An'mani
- Victoria McKinnon
- Nov 2, 2023
- 2 min read
The An’mani Kingdom is a nation rich with natural resources and magic. It belongs to the Azure Empire, which is ruled by the beloved Azure Empress. She is the spiritual and cultural head of the Mani people. She also founded the Paolu religion many years ago and achieved immortality. Paolu is widespread in An’mani.
Overview
The An’mani Kingdom’s 20 million people are spread out in hundreds of small cities, towns, and agricultural areas scattered all throughout the eastern side of the continent. The capital city is called Seian City.
High in the mountain peaks just north of An’mani’s capital city is the Azure Palace, where the Azure Empress lives.
Geography
An’mani is filled with tall mountain peaks that jut skyward like spires. Its freshwater streams, dense bamboo forests, and large karst caves are unique – found nowhere else in the world. Subtropical forests, temperate regions, and lazy snaking rivers make An’mani a paradisical place to live. Thousands of quartzite pillars and karst peaks dominate the scenery.
Increasing population pressure on An’mani’s arable land was an ongoing problem before the empire formed. It caused remarkable agricultural innovations, including hillside and terrace farming, to feed the masses.
Terrace farms are nestled between the mountainous spears and pillars of An’mani. Exports of rice, grains, and other crops are sent throughout the Isles.
Special note on travel time
An’mani and Okuna share the same continent. An’mani alone is just over 1,100 miles from its northernmost tip to the southernmost. That distance is equivalent to driving from Los Angeles to Seattle.
Walking 12 hours/day at a hiking pace of 2mph, it would take this long to cross An’mani:
Coastal - 69 days walking or 35 days horseback
Mountain Roads - 92 days walking or 50 days by mule
People and Society
An’mani is home to the Mani. The northern border of An’mani is a hub for trade with Arcadians; thus, there is extensive cultural mixing in the north.
Most people in An’mani are farmers who work the land, serfs to Kyō (feudal lords), or artisans. Shrines and temples dedicated to Paolu can be found throughout the region. These are well-looked after. Monks at the temples provide education to the masses free of charge, although wealthier citizens send their children to wisemen or tradesmen as apprentices. An’mani is a mixture of large, sprawling cities and tiny rural villages.
Due to the rareness of cobalt in An'mani, a deep, rich azure blue has come to be associated with nobility. Okuna's dangerous desert carries rich chunks of cobalt that fetch a fine price in An'mani.
Religion
The Mani follow Paolu. Paolu was created when the original Azure Princess went on a quest seeking heaven. It is said she visited every mountain peak in An’mani to find it. On her arduous journey, she wrote hundreds of sacred texts which the Kona Monastery was specifically built to preserve.
In the process of mass-producing these texts, monks gradually formed a mature system of ideology. Paolu is widespread in the Isles.
Government and Economy
The An'mani Kingdom shares a continent with Okuna. Both are ruled by the Azure Empress. She is a powerful monarch said to be immortal. Her husband, the Emperor, is her steward. Okuna is a great source of wealth for An'mani. Its desert holds various rare resources, including cobalt and deep-sea pearls.
The Azure Empire is economically stable, and trades with surrounding nations peacefully. Its coins are shaped like hexagons (okata, the highest denomination) and circles (ri, the midling denomination), with a hole punched through the center of each. Strings of coins are kept in purses and wallets.
Notable Locations
The Azure Palace
The Azure Palace was built at the top of the tallest waterfall in An’mani. It stands just north of Seian City, surrounded by a lush, vivid bamboo forest. Its cascading waters pour into the Pool of Immortals below. The pool is said to answer the questions of humans who gaze into it long enough.
The Azure Palace is made up of over eighty buildings spread across multiple baileys, which are connected by a series of gates and winding paths. Although it is heavily fortified, the Azure Palace has never been attacked due to its difficult-to-reach location. At the heart of the complex stands the main keep, a seven story wooden castle with beautiful blue tiled terraces.
The topmost floor houses a small shrine and the Azure Liege's personal quarters. Fish-shaped roof ornaments are believed to protect it from fire.
Seian City is the capital of the Azure Empire. Like the other large cities in An'mani, Seian City is a bustling metropolis of people from all walks of life. It is filled with modest homes, merchant stalls, open courtyards, gardens, and temples dedicated to Paolu.
A large river runs through the center of Seian City and leads all the way up into the mountains, where the Azure Palace sits. Seian City is loosely arranged around the river's banks and sprawls on for miles upstream.
Kona Monastery
Located deep within the craggy mountain peaks of An'mani, Kona Monastery is one of the original locations where Paolu was born. It is a sacred holy site to the Mani. Traversing the narrow steps carved from the mountains to get there is a harrowing experience. Horses and mules cannot make the trek.
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