09.1.1.1 The Jade Regent

Expedition

09 The Jade Regent This tale started as most do with a goblin assault upon Sandpoint. The heroes discovered that the innkeeper Amekio Kaijitsu's real name was Amatatsu and she was the granddaughter of last Jade Emperor. Along with her new companions they set forth on a journey over The Crown of the World to Tian Xia to reclaim her families heritage within the nation of Minkai.     After crossing the Crown they arrived within the nomad kingdom of Hongal where she defeated the Khan in single combat using her families blade for the first time.     Next they traveled east into the Forest of Spirits for a month doing favors and sacred tasks for both the Kami Spiritfolk and Poracha's. Both forces agreed to join her forces and granted safe travel for her army as it headed south to Minkai providence and later north at the start of the conquest of Tian Xai.     Arriving at the head of an army proved useful in that most of the Minkai providence surrender to her authority without bloodshed. In two moons time only the imperial capital of Kasai remained under the command of the Jade Regent. Amekio united the Ninja, Merchant, Peasant clans behind her. With their support she was able to lead her army to the Jade Palace itself and challenge the Regent. The Regent laughed at her Seal, as it was not powered by the throne. She and her closest companions were transported by the Thrones Powers to speak and do battle both physical and diplomatically with a multitude of shades of the past emperor's. After defeating her grandfather's shade in single combat, even though she was half Elven and not fully human he granted her his authority as his only living descendent. This inpowered her Seal, activating it's nascent powers. Amekio was then able to transport herself back to the Jade Palace and do battle with the Regent and absorb his shade.     Before the next full moon she was to withstand not one but two failed invasions from across the Gulf of Xidao by the Oni Shogun of Chu Ye and bring order back to the imperial capital of Kasai. Acting decisive she used her alliance with the Kami Spiritfolk to allow her army to move through magical gateway's covering the 1200 mile length of the Forest of Spirits in but a single day. The horselords of Hongal mustered their entire herds of horses to allow the Minkai armies to mount and ride like the wind to the ruins of Maiaii where she launched a campaign of liberation against the Oni forces of Chu Ye. Two of her general's Hirabashi Jiro of Goka and Sikutsu Itsuru of Minkai both were successful in their task of slaying the Oni threat earning the titles of Giantslayers for themselves and the liberation armies they commanded.     Empress Amekio and her close council meanwhile did battle below the Nightford Mountains with the great underground wyrm Jirakura Kaza who was the true threat with the Oni beings his pawns.     With Chu Ye now being liberated Amekio marched her forces south to Wanshou where they found the old rice gardens of Tian Xai to be swamplands filled with Boggard's and Kappa's for the past century under the command of Zhanagor, the Elder Kraken. It was a bloody campaign with that lasted six moons. Culminating in a battle within the neighboring underwater kingdom of Xidao over the three mile deep Aya-Maru trench. After the battle of Aya-Mara both the providences of Xidao and Wanshou were back within the Imperial folds.     The forces moved south into the Tengu providence of Kwanlai where the Empress met with the half celestial Tengu ruler Lady Sutari Gongen. Coming not as an invading army set on conquest but as an benign overlord bearing gifts of foods and other items promised a century ago by her grandfather but due to his corrupt court were never delivered. The Tengu were so overawed with her generosity they swore immediate alliegence to Empress Amekio.     A month later found Amekio standing before the Custodian Council of celestial Tianjing. She spoke at great lengths about the need of a United front to face a multitude of evils coming to the face of Golarion in the coming years. She was granted access to Scrolls of Elysium, Heaven and Nirvana which transported her and her companions to the various outer planes where she received the Mandate of Heaven and the blessings of the Celestials. She returned to the Custodian Council and the Speaker Sulunai acknowledged her Mandate bringing an 8th providence into Empress Amekios fold. Hearing about the multitude of reeducation camps that the dictator Grandmother Pei of Bachuan was sending anyone even travelers who dared disagree with her judgement on what an equal share was or dared to practice any religion at all to enraged Amekio enough to cause her to instantly dislike communism and send her forces striking like a pair of hammers against the anvil of the forces marching north from Hwanggot under Queen Hyun Eunsku. In two moons time they were able to defeat the Sun Chamber and drive Communism off the shores of Tian Xai.     Queen Hyun Eunsku pledges the Kingdom of Flowers Hwanggot to the Jade Empress.     The providence of Pi Li was a simple matter. Empress Amekio used her magic to finish the statue of the eternal emperor with her likeness. She then revealed herself to the Oracular Council as a Heirophant of her ancestors and sat down upon the Five Dragon Throne. They had no choice but to accept her as their sovereign for the thrones acknowledgement of her was all that they demanded.     The conquest of Dtang Ma took half a year to accomplish. For the first time the imperial forces faced not an army in the field but sorcery from afar. Eventually the cinnamon throne was shattered along with the powers of Kamraten Khemkhaeng being absorbed by the Empress.   Xa Hoi to the south and east remains independent. It is has been ruled by the Dragon King Pham Duc Quan a great sovereign wyrm for the past five centuries. He agreed to continue defending the shores from the pirates of the Minata Islands to the east, to keep attacking the Naga forces of Nagajor to the west and stop the encroachment of carnivorious monsters from the Valashmai Jungle to the southwest and she would return to him once she liberated all of the lands to the north.     For the next nine moons she brought her forces against the combined might of both Lingshen and Quaint culminating in the battle at the cradle of immortality.   Lady Nai Yan Fei of Goka offered a roll of the dice to Empress Amekio over if there would be peace or war between them. Goka may be the smallest nation in square miles, but it has the largest population of any city outside of Absalom's multiple million. Perhaps it was because General Hirabashi Jiro of Goka was her only son and heir, perhaps it was the roll of the dice.. nobody beside Lady Nai and Empress Amekio were privy to that discussion.   For four months the desert of Shagung was scoured and Every last being from Leng was slain. The imperial forces that could fly took to the sky aiding the Shory Empires last flying city to also rid itself of the taint of Leng it has held for so many long years. Master magicians and soecorers from all the imperial cities have been working diligently for ( years trying to repair the damage it took crossing the wall of heaven.   Kaoling Provence had been taken over by hobgoblins and their allies from the darklands. For four months the battles raged, forces from the Elven kingdom Jimin to the east joined in. Together the two forces were able to defeat warlord Tsung Cha driving what remained of his legions back into the Darklands   Zi Hi home of the samsaran people under the leadership of Gysltho Tulku agrees to join the Imperial forces after reading the Mandate of Heaven and noticing that it was signed by none other then their patron Qi Zheng. Knowing that he is outnumbered, surrounded and cut off from support from Talador General Audyra Vannisar offers the Empress his sword in surrender. She tells him to keep the blade as she already has one. Amanandar and Talador is welcome to join the Imperial Court. She offers to transport any who wish to return to Talador free passage on ships bound west from Goka. Nobody took up her offer and wanted to go back to Talador. Today the providence serves as an example of what happens when nations from different continents work together. Talador has been seeking to reclaim Amanandar but can find no legal reasons to do so.. Empress Amekio has a claim to the lands that extends back in time twice as long as Talador has been in existence.     When Empress Amekio moves onto Shokuro Providence her sages have has seasons to consider the records of Lingshen and assess the records of the conquest of Shokuro a few years before. To the last copper she returns the items taken from whom and where to their rightfully owners. Shokuro Toriaka offers dogeza In return as he is blown away by her generosity. The longest battle is to come. The providence of Shenmen has long been overrun by constant rain, bandits, evil get creatures, ghosts and Jorogumg's the spiders that can take a man's shape all led by the witch queen Lady Lang Loi. It takes nine full moons but the witch queen is finally slain in her underground capital city of Yin-Sichasi.     At this point Empress Amekio has regained control of all two and two Providences that made up her grandfather's empire. Her troops have been moving south preparing to invade both Minata and Nagajor simultaneously the dive deep into the Valashmai Jungle at some point in the current year of 4716.