The Great Heng Dynasty

The Great Heng Dynasty · A Purely Historical Fictional TRPG Setting (Realistic, No Immortals/Demons)

Suitable for: Political intrigue, court struggles, wuxia, battlefield warfare, aristocratic families, grassroots survival, long-term multiplayer text-based games. Core Tone: Twilight of a dynasty, crumbling administration, separatist warlords, foreign threats, monopoly by the gentry, the coming chaos. Core Rules: 100% realistic, no immortality, no demons, no supernatural powers. All success or failure depends on human nature, strategy, military strength, and the political climate.

I. Core Setting

1. World Background

The continent is known as the Nine Provinces of the Central Plains, a vast ancient land of agrarian civilization that has gone through thousands of years of dynastic change, division, and unity. After the fall of three ancient dynasties and the rise and fall of unified empires, the current orthodox dynasty is the Great Heng Dynasty, which has been established for 327 years and is entering its late stage.

This world follows ancient feudal rites, an agrarian economy, cold-weapon warfare, and the aristocratic family system. There are no immortals, demons, or spiritual energy. The highest strength comes from martial arts masters and battlefield generals; the strongest power lies in imperial authority, military command, financial control, and the hearts of the people.

2. Underlying Social Rules (Rigid TRPG logic to prevent disruption)

3. Stratification Rule: The class structure (Scholar-Farmer-Artisan-Merchant) is rigid. Families monopolize education, official positions, and land. Advancement for the lower class is difficult; only military merit, imperial examinations, and trade offer paths out.

4. Ritual Constraints: Feudal rites between sovereign/subject, father/son, noble/humble, and male/female are strict. Transgressors face social ostracism, prosecution, or exile.

5. Martial Balance: Martial arts masters can defeat ten or a hundred, but cannot oppose armies, human wave tactics, superior military equipment, or siege formations. Individual martial arts cannot overthrow a state.

6. Economic Loop: State taxes, land annexation, salt/iron/water transport, frontier trade, and grain price fluctuations directly impact court politics and civil unrest.

7. Political Causality: All court allegiances, factionalism, denunciations, marriages, and mutinies have chain reactions. No deus ex machina, no forced redemption.

II. The Nine Provinces (Human Geography)

1. Yongzhou · Capital Region (Core)

• Role: Political center, site of the Imperial Capital.
• Core Cities: Shangjing, Luodu, Jingzhao Prefecture.
• Vibe: Concentration of power, wealthy families, extravagant, complex bureaucracy, extreme wealth gap.
• Controllers: Central imperial power, Three Departments and Six Ministries, Imperial Guards.
• Undercurrents: Successor struggles, influence of imperial in-laws, eunuchs, party strife.

2. Qingzhou · Qilu Culture (Gentry Base)

• Role: Educational center, home of the literati.
• Core Cities: Qufu, Wenjiang, Imperial Academy.
• Vibe: Academies everywhere, strict rites, origin of candidates and scholars.
• Controllers: Old-money families, literati circles.
• Undercurrents: Monopoly on office, opinion manipulation, exclusion of the lower class.

3. Yangzhou · Jiangnan Wealth (Financial Hub)

• Role: Granary of the empire, trade center.
• Core Cities: Jinling, Suzhou/Hangzhou.
• Vibe: Misty Jiangnan, wealthy merchants, prosperous waterways.
• Controllers: Commercial guilds, water transport groups, local officials.
• Undercurrents: Salt smuggling, corruption, wealth surpassing local administration.

4. Liangzhou · Ancient Shu (Defensive Stronghold)

• Role: Southwest barrier, rugged terrain.
• Core Cities: Jinguan, Jiange Pass.
• Vibe: Steep mountains, isolated, tough people, well-stocked.
• Controllers: Local garrison, native clans.
• Undercurrents: Strong local autonomy, weak central decree.

5. Liangzhou · Western Desert (Battleground)

• Role: Frontier defense against foreigners.
• Core Cities: Zhenxi Pass, Shuofang.
• Vibe: Yellow sands, barren, frequent warfare.
• Controllers: Frontier army, regional governors.
• Undercurrents: Warlord privatization of military, defiance of the center.

6. Bingzhou · Northern Cold Lands (Frontier Garrison)

• Role: Northern defense line.
• Core Cities: Yanmen Pass.
• Vibe: Frigid, militaristic culture.
• Controllers: Northern army, military families.
• Undercurrents: Constant war, empty military budget, northern raiders.

7. Jingzhou · Southern Frontier (Wild & Chaotic)

• Role: Tribal region, weak control.
• Core Cities: Nanjian Prefecture.
• Vibe: Dense forests, miasma, many tribes, loose laws.
• Controllers: Appointed officials, tribal chieftains.
• Undercurrents: Tribal separatism, local conflicts, bandits.

8. Yanzhou · Central Plains (Buffer Zone)

• Role: Warzone, frequent devastation.
• Core Cities: Ruined cities, walled villages.
• Vibe: Desolate, refugees, breakdown of order.
• Controllers: Outlaws, refugee leaders, local militia.
• Undercurrents: No government control, survival of the fittest, hotbed for rebellions.

9. Xuzhou · Huai River Hub (Strategic Key)

• Role: North-South throat, major battlefield.
• Core Cities: Pengcheng, Huai Pass.
• Vibe: Fire-forged, militaristic.
• Controllers: Combined central garrison and local elites.
• Undercurrents: The first place to fall in chaos, core battlefield for warlords.

III. Era Background · 327th Year of Great Heng (Current Start)

1. Imperial Decline: Emperor Heng is elderly and idle. The Crown Prince died early, leading to succession struggles.
2. Three Court Factions: Imperial In-laws, Eunuchs, and the Scholar-Gentry.
3. Separatist Warlords: Nine regional governors control armies and tax, effectively independent states.
4. External Threats: Northern nomads, Western regions, Southern tribes, Eastern pirates.
5. Social Breakdown: Severe land annexation, heavy taxes, natural disasters, millions of refugees.

IV. Four Core Factions

1. Central Court: Wants to maintain unity and weaken warlords.
2. Aristocratic Families: Want to monopolize office and preserve land/privileges.
3. Regional Warlords: Want autonomy and hereditary power.
4. Martial Arts Circles: Grey-area forces outside the law (Orthodox/Evil factions).

(No Tang poetry or Song lyrics exist in this world.)