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JrVaderThe Valgradian Empire
Name: Valgradia (The Valgradian Empire)
Flag:Flag depicts a black silhuette of a moth upon dark pink background.
Government: Imperial autocracy
Demographics: (The people and races of your nation. Could be as simple as a percentage list or include descriptions of the major races.)
- Day fairies
- Night fairies
- Beastfolk
- Elves
- Pixies
Society: The fairy empire of Valgradia is a self-sustaining nation, being able to provide for it's population as long as it has people living within it's borders. Most fairies are capable of manipulating and creating a variety of plantlife through magical means. Both male and female fairies may be accepted into the imperial army that is protecting it's lands, but their roles tend to differ vastly. With most male fairies becoming warriors, with or without much focus in magic. While most female fairies chose to become healers or less combat oriented roles within the army.
Food and drinks within the fairy empire is mostly free, or in very rare cases very cheap as there is an abundance of fairy capable of creating food and juicy drinks for all to enjoy. There is no shortage of wood, healing supplies, spices, poisons nor places to live. Whilst most fairies eat plenty of fruits and vegetables, they are also known to endulge themselves eating fish, birds or meat from various mammals. But they are generally very respective towards their fallen prey and never hunt them for sport. While the beastfolk living within the empire are prone to be more avid hunters of animals, they generally do not have problems with each other as the fairies provide them with healing and other neccessities. In turn the fairies have made themselves good allies with the half-human looking beastfolks of the forests and hills in which they dwell.
The pixies are more commonly found within fairy areas rather than hanging out with the beastfolk or elves. The elves while vastly outnumbered seem to prefer to stick to their own little communities within the empire, typically hosting festivities which fairies tend to often not want to partake in. Despite that many fairies are cheery in personality, they feel more comfortable amongst their own kind. Fairies however, much like pixies are curious and tend more often than not resort to trickery or wordplay. They enjoy riddles and old sayings, aswell as telling stories to those willing to listen. While the fairies may often sound like they are harmless, it mostly applies to the Day Fairies, with the exception of those within the special factions. The Night fairies, which sport mothlike wings instead of that of a butterfly or dragonfly, tend to be much darker and grim in nature. While they can find amusement in things, they tend to not be as cheery or carefree as the Day Fairies.
Fairies have an expected lifespan of 200-270 years, but there are some who has through magic managed to halt their aging so that they are more akin to that of elves. Through a healthy diet and way of life, these fairies serve as inspirations for younger fairies when they are told stories when growing up. When it comes to living within the fairy empire, they are very strict on immigration and only allows settlers to settle in areas which are overlooked by fairy appointed governors. But even non-fairies are allowed to traverse the empire lands to enjoy it's beauty, although they may be stopped and checked for their paperwork, and in the absence of such they would be arrested until their point of origin could be determined and they could be released or exiled from the lands.
If a fairy or non-fairy commits crime within the empire there is going to be punishment befitting of such. For the most vile and heinous of crimes, execution is the given punishment. But having to pay a fine, be sent to the gladiatorial arena or prison is also a possibility. Often the arena is the choice if someone has been found guilty of murder and is a non-fairy approved race. Such as beastfolk, pixies or elves. Where they will fight and execute other criminals, while at the same time acting as entertainment for the more pugilistic of fairies and a reminder that crime doesn't pay.
If the fairy empire captures an enemy commander and a number of enemy troops, depending on how swiftly their surrender went or how polite they were they may receive a fair time within the fairy empire's best prison. After which they may be released after arrangements has been settled with whichever lands they originally came from. Prisoners of war are typically not executed or sent to the arena, unless it is from a land which has commited what the fairies see as barbaric act towards their people. In such a case, they better pray for a swift death.
On the subject of trade, fairies export food, fruity drinks, lumber, cotton, herbal medicine, fur and various things they make-do from with their magic or through years of practice and hard work.
Things they prefer to import involves minerals (aside from steel and iron mostly) and gemstones and various artistic crafts, they also import often on behalf of the emperor many odd looking trinkets found in other lands for inspection. As curiousity comes to them naturally, they are however careful not to bring unknown objects into the capitol, but instead inspect them in safer locations and upon finding out what an object does they send it to the local artifactory which holds many foreign tools. Then unto the most favored trade object of the fairy empire. Slaves. Slavery is a lucrative and fully legal buisness in the fairy empire, it has however rules with it. That no slave may be a fairy or pixie. And only elves that do not have a family within the empire are allowed to be enslaved.
Military: Both male and female fairies may enlist in the imperial army of Valgradia, there are even minor regiments reserved for non-fairies, but these are all carefully looked after by experienced fairy commanders and special attachment elite groups to prevent any ideas of attempting a coup. Male fairies tend to assume roles of frontline warriors or using offensive plant magic, or a mix between the two. While the female fairies tend to prefer assuming more defensive magics, involving herbalism and healing, aswell as applying for official positions as strategists or magisters in charge of army supplies.
Aside from the regular imperial army and the non-fairy regiments, there are also special groups within the empire, among these are the night fairy only 'Shadewaltzers', which are a group of spies, thieves and assassins. They answer to hand-picked commanders put in place by the emperor to carry out his will within and outside of their nation. In contrast to the Shadewaltzers, which rely on poisons and stealth, there is the Dew Onzen which are a highly armored group of healers and purifiers which cleanse tainted land, animals and plants of ills that has befallen them. They also mercilessly hunt down and destroy creatures which are considered to be unnatural or evil by the fairy emperor, such is the case with undead, demons or abberations. They also have a sub-faction within itself that serve as inspectors, which go through other regiments and forces working within the empire and they carry the necessary paperwork. So if there would be a rebel within the Shadewaltzers, the emperor forbid, then the Dew Onzen would chase that person down and carefully interrogate him or her. The Dew Onsen also acts as a sort of priesthood for the entire empire, enlightening the populace and those seeking knowledge of the fairy ways through almost monklike training, albeit not with the exact same mantras they possess.
The last of the special orders within Valgradia is the Knights of Vol, these are the royal guards and protectors of the emperor and they are fantatically loyal and one can only become one from having served a long time in the military or achieved a feat of grand proportions. The royal guard are however also prone to investigation and being spied upon by the other two factions within the empire. So in a sense all the three special factions work to watch each other, in case one group would somehow get astray the other two are there to readjust them when necessary. Members of all these factions tend to have a higher rank than most within the regular imperial army, the exception to this is found at the very top of the basic army.
When deployed into battles, skirmishes or wars the fairies and their allies employ many things to their advantage, be it thick forestation, animals, beasts or imperial approved transportation. Most fairies, with the exception of the Shadewaltzers come equipped with spears and often with a wooden shield, accompanying these weapons are also often shorter blades made from crystals, sharp wood and imperial approved steel of fae smiths. As most fairies do not like steel or iron, they feel repelled by it. Much like how most fairies are highly disapproving of fire and ice, and will naturally glare whenever they see forest fires or colder lands. Many fairies, regardless of which part of the imperial military they belong to carry bows usually with plenty of arrows along with it. There is no legal permit required for fairies even not part of the army to carry weapons in everyday life, however if a non-fairy seeks to do so they must fill out the necessary paperwork.
The typical mount ridden into battle or along the land consists of large locusts (grasshoppers), Large butterflies capable of carrying a dozen people on their backs or less depending on the size, some also serve as transportation and can lift up cargo or transport troops. The Shadewaltzers also are prone to ride on moths aswell as make use of large terrifying mosquitos which feast on their foes.
The Dew Onzen typically prefer to instead ride upon large beetles of various kinds and the commanders, regardless of factions tend to ride on large mantises of various forms. The royal guard whilst capable of donning mounts tend to stay on foot and within the presence of the emperor and his family, yet they have been known to sit upon dragonflies and charge into threats using large spears or lances.
While the fairy army may be able to deploy wooden carts pulled by various creatures or get unto ships, they often tend to instead find a suitable creature for such a task to ride upon. They do however make an exception for airships, which they use as massive transports and to shoot with artillery at or as a airforce carrier for their insect mounts. They do not use fire to propell them up into the air however, but instead superheats steam to fill the large baloons. In some cases they can also use their flying mounts as extra ways to propell their airships if their baloons crumble.
Insects are a staple in the fairy empire's army, and even whilst there is no special group assigned specifically to insect only-tamers. There are plenty of fairies which communicate and direct insects to do their bidding, such as sending a swarm of wasps at foes or ask an ant colony for assistance. The fairies magic allows them to create and manipulate plantlife of various kinds, they can also indeed speak with animals and insects. They possess some inborn way of healing themselves and others, while these powers require training to get good and not all possess the same potential. Some fairies also have a limited control of water magic, but these are very rare and should only be possible by the best of healers.
Characters:
Emperor Elthrael Vol'Kerno
The emperor of the Valgradian empire, lord of all fairies. Elthrael has been emperor since the passing of his late father, Valgreed who was the son of Valgrad to which the empires name first came to be. Before the empire there was two tribes of fairies warring against each other and other forces for control. But this came to an end as Elthrael's grandfather brought all fairykind under one banner.
This banner is now displayed all over the fairy lands, and the imperial military standing right behind it. Elthrael is a cunning leader, if not even a ruthless one. He resorts to underhanded tactics where necessary, but tends to prefer to solve things through diplomacy. That said, the emperor does not dread declaring war if need be, and the fairies within his land always have needs that need to be fullfilled. There has been a craving for more land for each fairy to own. While there are space within the empire, most building have several stories and the fairies desire to be more outspread.
Elthrael is well capable of playing on peoples feelings, for better or worse, his words can be flattering, smooth and pleasant. But they can also be seductive, like a slow but highly inducing poison. And if you end up being an enemy of his, or the empire as a whole then he may show his other traits. He doesn't fight fair, he fights to win.
When it comes to skills in civil manners he is well capable, but he shines even more in martial and magical powers. There are only a few within the fairy kingdom who can stand before the emperor and feel that they could potentially take him on in a duel.
Empress Niandi Vol'Kerno
The empress of the fairies, a well liked day fairy whose father is the leader of the Dew Onzen, one of the major factions working for the empire. Niandi is a kind young fairy and a strong contrast to the emperor who is a persona of fear, the empress is the complete opposite whereof the people by majority likes her.
She is an adept singer and dancer, and also capable at making pre-trained speeches to the people with great effect, upholding a genuine and truthful voice within the empire. Niandi is also used alot in the empires 'promotional posters', usually accompanied by the emperor and her father in such displays. The young woman also is awfully kind to non-fairies.
Almordian Ishandi
The determined leader of the Dew Onzen, set on cleansing the land of traitors and other dangerous things, upholding the law, overseeing all the other factions and institutions within and outside the empire. He is a physically attractive and powerful looking fairy with golden long hair and powerfully blue butterfly wings. He is easily recognized wherever he appears, and is the subject of admiration from both friends and foes for his hard work.
While effective at his work, Almordian is a very serious man and therefor doesn't approve of most humor nor does he tolerate insolence. The man is also a capable spear and swordsman, and more often than not donning carapace armor of dark blue and gold colours. He really doesn't like non-fairies.
Kaldissia Azuneel
The current leader of the royal guards and the strongest warrior within the empire as far as anyone knows, she is a woman of passion and easy to angeror rattle. Her loyalty towards the empire and the royal family is about as fierce as her temper, and she has been known to beat up people for simply showing a lack of interest in joining the imperial army or showing support for the empire. She is one of a few fairies within the empire to also be using non-fairy kind weaponry and armor, she also has a hobby of collecting other races cultural objects and books as a means to understand their mindset but also how they differ.
Yet despite coming to understand them, understanding and agreeing with are two different things which she is well versed in knowing. She is a good commander, albeit not as capable as Almordian Ishandi and his Dew Onzen when it comes to making structural searches or strategizing for a long time. She is known to take initiative and prefer a strong attack before all else. Her presence as the leader of the royal guards is both an honor to her, but at the same time a leach to keep her from rushing off to join the battlefields. She is known to accept duels every now and then aswell as entertaining the emperor when he desires to spar.
Marsadi Shadewaltzer
Marsadi's ancestors where the ones which first created the Shadewaltzer's, the shadowy spies, assassins and thieves of the fairy empire. There has been plenty of different leaders of this faction, and not all has been from the Shadewaltzer family. But Marsadi found her way to the highest position of power within the Shadewaltzer's after it's former leader passed the leadership unto her. She has since not disappointed them, as she has shown herself a shrewd and even wicked leader whose interests lie in keeping herself and the fairy empire alive and well. She enjoys parties even if she doesn't drink herself into a stupor, she takes enjoyment in seeing others make fools out of themselves when intoxicated and generally is prone to remove competitors to her position through guile.
Her relationship with the emperor is on good terms as she was formerly one of his concubines before he picked an empress. They still speak to each other and she finds him amusing and would hate to see him removed in favor of someone dull. She doesn't see eye to eye with Almordian Ishandi nor with Kaldissia Azuneel, and in general has a problem with most authority figures. Her martial skills are good, but not the best. Her magic however is extraordinary when it comes to creating poisonous plants or liquids, aswell as being nearly immune to poisons herself.
Morkane Darkfolt
The general of generals, the main general for the imperial army. A capable strategist and tactician, well respected and liked by most people, whereof they are of military ranks or not. While like most other fairies he has no problem with slavery, but he has problem in cruelty and will not tolerate such. His martial and magic skills are average compared to many of the others within the empire, yet he is a man who seldom has to fight all by himself as many young fairies and non-fairies are willing to do it for him.
His relationship with the other factions within the empire is decent, he is polite and firm in his beliefs. He believes in the emperors dream of expanding the empire and providing a good and safe haven for their people, to which he is willing to give his life to see it happen.