The Twelve Kingdoms Forum

i'm going to recommend something super old :) it's not a anime but manga .

RG Veda by clamp
it's a world rule by one supreme god [tyrant atm , hint of previous war dethroning the previous good emperor god] and tribes of minor gods. very immersive world and epic story. instead of 12 kingdoms we ...

he became god before he give the tree branches [ and unless ur a god u cannot have access to it ] to the ppl of the yellow sea , noticed they call him by his god-name in the child-empress novel [ they dunno his normal name] :)

he probly became god cos of his outstanding merit in helping travellers ...

the previous sai-o "lost his way" due to the branch . he doesn't comprehen the meaning of the vision that the branch gives him and hence he didn't repent/correct his wrongs....
really sad story abt a bunch of idealistic/hardworking ppl [king and his officals are like 20-30+ yrs old when they come ...