Kingdom of Nan-Tao
An ancient civilisation on the edge of the known world
The Kingdom of Nan-tao is a large, very old and very powerful dynastic empire situated on the eastern side of the continent of Osian. Not much is known about this civilisation as they have historically been, and still are to this day, very secretive.
Culture
Taonese people are very reserved, even amongst friends. it is considered rude to shout or speak loudly. This is because they consider that kind of behavior to be uncivilized. Taonese people are expected to be calm, polite and gentle at all times while in public.
When a taonese person of high birth reaches an age where they are considered a burden to their family, they are expected to leave the family residence and go to the House of wisdom of their city, or to the one closest to them. Once Inside, they will tell their life story, from their earliest memories to the last thing they did before entering the house, to a scribe assigned to them. The scribe will write it down over the course of a couple days. Once the story is finished writing, the person is then given a large meal containing a poisonous mushroom that gives out a quick and painless death. The body is then brought back to the family house, where it is buried. The book is stored inside the house of Wisdom.
Demography and Population
The Kingdom of Nan-Tao is widely though by Scholars from Enask and Arros to be the most populous country in Hysal. While the number of inhabitants is not known, it is though to be around 250 million people. A large minority of Dragonkin live in the country, mainly in the north and west of the country, as well as in the capital, City of Shenjin.
Territories
The country is massive, although its true extend is unknown. West of the capital Shenjin, the country extends far into the west, along the foothills of the Thiber Plateau. The western border of Nan-Tao is unknown and with all the reported danger of Western Osian, it is not known why they deem it necessary to extend their control so far west.
Military
Nan-Tao has a large professional trained standing army used to guard their western and northern borders from Nomad incursions from the lands of Bashra and regular attacks from the Blighted residing in the the Thiber plateau. The soldiers of the Taonese army are made up of Magic wielders and Non-Magic wielders. While Soulmages are especially praised in Nan-Tao, Mercenaries are not accepted in Nan-Tao as they are deemed to be be not honorable and prone to treachery
Technological Level
Not much is known of the current technological level of Nan-Tai, but historically, they have always been at the forefront of technological innovation, particular in non-magic avenues, such as irrigation, shipbuilding, architecture, astronomy and chemistry.
Religion
Taonese society is not very religious. They do not have a god, but a set of beliefs about life, each other and the universe.
Foreign Relations
Thanks to the port city of Liuben, outsiders are allowed to trade with Nan-Tao. The Kingdom of Darnia, the kingdom of Thenia and the Kingdom of Kinvalia, trade regularly with Nan-tao. The karthian city-states, along the western coast of the island of Isqaloala, also trade with Nan-Tao.
Trade & Transport
The Grand Canal is large enough to fit two large boats side by side, permitting large amounts of trade to flow northwards from Liuben, to the capital and downwards, from Shenjin to Liuben.
Infrastructure
The country is covered in roads, canals and bridges that make the transport of goods and services very efficient. The two largest rivers, the Heinan and the Libo river are linked by a grand canal, allowing a boat to enter the country from Liuben and travel all the way to the capital shejin in less than a week.
In the far west regions, along the edge of the Thiber plateau a series of forts and defensive walls, called the Serpent Walls have been constructed to prevent the nomads from the grasslands to the north from cutting of the western-most portions of their territory.
Founding Date
Unknown
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
Kingdom of Osia (Name given by the old Karthian empire. Now used to describe the continent on which Nan-Tao is located on)
Demonym
Taonese
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Unitary state
Gazetteer
The Taonese Kingdom has multiple points of interest, but few are accessible to outsiders. Nonetheless, we have descriptions and relative locations given to us by some of the local population in Liuben. These are:
- The House of Wisdom of Liuben
- The Floating Garden of Shenjin
- The Serpent Walls and The Dragon Towers
- The Triple Gates of Liuben
- The Heavenly Temple of Thanzhen
Currency
Unlike most countries, instead of just using metal coins as currency, Taonese society also uses paper money, with inscription on them denoting the value of said paper.
Major Exports
Porcelain and silk are the two most sought after taonese products.
Location
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
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