Aolin

Aolin

(Person)

Titles

Emperor

Ancestry/Species

Sovereign dragon

Gender

Male

Homeland

Tian Xia

Source: Tian Xia World Guide, pg(s). 7–11

The blue-scaled sovereign dragon Aolin was the second ruler of Yixing after succeeding his adoptive human mother Su in -2412 AR. He ruled until relinquishing rulership in 1 AR, but implemented a puppet emperor and continued to shape Yixing until his imprisonment in 2664 AR.

Background

In his human guise, Aolin first gained political power by climbing the military ranks of the country that would later be declared Yixing. The ruler, Su, adopted Aolin as her only son. When Aolin succeeded her after her death, he retroactively declared Su the First Empress of Yixing, and declared her birth year 1 IC. Aolin's four sworn siblings, one of each other imperial dragon ancestry, became his closest advisors. Their early reign was marked by the slow expansion of Yixing into a sprawling provincial empire through opportunistic annexations and diplomacy. Provincial rulers were strategically allowed to title themselves as emperors and empresses. However, Aolin secretly planned for them to be overthrown by their subjects as a way to satisfy the ambition of humans.

The siblings' activity drew the ire of Shizuru, who sent her herald Shinonome to confront them. Aolin intimidated Shinonome with his draconic form and declared that he would only relinquish rulership once humans proved they could become as great as the divine. His siblings were put off by his behavior at this meeting.

In -2056 AR, alongside his qlippoth allies and a yaoguai army, the mountain yaoguai Ougang invaded the Yixing capital of Changdo at the Battle of the Bloodsworn. After being tricked by the yaoguai, Aolin and his forest dragon sibling were slain in a qlippoth ambush. The dying forest dragon requested a Sarenite phoenix who was monitoring her to use her remaining life to revive Aolin. The phoenix gave up its own life in the process, permanently infusing Aolin with resurrecting life force.

After the Battle of the Bloodsworn, Yixing prospered and expanded immensely under Aolin's rule. This period lasted until 1 AR, when Aroden's ascension fulfilled Aolin's promise to Shinonome, forcing him to relinquish rulership. Through a loophole, he implemented a puppet as his successor, almost provoking a direct response from the gods but Shizuru instead responded by granting five human families in Minkai divine right to rule.

Aolin, continuing to seek global domination, later murdered his sky dragon sibling. Pu Duo, the samsaran student of the sky dragon, began investigating her death and eventually sought Aolin for help in finding the killer. In 1762 AR, they teamed up to create the Silk Network to aid the investigation. However, the Silk Network became another way Aolin sought to control all human civilizations on Golarion. It was not until 2300 AR that Pu Duo finally learned the truth from Aolin's underworld dragon sibling. Over the centuries, Pu Duo gathered a small collection of allies and resources to take down Aolin, which they did in 2664 AR. Aolin was attacked and incapacitated during the first imperial tea ceremony in Yixing, then imprisoned in a secret location with powerful magical seals and wards.

Pu Duo proceeded to write Aolin out of history. They forged decrees in Aolin's handwriting ordering the provincial rulers in Yixing to burn old writings, change the writing system, and encouraged leaders to keep populaces illiterate. Few beings in the present day know of Aolin or Yixing's real history.

Relatives

In -2050 AR, Aolin fathered his only child, a female sovereign dragon with vermilion hair. Sixty years later, in -1990 AR, she ran away from home for three years. When she returned in -1987 AR, the warring provincial kingdoms in the area of Xa Hoi successfully petitioned her to unite the region of Xa Hoi under her rule. This is when she was given the name of Pham Toan Nguyen, first in a long line of sovereign dragons that still rules Xa Hoi to this day.