. The winner will take over the loser’s devotees, while the defeated wizard will kill themselves. Devotees will devote themselves to a wizard for some time, but a devotee may decide themselves that they too wish to persue the magical arts, and will attempt to gather a following. A devotee will never devote themselves to two wizards, but two wizarding groups may have ties to one another, especially if they have a common “Sage”. The Sages are Wizards who have survived many duels, and no wizard is willing to challenge them out of respect. Some prominent sages will have had many wizards who trace their influence to him, and will pay him fealty and tokenary tributes. Men are more prominent in the Cult of 88, though females are allowed to become “Witches” (though will NEVER have male devotees), or can devote themselves to wizards as the lowest members of the pack. The free members of the cult reside mostly in the North, where they wear garrish clothing and attempt to pick fights with other wizards. The cult is hostile to other religions. The only exception is with the Cult of the 420 during a festival for one of the 88 gurus that the cult worships (where they will try converting some members of the 420), and trading supplies for the mythic weed.

----

Imperial Rankage System


Ranks

Tǒnzhě-Empress-the title given to the ultimate authority of the Jiajou, the Tǒnzhě is the theoretical political, military, and religious leader of the Empire. Purportedly descended from Shen Long, the Tǒnzhě is worshiped herself as a deity, the actual dues given to Her will fluctuate on Her political power at the time. The small folk are generally fond of her though, and the Biāochǐ prefer her to any Kuīnrūru or Yinzǐ. The opinion of the Jiàn jià fluctuates depending on the person, but most agree that though their first duty is to their sworn liege, it is also a duty to encourage their liege to not take arms directly against the Tǒnzhě. For the most part, few would actually speak of replacing the Tǒnzhě with a non-Jiajou, and even fewer would support such an usurper. That being said, not everyone agrees on how much power the Tǒnzhě should have, and so long as there is one, the clans are more than willing to play their games.

Kuīnrūru-A relatively new title to the Jiajou Empire is that of the Kuīnrūru. With the era of warlords tearing apart the peace of the Empire, three legendary generals were able to stave off famine and other calamities to the three “Kuīnrūru” of the Jiajou. While the Empire was still weak, these three generals were granted the rank of Kuīnrūru, and when they passed, they entrusted the title to their clan, a bold reversal of the anti hereditary trends. The three Kuīnrūru have been able to rule their fiefdoms without any interference from the Imperial City, and in essence rule with only nominal loyalty to the Tǒnzhě. Perhaps due to the desire to emulate Imperial customs, the Kuīnrūru pass from mother to daughter, and sons are normally precluded from the succession.

Yinzǐ-A military leader of sorts, the Yinzǐ are prominent clan leaders, given lands by the Kuīnrūru in exchange for soldiers and taxes. Many of the Yinzǐ are drawn from the warlords who first saw the tides of the old era shifting, and pledged loyalty to one of the three great generals, while others are former Jiàn jià who held distinguished service to another Yinzǐ or even to a Kuīnrūru. These two categories of Yinzǐ, by birth or by merit, often hate the other out of principle and constantly jockey with one another for affluence and position. The Yinzǐ can be a male or female and certain clans have different rules regarding them. Neither category of Yinzǐ does has a particular gender imbalance. The Yinzǐ serve under one of the three Kuīnrūru, and see them as their first loyalty. Interestingly enough, there have only been three instances of a Yinzǐ betraying their Kuīnrūru, and all three instances were performed by the same woman.

Jiàn jià-The warriors of Jiajou society, the Jiàn jià are a wide and varied class. Some, such as the Jin Jiàn, are sons and daughters of affluent clans, with an apprenticeship filled not only with swordplay, but also caligraphy, mathematics, and music. They will posses custom made armor, and will serve a Yinzǐ-often from their own clan-for life. Others, derisively called Rin Jiàn, are barely a step above the small folk. Their armor is often boiled leather or whatever scraps they could find, wielding a chipped sword, and going from Yinzǐ to Yinzǐ, fighting whatever petty conflicts they might have. Their apprentices too will learn art, but more often than not it is the art of sleeping in the wilderness. Some may even resort to banditry in particularly lean times. During the years of peace and prosperity, a Jiàn jià was someone who was certified to have passed an apprenticeship, often only accepting those from a well-regarded clan, and they would emphasize their honor and chivalry. However, during the age of warlords, there was a great need for those who would wield a sword, and it was here that the “Golden Age of the Sword” began. Thousands of Rin Jiàn flooded the battlefields. Some would become petty bandits, others would become warlords in their own right, and some few distinguished themselves so well that their descendents became Yinzǐ. And though the past few decades have not been kind to the Jiàn jià, a new trouble is brewing on the horizon. Will this calamity be the death knell for the Jiàn jià, or will it usher in a new “Golden Age of the Sword”.

Biāochǐ- The Magistrates of the Empire of old, the Biāochǐ are the relics of a bygone era. When first established, the Biāochǐ were known as highly competent administrators, skilled in diplomacy, subterfuge, and stewardship. The long term ambition was to develop a bureaucracy unburdened by ties both tribal and familial, and many Biāochǐ became eunuchs to show their devotion to that ideal. The Biāochǐ drew the most talented in the empire, but soon also the most ambitious and greedy. Though they could not partake in pleasures of the flesh, the Biāochǐ would over indulge on food, drink, and fashion. Corruption flourished for some, and even their supposed immunity to family ties was proven false, with brothers and sisters of Biāochǐ being appointed to posts they were not qualified for. It was Biāochǐ mismanagement that led to the warlord era, and today the Biāochǐ are a mere shadow of what they once were, some acting as servants to the Yinzǐ who were not disgusted enough to throw them out. At this point, most Biāochǐ simply memorize legal and religious texts, and few call upon them for anything meaningful.


---

Culture (Still a bit WIP, other stuff will be added here)

Calendar-The calendar system in use is that of the Imperial Calendar. Divided into 12 months of 360 days, and then 7 full days for the New Year. The calendar uses "After Dragon", with Empress Yiling's crowning being 0 AD. We are currently in the year 997 AD.

The Imperial Harem-As the Princesses of the Imperial Family would not take but one husband, the Imperial Harem grew out of necessity for both the pleasures of the Empress and securing an heiress for the Jiajou line. The Imperial Harem is responsible for finding men (and women) that would be pleasing to the Imperial Princesses. The Imperial Harem is a large institution, with the Empress, the Crown Princess, and oftentimes any direct female children from the Empress receiving their own exclusive “stable”. Of certain note are the concubines, who are particularly prized for one attribute or another and are noted as excellent candidates for fathering the next heiress. Aside from the direct imperial family, Jiajou princesses that are more distantly related are allowed to take part in the Pleasure Gardens, where the Imperial Harem keeps a variety of comely men, though they are often expected to take a full time concubine from a different branch of the Jiajou family.

----

A small note on gender:

Jiajou culture is for the most part open, though admittedly a bit more dominated by women in public life. The upper levels of the priesthood, and the position of Empress, are exclusively female positions. That being said, men are not necessarily seen as an inferior gender; many men have found success as magistrates, soldiers, and advisors. Women not only have the priesthood open to them, but also merchantry and soldiering as well. Some tribes and clans may have a preference for one gender or another, though most newly ennobled clans prefer females over males in accordance to finding acceptance at Court. Divorce is relatively easy to obtain and many among the nobility can recall a homosexual partner, and though few continue that partnership later in life, it is not particularly rare. The only profession open to men and not women is that of anything related to animal breeding.
 
Oh hi <nuke> and everybody else!

Now that CFC is back up, I can announce that the rulesheet has indeed been locked and hidden for the time being as I implement wrist-saving measures. Before adding <nuke>'s characters and a few others, this game has 245 (!) characters. As it would turn out, however, is that Crusader Kings 2 benefits from a UI that makes a game with thousands of characters easy to play, whereas this game has only spreadsheets.

So! As some of you already knew, I have a backup system I was already using for NPCs. Basically, the character listing will be culled and consolidated and more cues taken from EUIV's dynastic system, which has the benefit of increased functionality for republics, Robert's monastery thing, and whatever Arrow-esque nomad monster shows up later.

Furthermore, the council system is being replaced with a (far more interesting) faction system. Where juggling the demands of the various factions nets various benefits and drawbacks.

Goals of Changes

1. Allow players to focus better on tasks at hand, a more navigable character sheet, and a more freeform system of allowing players to push and pull out non-essential characters like non-heirs, spouses, concubines, household slaves, etc., at whim.

2. Make dynasty management more abstract and easier to work with so orders don't take hours to work on.

3. Seriously, reread #1 and #2 and then look at the post above this post. Post above is possible now because pre-game is more freeform with dynasty roleplay and creation. Would be more of a problem later roleplay wise if I maintained the CK2 system, which in retrospect would've been better for a full fresh start game with longer update intervals than I'm comfortable with at this time.

What Does This Mean?

The ruleset will be unlocked tomorrow. Sign-up wise, players won't need to change or add much except answer a few questions with one-word answers. I aim for a Friday start.

Faction system is already done and implemented whereas the final touches on the new dynasty systems and government systems are being touched up.

The week long hiatus was a good thing because it gave me time to sit down, look at what I have, and decide that lol 245 characters.
 
Rules Updated

>Factions implemented
>Councils nixed
>Non-essential characters culled
>Governments implement
>DEMOCRACY IMPLEMENTED

What I need:

Government Type: Monarchy, Republic, Theocracy, Nomad
Elective Monarchy: (Yes or No, Monarchy Only)
Noble Republic: (Yes or No, Republic Only)
Republican Dictatorship: (Yes or No, Republic Only)
Term Limits: (How many years, Republics only)
Parliament: Yes or No

And that's it! Just edit that with answers in and we'll be cool get out of my face game starts Friday hopefully.
 
Government Type: Monarchy
Elective Monarchy:Yes (Theoretically... Realistically, the elections goes to the eldest son, and has for generations.)
Noble Republic: (No)
Republican Dictatorship: (No)
Term Limits: (No)
Parliament: Yes - Noble Council/moot (Think Witengamot, or parliament in 1300s England)
 
Government: Monarchy (with theocratic elements)
Elective: No
 
Scarlet_King said:
Rules Updated

>Factions implemented
>Councils nixed
>Non-essential characters culled
>Governments implement
>DEMOCRACY IMPLEMENTED

What I need:

Government Type: Monarchy, Republic, Theocracy, Nomad
Elective Monarchy: (Yes or No, Monarchy Only)
Noble Republic: (Yes or No, Republic Only)
Republican Dictatorship: (Yes or No, Republic Only)
Term Limits: (How many years, Republics only)
Parliament: Yes or No

And that's it! Just edit that with answers in and we'll be cool get out of my face game starts Friday hopefully.
Click to expand...

Monarchy
Partially Elective. Eldest son inherits. However if the heir is deemed to be dangerous to the future of the High Kingdom, then a moot is called that consist of all members of the High Family, the High Lords, and the Low Lords in order to agree on an alternative heir from within the High Family.

All males, of both actual wives and of concubines, can theoretically inherit if the moot decides in their favor. Moots are relatively rare.

Elective Law

Elective Law in the High Kingdom is Primogeniture. Only males can inherit. However, on occasion a moot of all members of the High Family, the High Lords and the Low Lords can be called. This moot is only called when the future heir presents potential issue to the health of the High kingdom as a whole that cannot possibly be otherwise averted, and its duty is to come up with an alternative heir from within the High Family. If an alternative heir cannot be settled upon, the Moot disbands and the old heir is left as is. Only one moot has ever been called, and no alternative heir was agreed upon.

However it is markedly different in some of the vassal states. The High Lordships of New tramen and Allegheny convene a Council of the Twelve, where the principle priest of each deity worshipped in those lands come together and select the heir from within the current ruling House. The Borderlands are ruled by the Marshal-General who is appointed by the High King upon coronation. Clan Windspear's laws are murky, however it appears that by tradition the most able warrior of the former Septr succeeds as leader. In the Jarldom of Witchbane, there is an open election voted upon by every noble who has land there. The only constraints are that the contenders have to be of Witchbane and have to be of the nobility second generation, meaning they had to be born to the rank. Norfolk and Washington are both typical primogeniture, although Norfolk has yet to witness a succession.
Click to expand...

As you can see, the vassal systems are all slightly different with different levels of elective mixed in.
 
Government Type: Monarchy (with theocratic elements)
Elective Monarchy: Yes (heirs are approved by Supreme Court)
Parliament: Yes (the Supreme Court functions as a Parliament at times, although it is heavily dominated by the ruling family)
 
Scarlet_King said:
You can't be an elective monarchy and theocracy.
Click to expand...
Oops, I'll fix it. I had a hard time trying to describe my government in such terms, as we have a monarch that is believed to be a living god who reincarnates himself everytime he dies and so the next incarnation must be identified (elected) to take the crown

Is that a theocracy or a monarchy? Is that elective?
 
Calgori said:
Oops, I'll fix it. I had a hard time trying to describe my government in such terms, as we have a monarch that is believed to be a living god who reincarnates himself everytime he dies and so the next incarnation must be identified (elected) to take the crown

Is that a theocracy or a monarchy? Is that elective?
Click to expand...

I would go with Theocracy. When a ruler dies in a Theocracy, you "elect" (OOC: Select) the next leader.
 
MartinLuther said:
I hate to do this to you Scarlet, but I'm not going to be here Friday. I'm going to be leaving for my Grandfather's memorial service. Start the game without me and give Mérida an economic and defensive focus until I'm back.
Click to expand...

Are you going to be gone for a week starting Friday? Because I'm not starting and locking orders the same day.
 
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