Revision 3

Yu Province (Chinese: 豫州) is the playable open-world region in the Early Access build. In the legendary Nine Provinces division of ancient China the region sits in the central plains. The developer has stated that future Early Access updates will extend the playable map outward from Yu Province toward the full Nine Provinces.

Region Scope

Yu Province in the current build is divided into a clear hierarchy of administrative units, each with its own fights, settlements, and stories.

Cities anchor each prefecture as economic and political hubs. Counties fan out from the cities and each holds a cluster of villages, secret realms, and travel routes. Strongholds sit between cities and counties, controlled by clans, bandit groups, or rival factions, and can be conquered, ruled, or razed.

Cities and Prefectures

The seven prefectures and seven cities in Yu Province each have their own economic specialty, faction loyalty, and named retainers. Some are loyal to the seven warring states, others are independent or contested. The hub article for the cities is Prefectures and Cities.

Strongholds

Strongholds are the smallest unit of conquerable territory. There are roughly fifty across Yu Province. Most start under the control of a faction or independent group, and many can be aligned with the player through diplomacy, conquest, or quest chains. The Mohist Academy is the named example tied to the Mohism school. The Gaoluo ethnic settlement is a named example tied to a frontier ethnic-minority storyline. The Strongholds page indexes the named strongholds as they are confirmed in the build.

Villages

Villages are the most numerous settlement type, with over three hundred connected through roads, rivers, and mountain passes. Each village hosts trade, recruitable NPCs, hunting grounds, and event chains. Villages are also the smallest unit a player can settle in for a quiet life, and many serve as travel waypoints between cities.

Cloud Quests

Beyond Yu Province itself the build features cloud quests in four neighboring provinces. These quests link the player to stories and historical figures whose presence extends the game world without requiring the full geographical map. Named historical figures connected with these stories include Han Feizi and Xiang Liang. Cloud quests are how the build stretches its narrative reach during Early Access while the playable map is still focused on Yu Province.

Travel and Seasons

Movement on the world map is shaped by terrain, season, and faction control. Mountain passes can choke army movement, river crossings depend on bridges and weather, and bandit-held strongholds threaten merchants and unaccompanied travelers. The world advances through day-night cycles and seasonal shifts that affect agriculture, sieges, and travel times.

Beyond Yu Province

The full Nine Provinces map is a stated long-term goal. As Early Access progresses, further provinces will open with additional cities, villages, counties, and strongholds. Until then, Yu Province plus the four cloud-quest provinces represent the playable world.

Related Pages

• Strongholds: index of named strongholds and their controllers.

• Prefectures and Cities: city and prefecture index.

• Setting and Lore: the wider mythological and historical backdrop.

• Factions: the seven powers contesting Yu Province and the wider realm.