Cathay
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| Grand Cathay | |
|---|---|
 The Middle Kingdom, where dragons rule and harmony is enforced by fire |
|
| Founding | |
| Founded | Before time was counted (the Dragon Emperor remembers the world when it was young) |
| Founder | The Celestial Dragon Emperor and Moon Empress |
| Current Leader | The Celestial Dragon Emperor (eternal), his children (Miao Ying, Zhao Ming, etc.) |
| Geography | |
| Capital | Wei-Jin, the Dragon Capital |
| Major Cities | Shang-Yang, Fu-Chow, Nan-Gau, the Great Bastion |
| Regions | Eastern Cathay, Northern Provinces, the Great Bastion |
| Biology | |
| Lifespan | 50-70 years for mortals; the Dragon siblings are immortal |
| Height | 160-185 cm (5′3″ - 6′1″) |
| Culture | |
| Language | Cathayan (ancient, melodic, and impossible for barbarians to pronounce) |
| Religion | Veneration of the Dragon Emperor, the Moon Empress, and the balance of Yin and Yang |
| Government | |
| Government | Divine imperial bureaucracy ruled by immortal dragons in human guise |
| Relations | |
| Allies | High Elves (distant respect), some Jade-Blooded ogre tribes |
| Enemies | Chaos (eternal foe), Skaven, Ogres who forgot their place, rebellious monkey clans |
Grand Cathay is the oldest and greatest empire the world has ever known. While the Old World was still painting itself blue and throwing rocks, Cathay built floating cities, tamed rivers with geomancy, and set immortal dragons to rule over men. Its armies march behind walls of living jade and terracotta giants. Its astromancers read the future in the stars. Its alchemists brew gunpowder strong enough to crack mountains. And behind every silk curtain, every golden mask, a dragon watches with ancient, unblinking eyes.
Overview
If you want to play someone who genuinely believes their culture is the pinnacle of creation and has the magic, monsters, and artillery to back it up, welcome home.
Appearance
East-Asian features, straight black hair, skin from pale ivory to warm bronze. Clothing is art: silk robes heavy with dragon motifs, jade armour that looks grown rather than forged, conical helmets that hide every expression. Even common soldiers wear lacquered lamellar that costs more than a Reiklander knight’s ransom.
Culture & Society
- Regions: The blessed heartlands of Cathay and the endless Great Bastion.
- Culture: Harmony above all. Order above chaos. Cathay above everything else.
- Names: Miao Ying, Zhao Ming, Li Dao, Yuan Bo, Shen-Zoo, Yin-Yin.
- Religion: The Dragon Emperor is divine. Questioning this is… discouraged.
Relations with Other Races
- High Elves - Friendly (they at least pretend to be civilised)
- The Empire - Neutral (noisy barbarians with interesting fireworks)
- Ogres - Neutral to Hostile (useful mercenaries until they eat the paymaster)
- Chaos, Skaven, Greenskins - Hostile (filth that must be burned from the world)
- Chaos Corruption - Hostile (the Dragon Emperor’s wrath is absolute)
- Slavery - Forbidden (a harmonious society has no need for chains)
Strengths & Weaknesses
- Strengths: Unmatched magical artillery, living statues, dragon-led synergy, unbreakable discipline.
- Weaknesses: Arrogant to the point of blindness, slow to adapt, every unit costs a fortune in silk and jade.
Playing a Cathayan
You are not a hero. You are a single thread in the grand tapestry of harmony. Speak calmly, move deliberately, and never show unseemly emotion in front of lesser beings. A Jade Warrior stands in perfect silence until the enemy is in range, then unleashes hell with mechanical precision. An Astromancer consults the heavens before every battle and sighs at how predictable barbarian tactics are. An Alchemist smiles politely while mixing something that will delete half a province.
You view the Old World the way a scholar views ants: interesting, occasionally useful, mostly beneath notice.
Physical Appearance
Grace incarnate. Robes flow like water, armour gleams like jade under moonlight. Helmets and masks turn every soldier into an expressionless icon of the empire. Terracotta Sentinels tower twenty feet high, faces frozen in eternal judgement. When a Dragon sibling walks among mortals in human form, the air itself seems to bow.
Notable Ranks & Careers
Conscript → Jade Warrior → Celestial Dragon Guard → Iron Hail Gunner → Astromancer Peasant → Alchemist → Master of the Nine Flames Gate Keeper → Shugengan Lord → Dragon-blooded child (only five exist, good luck)