What exactly is Bukyo?

[TinyRedLeaf]

According to various lore panels, you've got two periods of Japan living alongside each other. China isn't anywhere to be found.

If I remember correctly, it's more a case of the team using an amalgamation of Japanese and Chinese elements to conceptualise both Kugane and Doma, rather than a total exclusion of anything Chinese. This is apparent in Kugane, for example, where there's a mix of faux Chinese architecture alongside more recognisably Japanese types of buildings. It's even more apparent in Yanxia (very likely written as 燕峡, the "Swallow's Gorge"), where the physical landscape is very clearly inspired by the iconic limestone hills of Guilin, China.

(Yes, I know Nara/Heian Japan was heavily influenced by Chinese cultural styles, so one could say that parts of Kugane were inspired by that era, but Doma is definitely a much more eclectic mix.)

Gridania and the Azim Steppes couldn't be more different.

Well, the analogy isn't meant to be taken too seriously nor literally.

But I'd point out that the xaela nation isn't a monolithic bloc, and they are not all as bloodthirsty and warmongering as common accounts would make them seem. The Mol, for example, aren't actually very keen in the Nadaam, and participate more out of respect for tradition than from any real desire to win and rule.

So, I'd suggest that the xaela are defined more by their stubborn dedication to tribal and national traditions, than by bloodlust per se. In that respect, they have more in common with Gridianians than it would at first seem.