Dragon-Star Rebellion

Description

The Giant God-Kings of Zhushen in Qinhei created the Centaurs a long time ago to transport their goods and carry building materials for their large palaces and walls. They even formed an integral part in their armies. As the Giants were not affected by the Gods, they seemed to be on a similar level, especially considering their ancient knowledge. They also created Oni to keep the population under control, and thus the Centaurs served them for a long time, originally as a slave race but when their population and discontent grew too large, they became lower-class civilians. But even that has recently changed in a way and magnitude it has never before.

It started with a series of flooding that caused massive food shortages in the central and western regions of Zhushen. The response from the Giant regents has been poor, or rather non-existent, as the problems do not affect them and their lavish lifestyles. Meanwhile the people suffer, and that was the last drop in the bucket. The Giants have lost their divine right to rule the moment the land turned against them. So the people will re-take the land. The Centaurs of the western regions rose up under the leadership of Ma Liang, a Centaur who was formerly a royal physician in the court of one of the God-Kings. They have raided the food stores and abandoned the plains, heading further west into the mountains and hills there where they cannot be easily followed or hunted down. Their mobility is a huge advantage there, and it's left them in a stable enough state where they have been able to organize themselves in the past few years. They have taken over several of the smaller towns at the base of the mountain range, and they have launched raids all the way into the central plains where the most arable farmland is. While the original secessionists were a group of Centaurs, now Humans, Oni and even some Tortles have also joined their cause, with the majority still being Centaurs however.

Culture

The beliefs of the rebellion are largely inspired by their wishes for a more equal, prosperous Zhushen for all and partially by their leader Ma Liang. They follow the Way of the Star-Heaven, sometimes called the Path to Peace as well, which preaches that adversity is caused by a corruption within people and the land. It requires people to look inside at their own sins, confess them and move past them. It also promotes seeking out others and making them realize their own sins so they may reflect on it. Those who are so hopelessly corrupt that they cannot be saved (to which they include most of the Giant God-Kings), should instead be purged for their own good and the good of the country.

"They made us; They enslaved us; They've had their foot on our throats for centuries! And now, we will repay them their full due!"

— Ma Liang, speaking to his fellow escaped Taurkin who would form the beginning of Dragon-Star Rebellion.

Another large part of their practices combine traditional medicinal practices with a kind of faith healing centered around confession of sins as mentioned earlier. They believe that the largest change in the world will come with the arrival of the Dragon God in the stars, but it starts with the change in themselves. The people need to be better, for the country to be better, before the Dragon God will grace them with His presence. To them the stars are a symbol of hope and change that they wish to bring to the people.

Religion

Under the rule of the Giants, they were forced to worship their overlords as God-Kings, but the rebels no longer see them as worthy of their divine title. But they cannot see themselves as divine either and the Giants have hidden information about the actual Gods for centuries, and thus they barely know anything about them except from some foreigners. Instead they have turned to something else from their history as a subject for their worship: Dragons. They have romanticized their former draconic overlords from ages ago, and they belief that within the stars hides a true Dragon God, and He is coming. When the time is ripe, when the false God-Kings have been deposed and the people have shown their devotion, He will come down and cleanse the land and provide the people with a just and immortal leader. In the meantime the people should follow His chosen ruler, the Son of the Dragon-Star who acts under His divine providence. They claim this divine right to rule legitimizes their rebellion against the God-Kings even further.
The Son should be a just and successful ruler and their title can be withdrawn, which will be indicated by natural disasters or other omens that they have lost their divine right. The rebellion is led by a group of Astronomer-Priests who call themselves the Generals of the Stars. They lead the people and execute the will of the Son of the Dragon-Star, but they also divine the omens of the Dragon God that tell them whether they are still on the right path. Thus they actually hold power over the Son in that they can depose him quite easily.

Prosperity under the Stars!

Type

Geopolitical, Theocracy

Alternative Names

Dragon-Star Dominion

Training Level

Semi-trained

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Location

Qinhei