This is something that I've been planning on doing since I heard of the possibility of the criteria and raced to jot down my ideas.
First the scenario:
The collapse of China has always been a messy affair. The fall of the Wei Dynasty, which had ruled over a united china for over six generations, brought with it a tumultuous and chaotic time that swept aside. The last Emperor is three years dead, but even while he was living the Wei was merely an a shadow of its former self. A name branded to a lawless land that no longer believed in the power of the Wei Dynasty. His direct line had all been executed in the months leading up to his death, and with his death no man had the claim to take the title of Emperor of Wei. China, while filled with a hundred different warring factions, has since been divided into seven major contenders for unification.
Lands of the Golden Horse General: Born from a noble family, the Golden Horse General is overlord of three provinces of He Bei: Ji, You, and Bing. His rank was General Who Guards the North, though he had many others that also clung to his name. When the Wei began to crumble from within pressure from without to the north and west from the Touba, Xianbei, Di, Xiongnu, Qiang, and Wuhuan necessitated the need for a strong defense against them. The Golden Horse General, through the use of good tactics and diplomacy, defeated the invaders. In order to cripple their power he launched raiders against them, capturing vast numbers of the populous as prisoners and slaves absorbing the fighting men into his armed forces while disseminating the women and children amongst his lands and households. As he waged his wars defending China from would have become the Northern Dynasties, China was disintegrating from within. The Golden Horse General proclaims nominal support for the King of Kaifang though the two often engage in skirmishes, and spends much of his time warring with the White Horde and the Followers of the Way of Peace.
The Kingdom of Kaifang: Ruled over by the King of Kaifang [not Kaifeng], Cao Yong, of the cadet branch of the ruling house of Wei. While many regard Cao Yong as the true ruler of China now that the main line of the Cao family has died out, Cao Yong has yet to claim the title. The true heir to the Empire of Wei lies hostage in the Riverlands, and Cao Yong has stated that he will not claim that title until he is truly the heir of China. His court, however, points to the founder of the Later Han in urging him to reconsider, but he does not waver from this position. While Cao Yong has the support of the Golden Horse General, he still wages war with him. His main enemies, however, are the Empire of the Riverlands and the Followers of the Way of Peace. The Taoist/Buddhist rebellion to the east has been Cao Yong's greatest rival, one which he continues to lose ground against while never quite being defeated in the field of battle.
Followers of the Way of Peace: Founded by a descendent of Zhang Lu, a distant cousin of Zhang Jiao the originator of this religious revolt. It is a vast rebellion of the Taoist and Buddhist masses that arose after famines and internal rebellions had resulted in the deaths of tens of millions. Unique amongst all other factions, the Way of Peace stems from the peasantry rather than the gentry. Laws and Codes, based on the Five Pecks of Rise Sect, has earned popularity amongst the Taoists and Buddhists. The Confucian Gentry fled in terror, and outside of the provinces of Qing, Xu, and You the rebellion is treated with suspicion and fear. Especially since the leader of the sect claims to be consorting with immortals and proclaiming miracles that heal the sick and summon rains. Others regard the rebellion as being led by a charleton and destined to collapse upon the cult leaders' death.
Bannermen of the White Horde: The White Horde is led by Gongsun Chong, the latest in a long line of Chinese Generals descended from Gongsun Du. The Gongsun Family had conquered much of Korea under Du and Kang back in the beginning of the third century. This subjugation process continued and expanded until much of the peninsula was either subjugated or under their direct rule. Their campaigns also spilled into Manchuria and in the process became more 'barbarian' in nature. With the fall of the Wei Dynasty, the Gongsun family were amongst the first factions to declare independence. They did not claim a royal title like most short lived fools, merely their separation from the Chinese State and the foundation of a new one. The Golden Horse General launched a series of campaigns against them, taking from them Liaodong and much of Ping Province, but ultimately these campaigns proved ineffectual and the Horde's power continues to grow in and outside of Korea waiting for a chance to recapture their ancestral homeland of Ping.
Prince Zhao's Rebellion: Huang Zhao was the fifth son of Huang Xiu, first Emperor of the Riverlands. He served as a general and minister for the Empire and amassed a great deal of power around him. After Huang Xiu's death, his elder brother feared his power and attempted to kill him at a banquet supposedly in his honor after his coronation. Zhao was warned of this treachery by his third brother and was narrowly able to escape the city and flee to Jiang Xia, his princely domain. There he amassed his power and bided his time before he received word that his wife, concubines, children, and household that had still resided in the capital were executed with their heads displayed upon the city gates. Immediately after he declared outright rebellion in opposition to his brother. So far he has been successful against his brother, but recent battles with Eastern Wu and the Followers of the Way of Peace has slowed his advance considerably. The City of Chang Sha, under his sixth brother, also continues to resist him.
The Empire of the Riverlands: The one faction that claims the title of Emperor of China and has the power and the capability to retain it. Founded by the Huang family, descended from Huang Quan who was a minister of Liu Zhang's that had convinced him to surrender to Cao Cao, the founder of Wei, after the Sun-Liu alliance was defeated at Chi Bi. Huang Xiu's empire is the only one that still exists when the chaos began long before the Wei Emperor's demise. After his death, his eldest son Huang Chu succeeded him as Emperor, and later massacred his brother's family after he fled the city because of a failed assassination attempt. Huang Chu is a harsh and uncompromising man who has also dismissed many ambitious ministers and put much of his brothers and uncles under house arrest. Only Huang Lin, his sixth brother, remains free from his grasp. Lin remains loyal to his brother, but how long this loyalty will last under Chu's rule is less than certain.
The Realm of Western Wu: Descended from the house of Sun, this domain is led by the Marquis of Huiji, Sun Loufeng. Sun Loufeng is the tenth generational head of the Sun Family, from the direct line of Sun Deng, first son of Sun Quan. After the defeat of the Sun-Liu alliance at Chi Bi, the naval forces of Wu regrouped at another cross section of the Yangze river. There, Sun Quan and Zhou Yu surrendered to Cao Cao bringing the captured retainers of Liu Bei. Cao Cao cut the domain of Wu by two-thirds, leaving the Sun family in charge of a minor dominion. Quan himself was sent as a hostage at Xu Chang, but later heads of the family were able to resist this. During this period the Sun family reverted back to its mercantile roots and began to control most of the trade southeast China had on its coast and rivers. The wealth it amassed here would allow it to slowly expand its influence and even establish a presence across the seas. Sun Loufeng aims mostly at stable expansion, carefully playing the Huang family and the rebels against one another to increase his own domain.
Notes on the Map:
Code:
The time frame of the era of this map is roughly 320-340 A.D. This creates a unique time that control over the land was feudal and towns, ministers, and keeps all had varying loyalties. Bandits could roam freely within even the most safeguarded of provinces. This brings us to the use of the airbrush. I wanted it to feel lawless, feel disorganized, and give off the impression of scattered loyalties in a way that fixed black lines and a few dots could not. Part of the inspiration also springs from Tribal Wars, which if you look at the zoomed out map gives off the appearance of an airbrush.
Because of the early nature of the time period I felt that I could get away with a few folklore references on the map, giving a sense of unknown about the outside world. To further this I removed the Ryukyu Islands, Japan, Sakhalin, and the beginnings of the Bay of Bengal. All of which would be superfluous and distracting to the map and the sense I was trying to convey. The Khans of the Horselords refers to the various tribal societies of the steppe and the proto-mongols. The Golden Horse General may have beaten them back, but they are very much alive in the heart of their territory. To the southwest I put the Lands of the Storm Lakes, a hint of folklore that adds to this. The area that the label is over belongs to India, a frequent victim of monsoons in the summer. The Domains of the Sea Dragon also springs from mythology. All this I did to make it feel medieval in nature.
Which brings me to another point, its kind of a cheat. The Gun is Our Government implies that it is in a modern, or semi-modern, setting where guns rule. I had thought of something about that, but at the same time I thought that it would be a novel idea to take it backward into the past. China is famed for this, one need only look up the Later Han of Chinese history to see one of the most fantastic instances of this occurring. This scenario has a POD centered in that era in which the decisive battle of Chi Bi is won by Cao Cao, not by the Sun-Liu alliance. Unfortunately, since this is heavily based in Chinese ancient history I don't expect much interest in the POD or even its aftermath. I did try to make the map appear more benign in the ancient chinese POD, so we'll see how it goes. This is my third entry in the map contests.
