Nikan

"In the last century, the Empire has fought five wars. And we've lost every single one of them. This is why we call this past century the Age of Humiliation."

- Master Yim, Chapter 2, The Poppy War

Nikan is a vast empire located south of the Hinterlands, and is the primary setting of The Poppy War. It's currently ruled by Empress Su Daji. Nikan is inspired by the geographic and military history of China.

History
Nikan's history has been described as "a highly entertaining saga of constant warfare". The Empire was formed a millennium before the timeline of The Poppy War, after the Red Emperor unified multiple monastic peoples across the continent. Nikan used to span half the continent under the Red Emperor. The Old Nikara Empire has been called the birthplace of modern civilization, the center of the world. Inventions like the lodestone, the parchment press, and the blast furnace were made in Old Nikan. They were also colonial forces to the Isle of Speer and island of Mugen, bringing "culture and methods of good governance" to them, as taught in Nikara schools.

The Red Emperor's Reign
The Red Emperor introduced a standardized Nikara language, units of weights and measurements, and built a system of roads that connected the nation.

During his reign, the Empire also annexed the island of Speer. Sinegardian gossip tells that this was made possible because of the love Mai'rinnen Tearza, the last warrior queen of Speer, had for the Red Emperor.

The Red Emperor was based on Qin Shi Huang, China's first emperor.

The Era of the Warring States
After the death of the Red Emperor, his many heirs divided the country into twelve rival provinces after a period of intense warfare. Since the era of the Warring States, Nikan has been ruled by the Twelve Warlords. From that time forward, Nikan went through numerous civil wars and repelled several invasions from the northern Hinterlands.

The preoccupation with civil wars ended when the First Poppy War began.

The First Poppy War
The first war between the Federation of Mugen and Nikan. During the days of the Red Emperor, Mugen was a tributary state of Nikan. As Mugen's population and military might increased, their emperor began targeting Nikan. It has been implied that Hesperia played a hand in this, inculcating a sense of racial superiority towards Nikara people in the Mugenese through their diplomatic relations with the emperor. Nikan was occupied by Mugen forces after the First Poppy War.

The Second Poppy War
The Second Poppy War took place around 65 years prior to the start of the first novel. At the time, Nikan was under the rule of the Federation of Mugen, weakened by a nation-wide opium addiction (the name of Poppy Wars came from this). The Warlords did little to alleviate the suffering of their people.

The legend of The Trifecta is told as a story of salvation and reunification of Nikan. Folklore describes the Trifecta as three war orphans who led the Nikara out of the clutches of their oppressors using powers granted by the gods. They were the Dragon Emperor, the Vipress, and the Gatekeeper. The three overthrew the Warlords, and the Warrior proclaimed himself the Dragon Emperor of Nikan.

Despite the intervention of the Trifecta, Nikan suffered significant losses during this war. The Isle of Speer was lost as a result of this war. The Republic of Hesperia helped Nikan gain its victory against the Federation after the Speerly massacre, moved from its inaction by the brutality of the genocide. Hesperia oversaw the peace treaty known as the Non-Aggression Pact, which ended the Second Poppy War.

Though unconfirmed, it has been implied that the loss of Speer may have been a strategic decision by head generals of the Nikara Militia. Whether true or not, the details have been lost and politically forgotten.

Six months after the Non-Aggression Pact was signed, the Empress Su Daji formally banned the possession, use, and sale of all psychoactive substances within Nikan's borders and instituted harshly retributive punishments for the crimes. Black markets in opium sprang up almost immediately, undermining her efforts in wiping out drug use.

The Third Poppy War
The third Poppy War took place during the events of the first book. Almost two decades after the Second Poppy War, it began as the Federation of Mugen renewed their efforts to invade the Nikara Empire. It was ended abruptly with the genocide of Mugen, through volcanic eruption, triggered by Fang Runin's shamanic abilities.

Vaisra's Rebellion
In the aftermath of the Third Poppy War, with the country suffering from disunity and war-associated ills (disease, famine, refugee crises), the Dragon Warlord Yin Vaisra put in motion long-standing plans of treason and rebellion of the Empress.

Geography
Nikan is a large Empire comprising of Twelve Provinces, each controlled by a Warlord. It sits west of the Nariin Sea, which separates Nikan from the Federation of Mugen. To the north of Nikan lies the Hinterlands and the Baghra Desert. The Isle of Speer lies to the south.

The Twelve Provinces of Nikan are named after the Chinese Zodiac signs, which are in order:


 * Rat Province
 * Ox Province
 * Tiger Province
 * Hare Province
 * Dragon Province
 * Snake Province
 * Horse Province
 * Ram Province
 * Monkey Province
 * Rooster Province
 * Dog Province
 * Boar Province

To be Added

 * 1) Demographics
 * 2) Dialect
 * 3) Religion
 * 4) Politics
 * 5) Government
 * 6) Nikara Imperial Militia