Overview
Shaoying is a nation in central Valrindor, west of Shroudvale, with Laizhou as its capital. It began as a growing region west of Maraveth under Malverand, later became a human nation facing Shroudvale's shapers, and eventually operated under the Central Valrindor Alliance led by Garrik of Kaldaryn.
Shaoying fights in the Great Shaper War against Shroudvale's shapers and in the Shaoying-Thundermarch War against Thundermarch. Garrik's central Valrindor alliance later uses it as a staging and supply region.
Geography
Shaoying lies west of Shroudvale and west of Linsothar, with Thundermarch to its west. The country includes coastline, coastal towns, forests, hills, open plains, rivers, roads, villages, and a desert large enough to slow the Green Emperor's march toward Cloudrift.
Garrik and Astrid first reach Shaoying near its shoreline after their skyship is sabotaged. They land on a large coastal cliff near a town, then travel south through forests, hills, rivers, plains, towns, and roads toward Laizhou. Routes from Shaoying also run toward Linsothar, the Shroudvale wall, Maraveth, and the Omberion-Maraveth front.
Cities and Society
Shaoying's cities include Laizhou, the capital, and Taizhou, a smaller city near Laizhou. Laizhou is spacious, with green-tiled roofs, curved eaves, gold-trimmed wooden beams, wide streets, gardens, ponds, essence lanterns, and an emperor's palace with green tiles and golden draconic flourishes.
Shaoying is used to mercenaries, foreigners, and powerful mages moving openly through its cities. Garrik and Astrid enlist in Shaoying's military with little resistance, and Laizhou later fills with soldiers, mages, allied commanders, and supply traffic during the Kaldaryn Peace Campaigns and the Maraveth War.
Government and Military
During the Malverand era, Shaoying is a province of Malverand under guardian control.
Under the Green Emperor, Shaoying fields large armies, hires mercenaries, and pursues aggressive territorial expansion. During the Shaoying-Thundermarch War, his forces target Cloudrift, and his personal guard drains essence from land, animals, and soldiers as Shaoying's army advances.
Later, Emperor Xu Mingdao rules from Laizhou as a puppet loyal to Kaldaryn and Garrik. By this period, Shaoying answers to Garrik's central Valrindor alliance.
History
Shaoying first emerges as a growing region west of Maraveth. During the Malverand era, once-sparse lands become a thriving region, and the citizens begin calling it Shaoying. In 1052 BX, Eliona becomes ruler of Shaoying and oversees its expansion toward western Valrindor. That rule ends after Eliona destroys an opposing faction during a skirmish, leading Barachiel to remove Eliona and assign Michael to oversee the province.
After Malverand fades and Shroudvale rises, Shaoying becomes a human nation facing the shaper threat. Shaoying joins the Anti-Shroudvale Alliance alongside Skarnheim, Thundermarch, and Linsothar in the Great Shaper War, which defeats Zharrek's expanding shapers and seals Shroudvale behind a wall.
In later generations, Shaoying belongs to a fragile alliance with Hengvaris and Linsothar meant to hold back the shapers. The alliance weakens as Shaoying's ambitions under the Green Emperor destabilize the region. During the Shaoying-Thundermarch War, the Green Emperor tries to take Cloudrift and force Thundermarch to bend the knee. Ren Wuye and Tianlei break one Shaoying assault on Cloudrift. Khoradyn and Garrik later stop another Shaoying invasion of Thundermarch and force a bitter peace.
The shapers eventually break free from Shroudvale and devastate much of Shaoying and Linsothar before advancing on Thundermarch. During the shaper breakout, the shapers move through the region between Linsothar and Shaoying, destroy resistance, and search for a relic or pass. Kaldaryn's army then advances through Linsothar and Shaoying, restoring portions of the ravaged territories.
During the Maraveth War, Laizhou is a crowded staging point for Garrik's armies against Shroudvale and Maraveth. By 5368 AX, supply lines run from Laizhou and Hengzhou toward the Omberion and Maraveth front.