Subduing the Dragon in the Ruins

In a remote, fertile basin, the first wave of refugees fleeing war arrived and settled, marking the beginning of the Taoyuan Era. As the village bloodline proved insufficient for sustaining itself, outsiders were brought in from beyond the mountains, ushering in the Huangtang Era. With increasing population and growing complexity, regional city-states were established—the Qilin Era. Small-scale development followed, then the smaller city-states were annexed into a unified nation like those outside, an epoch known as the Lindi Era. Large-scale warfare erupted for the first time, and after many states were finally united, the basin reached its peak of development—the Haohe Era. Outsiders then turned their armies against the basin, igniting a protracted conflict—the Luanchuan Era. Thanks to the basin’s natural defenses, the invaders grew weary, and a long stalemate of military standoff began, named the Qinlong Era. Devastated by prolonged wars that had ravaged their lands and population, the outsiders launched a frantic offensive against the basin—the Fulong Era. Eventually, both sides reached an accord, triggering a great migration that strained the basin’s resources to an unprecedented degree—the Tianjia Era. As land degradation set in, the basin’s inhabitants turned to technological advancement—the Yangxing Era. The first wave of migration from the basin to the outside world appeared, marking the Zaixu Era. A long, calamitous haze settled over the land, and people gradually lost their aspirations for a better life, plunging into a stagnant phase—the Qinggu Era. Then came a turning point: astronomy flourished and aerospace culture emerged, heralding the most significant transformation for generations living in this land—the Qunxing Era. Aerospace technology sparked with promise but suffered repeated failures, while small-scale wars broke out—the Anhe Era. The revival of Zhou ritual brought about an unprecedented era of unity—the Fanhua Era. And then the first rocket lifted off, into an age yet to be named...