Ni-Taesuxuzou Empire

"Under the Divine Light of the Royal Family do we prosper, for they walk beneath the leaves of the Silver-Blue Tree and with the blessings of Xaen and Yamma. They rebuilt Taesuxuzou, and it is by their grace that we know full hearts and stomachs!"

Reformed after Taesu's Reconquest of the Xuzou Dynasty, the Ni-Taesuxuzou Empire is the self-proclaimed rebirth of the ancient Taesuxuzou Empire. It controls the whole of the Tawarakanai Archipelago and has positioned itself as the premier naval military and economic power in Emaxus, protecting---and taxing---the main trade routes connecting Iotura and Aitreas to Drumis.

A Nostalgic Eye to History

While the entirety of Ni-Taesuxuzou's unifying mythology and culture is based on a nostalgic idea of reclaiming the lost powers of Taesuxuzou, the reality is that the new empire is a far cry from its ancient cousin. After Hametsu-Sha's eruption in the late second century AR shattered the old island of Tawarakanai into its present archipelago, old Taesuxuzou fell with the lands sinking into the sea. The survivors split into the Taesu Empire and the Xuzou Dynasty, each staying to the east or west of Hametsu-Sha's new island, and although they claimed to stick to the traditions of their ancestors, the reality is that most Taesuxuzouan history, technology, and culture was lost with the eruption.
During old Taesuxuzou's reign, Taesu and Xuzou were simply fuedal provinces. They knew little of the grandiosity of the old capital or the imperial heartland lost to Hametsu-Sha, so what they "remembered" were actually fancifications and nostalgic falsities. These only grew more extreme over the centuries, and now they serve as the foundation of Ni-Taesuxuzou's culture and society.
Wheras the old empire was likely stratified equitably, with the royals sharing a good deal of power with the feudal states they controlled, Ni-Taesuxuzou is a cult of personality. The feudal states of each island serve solely to exert the will of Empress Kurimoto and the massive royal family. The Empress is revered as a god-speaker, believed to be the walking will of both Xaen and Yamma. The military is massive for a state not at war, and the feudal laborers see a copper for every hundred gold nobles collect---and the local samurai they serve barely see more than that. Ni-Taesuxuzou is a highly stratified society, with the Empress being openly considered more valuable than every other Taesuxuzouan combined.
Similarly, they have taken the handful of stories and historical records left from the old empire and largely misconstrued them to build this cult of personality. A famous tale from the old empire was of how a follower of Xaen and Isael made love beneath a blessed tree after The Reckoning; their child would go on to be blessed by both gods and become the first Taesuxuzouan Emperor. This tale has been modified to instead be a birth story of Emperor Urakami, the founding emperor of Ni-Taesuxuzou, and Isael has been replaced with Yamma.

The Divine Lancers

Forming a standing, professional military of some twenty thousand soldiers, the Divine Lancers are Taesuxuzou's elite naval and land army. They serve as guards and enforcers across the Tawarakanai Archipelago during times of peace. During times of war, they would be reinforced by a large force of conscripted peasantry, led by their samurai rulers.
The Lancers exist in an interesting balance against the feudal samurai of the empire, as the Lancers technically enforce the will of the Empress and should thus trump the samurai, but the reality of their day-to-day is that they listen to the samurai's concerns of their land and enact their will. In war, the Lancers and samurai work together as equals, as the former is the backbone of the military while the latter leads the conscripted peasantry, who would form the bulk of Taesuxuzou's forces.

A Deeply Feudal State

The basic system of Taesuxuzouan society is this: the peasantry (which forms at least 80% of the population) lives mostly rural lives farming and producing goods for a local nobility (roughly 5% of the population) of samurai and lords. A working class and merchant class in the cities handle trade and shipping, but pays their respects and dues to the city nobility (comprising about 12% of the population, altogether). All of these classes report to the royal family and their standing army of Lancers (about 3% of the population, though most of that percentage is the thousands of Lancers).

Beneath Their Light, We Know Peace

Founding Date

Vaeril 3, Tarathel, 433 AR

Capital

Shintonai

Alternative Names

Taesuxuzou, The Empire of the Ocean

Demonym

Taesuxuzouan

Head of State

Empress Urakami Kurimoto

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Palace economy

Location

The Warring Lands

Notable Members

• Empress Urakami Kurimoto

Related Ethnicities

• Taesunese

An Eye Towards Drumis

After decades of consolidating power over old Xuzou and forging old Taesu and Xuzou into a true, connected Ni-Taesuxuzou, the empire has begun to turns its eyes outwards. Its gaze has landed on the burgeoning kingdoms of Drumis, and Empress Kurimoto desires to expand Ni-Taesuxuzou's power beyond the realms of Tawarakanai. The powers of Drumis already shift by the day, with each faction playing against one another in the ever-quickening (and ever more dangerous) expansion towards northern and Eastern Drumis.
Will Kurimoto shift the balance of power subtly, or enter Ni-Taesuxuzou into the Drumian race with full force?