Three Kingdoms, sometimes called Romance of the Three Kingdoms, is the book upon which Dynasty Warrior's story, characters, and settings are based. This novel, written by Luo Guanzhong, is a mostly factual account of true historical events which took place in China between 184 A.D. and 220 A.D. The story, in a nutshell, is as follows: China's greatest dynasty, the Han, is crumbling due to decadence and corruption. A peasant rebellion reveals the instability of the empire, and various illustrious leaders rise up to war with each other for control of China. The most prominent of these hegemons are Cao Cao, Liu Bei, and Sun Quan, representing the regions known as Wei, Shu, and Wu respectively. These men and their descendents wage war against each other for decades, until each region falls, due to internal and external forces, and the land is reunited under Sima Yan, the grandson of Cao Cao's advisor Sima Yi.