Washu “Pride. Power. Dynasty.”
Washu
“Pride. Power. Dynasty.”
Colors: Red, White, Black
Banner: Cherry Blossom
Population: 10,829,339
Capitol: Zu Kiei
Government: Magocrical Oligarchy
Leader(s): zi’Zengguang Chern, Grand Mage
Languages: Washun, Common
Notable Exports: Magical Goods, Spices, Tobacco, Exotic Goods
Washu is an exotic island nation located off of the eastern shores of Asarus.
Steeped in arcane tradition, this kingdom is known for her great centers of magical learning, large population of tieflings, and foreign spice trade. Until the end of the First Empire Wars Washu was a global trade powerhouse that dwarfed even Venoch in sheer economic might. Under the stipulations of the Zu Kiei Treaty, a contract signed to signify the end of the conflict, Washu became a protectorate of Vavaire and was forced to pay reparations to the other nations involved in the war. The protectorate status removed Washu’s Emperor from power and dissolved the nation’s standing army, which was then replaced by Vavairen troops. To pay for the fielding of these troops, Vavaire placed heavy taxes and sanctions on all trade goods entering and leaving the island. These crippling taxes put a large strain on Washu’s economy and created an enormous wealth gap under the turbulent leadership of the Council of Mages of the Eldritch House. At the end of the Darkest War the protectorate status of Washu was granted to Aurezia, and the situation has deteriorated since. An underground movement to reestablish the Emperor and the true might of Washu has been building within the nation’s lower class. A rebellion looms on the horizon as the mounting tension between the Aurezian occupation and Washun citizens reaches a boil, and none can say where the impending conflict will leave the island nation.
Currently Washu is in a condition of despair and humiliation on account of the restrictive tenants of the Azure Treaty and the faltering state of her economy.
Her people wish for change and would love to return to the greater glory that was once Washu, but the current Aurezian occupation leaves little room for change and evolution. Washu is home an abundance of age-old arcane energies, and nearly every Washun citizen is trained in the arcane arts in one form or another. The habitual use of magic permeates their culture. Tieflings are a common sight in the kingdom, and so are freed ildera. The Washun are a prideful people who are proud of their history, traditions, and way of life. Not all are so loyal, however, as a strict social castle system exists within Washu that denotes the status of her citizens based on their birth, occupation, and education. Upward mobility through the social castes is nearly impossible.
The Washun populace believes that becoming a tiefling is a symbol of power, and as a result, many Washun undergo the transformation to become one.
Following the conclusion of the Darkest War and the return of strong magic to the world the number of those participating in the Ascension Transformation has increased. The global organization which teaches arcane magic to Vathis, the Eldritch House, is housed in Zu Kiei and is one of Washu’s greatest achievements. In general the Washun are a magically talented, industrious, patriotic, and honorable people attempting to raise their nation from the depth of dire straits. Her people live in squalor and are grateful for everything they have, while the Aurezian guards subjugating them live a life of luxury.
Washu is one of the warmest and wettest nations found on Vathis.
Climate and tropical, the island possesses vast jungles along her southern reaches and plains and forests through the Washun heartland. Monsoons and typhoons ravage Washu frequently during the summer and fall. Only the country’s mountainous regions and the far northern portions of her islands experience winter snowfall. This, in turn, has led to a vast diversity in Washu’s flora and fauna, with the island nation possessing some of the rarest creatures in the known world.
As one of the most volcanically active nations in the world, Washu experiences subterranean activity within the Ustan mountains and on her southern islands.
These active volcanoes instigate the earthquakes which plague the region and occur as frequently as monthly. However, the majority of these earthquakes deal no significant damage the country. Washu’s Mount Rykan is the second largest mountain in the world, and it resides along the nation’s east coast, with the Rek Lan Shrine built at its base. Washu once controlled lush rolling plains and deep forests on the mainland which contained all manner of rich natural resources, but these holdings were lost during the Darkest War, though the Washun still consider them their territories in spirit.
