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Message: <blockquote data-quote="RichGreen" data-source="post: 6367795" data-attributes="member: 2039">Hi, Now that GenCon is over, I'm back to writing and posting the rest of Parsantium's <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/tag/icons/" target="_blank">13th Age icons</a>. Here's the twelfth one; three more to follow in the next few weeks.EMPEROR OF THE JADE THRONEThe Emperor of the Jade Throne, also known as the Ruler of All Under Heaven, rules the mighty kingdom of Tiangao, situated far to the east of Parsantium at the end of the Silk Road.QUOTE“Remember that I rule this kingdom with the mandate of Heaven, mother. Just as jade is not polished without rubbing, an Emperor is not perfected without trials.USUAL LOCATIONSIn the Palace of Heavenly Tranquility at the centre of the Imperial capital of Yingzhou.COMMON KNOWLEDGETiangao is ruled by Emperor Cheng Xiao, a young man of eighteen winters who ascended to the Jade Throne as a small child following the untimely death of his father, Cheng Wei. The Emperor is a handsome man, tall and thin, with his long black hair tied in a topknot, a neatly-trimmed moustache and a thin goatee beard. Wise beyond his years, he is advised by his mother, the formidable Empress Dowager Lien, and the Emperor’s Wu Jen, a wily eunuch sorcerer named Tsung Hu (see “Secret Knowledge” below). This pair are often at odds with each other: Lien insists that her son should focus on domestic issues, making sure he has the support of his fifteen provincial governors, the noble families, and the kingdom’s huge bureaucracy (one so large that it makes even Parsantium’s seem tiny). Tsung Hu, on the other hand, urges the Emperor to prioritize trade and to protect the vital Silk Road by forging an alliance with the centaurs and wiping out the threat posed by the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/parsantiums-icons-no-8-gnoll-khan/" target="_blank">Gnoll Khan</a>.Certainly, both areas need focus: recent floods, squabbling among the noble families, and the rise of criminal tongs such as the Eight Scorpions are causing unrest within Tiangao’s borders, but if action is not taken soon against the gnolls, the entire Great Grass Sea might fall under the Gnoll Khan’s control. However, since it was the centaur Khan of Khans who killed Cheng Xiao’s father in battle, it is unsurprising that the Empress Dowager is firmly opposed to an alliance. The Emperor has had to become adept at juggling these many priorities and has reminded his mother that she is no longer ruling Tiangao more than once.ADVENTURERS & THE ICONThe Jade Throne has agents based in Tiangao Town in Parsantium, and in similar enclaves in other major cities, who work to safeguard the Emperor’s interests. Adventurers might be employed to guard an important caravan travelling on the Silk Road against attacks from gnolls or centaurs; in the city, missions could involve spying on the Eight Scorpions or the drug-dealers of House Pavone, or perhaps raiding a white lotus den. The pragmatic Cheng Xiao is also considering a temporary alliance with the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/06/08/parsantiums-icons-no-4-boss-of-all-bosses/" target="_blank">Boss of All Bosses</a> against the Eight Scorpions and may require PCs with the appropriate underworld contacts to act as brokers.ALLIESThe Emperor is on good terms with the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/05/17/parsantiums-icons-no-1-the-basileus/" target="_blank">Basileus</a> and Tiangao’s other important trading partners, the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/06/28/parsantiums-icons-no-7-the-maharani/" target="_blank">Maharani</a> the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/07/23/parsantiums-icons-no-10-water-lords/" target="_blank">Water Lords</a> and the Caliph.ENEMIESThe <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/07/06/parsantiums-icons-no-8-gnoll-khan/" target="_blank">Gnoll Khan</a> and his rapidly-growing army represents the biggest external threat to the Emperor, hence the discussion of an alliance with the striped centaurs of the Great Grass Sea. Within Tiangao, several provincial governors and their noble families are starting to question whether the Cheng Dynasty’s divine mandate has come to an end. The Jade Throne must also remain vigilant as the power of the criminal tongs and their Dragon Masters grows.HISTORYThe Cheng Dynasty has held the Jade Throne for over three hundred years but it was during the last turbulent century that Cheng Xiao’s ancestors expanded the size of the kingdom by defeating several neighbouring states in a series of bloody wars and creating a unified Tiangao. Once peace had been reached through conquest, the Emperor turned his attention to the west, establishing connections with Parsantium to open up trade along the Silk Road. Frequent centaur raids on Tiangaon caravans led to warfare on the Great Grass Sea and the death of the Emperor Cheng Wei at the hands of the Khan of Khans. Since his son and heir Cheng Xiao was only five at the time, the Empress Lien ruled as regent until he came of age.THE TRUE DANGEREverything will be alright while the Emperor sits on the Jade Throne and rules by the will of Heaven.SECRET KNOWLEDGETsung Hu is a polymorphed tien lung (celestial dragon) and an erstwhile lover of Naelere, the <a href="http://parsantium.wordpress.com/2014/06/22/parsantiums-icons-no-6-the-dragon/" target="_blank">Dragon</a>. He is a source of much wise counsel, encouraging the Emperor to be his own man, rather than one who follows his mother’s lead in all things.Comments or questions much appreciated!CheersRich</blockquote>

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