Nikara Empire
An empire of opium, shamanic fire, and the Keju test.
The Nikara Empire is the imperial state in which the novel is set. Fang Runin ("Rin") is a war orphan in the Nikara Empire whose foster parents employ her in her opium smuggling. To escape an arranged marriage, she sets her sights on passing the Keju, the empire-wide test to find the most talented candidates for admittance to their Academies. Shocking everyone, she places first in her province, which sends her north to Sinegard, the imperial capital and home of the military academy.
Quick Facts
- Capital city
- Sinegard
- Military focus
- Military academy in Sinegard; special shaman unit called the Cike
- Key rival
- The Federation of Mugen
Lore & Background
The Nikara Empire's military academy is located in Sinegard, the imperial capital. The empire is defended by twelve regional warlords, one of whom is Yin Nezha's father. The empire also employs the Cike, a special military unit of young, mostly-shaman, imperial assassins led by Altan Trengsin. The empire's history includes a previous war in which the Speerly soldiers, who served the empire by wielding shamanic fire powers from their god the Phoenix, were massacred by the Federation of Mugen. The empress Su Daji appears at a festival. During the war, the empress betrays the Cike's mission for her own life and sells out Nikan.
Reader's Guide
The Nikara Empire's capital is Sinegard, home to the military academy. The empire is governed by an empress, Su Daji, and twelve regional warlords. The empire's military includes the Cike, a unit of shaman assassins. The empire's test for talent is the Keju, which Rin passes to enter the academy. The empire's history includes a war with the Federation of Mugen, in which the Speerly people were massacred. The empire's wartime capital is Golyn Niis, which is destroyed by the Mugenese. The empire's empress betrays the war effort, selling out Nikan for her own life.
More in World & Geography
Elsewhere in The Poppy War Trilogy
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