Talyun

North of the Isles of Geneva rests a slender chain of 3 islands called Talyun.  From the Capital of Pingdong the Emperor looks out for the well being of his subjects and all else that is under heaven.  

While land area maybe small these islands are very densely populated and ancient in tradition.  When the humans of the plains were still hunting in small bands, the great father of Talyun, KongZi was already writing his treatise on ethics philosophy and government.  These humans show the earliest of the current civilizations to demonstrate writing, arithmetic and formal government.  

They advanced the quickest but stagnated very early.  In fact, many scholars see Talyun society as just a perpetual attempt to recreate the golden time of KongZi with exactness. Using the treatise of KongZi the governement of Talyun has formalized and ritualized an exam structure on which all education, advancement and virtue is measured.  Those scoring high are rewarded for perpetuating the traditions and those scoring low are condemned to perpetual poverty.

Their teaching and virtues emphasize the family to the extreme including ancestor worship, and promise trickle down morality -- that the morality of the leaders rolls down to his subjects.  This means a society will rise to the example their leader gives it also means that society can never become better than the emperor himself.  This poses a great amount of responsibility on the Emperor and those close to him.  Any societal problem is seen as a personal reflection of the emperor's conduct or morality and often they attempt to solve such problems by changing dynastys. 

Though their art, poetry, religion, song were all culturally rich and deeply beautiful most of the world lived blind to Talyun's existence.  Talyun felt it had all it needed from the past and from its own history, therefore there was no need to invent, explore search out or tolerate other peoples.  Though never hostile their actions are undeniably xenophobic until most recently. 

The Talyun isles and pingdong was attached by a great imperial parasite nation-- the Seanchan.  This attack left PingDong wounded and vulnerable.  They turned then to an ally whom they did not understand.  The Fox, leader of the foxes dead, paid off the Seanchan warlords and in essence bought Talyun as personal property.  The emperor was allowed to stay on the throne but within months Talyun became a protectorate of Geneva, submitting to Genevan taxes and Genevan law.  Despite Genevan elimination of slavery Geneva and Talyun seem happy enough to let each other separately coexist    

Scholars have yet to determine the exact source of Talyun society.  Similarities to the MeiKong Valley and to Jong Guo and even to Seanchan peoples are obvious.  For example the Xio Lynn monks have a near identical power and philosophy to the Mei Kong Shogun.  The most popular theory is that the civilization started in the Mei Kong and great fishermen lost as sea spread the ideas of their people to the distant lands.  New and more radical scholars now suggest Talyun was the birthplace of human 'civilization'.  The point to the proximity to ancient Kale, and in the Kale toungue Human is Tamun.  The two societies practice slavery.  They also recognize KongZi's ethics to resemble that of Kale -- a moral code with no mention or reliance upon diety.  Was the ancient golden age KongZi and all Talyun after him trying to mimic a shadow of the ancient human memory of cursed Kale?  A mystery yet to be solved. 

Tian Xia (Under Heaven)