Jiayuan

"This land is my child, as are those within it. The wise do not threaten a mother's children."
-Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West

To many, the lands of Duanjia are distant and exotic. These are lands at the bottom of the world, far from other places, such as Acitern, Nahrica, or especially Skogsmark. This means that to many Jiayuan is legendary, a place of strange people and creatures-- home to alien gods.
As for the Jiayuanese, themselves, they are known to be friendly, but somewhat rigid. These are a people who honor family, health and knowledge. This is a land of thinkers and warriors, whose methods and philosophies are an almost total unknown to those of foreign lands.

Structure

Jiayuan is ruled by a very intricate bureaucracy that can be felt at practically every level of its society. At the top are the emperor and empress. These two rule as equals from a heavily-guarded palace complex in Ganhuang. They are crowned and married at the same time, using a powerful love potion called the Tea of the Weaver Girl to ensure they always work in harmony.
These two are chosen by separate priesthoods: the emperor by that of Yuhuang, the Jade Emperor and the empress by that of Xiwangmu, Queen Mother of the West. It is unknown how these two are chosen, but they have come from every walk of life, from high in the bureaucracy or the lowliest of peasants.
From the top, the emperor and empress appoint a series of ministers who oversee the bureaucracy. These people ensure all who attain their positions all throughout the empire only do so because they deserve it. They mostly do this through administering tests and making appointments of their own.

Culture

Many of the beliefs and philosophies of the Jiayuanese deal with metaphysics. They believe in two great forces, the feminine yin and masculine yang that define mortal and immortal life alike. Their gods even reflect this, such as Yuhuang and Fuxi for yang and Xiwangmu and Nuwa for yin. They also use the balance of forces even for such things as interior decoration.
They also believe in an internal energy called chi. They use this to take the practice of martial arts to a level rarely seen anywhere but Duanjia. It is said that these martial artists are even capable of the likes of the manipulation of the elements and even affecting the chi of others to harm or even heal others.
In addition to physical and spiritual, they also value perfecting oneself mentally. As such, they value thought and learning of any kind. Jiayuanese philosophers study history, science and metaphysics. Many also study magic, using their immense knowledge to become quite powerful.
Much of the culture of Jiayuan is based on destiny. It is often believed that a person's place in the world is predetermined-- that if someone is in a certain place that is where they ultimately deserve to be. Of course, there are always rebels who prefer to make their own way, but these are comparatively rare in Jiayuan.
The Jiayuanese also consider the forces of nature sacred, and often symbolize them with lung dragons. Many gods of nature even take draconic form, such as Yinglong the rain god, Shenglong the storm god, and Zhulong the sun god. It's not uncommon for the Jiayuanese people to meditate over nature or keep gardens to bring just a little bit of nature to them.

History

According to Jiayuanese legend, it was Yuhuang, with the support of his Bureaucracy of Heaven that did the actual labor to create Covenant. They tell that the greatest of all these lands they reserved for their own people. The goddess Nuwa brought the first people to Jiayuan, and her husband Fuxi taught them how to create their civilization.
According to their legend, as soon as people came, those favored by Yuhuang and Xiwangmu fought against one another. The mortal counterparts to the celestial yin and yang were in opposition to one another instead of in harmony. Thus changed when Zhinu, goddess of love brought the war leaders together. These two became the first emperor and empress.
Over time, more died and were crowned, but things remained very stable in Jiayuan. They warred or coexisted with their neighboring Sokokans, but things never spiraled too far out of control. This was the state of Jiayuan for so long it seemed this would be the case forever.
The peace was broken when a mated pair of t'ien lung dragons were corrupted by infernal forces. They sought to dominate Covenant and started in the lands of Duanjia, so that they might conquer the world and bring it under their rule. One replaced the emperor of Jiayuan and the other the emperor of Sokoku.
When the Jiayuanese emperor, Tao Wei was replaced, he woke up in an unfamiliar female body. The Weird Sisters told her she might be the one to save Jiayuan, a hero. Now going by the name Tao Sing, she marched into the throne room and demanded the emperor be recognized as an imposter. She was thrown in prison in response.
The empress, however, recognized her for who she truly was and freed her at the cost of her own life. Sing fled to an monastery in the mountains and trained in the martial arts to oppose the Dragon Emperor. She secretly attacked his army in an attempt to stop it from gathering power. In the end, she fought with the imposter in a hand-to-hand battle and slew the dragon with the entire court watching.
With the crisis resolved, the church of Xiwangmu offered to crown Sing as empress, but she refused the throne due to loyalty to her previous wife. Instead, she boarded a ship to Pasedonis and hasn't been seen since.

Demography and Population

The majority of the Jiayuanese population is human, however there are also goblinoids much like those found on Acitern that the Jiayuanese call beiren. While there are minor physical differences, these are the same races as those found in that distant land. Unlike in Acitern, these people are the equals of their human kin.
While the Jiayuanese sometimes go to different lands to trade, such as Sakkal, Kemet, or even Polisia or Acitern, few foreigners go so far as to travel to Jiayuan. As such few races beyond native ones are ever found here, and often attract a lot of attention wherever they go.

The Other Guys
"Beiren" just means "other person" in traditional Chinese. Much like the Sakkalan minotaurs or Kemetan tabaxi, they are here to add a little diversity to Jiayuan and Sokoku.
Mechanically, they are the same as goblins, hobgoblins and bugbears, even if they look somewhat different. For the sake of simplicity, the Sokokans also refer to them as "beiren".

Territories

Jiayuan, just like Sokoku, has one of the most widely diverse environments in the world. The furthest southern reaches are bitterly cold, not unlike northern Bjornland, while most of the land is temperate, ranging from forests to plains. There are mountains on the western side of the land, particularly the southwest.
The climate of this land reflects its temperate nature, with a wide disparity in seasonal temperature. Unlike practically anywhere else in Covenant, the climate in all of Duanjia is generally colder the further south one travels. Generally, the climate of Jiayuan tends to be rainier and more humid than that of Sokoku.
Due in large part to its sheer distance from the rest of the lands of Covenant, life in Jiayuan is very different than that of other places. Creatures such as tigers, pandas, monkeys, although some creatures such as foxes are also found in other places around the world.
The magic of this place is also quite strange, as evidenced by weretigers or the strange draconic creatures known as lung. There are entirely different fey, known to the Jiayuanese as "yaogui", such as the chaotic xiao or the bewitching huli jing. The undead also have strange variations, such as the vampire-like jiangshi .

Military

The army of Jiayuan is, as it is in many places, a professional force. These people answer directly to the emperor and empress, protecting the land and enforcing their will. This is a very disciplined fighting force, more well-trained than practically any other on the face of Covenant.
In addition, the mages of the Jiayuanese bureaucracy have a hierarchy all on their own that lends its magical might to the army in times of need. The priesthoods of Heidi, god of war, winter and elemental water as well as Xuannu, goddess of sex, war, and mystery also frequently lend their own power to the military if needed.

Foreign Relations

Jiayuan is too far away from the other lands of Covenant to have regular diplomatic ties to most of the other nations of the world. They do, however engage in trade with other lands. Jiayuanese goods have a reputation for being incredibly exotic, especially in places such as Acitern.
They do, however, have regular contact with their sister nation across the Straight of Dragons: the feudal kingdom of Sokoku. Due to the comparatively unstable nature of Sokokan politics, the nature of these relations changes as well. These ties have varied from strong alliance to open war.

Agriculture & Industry

The Jiayuanese primarily grow rice, although also grow grains. On a smaller-scale, they also grow herbs, tea, and spices. In addition, they herd cattle and goats as staples of their diet. Perhaps most important is their raising of the silkworm, which even has its own goddess, Canshen, the Silkworm Mother.
The physical goods also have a very distinctive style, although some of these, such as weapons are created using similar methods. Their armor is usually made with somewhat simpler methods, however. One of their most famous products is the product of their weavers: silk spun from the silkworms.

Trade & Transport

The vast distances are something of a limiting factor when it comes to foreign trade. Still though, some vessels do manage to go that vast distance. Most travel to Enkidd, the Sakkalan capital, although some make their way to Samaphis, in Kemet, or the Polisian port city of Pasedonis.
Their most sought-after products in foreign markets are silk, tea, and porcelain. These products are extremely expensive, and are often status symbols. In exchange, they tend to get gold, gems, and products the Jiayuanese don't produce themselves. Foreign goods are sometimes just as prized among the Jiayuanese as their own goods are elsewhere due to scarcity.

Infrastructure

The largest cities of this land are connected by a series of roadways, but smaller communities tend to be much more isolated. Many such towns are connected to the rest of the empire by little more than game trails. Very few travel to and from such places.
The most famous structures of the Jiayuanese are the great palaces that serve the many ministers at the head of the bureaucracy. They are walled complexes, complete with serene and beautiful gardens. The roofs of these buildings have a very distinctive style with tiled roofs, upturned in the corners. This style is considered to define the continent of Duanjia.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Capital

Ganhuang

Demonym

Jiayuanese

Government System

Meritocracy

Power Structure

Autonomous area

Economic System

Traditional

Location

Duanjia

Controlled Territories

• Ganhuang

Neighboring Nations

• Sokoku

Notable Members

• Tao Sing