Type of Government: Absolute Imperial Monarchy

Head of State: 75th Emperor Naerzo Vyalviur (age 167) pre - February 17th, 76th Emperors Ecruir Vyalviur and Olarth Vyalviur (age 60) afterwards

Economy (Specific to the Crownlands):
- Was one of the world’s foremost pioneers of industrial technology (4920s-4950s), rapidly developing
- This development met backlash/competition from incredibly strong medieval guild organizations/artisans
- As of 4907, can be classified as a mix of the two economic systems (industrial/feudal)
- Yllendyr culture prioritizes quality over quantity, leading middle/upper classes to almost universally choose artisan products (also a status symbol in society)
- Industrialization remains strong, but narrow in scope, and serves lower classes/markets abroad
- Other nations catching up in economic output, but Yllendyr products remain synonymous with quality
- Due to slavery, Yllendyr largest producer of agricultural products, at extremely low prices
- Slaves reduce expenditure on large projects such as dams, fortifications, palaces, etc.
- Powerful nobility remains a huge economic power, which in turn supports the monarchy
- Huge focus on technological supremacy, especially in agriculture, industry, and military, economy boosted by patent royalties
- Major investment in applying magic to industrial pursuits

Major Exports:
- Agricultural products and livestock
- Luxury goods (jewelry, ceramics, magical accessories, etc.)
- Heavy industrial products, machinery, steel, and cement
- Metals (mainly silver, titanium, gold, tungsten)
Major Imports:
- Raw manufacturing materials (iron, coal, lead, etc.)
- Timber
- Consumer goods

Primary Species: Yllendyr (Dark Elves)

Population: 814 million total (~644 post-succession, minus most of Avalia, Vaspen & Otomazu)
Crownlands alone: 147 million
- Citizens: 119 million
-- Yllendyr: 111 million
-- Silvyr: 4.5 million
-- Gehornyr: 1.75 million
-- Solendyr: 1.25 million
-- Avalyr: 0.25 million
-- Harpies: 0.1 million
- Non-Citizen Subjects: 28 million
-- Humans: 11 million
-- Orks: 9 million
-- Dwarves: 4.5 million
-- Valkyrians: 2 million
-- Wulfen: 1.5 million

Culture: The Yllendyr culture emphasizes four main aspects: love of nature, love of magic, love of fellow Yllendyr, and the elimination or removal of all that is foreign or destructive to those values. Aside from other dark-skinned elves which they generally treat with more respect, the Yllendyr are harshly elitist and discriminatory to other races, believing it as their natural right to hold dominion over them. As a result, martial culture is deeply ingrained in Yllendyr society, and major noble families compete over spots in the leadership of the Sentinels, the most prestigious of those institutions.

Imperial Policy of Discrimination and Racial Castes:
There are two main factors that Yllendyr use to segregate racial castes: darkness of skin and elven characteristics. Of those two, being an elf is most important, but the Yllendyr also discriminate against pale-skinned races regardless.
- Yllendyr - highest status
- Dark-Skinned Elves (Solendyr, Avalyr) - near equals, little to no societal discrimination, discrimination illegal
- Magical Creatures/Forest Denizens - seen as strange, but respected, discrimination illegal. Amreans also exist somewhere between here and the lower category due to their elvish characteristics and respect for their empire.
- Other Dark-Skinned Humanoids - slight societal discrimination, slavery illegal
- Other Elves (Gehornyr, Tsunindyr) - bizarrely mixed status, as some regard them as elves and others as abominations undeserving of the title. Discrimination varies based on the individual
- Other Non-Human Civilized Races (Vaspen, Valkyria, etc.) - considerable societal discrimination, slavery permitted
- Other Humanoids (humans, dwarves, etc.) - high societal discrimination, slavery permitted
- Barbaric Races (orks, goblins, trolls, etc.) - virtually total disregard for value of life, slavery permitted and typically much more brutal and harsh
Slavery in the Imperium is primarily used for agricultural labour, construction work (typically large public works projects), low-skill industry and domestic service. Domestic service is confined to non-barbaric races. Domestic servants are utilized by nobles/capitalists alike, even some in the middle class, as well as in the dominions.

Religious and Other Beliefs: The official religion of the Imperium is the Church of Eluna, which officially 70% of the citizen population adheres to in the Crownlands. This religion centers around worship of the moon goddess, or Eluna. However, half of this number are only nominally affiliated with the Church, usually only attending major festivals. The most important of these is the Festival of the Sealing. The Church also typically crowns the Emperor. Elsewhere, the Dominions are nominally secular, however the Church of Eluna receives some state support as a way of promoting assimilation.

Location/Territories: The continent of Onindyr, and the two northern island areas.

Climate (Specific to the Crownlands): Primarily temperate in the south-central regions with some cooler regions to the north with heavy snows, lightly forested with sparse grasslands and hills.

Military: The Yllendyr Imperium maintains three general army divisions: first, the Imperial Sentinels, second, the Imperial Army, and thirdly, the Imperial Navy. The Imperial Sentinels are strictly elven-only, and typically five legions (20,000 men each) are stationed equally in each constituent dominion of the Imperium, with a few exceptions higher or lower. They are highly disciplined and highly equipped, with the finest rifles, magically reinforced armour and sabres made in the utmost quality by the Armament Guild. The Sentinels operate under the direct authority of the Emperor, coordinated by the Grandmaster of the Sentinel Order. The Imperial Army is much larger and widely varied, and the vast majority of each auxiliary legion (auxilia for short) is composed of subject peoples. A strict rule is in place which prohibits more than 20% of a legion in a constituent nation from being citizens of that nation, to cut down on potential rebelliousness. Each legion regardless typically consists of infantry, cavalry, and a dedicated artillery team which recently also includes machine gunners. High leadership for the Army is exclusively elven as well, but many officers come from subject peoples and are extensively rewarded for their loyalty. Imperial Auxilia are under the control of their Dominion administration, and proportionally distributed by population to each at a rate of 1 per 5 million, with the remainder stationed in the Crownlands and the Crown Colony. The Auxilia allow volunteers but most are conscripted. Finally, the Imperial Navy is the pride of the Yllendyr, boasting over two hundred modern warships armed with artillery and sometimes flamethrowers of varying sizes and classes. The Imperium is the only country in the world which fields battleships, and it possesses six, split evenly between the Northern and Southern fleets.

Military Distribution:
- Crownlands - 30 Auxilia, 600k – 78 Sentinels, 1560k
- Vershellen - 6 Auxilia, 120k – 2 Sentinels, 40k
- Solynen - 12 Auxilia, 240k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Hrothgrad - 11 Auxilia, 220k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Avalyran - 8 Auxilia, 160k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Cragenland - 7 Auxilia, 140k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Old Forest - 5 Auxilia, 100k – 2 Sentinels, 40k
- Endaria - 11 Auxilia, 220k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Evrimalar - 13 Auxilia, 260k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Ahnr - 1 Auxilia, 20k – 0 Sentinels
- Lieria - 18 Auxilia, 360k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Otomazu - 14 Auxilia, 280k – 8 Sentinels, 160k
- Avalia - 12 Auxilia, 240k – 5 Sentinels, 100k
- Vaspen - 11 Auxilia, 220k – 10 Sentinels, 200k
- Crown Colony - 5 Auxilia, 100k – 10 Sentinels, 200k

Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment (Specific to the Crownlands): Significantly more common due to being elven, but mostly used for cultural and economic purposes rather than as a tool of war. The Yllendyr are water alignment.

History/Background Info: The Yllendyr Imperium traces its history back over nearly five thousand years, founded with the ancient kingdom of Ylleria from which the race takes its name. The Vyalviur dynasty which was founded there is said to have continued uninterrupted to this very day. However, the Yllendyr people were only finally unified just 250 years ago under Vyalviur rule, spending most of the time in periodic internecine conflict. The Vyalviur dynasty once unified the country a thousand years ago but only kept it together for thirty years before it fragmented again on the death of the conquering ruler. The major legacy of that time period is the Altairis Wall, built to protect incursions on Yllendyr territory by barbarous invaders from the south. This time period reinforced Yllendyr xenophobia and general disdain for foreigners. Under the newly unified Yllendyr Imperial Sovereignty, in 4677 the 70th Emperor advocated for conquest as the final solution to the threat of outsiders, so they could be kept under a watchful eye no longer to threaten the Yllendyr. A series of wars saw Yllendyr domains growing, but slowly, and their main rival in the West, the Vaspen Empire, attempted to keep them in check. However, rapid advancement in technology which far outstripped their neighbors led to the development of advanced firearms and later the first automatic weapon, the gatling gun. Using this new technology, the Yllendyr took themselves from a regional power to a global superpower, embarking on the Wars of Barbarian Subjugation in 4794. The Vaspen Empire slowly lost ground as the Yllendyr also used their navy to great effect in the subjugations of Endaria in 4827 and the Otomazu Shogunate in 4832. The last nation to fall was the Vaspen Empire, in 4840, and these regions have been under Yllendyr supervision ever since. Three nations, the Old Forest, the Kingdom of Endaria, and the Principality of Ahnr, were granted vassal state status due to various logistical factors, and the remainder were incorporated into the Imperium proper. An uneasy peace has persisted for the last sixty-seven years under the watchful eye of the Securitariat, the Yllendyr secret police, which maintains a large informant network across the provinces in pursuit of even the slightest whiffs of dissent. Still, unrest is inevitable, and with the sickness and incapacitation of the aging Naerzo Vyalviur the Conqueror, the political situation is as tense as it has been for fifty years. The status of the succession will likely make or break the Imperium's hold over the industrialized world.

Type of Government: Empire
Head(s) of Government: Pir Miran Shaykh Gurkani, abroad known as Miran the Lame, because he walks with a limp. He does not refer to himself as an Emperor, however, but as a placeholder for ‘the true luminescent emperor’… He uses the title ‘Gurkani’ (son-in-law)
Economy Exports: A lot of dairy, spices, carpets, cattle, animal pelts, mounts and in the mountainous regions minerals as quicksilver, lead and charcoal.
Economy Imports: The inhabitants of Transtulania have feverishly relied on Amrea to introduce newer and modern weaponry to Soiryndia. Though at times marauding warbands would make attempts to cross over into different lands to return with booty, particularly the colony of Yllendyr, the most technologically advanced region of the entire continent… Sometimes with success, but usually never to be seen again.

Primary Species:







Unique specimen:



Literacy: The population, save for the Fararuals and high-standing Üarim, is almost completely illiterate. It is whispered that Miran himself barely knows how to write or read.
Population: some 70 to 80 million total, the vast majority of which conquered peoples. The heartlands of Transtulania are compared to surrounding lands arid and sparsely populated. Most of the population live around rivers and in the recently annexed territories closest to Amrea and Wulfram.

Fararual Elves: 40.000. Pureblood Fararuals are a dying breed. Most of them live in the Holy City of Aranagh; the spiritual centre of the Miranid Empire.

Üarim: 30 million, after the Tzücomen the largest majority of the Miranids and rulers of the Empire’s heartlands, namely the Fararu Luminescence (their ancestral place-of-origin) and the Satrapies.

Human Races:
Tzücomen: 45 million
Arier Galians: 2 million

Beast Races:
Monurchen: (monkey people) 7 million
Zhuxi: (pig people)80,000
Amreans: (fox people)50,000
Gnülonlar (hyena people): 22 million
Ukani (bug people): 2 million

Golems: 80.000

Culture: Patriarchal and warlike. Every man is expected to be capable of basic martial prowess, archery and life in the saddle of whichever beast they have mastered, a tradition that echoes bygone ages. In addition to the people's rogue lifestyle, very few leaders have been able to assert control over the unruly masses. Üarim respect strength above all, for strength and confidence are the measure of a man.

Despite increasing urbanization, the majority of the population live a rural and nomadic lifestyle, and less than a quarter of the population comprise of city dwellers. Most Üarim and certainly every Tzücoman, no matter how poor, herds cattle for sustenance and owns a steed.

Spicy food that burn your taste buds is a big deal in Transtulanian diet, and it is the spice trade (importation and exportation alike) what made Transtulanian cities wealthy. Chili and peppers Üarim people eat on a daily basis.

Religious and Other Beliefs: The Sun God (the same as Amrea's) with emphasis placed on the Üarim and Fararual’s own patron Fire God; Axbak Camen

According to ancient legend and oral tradition, many thousands of years ago Axbak Camen was the first Emperor of the Fararuals that ruled an Empire spanning every corner of Soiryndia. Upon death, the Fararuals believe his spirit ascended to Godhood, and in Transtulania he is revered as 'the Fire God, first son of the Sun God'. Beyond this key difference, their religious practices are virtually the same as those of Amrea.

Location/Territories: Much of the present Miranid borders comprise a land referred to as Transtulania.


Climate: Very diverse, though overwhelmingly (sub-)tropical and arid.
From north to south:

In the Keychurian Principality and Ariers Haven; forests and lush rolling hills

In the Gnülonlar Badlands and Uar-Ög; arid, mountainous with canyons everywhere

In the Fararu Luminescence, Tzücomen Beyliks, Ümre and Ushji-Dash; grassy steppes and flat riverlands


Military:
There is a tremendous emphasis on war beasts in the Miranid Army, and it is their harnessing of beasts that has been their truly distinguishing strength.






The different races listed above give an insight to the purpose each race serves in the Miranid army, with Tzücomen and Gnülonlar being generally cheap levies and rank-fillers, the Golems as crude fantasy-tanks, and the Üarim as competently versatile professional soldiers.

Magic Prevalence/Usage:
Fire!
And conjuring tempests.

History/ Background Info:
Miranid History is linked to the warlord Miran Shaykh Gurkani, whose history goes back only a few decades; prior to then the lands of Transtulania (so named for the Tulani river separating it from Amrea) overseen by the Fararual Luminescence, with the Fararuals being regarded an aristocratic and priestly race to whom all lesser races pay homage.
It is known that in ancient times, Transtulania was part of the Amrean Empire and the first Emperors are to this day revered in Transtulania and considered as their Emperors as well.
Transtulania had been separated from the Southern Empire by a northern dynasty led by Fararuals two thousand years ago.

For at least the last millennium the lands of Transtulania had been ruled by a Fararual High Priest known as ‘The Luminescent’ from the Holy City of Aranagh. Though his authority was never absolute, and he was more of an over-arching spiritual leader over the various warring nations of Transtulania. The Arch Luminescent was commonly disobeyed and sometimes even opposed by the Üarim states.

The Luminescent’s sovereignty ended a century ago when the divine bloodline of the Luminescent ended without male successor. In the absence of a central religious authority, there was no incentive for the nations of Transtulania to show any further allegiance to another.
The Fararuals had become too weak and few to control their Üarim subjects. Tensions finally blew over when Üarim warlords made a bid to power to fill the power vacuum and effectively replace the Luminescent.
Among the most recent of these warlords to ascend to prominence was Miran.

The turmoil of Transtulania was exacerbated with the arrival of the Old World some 5 decades ago; the establishment of the imperial colony of Yllendyr carrying sinister and alien weaponry. Their coming was regarded as an omen, and prompted the Fararuals to prophecy the imminent fall of their world; a fall which only a new Luminescent could avert.

Miran’s career began when he was charged to lead a continent-spanning search for a new Luminscent. He was born Miran Shaykh, of lesser Üarim noble birth in a long line of Holy Defenders sworn to the Holy City of Aranagh. Ever since the passing of the last Luminescent, Miran’s family had no master to serve, and had been scouring Transtulania and beyond for any clue to a possible replacement.
He is a man strong in body and relentlessness in spirit, and though his career as a warrior painted for himself a font of a vicious brute and killer, he draws little enjoyment from his bloodsoaked deeds. His true passion is - (don't laugh!) - in writing poetry. In fact it was his writing that caused Miran from a young age to befriend the Luminescent’s Daughter; the Fararual woman Mulk Khamun.

Miran had opted to break tradition by favoring Mulk Khamun’s ascendency as the next Luminscent, however as she was a woman this was not supported.

One day a Magus aligned with the Unbroken Host had Mulk Khamun seized and brought to the monolithic city of Kand, of which Grand Temple he was Master of Rites, in a bid to sacrifice her to the Sun God. He was known as the Hierophant. This was to reverse the decline of the dying race of the Fararuals. Only one of such potent divine lineage would make for an offer powerful enough to invoke the protection of the Sun God.
Immediately Miran mustered his band of Holy Defenders and pursued the Hierophant to the gates of Kand. They prepared the investment on the City, however Axbak-Camen willing, one of Miran’s old friends was among the city guard, and agreed to smuggle him inside. At seeing the Holy Defender barging into his temple, the Hierophant mistakenly believed Kand had fallen, and he rushed into a hidden passage leading outside of the walls… Where Miran’s men had been stationed, and easily captured the Hierophant. Later that month he was presented in chains before Aranagh’s Grand Magus to answer for his crime against the divine bloodline.
This feat accomplished, the Grand Magus inquired what reward Miran desired most, to which the Holy Defender gave resolute response: the hand of Mulk Khamun, to whom his sword and heart was pledged. But this was not allowed, for his blood and birth was tainted by his humanity. Instead he obtained land grants as compensation, with the grand title of ‘Gurkani; meaning ‘son in law’ to the Luminescent dynasty.
However Miran Gurkani disobeyed the Luminescent, and he and Mulk Khamun agreed to marry in secret.

Husayim the Grey, named so for his grey skin, was another and mightier Holy Defender of Aranagh, and witnessed their secret marriage. He was quick to inform the Grand Magus of Miran and Mulk Khamun’s defiance of his wishes. The Grand Magus was outraged; to him this was the ultimate betrayal by disobeying the one thing he strictly forebade. As punishment Miran was stripped of his lands and titles and sent into exile to the desolation of the Gnülonlar, (this was considered merciful, for had it been anyone else the penalty would’ve surely been death then and there). All the while Mulk Khamun was placed under house arrest in the citadel of Quaraash.

Miran and a handful of Holy Defender defectors accompanying him, wandered into the wasteland. The absence of these defenders provided Husayim the opening he conspired to get, for he was a henchman of the Unbroken Host all the while, determined to enact the Hierophant’s scheme to revive Fararual Power in Transtulania. Swiftly, Husayim the Grey assassinated the Grand Magus and kidnapped Mulk Khamun from Quaraash back to Kand.

Immediately Miran and his band, accompanied by Gnülonlar auxiliaries that had joined them on the road, rode against Husayim in Kand. But they were too late, Mulk Khamun was cooked alive in ritual sacrifice committed to the Sun God.

In the subterranean halls of Kand, Miran defeated Husayim in single combat. During this battle, Husayim cleft Miran's foot, causing him to walk with a limp ever since. When at last Husayim relented to Miran's mercy, Miran showed none; in wrath he threw him to the Gnülonlar who ate him alive.
Then he retrieved the ashes of Mulk Khamun and interred them in the Holy Temple Axbak-Aranagh.

With the Grand Magus dead, most of the Satraps and chieftains of Transtulania regarded Miran as the most viable candidate to lead the Luminescence. …The Magus had made him a son in law (Gurkani) after all, even if that title had technically been revoked. But Miran avenged both the Arch Magus and the Divine Bloodline by capturing the Hierophant and killing Husayim the Grey.
Speaking of the Hierophant; he was still alive. And as a prominent magi of Transtulania, Miran begrudgingly turned to him for counsel. This he said:

‘’Conquer the world, and Mulk Khamun will be brought back from the ashes.’’

And Miran believed him. For at the very least, the thought of getting her back is a flame that keeps the aspiring conqueror to the path of conquest.
In Kand he was anointed the Sword of the Fire God, and received the Flaming Sword Zara-Thuster which he carries into battle on his relentless campaigns.

It was a hopeless quest, for how can a man actually conquer the world? Miran resigned himself to doom from the beginning when he accepted Zara-Thuster, but nevertheless he is resolute to carry out his given duty as Chosen One of the Fire God.

Over ten years have passed since then, and though there were other warlords, it was Miran who pulled firmest at the threads of fate to come out on top. Many atrocities had been committed: his armies of Üarim and Gnülonlar swept across the land, and with sword, scores of cannons, pillage and fire the nations of Transtulania and the northern steppes were brought to heel. This became the foundation of a nascent Empire of the north, which has been dubbed the Miranid Empire – the subjects of Miran Shaykh Gurkani.

Government:

Constitutional Monarchy where the sovereign retains most powers, and the prime minister is primarily an advisor with some power to make decisions.

Heads of Government:

Queen Lucina Vaspen (25) Currently in hiding.
“Herr General” resistance movement leader.

Economy:

In the past 60 years since Vaspen’s subjugation by the Yllendyr, Industrialization has been embraced widely across the dominion, leading many older shops to modernize with the times. Historically Vaspen was a Craftsmanship oriented economy. However with the new techniques introduced by the Yllendyr that view has died out over the years. This, in combination with frequent economic depressions over the past decades have led modern Vaspens to value what is useful, with very few luxuries. Even though Vaspen has been recovering economically in recent years the people still hold on to this idea.

Imports:

• Clothing
• Livestock
• Luxury goods
• Explosives

Exports:

• Raw Metals
• Gold
• Heavy Machinery
• Copper Wire
• Communications Equipment
• Railroad Equipment
• Steel

Industries:
Most industrial complexes have been converted to civilian use after the take over 60 years ago. Many of these Industries continue to produce consumer goods today. Over the years as new industries have appeared, some of these corporations find their niche in the market and expand exponentially. Two that particularly stand out are Karsten Steel Works, and Maik Radio & Telegraph (MRT) which lead the Railroading and Communication industries. Providing the logistical support for their Yllendyr overlords. The state is also funding many smaller engineering firms that specialize in naval ship building to work with the Yllendyr on their naval designs.

Technology:
Before the Invasion the Vaspen Empire was considered one of the leading states in concerns to military theory, and alternative power sources such as steam, electricity and Gasoline/Diesel. While the military theorists have been “Integrated” into the Yllendyr research departments, other researchers have been progressing smoothly leading to innovations in Internal Combustion Engines, Electrical breakthroughs, and Steam Efficiency boosts.

Primary Species:
Wolfen, Humanoid-Wolf like, typically 5.5-7ft tall, well built. They Appear very wolf like, large ears and muzzle like nose, they also have a large amount of hair covering their arms, legs and torso to help them survive the harsh winters. They have the lifespan of a normal human, but do possess some enhanced senses of their wolf kin such as: Enhanced sense of hearing, smell, night vision, and cold resistance.

Population: 56,604,567

• 60% Wulfen,
• 19% Dwarves
• 10% Humans
• 4% Horned Elves
• 3% Dark Elves
• 4% Other

Culture:
The Vaspen culture dates back to 1650, when the country was established. The culture while still focusing on olden traditions, is still modern to some degree. The core of the Vaspen culture revolves around the state, and it’s monarch. The state is the protector of the people, and the monarch is the great leader that united the people to stand against tyranny. After the state the next group of importance is the family unit, in which traditionally the father provides for the family. However with the rapid industrialization women are beginning to find work in factories, gaining some independence from this reliance. Finally the core personal beliefs of the people revolve around the lack of a class system, they are only limited the amount of effort they choose to put in to advance in society.

Spoken Language: Ripuarian, Similar to Middle High German

National Religion:
Alaephy, based on the belief that each race has a trait that is embodied by a god. The gods themselves can each be considered two entities, one for each side of the coin, a benevolent, and malevolent version of themselves. These gods are constantly embroiled in mortal affairs, using their respective peoples as proxies for their own battles. These conflicts between gods are the reason the mortal world came to be. After a great battle between the gods, and the near destruction of the universe they decided to create a world which they could influence to resolve their disagreements. The Wolfen God represents Honor, and Stubbornness.

Location: Located on the western most point of the main continent in the old world.

Climate:
The empire is situated in a temperate forest climate with Cold Winters and cool summers, the mountains in the north force the arctic air to settle in this region, only coniferous trees survive the winters. Large numbers of forests dot the landscape between the rolling hills, and streams, cities and towns appearing occasionally as you look out across the beautiful landscape.

Military:
Other than garrison troops used by the Yllendyr in other countries the military is non existent. 4,683,021 men available for service as of the Yllendyr’s 1900 census.

Magic Prevalence:
Wulfen are Fire Alignment, While the Dwarf Population is Earth Alignment. Magic typically Appears in less than 15% of the population, and is considered a rare gift. Persons with the ability to use magic are required to notify their local government of their existence simply for safety purposes, this is typically done during the Census every 10 years.

History:
(Historically Vaspens have despised the Yllendyr calendar and prefer to use their own version. Since the beginning of the occupation the Yllendyr calendar is only used for Official Documents.) In 1650 Matthaus Vaspen founded the Vaspen Empire in its current location after the unification of all Wolfen states on the Western side of the continent. Throughout the next 250 years there have been many trials and tribulations within the Empire, but the most significant of which were the many Yllendyr invasion attempts. Initially the Yllendyr Imperium had a significant land border in the east with the newly unified Vaspen Empire. The First of these in 1697, again in 1746, and 1763, finally in 1840 they successfully invaded. Before they could take over the capital the ruling family escaped to exile in the human kingdom in the north. After the Imperium completed their invasion they took out their centuries of loss and frustration on the populace of Vaspen, deepening the already bottomless ravine of hatred between the two peoples. In the years after during the occupation, the citizens of Vaspen endured harsh treatment and even slave-like status within the Yllendyr’s new puppet state. Almost all government positions had been taken over by Yllendyr natives, and the industry was stripped of its military capacity. However many Nationalist holdouts escaped the wrath of Yllendyr, especially by hiding in the northern mountain range, they amassed firearms, and older weapons to resist and sabotage the Imperium’s every move.

Post may change as needed for consistency.

Type of Government:
Absolute Monarchy

Head of State:
Empress Naryu Naosamu, the Kömyö Empress

Species:
The primary inhabitants of the Celestial Empire are the Amaripito, or to the people of the West, Amreans; resembling humans and light-skinned elves with fox-like features such as fur on their lower legs. a long flowing tail and canine ears. Amreans naturally live up to a century, but practitioners of magic frequently find themselves living up to two centuries on average. The ancient history of the race is itself not known, but oral accounts of the events of five millennia ago stipulate that the Amreans were once two separate races, one pure in essence, and another pure in form. It is said that those of pure essence descended from the Tunza mountains and settled in the forests of the Yin valley where they dwelled for three hundred years before those of pure form arrived. Whilst the origins of those of pure form are still a point of contention within Amrea, it is generally agreed by the Yllendyr Imperium that those of pure form were indeed elven settlers who fled from Endaria several thousand years ago. Likewise, the modern Amrean is neither truly elf, nor a mystical creature of yore, but something in-between, and split into several strands; the Zenko, Kapako, Areko and Ködzi.

Zenko (The Highlanders): Amreans hailing from the eastern provinces bordering the Tunza mountain range. They are considered the oldest of the Amrean groups and also the closest to those of "pure essence" recorded within the Empire's oral traditions. Their features are decidedly the least elvish, their ears firmly vulpine, and fur growing more easily as opposed to the spectrum that the remainder of the population run through. Being those closest to purity of essence, they also tend to make the best mages within Amrea, as well as hold the honour of being one of the ancestor-races of the Kapako, Areko and Ködzi peoples. They comprise roughly 9% of the Amrean population. Their dialects of Amrean most closely resemble a less terse variation of the Classical Amrean in use by the Imperial Court and government bureaucracy.

Yinko (The People of the Yin River): Descendants of Zenko settlers and those of pure form that colonized the Yin river valley, the Yinko are the first of two strands of the Kapako group, the collective name of the Amreans that had settled within the bounds of the Empire's two main rivers, the Yin and Kara. Owing to their greater age and position within the prosperous heartland of Amrea, they comprise a plurality of the Empire's population at around 45%.

Karapito (The People of the Kara River): The second strand of the Kapako, the Karapito are descendants of the Yin and Zenkö that went south to the Kara River. Comprising 30% of the population. They can be distinguished from the Yin people by their more gruff way of speaking and general rowdiness, a trait perhaps inherited from their proximity to the more savage Arekö of the southern jungles.

Areko (The Settler-Children): The descendants of Yinko and Zenko migrants who did not stop at the Kara river but instead went further south. The Areko are notorious for their reputation of being extremely unwilling to submit to the authority of the Kapako-based Imperial Government, with the Areko provinces of the southern jungles unable to go half a century without some revolt or another. Another group lumped into the descriptor of Areko are the inhabitants of the northern steppe on the frontier of the Amrean and Miranid Empires. The Areko residing within Amrea consist of 6% of the population.

Ködzi (Those of Pure Blood): As opposed to the Zenko, who are considered the closest descendants to those pure of essence, the Kodzi are considered the closest descendants to those pure of form. Whilst the origins of their forefathers are shrouded in myth and legend, they can claim two things; some sort of vague elvish descent, as well descent from the Amrean Sun God. The Naosamu Dynasty, as well as roughly 70% of Amrean nobility can trace or claim descent from this group. They account for roughly 8% of the population. They are seperated from normal Amreans by virtue of their longer lifespans, approximately 180 years on average and their distinct ear-shape, more clearly resembling that of an elf than a fox as well as a universal affinity for plasma magic, both considered marks of their true origin.

Apart from the Amreans, there is also a population of humans residing in Amrea's north known simply as the Myösin (The Civilized Guests) who account for 2% of the population. They are various groups of Tzücomen and Üarim that have over the past few centuries sought to settle within the borders of the Celestial Empire. Most of them are allowed to by Imperial authorities, on the condition that they adopt Amrean dress, customs and culture, embracing civilization and casting away the trappings of savagery.

Population:
312 million (± a few million)

Economy (Main imports, exports, industries, technology level, etc.):
Agrarian economy transitioning to an Industrial one. The Steam Engine was only introduced in the capital in the past decade, and the main industries consist of steel and textile mills in the capital. Amrean Engineers are always looking for ways to innovate however, and there are rumours of a backroom war being waged among the intelligentsia to build a revolutionary device that would earn its creator a one way ticket to noble status. In the cities, skilled craftsmen alike those of the guilds of Onindyr ply their trade, using their skills to weave fine silken textiles, forge sharp blades and reliable muskets and turning the produce of the land in works of more material value.

In the countryside, life continues as it always has. A small trickle of young men and women head to the great cities where pyramids and temples rise to pierce the sky to find work and opportunity. The vast majority remain in the countryside, growing rice, herding livestock and harvesting fruits and fish to feed the ever growing populations of the urban centres. The Empire is rich in natural resources like coal, iron, copper, lead and bauxite, but much of it remains trapped in the ground and untapped due to lack of investment or demand.

Main imports: Silver from the Yllendyr colony, assorted tribute from Galia and Al-Baqi

Main exports:
Limited amounts of tea, porcelain and silk to the Yllendyr colony. Gifts of assorted materials and weapons to tributary states.

Literacy:
Literacy in the Empire of Amrea is difficult to measure, due to the presence of a dual script system that mixes a conventional alphabet with the intricacies of a logographic writing system, justified by the Amrean language's overabundance of unrelated homophones and reliance on sensitivity to context to discern meaning from words. Whilst a majority of the population is familiar with the alphabet, and literacy in this regard is fairly high, the presence of over ten thousand unique logographic characters hampers literacy in the second script. Rural peasants may know simple characters like those for the sun, weather and animals, enough to get by in daily life but incapable of intellectual expression. On the other hand, the nobility are more likely to know all the characters labelled as 'common use', as well as additional uncommon ones.

Culture:
Amrean culture dates back to around 4500 years ago to clans of farmers around the fertile Yin and Kara rivers who migrated west and south from the Tunza Mountains, and based on ancient texts and principles established by the first dynastic reign of the Naosamu clan. Of these principles, those of Enlightened Compassion, Meritocracy and Nobility of Blood. Enlightened Compassion believes that civilized society is akin to a family, with the reigning monarch as its patriarch or progenitor, the nobility and scholar-bureaucracy as strict parents, and to the broad masses as children. As all under the monarch are considered as his familial relations, there is thus no room for bias, allowing for judgement to be passed in an impartial and enlightened manner.

Meritocracy is in and of itself simple, but serves both its intended meaning of allowing skill to triumph over birth, but also serves as a rejection of fatalistic pessimism. Thus, meritocracy within Amrea not only refers to the power of mortals to carve their own fate with the resources provided to them at birth and the denial of divine interference in the realm of mortals, but also that any who possess sufficient talent may rise to serve at the monarch's side.

Nobility of Blood refers to the species whose duty it is to civilize the savage races (their racial subgroup or geographical neighbours). Amreans have the duty to civilize what they consider to be the barbarian states that neighbour them, whereas a race such as the Yllendyr have the duty to civilize the peoples of their empire. Amrean Noble Blood theory is split into two schools, that of Mutualism and Hierarchism. The majority of Amrean aristocrats and the Naosamu Clan sponsor the school of Mutualism, believing that the noble races are equal to each other and that the savage races may eventually be made equal, after centuries or even a millennia of life under civilized rule. On the other hand, a radical minority of the Amrean nobility and scholar bureaucracy espouse the school of Hierarchism believing that the noble races are equal, but it is next to impossible for the savage races to be made noble. Hierarchism itself originates from the aftermath of the reign of the Weeping Emperor, where Mutualists who believed the presence of Strigoi within the Empire would eventually find themselves renouncing their savage ways were proven bitterly wrong.

Amrean culture can be fully summarized as thus; whilst hierarchical divisions exist within society, they are quite fluid, and the children of woodcutters may one day find themselves as an official in service to the Empire, an officer of the Banners or provincial governor if they choose the right path among the infinitely branching roads of the future. In lieu with the principle of Enlightened Compassion, the family and village unit is the building block of society, fostering a sort of collectivist culture as different bloodlines come to see each other as extended family. As a result, rural Amrean communities, and to some extent urban ones, tend to pool resources together to achieve their intended goals, whether they be agricultural, commercial or social.

Religious and Other Beliefs:
Worshippers of the Radiant Sun, the origins of the Amrean faith lay in the legend of the Sun and the Moon. It is said that since time immemorial, the world was locked in a conflict between the followers of the Moon, Öza-nami and Sun, Iza-ranö, entering a vicious cycle of rebirth and destruction as both entities sought to paint the world in their light. Such a conflict only ended with the union of the two sides, the Sun taking the Moon as its lover and bride, as did their respective generals, founding an ancient race of immortals. However, in the millennia that passed since this union, the gods fell one by one; some to petty grudges, others to intrigues of the Radiant and Luminescent Courts and bloody kin-strife, till one day their numbers were reduced to but a handful. It was in that time that the god Kagu-susi struck. Cast out of the divine courts for sparking innumerable kin-strifes with his rashness and fury, he had wandered into a path of exile, but sensing weakness amassed an army of beasts spawned from hellfire, seeking to make war upon those who had wronged him. The Great War that followed in his wake soon brought the whole world to conflict, ending only as follows:

"When the Moon Öza-nami fell, her luminescence forever extinguished, the Sun Iza-ranö took from the field to mourn.
As she laid her final rest, at the base of Mount Keshi amidst Tayeri and Zunira, twin lands standing vigil,
The Lord Kagu-susi followed. And so the Lord Iza-ranö gripped his two-point blade and brought it to bear.
The sparks from their blades struck the earth as lightning, the clash of steel as roaring thunder.
So magnificent was their struggle that each movement made the land itself quake, drowning continents and raising them anew.
And at the end with a mighty blow, the Lord Iza-ranö separated the kinslayer's head, freeing the divine souls consumed.
Together they sealed away the spawn of Kagu-susi, and with their blood watered the land, the lifeforce of the gods enveloping the world in light once more;
that which was destroyed in the Last Duel rising from rubble, like withered branches blooming again in verdant spring."

Thus, it is foretold that one day, the world shall once again be brought to ruin by the spawn of Kagu-susi, lest the Sun God Iza-ranö, the father of light, love and life be ritually renewed with the life-essence of those with magic potential, as it is believed that the life-essence of mages is a fragment of the blood of the Lord Iza-ranö, cast down to the earth to restore it after the death of the Kinslayer. Thus, as Iza-ranö gave his blood to restore the world, his blood must be returned to him in great sacrificial altars to renew his power and assist in staving off Kagu-susi's minions. To this sacred task, they defer to the guidance of the line of Naosamu, purported to be greatest of the mortal descendants of Iza-ranö's kin and by extension, descendants of Iza-ranö himself.

Military:
The Amrean Military is a juggernaut that is best divided into its main fighting forces, as well as its complementary specialized forces. The greatest of the Empire's military might lies in the eight hundred thousand serving in the Imperial Standards, or as they are more commonly called, the Imperial Army. Whilst the Imperial Standards are not the largest of the Empire's fighting forces, it is however the most well-equipped. Formed from conscript troops recruited for five year terms of service, they are also the main beneficiaries of military reform in the aftermath of the Rebellion of the League of Five Provinces. For combat, the Imperial Standards are armed with a mix of breech-loaded muskets; the Sösindyu, as well as the traditional muzzle-loaded muskets known as the Kösindyu. Backing them up is a combination of heavy and mobile artillery, namely cannons as well as the infamous Kamön Batteries.

Second to the Imperial Standards are the Provincial Banners. True to their name, the Provincial Banners are simply local militia forces though the title of militia is a misnomer. The men that serve in the Provincial Banners are more akin to serfs, tied to plots of land within military districts throughout the Empire that they cultivate when there is no call to arms. However, as a result of these ties to land, the Provincial Banners are not suited for long-term campaigning, especially east across the Tunza mountains or north across the steppes, leaving them as a defensive internal policing force. Consequently, they have not benefited much if it all from Amrean military reforms and are equipped with a mix of pikes, swords, bows, crossbows alongside the occasional musket. Artillery for the Provincial Banners remains in short supply, Kamön Batteries being entirely non-existent. At the very least, the Provincial Banners can call on three times the manpower of the Imperial Standards, allowing them to compensate in weight of numbers what they lack in firepower.

Aiding the Standards and Banners are two specialized forces. The first numbering twenty thousand, are known merely as the Manshu Braves, named for the northern province from which the vast majority of its soldiers come from. Armed with sabres, flintlock carbines, bows, fire rockets, as well as ceramic grenades, they fulfill the role of skirmishers, border guards and elite cavalrymen supplementing the iron discipline of the Bannermen with the ferocity and swiftness of the Steppes. The second force, known as the Sunriders are also elite riders, yet whereas the domain of the Braves is the plains, the Sunriders take to the sky. Riding phoenixes, rare and beautiful creatures barely numbering five thousand across the length and breadth of the entire continent, the Sunriders harness the flames of their phoenix mounts to rain destruction upon the foes of the Emperor. The Order of the Sunriders number barely a hundred, and answer only to the reigning monarch as their personal Honor Guard.

In addition to the conventional armed forces, the Empire employs the services of some fifty thousand mages, known collectively as the Sunguard. The Sunguard are seperated into five legions of ten thousand, each led by a Junior Commander with each Legion consisting solely of users of one magical element. The First Legion, consisting solely of Pyromancers is the most prestigious legion, with its commander granted the title of High Commander of the entirety of the Sunguard. These Amrean Noble Mages take the form of monster hunters, in particular being used to wipe out the ravenous vampires that occasionally encroach on Imperial territory and tributaries, but are also deployed in mixed battalions to assist the Imperial Standards in times of war.

Lastly, whilst command of the sea is something that the Empire finds itself deficient in, the coastal defense of Amrea is not something that has been neglected. Whilst paling in comparison to the Yllendyr Armada, the grand fleet of Amrea consists of over fifty copper-hulled steamships as well as several experimental Ironclads. Amrean ships are armed with smaller cannons and a small team of mages to provide heavier artillery support, taking advantage of mobility to evade enemy fire.

Climate:
Subtropical and Temperate

Magic Prevalence/Usage:
Present in about 30% of Amreans and considered to be the essence of the Sun God. Usage of magic is restricted to the nobility. They have a natural affinity to plasma magic, at around 60% of the population, and a 10% occurance of the other forms of magic. However, due to the heavy restrictions placed on magic use, it's usage in the military takes a far more even distribution.

Foreign relations:
Limited trade with Yllendyr colonials, and suzerain of various tributaries on the continent. Nominal suzerain of the Areko Principality.

History/ Background Info:
In ancient times, the area constituting the empire consisted of warring Amrean kingdoms and lesser states which had varied in power over the millennia. Ultimately, all were subsumed into the Empire. Ancient stories tell tales of other creatures; goblins, dragons and the like, but none of them have been sighted for over two thousand years and as thus, are presumed to have been destroyed in numerous expansionist campaigns over the centuries. The Amrean Empire of the Naosamu Dynasty has existed in some form or another for three thousand years, although at times it may have been reduced to but a single city and its surrounding territory. Led by the enigmatic House of Naosamu and it’s line of divinely descended monarchs, the Empire has expanded to its greatest historical extent in the present day and what it considers to be it’s natural borders. Under the dynasty's rule, only once had Amrea fallen to the control of outsiders. Eight centuries prior to the present day, the mighty Banko Emperor was defeated in a magic duel with the vampire lord known in Amrean history only as "The Weeping Emperor". His reign was a period known as the "Nights of Tears", with the vampire lord and his progeny ruling Amrea before his grief paralyzed his rule and allowed the commonfolk to rise up and restore the Bankuo Emperor's descendants to the throne. Whilst short and bloody, his rule was not without benefits. Numerous canals, roads and monuments headed by the newly-created Ministry of Public Works were constructed during his time to feed his thirst for blood and bring him closer to his grand designs. These were eventually repurposed after the Naosamu Restoration to transport water and irrigate agricultural land. Due to the relatively isolated position on the continent with the only easy way to access the Empire from the northern steppes and southern hills, the territory is almost entirely homogenous. Whilst wild vampires do occasionally intrude into the Empire's borders, reports of attacks are taken extremely seriously, and amount to the deployment of an entire mage battalion to exterminate the marauding beast.

For centuries, the Empire has remained in isolation, looking to its own defenses and maintaining a limited diplomatic presence with realms on its direct border. In 1881, the Myosin Empress began reformation attempts which were largely successful, expanding the power of the Imperial Court over that of the bureaucracy and the provinces. This policy has been continued by her successor, the Kömyö Empress. Since then, times have changed. In the north, the barbaric warlord Miran has arisen to wreak havoc amongst the states that once kowtowed before the Empire. In the west, dark-skinned strangers have broken through the ancient forests that once divided West and East. All the while, the Phoenix has watched and waited. Perhaps it is time for the Empire, the bastion of Soiryndian Civilization to strike out once more, to ensure the universal prosperity of the land's myriad peoples.

Type of Government: Martial theocratic monarchy.

Head of Government: The God-Seer.

Economy: Diverse, but largely primitive; most exports have historically been pastoral, agricultural or artisanal produce, while relatively more mechanically advanced tools and weapons were imported from regions closer to Amrea. Currently, virtually all commerce has been choked by constant warfare.

Primary Species: Humans, with the majority being of Üarim and Tzücomen descent.

Population: Constantly fluctuating due to the Host’s military activity and rapid expansion, broadly hovers around 20 million. Comprised mostly of humans, Karaniü and northerner Saahra, with minorities of Gnülonar, Monurchen, Zhuxi and others.

Culture: A number of factors contribute to making the Unbroken Host’s cultural constitution a fragmentary, roiling maelstrom. Not only has the Innečerj, the region that it occupies, never historically been entirely unified, but its swelling progress of forced assimilation, driving socio-religious imperative and tremendous degree of militarization, along with the widespread change, not all of it for the best, that has overtaken the territory within the last century, have shattered what unstable equilibrium existed there into a state of chaos unlikely to be fully resolved for ages to come.

In some aspects, the roots of the pre-existing status quo are still reflected in the present situation. A sizeable part of the Innečerj has ever been a land of transition, vast, empty plains and path-beaten deserts, whose main feature of interest was its role as passage between the lands of the Fararuals and adjacent steppes to the north and the territories of Al Baqi to the south. As a result, sedentary societies within it have for long been scarce. Their peoples, having few stable points of reference, have developed cosmopolitan, opportunistic attitudes, refined by one of their main sources of income having been, since time immemorial, mercantile activity. Perhaps paradoxically, this has made their transition into the Host’s new order perhaps the smoothest of all, as the adaptable folk are by no means unaccustomed to sudden political shifts.

The achievements of these folk over past times, however, pale in comparison to the abundant heritage of the northwestern riverlands. Formerly the satrapy of Umar-Jahan, these territories were historically and ethnically a part of Transtulania, and the origin of Innečerj’s now-widespread Üarim population. Before the ruling Fararual dynasty was usurped and extinguished, the Umarites were in many ways alike to their kinsmen in the heartlands of the Luminescence. Just as belligerent, they made themselves known for several attempts, of varying success, to expand into the Innečerj heartlands, which contributed to the spread of their blood around the region.

The third group within the Host’s domain, and the more numerous by a good margin, is composed by the tribal hordes of the flatlands, collectively known as the Newhayé, or Plains Folk. There has scarce ever been a time when these nomads, made up of unruly, aggressive peoples like Tzücomen, gnolls and dire Saahra, far removed from their sedate southern cousins, have not been in conflict with each other or gone on marauding incursions into the holdings of their neighbours. The coming of the Host has brought their warlike ways to a new fever pitch, either under the banners of the Unbroken or driven ahead of it.

Indeed, the rise of the God-Seer has brought about a most radical change throughout both these populations. At his command, all but a minimal necessary fraction of the people of every city, with few exceptions in the cases of key strategic locations, have been driven forth to war if they are capable of bearing arms. Those who join the Host’s ranks willingly do so as eager would-be conquerors, raiders or champions of the divine; those who do not are made into battle-thralls who may only eat what they can tear away from the enemy. That such a state of things is far from sustainable and destined to eventually collapse from overextension if not opposition seems to concern its master little, though his interest in solidifying his hold over captured cities indicates that he cannot be fully unaware of this.

Religious and Other Beliefs: Once, the peoples inhabiting what is now the Domain were as varied in their spiritual beliefs as in everything else. The Umarites, naturally, followed the religion of Axbak Camen, as did a number of heartlanders and even Newhayé who began to take after them, while other peoples either maintained the creeds they had brought with themselves from their homelands, or adopted the southern ones that trickled up to them through trade or migration.

This came to an end with the accession to power of the God-Seer and his Unbroken Host. Proclaiming himself a deity on earth, fated to bring all the world under his sway, and cementing his boasts with demonstrations of supernatural might, the mysterious warlord turned tyrant abolished all religions that were not congenial to his supreme authority, putting their followers to the sword or forcing them into the servitude of his thrall armies. His teachings, known as the Golden Dawn or simply the Faith of the Unbroken, take their root in certain prophecies of the Luminescence, proclaiming the coming of the end times when the Fararuals will fade from the world; they foretell the advent of a new order under a divine ruler, who will scour the earth with holy war.

The air of dread born of such thunderous omens is perhaps the greatest weapon at the God-Seer’s disposal, more even than his fearsome magic or his armies. So broad are his words and so cryptic his figure that many a people in his path have glimpsed in him a prophesied forerunner of the end times detailed by their faith. Thus, for example, the worshippers of the Radiant Sun may see him as a spawn of the god Kagu-susi, broken free of his imprisonment and come to visit his wrath upon the earth. For his own part, the usurper seems all too glad to fan the flames of these rumours, shrouding himself in the dread mystique that grows from them and letting them sow doubt and fear among his foes before even his hordes appear on the horizon.

Location/Territories: The ends of the Domain of the Unbroken Host are as inconstant as the numbers of its population, being constantly pushed outwards by its progress and determined by the successes, or lack thereof, of its campaign. Presently, it extends across the region known as Innečerj, lodged between the Baqi northern reaches of Samermek and the portion of Transtulania held by the warlord Miran, and creeps slightly further south.

Climate: Temperate to subtropical, with the latter being mostly in the liminal zones to the south. Can be surprisingly dry the further away one goes from the western riverlands.

Military: As its name belies, it may almost be said that the entirety of the Unbroken Host is part of its army. Wherever it passes, farmers are torn away from their fields, city-dwellers from their slums and palaces, nomads from their travelling-paths, and made to march to war for the glory of the God-Seer. The exponential growth of this practice as the Domain’s boundaries are pushed further has resulted in the Unbroken’s front being an innumerable mass of what can only be described as chaotic rabble, maddened and reduced to near-stolidity by hunger and the fear of what comes behind.

For, in effect, the main strength of the Host is not this malnourished and barely armed mass, however numerous, but rather the forces that have pledged themselves to their new overlord and serve him willingly, out of either fanatical zeal or opportunism. Those include the legions of the Umarites, generally fairly well equipped, trained and organised, and the savage hordes of the Newhayé, who compensate for roughness through numbers and sheer ferocity. They are supported by what siege machinery the Host has been able to seize in battle, a motley assembly where bombards and mortars are pushed alongside primitive battering rams, as well as many beasts of the plainslands tamed by the mastery of the Üarim.

Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment: More so than in other lands, mages are exceedingly rare in the Domain, to the point of being almost nonexistent. This is because wherever they are discovered, they are imprisoned and slaved to the will of the God-Seer, who is said to exploit and drain their power and vitality until they are left as lifeless husks. The sole exceptions are the tyrant himself, an archimage so mighty that most are ready to believe his claims of divinity after seeing him in action, who has been known to perform supernal miracles of all imaginable kinds; as well as some of his lieutenants, among whom number even a few Transtulanian Magi.

History: The beginnings of the history of Innečerj, since fallen under the yoke of the Unbroken Host, are lost to time, with few records, written or otherwise, surviving of its origins. Some tales say that it once was the site of a mighty empire, called Akk’nun, which reigned during a legendary time and fell a time immemorial ago, and indeed now and again one finds, scattered over the plains, islets of corroded ruins of incredible antiquity, sometimes still holding the discernable remains of what might once have been priceless artefacts. But most hold those to be nothing but myths, and in truth it makes little difference whether they are truly such.

What is better known is that this land has always been first and foremost a connection between more thriving locales, and thus itself existed in a sort of uncertain limbo. With the exception of Umar-Jahan, which was to all effects an outcropping of Transtulania, ruled by its own minor Fararual bloodline, few powers of any note thought it expedient to lay claim to it. It was distant, liable to be contested, infested by restless nomads and not rich enough to be worth the while. Although the occasional campaigns of the Umarites provided some impulse for the formation of organised societies, their growth in the plainslands was largely slow and gradual. As those were the roaming grounds of the Newhayé, few settlements managed to take hold, albeit those who did soon found themselves burgeoning as the main steps of passage through the plains. Ever still, no true dominant power arose to unify them - until recently.

It is not known whence it was that the man, if man indeed he was, who became known as the God-Seer first came. Some whisper that he was a scion of the northern Fararuals, exiled for his ungodly sorcery, but there is no sure way of substantiating these rumours. It is known, however, that in the days of uncertainty that accompanied the decline of the last Luminescents, he appeared at the gates of the great city of Letyeh in Umar-Jahan with a large warband behind him that he named his Unbroken Host, wearing a perfectly smooth and blank mask of pure gold and surrounded by a flickering halo of light, and stormed it after breaching open its walls by conjuring a powerful groundquake. The flame-blooded rulers of the Umarites were usurped, and the conqueror soon drained them of life to fuel his mystical puissance.

Proclaiming himself the bringer of the dawn of a new world, even as the old one was doomed to crumble, the God-Seer went on campaigning at the head of his Host through the mightiest and most opulent holds of the region, his raiment growing richer and his halo brighter every time until he shone like a walking sun. Thrown into disarray by the demise of their rulers both spiritual and worldly, one after another cities fell under his sway, either in awe of his power or under the arms of his swelling Host. Others yet were deceived to his side by cunning, as time and again he went to meet exalted Magi in theological escrimailles and convinced a number of them that he was a true being of prophecy, who alone could give them salvation amid the decay of the fading old world.

Once his dominion had grown, in but some decades, vaster than the Umarites had managed to build it in centuries, the God-Seer brought his plans to culmination. He persuaded the Hierophant of the elder city of Kand, who had become allegiant to him, that the last of the Luminescent bloodline had to be immolated in order to spark the fires of rebirth in the Fararuals’ domain. Though their plot was momentarily thwarted by Miran and his fellow Holy Defenders of Aranagh, his agent Husayim the Grey ultimately managed to slay the Fararual Grand Magus and ritually sacrifice his daughter in Kand, though he himself was defeated and put to death soon afterwards.

With the last legitimate rulers of the north gone, the God-Seer issued a proclamation that he would reclaim all their dominion by fire and sword, and lead it to a new golden age. Thus was laid the foundation of the scourge that would become the latter-day form of the Host; the unworthy were driven as chattel before his marching ranks, spilling out into the outer plains. For some time, the God-Seer led his armies in person through southern Innečerj, swaying the wandering hordes of the locals with displays of power. After some time, however, he drew away to the north, where his armies had encountered the resurgent Miran and already been beaten back from Kand, leaving his masked lieutenants to act in his stead. Yet the fear of his name and the vastness of his legions had by then gained enough impetus, and still their advance continues to all sides, spreading over the land like a stain of oil over the sea.

Government: Nonexistent, split between 6 warring factions.
Head of Government:-King Harold Holfgar the VIII, the former ruling monarch, deceased
Economy: Formally one of the stronger economies of the dominions, it is now in utter turmoil thanks to the ravages of the Avalian Civil War.
Dominant Species:
Humans
Valkyrians, Valkyria
Population: 61 million in total
Culture: In turmoil
Religious and Other Beliefs:
While many in this growing age of rationalism prefer to merely believe in the natural order of the world, some still speak of the ancient prophecies and traditions that swirl around the original peoples and the mysterious “King of the Skies”. Some call him a god, others merely think he was a powerful ruler of the time, but no one has yet known for sure what to make of it. This isn’t helped when a mysterious, magically powerful man appeared in the farmlands of Avalia, claiming to be the King himself. This unstable period has been a test of faith for all.
Location/Territories:
Dark Green on the map.
Climate:
Fair temperate, experiencing warm summers and cold winters.

Type of Government: Absolute monarchy - the whole of Al Baqi is ruled by the sheikh and his family.
Head of Government: Sheikh Said VI Abd al-Aziz ibn Fawzi, of the House of Baqi.
Economy: (Main imports, exports, industries, technology level, etc.)

• Imports: Cereals, silk, cotton, technology and industrial parts, modern weapons, raw materials (steel, timber, etc.)
• Exports: Coffee, crude oil, olives, exotic fruits (dates, pomegranate, figs, citruses and melons), almonds, pine nuts, copper, tobacco, spices (cinnamon, saffron, turmeric, cumin, sumac, black pepper), perfumes (rose, lavender, lilac).
• Industries: While Al Baqi is far from an industrialised nation, their capital of Amshadr has multiple mechanised canneries to preserve produce and coffee for export and storage.
• Technology Level: While Al Baqi used to be a great centre of magic and science in earlier times, they have fallen far behind in the race to modernise, and have little to no modern industry to speak of for the majority of people; the sheikh and his family, however, have taken to wearing Amrean imperial clothing and have inbuilt electricity provided by the country’s only powerplant. In terms of factories, the country possesses a total of two canneries, mostly operated with man or animal power, as well as two crude oil refineries, one in Amshadr and another in the second largest city, Al Fawzi.

Primary Species: Human.
Population: 6,6 million.

• Humans (Baqi, Hadi, Imam, Jalal, other): 5,5 million.
• Sahra: 540 000. Desert and steppe-dwelling goatmen
• Karaniü: 400 000. Minotaur steppe nomads.
• Ahkrak: 200 000. Rhino-beetle-headed humanoids from the mountains.
• Gnolls: 75 000
• Amreans: 3 000.
• Various other magical/non-magical creatures from surrounding nations and countries: 4000.

Type of Government: Absolute Monarchy

Head of Government: Zealossus Laniset, The Seventh King of Endaria

Economy: Primary exports consist of lumber, iron, and steel. The island itself has no special resource save for the gems and rich ore deposits owned almost exclusively by the dwarf holds. As a factional country with varying wars, steel is the number one commodity among them.

Primary Species: Humans (50%), Elves (30%), Dwarves (20%)

Population: 53 million







Location/Territories: Large island north of the Yllerian Crownlands.

Religious and Other Beliefs: No official religion

Climate: Temperate. Experiences all 4 seasons



Magic Prevalence/Usage and Elemental Alignment: Magic is primarily used among the mages of the Quentalian Aristocracy in the name of research and the Elves of Elaria in daily life and ancient rituals.