The past few centuries have been ones of great upheaval in Chinese history. The orcs from central Asia conquered northern China, annexing it to their empire which stretched as far west as the Middle East and (within a few years) Russia. Southern China fell to them and the orc emperor, Kublai Khan, presented himself as a legitimate Chinese ruler, of the Yuan dynasty, and maintained the traditional Chinese bureaucracy, though with orcs in the topmost positions.

After Kublai Khan, the orcs weakened and their vast empire fragmented into separate states. Yuan dynasty China was one of these. An increasing number of rebellions culminated in the expulsion of the orcs from China. Native Chinese rulers of the Ming dynasty were installed on the throne.

The Ming emperors have restored the Confucian bureaucracy, along with the examination system, to its predominant position in the state. They also briefly sent out a number of major naval expeditions to South East Asia and beyond, reaching as far as Africa and the New world. In Inner Asia, however, the orcs remain a dangerous threat to China, and the Ming have completely rebuilt the Great Wall.

Internally the country was largely tranquil and the economy and population is expanding strongly. However this was shattered by the Alliance of the Four Oirats, when they defeated and captured the overconfident Emperor Yingzong of Ming.

His capture by the enemy force has shaken the empire to its core, and the ensuing crisis may have caused the dynasty to collapse, were it not for the capable governing of prominent minister Yu Qian. who to calm the crisis at home, has installed the Emperors younger brother Zhu Qiyu as the Jingtai Emperor.

The Jingtai Emperor is not planning to rescue his brother as he does not wish to to relenqish the throne. Currently Yingzong’s only son Zhu Jianshen lives under his uncle’s shadow in the Forbidden City. While the Jingtai Emperor has installed his own son as heir he has even removed the boys title of crown prince .