Li-Ren

Distor Dìguó 蒂国 Distorian Calligraphy

The Li-Ren (李人) are a subculture of the Cathant Asiatic people who hail from a distant Eastern peninsula called Ai-Zho. As citizens of Li-Guo (李國), the first Cathant civilisation established, Li-Ren pride themselves on their ingenuity, persistence, and the rich history of their Ancestors. As such, the Li-Ren do not hesitate to share aspects of their culture with outsiders. This can be seen in their bountiful trade relations with numerous other nations, where it is not uncommon to see foreigners sporting Li-Ren artisanal wares.

History

Situated in the heart-land of Ai-Zho, the first Li-Ren were a myriad of ethnic minorities that thrived off the yellow silt of the Huang-he river. Much of their early history is shrouded in myth, with only meagre carvings and relics hinting at the society before the Unification of the First Era.

The First Era

The first Emperor Li Huang was an apt politician skilled in diplomacy. He unified the ethnic minorities that had taken residence around the Huang-he river through using his cunning, earning the trust of the people and slowly eliminating his competition until only he stood atop. Although his reign was controversial, Emperor Li Huang established a solid foundation in terms of the early development of a ‘universal’ written language and measurement system for all different dialects of ethnic tribes to communicate with. He also established the earliest semblance of Li-Guo’s judicial system, although historians would look back on his approval of legal polygamous marriage with disapproval after the Fourth Era. Despite his prowess in leading the nation, Emperor Li Huang was unable to prevent the inevitable, as before he could complete his work and stabilise Li-Guo, he died due to sickness. The underlying tensions between the different ethnic groups eventually burst, causing a long period of political infighting that eventually led to Li-Guo’s downfall.

The Second Era

The stability of the Li Empire did not last and soon, the court was embroiled in another round of in-fighting. The greatly weakened power of Li-Guo made it easy for the Hou-zi, a superior foreign race of sentient monkeys to invade and conquer the Li-Ren in one fell swoop. The existing cultural differences between the small minorities were quashed under the indoctrination of Hou-zi, resulting in a homogenous culture largely derived from Hou-zi teachings. Despite recognising the advantages of adopting Hou-zi practice, the proud people of Li-Guo still harbored dreams of a return to their former free state. After many centuries under the yoke of the Hou-zi, the remnants of the Li-Ren decided to act. Using the influence they had carefully cultivated over the ages, the Li family successfully rallied the various human peoples of Ai-Zho, amongst them the Oyashimans, Huinans, Zhous, and Salamduels. They rose up against the Hou-zi Empire and broke free from the shackle of Monkey rule, yet that was not the end of the fighting. Hungry for more, the Li-Ren quickly turned on their allies and conquered them one by one, forming a new era of glory for Li-Guo.

Third Era

With the newly formed Li Kingdom and the conquered human neighbours, the Li Dynasty is formed, and would rule over the Eastern peoples for 400 years. Contrary to expectations, the Hou-zi governors were allowed to remain in Li-Guo as a well-respected minority valued for their cultural knowledge which informed much of the Eastern people’s new cultural practices. Several cultural, religious, and lingual revolutions occurred in this era, with the development of Li-Wen, a derivative dialect of the Hou-zi tongue used throughout Li-Guo as the official language. On the religious front, the Hou-zi spread the teachings of the prophet Hualian, making Hua-jiao the dominant religion among the commoners of the Eastern Peninsula, with off-shoots such as Shidoism and varying interpretations emerging from their scriptures.

Fourth Era

The Li Dynasty has ruled for nearly 400 years in peace thanks to a series of wise and able rulers. However, the peace came to an end with the Emperor Li Liu-Hong, who had ascended the throne and become complacent. He over-indulged in wine and women, with historical annals narrating his Garden of Sweetmeats and his Harem of a Thousand. Taking advantage of the Emperor's lavish lifestyle, corrupt officials began lining their pockets with the people’s taxes, gradually increasing them until the rage finally boiled over. With the Empire rotting from the inside, the former allies of Li-Guo saw this as their chance to seize back their independence, with Oyashima being the first to take the charge. Soon the Huinan, Zhou, and Salamduel people followed in their steps, breaking away and setting up their own civilisations, leaving the once-great Li Dynasty to crumble.

Fifth Era (Current Era)

A series of succession wars destroyed what was left of the Li Dynasty, with many families fleeing the Aizho peninsula, setting out on their great ships to head towards a better future. A small few sailed Far West, braving many perilous storms and sea monsters until they finally landed in Almaris where they set their roots anew. This would be later known as the Great Journey to the West by their descendants. Starting over in a new country surrounded by foreign faces and foreign tongues proved difficult, with many of the former glorious houses resorting to less than honourable work during these hard times.

Appearance

Though the population is predominantly Farfolk with pale to sallow skin, dark hair, and dark eyes, with their long history of trade and diplomacy, other races such as elves and dwarves have made Li-Guo their home, choosing to adopt the customary dress of Hanfu.

Garments

Li-Ren fashion is exemplified in the Hanfu, a garment made of flowing cloth and billowing sleeves that act as extra storage. Both commoners and government officials wearing similar styles of clothing only differentiated by the colour and quality of the garments. Silk is considered the material of choice by high ranking individuals, chosen for its smooth and slippery texture as well as its ability to stay cool to the touch in the warm climate. Vividity and variety of colours used in a piece of garment were used as indicators of wealth, as they showed that the wearer was able to afford for the greater array of dyes. Both male and female garments were adorned with embroidery, with wealthier individuals being able to afford for more detailed and larger works.

Traditional clothing for men consists of a ‘shēnyī’ (a long coat or robe) and a ‘zhōngyī’ (shirts and trousers). The shēnyī is a robe-like garment that covers the entirety of the wearer’s arms, and reaches to their feet, it is generally worn in more formal confrontations. The zhōngyī is worn underneath the shifu and is mostly made of cotton or silk. The whole ensemble is cinched together with a woven belt at the mid-waist, with the option of hanging jewellery as additional embellishment.

The common garment worn by women is a ‘rúqún’, consisting of a long skirt and an upper garment similar to the woven belt on the male counterpart, only that it is cinched round the woman's chest. The rúqún can be embellished further with the layering of sheer gossamer cloth often boasting more detailed and intricate embroidery, thus giving the overall dress an airy and ethereal aesthetic. Decorations such as braids or ornaments may be worn with the upper garment, adding to the beauty of the outfit.

Hairstyles and Head-wear

Both male and females refrain from cutting their hair once they have reached adulthood, between the ages of 15 to 20, allowing their hair to grow long. This follows the ideas and teachings that every inch of an individual is a debt to their parents and to God, that they are of their parent’s flesh and blood; thus to cut your hair is to dishonour your family. The shaving of hair is a common punishment considered equivalent to or worse than death.

With the changing of fashion throughout the ages, many different styles of hair have come and go, such as the xiàfǎ, sānfǎ, and yuánfǎ. These hairstyles would be accommodated with various hair accessories as ornaments for the hair, such as hair pins (jiā, which were also used by males) in order to hold their hair in place.

It is also common for females to leave their hair down before marriage, though they may twist sections of their hair up and pin them with a wide assortment of hairpins, the most popular being the bùyáo, an intricate hairpin with delicate jewellery or chains that dangle from the end, swaying as the women move. Once a woman is married, it is common practice to tie up all the hair, symbolising the dedication to the patrilineal family.

Culture

Li-Ren Culture is founded upon the core tenets of Order and Respect. Everyone does their share for the betterment of everyone, where the youth respect their elders and the elders are to take care of the youth as if they were their own. The Li people are known for their neutral stance on most political and religious issues, not imposing their judgement on others yet not allowing imposition either.

Language

The language of the Shí is known as 'Shíhuà', its can be found in two written forms: New Shíwén, and Old Shíwén. New Shíwén was introduced 200 years ago by linguist Qian Jiegang in order to improve communication with the outside world and vastly improve literacy rates amongst the Shí people, it is a flexiosisation of the Shíhuà (Shí tongue). Despite Shíhuà being the official language of the Shí, the 'Common' tongue has become more widespread among the Shí people, and Old Shíwén has vastly died out.

Identity

An individual’s name consists of their family name (xìng) and personal name (míng), in some circumstances it is seen as being disrespectful to use personal names. Family names originate from clan names and are patrilineal, passed from father to child. Sub-surnames are given to government officers in order to distinguish between ranks and seniority, this is known as a ‘shì’. Personal names are given by parents to have a meaning, they are generally used as a blessing on their child. In formal consultations, the xìng comes before the míng, which is followed by their shì and title.

Example: Yíng (xìng) Zhēng (míng) Meng (shì) Taishi (grand historian), meaning 'to bring success'.

Five Principles

Known as the Wǔyuán, these principles consists of the five elements and the five colours, representing the idea that certain forms are imbued with values and characteristics. Distorians utilise this principle in everyday life, eminent in all decorative forms - the most common of which is fashion.

Five Elements

These elements are known as the Wǔyuán (five principles) and are water (shuǐ), metal (jīn), earth (tǔ), fire (huǒ), and wood (mù). They are believed to be the source of all things in the realm, and are the undermining values in all concepts. The Wǔyuán are present in almost all Eastern cultures, being established from perhaps the beginning of time; although they are known differently by the Hatamoto and the Chiyoko.

• Earth represents balance, and is portrayed by the colour yellow. It is believed by the Shí people that life is a cycle and that people are born from the earth and return to the earth when they die. It also represents the centre of all things in the universe, and a passage to the divine world.

• Water is an element of neutrality, but also represents the cold and winter climate. The black tortoise is used to depict the north in Distorian and Eastern folklore.

• Wood is used to represent the beginning of life; thus is used to characterize spring and used as a symbol in agriculture in order to bring good fortune to crops.

• Fire of course associates itself to heat and warmth, from this it is used to depict summer. The vermilion bird corresponds to the south, where the climate is generally far warmer.

• Metal is coupled with the colour of white, and used to represent divinity. This stems from the ancient use of meteoric iron, linking the Earth to the aether above.

Five Colours

The principle colours are concepts established from the five elements, they are:

• White (bái),the colour of the Shí (quartz), representing brightness, purity and harmony.

• Yellow (huáng), the colour of the emperor (Huangdi). Distorian legends tell of the first men being moulded from the clay and silt in the yellow river (Huanghe). It is said that only the emperor may use the colour yellow, as it represents his divine right over the Shí people.

• Green (lǜ), the colour of the Cuì (emerald), representing wealth, strength and health (somewhat ironic).

• Red (hóng), associated with fortune and happiness, it is used extensively in celebratory events like weddings and festivals. Doors are pasted with red papers with blessings, and red lanterns adorn streets in order to bless those who pass by.

• Black (hēi), regarded as the colour of neutrality, some consider it as the colour of the heavens, as daylight is blue and the night sky is black.

Random Tidbits

• There are various interchangeable terms whose usage varies between texts, i.e. a foreigner may use 'Distor', whilst a Shí loyalist may use 'Shíguó'.
• Distor is heavily influenced by Middle China, between the Qin and Han dynasties (considered the founding dynasties of China).
• Adapted from Distorian and Eastern Culture

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