The Celestial Empire
The Celestial Empire, known as Quiva by the travelers that go there, is a vast land of several climates, boasting deserts, mountains, marshes, and coast under its mighty banners. The spires of its cities gleam in the sun, and cast long shadows over the lands it controls. At one time, the lands were split between several smaller tribes, some even by those who cannot fly, but the Divine Eye brought peace to the lands, repelled the Hordes to the North, and conquered the land-walkers. May the Divine Eye watch over us.
Structure
The governmental structure is based on city-states, with a governor in charge of each city. The Divine Eye roosts in the capital of Kaagka. Each city state rules over the surrounding lands, and donates troops and supplies to the army to patrol the borders and areas in between. The ruling class is composed entirely of flying creatures. The dominant race within the Empire is Aarakocra, but all winged races are considered A’kra, creating a clear and easily identifiable class definition. Those that do not have wings are called land-walkers, or Krrk, and are delegated to serving the A’kra.
Culture
Heritage: Draconic
Bow before the chosen
Even more so than the Western kingdoms, the winged people of the Celestial Empire brook no challenge to their station. Many of the Krrk have been killed for attempting to stand up to the Aarakocra and other winged folk. It is key to know your place within the complicated hierarchy at all times.Our Way is Best
The Celestial Empire is one of the largest nations in the East, and has successfully pushed its borders with its military and customs. Therefore, by logic, their customs, outlook and knowledge are superior, and other technology is superfluous. As the West embraces eletech, the Celestial Kingdom shuns it along with most other modern technology. Early technological dominance has led the Celestial Kingdom into a false sense of superiority.Isolationism for the good of the People
The current Divine Eye has guided the Empire into pulling back from further expansion in order to keep its culture pure. The high quality of its spices and textiles have so far allowed it to choose this life, as no one wants to be cut off from the lucrative exports the Empire offers.In an Ivory Tower
The bulk of the avian creatures live in tall towers at the center of each city. With the Krrk surrounding them, they consider their towers well guarded from attack.Cultural Norms
A Land Divided
Those without wings rightly fear their rulers, and so do not enter into deals with foreigners without prior approval. There is a black market within the cities, along with underground passages to keep from avian eyes.Abundant Food
There is no hunger within the Celestial Empire, even amongst the Krrk. With few grazing animals in the kingdom except for work animals, most land is covered with fields of vegetables. The government purchases all leftover food from the farms and makes sure its citizens are all fed.Bird Mimicry and Preservation
The saying “Mimicry is the fondest form of flattery” holds sway in the Celestial Empire. Fashion and socialization tends to mimic birds, with exotic birds causing fashion trends. The peacock is often idolized, and full-body makeup or staining is common. In addition, the eating of eggs or birds is forbidden. This has caused many artforms to evolve around the egg. Aarakocra often have the shell of their firstborn reconstructed, with the fragments cemented together with gold. The collection of egg shells for art is a popular hobby.Demography and Population
Roughly forty percent of the population is Aarakocra, with another ten percent belonging to other avian races. The rest of the population is evenly distributed between the other races. The cities of the Celestial Empire often dwarf those of other nations, with the capital boasting over 5.2 million citizens.
Military
Religion
The Divine Eye and the priesthood of the Celestial Empire only allow for prayers towards the Divine Essences. The Empire believes that the gods themselves are merely manifestations of the land-walker’s prayers, in an attempt to sculpt the Divine Essences into a likeness of themselves. However, creating a depiction of the Divine Essences as a land walker is heresy and punishable by death.
The Divine Essences are often represented by eggs, with the appropriate color depending on the Essence chosen. A golden egg represents all of the Divine Essences together. When praying, colored incense of the matching Essence is thrown into a brazier to send the prayer to the heavens. Priests are able to mix up the colored Essences for those seeking guidance, creating multi-hued packets of incense.
Temples are always open-air, usually hexagonal in shape, and are called S’jedak. The priests live in the rafters of the S’jedak, watching over the servants who tend to supplicants. If they are not needed, then they stay where the smokes can reach them, assisting in meditation.
Holidays
Night of the Divine Eye - The end of each month is given for praise to the Divine Eye.Each month is devoted to a type of bird, chosen by the Divine Eye during the holy day at the end of the month.Agriculture & Industry
There has been no industrialization era in the Celestial Empire as of yet. The smoky clouds of the industrialized nations are horror stories within the Empire, and all attempts to bring the technology into the kingdom were brutally wiped out. Instead, they rely on textiles and spices as trade resources, and spend much of their resources on feeding and housing the Krrk. All additional resources go towards eradicating the Hordes to the North and building outposts to slowly expand their empire.
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Alternative Names
Quiva
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Federation