THE REALM OF HARMONY
--------------------

Harmony is a place where the flow of ch'i and harmony with the Tao are a
law of nature. Any change, anything that would perturb the peace and
tranquillity of the place, is automatically compensated for -- violently,
if need be -- so that society returns to its natural state. However, most
changes are compensated simply by setting aside space for the new things,
and adapting to them.  Violence is rare, since karma is a real and
tangible thing in Harmony.

Normal, Earth Prime gunpowder exists in and works in Harmony, for otherwise
there could be no fireworks. In fact, the physics generally match that of
Earth Prime, with the additional law of nature that any object that is not
harmonious with its surroundings (i.e. that disrupts the chi flow) will
eventually grind to a halt. (For those who are interested, this means that
entropy actually varies depending on the chi flow -- harmonious objects are
subject to less entropic interference on the system than disharmonious
ones. Entropy can never be cheated, but it can be reduced to nearly zero.)
Internal combustion and steam power will work for a time, but as pollution
and other forms of disharmony mount, such devices tend to break down,
succumbing to a form of mechanical bad karma. Wind and water power are the most
common "mundane" forms of energy in Harmony.

This does not mean the people are not comfortable. The basic principles of
ch'i manipulation, including feng shui and acupuncture, are known to all
who create and build, and so water pipes and electric items run by stored
wind power are designed with the flow of chi in mind as well as the flow of
water or electrons. The comforts of the people of Harmony are not just
functional, but beautiful and harmonious with the surroundings, because
anything that is not beautiful or harmonious either becomes that way or it
stops working.

Despite the Asian influence in the culture, the people of Harmony run the
gambit, racially, and do not include just humans. Sapients of all types,
from the dragons to ogres to the Fae, all have their place in Harmony, and
all live harmoniously with each other. In the more extreme cases, they live
under the "good fences make good neighbors" rule; radically different
creatures stick to the areas most harmonious for them. One cannot identify
a native of Harmony by hair color or shape; one identifies a native of
Harmony by his aura of calm and tranquility, and their stern sense of
justice.

The capital city of the Mandala universe, and by extension the entire core
realm, is called Harmony. It is ruled by the Enlightened Council, led by
the Two Creators, who take the titles Emperor and Empress. Edicts from the
Council which carry the imprimatur of both Creators are heeded and obeyed
without question. Edicts with the approval of only one Creator, or neither,
are likely to be politely ignored by the populace.  Only those mandates
that come from the union of the male and the female, the yang and the yin,
are the Will of Heaven, and when such mandates come down, all of society
adjusts to match. Such mandates are rarely needed, however, since the
society has a strong, traditional sense of justice and right action.

Membership of the Enlightened Council is drawn from the pool of those whose
adherence to the Way has been tested by service outside the peace of
Harmony and not found wanting. Service on the Council is mandatory for such
people, but terms are reasonably short and followed by a remission three
times the length of a term before a councillor can be called to serve
again. Only the Two Creators are permanent members of the Council.

Within Harmony, the Power of the Way and the Mandala itself make life easy.
The people of Harmony are born with an understanding of the Way and how to
live within its bounds and for many of them this is enough. They are the
farmers, craftspeople, small businessmen and professionals who form the
backbone of society and they are valued for their contribution. 
However, there are always those who look beyond the fields they know and
seek wider horizons. Teachers are trained to recognize such people while
young and send them to the capital for training. Once trained they serve
outside Harmony; as traders, diplomats, soldiers, aid workers or simply
explorers, according to their talents and preferences. Some serve only a
few years in this way, others stay in the service for most of their
careers. It is from the returning members of this service that the ranks of
the enlightened are drawn.

Because of the nature of the Way that Mandala establishes for sapients
under its care, the crime rate is low, as Harmony itself conspires against
the wrongdoer. Since different communities may have different laws, only
more serious crimes, like murder, tend to disrupt the Way, but the people
of Mandala are very cautious and respectful of the wisdom of their rulers,
and tend not to break lesser laws as well.

Surrounding the city of Harmony are many small villages, which members of
the Family can visit. The villagers are respectful to Family, but do not
consider themselves their slaves, and are more than willing to put a Family
member in their place if they are disturbing the harmony of the empire,
with the full karmic backing of Mandala itself.

Live wargaming, using intricately wrought paintball weapons, is one of the
many diverse hobbies that are commonly engaged in by natives of Harmony,
especially those employed by the Emperor in military service. Also popular
are kite flying, tai chi, meditation, dancing (all kinds, not just Asian
forms), theatre, music (again, all kinds), and a healthy respect for
sensual pleasure, though nothing to excess.

Despite their peaceful nature, the people of Harmony understand that in far
lands, the karmic wheel has been damaged, and fighting is a necessity. They
are ready in case any of those people should come to Harmony, and are
willing to contribute to restoring the balance elsewhere.

The military is well trained by the Emperor, consisting entirely of
volunteers. Each person is placed in the military according to their talents. 

Military technology in Harmony is based on three major principles.

1. Multiple redundancy. The military uses both technology and magic, so if
one fails, the other makes the item still useful. This means that in
addition to Earth Prime gunpowder (and other Earth Prime technology), the
military technology is powered by chi sorcery and has a biological
equivalent to explosives. This equivalent is a seed pod that grows in one
of the Ten Thousand Realms, which, properly aged with chemicals and
sorcery, can fire a seed in a bullet-like fashion, with larger varieties
being used as explosives.

2. Scrounge capability. Through modularity of parts, Mandala military
technology is capable of using ammunition and parts that work in Thelbane,
Amber, Axis, Parys and any other Great Power realm with similar
physics. Pink gunpowder might not work in Harmony, but the weapons are
ready to use it elsewhere if any can be acquired.

3. Harmony with the Tao. Yes, there is even a Way to Warfare, and Harmony
military technology is designed with this in mind. This means that in
general Harmony military technology is designed to minimize chi damage,
including pollution, other than what is needed to destroy military
targets. It also means, ironically, that military technology designed in
Harmony is as beautiful as it is deadly.

It goes without saying that the armies of Harmony are well trained in
hand-to-hand martial arts.

THE TEN THOUSAND REALMS
-----------------------

The Ten Thousand Realms are the "Golden Circle" of Harmony -- Shadows
located near Harmony itself. Some examples incude, but are note limited
to:

The Bright Empire. Like Harmony, only more Confusian and Legalist. Absolute
power is held by Emperor Belial and Empress Janna, and the Way is defined by
a complicated dance of rules and regulations. Society does not react well
to change, and visitors are warned that if they offend Heaven, they may
find it difficult to leave.

The Five Realms. Each of these realms resembles Harmony in terms the
physics of Chi manipulation and the need for harmony with the Way, but the
"base" physics is similar to a Great Power that has been visited by
Mordred or Cat. The government of each Realm resembles a mix of Harmony
proper and the Realm in question. Harmony Axis resembles Harmony in all
ways, ruled by Emperor Ches and Empress Myth, but is much higher-tech,
though all of it in harmony with the Way. Harmony Amber is ruled by an
ever-changing mix of Emperors -- each one being defeated by the bad karma
generated by the coup that brings that particular regime to power. Harmony
Thelbane is divided in two, with a baroque bureaucracy in each. Harmony
Haven resembles Harmony in all ways except that all of its inhabitants are
middle-class and white. Harmony Earth is divided in thousands of small
countries, each with its own Emperor and Empress... 

The Forbidden City. It looks like Harmony in all ways -- only there are no
people, and no animals. Just buildings and countryside. Those who stay
there for long hear noises as if the Realm is inhabited, but never see
anyone, and there is always room for doubt. In truth, there are
inhabitants -- but they are invisible, and inaudible to any but
themselves. (The noises heard are a sort of psychic residue...) Anyone who
stays here for long enough to figure this out finds himself mystically
transported to a different Shadow.

The Fields. This realm consists of a military base maintained by the
Emperor of Harmony, and large, rolling fields of the seed-pods used as one
of the redundant components of Mandala military technology.

Hypernippon. Imagine every Anime show you've ever seen, every Manga you've
ever read. It's all here. The "good guys" always win, because that's the
Way of this Realm, although they may need to undergo many sacrifices in
order to do so. Mechanisms tend to work based on obscure principles of
Drama and whether something Looks Cool or not. Some believe this is this
represents the influence of Lupina on Mandala. 

Nine Thousand Hells. This is a series of loose, connected Shadows that
resemble the Courts of Chaos before it was formatted by the Logrus, but
without any Abyss taint. In fact, the Way of the Realm reacts very harshly
(even harsher than usual) to Abyss worship or human sacrifice. Otherwise,
it is a perfect habitation for Thelbane demons. 

Cathay. This is recognizably China in the early Tang dynasty, but
everything is exaggerated. The peasants are more oppressed, the merchants
more greedy and unscrupulous, the bandits more dangerous and the mandarins
more magnificent than in 'real' China. The dukes and princes who rule
satellite fiefdoms are often mad, usually bad and definitely dangerous to
know. 

Power sits firmly with the Neo-Confucianists, and everything is done
according to rigidly laid down patterns of protocol which bind even the
heavens and the August Personage of Jade. 

Fortunately there are a few wild cards among the population who can be
relied upon to take an unconventional approach and these are much valued
by Heaven as agents to help get around the rules and achieve the desired
result. Most famous (or infamous) of these is Li Kao, the sage with a
slight flaw in his character, but an honourable mention is also due to the
humble itinerant storyteller Kai Lung.