TIANZHOU
Tucked away in the mountains to the south of Rimellion is a city swathed in gold and ivory, adorned by proud shades of crimson. Tianzhou is a church state that was founded shortly after the start of the current cycle, by survivors in search of a forgiving land to make a home for themselves. When these travelers found the secluded mountain range, they also happened upon an extremely strange mineral; a material similar in feeling and looks to gold, but with the unique trait of being extremely flammable. For a group of nomads looking for a place to settle, it was an extremely lucky find- not only could it be utilized as a source of fire for food and warmth, it was beautiful to look at. Further collection led to the discovery that the mineral was extremely abundant in the mountains they settled in, and would replace itself extremely quickly. New veins grew hastily as if the mountain was bleeding out, helping foster the community's growth
Quickly, this settlement began to flourish, and just as quickly it was named; "Tianzhou," after the family name of the original settlers. While Tianzhou remained extremely passive, the allure of Tianzhou's unique mineral drew in troves of the previous cycle's survivors still looking for a new home. It was from this that traveling clerics and excommunicated church members from across the world began to start noticing the holy aura of the material. It rang with an undeniable sort of divinity, and it drew further attention from worshippers of all varities who flocked to the city in droves. This discovery was taken in stride by Tianzhou's founders, and the city's population began to worship the material as a gift from the Gods to help them survive the arduous world they inhabited.
Through this discovery, the city became more unified than it had ever been before. The growth of their newly emerged religion led to the need for religious leaders, and these religious leaders became the foundation for the city's future monarchy. The leaders of their worship served equally as politicians, and people followed their word like it was God's. These early leaders of Tianzhou can be greatly attributed to the city's success as they organized their citizens to build the city up at an extremely rapid pace. People began to visit the city, eager to work and trade, or just take in the sights. The city had reached new heights of grandeur, and many were eager to see the city swathed in gold that had recovered so quickly after the apocalypse.
The city soon became known for its pride- pride in the religion they had created, in the mineral they had found, and in the rich culture and pracitces their lives had become enriched with. The atmosphere in the city is quite jovial, and the people of Tianzhou love festivals and partying- most of which involving feasting, relaxation, and an air of indulgence. Despite being a church state, their religion and the central church is known to be somewhat laid back. The city welcomes outsiders- whether they be tourists, or immigrants- as most love sharing traditions and spreading their culture to others.
Tianzhou's religion is centered around the idol Goddess Yijun, who is widely believed to be the divine power that gave them the golden mineral the city is built on. As such, she is greatly credited for the city's prosperity, and engaging in a decadent lifestyle is seen as a passive manner of worship towards her.
The city's wealth is plainly seen in the ornate architecture the city boasts, as well as the clothing of their citizens. Common colors seen in both are brilliant shades of white, gold, and red. Though many visitors like to claim that the city is stupidly adorned in the city's iconic golden mineral, only some churches and holy structures are built with it- and if these structures catch fire, it is accepted as the fate and will of Yijun.
However laidback the city may seem to be, Tianzhou is not perfectly passive, and for good reason. Tianzhou keeps an iron grip on its mining operations, and is notorious for its ruthlessness with other states that try to violate the mountain the city is built on. They heavily value the sanctity and purity of the mountain, and fostering the symbiotic relationship they've built with it. Many believe that to overmine the mountain or to cause harm to the natural landscape would be a personal slight against their goddess, and would invoke her wrath.
On top of Tianzhou's vigilance with its mining operations, there is also a layer of cruelty that the city tries to keep secret. While life for the average Tianzhou citizen is rather glamorous and comfortable, such a life can't be achieved without the exploited labor of the miners underneath the city. Touted as noble people who make a sacrifice in order to appease the mountain and supply Tianzhou with it's precious mineral, miners are actually treated horrifically poorly; forced to live in poor living conditions, little pay, and legal bindings under the guise of false religious doctrines keep the workers from speaking out against their treatment.
The outer rings of Tianzhou is run by a monarchy, consisting of a ruler chosen by blood. In most cases, there is only one heir to the Tianzhou throne. Royal marriage does not offer much political power in Tianzhou. Tianzhou rulers are referred to as “Golden Kings” or “Golden Queens” or what have you. In most cases they are also expected to work as pastors for the Tianzhou religion. The inner ring of Tianzhou is shrouded in mystery.
