Jul 31, 2022 7:45 pm
Being a character in this world, you already know some stuff.
The people of Yeonido, the City of Judgment, pride themselves on upholding tradition. Thousands of years ago, the great dragon Mireu entrusted the founders of the city-state with a mandate to forge and lead a great civilization. Yeonido’s people took the dragon’s words to heart, establishing a reverence for fealty and order that has remained steadfast through the centuries. Two main beliefs form the foundation of Yeonido society: that structure is key to all things, and that adherence to familial duty trumps all but one’s devotion to the royal family.
But those noble traditions have a troubling side: the disquieting ancestral spirits called gwishin that refuse to leave the world behind. When a citizen of Yeonido dies feeling wronged or knowing that they’ve harmed others, they return as one of these spirits. It’s up to the spirit’s family to resolve the injustice and bring peace to the gwishin, allowing it to move onward. If a gwishin is allowed to endure, it grows ever more dangerous.
In recent years, some in Yeonido have begun to challenge the cultural reverence for ancient traditions, creating unease and discord. It may be no coincidence that gwishin are appearing more frequently than ever before, but it’s unclear if more citizens are dying with unfinished business or if something more sinister is at work. Some even believe that the royal family has lost the trust of the great dragon Mireu. Everyone has an opinion, but no one knows how to restore harmony in Yeonido.
Customs
- Yeonido’s people are expected to present a brave face regardless of what hardships they’re facing personally.
- Talking about another person’s mishaps in public brings great shame to that person. To be good neighbors, people don’t speak openly about others’ troubles. This reluctance to speak of others’ hardships makes talking about gwishin taboo.
- Residents of Yeonido readily assist their neighbors and help one another if asked, but also go to great lengths to ignore—or plausibly not see—things that might be embarrassing to others.
- To speak ill of the royal family—particularly the popular Queen Jin-Mi—is to betray a profound trust.
Structured Society
Yeonido’s residents believe in sacrifice for the good of the community. One must work selflessly, listen to one’s elders, and act according to one’s status for Yeonido to prosper. Structure is the central pillar of society. Class structure and family structure are key components of life within the city. Change is possible, but usually only when it’s driven by members of the royal family or the noble clans. Queen Jin-Mi sits at the apex of the social order, followed by the noble elite, the various ranks of government magistrates, and the heads of each familial clan.
Clans and Identity
Clans live in compounds that often hold every member of the family, organized with its own hierarchy and led by a designated elder. But clans extend beyond families, often adopting outsiders who take up permanent residence in the city-state. When people meet, they exchange clan information before personal details, and the few folk in the city who have no clan—whether they were ejected from a clan or never adopted into one—are viewed with sympathy.
When people marry—whether for love or for social or political reasons, both of which are considered equally valid—they must choose which partner’s clan they will belong to after the union. In rare cases, a new couple decides to establish their own clan, though they often face judgment from their birth clans.
Rule by Magistrates
The city-state of Yeonido is ruled by the beloved Queen Jin-Mi, a dragonborn said to be descended from the city’s founder and first ruler, the dragon Mireu. The bureaucracy surrounding her consists of officials known as magistrates, who govern the city-state and enforce its laws. Those who aspire to become magistrates must undergo the exams—known collectively as the Test of Ascension—that take place each spring. These tests are notoriously difficult, and typically only those wealthy enough to afford time to study and special tutoring pass. Still, many less affluent but dedicated students have used this path to change their social status. Even non-citizens are allowed to take the test if they show proper respect for the process.
Spirit Arbiter
Magisrates called spirit arbiters specialize in bringing an end—peaceful or otherwise—to rogue gwishin. They investigate the appearance of these spirits, soothe them, and then attempt to right the wrongs that hold them in the world. If left with no recourse, spirit arbiters destroy gwishin, but they seek to avoid doing so. These somber magistrates are known for the traditional, broad-brimmed black hat, called a gat, that they each wear as part of their uniform.
Gwinshin
Gwishin are said to be the spirits of those who were wronged in life and died without receiving justice. Talking about another person’s mishaps in public brings great shame to that person. To be good neighbors, people don’t speak openly about others’ troubles. This reluctance to speak of others’ hardships makes talking about gwishin taboo.
The people of Yeonido, the City of Judgment, pride themselves on upholding tradition. Thousands of years ago, the great dragon Mireu entrusted the founders of the city-state with a mandate to forge and lead a great civilization. Yeonido’s people took the dragon’s words to heart, establishing a reverence for fealty and order that has remained steadfast through the centuries. Two main beliefs form the foundation of Yeonido society: that structure is key to all things, and that adherence to familial duty trumps all but one’s devotion to the royal family.
But those noble traditions have a troubling side: the disquieting ancestral spirits called gwishin that refuse to leave the world behind. When a citizen of Yeonido dies feeling wronged or knowing that they’ve harmed others, they return as one of these spirits. It’s up to the spirit’s family to resolve the injustice and bring peace to the gwishin, allowing it to move onward. If a gwishin is allowed to endure, it grows ever more dangerous.
In recent years, some in Yeonido have begun to challenge the cultural reverence for ancient traditions, creating unease and discord. It may be no coincidence that gwishin are appearing more frequently than ever before, but it’s unclear if more citizens are dying with unfinished business or if something more sinister is at work. Some even believe that the royal family has lost the trust of the great dragon Mireu. Everyone has an opinion, but no one knows how to restore harmony in Yeonido.
Customs
- Yeonido’s people are expected to present a brave face regardless of what hardships they’re facing personally.
- Talking about another person’s mishaps in public brings great shame to that person. To be good neighbors, people don’t speak openly about others’ troubles. This reluctance to speak of others’ hardships makes talking about gwishin taboo.
- Residents of Yeonido readily assist their neighbors and help one another if asked, but also go to great lengths to ignore—or plausibly not see—things that might be embarrassing to others.
- To speak ill of the royal family—particularly the popular Queen Jin-Mi—is to betray a profound trust.
Structured Society
Yeonido’s residents believe in sacrifice for the good of the community. One must work selflessly, listen to one’s elders, and act according to one’s status for Yeonido to prosper. Structure is the central pillar of society. Class structure and family structure are key components of life within the city. Change is possible, but usually only when it’s driven by members of the royal family or the noble clans. Queen Jin-Mi sits at the apex of the social order, followed by the noble elite, the various ranks of government magistrates, and the heads of each familial clan.
Clans and Identity
Clans live in compounds that often hold every member of the family, organized with its own hierarchy and led by a designated elder. But clans extend beyond families, often adopting outsiders who take up permanent residence in the city-state. When people meet, they exchange clan information before personal details, and the few folk in the city who have no clan—whether they were ejected from a clan or never adopted into one—are viewed with sympathy.
When people marry—whether for love or for social or political reasons, both of which are considered equally valid—they must choose which partner’s clan they will belong to after the union. In rare cases, a new couple decides to establish their own clan, though they often face judgment from their birth clans.
Rule by Magistrates
The city-state of Yeonido is ruled by the beloved Queen Jin-Mi, a dragonborn said to be descended from the city’s founder and first ruler, the dragon Mireu. The bureaucracy surrounding her consists of officials known as magistrates, who govern the city-state and enforce its laws. Those who aspire to become magistrates must undergo the exams—known collectively as the Test of Ascension—that take place each spring. These tests are notoriously difficult, and typically only those wealthy enough to afford time to study and special tutoring pass. Still, many less affluent but dedicated students have used this path to change their social status. Even non-citizens are allowed to take the test if they show proper respect for the process.
Spirit Arbiter
Magisrates called spirit arbiters specialize in bringing an end—peaceful or otherwise—to rogue gwishin. They investigate the appearance of these spirits, soothe them, and then attempt to right the wrongs that hold them in the world. If left with no recourse, spirit arbiters destroy gwishin, but they seek to avoid doing so. These somber magistrates are known for the traditional, broad-brimmed black hat, called a gat, that they each wear as part of their uniform.
Gwinshin
Gwishin are said to be the spirits of those who were wronged in life and died without receiving justice. Talking about another person’s mishaps in public brings great shame to that person. To be good neighbors, people don’t speak openly about others’ troubles. This reluctance to speak of others’ hardships makes talking about gwishin taboo.
