Qi

The eponymous Qi are the most prevalent ethno-cultural group in the Qi Empire. The earliest known Qi settlements - and as far as we know, the earliest human settlements - were small villages on the Yuanzhi Plains nestled against the River Wei and its tributaries. There, hunter-gatherers living off the native animals of the plains evolved into sophisticated agrarian societies, taking advantage of the extraordinary fertility of the wetlands and floodplains. Though ostensibly an ethnic group, by 500 Empyrean hundreds of years of Imperial rule have ablated any real racial character to the Qi people. For the most part, denizens of the Inner and Middle Empires identify as Qi regardless of their lineage or birthright (with the notable exception of the Naxans), and the Qi are staggeringly diverse in their character. In that regard the Qi are more a cultural group than anything else, defined by allegiance to the social norms of the Qi.

Naming Traditions

Family names

As with the other known peoples of Aos, Qi naming conventions prioritise the family name first, followed by a given name. For example, the Emperor Tien Nai is of the Tien Dynasty, and bears the given name Nai. Nicknames and mononyms are also commonly used, either alongside or without a family name.

Culture

Major language groups and dialects

The Qi, along with most denizens of the Empire, predominantly speak some variant of Imperial Common - a language originally derived from Dwarven. In very rural areas local dialects are common, though these are usually mutually comprehensible.

Related Organizations