Po Li

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Po Li

(Nation)

Land

Successor States

Alignment

Lawful neutral

Capital

Changdo

Ruler

The Oracular Council

Government

Theocracy

Adjective

Po Lian

Languages

Tien, Tang, Draconic, Samsaran, Nagaji

Religions

The Eternal Emperor

Images of Po Li

Source: Dragon Empires Gazetteer, pg(s). 34 (1E)
Tian Xia World Guide, pg(s). 168 (2E)

Seat of the former capital of Imperial Lung Wa, the Successor State of Po Li is now a monotheistic theocracy run by a council of powerful oracles in Changdo who await the reincarnation of the Eternal Emperor.

History

Before its fall, Po Li was the heartland of the empire of Lung Wa with Changdo, Po Li's modern capital, serving as the capital of the entire empire. In 4606 AR, when Aroden died and Lung Wa collapsed, the religious faction within its government took control of the region around its capital, which became known as Po Li. Po Li is now considered one of the 'true' successors to Imperial Lung Wa, though this claim is heavily disputed by its rivals Lingshen and Quain. Even prior to the fall of Lung Wa, the faith in the Eternal Emperor was the only one tolerated in this region; traditional religions that worship the gods were banned, and their clerics were castigated as heretics.

Geography

Po Li is located in the central part of Tian Xia, surrounded by Quain in the west, Lingshen in the north, Bachuan in the northeast, Hwanggot in the east, Tang Mai in the southeast, and Nagajor in the southwest. A significant stretch of Po Li's northern border is made up of the shores of the Sea of Ghosts.

Government

Po Li is ruled by a group of powerful oracles devoted to the Eternal Emperor, known as the Oracular Council, that rules from Changdo, former capital of Lung Wa. The Oracular Council supports the Emperor's claim to reunite Lung Wa, but has yet to find an heir. The Emperor's Five Dragon Throne sits empty during all of their meetings, awaiting the return of the Eternal Emperor. Some skeptics suggest that they are simply relishing in their tight control over Po Li, while the faithful believe that the Emperor has reincarnated and is ready to restore the empire. The sky dragon Shen Ra watches from above and behind clouds, annihilating anyone they deem unworthy who sits on the Five Dragon Throne. So far, each of the multiple would-be emperors who have sat on the throne throughout history have been reduced to ash by Shen Ra's lightning.

Bureau of Numerology

The operatives, agents, and seers of the Bureau of Numerology protect Po Li from internal and external threats, as well as support the Oracular Council in its influence and political power. The organization is composed of five branches—one for each of the materials that composes the Five Dragon Throne:

• Lapis Watchers, secret police who monitor insurgencies, spies, and those who practice a faith other than that of the Eternal Emperor
• Chalcedony Syndicate, oracles who administer the Test of Fate, connect with ancestral spirits, and provide other religious services
• Ivory Guards, law enforcement in villages, townships, and outposts
• Malachite Battalion, standing army
• Jade Warriors, elite guards protecting Changdo and the only branch to not answer to the Oracular Council

Inhabitants

A fortune teller reads the fate of an infant in Changdo, capital of Po Li.

The primary inhabitants of Po Li are humans of the Tian-Shu ethnicity but the country also has significant populations of Tian-Tangs as well as nagaji and samsarans. The people of Po Li believe that the Eternal Emperor will soon reincarnate to restore the empire of Imperial Lung Wa. Newborn Po Lian children are sometimes offered to the oracles by their mothers, who claim that they have given birth to the emperor; most of the time they are simply dismissed, and only very few of them are taken to be raised among the oracles, where they become members of the Oracular Council or wandering heroes. Recently, some citizens have come to believe that the emperor will only return when the colossal Eternal Emperor statue in Changdo, which has been under construction for more than three centuries, is completed.

Culture

The Oracular Council turns to many forms of divination to help them make decisions. The preferred method is the Path of Numbers. Po Li's main exports are holy relics. Real oracles and imposters alike claim that the items they sell are real relics from Lung Wa's emperors. The vast majority of them are no more than baubles, and their sellers risk the Oracular Council's wrath, but a few hold real magical power.

Religion

Although most of former Lung Wa's territory has since returned to worship the gods, the faith in the Eternal Emperor persists in Po Li. The only religion allowed in Po Li is worship of the Eternal Emperor and all others are suppressed in the country. Although the last emperor of Lung Wa died over a century ago when Lung Wa fell, the religions followers believe that he will eventually be reincarnated, taking his rightful place on the Five Dragon Throne again.

References

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