Marlakcor

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Marlakcor, also known as Tianxia locally, is the northeastern continent of Qirsyllviar.

Sovereign States

Four Holy Cities

Government: Theocratic Elective Monarchies
Heads of State: Four Masters
Heads of Government: Four Masters
Legislatures: none
Demonym: n/a
Currency: n/a

The Four Holy Cities, also known as Sige Sheng Cheng (四個聖城), are a quartet of religious city-states spread around Marlakcor. Although in four separate locations around the continent, and are mostly autonomous from one another, the four cities are considered a single state.

Deeply religious states, the holy cities are controlled by a religious order that pledges faith to the Divine Beasts of Tianxia, and each houses a main temple dedicated to one of the four to represent their cardinal direction. As Huaxia expanded in every direction, they spared any threat of conquest or vassalization, as not even the emperors dared to threaten the sanctity of such holy places.

The eastern and western cities were also spared conquest of vassalization by Rome and Yamatai when the two empires formed Serica Provinciae and Morokoshi respectively. Despite the former's usual policy to impose their religion on conquered or visited lands, Rome respected the eastern city's neutrality and honored the sanctity of a holy place, and Yamatai gave the same courtesy to the western city.

Although mostly autonomous from one another, the four masters, the leaders of each city, meet every year, taking turns to host the meeting in each of the four cities over the course of four years.

City			Description
Name	Yanyu	Represented Beast
Bei Gui	北龜	Black Turtle	The Holy City of Bei Haigui is a city-state situated on the island of the same name in the Sea of Yao, at the entrance to Gui Bay off the northern coast of Liao, the northern subcontinent of Marlakcor. It shares maritime borders solely with Huaxia to the south. As the northern city of the order, Bei Haigui serves as the base for the Temple of the Black Turtle, Lord of Winter & Warden of the North.
Donglong	東龍	Azure Dragon	The Holy City of Dong Long is a city-state situated on the island of the same name in the Bay of Xiaolong, surrounded by Qiu Island to the north. It shares maritime borders with Huaxia to the northeast, and the Roman provinces of Serica to the west and east. As the eastern city of the order, Dong Long serves as the base for the Temple of the Azure Dragon, Lord of Spring & Warden of the East.
Nan Niao	南鳥	Vermilion Bird	The Holy City of Nan Niao is a city-state situated on the island of the same name in the Zhuhong Sea. It shares maritime borders with Huaxia to the north and Jingling to the south. As the southern city of the order, Nan Niao serves as the base for the Temple of the Vermilion Bird, Lord of Summer & Warden of the South.
Xi Hu	西虎	White Tiger	The Holy City of Xi Hu is a city-state situated on the island of the same name in the east side of the Oriental Sea, just off the coast of the Washi Peninsula of Manzhou, the northern lands of Jiangshan (the western subcontinent), to the east, and the island of Makigai Shima to the south. It shares maritime borders solely with the Morokoshi Provinces of Yamatai. As the western city of the order, Xi Hu serves as the base for the Temple of the White Tiger, Lord of Autumn & Warden of the West.

Empire of Huaxia

Capital: Jiaju
Government: Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Huangdi
Heads of Government: Huangdi & Zaixiang
Legislature: None
Demonym: Huaxian
Currency: Jiaozi, Guanzi, Huizi, Jinlong, Yinhu, Tongying, Tiegui

The Empire of Huaxia is the dominant, and largest, state on Marlakcor. Huaxia is often internally known by whichever dynasty is currently ruling it, while the common name for the country remains prevalent.

It occupies much of the continent, controlling northern and western Shenzhou (the central subcontinent), most of Manzhou (the northern lands of Jiangshan, the western subcontinent), and the whole of Liao (the northern continent). In the Zhongyuan Provinces, the capital regions, it borders Zhonghua to the south, and shares borders with the Roman Serica Provinciae on Shengfen Island and on Qiu Island. Via the Mu Jingling Peninsula, it borders Jingling to the south, and on the western continent, the Xifang Regions, it borders Raimei to the south and Yamato-Morokoshi to the west.

To the east, it and shares maritime borders with Daludao. In the northwest it shares maritime borders with the island empire of Joseon, from whom it conquered most of the western continent, and the Empire of Tibet to the north, from whom it conquered most of the western half of northern continent. The eastern half of the continent was once controlled by the Khaganate of Khitai, whom resisted Huaxian expansion until its final breath.

Huaxia also shares maritime borders with three of the four island city-states: In the north, beyond Gui Bay, Huaxia shares maritime borders with the Holy City of Bei Haigui. In the Zhuhong Sea to the south, Huaxia shares maritime borders with the Holy City of Nan Niao. To the east, in the Bay of Xiaolong of southern Qiu Island, via what territories Huaxia still controls after the wars with Rome, Huaxia shares maritime borders with the Holy City of Dong Long.

Huaxia is also the suzerain of Tibet, forcing them to surrender base sovereignty in the face of the ferocity of the Huaxian Imperial Army & Navy and threats of invasion. At one point it held the now-defunct Kingdom of Daludao as a suzerainty as well, but it has since been conquered and renamed Serica by Rome.

Huaxia spared the four Holy Cities from conquest or vassalization, as not even the emperors of the time dared to threaten or desecrate the sanctity of such holy places. All this is a result of the Huaxian Wars of Conquest (a collective term for the many wars of expansion Huaxia has fought throughout its history.).

On the western border with Yamato-Morokoshi stands the Great Wall of Manzhou. This massive fortification of 25m-high stone walls, fortresses, and castles, which runs along the entire length of the Morokoshi-Huaxian border. This wall far surpasses Zhonghua's Mulan's Wall, which was built for similar reasons against Rome.

History

An unnatural creation with thousands of years of reliable history, what became Huaxia was originally a collection of quarreling kingdoms in what is now the Zhongyuan Region some 4700 years ago. There were eleven major states and several minor states under vassal hegemony of a few of the major ones.

Modern scholars agree that the events that led to the founding of the Huaxian Empire began following the collapse of what is known to history as the Mo Dynasty into the various states at the end of an era historians call the Summer & Winter Period. The previous recorded dynasties prior to Mo were, in practice, just fragile hegemonic alliances under the lordship of a stronger state. The Mo Dynasty, a kingdom of magic ruled by magicians, was the first kingdom to exercise centralized authority over the rest of the kingdoms, and lasted longer than any dynasty in Huaxian history. In its initial founding, Mo held supreme authority over the other kingdoms; however, during the final century of its reign, the Mo Dynasty lost control over the constituent kingdoms as the poor first experiments and attempts at bureaucracy cost the king and his court their authority, and the loss of influence cost the central authorities its control over the rest of the kingdoms. While the Mo dynasty didn't actually collapse until near the end of the ensuing period of civil war, the instability triggered the beginning of an era of near constant warfare, shifting alliances, and brief periods of peace between conflicts; a period of chaos and civil war known to history as the Warring States Period.

States of the Warring States Period:

Name		Origin of Name	Ruling Family	Flag/Emblem	Notes
Major States					These states were the major contenders of the Warring States Period.
Kingdom of Baolan	寶藍	Noble Title
Kingdom of Cui	翠	Noble Title			Also called Jiu Cui (舊翠) by historians to distinguish it from the modern dynasty.
Kingdom of Feng	風	Tribe name
Kingdom of Hupo	琥珀	Noble Title
Kingdom of Huo	火	Tribe name
Kingdom of Mo	魔	Noble Title			Mo was a kingdom of magic that today is the namesake of one of the provinces of Huaxia.
Kingdom of Qiu	虯	Tribe name
Kingdom of Shan	山	Toponym
Kingdom of Shui	水	Tribe name
Kingdom of Tian	天	"Heaven"	Zhi (治), later the Lan (藍)
Kingdom of Tu	土	Tribe name
Minor states					The states that had little influence or were vassals.
Cao	草	Noble Title			Vassal of Tian
Guang	光	Toponym
He	河	Toponym			Vassal of Shui
Hou	猴	Tribe name
Mai	麦	Tribe name
Xiao	曉	Tribe name
Xing	性	Noble Title			Vassal of Mo

About a hundred years later, a warlord known to history as Lan Zheng (藍政): styled Zhugong (主公), a general from what was then the Kingdom of Tian, usurped control of the kingdom in a military coup d'état, overthrowing the inept and complacent wang (king) and the Zhi family, becoming wang himself. Lan Zheng Wang then led his followers to conquer all of Tian's rivals, thus founding the first imperial dynasty of newly-named Huaxian Empire under the rule of the Tian Dynasty with himself as the first Huangdi (Emperor). He is known in history as Tian Shou Huangdi (天首皇帝), and a thousand years after his death he was posthumously honored with the temple name Chuangjian Huangdi (創見皇帝). His conquests ended the Warring States Period and the Summer & Winter Period in one stroke and began the Imperial Era.

The early imperial dynasties up to the Sang Dynasty, only ruled areas of the modern-day Zhongyuan Region. Later dynasties from the Rao Dynasty onward began expanding Huaxia beyond its cradle of civilization. In the subsequent Huaxian Wars of Conquest, which lasted hundreds of years with varying periods of peace, Huaxia expanded in every direction and grew into one of the largest and wealthiest empires on Qirsyllviar. ^{(It is outclassed only by Yamatai in the latter aspect)}

The empire is currently under the rule of the Cui Dynasty, run by the Sun clan, which took power roughly sixty years before present day after overthrowing the collapsing Nao Dynasty and reconquering the state of Huo Xue, a northern secessionist kingdom. Cui is the latest of many dynasties that have ruled all or part of Huaxia.

The country has a chaotic history of various pretender dynasties, breakaway states, or usurpations by rebellion or coup d'état, and many other types of crises besides. For example, the Tong Dynasty, the semi-legendary first organized dynasty, prior-founding Huaxia, collapsed and was usurped by the Cong Dynasty only twenty-six years after its inauguration, which began the cycle for a successive change of dynasties.

The reason for the constant changes of dynasties and wars is all in part due to a dynastic cycle influenced by a religiopolitical concept known as the Mandate of Heaven, a philosophical concept of the circumstances under which a ruler is allowed to rule ^{(see the two links to the wikipedia articles for the full explanation on both concepts)}. The concept dates back to the Re Dynasty, the first dynasty of the Summer & Winter Period.

Not all of the dynasties came to power by violence: Sometimes power was peacefully handed over to a new dynasty when the previous dynasty's final emperor abdicated in favor of a favored person or named such a person as his sole heir. This was usually done if the reigning emperor felt that he was going to inevitably pass on without leaving a valid blood-related heir, so that a power vacuum was avoided. This was also done if it was believed that the incumbent dynasty had lost the Mandate of Heaven and had been granted to a new dynasty. Another way was, if he did die without a valid heir or naming one, one of the highest ranked members of the government (often by election) would establish a new dynasty to fill the power vacuum before any sort of chaos could ensue. But civil wars were still a common occurrence in the latter instance, especially so if the nearest relatives of the last emperor made claims to the throne.

Founders of several dynasties were descendants of great heroes from Huaxian history and/or folklore; i.e, Chajing Han (茶晶汗), patriarch of the Chajing clan during the Summer & Winter Period, was the founder of the Gao Dynasty during said era. He and his direct family were allegedly descendants of Xiangrikui Gongchen, the first lunaculus of Marlakcor.

Alongside the successive change of dynasties, Huaxia has also fractured into separate independent states and rival dynasties as a result of wars of succession, rebellions for independence, or other crises many times in the past.

Many of these periods of chaos have become known, in chronological order, as:

Crisis Name		Duration
		From	To
Imperial Schism:	帝國分裂	125BFZ	119BFZ
		346TJH	302TJH
A massive civil war that erupted when a member of a three-generation-old split in the imperial line of the Chang Dynasty declared himself emperor of the self-proclaimed Can Dynasty.
Four Kingdoms Period	四國	1118AFZ	1168AFZ
		1539TJH	1589TJH
This period happened as the the Zhai Dynasty (one of Huaxia's golden ages) came to a close. By this time Huaxia controlled the central southern lands of Liao and was just dipping its toes into Manzhou. The origins of the period take root some years prior the final Zhai emperor's abdication. In the wake of a nationwide uprising known as the Black Turban Rebellion (黑巾之亂/Heijin zhi luan) – allegedly contrived by the Tuzhu branch of the Chaos Order – the power of the emperor diminished into the hands of regional warlords, squabbling court officials and then a tyrannical chancellor. Said tyrannical chancellor is known to history as Huai Gui (壞鬼): styled Bufa (不法), who controlled the empire through the puppet child emperor known to history as Emperor Anghong of Zhai (皇帝昂宏的寨), aka Wei Anzi (為安子), whom was enthroned at the young age of 7 following the assassination of Emperor Zhamen (皇帝閘門), aka Wei Sui (為歲). A punitive expedition against Huai Gui was initiated by a coalition of warlords, most of whom were military veterans who took part in defeating the Black Turban Rebellion, but said coalition fell apart after just a few victories, mainly in part because each warlord had their own agendas and ambitions. With Huai Gui's tyranny rampant, the dynasty faltered into the chaos of civil war between dozens of regional warlords in a bid for power and hegemony over the realm. Even Huai Gui's eventual assassination three years after the coalition fell apart – at the hands of his adopted son and future warlord Qishi Ying (騎士鷹): styled Fenghuang (鳳凰) – did nothing to quell the unrest. A few short years following the death of Huai Gui, Emperor Anghong came under control of a major warlord named Kong Song (孔誦), who used the emperor and his new status as the chancellor and the new head of the Zhai central government as a basis to assume control the rest of Huaxia as the de facto ruler of the empire. Many warlords resisted this and soon Kong Song was waging campaigns against them to restore central authority. Over the course of at least at least three decades (historians debate the actual duration), most of the warlords fell to one another or vanished into obscurity until Huaxia was split into a quadripartite as power was consolidated into a delicate and fragile balance between four warlords heading their individual states: Gan, Tai-Zhai, Lu, & Cheng. During the conflicts before the rise of the four kingdoms, one warlord, a female outlaw warlord known as Lin Lin (霖林), declared herself empress of the short-lived Kou Dynasty, taking the regal title of Empress Liang of Kou (皇后亮的寇). Her rationale for proclaiming the dynasty was her coming into possession of the imperial seal, which she actually stole from the capital during the coalition's campaign against Huai Gui. Lin Lin's self-proclaimed dynasty was defeated by a new coalition after only five years on her self-proclaimed throne. While the imperial seal was recovered, Lin Lin vanished following her final defeat. Following the death of Kong Song, who by then had assumed the title of King of Gan and controlled a great portion of the Huaxian Empire of the time, the Zhai Dynasty finally ended with the forced abdication of Emperor Anghong to Kong Hao (孔好), Kong Song's son and successor. Later the rulers of the other three kingdoms, one after another, declared themselves emperor of the territories they had conquered in the preceding years, igniting a new but different struggle for power: the reunification of the country under one dynasty. The era ended when the four kingdoms were conquered by the newly proclaimed Quan Dynasty, which was proclaimed following the overthrow of Gan by the She clan. States of the Four Kingdoms Period Kingdom From To Term Name Ruling Family Gan 紺 Kong 孔 1118AFZ 1160AFZ 42yrs 1539TJH 1581TJH Gan kingdom – also known as Kong Gan (孔紺) or Northern Gan (北紺/Bei Gan) – was the first to declare its own emperorship after Kong Hao – known thereafter as Emperor Gengxin (皇帝更新) – forced Emperor Anghong to abdicate to him, ending the Zhai Dynasty. Gan Kingdom had five emeprors during its 42-year reign, as Kong Hao and his successors had a history of health problems – believed to be resultant of the incestuous breeding practices of the Kong clan – that resulted in early deaths and a quick succession of emperors. Consequently, this also resulted in the She clan, longtime subordinates of the Kong, in amassing more and more power until they reigned as regents for the final two emperors. Seven years after conquering Tai-Zhai, Gan was usurped by the Quan Dynasty under She Rui (蛇瑞) – known to history as Emperor Shanyu (皇帝善于), following the forced abdication of Emperor Kong Eran (孔愕然). She Rui was the grandson of She Jian (蛇檢), whom was the closest advisor to Chancellor Kong Song. Starting from the reign of Kong Hao, She Jian laid the foundation for the She to ascend to power. With the She clan firmly in power, the new Quan dynasty proceeded to conquer Lu and Cheng. Tai-Zhai 鈦寨 Wei 為 1118AFZ 1153AFZ 35yrs 1539TJH 1574TJH Tai-Zhai was the second kingdom to declare emperorship, yet it was founded as a succession to the Zhai Dynasty, as the founder of Tai-Zhai was a scion of the imperial family with the intent of restoring the dynasty. Historians name the kingdom "Tai" to distinguish it from the proper dynasty. Said founder was Wei San (為散): styled Sangjian (桑劍), also known as Emperor Qienbei (皇帝謙卑), a warlord of humble origins of the preceding civil wars and a distant relative of Wei Anzi, hailed as the "Imperial Uncle." He was well known for going almost everywhere with his two sworn brothers, Gang De (鋼德): styled Yongling (永靈), He Gan (河紺): styled Fengbao (風暴), and sworn sister, Wen Li (聞李): styled Ningjing (寧靜), whom were his most trusted generals and compatriots. His other most trusted ally was the legendary strategist Fanwei Mingzhi (範圍明智) Additionally, Gang De was the Lunaculus of Marlakcor of the time and was Tai-Zhai's top general, keeping Gan and Cheng kingdoms at bay with his reputation and prowess in battle, and won many victories in the name of his lord & sworn brother. Gang De died in the Battle of Jinghai against Cheng Kingdom in 1130AFZ (1551TJH). He was survived by his three daugthers. Wei San passed on as well from illness less than a year later. He was survived by his six children, two sons & four dughters Among them was his second son and chosen successor Wei Fu (為福): styled Longta (龍獺), also known as Emperor Heshan (皇帝和善). He Gan died of illness a few months after Wei San. He was survived by his three sons. Wen Li died in childbirth giving birth to her youngest child in 1135AFZ (1556TJH). She was survived by her four children, a daughter and three sons. After the death of Wei San and his sworn brothers and sister, Fanwei Mingzhi kept Tai-Zhai going on behalf of Wei Fu until his own death in 1143AFZ (1564TJH), an event that most historians regard as the beginning of the end for Tai-Zhai. With the conquest of Tai-Zhai by Gan Kingdom – which concluded with Wei Fu's abdication following Tai-Zhai's last defeat at the Battle of Nanting – it was the first kingdom to fall, ending the last vestiges of the Zhai dynasty for good and dashing any hopes of restoration. Lu 綠 Xue 雪 1119AFZ 1167AFZ 48yrs 1540TJH 1588TJH Also known as Xue Lu (雪綠) or Eastern Lu (東綠/Dong Lu), as it was the easternmost fo the four kingdoms. Lu was also the only kingdom whose ruler was a race other than a human, a faun in this case. Although it was the third kingdom to declare an emeprorship, Lu was really only following suit to the previous two declarations and pretty much stayed out of the conflict between the three other states. Additionally, while Cheng resisted Quan to its last breath, Lu's sole emperor – known to history as Xue Han (雪含), or Emperor Han of Lu (皇帝含的綠) – willingly abdicated rather than risk a subtantial loss of life. Cheng 橙 Chan 纏 1125AFZ 1168AFZ 43yrs 1546TJH 1589TJH Also known as Chan Cheng (纏橙) or Western Cheng (西橙/Xi Cheng), as it was the westernmost of the four kingdoms. Cheng Kingdom's ruler was he last one to declare himself emperor. For a several years, the King of Cheng, Chan Yue (纏越), later known as Emperor Jinyue of Cheng (皇帝勁樂的橙), submitted to Gan kingdom as a vassal in the face of the aggression of Tai-Zhai Kingdom over past disputes, but proclaimed emperorship in the wake of the death of Kong Dong (孔懂) – the second Emperor of Gan – at the Battle of Hongdu against Tai-Zhai Kingdom. Cheng kingdom was the last to declare emperorship and the last fall, resisting submission to the Quan Dynasty to its last breath.
Crisis of the Sixteenth Century	十六世紀的危機	1520AFZ	1576AFZ
As a result of the aftermath of a power struggle within the Imperial House of Huang of the Muse Dynasty – the only vampire-ruled dynasty in Huaxian history – known to history as the Six Years & Ten Emperors (六年及十位皇帝), Huaxia broke into three empires competing for supremacy: Muse itself, Jian, & Zhao. Peace was finally restored when the Muse Dynasty, restored to stability, reconquered the breakaways.
Eighteen Kingdoms Period	十八國	2173AFZ	2313AFZ
Occurred the during the latter half of the Kai Dynasty – the only centaur-ruled dynasty in Huaxia's history – which succeeded the Muse Dynasty. In the aftermath of the devastating civil war known to history as the War of the Twelve Princes (十二王子之戰), the political order of western and northern Huaxia splintered into a series of short-lived sovereign states while the Kai, whose power continued to wane, continued to rule most of central and eastern Zhongyuan. Some of the kingdoms participated in the later final overthrow of Kai. Most of the states of central Huaxia were founded by ethnic Tuzhu peoples, but the states on the fringes of the empire were founded by Tuzhized ethnic Seomins, Khitans and Tibetians still living outside their homelands' borders. States of the Eighteen Kingdoms Period Kingdom From To Term Name Ruling Family Surname Ethnicity [tbd] [tbd] [tbd] [tbd] [tbd] [tbd] [tbd] [tbd]
Central, Western & Northern Dynasties	中環西方和北朝	2313AFZ	2519AFZ
Followed the Eighteen Kingdoms Period with the complete collapse of the official Kai Dynasty. Ended with the reunification of Huaxia under the Zan Dynasty. The ruling families of the Central Dynasties were mostly ethnic Weiyan, while those of the Western Dynasties were mostly either Molins or Tuzhized Hayato or Seomins, while those of the Northern Dynasties were mostly Jilie or Tuzhized Khitans and Tibetans. States of the Central, Western & Northern Dynasties Central Dynasties Western Dynasties Northern Dynasties Central Tan (2313AFZ – ???) [tbd] (2315AFZ – ???) [tbd] (2314AFZ – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) Western Tan (??? – ???) Eastern Tan (??? – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) Ling (??? – ???) Zan (2493AFZ – 2519AFZ) [tbd] (??? – ???) [tbd] (??? – ???) Fang (??? – 2513AFZ) [tbd] (??? – 2519AFZ)
War of the Seven Emperors	七帝之戰	2760AFZ	2770AFZ
This conflict took place near the end of the short-lived Jia Dynasty, which took power after overthrowing the Qiu Dynasty in what is historically known as Muren's Rebellion. Said rebellion was to overthrow Qiu's final emperor, whom was a tyrannical monster known to history as Guaiwu Huangdi (怪物皇帝). The Jia Dynasty is also dubbed the Zui Dynasty mockingly by many due to the sole legally recognized emperor's drunken temperament and general lack of interest in ruling the empire. Said emperor is known to history as Mudai Huangdi (木獃皇帝); personal name, Pang Yu (胖与): styled Muren (木人). As a result of the succession to the throne of an illegitimate bastard whom was not born to the Jia Dynasty's emperor (as Pang Yu's empress, known to history as Jin Ting (尽挺), decieved him into thinking he was), the late-emperor's three younger brothers proclaimed themselves emperors and fought the bastard, and each other, for the throne. Said bastard is known to history as Bufa Huangdi (補發皇帝); personal name, Pang Wu (胖吴): styled, Jujue (拒絕). Emperor Pang Yu's younger brothers were: Pang Gou (胖够), Pang Mingce (胖命策) & Pang Long (胖隆). Meanwhile elsewhere, three kings each declared themselves emperors and independence, both of their provinces and the lands they claimed/conquered. Two were descendants of enfeoffed generals who had been given hereditary titles, and the third (whom was of different ethnicity) was enfeoffed by Mudai Huangdi for his service in the rebellion. When the war ended ten years later: The Bastard Emperor Wu, all the self-proclaimed emperors, and most remnants the Jia Dynasty's direct imperial house of Pang (those who could possibly make a claim to the throne, including the rest of Emperor Yu's children) were dead. The Jia dynasty collapsed and was supplanted by the house of Song of the newly proclaimed Ai Dynasty. The secessionist kingdoms were reconquered by the new Ai Dynasty – the first of two faun-ruled dynasties in Huaxia's history.
Six Dynasties and Twelve Kingdoms Period	六朝和十二國記	3559AFZ	3655AFZ
Following the collapse of the Mei Dynasty (one of the golden ages in Huaxian history, and the second and last faun-ruled dynasty in Huaxia's history), six dynasties in the Zhongyuan Region succeeded each other one after another, while twelve breakaway states existed concurrently elsewhere.

Huaxia's territorial control of Manzhou never reached all the way across the continent to the western sea; its armies stretched too thin by that time, it stopped its conquests roughly eight-hundred miles from the westernmost coast of the continent. Instead, it vassalized the native kingdoms to use as buffer states.

A few hundred years before present day (during the Ting Dynasty), Huaxia lost its western vassals and control of its westernmost territories to the Yamato conquerors during Yamatai's Invasions of Marlakcor (4010AFZ – 4100). In the wake of the Third Yamato-Huaxian War (4100AFZ – 4112), the Great Wall of Manzhou was constructed to prevent any further expansion eastward by the Yamato into the western continent. The wall took nearly a century to build, and it has so far fulfilled that purpose, save for very brief occupations of various fortresses at various periods during several wars throughout its history. The last official war was fought from 4516 to 4523.

Huaxia also lost the former Kingdom of Daludao as a suzerainty, along with some of its southeastern territories, when the Roman Empire invaded and conquered Daludao, renaming it Serica. Despite these flaws and a recent decline in power, it maintains its status as Marlakcor's dominant empire, a title rivaled by both Zhonghua and Yamatai.

List of Dynasties

Dynasties of Huaxian history (before and during the imperial period), along with the periods of disunity mentioned above, are included in the list below.

Dynasty			Ruling House				Rule
Name		Origin	Surname		Ethnicity	Race	Start	End	Term
Semi-Legendary
Tong	通	Tribe name	Shang	上	Weiyan	Human	?????	?????
Cong	葱	Tribe name	Cai	菜	Weiyan	Human	?????	?????
Chi	遲	Tribe name	Hong	紅	Weiyan	Human	?????	?????
Summer & Winter Period
Re	熱	Tribe name	Fa	發	Weiyan	Human	1459BFZ	1374BFZ	85yrs
							1038TJQ	953TJQ
Gao	皋	Toponym	Chajing	茶晶	Weiyan	Human	1375BFZ	1134BFZ	241yrs
							954TJQ	713TJQ
Mo	魔	Toponym	Wushi	巫師	Weiyan	Human	1132BFZ	410BFZ	722yrs
							711TJQ	11TJQ
Warring States Period	戰國時期	See Table Above					522BFZ	421BFZ	101yrs
							101TJQ	0TJH
Imperial Era
Tian	天	Noble title	Zheng	整	Weiyan	Human	421BFZ	321BFZ	100yrs
							0TJH	100TJH
Nin	拰	Toponym & Noble title	Kan	看	Weiyan	Human	324BFZ	286BFZ	38yrs
							103TJH	141TJH
Chang	昌	Toponym & Noble title	Fu	富	Weiyan	Human	283BFZ	75BFZ	208yrs
							138TJH	346TJH
Can	燦	Noble title	Fu	富	Weiyan	Human	125BFZ	119BFZ	6yrs
							296TJH	302TJH
Jing	靜	Toponym & Noble title	Ding	頂	Weiyan	Human	75BFZ	7AFZ	82yrs
							346TJH	428TJH
Yue	悦	Toponym	Qingse	青色	Weiyan	Human	6AFZ	306AFZ	300yrs
							427TJH	727TJH
Hua	畫	Noble title	Fan	飯	Weiyan	Human	294AFZ	400AFZ	106yrs
							715TJH	821TJH
Sang	桑	Noble title	Gua	刮	Weiyan	Human	400AFZ	496AFZ	96yrs
							821TJH	917TJH
Rao	饒	Noble title	Shan	善	Weiyan	Human	496AFZ	598AFZ	102yrs
							917TJH	1019TJH
Chao	炒	Noble title	Wan	萬	Weiyan	Human	598AFZ	611AFZ	13yrs
							1019TJH	1032TJH
Southern Rao	南饒	Rao Dynasty	Shan	善	Weiyan	Human	611AFZ	698AFZ	87yrs
							1032TJH	1119TJH
Zhai	寨	Toponym & Noble title	Wei	為	Weiyan	Human	699AFZ	1118AFZ	419yrs
							1120TJH	1539TJH
Kou	寇	"Bandit"	Lin	霖	Jilie	Human	1098AFZ	1103AFZ	5yrs
							1519TJH	1524TJH
Four Kingdoms	四國						1118AFZ	1168AFZ	50yrs
							1539TJH	1589TJH
Gan	紺	Toponym & Noble title	Kong	孔	Weiyan	Human	1118AFZ	1160AFZ	42yrs
							1539TJH	1581TJH
Tai-Zhai	鈦寨	Zhai dynasty	Wei	為	Weiyan	Human	1118AFZ	1153AFZ	35yrs
							1539TJH	1574TJH
Lu	綠	Noble title	Xue	雪	Weiyan	Faun	1119AFZ	1167AFZ	48yrs
							1540TJH	1588TJH
Cheng	橙	Toponym & Noble title	Chan	缠	Weiyan	Human	1125AFZ	1168AFZ	43yrs
							1546TJH	1589TJH
Quan	圈	Toponym & Noble title	She	蛇	Weiyan	Human	1166AFZ	1321AFZ	155yrs
							1587TJH	1742TJH
Yan	眼	Noble title	Sa	薩	Weiyan	Human	1324AFZ	1344AFZ	20yrs
							1746TJH	1766TJH
Muse	暮色	"Twilight"	Huang	衁	Weiyan	Vampire	1342AFZ	1868AFZ	526yrs
							1763TJH	2289TJH
Jian	鍵	Noble title	Tang	瑭	Weiyan	Human	1520AFZ	1576AFZ	56yrs
							1941TJH	1997TJH
Zhao	照	Toponym & Noble title	Yan	眼	Molin	Human	1523AFZ	1570AFZ	47yrs
							1944TJH	1991TJH
Kai	愷	Toponym & Noble title	Taiyun	胎运	Weiyan	Centaur	1867AFZ	2313AFZ	446yrs
							2288TJH	2734TJH
Eighteen Kingdoms	十四國						2173AFZ	2313AFZ	140yrs
Central Dynasties	中朝						2313AFZ	2519AFZ	206yrs
Central Tan	中探	Toponym			Weiyan		2313AFZ
Western Tan	西探	Tan Dynasty			Weiyan
Eastern Tan	東探	Tan Dynasty			Weiyan
Ling	令				Weiyan
Zan	簪				Weiyan		2493AFZ	2519AFZ	26yrs
Western Dynasties	北朝						2315AFZ	2513AFZ	198yrs
Fang	放				Chire			2513AFZ
Northern Dynasties	西朝						2314AFZ	2519AFZ	205yrs
[tbd]					Jilie		2314AFZ
Zan	簪	Toponym	Yang	杨	Weiyan	Human	2519AFZ	2616AFZ	97yrs
Qiu	虯	Noble title	Long	龙	Weiyan	Human	2618AFZ	2744AFZ	126yrs
Jia/Zui	家/醉	Noble title/Insult	Pang	胖	Weiyan	Human	2743AFZ	2770AFZ	27yrs
Pian	楩	Noble title	Sui	虽	Weiyan	Human
Nian	年	Noble title	Ren	稔	Weiyan	Human
Sen	森	Noble title	Na	拿	Pinghuan	Human
Ai	愛	Toponym & Noble title	Song	松	Weiyan	Faun	2768AFZ	2936AFZ	168yrs
Zhang Chi	張遲	From Chi Dynasty	Zhang	張	Weiyan	Human	2936AFZ	3056AFZ	120yrs
Gui	貴	Noble title	Sikong	司空	Weiyan	Human	3056AFZ	3258AFZ	202yrs
Mei	梅	"Plum"	Luo	蓏	Pinghuan	Faun	3258AFZ	3559AFZ	301yrs
Six Dynasties	六朝						3559AFZ	3655AFZ	96yrs
Twelve Kingdoms	十二國記						3559AFZ	3655AFZ	96yrs
Hang	航	Noble title				Human
Sang	桑	Noble title				Human
Mi	蜜	Noble title	Feng	蜂	Weiyan	Human	3655AFZ	3889AFZ	234yrs
Xiu	秀	Noble title	Qiao	俏	Weiyan	Human	3889AFZ	4094AFZ	205yrs
Ting	亭	Noble title	Sha	沙	Weiyan	Human	4088AFZ	4155AFZ	67yrs
Geng	耿	Toponym & Noble title	Fu	負	Weiyan	Human	4155AFZ	4355AFZ	200yrs
Nao	脑	Toponym	Jiao	交	Weiyan	Human	4355AFZ	4481AFZ	126yrs
Huo Xue	火雪	Toponym & Noble title	Dongjie	凍結	Jilie	Human	4459AFZ	4485AFZ	26yrs
Cui	翠	Toponym & Noble title	Sun	笋	Weiyan	Human	4482AFZ	Incum	60+yrs
							4903TJH
Key:	Unity periods are Normal Bold in a normal grey row. Normal in a white highlighted row is a civil war breakaway state or rival claimant during the above dynasty. Division/civil war periods are Bold Italics and highlighted dark grey. Italics in a white highlighted row are dynasties/states part of the above period.
Notes:	The Gao dynasty was founded by descendants of Xiangrikui Gongchen, the first lunaculus of Marlakcor. For the Warring States Period kingdoms, see the table above. Some unity dynasties were established a few years before the preceding dynasty officially ended, as they took power by force through civil war. Some dynasties that replaced prior ones were established some time after the preceding dynasty ended – whether months or years; these instances were interregnums resulting from the collapse of the previous dynasty. The major disunity periods don't count.

Armed Forces

Huaxia maintains the largest known armed forces on Qirsyllviar, but the empire's sheer size, and constant threat of rebellions and foreign incursions in the outer territories furthest from Xiazhou – the capital region – causes it to be spread thin.

Governance & Politics

Huaxia ia an imperial hereditary monarchy ruled by a Huangdi (皇帝/Emperor), and the heir apparent is titled Taizi (太子/Crown Prince).

Throughout Huaxia's history the power of the emperor has constantly fluctuated. Sometimes the emperor had all the power while the bureaucrats had none, other times the emperor and the bureaucrats shared the power, creating a checks and balances system on each other, and sometimes the power of the emperor was curtailed, leaving the true power in the hands of the bureacrats, a regent, or some other person while the emperor was a ceremonial figurehead.

As a religious leader, the emperor also bears the title of Tianzi (天子/Son of Heaven). While anyone can found a dynasty and claim the imperial title, the title of Tianzi is only conferred upon by the high priests to the true ruler of the realm; i.e. the one who is believed to have the grace of the gods and been granted the Mandate of Heaven, usually emperors who rule a unified dynasty or succeed in ending a period of disunity. The title is hereditarily passed on through the heirs of the dynasties until it is believed that the Mandate is lost, onyly bestowed upon again to the one it is believed has attained the Mandate of Heaven.

Poltical Divisions

Huaxia today is divided into sixteen zhou (provinces). Those are in turn divided into several jun (commanderies), when are further divided into three or four xian (counties).

Provinces and their subdivisions include:

Zhou (州)				Jun (郡)		Xian (縣)
Name	Yanyu	Capital
		Name	Yanyu	Name	Yanyu	Name	Yanyu
Angzhou	昂州	Gongwu	共舞
Baozhou	宝州
Hanzhou	汗州	Tongtong	統統
Jinzhou	金州	Songqi	送氣
Mingzhou	名州	Hongqian	弘前
Mozhou	魔州
Qinzhou	琴州
Shuzhou	書州
Songzhou	頌州	Zhengdu	整度
Suizhou	穗州	Shenyun	神韻
Tangzhou	堂州	Hongshan	紅山
Tianzhou	天州
Weizhou	味州
Wuzhou	五州
Xiazhou	轄州	Jiaju	家居
Yuanzhou	原州	Hangzhai	航窄

Confederation of Jingling

File:Jingling flag.png

Capital: Toron's Grove
Government: Hegemonic Confederated Elective Absolute Tribal Monarchy
Head of State: Syl-Tynajar (fem. Syl-Tynajil)
Head of Government: Rinv
Legislature: High Council
Demonym: Jinglinese
Currency: Bloom

The Confederation of Jingling is a large confederated Wood Elven tribal kingdom occupying the dense Conglin Jungles in southern Shenzhou, the central subcontinent of Marlakcor.

It borders Zhonghua to the east, Huaxia to the north via the Mu Jingling Peninsula, and shares maritime borders with Raimei to the west across the Conglin Sea.

Jingling is a collection of nearly two hundred autonomous tribal chiefdoms pledging fealty to the king, and therefore isn't wholly united. Consequently, internal conflicts, ranging from inter-clan disputes to all-out-war, are a common occurrence.

Empire of Joseon

File:Joseon flag.png

Capital: Goguryeo
Government: Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Taewang
Head of Government: Taewang
Legislature: Jegug Uihoe
Demonym: Joseonite
Currency: Mun, Yang, Won

The Empire of Joseon is an island nation occupying the island of the same name in the northwest corner of Manzhou, the northern lands of Jiangshan, the western subcontinent of Marlakcor. It shares maritime borders with Morokoshi of Yamatai to the south and Huaxia to the east.

Once controlling great swathes of the northern half of the western continent, down to at least the central regions of Manzhou, Joseon, the homeland of the Seomin people, was once the dominant nations on western lands of Marlakcor, and seemed primed for ultimate domination before Huaxia invaded. As a result of the Huaxian Wars of Conquest, Joseon was reduced to the island from whence it originated. Unlike Tibet and now-defunct Daludao, Joseon managed to stave off the threat of invasion and retain full sovereignty.

Empire of Nanyue

File:Nanyue flag.png

Capital: Sanoigon
Government: Hereditary Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: Vuong
Head of Government: Vuong
Legislature: none
Demonym: Nanyese
Currency: Van

The Empire of Nanyue is a monarchical island nation, occupying the tropical jungle island of the same name, in the Xich Dao Sea of southern Marlakcor. It shares maritime borders solely with Raimei to the west.

Empire of Raimei

Capital: Hekireki
Government: Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Raikō-tei (雷光帝)
Head of Government: Raikō-tei
Legislature: None
Demonym: Raimese
Currency: Hansatsu, Koban, Nibuban, Ichibuban, Tsuho

The Empire of Raimei, sometimes known as the Thunder Empire elsewhere, is a large monarchical state in southwestern Marlakcor, occupying much of Manzi, the southern lands of Jiangshan, the western subcontinent of Marlakcor.

Raimei borders Morokoshi to the west, Huaxia to the north via the Isthmus of Caihong, and shares maritime borders with Jingling to the east across the Conglin Sea, and Nanyue to the southeast via its island territories in the Xich Dao Sea, and Siam to the south across the Keiyrti Channel.

Raimei was once part of Yamato-Morokoshi , and therefore sovereign territory of Yamatai, until a rebellion led by one renegade clan, the Sanda clan, established the new independent empire, which took ten years of war, now known as the Raimese War for Independence (4235AFZ – 4245), to achieve.

Raimei remains at odds with Yamatai, and have fought several wars with the empire since its founding, but careful diplomacy has prevented the empires from outright destroying each other. The Sanda clan still rules Raimei to this day.

As an empire made up of lands that were formerly part of Siam, Raimei has it's own unique culture that is a blend of both Hayato and Siamese culture.

Nation of Renyu Dao

Capital: Yai
Government: Elective Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: Patriarch/Matriarch
Head of Government: Patriarch/Matriarch
Legislature: Council
Demonym: Renyan
Currency: Jinlong, Yinhu, Tongying, Tiegui

The Nation of Renyu Dao is an island nation, occupying the island of the same name in the Xich Dao Sea of southern Marlakcor, sharing maritime borders with solely Zhonghua.

Renyu Dao is a nation where merpeople live alongside humans in harmony. Renyu Dao was originally founded when a clan of humans got washed up on the shores, and have lived alongside the merfolk together in harmony from then on.

When Zhonghua expanded to their waters, they at first signed a treaty to come under Zhonghuan sovereignty, but pulled out of the confederacy less than a year later. The separation wasn't welcomed at first, leading to a brief military confrontation, but Zhonghua's government caved in and drew back within weeks.

Kingdom of Shayuwei Dao

Capital: Shaqi
Government: Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Wang
Head of Government: Wang
Legislature: None
Demonym: Shayu
Currency: Jinlong, Yinhu, Tongying, Tiegui

The Kingdom of Shayuwei Dao (鯊魚尾島) is an island nation on the southern half of the island of the same name in the Sinolatin Sea off of Shenzhou in western Marlakcor. The kingdom shares borders with the Roman provinces of Serica to the north, to whom it is a suzerainty.

Shayuwei Dao was once in full control of the island upon which it resides. As Zhonghua expanded, Shayuwei Dao rejected all offers to join the expanding confederacy and even managed to repel an invasion when negotiations with one regime turned hostile. After the only war it ever fought with Zhonghua, Shayuwei Dao experienced a golden age of prosperity due to the soon established trade and military alliance that followed a change of management to both nations. However, this ended with the invasions of Rome.

When Rome exerted its control of western Marlakcor, Shayuwei Dao was no exception to the ever opportunistic Roman Empire. After losing almost half the island to the invaders, Shayuwei Dao signed a submissive peace treaty with Rome, retaining nominal sovereignty while still a vassal of the empire.

Kingdom of Siam

File:Siam flag.png

Capital: Thonburi
Government: Hereditary Absolute Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Rama
Head of Government: Rama
Legislature: None
Demonym: Siamese
Currency: Dok Chan, Pod Duang, Namo

The Kingdom of Siam is an island nation, occupying the island of the same name, off the southern coast of Manzi, the southern division of Jiangshan, in southwest Marlakcor. Siam shares maritime borders solely with Raimei to the north across the Keiyrti Channel.

It once occupied great swathes of the southern portion of the western continent, once stretching to the Isthmus of Caihong, at one time bordering Huaxia, but invasions by Yamatai and the Yamato-Saimese War (4120AFZ – 4131) led it to recede from the mainland as Yamatai established Morokoshi.

When the Sanda clan rebelled against Toyotomi rule a century later, separating from Morokoshi and establishing the Empire of Raimei, Siam managed to diplomatically stay out of the conflict, and fostered a trade relationship with both empires. Since then, it has served also a diplomatic medium between the two empires.

Empire of Tibet

Capital: Lhasa
Government: Hereditary Absolute Monarchy
Head of State: Tsenpo
Head of Government: Tsenpo
Legislature: None
Demonym: Tibetan
Currency: Tangka, Srang, Skar

The Empire of Tibet is an island nation, occupying the mountainous tundra island of the same name in the Sea of Hanleng in northern Marlakcor, off the northwest coast of Liao, the northern subcontinent. It shares maritime borders solely with Huaxia to the south.

Tibet was once one of nations dominating the high mountains and tundras of the northern continent before Huaxia invaded, the other being the now-defunct Khaganate of Khitai. Tibet once controlled the western half of the northern continent, up to the isthmus separating Gui Bay from the Gulf of Shule, while the Khaganate of Khitai controlled the rest of the eastern half. These two powers fought for land and power on-and-off for nearly five centuries before Huaxia invaded.

As a result of the Huaxian Wars of Conquest, Tibet was reduced to the island from whence it originated, while Khitai has ceased to exist. Tibet has since become a suzerainty of Huaxia in the face of the ferocity of the Huaxian Imperial Army & Navy and the threat of invasion.

Being a cold country of mostly tundra and mountain, similarly to the northern mainland, Tibet has only a small amount of fertile land for farming and is mostly dependent on the sea and imports for food, but has a large economy thanks to rich mining on the island and elsewhere.

While still in a tense diplomatic relationship with Huaxia, Tibet also maintains the rights to mine certain areas within Huaxia's borders on the northern mainland, in exchange for Huaxia receiving 25% of the profits as tribute annually.

Hegmonic Confederation of Zhonghua

Capital: Luoyang
Government: Hegemonic Confederated Parliamentary Quasi-Federal Hereditary Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Zuigao Tongzhi
Head of Government: Zhengfu Buzhang
Legislature: Canyuan
Demonym: Zhonghuan
Currency: Jiaozi, Guanzi, Huizi, Jinlong, Yinhu, Tongying, Tiegui

The Hegemonic Confederation of Zhonghua, also known locally as Dongnan Baquan Banglian (東南霸權邦聯/Southeastern Hegemonic Confederation), or simply The Southeastern Kingdoms, is a large state in southeast Shenzhou, the central subcontinent of Marlakcor. It borders Huaxia to the north, and the Wood Elven kingdom of Jingling to the west. It also shares borders with the Serica Provinciae of Rome to the north, the border marked by Mulan's Wall. Down south, it shares maritime borders with the island Nation of Renyu Dao, which was briefly part of the confederacy before it seceded in favor of retaining independence. It also holds sovereignty over the archipelagic state of Long Qundao (the western half of the Dragon Islands) in Maritymir.

On the northern land border with Huaxia and down and northwestern coast, spaced varyingly (mostly between ten to twenty miles), are a series of fortresses and castles that defend the empire from invasion. The ones along the border with Huaxia were built in the aftermath of the last great war with Huaxia. The ones along the northwestern coast are relatively recent constructions. When Huaxia solidified its grip on the Laoying Peninsula, the fortifications were constructed down the northwestern coast. The final fortress, dubbed Bianjie Castle, situated almost right on the border with Jingling, also serves as one of several border crossing points between Zhonghua and Jingling. The northernmost of these fortresses is Qingwa Castle, which is also the westernmost fortress along the northern border fortifications.

To the east along the border with the Serica Provinciae of Rome stands Mulan's Wall, named for Li Mulan, the legendary female general who spearheaded the defense of Zhonghua during the Roman Invasion, and also led the recapture of much of the occupied territories before the wall's construction, and served as the wall's architect. These massive fortifications of 25m-high stone walls, fortresses and castles, which runs along the entire length of the border and took nearly ten years each to build, were constructed to prevent any further invasion by Rome. Mulan's Wall was built some centuries later in the wake of the Roman Invasion of Zhonghua. Mulan's Wall, blocks any further invasion by sea via some other fortifications along the coasts beyond the wall's end points, known respectively as Xiang-xi Castle and Nanchao Watch.

The wall has fulfilled its purpose throughout its existence.

History

The whole of modern Zhonghua.

The area that eventually became Zhonghua was originally a collection of independent kingdoms, city-states and tribes struggling for land and dominance. But in the face of Huaxian aggression and expansion during the Huaxian Wars of Conquest, many of the northern states banded together to resist the expansion of Huaxia, eventually becoming a confederated state.

However, the wars with Huaxia were met with repeated defeats on the battlefield, and Zhonghua was pushed back until it was ultimately defeated and fully annexed.

Much of modern Zhonghua (mostly the north and central area; Huaxia never reached very far south) remained under Huaxian rule for centuries.

During the Six Dynasties & Twelve Kingdoms period that followed the collapse of the Mei dynasty of Huaxia, the lands that became modern Zhonghua broke away from Huaxia to form a pair of rival dynasties and were never recovered. Said dynasties are known to history as the Hang and Sang, two of the kingdoms counted among the twelve kingdoms of said period.

During said period, two nobles who were descendants of former Zhonghuan rulers found a chance to revolt, now known to history as the Red Dragon Rebellion, and set up their own empires. By the time the period ended, the Hang and Sang empires were firmly entrenched and conquered up to the edge of Jing bu Xibei (what is now northwestern Zhonghua).

The first true peace treaty ended with Huaxia still in control of Jing bu Xibei.

While originally two empires fighting for the same thing, when the conflicts with Huaxia ended they quickly turned on each other and warred for dominance in the region, even while members of their centralized governments were fighting for control of them. Their governments grew unstable from constant infighting and soon collapsed into many dozens of independent kingdoms, dukedoms, counties and city-states struggling for land and dominance. Eventually some concurrence was reached and a directorial confederation, in which all lords have equal say, was set up. However, the directorial confederation eventually turned hegemonic, with the Kingdom of Lan taking the lead role as hegemon of Zhonghua under the title of Zuigao Tongzhi.

A few centuries after the peace treaty that left Huaxia in control of Jing bu Xibei, Huaxia descended into chaos during the civil war taking place during the transition between the Xiu and Ting dynasties (known in Huaxia as the Six-Year War (六年戰爭/Liu Nian Zhanzheng)), Zhonghua seized the chance to reconquer the region from Huaxia, and did so with minimal resistance, achieving its modern northern and western borders. Aside from that, Zhonghua has mostly avoided taking advantage or getting involved in Huaxia's near-constant internal strife.

Even while going to war with Huaxia on and off for years, they turned their attentions toward expanding west and south, uniting many other states and tribes under their banner through treaty and conquest, eventually expanding into northern Maritymir. Zhonghua remains at odds with Huaxia to this day, and the two powers go to war almost every other decade for one reason or another. Its relations with the Wood Elves of Jingling are cold too, but diplomacy has avoided too many wars.

Zhonghua eventually lost some of its northeastern territories to Rome. While Zhonghua anticipated an invasion when Rome all but defeated Huaxia, it was still unable to resist the ferocity of the Imperial Roman Army in the initial invasion, despite years of preparation. This changed when a female warrior, known to history as Li Mulan (李木蘭), came to prominence. Li Mulan, an ethnic Haiyuan noblewoman of Huaxian birth, had been taken as a war slave by a Roman officer during the invasion. During her time as a slave – after learning their language – she learned all about Roman war tactics both from watching the battles from afar and from listening to the Roman commanders talk. After managing to escape, she disguised herself as a man and enlisted in the Zhonghuan army. Her determination and mettle, along with her knowledge of Roman war strategies, allowed her to quickly rise through the ranks until she became a general.

Once a general, Mulan took charge of an army and her widely successful anti-Roman tactics allowed her to turn the tide of the war, culminating when she fully defended against the Roman army in a decisive battle that changed history forever, now known to history as the Battle of Qiuling Pingyuan. Mulan's true gender was accidentally exposed not long after, but her loyal troops defended her from any punishment. The Zuigao Tongzhi of the time – known to history as Chang Guizhou (常規週) – was so impressed with her and her record that he let her retain her position and rank. Mulan then led another successful campaign that saw the reclamation of much territory before a peace treaty ending the war was signed.

Governance & Politics

The head of state is the Zuigao Tongzhi (最高統治), the main hegemon of the nation. The incumbent Zuigao Tongzhi holds the rulership of his kingdom concurrently. The title is held for life and at first the Kingdom of Lan held the position of hegemon. There were attempts early on to make it hereditary, but when the first holder died there was no clear heir. And so, the next Zuigao Tongzhi is elected from the rulers of one of the kingdoms or the heir to the kingdom of the previous holder when the incumbent one dies.

The head of the government of Zhinghua is the Zhengfu Buzhang (政府部長), but the office is mostly ceremonial in practice and holds little actual power.

The legislature of the confederacy is the Canyuan (參院), which is divided into the Shangyuan (上院) and the Xiayuan (下院), the upper and lower house respectively. Representatives to the Shangyuan are directly appointed by leaders of the poltical divisions, and higher level states are permitted more representtives in the Shangyuan. Representation in the Xiayuan is determined by population, which is determined by a nationwide census taken every twenty years.

Political Divisions

Zhonghua is divided into many territories termed one of several things depending on the rank held upon accession to the confederation.

From highest to lowest they are:

States						Description
Territory		Ruler title		Succession method	Shangyuan Representatives
Wangguo	王國	Wang	王	Hereditary	10	The highest political division of Zhonghua. Only the Wangs can be elected to the position of Zuigao Tongzhi,
Gongguo	公國	Gongjue	公爵	Hereditary	7
Jun	郡	Houjue	侯爵	Hereditary	5
Bolingdi	伯領地	Bojue	伯爵	Hereditary	4
Zilingdi	子領地	Zijue	子爵	Hereditary	4
Xian	縣	Bojue	伯爵	Hereditary	3
Guizu	貴族	Nanjue	男爵	Hereditary	3
Tai	態	Zhongdu	總督	Election	2
Chengbang	城邦	Shizhang	市長	Election	2	A single city and surrounding territory
Junqu	軍區	Zhong-jiang	中将	Military appointment	1	A military region along Mulan's Wall or the fortress regions along the borders and northwestern seaboard. The leader title is a military rank.

Constituent Territories

Yamato Dependencies

Kami Islands

Capital: Aki no Machi
Government: Imperial Appointed Magistracy
Head of State: Tennō of Yamatai
Head of Government: Bugyō
Legislature: High Council
Demonym: Kamio
Currency: Hansatsu, Koban, Nibuban, Ichibuban, Tsuho

The Kami Islands Kuiki is an archipelagic state owned by Yamatai in the Sea of Shinko in the northwestern waters of Marlakcor.

Morokoshi

Government: Hereditary Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Tennō of Yamatai
Currency: Hansatsu, Koban, Nibuban, Ichibuban, Tsuho

Morokoshi the the collective term for the Ryōiki (regions) and Bundans (Chapters) of the Yamato Empire on Jiangshan, the western subcontinent of Marlakcor, taking up great portions of both Manzhou and Manzi, and two large islands between them.

The easternmost lands of the empire, Morokoshi borders Huaxia and Raimei to the east, and sharing maritime borders with Joseon to the north. It was first established as a result of Yamatai's Invasions of Marlakcor (4010AFZ – 4100), which in turn sparked the First Yamato-Huaxian War (4010AFZ – 4019). Over the course of the conflicts, Yamatai conquered the states referred to as the Western Kingdoms, which included some of Huaxia's vassals, and the much of Huaxia's western territories. The Third Yamato-Huaxian War (4100AFZ – 4112) ended with Morokoshi's furthest northern and eastward expansion into the westernmost parts of the western continent, and resulted in the construction of the Great Wall of Manzhou by Hauxia, preventing any further expansion. Yamatai instead turned its attentions to the southern lands, and several wars with Siam over several generations led to the conquest of the entire southern portion of the western continent.

Some time after, Morokoshi then experienced an insurrection in the southeast by Yamato settlers, led by the Sanda clan, rivals of the Toyotomi clan, which led to the Raimese War for Independence (4235AFZ – 4245), and the establishment of the separate Empire of Raimei. Morokoshi remain at odds with Huaxia and Raimei, yet has managed to secure a relatively peaceful existence in Marlakcor.

Like the main empire in Fuso, Morokoshi are divided into several Ryōiki ruled by an appointed Sōtoku (総督) pledging fealty to the Tennō of Yamatai, and smaller Bundans (分団) ruled by Chiji (知事). Some clans and daimyōs are from Fuso, whether by immigration or land grants. Other daimyōs, particularly the western ones, are more local compared to the clans of Fuso, as the majority are descendants of families that cooperated, and even helped, the invading Yamato Imperial Armies during Yamatai's Invasions of Marlakcor; many even adopted Yamato customs and traditions, and even their religion, to varying extents.

Samui Shima

Capital: Fuyumachi
Government: Imperial Appointed Magistracy
Head of State: Tennō of Yamatai
Head of Government: Bugyō
Legislature: High Council
Demonym: n/a
Currency: Hansatsu, Koban, Nibuban, Ichibuban, Tsuho

Samui Shima Kuiki is an island owned by Yamatai in the Sea of Kori Bing. Residing in the far northern waters of Marlakcor, it is the northernmost land of the empire. Being so far north, Samui Shima is immensely cold.

Suisho

Government: Hereditary Feudal Monarchy
Head of State: Tennō of Yamatai
Currency: Koban, Nibuban, Ichibuban, Tsuho

Suisho is the collective name of the easternmost lands of Fuso and the empire proper in the western waters of Marlakcor. Suisho was also the name of one of the states of the Fourteen Kingdoms Period that preceded the Two Hundred Years' War. When the wars broke out, not even Suisho was spared the chaos and also fell apart during the Warring States Period. Suisho was one of the last group of islands to fall to imperial rule in the final stages of the Age of Conquest period before a period of peace ensued.

Suisho served as the launchpad for the mainland invasions that began the First Yamato-Huaxian War (4010AFZ – 4019).

Serica Provinciae (Rome)

Government: Imperial Appointed Viceroyalties
Head of State: Augustus of Rome
Heads of Government: Proconsuls & Vicaruses
Legislatures: none
Demonym: Seres (also others, varying by province)
Currency: Aureus, Denarius, Sestertius, Dupondius, As

Serica is the collective name of the is a colonies & provinces of the Roman Empire in Marlakcor, occupying a cluster of islands and a part of the mainland in eastern Marlakcor on the west side of the Sinolatin Sea. Serica shares borders with Huaxia to the north and west, and Zhonghua to the south in western Shenzhou, the central subcontinent. Via Qiu Island, Serica also shares maritime borders with the Holy City of Dong Long. And on Shayuwei Island, Serica borders the kingdom of the same name, which is now a suzerainty of the Roman Empire.

Serica occupies the island of Daludao (the easternmost island), most of the Island of Shengfen (the land closest to the mainland) save for the western peninsula and just beyond it, along with a cluster of islands in between them. Northward, it occupies the two southern peninsulas of Qiu Island, separated by territory still controlled by Huaxia. Serica also controls parts of the mainland just south of Shengfen, namely the Pingfang and Tuoyuan peninsulas and some lands just beyond it. But the mainland territories end at Mulan's Wall, which was built to stall any further Roman expansion into the mainland. Serica also occupies the northern portion of Shayuwei Island.

The island of Daludao was formerly known as the kingdom of the same name, which was a suzerainty of Huaxia following the Huaxian Wars of Conquest, Serica was established as a result of the Roman Conquest of Daludao.

Capitals

The location of every country's capital. Note: the Suisho Islands, Morokoshi and Serica Provinciae don't have capitals because they're subject to their owning countries' primary political systems.

Notes & Trivia

• The demonym for people from Marlakcor is "Marlakcese".
• Marlakcor and Tianxia come from two separate sources:
  • Marlakcor, the foreign exonym for the continent, originated from the Yanyu phrase "Maran la kecheng o ren" (罵人啦課程哦人), which roughly translates as "Oh course people curse it", which was then shortened to Marlakcor. Historians and linguists believe this happened due to a miscommunication between translators at some point in the past.
  • Tianxia (天下), the local endonym for the continent, which roughly means "all under heaven", came from the historical belief that the farthest shores of the continent and those of the closest islands, were the edge of the world.
• TJQ & TJH are the initials used for the common era and prior era, respectively, of the Luan Calendar, while AFZ & BFZ are the initials used for the common era and the prior era of the more widely used Zedylric Calendar. Furthermore, there is a 421-year difference between the dates.
• Marlakcor is divided into three subcontinents, Shenzhou (神州), Liao (遼), and Jiangshan (江山). Shenzhou is the central, and largest, subcontinent divided between Huaxia, Zhonghua and Jingling. Liao is the northern subcontinent, fully controlled by Huaxia; and Jiangshan is the western continent, divided between Huaxia, Yamatai, and Raimei.
  • Shenzhou is further divided into three regions: Zhongyuan (中原), the land occupied by Huaxia; Dongnan (東南), the land occupied by Zhonghua; and Conglin (叢林), the land occupied by Jingling and partially by Huaxia.
    • The northwestern part of Dongnan, the part past the narrowest area of Zhonghua's territory, is sometimes referred to as Jing bu Xibei.
  • Liao is further divided into western and eastern regions known as Yuan (猿) and Khitai respectively. They are divided at what is known as the Guixiong Corridor (鬼雄), the narrowest region of the subcontinent.
  • Jiangshan is further divided into northern and southern regions known as Manzhou (滿洲) and Manzi (蠻子) respectively. They are divided at the Isthmus of Caihong (彩虹), the narrowest point of the subcontinent.
    • the body of water on the west side of the isthmus is known as Dolgolae (돌고래) Bay, which is a part of the Yazuishou (鴨嘴獸) Sea further westward.
  • Within the space between northern and southern Shenzhou is a body of water known as the Zhuhong (朱紅) Sea.
  • The northern sea between Shenzhou and Jiangshan is known as the Qingshui Sea (清水), which deviates northward into the Sea of Jingyu (鯨魚) to the west and the Sea of Xaio (曉) to the east.
    • The Sea of Udeung separates Jiangshan from Liao.
    • The Sea of Xaio, followed by the Xiong (熊) Sea separate Shenzhou from Liao. The Sea of Xiao and the Xiong Sea are separated from each other by the Shumiao (樹苗) Strait, the narrowest point between them.
  • The southern sea between Shenzhou and Jiangshan is known as the Conglin Sea.
    • The Qingshui Sea and the Conglin Sea are divided by what's known as the Yinghao Strait, the narrowest point between them.
  • The island of Siam is sometimes considered part of Jiangshan, but modern cartographers still dispute this.