Lotus Empire

Overview

  The mysterious Lotus Empire existed on Aldwa even before the Sundering. Its people are gratefully led by the charismatic and immortal Masked Emperor, who has safely navigated the Empire through the dangers of the world since time immemorial. The Sundering and Ashfall drove most of the population into the fortress city of Lianhua, a safe haven from the apocalyptic terror and threats that beset the rest of Aldwa. Lianhua is located strategically to command the Jintu River Valley, thus providing the Empire with plentiful natural resources and easy access to the the rest of Aldwa through both land and sea routes.   Since the Sundering, many groups of refugees have turned to the Lotus Empire and been welcomed with open arms. These groups that have been assimilated into the Empire now also call Lianhua home. While Humans, Drakari, Soulforged, and Beastkin collectively make up around 60% of the populace, all species of Aldwa can be found residing in the city’s various districts, and all are accepted as dutiful and loyal subjects of the Emperor.   Due to the concentration of Ashtouched monsters on its borders, the Lotus Empire has remained very insular, secretive, and protective of its citizens and lands, on par or even more so than the vault dwellers of Pelolia. This isolation was a necessary sacrifice the Emperor and other government officials made to protect the citizenry during the Sundering; even today, it seems many of its citizens greatly prefer to stay inside the safety of the city rather than risk the dangers outside.   Stories of what goes on inside the city abound. Visitors to Lianhua must obtain a royal seal of assent, and only a handful of citizens ever seem to leave its walls. Most tell of a peaceful and opulent city with districts filled with extraordinarily helpful, happy, and well-fed citizens, though “escapees” like to tell contrary tall tales of squalor, misery, and terror in the processing districts, for some unknown reason.  

Culture

 

Outlook

Lotus citizens see the Sundering as a great hardship that the Empire has only navigated thanks to the genius of The Masked Emperor. The scant few foreigners who have visited Lianhua report that although the populace tends to avoid them, they seem happy, hardworking, and live in relative prosperity compared to the rest of Aldwa. The Emperor’s various police and military forces maintain order and decorum within the bustling city districts; they help those citizens most in need of assistance and bravely protect them from the monsters that regularly attempt to lay siege and destroy the city.   Citizens of Lianhua live in physically separated and walled districts. This system is a necessity born from the Ashfall when the monsters of the Sundering attacked and routinely breached the walls of the city. As more and more people escaped to the relative safety of Lianhua, it became necessary to expand, thus requiring additional layers of fortifications to protect the newly claimed territory. Eventually the city was divided into separate zones and pockets of defenses that could be manned as needed if the walls were ever breached.   These districts now form the basis of Lotus society and are the primary identifier for Lotus citizens. Every district of Lianhua strives to be self-functioning. Very few citizens ever feel the need to leave their district, with most schools, stores, warehouses, jobs, and other necessities provided within the district itself. Although they are not fully self-sufficient and even trade amongst themselves, districts of Lianhua can function on their own for several weeks or even months at a time if there is ever a need. The only exceptions are specialized districts like the Merchant Quarter or the Towering Gardens. Inter-district travel and communication are carefully managed and controlled by the government to limit the time districts are vulnerable and open.   Monsters are a perennial and endemic part of Lotus life. The bustling city attracts them from miles away, like moths to a beacon in the dark. Decades ago, these monsters may have been viewed with horror, but now many people see them as mere annoyances and even sometimes spectacles and entertainment. Lianhua’s military force is more than capable of promptly dealing with the attacks, and the last breach of the city occurred decades ago.   With these successes, the Empire has recently begun to expand out of Lianhua. Small settlements and outposts dot the river valley in an effort to better maintain communications with other cultures and to push back the hordes of monsters that still regularly attack Lianhua. These outlying areas have been incorporated into the district system that thrives within Lianhua for ease of administration.  

Look and Feel

Historically, the citizens of Linhua were constantly under threat of attack from the Ashtouched monsters that roamed the valley. As such, their fashion trended towards the utilitarian and simple. In recent years as attacks became less of a worry, fashion trends such as fanciful and flowy clothing have begun to dominate. Leather and other animal products like bone, hide, skin, fur, and wool are the most commonly used materials. Occasionally, homegrown silk and chitin from the Kafervolk are used in clothing. Metals, gems, and textiles derived from plants also see some use.   Although the weather in the Empire is mostly temperate, there is a distinct cycle of four seasons. To account for changes in temperature, layering is common. Most clothing is made with natural colors like brown, black, or tan. Many people incorporate the traditional colors (pinks, reds, yellows, whites, and greens) and symbols of the Lotus into their everyday wear to venerate both the Emperor that protects them and the Lotus Empire itself. Masks have also become popular with the public. While only high level government officials on assignment are mandated to use them, many citizens have adopted them for everyday wear as fashion statements.    

Religion

The people fully trust in the power of the Emperor, and many citizens believe the Emperor is an aspect or Ascendant of Forsyth. The Empire officially disclaims this rumor as merely apocryphal. Temples and churches are strictly prohibited as symbols of extravagance, time-wasting, and sloth, though small personal or family shrines to venerate the Emperor or familial ancestors are allowed. There is no time or need to pray to others when the Emperor will provide for and protect you. Some cults and religious traditions have managed to flourish in and around Lianhua in secret, but none are practiced openly; the government would view such brazen acts as treason, subjecting those citizens to rehabilitation–or even imprisonment or ostracism in extreme cases.  

Holidays and Traditions

The Emperor has mandated several holidays that all inhabitants of the Lotus Empire celebrate. Some districts may celebrate other festivals and traditions that are unique to the district.  

Day of Darkest Sun

The Day of Darkest Sun is an annual tradition that occurs on the winter solstice, the shortest and coldest day of the year. The citizens rejoice, celebrating both another year of the Empire’s survival and the eventual return of warmer and longer days ahead. Many districts host ceremonies, grand feasts, and parties that last the entire day. Fireworks, firecrackers, and noisemakers are lit at sunrise and sunset to indicate the start and end of the day.  

Sweeping Week

Sweeping Week is a seven day holiday in Mid to Late Summer. The holiday occurs the day after the first Serene Lotus flower of the year blossoms; it marks the beginning of a full seven day ceremony that represents renewal and recommitment to Lotus citizens. The return of the lotus flower is a serious time in which citizens both celebrate the achievements of the past year and contemplate and prepare for the challenges facing them and the Empire in the year ahead. During this week citizens fast during daylight hours and clean their homes each day, sweeping away the old to welcome the new.  

The Festival of Ten Thousand Lanterns

The Festival of Ten Thousand Lanterns occurs in Early Fall and commemorates the anniversary of the coronation of the Masked Emperor and the founding of the Lotus Empire and Lianhua. This is a joyous celebration in the Lotus Empire where citizens release floating and flying lanterns throughout the city at night, turning Lianhua into a brilliant multicolored nightscape.  

Superstitions and Taboos

• Sunrise, Sunset - Dawn and dusk are considered the most fortuitous times of the day in the Lotus Empire. Most residents will try to take some time out of their day to view either or both as a small celebration of living another day.

• Honor The Dead - Lotus Citizens keep small shrines that venerate their ancestors. After all, because of them you are alive today.

• Secrets Unburdened - Keeping secrets is considered grossly unlucky. Information should be shared, not hidden. An unburdened mind is a happy one.

• A Noisy Perimeter Check - Before going to bed, Lotus Citizens usually walk around their homes ringing a bell or chimes to make sure no Ashtouched are near.

• Safety in Numbers - It is always better to spend your days with other people. Being alone in the world of Aldwa is dangerous.

 

Geography

Over 90% of the populace of the Lotus Empire live in the fortress city of Lianhua, a grand, multi-walled city that overlooks and commands the Jintu river valley. Since the Sundering, the city has slowly expanded as necessary and is one of the largest and densest settlements in Aldwa, rivaling even Hightower in Fola. Lianhua is divided into seemingly innumerable districts, each of which is well protected from monstrous threats and generally capable of supporting itself independently from other districts for several weeks. These districts form the basis upon which Lotus Citizens define themselves, as many work and live their entire lives within the same district.   The Jintu river valley that Lianhua guards is relatively fertile. Much of it remains unsettled and unused due to the constant threat of monstrous attacks, a noticeable consequence of the Ashes in this part of the world. Due to these attacks, the Lotus Empire has developed relatively isolated from other cultures, only recently beginning to venture outside of its borders. The Empire has begun to reclaim and resettle the valley by founding several permanent outposts and small towns that strategically dot the valley.  

The Districts

Almost all citizens of the Lotus Empire reside within a specific home district that is self-contained and well protected from potential attacks by Ashtouched. While districts primarily consist of residential buildings, each district also offers an array of basic services. A district usually contains a central government building, a warehouse for storage, stores like grocers and markets, schools, and basic police and fire stations. Workplaces and some manufacturing sites are also present in each district, allowing most citizens the opportunity to live their entire lives in a single district without the need to leave. These districts are all capable of self-sufficiency for several weeks in case neighboring districts are breached or contact with them is lost. Some notable districts in Lianhua are much more specialized, such as the Lotus Gardens and Conservatory, the Towering Gardens, and Baoan.  

Government and Laws

Power is fully vested in the Masked Emperor, whose mandates and prerogatives control the entire government of the Lotus Empire. The Emperor believes in a meritocracy, where the most competent individuals should rise to the top and lead the various areas of government, and has vested their power into select individuals through a Royal Seal of Assent. Due to this, the government of the Empire is overall extremely stable and led by a large bureaucratic force, though the Emperor maintains the right to promote a more competent individual at any time.   Many of the laws of the Lotus Empire are common sense. Act properly to one another, and no issues will come to you. The Emperor has banned acts that hurt others, such as murder, assault, slander, and libel; acts that hurt property, such as theft, destruction, and arson; and acts that hurt the people, like treason and insurrection. Wasting resources is heavily frowned upon as well, though not strictly illegal since the most rationing laws were lifted several decades ago. While every Lotus citizen is provided the necessary resources to live a comfortable life, only those citizens that have proven their worth are afforded the resources above what they need.  

Agriculture and Industry

The majority of people work and live their entire lives in the city of Lianhua. Various districts within the city provide for many of the needs of the people, though some limited trade is still needed for more specialized items. After they’ve been dispatched, many of the monsters that attack the city are processed and used in various industries, notably clothing, potion-making and compounding, and agriculture. The Empire possesses a large industrial and manufacturing capacity to support this monstrous economy; entire districts are sometimes dedicated to it.   While the Jintu valley provides a large amount of natural resources like farmland, wood, and metal ores, the effective use of these resources has been severely limited due to the heavy presence of Ashtouched. The Empire has executed numerous attempts to reclaim areas of the valley with limited success. Still, a vast majority of the valley remains in pristine condition, left to the monsters of Aldwa and the fools who would attempt to claim it.  

History

 

Pre-Ashfall

The Lotus Empire has always existed in the world of Aldwa in some form, always led by the same unchanging Masked Emperor.  

Post-Ashfall

  0AF - Lianhua is founded as the capital of the Lotus Empire; communication to all other known cultures and territories is severed. The Lotus Empire is plunged into anarchy along with the rest of Aldwa as the Ashfall begins. The Masked Emperor wisely leads a group of citizens into Lianhua for protection. Communication to the greater world and the other territories of the Empire is lost as Ashtouched monsters overwhelm and destroy nearby encampments. Lianhua barely survives for the next several years and is cut off from the world.   22AF - The Emperor issues a decree to send expeditions to explore outside Lianhua and reestablish communications with any other survivors. Lianhua stabilizes enough to begin the process of reestablishing outside communications. Small scouting groups begin to remap the new landscape and geography of Aldwa after the Ashfall.   38AF - The last major reported breach of the walls of Lianhua. The northwestern wall of Lianhua is breached by a rampaging force. The invaders manage to occupy 3 districts on the outskirts of the city, but are soon repelled by the combined efforts of the Lianhua Garrison and Corp 17 of the Lotus Military. The Emperor vows to rebuild all affected districts.   40AF - The Masked Emperor approves an expedition to the neighboring Lotamos river By imperial edict of the Masked Emperor, a small expeditionary force is sent to explore the Lotamos river.   41AF - The Lotus Empire incorporates the Attawa District through the Treaty of Danfa. By imperial edict of the Masked Emperor, the Lotus Empire establishes the Attawa district, a small outlying outpost district which stems from the Lotamos river expedition that began last year.