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 Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:34 pm
Buried in the Sand  "Long, long ago there was a king. He had 300 soldiers, 3,000 residents in his state and one gold camel, which was his dearest possession.
But he fell in love with a woman who was also loved by the king of another state, and thus a war was started. God, angered by the war, blew up a black sandstorm that lasted for 80 days and buried the entire kingdom, including the gold camel." Thousands of years ago, before written history, a thriving empire existed in the Taklamakan Desert of West China. The Niya, who were believed to have been destroyed by the combination of water abuse, sand storms and war, are known to have existed as long as one thousand five hundred years ago and were a major trade stop along the ancient Silk Road of their era.  "China will rise when the five stars appear in the East together."The alignment of five planets in the skies over China was not an anomaly by any means. It was said to be a sign of fortune and fate, even the flag of the People's Republic of China was embroidered with an illustration of the design. In the year 2002 AD, Venus, Mars, Saturn, Jupiter and Mercury made a planetary alignment, clearly visible to the watching eye. On that day, almost one hundred li from modern day Minfeng, the ancient trade hub of Khotan, the desert began to stir. The winds whipped into dust devils and black sand rose from the earth. An excavation team was forced to evacuate their camp as an ashen sand storm ravaged the area. In the wake of the two day storm, gold, ivory and sandstone structures replaced the decaying ruins of the Niya Excavation site; and within the Niya Palace, in the throne room of the King's Hall, the cursed Lord Goda called his soldiers from their desert tombs.
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:46 pm
The Niya The Niya were a mixed race of several Chinese and West Asian ethnic minorities around the Taklamakan Desert, though their primary linage traced them to being Han and Tajik. The re-awoken Niya of this empire come in three forms depending on their blood lines. The Niya GhostThis Niya will appear as a human, and in fact will be entirely like the average human being in almost every way. The two exceptions are a stone, ruby heart in place of their mortal one and their innate Tu Xing abilities. These Niya were members or Lord Goda's royal blood line and carry a heightened connection to the Wu Xing. A Niya of this type can be killed any way a normal human can be except for by aging, and upon death, they may be reincarnated as a Niya Demon. They are capable of becoming Masters of Taoism. The Niya DemonA tortured Niya soul, these take on the appearance of a human, but nothing else. Niya Demon's are blind creatures that must sense their environment through their dulled Tu Xing abilities. A Niya Demon's ruby heart contains the crippled soul of the Niya Ghost as well as the souls of several other beings that serve to mend the soul after the traumatizing death of a Niya. Niya Demons are near immortal in all but one aspect, the destruction of their ruby hearts. A hurt Niya may recover in a span of a single day to several years depending on the extent of the damage. Niya Demons are either reincarnated Niya Ghosts or any of the lesser mixed blood residents of the Niya Empire before it's collapse. Once a Niya Demon is killed, it can only be reincarnated as a Niya Sand Demon. They can achieve a Teacher's level of Tu Xing mastery. The Niya Sand DemonThe Niya Sand Demon is a mummified creature of bone and earth. Created from animal remains, blood and cursed black sand, nothing of a human remains in the Niya Sand Demon. No memories of past life or sense of personality are carried over. Silent and lifeless, they are nothing more than puppets. Controlled by Niya Ghosts, these left over souls of the Niya make up the bulk of the Niya Imperial Guard as well as the manual labor task force. These creatures are perhaps the most in touch with the Tu Xing, though they are unable to control the element. They do have the ability to dissolve into and be summoned from sand. It is impossible to kill a Niya Sand Demon, as the souls of the Niya Ghost cannot move any closer to death. Destruction of a Niya Sand Demon's ruby heart will vanquish it, but it may be reincarnated after some time in the Hall of Warriors in the Niya Palace. Because they are created from sand, bone and blood, there is no uniform body structure for a Niya Sand Demon and they may appear as humanoid skeletons or nightmarishly deformed creatures.  The Tu XingLiterally meaning the 'Earth Phase', the Tu Xing is the element of dirt, sand, minerals and rocks. The Niya can achieve various degrees of Tu Xing mastery depending on how long they study the technique, innate abilities and the type of Niya they are. TaoistThe highest level of Tu Xing mastery; the desert submits to their will. They have the ability to move the earth. Only direct royalty of the Niya can achieve this state. MasterAchieved after a life time of study; these Taoists are men of the earth itself. They have the ability to summon sand storms and create bombs from gunpowder. TeacherAfter extensive study of the Tu Xing, these scholars have been given the authority to teach other Niya in the ways of the Tu Xing. Can summon Niya Sand Demons. This is the highest level a Niya Demon can achieve. AcolyteA student of the Tu Xing, they show interest in furthering their elemental powers. Can move sand. InnateThese are the abilities that are found naturally in every Niya. The most basic of Tu Xing abilities is sensing one's environment through the earth. This is the only Tu Xing connection left of Niya Sand Demons. Non-Niya InhabitantsThe Niya were not the only creatures to benefit from the once abundant oasis, and they were not the only to return. In the area immediately around the Niya River, unidentified fish like skeletons called 'Death Kara' move beneath the sand. Fierce and territorial, they are avoided by man and Niya alike. Much of the Niya armor was created by a creature that they revered and feared above all other desert creature, the Giant Taklamakan Python. These colossal serpents are normally quite approachable, but it is Niya tradition to earn the armor made from their thick skulls and flexible scales. Before engaging one, the Niya will antagonize them into becoming hostile. As such, some of these pythons will be more aggressive than others after a Niya has failed to earn their armor. Large golems, once the stone carved protectors of religious sites and burial grounds, have been reborn lacking the ability to tell a trespasser from a pilgrim, as negligence and ages without human contact have left them hostile and erratic. Along with the Niya, a small band of nearby Xiongnu mummies were reincarnated. The Xiongnu encrouched into China thousands of years ago, and were promptly defeated by the united Han Dynasty. The Xiongnu are vengeful, and while they may ignore others, are hostile to Niya and those of Han decent.
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:47 pm
Geography  The Niya Empire is located in the Taklamakan Desert of West China, approximately 90 miles north of Minfeng in the Xinjiang Uygur region of China. The Kingdom itself spans a mere eighty miles across a dying oasis. The dried up Niya River runs along the east and south edge of the kingdom and can be crossed by bridge. Falling into the River would almost certainly mean death as the steep sand walls prevent scaling. The Kingdom is separated into three parts. The outer kingdom is the area where most Niya homes are located; squat stone and wood buildings that will usually have a ground floor and two basement levels as well as roof access. The inner kingdom are the structure located within the city walls which circle off a small section in the heart of the oasis. The markets, military forts and elite housing of the Niya Empire are sheltered within these protective walls. Within the inner kingdom, a giant maze of connected buildings that stretch into the sky and reach deep into the earth make up the Niya Palace. Niya royalty and other citizens of importance reside and work within these sand spires and some may never leave. The buildings of the Palace itself are made of constantly flowing sand, kept in shape by the will Lord Goda. Sand storms that may reach as far as America blow through across Niya seasonally and the harsh desert surrounding them is largely dead and barren. The only way to safely reach the Niya Empire is by land travel across the old Silk Road. Becoming lost in the desert could mean a lifetime of wandering... Or an eternity for an out of touch Niya.
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:48 pm
Defense The Niya have a relatively small army of three to six hundred swordsmen, spearmen, archers and Niya Ghost commanders. The bulk of this force is made up of insentient and lifeless Niya Sand Demons who are commanded by Niya Ghosts. The occasional Niya Demon may offer their services, but prove inferior as soldiers to either other Niya class. The greatest defense to the Niya, however, is the desert itself. Unending and merciless, the desert provides both a passive and active defense measure that never ceases. One must cross through the mountains that border the desert on all sides, trek through the lifeless desert, survive the sandstorms, sink holes and shifting earth then cross the Niya River to find the sand palace, formless and flowing like water. The closer to the Palace one gets, the stronger the control the Niya may exert over the earth. The average Niya warrior will carry their weapon, a long, serrated dagger resembling a kukri, python scale armor, and a Niya banner worn from the back and usually attached to a pike or spear. Niya Sand Demons will not wear armor, but parts of their own body may be made up of the bones of the Giant Python. Niya SoldiersSwordsman -- The mainstream soldier of the Niya army. They prefer to take enemies one on one and it is not uncommon for Niya Swordsmen to break ranks to challenge enemy soldiers, or even each other, to duels. The average soldier will carry a Python Skull Shield, Da Dao blade, Niya Dagger and, if they're not a Sand Demon, Python Armor. Some swordsmen opt for a zhanmadao or other two handed blade rather than carry a shield. Spearman -- These soldiers wield long, two handed spears, pikes or pu dao's to break attackers from locked swordsmen, exploit flanks and counter mounted cavalry. A common Niya tactic of desperation will be to have swordsmen lock shields and force their enemies backwards with shield lunges while spearmen attack from overhead. These soldiers are usually chosen for their height and arm length. Niya Sniper The finest made bows in all of China were the Niya Sniper Bows. Used in hunter as well as battle, these devastating weapons and their wielders were surprisingly scarce. A Niya Sniper is a defensive soldier and will rarely be seen outside of the Inner Kingdom. In battles, rather than raining arrows down on the enemy, they sneak around and pick them off from all sides. Niya CommandersNiya Ghosts, those able to summon and control the Sand Demons, make up the commanding forces of the Niya army. Protected by special Imperial Guards, their lives are held above all others. Niya Commanders wear ceremonial dress uniforms rather than armor and will usually carry the large Niya Generals Blade. Niya Commanders are also commonly skilled in the arts of the Tu Xing and may deploy their abilities against their enemies.
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:51 pm
Culture and Foreign Relations The Niya, while ethnically mixed, are traditionally Chinese and follow most of the customs and traditions of the eastern kingdoms of their time. Both Buddhism and Taoism dominate the Niya citizens, though Taoism has a much greater impact on their lives. Being a major hub on the first Silk Road, the Niya were suject of great cultural diffusion coming from their fellow Chinese in the east as well as India and the nations of Islam. As such, the Niya are required to be, and have become extremely open minded, flexible and tolerant. The Niya easily and heartily accept outsiders into their kingdom and treat visitors with the up most respect and hospitality. The Niya have proven themselves loyal to each controlling dynasty of their time, and in turn pledge their loyalty as citizens of the PRC while remaining a sovereign kingdom. Being a part of the Silk Road also gave the Niya knowledge in the field of commerce. The Niya will trade their art, raw materials, services, food, water, knowledge and anything else they can offer for just about anything. The Niya are cultural collectors and will take anything that interests them, just not money.
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Posted: Sat Mar 14, 2009 8:53 pm
Rules and Such Everyone should know the rules of good RP. If not, I will simply remind you as I see you break them. If you read the history, you would notice that the Niya returned in 2002. All issues with the Niya have been resolved between then and the current time this thread exists in, which is post modern. I will announce all changes to the guild in the Notices and Updates section so you don't have to read through the whole thing every time something changes. MembersSpierred Rules1. Common sense saves lives. Or at least time. Which is life.. Yea, lives. 2. Yes, this is fantasy based, but the key to every good fiction is reality. Don't go over the top with anything. 3. The tech cap is post-modern. 4. Literacy is a must. 5. See a rule not listed here? It's either an anti-munch rule, all of which are assumed and implied, or an unstated rule. There are rules I will not list, but are in effect. I will not punish you for breaking one of these rules the first time, but they should be obvious anyways. 6. If you edit a post ten minutes after submitting it, place Edit as well as the day, month and a short description of what you changed in your post. 7. Be creative as you wish. Unless you're being totally stupid, there's no trouble in trying. Special thanks to:http://www.chinadaily.com.cn/english/doc/2004-03/12/content_314240.htm http://www.travelchinaguide.com/attraction/xinjiang/hetian/niya.htm http://www.wenbao.net/html/whyichan/kg/xjyizhi/niya/xwbd/001.htm Femm ninja
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