Lingshen

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Lingshen

(Nation)

Alignment

Lawful neutral

Capital

Xiwu

Ruler

Until 4722 AR: King Huang Shixin

Government

Hereditary monarchy

Demonym

Lingshenese

Adjective

Lingshenese

Languages

Tien

Religions

Abadar, Hei Feng, Irori, Yaezhing

Images of Lingshen

Source: Dragon Empires Gazetteer, pg(s). 30 (1E)
Tian Xia World Guide, pg(s). 122–129 (2E)

The kingdom of Lingshen is located in the western half of Tian Xia's northern landmass. Some argue that it is the greatest of the Successor States of Imperial Lung Wa, although this opinion would be hotly derided by both the inhabitants of Quain and Po Li.

Geography

Lingshen is the largest of the Successor States in terms of sheer area and borders numerous countries and geographical features. To the north, the Tuunma River marks the border with the sparsely inhabited region known as Shanguang and the hobgoblin kingdom of Kaoling. Further east, Lingshen reaches the Sea of Eels before being separated from Songbai by a river, while the Gossamer Mountains mark the border with Shenmen before the easternmost reaches of the country meet the coast of the Sea of Ghosts. Directly south is the Successor State of Po Li, while to the southwest is the hero nation of Quain, both rivals of Lingshen. The Wall of Heaven mountains form Lingshen's westernmost border, separating Lingshen from the Embaral Ocean.

History

Lingshen formed in the wake of the collapse of Imperial Lung Wa in 7106 IC. The once-mighty empire fractured loosely along military, religious, and traditionalist lines, and Lingshen was formed by those of the military faction, which has since largely influenced the nation's culture. The Lingshenese capital of Xiwu is particularly renowned for resembling a military stronghold more than a metropolis.

Government

The vacant throne

King Huang Shixin, a controversial figure, ruled Lingshen as an absolute monarch until his apparent death in 7222 IC. He was viewed by those who dreamt of a reborn Lung Wa as a hero, and as a monster by almost all who faced his armies. King Huang granted each of his 11 children command of their own army as a way to prove themselves as military commanders, and while his children were unquestionably loyal to their father, they fought and schemed relentlessly amongst themselves and even marched their armies against one another, as long as it did not endanger Lingshen itself.

However, King Huang found none of his children worthy to ascend to the throne of Lingshen by birthright and left the throne vacant upon his death. He instead willed that the next ruler be decided by a test: the lifting of a three-foot-wide stone called the Keystone. The stone is secretly magically bound to multiple locations in Lingshen, making it seemingly impossible for any mortal to lift, and all of King Huang's children attempted and failed to do so.

In secret, King Huang had his soul implanted into a constructed body at his death, aided by an application of the sun orchid elixir in the moments before he passed away. The unique body was designed to be able to lift the Keystone and prove his claim that he remains his bloodline's strongest leader and only worthy ruler of Lingshen. However, the process of installing his soul in the construct twisted his ambitions even further, and he now seeks to become the immortal Eternal Emperor upon the date of a solar eclipse.

The royal heirs

With the throne empty, the nine heirs that remain in Lingshen have formed an interim committee to substitute the functions of the king as they continue their power struggle. Important decisions are handled through votes, creating fleeting and bitter alliances as the heirs scramble for any scrap of political gain. For this reason, the envoys, chancellors, and courtiers of Lingshen do everything they can to dismiss issues before it reaches the committee, as nothing good comes of getting roped into their vicious competition. Crimes done quietly are therefore overlooked under the current government.

As of 7224 IC, the two most prominent heirs are Huang Rufei, the Shining Star; and Huang Zhiwang, the Cunning Spider. Rufei is the best military general and combatant of the heirs, while Zhiwang is an unmatched strategist and social manipulator. Three particularly young heirs, Huang Yeban, Huang Yiwai, and Huang Jingcai at ages ten, nine, and eight respectively, nonetheless participate in committee votes and are often targeted and swayed by the other heirs due to their impressionability. Huang Yinghuo does her best to protect these youngest heirs.

Lower branches

The three branches of government common citizens are the most acquainted with are the Bureau of Assessment, the Judicial Magistrates, and the Inspectors of Conformation.

The Bureau of Assessment collects taxes and appraises property. Many laborers receive payment for their crops or animal products through the Bureau, taxed immediately.

The Judicial Magistrates are the judges of Lingshen, and they are further divided into three levels. Cases generally start at the local level and may be passed to higher levels, typically after a judgment was already made. The highest level judges decide which cases to bring to the royal heirs.

The Inspectors of Conformation make sure goods and services are up to standards, with a focus on keeping them of equal, passable quality rather than of high quality. Wealthy producers who can afford to discard goods are favored by this system, while the poor struggle under the pressure of the inspectors.

Military

Military education is very prominent in Lingshen, and available to everyone. Citizens are all expected to learn certain combat arts during their childhood: wrestling; holding a spear; archery; and, if they have the resources, horseback riding. As early as age 13, they are able to join military service or enter one of the many specialized military academies. Tactics is the most common academy specialization. Other academy specializations include magic; siege weapons; and, more rarely, infiltration, assassination, and espionage. Many of these academies are located in the Battle Forges, a large swath of land in the heart of Lingshen. Also located there is the Lingshenese engineering college, which includes civil engineering and other benign sciences but is focused on the development of weapons, to the vexation of some academics.

There are three main ways to climb the officer ranks of the military hierarchy: joining an academy, being recognized by a commander, or winning a military promotion trial. Military trials are frequently available, typically occurring at least monthly. These trials start with point-based archery and spear-play against targets as well as competitive wrestling. Those who score enough points move on to a mounted archery and riding obstacle course. Mid-rank officers seeking promotion are also pitted against each other in competitions to unseat the other with wrestling, archery, or sword fighting using blunted weapons.

Lingshen's armies are rightly feared across the continent. When facing enemies in battle, King Huang offered them a single chance to surrender. If they refused, his armies slaughtered every man, woman, and child, even killing livestock and pets to prove his dominance.

Terra-cotta soldiers

Lingshen also makes heavy use of terra-cotta soldiers in battle. The constructed soldiers are crafted in the Cradle of Immortality and animated from the souls of slain and retired Lingshenese soldiers.

The Cradle, which is a series of long structures arranged in a cluster, is surrounded by hundreds of clay quarries. Craftspeople sculpt the constructs from the clay inside of the Cradle, all similar in general shape, form, and equipment, and are arranged into groups for various ancestries.

None has witnessed the harvesting of these souls on battlefields, and the process of collecting them and animating the soldiers is unknown not only to the public but also to all who work in the Cradle except its most senior laborers. The necromancer Laochong, the "Old Worm" as nicknamed by King Huang, is responsible for the soul-binding magic and uses the pricked blood collected when each soldier swears their oath to the crown. Not even King Huang knows Laochong's true nature or identity.

A large cavern beneath the Cradle serves as a repository for souls to be installed into the terra-cotta forms. Record keepers track the souls, including the few that silently but knowingly go unaccounted for.

Culture

Lingshen is renowned for its militaristic culture. Its soldiers are so dedicated to their king that after their deaths their souls are bound into terra-cotta soldiers to continue their service. This loyalty beyond death is one of the so-called 99 proofs that Lingshen is the true inheritor of Imperial Lung Wa.

Beyond war, the nobles of Lingshen value calligraphy above all other skills. The Nine Inkwells are the nine most prestigious calligraphy schools of Lingshen that educate the youth of the nobility in not just calligraphy but also intrigue, art, and all other skills required for rulership. The School of Affinities is considered the greatest of these schools. Calligraphy is taken so seriously that duels are often fought between the students of these rival schools, and it is claimed that the military commander who can write their strategy in the most perfect brushstrokes is guaranteed victory.

Lingshen is also home to the Imperial College, at which Dr. Si-Dao Yi published the elementalism work Languages of the Void in 7211 IC.

Religion

The most commonly worshipped deities in Lingshen are Abadar, god of walls and ditches; Hei Feng, the Duke of Thunder; Irori, the Enlightened One; and Yaezhing, the Minister of Blood.

References

For additional as-yet unincorporated sources about this subject, see the Meta page.