Chen Province, Lelien Empire

Chen Province forms the hard spine of the Lelien Empire, a land defined by its craggy hills, iron-laced mountains, and deep river valleys that cut like scars through the landscape. Here, the earth itself seems forged for trial, yielding rich veins of ore and gemstones that have long sustained the empire’s foundries and armories. Towering stone quarries and sprawling mines pockmark the highlands, while rivers run tinted by mineral runoff — feeding bustling trade but also stirring the ire of local spirits.

Towns and cities throughout Chen are built with resilience in mind. Massive walls, fortified bridges, and watchtowers stand testament to a history of both natural hardship and human rivalry. Chief among these settlements is Qinchao, The Iron Lotus, a thriving hub of industry and martial ambition where merchants, miners, and duelists alike chase fortune and fame.

Chen’s people are as rugged and proud as their homeland, known for forging not just steel but character through discipline, endurance, and cunning. The province’s famed martial academies, like Highcano, draw aspirants from across the empire who hope to temper themselves in Chen’s uncompromising crucible. Yet it is also a place of dangerous undercurrents — old feuds between clans, reckless delving into the earth’s depths, and whispers of power left behind by gods long dead.

Chen Province stands as the empire’s furnace, where wealth is wrenched from stone, warriors are honed sharper than any blade, and ambition burns hotter than any forge.