The Lanxu Dynasty and the Empire of Taizheng

The Lanxu, the current ruling dynasty of Taizheng (literally "The Great Prosperity"), claims descent from the very first human dynasty, the He. It is said that the He rose to power a long time ago, after the departure of the ancient immortal spirit folks Xian.

The current dynasty reclaimed power by driving out — and in many cases, massacring — the Mugen, a prominent nomadic clan of the Dazan people, the steppe-dwelling nomads of the north. Today, power resides firmly in the hands of the August Empress Meilan (Throne name Yonghe), the first woman to rule Taizheng by her own right without inciting rebellion.

Taizheng is currently at peace and flourishing thanks to trade, safeguarded by the so-called "Iron Fleet" established by Empress Meilan’s father, Haorong. However, the lands beyond the Dragon's Blood River — once the heart of the empire — are now occupied by the Nine Kingdoms, seven of which are ruled by the barbarian Hashan.

Despite the bloody campaigns waged by her grandfather and father, those regions remain outside direct imperial control. It is only through Empress Meilan's skill in weaving complex plots and deceptions that the empire has been able to reassert dominance over the two Shen-ruled (ethnically Taizheng) kingdoms.

The imperial flag of Taizheng is black, bearing at its center the image of a dragon devouring its own tail — a symbol of the empire’s principal religion, Tialism (the Heavenly Harmony) . According to the teachings of this faith, Heaven is an invisible pillar around which the Great Sun Dragon coils.

Although the Great Sun Dragon was venerated even by the immortal Xian, the faith teaches that it is not the dragon that must be worshiped. Instead, the focus is on the path one follows around and along the Celestial Pillar following the natural Harmony or the world.

The capital is called Longjing (the Dragon Capital), and it is a new foundation from the first emperor of the dynasty.