Yonghéng Dìguó

Looming above Eastern Varzzen is Yonghéng Dìguó, an empire of blackened cragsteel and volcanic stone. Established soon after Arachnida’s defeat, the age of Chaos began with the Empire's vision enacted. Varzzen’s volcanic Cragchain was conquered readily, swept up in an expansion campaign that would last centuries. Many unfortunate natives would be subsumed by the Empire, becoming more fuel for its fire. It was not long for word to spread of the malicious state colloquially dubbed the Ember Empire, led by the Brimstone Emperor Emkrik Maldroor, who has reigned through pragmatic control and precise cruelty.

The Empire’s initial expansion has all but come to a halt, claiming the swaths of rainforests to the north and coastline to the south of the mountain range as its own, including the Ember Sea to the west. Now consolidating what has been taken, the Empire has formed a brutal nation of ambition, determination, and crushed spirits. While expansion has been stagnant for years, border disputes are common, scouts are seen leaving the Empire’s walls, whatever deigned the Emperor to halt his campaign, won’t keep him at bay for long.

Tempered Will Shall Lead

Yonghéng Dìguó is a totalitarian nation, led by a singular figure, Emkrik Maldroor. A militaristic imperial cult to the letter, the Brimstone Emperor Maldroor has ruled with an iron grip and false faith since its inception centuries ago. The regular presence of military police and heavy indoctrination turns his citizens into those who would blindly follow him, or are controlled through fear.

The nation itself is organized as a fortress on a country-wide scale, towns are treated as military outposts ready to turn inside out to protect the wider region. As such, positions of governance are also treated as positions of military rank. Sheriffs are treated as Lieutenants, Mayors as Captains, and Governors as Colonels. This martial hierarchy goes higher until it reaches the Emperor’s personal council, a circle of his own chilopodian progeny, and then the Emperor himself, the Supreme General of the Empire. Thus, the military is always present, and always watching, to ensure citizens obey, or be punished readily. Frisks and loyalty checks are common to sow fear into lesser citizens, for if they falter in reciting their nation’s anthem, or misname the ranks of officers before them, they may never be seen again.

With such presence threatening those who dissent, lesser citizens do not question the delusional rule of law within the Empire. Inherently unfair to insectoid races the Emperor does not favor, the system is meant to keep the Empire’s people in line, outlawing many outside influences from undermining the propaganda that is taught from young ages. Rulings and titles given by the Emperor’s court are meant to delude, dissuade, or punish any who should prove overly confident, or problematic. Favored races enjoy blind eyes being turned, if the price is right, producing a rampant amount of corruption within the system. Lesser citizens accused of disobedience or slander can be publicly shamed by those loyal to the Emperor. Worse, punishments can go as far as to strip food away from them, incentivizing the populace to work, or starve. Capital punishment is carried out in limited cases, for the Empire cannot exploit a dead worker.

The Blessed, and the Faithless

A major facet of the oppression present within Yonghéng Dìguó, includes a callous racial hierarchy to further corral citizens. While Emperor Maldroor does truly favor some races of insectoid above others, it does not betray the real meaning of such racial division; control.

Chilopodians

Lauded as distant descendants of the Emperor’s divine bloodline, chilopodians are the pampered nobility of the empire who enjoy many benefits and amenities. Most high governmental and strategic positions are given to chilopodians, but mostly, positions that command a lot of respect, or fear, are given to them. Through this, the lesser citizens see the Emperor’s visage through them in every corner of the Empire, and can never truly be beyond his gaze. Immolator inquisitors of the Emperor’s Imperial Cult are a majority chilopodian, seen as avatars who Maldroor himself speaks through. The Emperor’s personal council itself is made up of his direct chilopodian progeny, raised from birth to be perfect advisors and Marshals, these Ember Heirs are seen by the nation as demi-gods, born from the Emperor’s magnificent chitin.

Fire Ants

Fire Ants are the Emperor’s most beloved people, and his proudest creation. In the time of Arachnida’s Eight Legged Terror, an uncountable amount of lives were lost, scattering bugs across Varzzen. One such victim to her spreading corruption was a lone collection of anthills, cut off from the wider ant populace of Western Varzzen. As their queen died to the blackened tide of Shadewoven, Emkrik Maldroor appeared amidst their final stand. Emboldened by his focus and divine power, they pushed back Arachnida’s darkness. Maldroor then made an offer, a pact, a piece of his divine power in exchange for loyalty to him. None hesitated on that day, and the Eastern Anthills became the first fire ants, beginning Maldroor’s campaign to establish Yonghéng Dìguó.

In current times, fire ants make up a vast majority of Yonghéng Dìguó’s militaristic and artisan population. They are allowed many careers of their choice and enjoy more freedoms than most lesser citizens. As such, fire ants are the populace that create the most art and finer goods, ranging from metallurgy to ceramics. However, most of the fire ant populace is in some way part of the military, and none of the Emperor’s beloved would turn down an opportunity for glory. All fire ants are looked up to by the rest of the Yonghéng Dìguó’s lesser citizenry, their militaristic might revered to the highest degree. As the fire ants gain prowess and skill, so too does their recognition. Should a fire ant become masterful in their craft, they can be recognized by the Emperor himself, and given the title of Champion within their respective field. Champion fire ants have risen from the ashes of battle, from showcasing peerless devotion, or shone through timeless artistic beauty. These titles of championship are enamoring, but truthfully offer little more power than the fire ant had before, and never attaining more influence than their Chilopodian nobility.

The Lesser Citizens

Encompassing a significant portion of Yonghéng Dìguó’s populace, the lesser citizens are all other races of insectoid unfortunate enough to find themselves within the steel walls of the Empire. Initially deemed “faithless” by the favored races, they are brutally corralled into work and devotion through relentless indoctrination and threatened punishment. Cultural practices are shunned, and worship of anything other than the Emperor is punishable by numerous methods, all worse than the last. Social services are only granted to these lesser citizens at their workplace, incentivising them to fall in line. Thus, options for these lesser citizens are practically nonexistent, and are essentially assigned jobs they must do. There is little they can gain favor for, and next to no position they can gain. They will always be below the lowest fire ant.

The Foreign Faithless: The Empire’s colloquial term for outsiders from the rest of Varzzen. Individuals of some renown, traders, or other diplomatic envoys are the few outsiders let into the Empire, and even then, in a limited setting. These bugs, while still being seen as lesser by the favored races, are tolerated to the extent that they are useful for Yonghéng Dìguó’s wellbeing. Traders bringing in essential goods are given respect for as long as they conduct themselves properly. Foreign talent and genius brought in to aid the Brimstone Emperor’s planning or research are not an uncommon sight, but seeing them again is a rare occasion, especially if they fail him. Bugs that visit the Empire in any capacity should mind their manners, do what they came to do, and make their way out, lest they disappear alongside so many others.

Divinity Made Flesh

Yonghéng Dìguó’s populace at large is dominated by an imperial cult which worships Emkrik Maldroor as a draconic god bound to mortal flesh. It is known by the citizenry as the Dragon’s Path. Said to have created the world itself, the religion literally revolves around the Emperor’s power and exaggerates it greatly. Through this worship, Maldroor gains more and more power, and shows it off commonly. Visiting the cities within the Empire deemed the most pious, Maldroor conducts a “Festival of Revelation” where he uses his divine power to temporarily blot out the sun with illusory smoke and clouds. This plunges the village into an eclipsed darkness, saved only by the light from Maldroor’s unnaturally deep red flames.

The religious mantras of Yonghéng Dìguó praise sacrifice and righteous struggle, only gaining wealth through blessings from their God-Emperor himself. These ideals are pushed into every aspect of the Empire’s populace day and night, taking the form of aggressive propaganda. This replaces many lesser citizens' original cultural practices, and subjects newborn bugs to the cult’s ideals as soon as they can read. These ideals translate into practices such as material sacrifice, giving away extra materials one may accumulate, sacrificing portions of meals into ritual fires in mess halls, and more. Some go as far as to regularly donate to Chilopodian nobles, seeking to gain favor with the Emperor’s own flesh and blood itself. This is typically a fool's errand and is only present to enrich the upper class of the Empire further. However, in some rare instances, individuals with such faith are rewarded.

As a result, widespread fanaticism is present across the Empire, and many lesser citizens will do anything to gain favor, furthering their path to so-called “salvation.” Temples to the Imperial Cult are present in every town or city within the Empire, each with their own eternally burning fire. These “holy fires” take the form of a fire with a much, much darker hue. The flames appear as a dark blood red. These fires are tended to by the Firetender priests of the imperial cult, ensuring they are never put out while also carrying out sermons and other cult practices.

Typically, these practices happen during the night, with the day being reserved for work and productivity. Sermons sung to the night alongside ritual “dragon dances” around the eternal flames of the Temple are most common. Flametenders lead these practices, preaching to the citizenry about the false sun of the Radiant Cocoon, and that its light stains the holy lands of the Emperor. To show loyalty to the Emperor despite walking amidst the false sunlight, the zealous will undergo ritual branding. Administered by the Flametenders, this practice of branding is painful, but fulfilling to those of fervent belief. Knowing every face who has donned a brand or attended sermons, the Flametenders become pillars of city communities, being a trusted figure amidst the community despite their true intentions. Flametenders being familiar with most bugs of fervent faith enables them to distinguish those of lacking faith, or no faith at all. The final addition to their duties is serving as scouts for the Immolator Inquisition of Yonghéng Dìguó.

The dreaded Immolators are the inquisitorial force of the Empire, tasked with smoothing out any rough edges the status quo may have. Made up of deep blood red Chilopodians, many within the Empire believe them to be direct descendants of the Emperor’s bloodline, and some actually are. They stand larger than most Chilopodians, wearing maroon scaled leather and beige silken robes that wave like wisps of smoke. Their faces are covered by the same beige cloth, marked by a singular draconic eye. They need not their sight while guided by the Dragon’s divine will. As such, they are amongst the most holy figures within the Empire, and the sight of them portends worship, or pain. These immolators regularly go from city to city, rooting out heresy and stealing away citizens deemed faithless or sinful. These poor souls are subjected to the “Immolation Trial,” a ritual where bugs are thrown into a circle of the Emperor’s holy fire and set ablaze. This ritual is one of mere purification, for those of pure and sinless faith, no harm or marks are left behind. However, for those bearing guilt and/or heresy, the flames will agonize the subject, leaving behind marks corresponding to how guilty they were. In cases of high heresy or guilt, the victim may simply burn to ash.

What is explicitly deemed heretical, is worship of anything other than the Emperor himself and his draconic divinity. However, what is considered heinously heretical, is worship of the Order Pantheon, especially that of the Radiant Cocoon. A formative belief of the imperial cult is that the Emperor’s divine form created Alvandis itself, and all that exists is bounty for the Emperor’s followers, and more importantly, himself. The Radiant Cocoon is disparaged as a false god, one who took advantage of Maldroor’s mortal state, and has corrupted the holy land and all insectoid races within. The Order Pantheon are warped into the demons of the Radiant Cocoon, wearing the faces of their insectoid children, pulling them away from salvation. As a result, citizens devout to the cult are openly belligerent to the wider world of Alvandis. Fire Ants, for example, see themselves as the purified race of ants, and yearn to save their wayward kin from the demon Chitas, whether they want it or not.

By Might Alone

With religious fervor fostering belligerent attitudes, there is no shortage of military cadets wishing to bring glory to their Empire. Lauded by religious rites as the righteous protectors of the Empire and the valiant crusaders against the false sun, many fervent believers will dedicate their lives to the cause. Yonghéng Dìguó’s layout and organization facilitates this as a massive network of fortress cities, housing hundreds of thousands of garrison troops. Military service is a massive part of Empire culture for every race in some way. The Fire Ants being the most involved as the ones who are either within the military itself as soldiers or officers, or employing their artisanal careers to directly supply the armies’ stockpiles. The other citizens of the Empire facilitate or organize the army, as the Chilopodian citizens take positions of logistical importance, or directly head the army as officers. Meanwhile, the lesser citizens work the hard work of gathering raw resources to be remade into what is needed.

There is little room for cultural practices afforded to the lesser citizens, so imperial cult practices and military support are the two things most present in their lives. More favored citizens are in a similar situation but have more options for them to explore. Many mosaics and tapestries are made depicting the Emperor guiding troops to victory, or of him leading prayer. Some projects simply display the hierarchy of military rankings and their symbols, showcasing diligent memorization of their holy protectors.

The Emperor views his ambitions through his army itself. While proud of the formidable force his beloved ants have become, numbers alone do not win wars. Innovation and organization is needed. While the Emperor’s Heirs of Fire have done diligent work to organize the Empire into its grand and battle-ready stature, Emkrik Maldroor has been securing talent, foreign and domestic, to embolden his war machine. Genius minds are difficult to come by, but the Emperor has an eye for talent. Collaborating with his brightest fire ant artisans, cragsteel and tenracoht was derived from the Empire’s volcanic materials. Rumor has it some of these materials are beyond Alvandis, coming from the Willocrags themselves. The material cragsteel is a crucible alloy with flowing patterns, able to retain fire of normal or magical qualities, it can then strike as if red-hot, searing the victim. Tenracoht is a hardened ceramic material similar to Terracotta, used to bolster armor, or create a full plate suit. In skirmishes, these two innovations have proven exceptional.

Trending technological innovation has attracted some interest in the Empire’s endeavors, including foreign talent. The Emperor has since welcomed a luni archmage and roach high engineer into his personal council amidst his Heirs of Fire. Together they take the position of senior advisors to the Emperor’s magical and technological ambitions, overseeing projects to bolster Yonghéng Dìguó’s militaristic capabilities. The Luni archmage is wise, and seeks to further long term research that can enhance the Empire’s magic usage, and upgrade the Emperor’s holy rituals. The Roach high engineer, on the other hand, engages in more short term research to create new technologies for the Empire’s use. As such, the Roach has made more individual creations. Tenrachot golems for siege work or heavy labour, infantry flamethrowers weaponizing the Emperor’s holy flame, and more to come. The two of them have formed a friendly rivalry which the Emperor encourages, as they compete to create numerous innovations for the Empire’s benefit. However, should they work together, groundbreaking new ideas are made. In their mutual research, the pair’s eyes have turned towards the sea.

His Holy Materials

Attention towards Yonghéng Dìguó’s trending technological level has given the Empire valuable exposure to external trade. The Empire is an economic powerhouse, for reasons the other nations of Varzzen would not employ. The fruits of the lesser citizens' labor goes directly to the favored citizens and their trade networks, if not their own pockets. While indentured slaves in all but name, lesser citizens fuel a stratified economy within Yonghéng Dìguó. The wealth disparity is clear as day to those who are aware of it. Despite such an imbalance of wealth, the lesser citizens are motivated to keep working, as the more work they do than others, the more they are paid. To this end, they are more preoccupied with earning more than organizing themselves against the system.

The Empire does not wear its heart on its sleeve, and has created cities solely for showcasing specific economic sectors. Grand cities made of beautiful metalworking stand to welcome visitors and house centers of trade. Forge fortress towns breathe industrial metallurgy, becoming the beating hearts for the Empire’s war efforts. Scattered about, are the smaller towns and cities of labor, dedicated to the lesser citizenry of the Empire. These are not well known, and mostly kept from prying foreign eyes in order to maintain the Empire’s courtly facade. Those who pry too much, may disappear from the wider world, and be added to the masses of lesser citizenry.

Despite the degrees of luxury and amassing of wealth, the Emperor’s approach to the Empire’s economics is pragmatic. What can be made functional is made so, and nothing chooses flair over it. As such, districts within the Empire are focused and specialized, with most focusing on sustaining the Empire so that it needs little imports. A hefty import tax is also employed to discourage citizens from external reliance. What is left of the Empire’s cities are dedicated to exports and further industrial capabilities, as many foreign nations covet the Empire’s unique goods. Cragsteel, as an example, has an enigmatic creation process that is kept a close secret, and thus none can gain any without first consulting the Empire. So it is that the Empire is a major trade partner to the western nations of Varzzen and some to the eastern nations, like Kamaran. The Empire’s major exports include cragsteel, terracotta, and volcanic pumice stone. However, its primary export are volcanic spices, used in delicacies across Varzzen, ushering in many merchants. These include the Snails Pitch merchants, who make their way to the step of the Empire, keen on gathering such valuable goods. Others may arrive simply to gaze upon the citizenry’s beautiful ceramic and porcelain craftsmanship. Many return home with tales of beautiful city scenery, powerful forges and craftsmanship; all to better fabricate Yonghéng Dìguó’s mostly positive reputation.