Sangiran

Sangiran
Flag of modern Sangiran, inherited from that of the Empire
Capital	New Era
Ruler	Divine Inheritors
Government	Theocratic council
Demonym	Sangiran
Adjective	Sangiran
Languages	Sangiran; Common; Timakal; Draconic
Religions	Eternal Suzerain (not worshiped); various faiths

Sangiran Empire
Flag of the Sangiran Empire, with the stripes representing its constituent provinces
Capital	New Era
Ruler	Eternal Suzerain
Government	Divine autocracy
Demonym	Sangiran
Adjective	Sangiran
Languages	Many
Religions	Eternal Suzerain; various faiths (historical)

The Sangiran Empire (pronounced SAN-jeh-rahn) once unified Kea Racha and the lands around the Gulf of Timakal under the leadership of the Eternal Suzerain, a reincarnating draconic deity. The last Eternal Suzerain, Menjelma, died in Y9606^* without being reborn, and the Empire collapsed soon after. The modern nation of Sangiran, a remnant state of the Empire, draws its legacy from its heyday, and is still ruled by what remains of the Suzerain's priests.

Geography

At its height, the Sangiran Empire encompassed nearly all of Kea Racha and much of the lands surrounding the Gulf of Timakal. The modern nations of Sangiran, Vua Ran, Langkha, Pela Huban, Kintaka, Koamun, Lelwani, Vothan, Yadena, and Bukran were once under imperial control, though many had different forms at the time.

Though their inhabitants were not considered full citizens of the Empire, some ports within the Kilche Sea also had a close relationship with Sangiran. The cities of Nesekura, Haveno, and Sudafinajo, for example, served as the home bases of an imperial fleet for many decades.

History

Formation and growth

The histories of the Eternal Suzerain and the Sangiran Empire are inextricably linked - as long as the Suzerain was alive, so was the Empire. The precise date of birth of the Suzerain is unknown, but is generally considered to be sometime around Y3700^*. Sangiran grew out of the southern city of Tairikka, which also served as the Empire’s capital until the construction of New Era millennia later.

The Empire grew over the centuries, largely through brief periods of rapid expansion that punctuated its long history. Early in its history, the first incarnations of the Eternal Suzerain were far more interested in consolidating their worship than in territorial expansion. By Y5100^*, the Empire included all of modern day Sangiran and Koamun. The dragon rulers of Vua Ran willingly joined the Empire in Y5130^*, rapidly integrated into the Empire's government as the dragon-courts, and the disparate aquatic peoples of modern Lelwani were conquered by Y5156^*. Kintaka, Langkha, and the future city-state of Pela Huban were all incorporated into the Empire by Y6190^*.

After uniting Kea Racha, the Eternal Suzerain turned to territories farther afield. The lands of Timakal were already inhabited by this point, but waves of settlers from Kea Racha further grew the region. The Empire reached its greatest territorial extent by Y7600^*.

As it grew, the Empire invested in significant efforts to support its peoples and maintain its authority. The many imperial mega-projects are the most significant lasting evidence of these endeavors.

There were six incarnations of the Eternal Suzerain over the course of the Empire’s history.

Death of Menjelma and collapse

The last incarnation of the Eternal Suzerain, sometimes known by the personal name Menjelma, ascended to the throne in Y9002^*. In Y9606^*, Menjelma died of mysterious causes, the details of which are unknown to the broader world and intentionally kept secret by the Divine Inheritors. Because of his sudden death he was unable to conduct the ritual of metempsychosis and guarantee his rapid reincarnation.

Without their divine leader, the priests of the Sangiran Empire struggled to maintain control. Latent internal divisions once again reasserted themselves, as imperial authority and decree proved less than sufficient to keep the empire’s constituent nations in line. Bukran, at the time a protectorate of the Empire, was the first to fall as the Sangiran military departed in Y9609^* and the native hobgoblins once again assumed control. Vothan soon followed in Y9612^*. The imperial core of Kea Racha remained united until Y9631^*, when Pela Huban and Langkha declared independence. Without their most populous trade city and gate to the Kilche, or their breadbasket, the Sangiran Empire finally collapsed completely.

Today the heartland of Sangiran remains under the Divine Inheritors, priests of the Eternal Suzerain who still believe their god will return once again. The Divine Inheritors actively search for the next reincarnation, carrying on their duties until the Suzerain can usher a resurgent empire into a new golden age.

Demographics

The people of the Sangiran Empire were incredibly diverse, and counted among their number individuals of many ancestries. Humans were a plurality of the Empire’s citizens, along with large populations of nagaji, elves, dwarves, half-elves, gnomes, aasimars, tieflings, ganzi, hobgoblins, kobolds, dragons, and many others.

Culture

Religion

See also: Eternal Suzerain

Over the millennia of their rule, worship of the Eternal Suzerain eventually became the dominant religion in the Sangiran Empire. Old pantheons and gods were gradually replaced with the veneration of their reincarnating leader. Though most of these regional faiths faded away into history, some continued to be followed by small segments of the population.

Temples to the Eternal Suzerain were maintained across the Empire, most of which have since fallen into disuse or ruin. The Eternal Suzerain was understood to be a benevolent but strict and demanding god, rewarding those that worked to support the Empire. The clergy of the Eternal Suzerain included individuals of a number of ancestries, but the high priests were largely imperial dragons.

Society

The people of the Empire were highly culturally diverse. The Eternal Suzerain allowed all to practice their own traditions as long as they remained loyal to the Empire. Highly multi-ethnic and multi-cultural, Sangiran absorbed existing societies and cultures wholesale, many of which continued to survive and thrive after its decline.

Public works

Under the direction of the Eternal Suzerain, the Sangiran Empire embarked on numerous grand projects. Many of these were intended to support the people of the Empire and provide collective prosperity. Massive irrigation projects, mostly in the marshes and fields of Langkha, allowed the Empire to produce enough rice and other food to feed itself. Grand temples to the Suzerain were built across the Empire but primarily in the region that is now modern Sangiran.

Other projects included dry docks large enough to build the colossal junks of the imperial fleet, tunnels to facilitate travel through the Depths under the Kea Rachan mountains, underwater and half-submerged cities in Lelwani, planned cities such as New Era, Generosity, and Prosperity, and the Insight of Heaven, a massive telescope near Mata.

Government

Each nation within the Sangiran Empire was essentially a tributary. Self-governance was allowed, with restrictions, as long as resources and manpower were regularly provided in service to the Empire. Each nation was also required to recognise the authority of the Eternal Suzerain and to enact any imperial degrees. The Suzerain could overrule any decision by a lower level of government, though in practice only did so in times of emergency or to direct monumental projects.

In every reincarnation, the Eternal Suzerain surrounded themself with a circle of advisor-priests who served as both the overseers of the Empire and the god's clerics. These advisors were the most powerful figures in the Empire, save for the Suzerain themself.

By leaving much of the day-to-day rule to each nation, the Empire maintained many of the older practices and traditions of the peoples it governed. In doing so, the Empire was able to keep control of far-flung lands and a population with highly diverse histories and cultures. When the Empire collapsed, many of these nations continued their same means of governance, simply without their imperial overlords.

Economy

Nations within the Empire produced and traded in a variety of goods. The Empire itself was funded using the materials provided by its constituent nations, without much regard for how they were produced. Corvee labor gave the Empire the manpower necessary to enact its decrees.

Relations

The Sangiran Empire maintained a complex relationship with Tarkuus, simultaneously diplomatically friendly while also engaging in proxy conflicts to compete for the position as the dominant superpower of the Kilche Sea. Privateering with plausible deniability was especially common, as was espionage and outright sabotage. With the collapse of the Sangiran Empire, Tarkuus has been left the sole power of the region, something the Lords have been keen to exploit.