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Mixtape Ghost NName of Nation: The Kratorian Empyreum, The First Civilization, The Heirdom of Heaven, The Kingdom of Kingdoms, The Pantheon Realm (Edits in progress)
Since it's inception, the Imperium has been ruled by the royal dynasty of House Valerion, whose progenitor, Aelyx the Great, won the right to rule over the great Kratorian city-states through guile, diplomacy, and strength of arms. All the other Empyrean demigods bent the knee to him, and he became the first High King of Kratoria. His firstborn son came into the throne after him and then his eldest granddaughter, every succeeding monarch ruling for decades or even centuries due to the divine blood that flowed in their veins. For most of Kratoria's history, the Imperator of the Empyreum had retained great authority, though the manner of this authority differed greatly as the Empyreum changed and evolved. Most Imperators delegated great lands and honors to the Primarchs but a few reigned supreme over the Empyreum, curtailing the rights of the high nobility greatly. In recent generations, as Kratoria's Empire waned in size, the Imperator was forced to make concessions to other governmental bodies as balances against the Crown or risk losing the throne entirely.
The succession of the Crown is primarily determined by equal primogeniture. If the Imperator has more than one spouse, their first spouse will be known as the Royal Consort and their children will have preference over the others. The secondary or tertiary children will inherit if the primary heirs no longer can do so, whether they be deemed ineligible or unsuitable in some way, abdicate their claim, or take up other obligations. A Crown Prince may also lose their claim if they are disowned and exiled by the Imperator, but such is an incredibly rare occurence. Another heir may claim the throne by challenging the heir apparent whether in combat or with the backing of the Great Houses and Senate, but such was uncommon for most of the Empyreum's history. However, in recent years with the declining fertility and potency of Empyrean blood, it has become somewhat more commonplace for the heir apparent to prove their magical dominance over other claimants, as none of the Great Houses would accept the leadership of a lesserborn.
The monarch of Kratoria, in addition to being titled the High King and Imperator also has the title of Lord of Blackwyrm Hoard, Son of the Primordial Fire, and Protector of the Realm. As Lord of the Hoard, the Imperator is also the de-facto head of House Valerion, the Dragonborn descendants of Valerion the Bloodwyrm who was the son Mother Silveria and her one-time consort Balerion the Black, himself a son of the Earth Mother Terra and Vermithrax Starbane, the First Dragon. Besides the Great Primarch Houses, Lord Valerion is owed the fealty of other houses who claim descent not from the heavens but from the primordial earth and even the abyss below. Even without the Great Houses, the Lord of the Hoard can raise at least a million fighting men and women from his demesne and has wealthy lands to live on. Though in practice, while the Imperator holds the title of Lord of the Hoard, a kinsman, almost always the eldest child, is often given the lordship of the Imperial Province of the ancestral Valerion keep of Blackwyrm Hoard to rule in Imperator's name as the Prince of Princess of the Hoard. Over time, being titled Prince of the Hoard has become synonymous with being heir apparent to the Empyreal Throne and the Prince of the Hoard holds great influence and power in the Empyreum.
As Son of the Primordial Fire, The Imperator is also one of the most important religious figures in the Imperium. The Divine Hierarch must give their blessing to the Imperator to rule the Empyreum, but like many of the noble houses, the Lord of House Valerion is acclaimed as a demigod on earth. He is not outright worshiped, but many Kratorians invoke his name as a prayer for blessings or guidance, especially those who live in the Imperial province. Thus, the Imperator has a divine mandate to rule and is revered as no other ruler of a nation is. Even peoples in distant lands and nations look to the Imperator of Kratoria with awe, and those who count him an enemy must give at least their begrudging respect. The air of authority that the Imperators of the Empyreum have cultivated over their millennia-length reign gives the Imperator great power on the political stage.
The Imperator isn't just a political and cultural leader. He is first and foremost a military one. As Lord Protector of the Empyreum, he is the defender of the holy lands and the shield of the children of the gods. He is the supreme general of the Empyreal Legions, even if most generalship duties are delegated to the Lord Marshall and his subordinates. For the majority of Kratoria's history, the holder of the Empyreal Throne has always marched to battle alongside the fighting men and women of the Empyreum for as long as they could, clad in black and gold armor with sword in hand. The gunpowder age saw the decline of this practice but even today, Empyreal Princes and even a few Princesses are expected to earn their spurs in the armed forces and lead legionaries to glory. Even still, the Imperator is given mastery of vast armies. All of the Great Houses are expected to come to his aid when he calls the banners, and the Empyreal Army is a standing force that swears direct loyalty to the crown. If the Imperator is somehow indisposed or unable to uphold his martial duties, another may hold the title of Protector of the Realm in his stead and is thus given the military powers and obligations of the Imperator.
The succession of the Crown is primarily determined by equal primogeniture. If the Imperator has more than one spouse, their first spouse will be known as the Royal Consort and their children will have preference over the others. The secondary or tertiary children will inherit if the primary heirs no longer can do so, whether they be deemed ineligible or unsuitable in some way, abdicate their claim, or take up other obligations. A Crown Prince may also lose their claim if they are disowned and exiled by the Imperator, but such is an incredibly rare occurence. Another heir may claim the throne by challenging the heir apparent whether in combat or with the backing of the Great Houses and Senate, but such was uncommon for most of the Empyreum's history. However, in recent years with the declining fertility and potency of Empyrean blood, it has become somewhat more commonplace for the heir apparent to prove their magical dominance over other claimants, as none of the Great Houses would accept the leadership of a lesserborn.
The monarch of Kratoria, in addition to being titled the High King and Imperator also has the title of Lord of Blackwyrm Hoard, Son of the Primordial Fire, and Protector of the Realm. As Lord of the Hoard, the Imperator is also the de-facto head of House Valerion, the Dragonborn descendants of Valerion the Bloodwyrm who was the son Mother Silveria and her one-time consort Balerion the Black, himself a son of the Earth Mother Terra and Vermithrax Starbane, the First Dragon. Besides the Great Primarch Houses, Lord Valerion is owed the fealty of other houses who claim descent not from the heavens but from the primordial earth and even the abyss below. Even without the Great Houses, the Lord of the Hoard can raise at least a million fighting men and women from his demesne and has wealthy lands to live on. Though in practice, while the Imperator holds the title of Lord of the Hoard, a kinsman, almost always the eldest child, is often given the lordship of the Imperial Province of the ancestral Valerion keep of Blackwyrm Hoard to rule in Imperator's name as the Prince of Princess of the Hoard. Over time, being titled Prince of the Hoard has become synonymous with being heir apparent to the Empyreal Throne and the Prince of the Hoard holds great influence and power in the Empyreum.
As Son of the Primordial Fire, The Imperator is also one of the most important religious figures in the Imperium. The Divine Hierarch must give their blessing to the Imperator to rule the Empyreum, but like many of the noble houses, the Lord of House Valerion is acclaimed as a demigod on earth. He is not outright worshiped, but many Kratorians invoke his name as a prayer for blessings or guidance, especially those who live in the Imperial province. Thus, the Imperator has a divine mandate to rule and is revered as no other ruler of a nation is. Even peoples in distant lands and nations look to the Imperator of Kratoria with awe, and those who count him an enemy must give at least their begrudging respect. The air of authority that the Imperators of the Empyreum have cultivated over their millennia-length reign gives the Imperator great power on the political stage.
The Imperator isn't just a political and cultural leader. He is first and foremost a military one. As Lord Protector of the Empyreum, he is the defender of the holy lands and the shield of the children of the gods. He is the supreme general of the Empyreal Legions, even if most generalship duties are delegated to the Lord Marshall and his subordinates. For the majority of Kratoria's history, the holder of the Empyreal Throne has always marched to battle alongside the fighting men and women of the Empyreum for as long as they could, clad in black and gold armor with sword in hand. The gunpowder age saw the decline of this practice but even today, Empyreal Princes and even a few Princesses are expected to earn their spurs in the armed forces and lead legionaries to glory. Even still, the Imperator is given mastery of vast armies. All of the Great Houses are expected to come to his aid when he calls the banners, and the Empyreal Army is a standing force that swears direct loyalty to the crown. If the Imperator is somehow indisposed or unable to uphold his martial duties, another may hold the title of Protector of the Realm in his stead and is thus given the military powers and obligations of the Imperator.
The Senate holds many powers of its own, at least on paper. The ability for the Senate to enforce them often relies on the support of the nobility, the Empyreal Council, and the Imperator themselves in acquiescing to their requests. Oftentimes the Imperator, with his influence and connections, is able to help pass his will through the chambers. But sometimes if enough of the Senate rallies, they can curtail the Imperator's powers to a certain extent. Such occasions are difficult to achieve however. Since the days of the Peacemaker however, the Senate has enjoyed a return to many privileges and powers that were overturned by more autocratic Valerions. The Great Houses and the guilds of the Empyreum also have their own influences in the Senate, and the political maneuvering in the senatorial chambers is often an extension of conflicts and feuds ongoing between noble families and powerful organizations in the Empyreum.
The Senate's primary purpose is that of a legislative body, and the regulations they impose are usually of a financial and administrative nature for the maintenance of the diminished but still vast territories that the Imperium holds sway over. The Imperator can overturn whatever laws the Senate passes if he deigns not to sign it, and the Senate's writ only applies to the Empyreum as a whole, thus the Primarchs and their Archons have jurisdiction over matters that affect only their domains. Subsequently, many of the provinces have their own provincial Senates though the customs of these bodies differ by region. While the King and his Empyreal Council retain many significant powers, including the ability to levy a tax and declare war, these declarations can be nullified by a majority vote in both chambers of the Senate. It is has been long been found that if a King wishes to call the banners or collect taxes, the consent of the nobility is often required, thus the Senate came to formally gain these balancing powers. The King can also create law by royal decree, but the Senators can likewise band together to nullify passage. As such, while the King or Queen holds much sway over the nation, it behooves the Imperator to at least court the Senate's favor
The Senate can also curtail the King's judicial powers such as revocation of titles, imprisonment, execution, and banishment, a check against the Imperator's power that grew out of the disastrous reign of the Mad Queen. If there is a lack of royal decree and the Imperator is somehow indisposed, the Senate can elect a council of regents to rule for an incapable or minority-age monarch and any potential Lord Protector must be confirmed by them. The Senate must also swear fealty to the Imperator for their reign to be considered legitimate. In times of a succession crisis, the Senate has the power to elect which heir will inherit but this heir must then gain the oaths of fealty from the Great Houses and the other royals in addition to a majority of Senator votes. In extreme circumstances, the Senate may vote to strip the High King or Queen of their crown but this has only happened once in Kratorian history, and the Mad Queen refused to step down.
The Senate is made of two chambers, the House of Freeholders and the House of Citizens. In the House of Freeholders, every full lord is allowed to send a representative to speak for them, usually a younger child, sibling, or cousin if they do not live close to the capital themselves. Knightly houses that are influential enough may gain a seat in the Senate by special dispensation and must be confirmed by the Imperator and the both chambers of the Senate. The wealth, power, and influence an Empyrean house wields is often directly correlated to how much influence their Senatorial representative has in the House of Freeholders. While a minor lord has a vote on matters in the Senate, the high Archon families and Primarch bloodlines head mighty coalitions that struggle for power and dominance in the House. The House of Freeholders is the upper chamber of the Senate and has the power to overturn what is decided in the House of Citizens if a majority is reached.
Thus any new laws needs must be approved by the nobility before they become law in the Empyreum.
The members of the House of Citizens are elected by the people of the territory they represent but are almost always made up of veterans, guildsmen, philosophers, clerics, poets, champions, scholars, and their like. Many of whom are second sons, landed knights, or gentry themselves. Citizen Senators are more numerous than Freeholder Senators, as while each noble house has one representative, every one of the hundreds and hundreds of Empyreal prefectures has their representative in the Senate. Thus while members of both houses are officially Senators, members of the lower House of Citizens are commonly referred to as Prefects. And while the Archons and Primarchs hold sway over the Freeholders, the Citizens are heavily influenced by Prefects with ties to the major guilds, the temples, wealthy merchants, and other powerful groups.
And while no level of Empyreal government is immune from political wheeling and dealing, it is at its most blatant in the House of Citizens. Bribery and blackmail are common, and it is not unheard of for duels to be called on the floor. In prefecture elections, all free citizens who are property-owners of majority age are allowed to vote, though the vast majority of Empyreal citizens still cannot choose their prefect due to their serfdom and lack of wealth and indentured peons have even less rights. Despite this, Prefects do much to court the favor of the commons and keep them happy, recognizing the favor of the commons is important to good order. The Speaker of the Senate is the body's representative on the Empyreal Council and is chosen by the Prefects from their own ranks. They are often accorded one of the most influential officials in the Empyreum. This check from the House of Citizens against the Freeholders arose from Aegon the Good's patronage of a lowly slave to one of his top advisers and a leader of the Senate, and has remained in practice since.
The Senate's primary purpose is that of a legislative body, and the regulations they impose are usually of a financial and administrative nature for the maintenance of the diminished but still vast territories that the Imperium holds sway over. The Imperator can overturn whatever laws the Senate passes if he deigns not to sign it, and the Senate's writ only applies to the Empyreum as a whole, thus the Primarchs and their Archons have jurisdiction over matters that affect only their domains. Subsequently, many of the provinces have their own provincial Senates though the customs of these bodies differ by region. While the King and his Empyreal Council retain many significant powers, including the ability to levy a tax and declare war, these declarations can be nullified by a majority vote in both chambers of the Senate. It is has been long been found that if a King wishes to call the banners or collect taxes, the consent of the nobility is often required, thus the Senate came to formally gain these balancing powers. The King can also create law by royal decree, but the Senators can likewise band together to nullify passage. As such, while the King or Queen holds much sway over the nation, it behooves the Imperator to at least court the Senate's favor
The Senate can also curtail the King's judicial powers such as revocation of titles, imprisonment, execution, and banishment, a check against the Imperator's power that grew out of the disastrous reign of the Mad Queen. If there is a lack of royal decree and the Imperator is somehow indisposed, the Senate can elect a council of regents to rule for an incapable or minority-age monarch and any potential Lord Protector must be confirmed by them. The Senate must also swear fealty to the Imperator for their reign to be considered legitimate. In times of a succession crisis, the Senate has the power to elect which heir will inherit but this heir must then gain the oaths of fealty from the Great Houses and the other royals in addition to a majority of Senator votes. In extreme circumstances, the Senate may vote to strip the High King or Queen of their crown but this has only happened once in Kratorian history, and the Mad Queen refused to step down.
The Senate is made of two chambers, the House of Freeholders and the House of Citizens. In the House of Freeholders, every full lord is allowed to send a representative to speak for them, usually a younger child, sibling, or cousin if they do not live close to the capital themselves. Knightly houses that are influential enough may gain a seat in the Senate by special dispensation and must be confirmed by the Imperator and the both chambers of the Senate. The wealth, power, and influence an Empyrean house wields is often directly correlated to how much influence their Senatorial representative has in the House of Freeholders. While a minor lord has a vote on matters in the Senate, the high Archon families and Primarch bloodlines head mighty coalitions that struggle for power and dominance in the House. The House of Freeholders is the upper chamber of the Senate and has the power to overturn what is decided in the House of Citizens if a majority is reached.
Thus any new laws needs must be approved by the nobility before they become law in the Empyreum.
The members of the House of Citizens are elected by the people of the territory they represent but are almost always made up of veterans, guildsmen, philosophers, clerics, poets, champions, scholars, and their like. Many of whom are second sons, landed knights, or gentry themselves. Citizen Senators are more numerous than Freeholder Senators, as while each noble house has one representative, every one of the hundreds and hundreds of Empyreal prefectures has their representative in the Senate. Thus while members of both houses are officially Senators, members of the lower House of Citizens are commonly referred to as Prefects. And while the Archons and Primarchs hold sway over the Freeholders, the Citizens are heavily influenced by Prefects with ties to the major guilds, the temples, wealthy merchants, and other powerful groups.
And while no level of Empyreal government is immune from political wheeling and dealing, it is at its most blatant in the House of Citizens. Bribery and blackmail are common, and it is not unheard of for duels to be called on the floor. In prefecture elections, all free citizens who are property-owners of majority age are allowed to vote, though the vast majority of Empyreal citizens still cannot choose their prefect due to their serfdom and lack of wealth and indentured peons have even less rights. Despite this, Prefects do much to court the favor of the commons and keep them happy, recognizing the favor of the commons is important to good order. The Speaker of the Senate is the body's representative on the Empyreal Council and is chosen by the Prefects from their own ranks. They are often accorded one of the most influential officials in the Empyreum. This check from the House of Citizens against the Freeholders arose from Aegon the Good's patronage of a lowly slave to one of his top advisers and a leader of the Senate, and has remained in practice since.
Though the Imperator and all the lords beneath him retain the privilege to pass judgement, many of them delegate their authority to magistrates to act on their behalf when judging both civil disputes and criminal offenses within their domains, though often for the most serious of occasions they will sit in judgement themselves. This tradition grew as the Empyreum expanded and the feasibility of a lord adjudicating every dispute became unwieldy. However the nobility have never fully relinquished the right to pass judgement, and accord it one of their highest privileges as lords. Thus, Magistrates are commonly either secondary heirs of a House or loyal servants of a noble family and disagreements between a Magistrate and the lord who appointed them are very uncommon.
However while the Empyreum began as one nation, it grew out of many others, who themselves had provinces and regions with their particular customs and laws. Aelyx the Great never instituted a uniform common law, letting the lords rule over matters of justice. On royal progress, if he passed judgement, he took care to weigh local custom and tradition in making judgement. Only in the age of Visenya I, Aelyx's granddaughter, was there a uniform code of law across the realm and even then there are many local customs and laws not under the Imperium's purview. As such, every lord of a territory is expected to either act as a magistrate or empower one themselves to decide matters according to the peculiarities of their local codes.
Their rulings can be overturned if an appeal to a higher magistrate is accepted, and the highest judicial authority in the land besides the Imperator themselves is their Empyreal Magistrate who must often mediate disputes between the great lords of the realm and hears civil petitions from those who live directly in the High King's domains. Landed knights and gentry must appeal to their liege lord or their magistrate for justice, who can be overruled by their Archon's Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Primarch Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Empyreal Magistrate. It is extremely uncommon for a ruling made at the lordly level to advance all the way to the Empyreal level however, and higher courts are often selective of which cases they hear from a lower court, the lord's representative taking care not to displease the vassals too much. Nobles furthermore can only be judged by a magistrate of higher rank than themselves. Lords are judged by Archons, who are judged by their Primarchs, who can only be judged by the Crown. The Imperator's Lord Justicar is empowered to help ensure the King's Laws are enforced and employs a legion of Empyreal Arbiters to present the Crown's cases in trials. But the Empyreal Magistrate decides the truth of cases, unless the King or the Viceroy sits in judgement.
In days long past, the Clerics of the temples could pass judgement on Kratorians as representatives of the Pantheon, but Visenya the Arbiter ended the practice and now holy inquests can only be called against members of the clergy class themselves. However if the Grand Hierarch deigns to declare someone an apostate or heretic, or grants divine absolution to a criminal, their word carries much weight in judicial proceedings. Nobles accused of crimes will often escape with fines and lesser punishments, and only those who have committed the most heinous crimes will face exile or death. Common-folk have much less preference under the law however. Scourging for disobedient serfs and loss of fingers for thieves are common punishments, and stocks and crow-cages are still popular in certain fiefs. Being sentenced to serve in the Heretic's Legion or the Apostate Watch, or being bound in peonage are often given as alternatives to exile or death.
In Kratoria, barristers can earn a degree in law from a university and earn accreditation from the Justicar Guild but it is not a requirement for one to represent an accused criminal. Thus common-folk often appeal to learned friends or turn to charlatan advocates to speak on their behalf, though some Magistrates will provide a barrister to defend any accused free of charge. An accused can prove their innocence by other means than a formal trial however. Any nobleman has the right to demand trial by combat in civil disputes or criminal accusations, and strength of arms will determine who prevails. Common-folk may request one as well, though it is up to the Magistrate's discretion. Peons accused of crimes often receive summary judgement unless a freeman or their master intercedes on their behalf. However all people who dwell in Kratoria, even non-citizens, have the right to demand trial by ordeal, in which they will be asked to perform some dangerous task or face some perilous challenge to prove they have the favor of the gods and are thus innocent. The Imperator also has the privilege of granting royal pardons to those convicted of a crime, absolving them of all punishment, though this is almost never without some price. Only the Senate may try the Imperator for a crime, and this has only happened on a few occasions throughout Kratoria's millenia-long existence. In matters regarding members of the royal family, only the King can pass judgement. Likewise, the King is the only authority who can judge Nemeses, the most powerful and most secretive of the King's servants.
However while the Empyreum began as one nation, it grew out of many others, who themselves had provinces and regions with their particular customs and laws. Aelyx the Great never instituted a uniform common law, letting the lords rule over matters of justice. On royal progress, if he passed judgement, he took care to weigh local custom and tradition in making judgement. Only in the age of Visenya I, Aelyx's granddaughter, was there a uniform code of law across the realm and even then there are many local customs and laws not under the Imperium's purview. As such, every lord of a territory is expected to either act as a magistrate or empower one themselves to decide matters according to the peculiarities of their local codes.
Their rulings can be overturned if an appeal to a higher magistrate is accepted, and the highest judicial authority in the land besides the Imperator themselves is their Empyreal Magistrate who must often mediate disputes between the great lords of the realm and hears civil petitions from those who live directly in the High King's domains. Landed knights and gentry must appeal to their liege lord or their magistrate for justice, who can be overruled by their Archon's Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Primarch Magistrate, who can be overruled by the Empyreal Magistrate. It is extremely uncommon for a ruling made at the lordly level to advance all the way to the Empyreal level however, and higher courts are often selective of which cases they hear from a lower court, the lord's representative taking care not to displease the vassals too much. Nobles furthermore can only be judged by a magistrate of higher rank than themselves. Lords are judged by Archons, who are judged by their Primarchs, who can only be judged by the Crown. The Imperator's Lord Justicar is empowered to help ensure the King's Laws are enforced and employs a legion of Empyreal Arbiters to present the Crown's cases in trials. But the Empyreal Magistrate decides the truth of cases, unless the King or the Viceroy sits in judgement.
In days long past, the Clerics of the temples could pass judgement on Kratorians as representatives of the Pantheon, but Visenya the Arbiter ended the practice and now holy inquests can only be called against members of the clergy class themselves. However if the Grand Hierarch deigns to declare someone an apostate or heretic, or grants divine absolution to a criminal, their word carries much weight in judicial proceedings. Nobles accused of crimes will often escape with fines and lesser punishments, and only those who have committed the most heinous crimes will face exile or death. Common-folk have much less preference under the law however. Scourging for disobedient serfs and loss of fingers for thieves are common punishments, and stocks and crow-cages are still popular in certain fiefs. Being sentenced to serve in the Heretic's Legion or the Apostate Watch, or being bound in peonage are often given as alternatives to exile or death.
In Kratoria, barristers can earn a degree in law from a university and earn accreditation from the Justicar Guild but it is not a requirement for one to represent an accused criminal. Thus common-folk often appeal to learned friends or turn to charlatan advocates to speak on their behalf, though some Magistrates will provide a barrister to defend any accused free of charge. An accused can prove their innocence by other means than a formal trial however. Any nobleman has the right to demand trial by combat in civil disputes or criminal accusations, and strength of arms will determine who prevails. Common-folk may request one as well, though it is up to the Magistrate's discretion. Peons accused of crimes often receive summary judgement unless a freeman or their master intercedes on their behalf. However all people who dwell in Kratoria, even non-citizens, have the right to demand trial by ordeal, in which they will be asked to perform some dangerous task or face some perilous challenge to prove they have the favor of the gods and are thus innocent. The Imperator also has the privilege of granting royal pardons to those convicted of a crime, absolving them of all punishment, though this is almost never without some price. Only the Senate may try the Imperator for a crime, and this has only happened on a few occasions throughout Kratoria's millenia-long existence. In matters regarding members of the royal family, only the King can pass judgement. Likewise, the King is the only authority who can judge Nemeses, the most powerful and most secretive of the King's servants.
The Imperator may rule, but often a monarch leaves much of the day to day matters of ruling to the Empyreal High Council. From the days of Aelyx the Conqueror, there has been a council to advise the King and help him rule. Most powerful of these is the Lord Viceroy, who is Prime Minister of Kratoria and is the Imperator's right hand in all matters. The Viceroy is considered the leader of the House of Freeholders and manages many of the day to day operations of the Empyreum. The Viceroy can lead armies, dispense justice, and even sit on the Empyreal Throne in the King's stead. The Speaker of the Senate also has a seat on the Adamant Table and acts as a liaison between the Crown and the Senate. Since the Speaker is always from the House of Citizens, he is even considered a representative of the commons to the High King, even if only a handful of Speakers were ever truly common-born.
The Temples of the Pantheon are also guaranteed a representative on the Council, a concession Visenya the Arbiter made to the Chantry that has been upheld ever since. Sometimes the Hierarch, the leader of the Chantry himself, will sit at the Adamant Table to advise the King on matters of faith and the divine ancestors but they will often appoint a Cleric to sit on their behalf as a Lord Prophet instead.
Besides the Lord Prophet, the Sages and Lectors of Kratoria's universities and academies choose someone from their number to represent them on the Council as the Grand Sage. The Grand Sage will offer their expertise in scientific and scholarly matters to the King and has several ministries that attends to matters such as public infrastructure or healthcare.
The last organization guaranteed a seat on the Council is the Circle of Magi. The leader of the Circle, the Archmagus, the strongest Mage in Kratoria and the world, has been an adviser to the High King since the days of Aelyx the First. The Archmagus consults with the Imperator on all matters relating to the arcane and magical and is the Court Sorcerer for the Empyreal Palace.
Besides these luminaries there are other officials that the High King or Queen appoints to sit on the Council. The Lord Chamberlain is the Empyreal Steward and Majordomo of the Empyreal Court, though he often delegates these court duties to a subordinate. More importantly, he has great influence over positions in the court and the King's household and is considered an essential political gatekeeper for any who wish to deal with the King or his Councillors. The administration of Empyreus, the capital city, often falls to the Chamberlain as well, though the Chamberlain can empower a citizen to act as Lord Mayor. The Lord Chamberlain has control over the Empyreal Times, a state-run newspaper that is the oldest and one of the largest such publications on the planet. Some may see him as a simple chief of staff, but the Lord Chamberlain has subtle but great power in the Empyreum.
The Lord Chancellor is the King's premier diplomat, entrusted with matters of foreign policy and diplomatic relations. The Lord Chancellor oversees all the embassies Kratoria has throughout the globe, meets with heads of state, appoints Heralds to treat with officials from foreign governments, hires Knights Herald to ride across the kingdom to deliver the King's words and royal tidings, and ensures the loyalty of the Primarchs. Without a Chancellor, the Empyreum simply couldn't run.
The Lord Justiciar is charged with helping implement the King's royal decrees of law and enforcing them throughout the realm. In addition to the Arbiters who present royal cases in trial, the Knights Justicar patrol the kingdom keeping order and pursuing wanted criminals. The Lord Justicar likewise has authority over the many prisons in the Empyreum and the King's Justice, the royal headsman, is a subordinate of his. The provinces, prefectures, and towns of the Empyreum employ their own Reeves, but the king's law supersedes all of them should conflict arise. The Lord Justicar can also assume a military command as leader of the penal division, the Heretic's Legion.
The Lord Treasurer is in charge of all matters relating to the King's tax policies and commerce. He helps oversee the royal accounts, runs the royal mints, ensures vassals pay their taxes, audits the Empyreum's expenses, helps determine fiscal policy, coordinates with the guilds and bank, and negotiates trade deals with foreign nations. The Treasurer also oversees several ministries related to industry and commerce. To many, the Lord Treasurer is a simple miser but it is he who is invested with the power Dragon's Hoard, and is thus one of the mightiest officials in the realm.
The Lord Inquisitor is the royal spymaster, the High King's shadowy left hand. Long have Empyrean families employed networks of spies and informers to play their game of thrones. The Lord Inquisitor does the same on the King's behalf. The first Inquisitor was Aelyx's half-brother Valarr the Blind, who was said to see with a thousand pairs of eyes though he had none himself. The spy networks have only grown since then and the Empyreal Inquisitor is rightly considered to be one of the great covert powers of the world, with eyes and ears in every nation and every court. The Ravenry is the official name for Inqusitor's network, whose secret agents are known as Ravens.
The Empyreal Inquisition, made up of Detective Inquisitors led by Knight Inquisitors are the secret police of the Empyreum, seeking out seditionists and traitors against the High King. Their methods are often brutal and ruthless, but effective, and the Inquisitors have attained a notorious reputation in the Empyreum. Finally there are the Assassins, known officially as the Empyreal Coroners. The Coroners are masters of stealth and the art of the quiet kill, and are feared throughout the Empyreum and by the High King's enemies. The Coroners started off as an independent assassin's guild, but Valarr the Blind brought them into the royal fold, a solution to problems that needed to be quietly but decisively solved. Sometimes, the Coroners may contract their services to other parties but owe tithes to the Imperator on any jobs performed and swear him direct fealty.
The Lord Marshall is the Imperator's highest general. He is chosen from among the admirals and generals of Kratorian High Command and is entrusted with crafting strategies in war and developing military policy. He has discretion to appoint or dismiss commanders on the King's commission and oversees the operation of Kratoria's military academies, fortresses, and naval ports. The Lord Marshall coordinates with the four Sentinels on matters of homeland defense and selects guilds for military contracts. He is the chairman of High Command Council, who then delegate authority over the navy to the admiralty and the Lord High Admiral and the command of the army to the high generals.
The Empyreal Legions are one of the few institutions that have discretion to judge their own personnel and run their own penal facilities. And the Citadel Legion act as the Reeves, the military police, of Empyreus. In times of war the military's power grows even more. It is Legionaries who act as Reeves in areas controlled by the military and the military takes over administration of hospitals, fire brigades, engineering, and other such functions in combat zones. The Lord Marshall is one of the most powerful figures in the martial society of the Empyreum and is a highly coveted position, nearly as much so as Lord Viceroy, especially in times of war. And while the King holds the fealty of every soldier, it is known that the Legions usually have loyalty to the Lord Marshall as well. Thus there has been more than one brother, second son, or nephew appointed as Lord Marshall who has tried to leverage their power into a Crown. Despite this, the Lord Marshall remains an essential part of the High Council and the operation of the Kingdom.
The Lord Praetor of the Praetorian Guard also has a seat on the High Council. The Lord Marshall may be the leader in matters of the military as a whole as well as national defense, but the Lord Praetor is charged with the direct defense of the Empyreal Palace and of the royal family. The Lord Praetor must be one who has undying loyalty to the King, and must be willing to give his life for them. The Praetor may not wield great political power, but he has the elite Praetorian Guard under his command, and is the most esteemed of an already legendary and vaunted order. The Lord Praetor is often considered one of the greatest warriors of their age.
The thirteenth permanent adviser is the Royal Consort, the first and foremost of the Empyreal spouses whether they are the King or Queen Consort. They are almost always a royal themselves or a member of the Great Houses, and wield particular political influence in the Empyreum. Aelyx the First was the one who said a wise King heeded his Queen, and every monarch after him has had their spouse on the Council, though they did not always follow their advice.
Each of the Monarch's advisors have ministers running various ministries beneath them such as education, agriculture, infrastructure, and all other issues of concern to the throne. The Imperator may often appoint non-titled advisors to sit on the Council as well, oftentimes a sibling, spouse, or heir. Occasionally, even a Nemesis is appointed to sit on the Council and advise the King, though this doesn't happen often and the Councillors often jockey against the Nemeses for the favor of the King. In summation, a position on the council offers both great prestige and power and many lords and ladies vie for a spot at their royal liege's side. The permanent 13 seats on the Council is a deliberate choice, for the 13 Great Houses that bowed to Aelyx, and often the majority if not the entirety of the Council are members of Primarch families.
The Temples of the Pantheon are also guaranteed a representative on the Council, a concession Visenya the Arbiter made to the Chantry that has been upheld ever since. Sometimes the Hierarch, the leader of the Chantry himself, will sit at the Adamant Table to advise the King on matters of faith and the divine ancestors but they will often appoint a Cleric to sit on their behalf as a Lord Prophet instead.
Besides the Lord Prophet, the Sages and Lectors of Kratoria's universities and academies choose someone from their number to represent them on the Council as the Grand Sage. The Grand Sage will offer their expertise in scientific and scholarly matters to the King and has several ministries that attends to matters such as public infrastructure or healthcare.
The last organization guaranteed a seat on the Council is the Circle of Magi. The leader of the Circle, the Archmagus, the strongest Mage in Kratoria and the world, has been an adviser to the High King since the days of Aelyx the First. The Archmagus consults with the Imperator on all matters relating to the arcane and magical and is the Court Sorcerer for the Empyreal Palace.
Besides these luminaries there are other officials that the High King or Queen appoints to sit on the Council. The Lord Chamberlain is the Empyreal Steward and Majordomo of the Empyreal Court, though he often delegates these court duties to a subordinate. More importantly, he has great influence over positions in the court and the King's household and is considered an essential political gatekeeper for any who wish to deal with the King or his Councillors. The administration of Empyreus, the capital city, often falls to the Chamberlain as well, though the Chamberlain can empower a citizen to act as Lord Mayor. The Lord Chamberlain has control over the Empyreal Times, a state-run newspaper that is the oldest and one of the largest such publications on the planet. Some may see him as a simple chief of staff, but the Lord Chamberlain has subtle but great power in the Empyreum.
The Lord Chancellor is the King's premier diplomat, entrusted with matters of foreign policy and diplomatic relations. The Lord Chancellor oversees all the embassies Kratoria has throughout the globe, meets with heads of state, appoints Heralds to treat with officials from foreign governments, hires Knights Herald to ride across the kingdom to deliver the King's words and royal tidings, and ensures the loyalty of the Primarchs. Without a Chancellor, the Empyreum simply couldn't run.
The Lord Justiciar is charged with helping implement the King's royal decrees of law and enforcing them throughout the realm. In addition to the Arbiters who present royal cases in trial, the Knights Justicar patrol the kingdom keeping order and pursuing wanted criminals. The Lord Justicar likewise has authority over the many prisons in the Empyreum and the King's Justice, the royal headsman, is a subordinate of his. The provinces, prefectures, and towns of the Empyreum employ their own Reeves, but the king's law supersedes all of them should conflict arise. The Lord Justicar can also assume a military command as leader of the penal division, the Heretic's Legion.
The Lord Treasurer is in charge of all matters relating to the King's tax policies and commerce. He helps oversee the royal accounts, runs the royal mints, ensures vassals pay their taxes, audits the Empyreum's expenses, helps determine fiscal policy, coordinates with the guilds and bank, and negotiates trade deals with foreign nations. The Treasurer also oversees several ministries related to industry and commerce. To many, the Lord Treasurer is a simple miser but it is he who is invested with the power Dragon's Hoard, and is thus one of the mightiest officials in the realm.
The Lord Inquisitor is the royal spymaster, the High King's shadowy left hand. Long have Empyrean families employed networks of spies and informers to play their game of thrones. The Lord Inquisitor does the same on the King's behalf. The first Inquisitor was Aelyx's half-brother Valarr the Blind, who was said to see with a thousand pairs of eyes though he had none himself. The spy networks have only grown since then and the Empyreal Inquisitor is rightly considered to be one of the great covert powers of the world, with eyes and ears in every nation and every court. The Ravenry is the official name for Inqusitor's network, whose secret agents are known as Ravens.
The Empyreal Inquisition, made up of Detective Inquisitors led by Knight Inquisitors are the secret police of the Empyreum, seeking out seditionists and traitors against the High King. Their methods are often brutal and ruthless, but effective, and the Inquisitors have attained a notorious reputation in the Empyreum. Finally there are the Assassins, known officially as the Empyreal Coroners. The Coroners are masters of stealth and the art of the quiet kill, and are feared throughout the Empyreum and by the High King's enemies. The Coroners started off as an independent assassin's guild, but Valarr the Blind brought them into the royal fold, a solution to problems that needed to be quietly but decisively solved. Sometimes, the Coroners may contract their services to other parties but owe tithes to the Imperator on any jobs performed and swear him direct fealty.
The Lord Marshall is the Imperator's highest general. He is chosen from among the admirals and generals of Kratorian High Command and is entrusted with crafting strategies in war and developing military policy. He has discretion to appoint or dismiss commanders on the King's commission and oversees the operation of Kratoria's military academies, fortresses, and naval ports. The Lord Marshall coordinates with the four Sentinels on matters of homeland defense and selects guilds for military contracts. He is the chairman of High Command Council, who then delegate authority over the navy to the admiralty and the Lord High Admiral and the command of the army to the high generals.
The Empyreal Legions are one of the few institutions that have discretion to judge their own personnel and run their own penal facilities. And the Citadel Legion act as the Reeves, the military police, of Empyreus. In times of war the military's power grows even more. It is Legionaries who act as Reeves in areas controlled by the military and the military takes over administration of hospitals, fire brigades, engineering, and other such functions in combat zones. The Lord Marshall is one of the most powerful figures in the martial society of the Empyreum and is a highly coveted position, nearly as much so as Lord Viceroy, especially in times of war. And while the King holds the fealty of every soldier, it is known that the Legions usually have loyalty to the Lord Marshall as well. Thus there has been more than one brother, second son, or nephew appointed as Lord Marshall who has tried to leverage their power into a Crown. Despite this, the Lord Marshall remains an essential part of the High Council and the operation of the Kingdom.
The Lord Praetor of the Praetorian Guard also has a seat on the High Council. The Lord Marshall may be the leader in matters of the military as a whole as well as national defense, but the Lord Praetor is charged with the direct defense of the Empyreal Palace and of the royal family. The Lord Praetor must be one who has undying loyalty to the King, and must be willing to give his life for them. The Praetor may not wield great political power, but he has the elite Praetorian Guard under his command, and is the most esteemed of an already legendary and vaunted order. The Lord Praetor is often considered one of the greatest warriors of their age.
The thirteenth permanent adviser is the Royal Consort, the first and foremost of the Empyreal spouses whether they are the King or Queen Consort. They are almost always a royal themselves or a member of the Great Houses, and wield particular political influence in the Empyreum. Aelyx the First was the one who said a wise King heeded his Queen, and every monarch after him has had their spouse on the Council, though they did not always follow their advice.
Each of the Monarch's advisors have ministers running various ministries beneath them such as education, agriculture, infrastructure, and all other issues of concern to the throne. The Imperator may often appoint non-titled advisors to sit on the Council as well, oftentimes a sibling, spouse, or heir. Occasionally, even a Nemesis is appointed to sit on the Council and advise the King, though this doesn't happen often and the Councillors often jockey against the Nemeses for the favor of the King. In summation, a position on the council offers both great prestige and power and many lords and ladies vie for a spot at their royal liege's side. The permanent 13 seats on the Council is a deliberate choice, for the 13 Great Houses that bowed to Aelyx, and often the majority if not the entirety of the Council are members of Primarch families.
Though the Imperator may reign over Kratoria as a whole, he does not rule most of his realm directly, and the vast majority of the Imperium is governed in a feudal manner. Beneath the Imperial Dynasty are the Thirteen Great Houses, run by Primarchs who trace their descent to the thirteen most powerful deities of the Kratorian Pantheon. They swear fealty directly to the throne. Every Primarch has a variety of Archons sworn to them, who also claim blood from among the many gods of their faith. Every Archon has his own vassal lords and those lords have their own bannermen and so forth, the purity and strength of the bloodine determining one's position on the feudal ladder until one reaches landed knights, who either have very little Empyrean blood or none at all.
Kratorian citizens can be divided into three broad castes. Empyrean Nobles are members of the Patrician caste, and there is a strong Patrician bias in practically every social and governmental institution in the Empyreum. Beneath the Patricians are the Plebeians, commoners who own property and have voting rights. Plebs are often looked down on by Patricians due to their humble origins, but in recent generations Plebeian professionals have come to great prosperity. Plebs are beginning to be represented in the officers corps and the priesthood, have gained acclaim as athletes and artists, and the most wealthy have even gained Empyrean blood through marriage.
The industrial revolution was chiefly responsible for the empowerment of the Plebeians as a caste due to economic prosperity, and many believe that the Patricians deliberately keep manufacturing limited in the Empyreum in order to prevent Plebeian wealth from overshadowing their own. Beneath the Plebeians are the Proletarians or Proles. Proles are also commonborn but unlike Plebs, they are renters or tenant farmers and do not own their own land or property. Thus, they do not have the right to vote but still retain certain protections and rights as Kratorian citizens. Proles can become Plebs if they earn enough to buy property but this is difficult to achieve for many and rural Plebs would still have to pledge fealty to their local lord. The abolition of slavery after the loss of the colonies gave way to the Proletarian caste, who were initially simple serfs but were steadily granted rights as the centuries passed and both the Peacemaker and her son the Young King have proved popular with the Proles for doing so. Beneath even the Proles are Peons, who are indentured servants and are not considered full citizens.
The governance of the Imperial territories varies. In most countryside fiefs, the lord rules over his proles with much authority. But in many of the Imperium's settlements, especially the former city-states of old, the citizens of these great cities, most of whom are property-owning Plebeians, often have voting privileges while the reigning lord retains certain powers. A few Imperial citizens even live in clan structures, with their chieftain acting as a petty lord. In each of the provinces and prefects, the manner in which leaders are chosen and the land is governed can differ wildly. Once Imperial rule was consolidated in Old and New Kratoria, the Imperator took hold of a few choice provinces but left the vast majority of the conquered land to draw up for the Primarchs and their vassals. In the Age of Conquest, a nation that submitted was allowed to retain autonomy and self-governance while paying homage and tribute to the Imperator while a conquered people often had a Lord Governor installed to rule for the Imperator. Those days are past and the Lord Governor of the Imperial Raj has long since become a Primarch, the only Primarch to originate from the East and not the West.
Kratorian citizens can be divided into three broad castes. Empyrean Nobles are members of the Patrician caste, and there is a strong Patrician bias in practically every social and governmental institution in the Empyreum. Beneath the Patricians are the Plebeians, commoners who own property and have voting rights. Plebs are often looked down on by Patricians due to their humble origins, but in recent generations Plebeian professionals have come to great prosperity. Plebs are beginning to be represented in the officers corps and the priesthood, have gained acclaim as athletes and artists, and the most wealthy have even gained Empyrean blood through marriage.
The industrial revolution was chiefly responsible for the empowerment of the Plebeians as a caste due to economic prosperity, and many believe that the Patricians deliberately keep manufacturing limited in the Empyreum in order to prevent Plebeian wealth from overshadowing their own. Beneath the Plebeians are the Proletarians or Proles. Proles are also commonborn but unlike Plebs, they are renters or tenant farmers and do not own their own land or property. Thus, they do not have the right to vote but still retain certain protections and rights as Kratorian citizens. Proles can become Plebs if they earn enough to buy property but this is difficult to achieve for many and rural Plebs would still have to pledge fealty to their local lord. The abolition of slavery after the loss of the colonies gave way to the Proletarian caste, who were initially simple serfs but were steadily granted rights as the centuries passed and both the Peacemaker and her son the Young King have proved popular with the Proles for doing so. Beneath even the Proles are Peons, who are indentured servants and are not considered full citizens.
The governance of the Imperial territories varies. In most countryside fiefs, the lord rules over his proles with much authority. But in many of the Imperium's settlements, especially the former city-states of old, the citizens of these great cities, most of whom are property-owning Plebeians, often have voting privileges while the reigning lord retains certain powers. A few Imperial citizens even live in clan structures, with their chieftain acting as a petty lord. In each of the provinces and prefects, the manner in which leaders are chosen and the land is governed can differ wildly. Once Imperial rule was consolidated in Old and New Kratoria, the Imperator took hold of a few choice provinces but left the vast majority of the conquered land to draw up for the Primarchs and their vassals. In the Age of Conquest, a nation that submitted was allowed to retain autonomy and self-governance while paying homage and tribute to the Imperator while a conquered people often had a Lord Governor installed to rule for the Imperator. Those days are past and the Lord Governor of the Imperial Raj has long since become a Primarch, the only Primarch to originate from the East and not the West.
A great many races are part of the Imperium's domain, especially in the heartlands it spread out of, from fair nymphs to swift centaurs and mighty cyclopes. Like the Empyreans, it is believed that the Old Gods created these races with their own blood. The early Archons of Old Kratoria were quick to make their brethren bend the knee, and these races came to serve the demigods well in both war and peace. Of course, some of the nonhumans became Archons in their own right, with divine blood in their veins to match their humanoid brethren. The nonhumans of Old Kratoria have just as many rights as human subjects and are overwhelmingly loyal to their lords and the Empyreum. These loyal armies were a great boon to the Empyreans as they spread across the largely wild frontiers of what would come to be New Kratoria, and helped bring other races into the fold.
Normal humans make up a slight majority of the Imperium's subjects, with around six out of every ten Imperials being a human. The humans of Kratoria come in all the varieties of humanity due to long millennia of immigration, voluntarily or otherwise. After millennia of beneficial co-existence and Imperial rule, the great majority of the Imperium's citizens of all races live in amity with strong loyalty to the throne. The Imperium is among the most populous nations in the world thanks to its size and wealth. For the purposes of demographic categorization, the humans of Kratoria are organized into tribes, a tradition that has persisted since the Age of Cities. There are thirteen major tribes that together make up ninety percent of the human population, with several more minority tribes. All of the tribes arose from shared ethnic and cultural traits fostered by their Empyrean rulers in the Age of Cities. Each of the major tribes is the majority of the population in their native province, but minority populations of other tribes are present throughout the Empyreum. Each tribe receives equitable protection and liberty under the crown's law, but membership in a tribe is an important part of a Kratorian citizen's cultural identity.
As for the Empyreans themselves, in ages past they were indisputably the most powerful race to walk the Earth. They claimed direct descent from the Old Gods themselves, and their claims were hard to deny. The most powerful of them could shatter castle gates with one mighty blow and lay waste to a hundred men by themselves. They were effectively immortal, and fell only if killed, which was no mean feat. Many of them wielded terrible magic abilities. The first-tier Empyreans, the Aureates, had the most pure blood ties to their divine ancestors, and they were careful to marry within themselves to keep their bloodlines strong. It was rare for there to be more than several hundred of these pureborn at any one time. But while they married each other, the Aureates had the appetites of men and often lay with mortals. Thus were born Empyreans of lesser blood purity. Empyreans of the second-tier, Argentum, were not as strong or swift but still much more powerful than any normal human, with strength, endurance, speed, and senses beyond normal limits. They typically number in the low thousands and lived centuries. Empyreans of the third-tier, Aeruca, were the weakest, but still had physical abilities beyond a mortal. There are also the most numerous with many thousands being officially recognized as such.
Humanoid Empyreans often interbreed with the nonhuman races and still do, and it is unknown just how many minotaurs, harpies, gorgons, or nymphs can truthfully boast of an Empyrean in their bloodline. The same goes for normal humans, for many accomplished personages will claim to be an Empyrean by birth and use their achievements as proof of their status as an Aeruca. Today Argentum and Aeruca are as prominent as they had been in ages past, but the Aureates have for the most part stayed out of the public eye. Many say that with the decline of magic, their own physical and magical powers had waned greatly though they retain their supernatural beauty and longevity and are still much more powerful than their lower-tier brethren. Argentum are still superhuman but have also weakened while Aeruca are now as naturally strong and swift as mortals at absolute peak fitness. In modern days, some Empyreans remain generally powerful while others train to specialize in certain skills. And there are Empyreans who still retain naturally advanced cognitive abilities and intelligence or dabble in magic. It is possible for an Empyrean to advance a tier, but this involves magical ritual that is dangerous and in most cases, forbidden.
Morghul's Bane is commonly cited as the reason for declines in fertility and magic among the Empyrean population. In recent centuries, it has become more difficult for Aureates to conceive, and even when a child is born, it is no longer guaranteed that the child will be born an Aureate or even a true Empyrean at all. Thus those Aureates that are born are prized greatly, and it has become more common for a secondary heir to displace a kinsman in inheritance because the former was an Aureate while the latter was not. However, even physically healthy Empyreans are not wholly free of issues. It has been noted by alienists that a larger portion of Empyreans have been diagnosed with personality issues such as paranoia, narcissism, or wrath, than in previous generations. Whether this is due to Morghul's Bane, the effects of aristocratic lifestyles, or simply changes in psychotherapy definitions remains up for debate among clerics, philosophers, and alienists.
Normal humans make up a slight majority of the Imperium's subjects, with around six out of every ten Imperials being a human. The humans of Kratoria come in all the varieties of humanity due to long millennia of immigration, voluntarily or otherwise. After millennia of beneficial co-existence and Imperial rule, the great majority of the Imperium's citizens of all races live in amity with strong loyalty to the throne. The Imperium is among the most populous nations in the world thanks to its size and wealth. For the purposes of demographic categorization, the humans of Kratoria are organized into tribes, a tradition that has persisted since the Age of Cities. There are thirteen major tribes that together make up ninety percent of the human population, with several more minority tribes. All of the tribes arose from shared ethnic and cultural traits fostered by their Empyrean rulers in the Age of Cities. Each of the major tribes is the majority of the population in their native province, but minority populations of other tribes are present throughout the Empyreum. Each tribe receives equitable protection and liberty under the crown's law, but membership in a tribe is an important part of a Kratorian citizen's cultural identity.
As for the Empyreans themselves, in ages past they were indisputably the most powerful race to walk the Earth. They claimed direct descent from the Old Gods themselves, and their claims were hard to deny. The most powerful of them could shatter castle gates with one mighty blow and lay waste to a hundred men by themselves. They were effectively immortal, and fell only if killed, which was no mean feat. Many of them wielded terrible magic abilities. The first-tier Empyreans, the Aureates, had the most pure blood ties to their divine ancestors, and they were careful to marry within themselves to keep their bloodlines strong. It was rare for there to be more than several hundred of these pureborn at any one time. But while they married each other, the Aureates had the appetites of men and often lay with mortals. Thus were born Empyreans of lesser blood purity. Empyreans of the second-tier, Argentum, were not as strong or swift but still much more powerful than any normal human, with strength, endurance, speed, and senses beyond normal limits. They typically number in the low thousands and lived centuries. Empyreans of the third-tier, Aeruca, were the weakest, but still had physical abilities beyond a mortal. There are also the most numerous with many thousands being officially recognized as such.
Humanoid Empyreans often interbreed with the nonhuman races and still do, and it is unknown just how many minotaurs, harpies, gorgons, or nymphs can truthfully boast of an Empyrean in their bloodline. The same goes for normal humans, for many accomplished personages will claim to be an Empyrean by birth and use their achievements as proof of their status as an Aeruca. Today Argentum and Aeruca are as prominent as they had been in ages past, but the Aureates have for the most part stayed out of the public eye. Many say that with the decline of magic, their own physical and magical powers had waned greatly though they retain their supernatural beauty and longevity and are still much more powerful than their lower-tier brethren. Argentum are still superhuman but have also weakened while Aeruca are now as naturally strong and swift as mortals at absolute peak fitness. In modern days, some Empyreans remain generally powerful while others train to specialize in certain skills. And there are Empyreans who still retain naturally advanced cognitive abilities and intelligence or dabble in magic. It is possible for an Empyrean to advance a tier, but this involves magical ritual that is dangerous and in most cases, forbidden.
Morghul's Bane is commonly cited as the reason for declines in fertility and magic among the Empyrean population. In recent centuries, it has become more difficult for Aureates to conceive, and even when a child is born, it is no longer guaranteed that the child will be born an Aureate or even a true Empyrean at all. Thus those Aureates that are born are prized greatly, and it has become more common for a secondary heir to displace a kinsman in inheritance because the former was an Aureate while the latter was not. However, even physically healthy Empyreans are not wholly free of issues. It has been noted by alienists that a larger portion of Empyreans have been diagnosed with personality issues such as paranoia, narcissism, or wrath, than in previous generations. Whether this is due to Morghul's Bane, the effects of aristocratic lifestyles, or simply changes in psychotherapy definitions remains up for debate among clerics, philosophers, and alienists.
For an empire as large and diverse as it is, there cannot be said to be one single overriding culture for Kratoria, even among those who hail from the old city-states. Every city and every race in the Imperium has its own unique customs, traditions, and beliefs. But there are a few traits that knit the Imperial citizens together, from the lowest prole to the proudest prince.
There are many gods worshipped in Old and New Kratoria, some from the Kratorian pantheon and others held sacred by conquered peoples. Some citizens of the Empire pray to spirits, others to their ancestors, and even a few are said to venerate old, dark gods that are closer to monster than deity. But Kratoria is a universally spiritual nation, and religion is a fact of life. The nation is filled with shrines and monuments to hundreds of gods and deities, many erected in the dawn of civilization. When the Kratorians subjugated New Kratoria, they burned no temples and pulled down no idols, and for that they came to be loved. All faiths are tolerated, and one can even hate the gods. Denying their existence is the only heresy, for to deny the gods is to deny the Semideum. In all things the gods are consulted and prayed to, and proper rites for births, marriages, and funerals are essential to Kratorians.
Besides the Senate, one of the largest balancing powers against the High King is the Chantry of the Kratorian Pantheon. There are hundreds of gods in the Pantheon and all of them are represented by sects of varying sizes and are made up of all manner of godsworn, from humble traveling clerics who minister to countryside hamlets to ministerial clerics who preach at grand temples to the holy brothers and sisters of monastic orders to the Prophets who speak for their patron god on the mortal plane. Prophets are appointed to represent their order in the Conclave. The Conclave appoints the Hierarch, who is meant to have a voice for all of the gods. The upper leadership of the Chantry is dominated by the Semideum and the Chantry holds enormous cultural influence.
The Chantry is ensured various rights and protections under the law, with its wealth exempt from taxation and nobles even make a game of outdoing each other in donation to the Chantry. Any newly crowned Imperator must have been baptized and blessed by the Hierarch lest they risk looking illegitimate, and the Imperator can encourage enormous social change with their words. Only the Hierarch and the other members of the Conclave are allowed to serve as mediums for a supplicant to the Oracles, who are said to receive visions directly from the gods. The Hierarch is always ensured a seat on the Imperial Council. In the Age of Conquest, the proselytizing of the Clerics helped spread the Pantheon's reach to all the lands that the Imperium touched in war and trade. They are by no means a majority outside of the Imperium, but the Grand Cleric speaks to millions of followers world wide still and followers of the Pantheon outnumber all other faiths in the Imperium.
Besides the gods, citizens of Old and New Kratoria give much renown to art, sports, intellect, and the beauty of the natural world. Large marketplaces and training grounds are ubiquitous in Kratorian cities, but so are universities, libraries, sporting fields, hospitals, amphitheaters, museums, menageries, and massive gardens depending on who the city's patron is. The styles and traditions of culture vary but the national pride in Kratoria's ancient works remains strong throughout the Imperium. Nearly all of the constructions considered to be Wonders of the World stand in the Imperium's domain. Statues, monuments, and grand towers, some dating back to the age of city-states are a common sight. Kratorian cities are marvels of classical architecture and engineering. Elegant skyscrapers rise in the Imperium, all of them painstakingly planned to the smallest detail and constructed to be both beautiful and functional. Alongside the new construction, marble buildings of ancient districts and buildings from every era of history remain. All the major city have at least one distinctive monument by which to boast to all the others. In Minervaros, there is a great library that has stood since the dawn of civilization. In Heliopolis, the Solarium, the first of its kind, draws in tourists by the hundreds of thousands. And in Mercumes, the Ivory Baazar, the largest open-air marketplace in the world, has been open for more than two thousand years.
For Kratorians, honor is incredibly important. It is a reality that Kratorian nobles lie and scheme as much as any other class of ruling people. But to be publicly known as being dishonorable is akin to being socially exiled, as proper courtesy, protocol, and etiquette are held highly. Cultural norms vary, but all Kratorians recognize the notions of guest right, blood oaths, and honor duels, such concepts as these were formed out of necessity in the blood-letting of the era of city-states and still hold immense sway in Kratorian society. To break the code of guest right, to violate a sacred oath, or to tarnish the integrity of a trial by combat are crimes that are to be met with painful death, only defilement of a holy site or kinslaying are more grievous.
And indeed, family is sacrosanct to Kratorian citizens. Loyalty to blood is one of their highest values, another necessity from the bloody pre-Imperial age. This familial loyalty is also used to teach young Kratorians the importance of duty. Glory is important, but Kratorians must also serve their duty to their families, their lords, their gods, and their country. Betraying their duty and by extension their honor and the honor of those around them simply for the sake of advancement is seen to be incredibly shameful. A man without honor can hardly said to be a man at all. This societal commitment to honor, duty, and family is perhaps one of the biggest factors that has kept the Semideum nobility in power for millennia and the serfs happy with their subservience to them.
Despite the strong ethics and traditions of the Kratorians, Imperial citizens enjoy a great many personal liberties. Besides their religious liberties, the right to assembly, free speech, the free press, and several other protections were enshrined in the Imperial constitution over the years, motivated in large part by Kratoria's celebrated philosophers. Women are usually considered equal to men in legal rights and protections in most things, and equal primogeniture is practiced in matters of inheritance. As long as a Kratorian does their duty, abide by the King's peace and rule, and obey the law what they do in their private lives is usually considered private. Homosexual relationships are tolerated by the Chantry, though marriage can only be between a man and a woman and aristocrats are expected to marry in order to pass on their family legacy despite whatever proclivities they may have. It is common for a noble, both male and female, to have consorts outside of marriage and the children of these affairs are often raised in comfort and provided with education though they cannot inherit as long as trueborn heirs live. Many commoners often consider it an honor to bear a noble's child, and marrying a noble bastard is often an effective way to rise in Kratorian society.
This libertine attitude to sexuality is most apparent in the nobility, though the majority of Imperial citizens have a similar mentality. Inter-species relationships are far from rare, and the average peasant will see a homosexual man or woman as slightly eccentric at worst. Several notables and luminaries of Kratoria are known to openly keep harems filled with exotic concubines from all over the world. Polygamous marriage is also not unknown in Kratoria among the highborn of the Imperium. A nobleman's first marriage is usually arranged for political reasons but he can also take on more than one wife if it pleases him, though these are almost always nobles as well and the children of the first wife will have priority in inheritance over secondary wives. Women cannot marry more than one man. However it is possible for a woman to take another consort and bear trueborn children, should her husband be infertile. Her husbands kinsman may then lay with her, and the children will be adopted by the couple as the family's heirs. A woman who reigns over a holding as a lady who is infertile may also have her husband lay with a kinswoman to the same result. Understandably, these customs can lead to succession crises, which can be peaceably resolved by the Senate or the King's decree.
Out of all the various guilds, fellowships, and orders that play a role in the complex politics of the Kratorian Imperium, the Brotherhood of Magi is the oldest and most rooted in Kratorian tradition. It was the Magi who stood at the side of the first Kratorian kings and assisted them in all things, in the days when the Semideum had the strength of the gods and when magic was a powerful force in the world. The Magi often were Semideum themselves, masters of a wide variety of subjects due to their immortality and incredibly potent in ability due to their blood. The Magi were priests, scholars, scientists, artists, warriors, philosophers, and assassins in addition to being Sorcerers. Before the Imperial bureaucracy and the Chantry, it was the Magi who formed the backbone of society in the Old Kratorian city-states. Kratorian magic developed an almost infinite amount of schools, disciplines, and styles. Magi could see into the future, speak to the dead, enter the world of dreams, heal with a touch, curse with a look, and all manner of other gifts.
Becoming a Magi meant attaining an apprenticeship under a recognized Mage of at least Adept status. They would study the magical arts and many scholarly ones, even combat. Once they became a full-fledged Mage, they would have the recognized status as a user of arcane forces and the ability to vote in the Order's proceedings. Adepts could reach Veteran status once they became even more accomplished in their school, but at the top of the hierarchy are the Masters and Mistresses of the Mage Council, who are the most powerful sorcerers in the Brotherhood. The Archmagus is the most powerful of the Council, and is considered the Sorcerer Supreme of Kratoria and by extension, the world. For though native Imperials made up the majority of the Order, it was quite common for practitioners from around the world to journey to the Imperium to study under a Kratorian mage, and add to the already rich magical traditions with their unique practices. It was the Archmagus who was the most influential and powerful of Aelyx the Great's advisers, and since then the Archmagus has sat on the High Council to this very day. The Brotherhood's main duties were to shepherd the development of civilization and protect the mortal world from the dangers of black magic.
However the Brotherhood's influence waned over the course of the Imperium's history. The Brotherhood was the progenitor of many organizations and associations in Kratoria, but the rise of the Chantry sapped much of the religious influence the Magi had over Kratorian citizens. Furthermore there was a great influx of non-magical members in organizations such as the different universities and the Alchemist's Guild as the Imperium's needs expanded with their domains. Their connections were vast, but their omnipresent hold over Kratorian society slowly disappeared as lords and ladies saw the counsel of sages and clerics as less expensive and fraught with hidden conditions than the service of a Mage. Scandals and infighting regarding the Broterhood further damaged them.
But it was the gradual disappearance of magic that was the ensurer of the Magi's decline, and the Brotherhood has never recovered to its original might and power. However, the sheer amount of political connections that the Magi have engineered made them indispensable to the monarchy in order to maintain power and alliances and they retain a presence in both the royal court and the households of great lords to this day. For the most part, their powers have largely disappeared but Mages are often still consulted on matters of prophecy or to produce love potions and charms along with other minor magical feats. Some have entered entertainment and produced successful careers out of it, with one of the world's biggest carnivals being run by a Mage. Sorcerers are often hired to perform exorcisms as well and a few still continue their ancient duty of hunting predatory vampires, demons, nercomancers, and blood mages, for their combat abilities with their staves and other weapons are still the stuff of legend. Mage Artificers are still highly renowned for being able to use magic in creation of objects, and Semidean blades which only certain members of the Brotherhood know how to make are still prized by Kratorian nobles for their supernatural sharpness, durability, and balance.
Darker rumors regarding the Brotherhood have circulated in taverns and market squares. It is whispered that the Assassin's Guild and the Imperial Inquisition often make use of arcane agents for missions, or that several members of the Brotherhood have secretly turned to black magic in order to retain and gain power. One of the widest reported is that members of the Council have formed a secret society within the already mysterious Brotherhood called the Venatori, and that their ranks include many of the most powerful members of Kratorian society, all to mysterious and probably nefarious ends. Despite the weakened reputation of the Magi in Kratoria, the belief in magic still remains strong in the Imperium and soldiers will often carve symbols into their weapons or seek protective charms before going to war while average citizens practice a variety of old customs from eras when magic was common and powerful. Many believe that magic is not dead in the world, rather it is dormant and awaiting a reawakening.
There are many gods worshipped in Old and New Kratoria, some from the Kratorian pantheon and others held sacred by conquered peoples. Some citizens of the Empire pray to spirits, others to their ancestors, and even a few are said to venerate old, dark gods that are closer to monster than deity. But Kratoria is a universally spiritual nation, and religion is a fact of life. The nation is filled with shrines and monuments to hundreds of gods and deities, many erected in the dawn of civilization. When the Kratorians subjugated New Kratoria, they burned no temples and pulled down no idols, and for that they came to be loved. All faiths are tolerated, and one can even hate the gods. Denying their existence is the only heresy, for to deny the gods is to deny the Semideum. In all things the gods are consulted and prayed to, and proper rites for births, marriages, and funerals are essential to Kratorians.
Besides the Senate, one of the largest balancing powers against the High King is the Chantry of the Kratorian Pantheon. There are hundreds of gods in the Pantheon and all of them are represented by sects of varying sizes and are made up of all manner of godsworn, from humble traveling clerics who minister to countryside hamlets to ministerial clerics who preach at grand temples to the holy brothers and sisters of monastic orders to the Prophets who speak for their patron god on the mortal plane. Prophets are appointed to represent their order in the Conclave. The Conclave appoints the Hierarch, who is meant to have a voice for all of the gods. The upper leadership of the Chantry is dominated by the Semideum and the Chantry holds enormous cultural influence.
The Chantry is ensured various rights and protections under the law, with its wealth exempt from taxation and nobles even make a game of outdoing each other in donation to the Chantry. Any newly crowned Imperator must have been baptized and blessed by the Hierarch lest they risk looking illegitimate, and the Imperator can encourage enormous social change with their words. Only the Hierarch and the other members of the Conclave are allowed to serve as mediums for a supplicant to the Oracles, who are said to receive visions directly from the gods. The Hierarch is always ensured a seat on the Imperial Council. In the Age of Conquest, the proselytizing of the Clerics helped spread the Pantheon's reach to all the lands that the Imperium touched in war and trade. They are by no means a majority outside of the Imperium, but the Grand Cleric speaks to millions of followers world wide still and followers of the Pantheon outnumber all other faiths in the Imperium.
Besides the gods, citizens of Old and New Kratoria give much renown to art, sports, intellect, and the beauty of the natural world. Large marketplaces and training grounds are ubiquitous in Kratorian cities, but so are universities, libraries, sporting fields, hospitals, amphitheaters, museums, menageries, and massive gardens depending on who the city's patron is. The styles and traditions of culture vary but the national pride in Kratoria's ancient works remains strong throughout the Imperium. Nearly all of the constructions considered to be Wonders of the World stand in the Imperium's domain. Statues, monuments, and grand towers, some dating back to the age of city-states are a common sight. Kratorian cities are marvels of classical architecture and engineering. Elegant skyscrapers rise in the Imperium, all of them painstakingly planned to the smallest detail and constructed to be both beautiful and functional. Alongside the new construction, marble buildings of ancient districts and buildings from every era of history remain. All the major city have at least one distinctive monument by which to boast to all the others. In Minervaros, there is a great library that has stood since the dawn of civilization. In Heliopolis, the Solarium, the first of its kind, draws in tourists by the hundreds of thousands. And in Mercumes, the Ivory Baazar, the largest open-air marketplace in the world, has been open for more than two thousand years.
For Kratorians, honor is incredibly important. It is a reality that Kratorian nobles lie and scheme as much as any other class of ruling people. But to be publicly known as being dishonorable is akin to being socially exiled, as proper courtesy, protocol, and etiquette are held highly. Cultural norms vary, but all Kratorians recognize the notions of guest right, blood oaths, and honor duels, such concepts as these were formed out of necessity in the blood-letting of the era of city-states and still hold immense sway in Kratorian society. To break the code of guest right, to violate a sacred oath, or to tarnish the integrity of a trial by combat are crimes that are to be met with painful death, only defilement of a holy site or kinslaying are more grievous.
And indeed, family is sacrosanct to Kratorian citizens. Loyalty to blood is one of their highest values, another necessity from the bloody pre-Imperial age. This familial loyalty is also used to teach young Kratorians the importance of duty. Glory is important, but Kratorians must also serve their duty to their families, their lords, their gods, and their country. Betraying their duty and by extension their honor and the honor of those around them simply for the sake of advancement is seen to be incredibly shameful. A man without honor can hardly said to be a man at all. This societal commitment to honor, duty, and family is perhaps one of the biggest factors that has kept the Semideum nobility in power for millennia and the serfs happy with their subservience to them.
Despite the strong ethics and traditions of the Kratorians, Imperial citizens enjoy a great many personal liberties. Besides their religious liberties, the right to assembly, free speech, the free press, and several other protections were enshrined in the Imperial constitution over the years, motivated in large part by Kratoria's celebrated philosophers. Women are usually considered equal to men in legal rights and protections in most things, and equal primogeniture is practiced in matters of inheritance. As long as a Kratorian does their duty, abide by the King's peace and rule, and obey the law what they do in their private lives is usually considered private. Homosexual relationships are tolerated by the Chantry, though marriage can only be between a man and a woman and aristocrats are expected to marry in order to pass on their family legacy despite whatever proclivities they may have. It is common for a noble, both male and female, to have consorts outside of marriage and the children of these affairs are often raised in comfort and provided with education though they cannot inherit as long as trueborn heirs live. Many commoners often consider it an honor to bear a noble's child, and marrying a noble bastard is often an effective way to rise in Kratorian society.
This libertine attitude to sexuality is most apparent in the nobility, though the majority of Imperial citizens have a similar mentality. Inter-species relationships are far from rare, and the average peasant will see a homosexual man or woman as slightly eccentric at worst. Several notables and luminaries of Kratoria are known to openly keep harems filled with exotic concubines from all over the world. Polygamous marriage is also not unknown in Kratoria among the highborn of the Imperium. A nobleman's first marriage is usually arranged for political reasons but he can also take on more than one wife if it pleases him, though these are almost always nobles as well and the children of the first wife will have priority in inheritance over secondary wives. Women cannot marry more than one man. However it is possible for a woman to take another consort and bear trueborn children, should her husband be infertile. Her husbands kinsman may then lay with her, and the children will be adopted by the couple as the family's heirs. A woman who reigns over a holding as a lady who is infertile may also have her husband lay with a kinswoman to the same result. Understandably, these customs can lead to succession crises, which can be peaceably resolved by the Senate or the King's decree.
Out of all the various guilds, fellowships, and orders that play a role in the complex politics of the Kratorian Imperium, the Brotherhood of Magi is the oldest and most rooted in Kratorian tradition. It was the Magi who stood at the side of the first Kratorian kings and assisted them in all things, in the days when the Semideum had the strength of the gods and when magic was a powerful force in the world. The Magi often were Semideum themselves, masters of a wide variety of subjects due to their immortality and incredibly potent in ability due to their blood. The Magi were priests, scholars, scientists, artists, warriors, philosophers, and assassins in addition to being Sorcerers. Before the Imperial bureaucracy and the Chantry, it was the Magi who formed the backbone of society in the Old Kratorian city-states. Kratorian magic developed an almost infinite amount of schools, disciplines, and styles. Magi could see into the future, speak to the dead, enter the world of dreams, heal with a touch, curse with a look, and all manner of other gifts.
Becoming a Magi meant attaining an apprenticeship under a recognized Mage of at least Adept status. They would study the magical arts and many scholarly ones, even combat. Once they became a full-fledged Mage, they would have the recognized status as a user of arcane forces and the ability to vote in the Order's proceedings. Adepts could reach Veteran status once they became even more accomplished in their school, but at the top of the hierarchy are the Masters and Mistresses of the Mage Council, who are the most powerful sorcerers in the Brotherhood. The Archmagus is the most powerful of the Council, and is considered the Sorcerer Supreme of Kratoria and by extension, the world. For though native Imperials made up the majority of the Order, it was quite common for practitioners from around the world to journey to the Imperium to study under a Kratorian mage, and add to the already rich magical traditions with their unique practices. It was the Archmagus who was the most influential and powerful of Aelyx the Great's advisers, and since then the Archmagus has sat on the High Council to this very day. The Brotherhood's main duties were to shepherd the development of civilization and protect the mortal world from the dangers of black magic.
However the Brotherhood's influence waned over the course of the Imperium's history. The Brotherhood was the progenitor of many organizations and associations in Kratoria, but the rise of the Chantry sapped much of the religious influence the Magi had over Kratorian citizens. Furthermore there was a great influx of non-magical members in organizations such as the different universities and the Alchemist's Guild as the Imperium's needs expanded with their domains. Their connections were vast, but their omnipresent hold over Kratorian society slowly disappeared as lords and ladies saw the counsel of sages and clerics as less expensive and fraught with hidden conditions than the service of a Mage. Scandals and infighting regarding the Broterhood further damaged them.
But it was the gradual disappearance of magic that was the ensurer of the Magi's decline, and the Brotherhood has never recovered to its original might and power. However, the sheer amount of political connections that the Magi have engineered made them indispensable to the monarchy in order to maintain power and alliances and they retain a presence in both the royal court and the households of great lords to this day. For the most part, their powers have largely disappeared but Mages are often still consulted on matters of prophecy or to produce love potions and charms along with other minor magical feats. Some have entered entertainment and produced successful careers out of it, with one of the world's biggest carnivals being run by a Mage. Sorcerers are often hired to perform exorcisms as well and a few still continue their ancient duty of hunting predatory vampires, demons, nercomancers, and blood mages, for their combat abilities with their staves and other weapons are still the stuff of legend. Mage Artificers are still highly renowned for being able to use magic in creation of objects, and Semidean blades which only certain members of the Brotherhood know how to make are still prized by Kratorian nobles for their supernatural sharpness, durability, and balance.
Darker rumors regarding the Brotherhood have circulated in taverns and market squares. It is whispered that the Assassin's Guild and the Imperial Inquisition often make use of arcane agents for missions, or that several members of the Brotherhood have secretly turned to black magic in order to retain and gain power. One of the widest reported is that members of the Council have formed a secret society within the already mysterious Brotherhood called the Venatori, and that their ranks include many of the most powerful members of Kratorian society, all to mysterious and probably nefarious ends. Despite the weakened reputation of the Magi in Kratoria, the belief in magic still remains strong in the Imperium and soldiers will often carve symbols into their weapons or seek protective charms before going to war while average citizens practice a variety of old customs from eras when magic was common and powerful. Many believe that magic is not dead in the world, rather it is dormant and awaiting a reawakening.
Kratorian civilization is closely tied with that of the world, having been a party to every major era of history. Kratoria's origin is shrouded in myth and legend, but it is widely believed that it was the gods who first blessed Kratorian tribesmen with fire, and then later taught them how to tame the beasts of the land and work the fields, blessing their creations and chosen peoples with many natural riches and gifts. And it was said that years later, thousands of years ago, that the King of the Gods first laid with a mortal woman and bore the first demigod, the first Semideum. This Firstborn half-blood founded House Jovia, the oldest of the Semidean dynasties, and quickly carved out his own kingdom from the Kratorian heartlands and raised the first city-state.
The other gods quickly followed suit, planting their divine seed in as many fields as they could and many fiefdoms would rise in Old Kratoria in the generations that followed. The wars that they waged were innumerable but after a long era of struggle, three great houses would prove the strongest. The Kratorian city-states were pioneers in many ways, and Kratorian influence and culture soon made itself known all over the world as explorers and then traders went forth and shared song, art, and commerce with the peoples around them. The city-states began to spread, founding colonies in the lands around them with the Semideum bringing the mortal races under their rule. More houses and divine bloodlines would rise and enter legend, and all the while the Mages had a hand in it all.
And so Kratoria was powerful but fractured when one man was born who would change the world. His family was mighty in its own right but were not kings, though he did share blood with the Sky King and the Sea King. The youth could count the Black Lion and the Princeslayer among his forebears and was tutored by the famous Philosopher-Mage Merlanus. Even then, he was noted to be a charismatic, brave, talented, intelligent, driven, but also enigmatic youth. His name was Aelyx, and he would be one of the greatest heroes Kratoria would ever know, changing the course of history with his vision and brilliance. His father was killed in a conspiracy involving both the Sky and Sea king, who believed he had designs and ambitions to become a king himself and upset the balance of power. Aelyx swore revenge and raised a host, took a sorcerer to wife and seeking the aid of spirits of the earth, air, fire, and water as well as other withdrawn, mysterious, and ancient entities.
The wars were long and bloody but in the end Aelyx triumphed and declared himself the first High King and Imperator of Kratoria. The Dead King held out the longest, but soon bent the knee alongside the heirs of those that had killed Aelyx's father whom Aelyx had slew in combat. Aelyx now presided over the largest kingdom the world had known at that time and the first empire of its kind. He would drive even farther east, never losing a battle and gaining more and more land. Eventually, the wars ended for Aelyx after he took a wound from a poisoned blade after his last battle against the Black Empire. He lingered for some time but would then die, and his funeral was attended by millions. The Chantry would declare Aelyx to be a deity in his own right and the astrologers would enshrine him as a constellation for his magnificent contributions. It would be his heirs who would secure the Xanderos dynasty, further his conquests, and bring Kratorian culture to the zenith of its influence. It would be Kratoria who designated the calendar, who spread massive road networks all over the continent, and motivated all manner of movements in art and drama among countless other achievements. All because of Aelyx's initial grand vision.
Perhaps the greatest enemy the Imperium ever faced was the Black Empire, ruled by a dark lord who used black magic and who made a pact with the Old Ones. The Empire had ruled most of the world with an iron fist and was infamous for its cruelty, brutality, and unrelenting hunger for more. By comparison, Kratoria looked like quite the benign force. The Empire had made inroads into Kratorian territory, and it was a commander in one of their advance armies who had dealt Aelyx the poisonous blow that killed him. Their armies were just as vast as Kratoria's and their leaders also had great power, on par with the Semideum themselves. The Imperium saw the Black Empire not only as rivals, but as an existential threat to their society. The Empire had ground many proud civilizations into oblivion and enslaved many other peoples to hellish conditions, trying to erase their culture and religion and everything that made them a people. Kratoria could not brook this and so Kratoria gathered every ally they could and used every weapon they could get their hands on before going to war.
The wars lasted centuries, consuming many heroes and leaders and whole armies. Kratoria and the Black Empire fought tooth and nail back and forth, with the Imperium winning and losing and winning again in a violent and vicious cycle that consumed not one or two, but five Imperial monarchs. The casualties among soldiers were in the millions and the number of dead civilians on both sides were even higher. Eventually however it would be Aelyx's great-great-grandson Aegon I who would break the Black Empire. Many that were freed from the Empire's yoke would then swear fealty or friendship to the Imperium. And after the Empire's fall, the Imperium faced no significant resistance to their further imperial conquest. The breaking of the Empire was so integral to the Imperium's fortunes that High King Aegon declared the day of the Black Empire's destruction the beginning of a new era. His brother Prince Aemon was honored the same way their forebear was for his valorous action and death in battle, as it was he who threw himself on the Dark Lord's blade to save Aegon and slew the tyrant with his own sword. With his dying breath, the Dark Lord is said to have cursed the Imperium, saying that if the Imperium ever lost in war, the Imperium would lose its dominion of the world and Semideum would lose their power.
From then on Kratoria enjoyed almost undisputed hegemony of the known world. The empire stretched from west to east coast and from north to south, with almost the entirety of the globe falling under Kratoria's rule or control in some manner whether it be fealty or homage or a one-sided alliance. For over a thousand years Kratorian literature, art, money, and faith spread around the world while the Imperium built universities, temples, monuments, and public works all over the continent. All the roads lead to Kratoria and all the people of the world came to speak the common tongue as at least a second language and knew who the Kratorian pantheon were. It was a golden age for Kratoria and the Imperium, with many masterworks of philosophy, art, and science being produced as the Semideum became rulers of all they surveyed.
The beginning of the end of the colonial era came when Kratoria set its sights on Etresna. They sent forth a Herald to extract homage from the enlightened realm and he was murdered, in an act that infuriated Kratoria as it had never been seen before. A massive army was formed and Etresna was invaded as it had never seen before. Millions died on both sides in a war that dragged on for over a decade and ended when the Imperator was slain right before the Imperial army could sack the capital city. One of the commanders threw wildfire into the city while an assassin opened the enemy ruler's throat. In the ensuing chaos, the Imperial army withdrew from the field. They had lost a great part of their strength to attrition and battles and that had ripples throughout the Imperium's territories.
Strength had been drained from the frontier provinces in order to keep prosecuting the war against Etresna, and taxes had been raised across the empire, drawing much discontent and weakening the Imperium's position greatly. Furthermore, the Uruks had been disillusioned by the Semideum's loss in battle. But the current Imperator wanted to keep warring against Etresna and the protracted fighting in the lowlands would continue for generations. Rebellions began to rage across the colonies as the Imperium continued to extract taxes and levies to fight Etresna. This vicious cycle continued when the Imperium had to clamp down on these rebellions, fighting rebellious colonists and Etresna at the same time. The Semideum began arguing among themselves when before their strength had been in their unity against enemies. The Imperator's brother by another wife of their father began making a play for the throne, gathering support as the Lord Marshall Kovax led the Uruks in rebellion. The Imperium was split in different factions and directions as the clerics, universities, and Mages took sides as well as the Houses. A plague that began to ravage the colonies and spread among both subjects and soldiers only added to the strain as more and more became disillusioned with the Imperium, and many declared that the Emperor's curse had now doomed Kratoria.
The turmoil would last for centuries but by the end of it, the Imperium had lost hold of half of the imperial territories as provinces broke away and the Semideum had less and less will to hold onto them. All the while they kept warring with Etresna while assassinations and terror plots were committed by both nations. The Kratorians had been beaten by Etresna, an event that started a long chain of events that made the Imperium a shadow of its former self. The unification of Rotteburg, the loss of the Imperium's preeminent scientist to assassination, and the Mad Queen's tyrannical rule further hurt Kratoria. The Mad Queen, had been overthrown by her own daughter in order to preserve the Xanderos dynasty and the Kratorian state, and the new Imperatrix abandoned the Imperium's colonial design, opting instead to consolidate the Imperium's rule in the territories they did hold. The Peacemaker, as she is known, negotiated the alliance with the Uruks, the peace with Etresna, and stopped the loss of more territories setting the present Kratorian borders.
The Semideum retreated from the public, their powers and magic long diminished from what they had been and the Imperium focused inward. The Peacemaker died peacefully and her son Aelyx V, the Young Dragon, has been crowned in her place, with her grandson Aemon being named Crown Prince. Under the Peacemaker, the Imperium had enjoyed great peace, calm, and an artistic revolution. But many of the younger Imperials wish to make their mark on history as their ancestors have done and have been called the restless generation, with many hiring themselves out as adventurers and warriors for other countries, while others still brood on their enemies Rotteburg and Etresna. Observing the turmoil in the continent, there are those who believe that the Titan has designs on the world and intends to thrust Kratoria back into glory.
The other gods quickly followed suit, planting their divine seed in as many fields as they could and many fiefdoms would rise in Old Kratoria in the generations that followed. The wars that they waged were innumerable but after a long era of struggle, three great houses would prove the strongest. The Kratorian city-states were pioneers in many ways, and Kratorian influence and culture soon made itself known all over the world as explorers and then traders went forth and shared song, art, and commerce with the peoples around them. The city-states began to spread, founding colonies in the lands around them with the Semideum bringing the mortal races under their rule. More houses and divine bloodlines would rise and enter legend, and all the while the Mages had a hand in it all.
And so Kratoria was powerful but fractured when one man was born who would change the world. His family was mighty in its own right but were not kings, though he did share blood with the Sky King and the Sea King. The youth could count the Black Lion and the Princeslayer among his forebears and was tutored by the famous Philosopher-Mage Merlanus. Even then, he was noted to be a charismatic, brave, talented, intelligent, driven, but also enigmatic youth. His name was Aelyx, and he would be one of the greatest heroes Kratoria would ever know, changing the course of history with his vision and brilliance. His father was killed in a conspiracy involving both the Sky and Sea king, who believed he had designs and ambitions to become a king himself and upset the balance of power. Aelyx swore revenge and raised a host, took a sorcerer to wife and seeking the aid of spirits of the earth, air, fire, and water as well as other withdrawn, mysterious, and ancient entities.
The wars were long and bloody but in the end Aelyx triumphed and declared himself the first High King and Imperator of Kratoria. The Dead King held out the longest, but soon bent the knee alongside the heirs of those that had killed Aelyx's father whom Aelyx had slew in combat. Aelyx now presided over the largest kingdom the world had known at that time and the first empire of its kind. He would drive even farther east, never losing a battle and gaining more and more land. Eventually, the wars ended for Aelyx after he took a wound from a poisoned blade after his last battle against the Black Empire. He lingered for some time but would then die, and his funeral was attended by millions. The Chantry would declare Aelyx to be a deity in his own right and the astrologers would enshrine him as a constellation for his magnificent contributions. It would be his heirs who would secure the Xanderos dynasty, further his conquests, and bring Kratorian culture to the zenith of its influence. It would be Kratoria who designated the calendar, who spread massive road networks all over the continent, and motivated all manner of movements in art and drama among countless other achievements. All because of Aelyx's initial grand vision.
Perhaps the greatest enemy the Imperium ever faced was the Black Empire, ruled by a dark lord who used black magic and who made a pact with the Old Ones. The Empire had ruled most of the world with an iron fist and was infamous for its cruelty, brutality, and unrelenting hunger for more. By comparison, Kratoria looked like quite the benign force. The Empire had made inroads into Kratorian territory, and it was a commander in one of their advance armies who had dealt Aelyx the poisonous blow that killed him. Their armies were just as vast as Kratoria's and their leaders also had great power, on par with the Semideum themselves. The Imperium saw the Black Empire not only as rivals, but as an existential threat to their society. The Empire had ground many proud civilizations into oblivion and enslaved many other peoples to hellish conditions, trying to erase their culture and religion and everything that made them a people. Kratoria could not brook this and so Kratoria gathered every ally they could and used every weapon they could get their hands on before going to war.
The wars lasted centuries, consuming many heroes and leaders and whole armies. Kratoria and the Black Empire fought tooth and nail back and forth, with the Imperium winning and losing and winning again in a violent and vicious cycle that consumed not one or two, but five Imperial monarchs. The casualties among soldiers were in the millions and the number of dead civilians on both sides were even higher. Eventually however it would be Aelyx's great-great-grandson Aegon I who would break the Black Empire. Many that were freed from the Empire's yoke would then swear fealty or friendship to the Imperium. And after the Empire's fall, the Imperium faced no significant resistance to their further imperial conquest. The breaking of the Empire was so integral to the Imperium's fortunes that High King Aegon declared the day of the Black Empire's destruction the beginning of a new era. His brother Prince Aemon was honored the same way their forebear was for his valorous action and death in battle, as it was he who threw himself on the Dark Lord's blade to save Aegon and slew the tyrant with his own sword. With his dying breath, the Dark Lord is said to have cursed the Imperium, saying that if the Imperium ever lost in war, the Imperium would lose its dominion of the world and Semideum would lose their power.
From then on Kratoria enjoyed almost undisputed hegemony of the known world. The empire stretched from west to east coast and from north to south, with almost the entirety of the globe falling under Kratoria's rule or control in some manner whether it be fealty or homage or a one-sided alliance. For over a thousand years Kratorian literature, art, money, and faith spread around the world while the Imperium built universities, temples, monuments, and public works all over the continent. All the roads lead to Kratoria and all the people of the world came to speak the common tongue as at least a second language and knew who the Kratorian pantheon were. It was a golden age for Kratoria and the Imperium, with many masterworks of philosophy, art, and science being produced as the Semideum became rulers of all they surveyed.
The beginning of the end of the colonial era came when Kratoria set its sights on Etresna. They sent forth a Herald to extract homage from the enlightened realm and he was murdered, in an act that infuriated Kratoria as it had never been seen before. A massive army was formed and Etresna was invaded as it had never seen before. Millions died on both sides in a war that dragged on for over a decade and ended when the Imperator was slain right before the Imperial army could sack the capital city. One of the commanders threw wildfire into the city while an assassin opened the enemy ruler's throat. In the ensuing chaos, the Imperial army withdrew from the field. They had lost a great part of their strength to attrition and battles and that had ripples throughout the Imperium's territories.
Strength had been drained from the frontier provinces in order to keep prosecuting the war against Etresna, and taxes had been raised across the empire, drawing much discontent and weakening the Imperium's position greatly. Furthermore, the Uruks had been disillusioned by the Semideum's loss in battle. But the current Imperator wanted to keep warring against Etresna and the protracted fighting in the lowlands would continue for generations. Rebellions began to rage across the colonies as the Imperium continued to extract taxes and levies to fight Etresna. This vicious cycle continued when the Imperium had to clamp down on these rebellions, fighting rebellious colonists and Etresna at the same time. The Semideum began arguing among themselves when before their strength had been in their unity against enemies. The Imperator's brother by another wife of their father began making a play for the throne, gathering support as the Lord Marshall Kovax led the Uruks in rebellion. The Imperium was split in different factions and directions as the clerics, universities, and Mages took sides as well as the Houses. A plague that began to ravage the colonies and spread among both subjects and soldiers only added to the strain as more and more became disillusioned with the Imperium, and many declared that the Emperor's curse had now doomed Kratoria.
The turmoil would last for centuries but by the end of it, the Imperium had lost hold of half of the imperial territories as provinces broke away and the Semideum had less and less will to hold onto them. All the while they kept warring with Etresna while assassinations and terror plots were committed by both nations. The Kratorians had been beaten by Etresna, an event that started a long chain of events that made the Imperium a shadow of its former self. The unification of Rotteburg, the loss of the Imperium's preeminent scientist to assassination, and the Mad Queen's tyrannical rule further hurt Kratoria. The Mad Queen, had been overthrown by her own daughter in order to preserve the Xanderos dynasty and the Kratorian state, and the new Imperatrix abandoned the Imperium's colonial design, opting instead to consolidate the Imperium's rule in the territories they did hold. The Peacemaker, as she is known, negotiated the alliance with the Uruks, the peace with Etresna, and stopped the loss of more territories setting the present Kratorian borders.
The Semideum retreated from the public, their powers and magic long diminished from what they had been and the Imperium focused inward. The Peacemaker died peacefully and her son Aelyx V, the Young Dragon, has been crowned in her place, with her grandson Aemon being named Crown Prince. Under the Peacemaker, the Imperium had enjoyed great peace, calm, and an artistic revolution. But many of the younger Imperials wish to make their mark on history as their ancestors have done and have been called the restless generation, with many hiring themselves out as adventurers and warriors for other countries, while others still brood on their enemies Rotteburg and Etresna. Observing the turmoil in the continent, there are those who believe that the Titan has designs on the world and intends to thrust Kratoria back into glory.
For much of its history, Kratoria was one of the dominant economic powerhouse of the world, especially during the Age of Conquest. Its' supreme role in world trade has somewhat lessened in recent generations, particularly with the loss of complete control over the Golden Road on the main continent, but Kratoria remains a robust center of trade and commerce. Kratoria's central position between several large nations and its access to the sea on both east and west make it a bustling hub of seafaring trade, and the renovation of the Grand Canal to a modern construction is expected to greatly expedite the process of travel from east to west and make Kratoria even larger profits. The Marble Bank in the city of Hermatia is the first and oldest institution of its kind in the world and still draws in customers from around the globe, and is renowned for its discretion making it quite popular with the Kratorian aristocracy and luminaries from other nations as well. Furthermore, the ancient trade guilds of Kratoria have continued in operation for millennia and maintain strong presences in a great many markets and industries. The robust road and rail infrastructure that the Imperium designed for its domain greatly expedite trade and travel within the vast nation as well.
The economy of Kratoria is quite diverse thanks to the eclectic business interests of the Primarchs and the guilds, and many Primarchs and Archons have great wealth in stocks, but agriculture is a particularly large sector in Kratoria. Wheat is one of Kratoria's largest exports but olive oil, wine, and other luxury produce are highly sought after in markets around the planet in addition to exotic spices from the eastern provinces and high-quality meat and other animal products such as leather and fur from Kratorian manors. Kratorian cuisine is a favorite of wealthy patrons the world over. Pottery, glassware, metalwork, fine silks, and a wide variety of other handicrafts made by Kratorian artisans are highly prized for their elegance, beauty, and skill of craftsmanship and fetch high prices on the market. Charms and trinkets forged by Mages, that are reputed to have magical abilities, are also popular and quite expensive even if they seem to have little or no effect at all.
Kratoria's abundant natural resources are a great contributor to Kratoria's economy, particularly in minerals, metals, and precious gems. Diamonds, gold, marble, and other riches of the earth are prized greatly by the Semideum who hoard most of what is extracted for their own purposes, but the surplus is sold at incredibly healthy profits. Lumber and the bounty of the sea are great moneymakers as well, but the use of Kratoria's earthly riches for profit is held greatly in check by the High King and the Primarchs on the advice of the Chantry, the Brotherhood, and most universities and druid circles, who fear the wanton destruction of the environment would bring ruin to the Imperium both in the mortal world and in the spiritual sense. As such, Kratoria could export much more than it does at the moment, but does not out of caution.
Due to Kratoria's many monuments and extensive patronship of the arts, entertainment, and sports the Imperium enjoys a robust tourist industry with wealthy tourists seeking wonder and excitement in Kratoria. The exotic but hospitable climate and great natural beauty is another attracting factor. Kratorian entertainment and culture, particularly in literature and music, is omnipresent in most of the world. However like all magnificent things, there is a darker side to Kratoria's splendor. The pharmaceutical industry and weaponsmithing trade are great in Kratoria, with the Imperium shipping reliable weapons and powerful drugs to customers around the world in great volume. Kratorian sages have long recognized the debilitating effects of cocaine, opium, and heroin and likewise the Imperium has prohibited their sale within its domains, but members of the Alchemist Guild make enormous profits from their sale to citizens of other nations.
The Thieve's Guild is one of the richest organizations in Kratoria because it supplies cocaine and heroin to the aristocracy for their amusement, Semideum being much protected from the effects of these drugs compared to normal mortals, and has a large cut of the Alchemists' drug trade. The Thieve's Guild have their hands in many underworld sectors, with some even claiming that they still capture citizens of foreign nations for sale as slaves in places such as Redcliffe. The Guild itself is less of a united organization as a collective of underworld families who sometimes unite for a common goal, but it is whispered that the most powerful of these bosses is a kinsman of the Lord of Crossroads himself and that he has an understanding with both the Primarchs and the High King to keep the underworld in check.
The economy of Kratoria is quite diverse thanks to the eclectic business interests of the Primarchs and the guilds, and many Primarchs and Archons have great wealth in stocks, but agriculture is a particularly large sector in Kratoria. Wheat is one of Kratoria's largest exports but olive oil, wine, and other luxury produce are highly sought after in markets around the planet in addition to exotic spices from the eastern provinces and high-quality meat and other animal products such as leather and fur from Kratorian manors. Kratorian cuisine is a favorite of wealthy patrons the world over. Pottery, glassware, metalwork, fine silks, and a wide variety of other handicrafts made by Kratorian artisans are highly prized for their elegance, beauty, and skill of craftsmanship and fetch high prices on the market. Charms and trinkets forged by Mages, that are reputed to have magical abilities, are also popular and quite expensive even if they seem to have little or no effect at all.
Kratoria's abundant natural resources are a great contributor to Kratoria's economy, particularly in minerals, metals, and precious gems. Diamonds, gold, marble, and other riches of the earth are prized greatly by the Semideum who hoard most of what is extracted for their own purposes, but the surplus is sold at incredibly healthy profits. Lumber and the bounty of the sea are great moneymakers as well, but the use of Kratoria's earthly riches for profit is held greatly in check by the High King and the Primarchs on the advice of the Chantry, the Brotherhood, and most universities and druid circles, who fear the wanton destruction of the environment would bring ruin to the Imperium both in the mortal world and in the spiritual sense. As such, Kratoria could export much more than it does at the moment, but does not out of caution.
Due to Kratoria's many monuments and extensive patronship of the arts, entertainment, and sports the Imperium enjoys a robust tourist industry with wealthy tourists seeking wonder and excitement in Kratoria. The exotic but hospitable climate and great natural beauty is another attracting factor. Kratorian entertainment and culture, particularly in literature and music, is omnipresent in most of the world. However like all magnificent things, there is a darker side to Kratoria's splendor. The pharmaceutical industry and weaponsmithing trade are great in Kratoria, with the Imperium shipping reliable weapons and powerful drugs to customers around the world in great volume. Kratorian sages have long recognized the debilitating effects of cocaine, opium, and heroin and likewise the Imperium has prohibited their sale within its domains, but members of the Alchemist Guild make enormous profits from their sale to citizens of other nations.
The Thieve's Guild is one of the richest organizations in Kratoria because it supplies cocaine and heroin to the aristocracy for their amusement, Semideum being much protected from the effects of these drugs compared to normal mortals, and has a large cut of the Alchemists' drug trade. The Thieve's Guild have their hands in many underworld sectors, with some even claiming that they still capture citizens of foreign nations for sale as slaves in places such as Redcliffe. The Guild itself is less of a united organization as a collective of underworld families who sometimes unite for a common goal, but it is whispered that the most powerful of these bosses is a kinsman of the Lord of Crossroads himself and that he has an understanding with both the Primarchs and the High King to keep the underworld in check.
In days past, the Imperium was hailed as a center of both learning and scientific brilliance. To be certain, Kratorian scientists and sages are still renowned for knowledge in astronomy, alchemy, biology, and a wide range of scholarly subjects. But they are no longer at the forefront of technological invention and use as they used to be, partly due to the unfortunate death of the renowned Pallasi scientist and inventor known as Delotas, but also because of the Chantry discouraging overly widespread adoption of fossil fuels. While factories do exist in Kratoria and produce efficiently, they are strategically placed away from major cities and nature preserves in order to minimize pollution and most railroads in Kratoria still run on steam while operational cars largely use biofuels. The major exception are planes and ships, where Kratoria seeks to keep a military edge.
In fact while most sectors of Kratoria remain traditional, it is in the cities and the military where modernization can be most seen. Electricity flows in the major cities where taller and taller skyscrapers are erected, and Kratorian military research seeks to keep up military developments in other nations. However, Semideum machinists and scientists, most of them steeped in tradition and older ways of thinking, have a disadvantage next to the innovation of shorter-lived peoples such as the Etremaden or the people of Redcliffe. This widespread conservatism is the reason why the military still uses mostly tried and true technologies such as bolt-action and research into semi-automatic rifles is slow to provide results. However, Kratoria's economic partnership with Redcliffe has resulted in many Redcliffe scientists coming to the Imperium to share their knowledge with students and many younger scholars study abroad in Redcliffe, Tushienia, and other nations in order to diversify their education. The Kratorian military also uses input from Redcliffe for the manufacturing of equipment and imports equipment from Tushienia and other nations in order to study and reverse-engineer them. At the moment Kratoria may be behind in the technology race, but the High King is resolved to catch up to their competitors and future generations of Kratorian scientists are proving quite promising.
In fact while most sectors of Kratoria remain traditional, it is in the cities and the military where modernization can be most seen. Electricity flows in the major cities where taller and taller skyscrapers are erected, and Kratorian military research seeks to keep up military developments in other nations. However, Semideum machinists and scientists, most of them steeped in tradition and older ways of thinking, have a disadvantage next to the innovation of shorter-lived peoples such as the Etremaden or the people of Redcliffe. This widespread conservatism is the reason why the military still uses mostly tried and true technologies such as bolt-action and research into semi-automatic rifles is slow to provide results. However, Kratoria's economic partnership with Redcliffe has resulted in many Redcliffe scientists coming to the Imperium to share their knowledge with students and many younger scholars study abroad in Redcliffe, Tushienia, and other nations in order to diversify their education. The Kratorian military also uses input from Redcliffe for the manufacturing of equipment and imports equipment from Tushienia and other nations in order to study and reverse-engineer them. At the moment Kratoria may be behind in the technology race, but the High King is resolved to catch up to their competitors and future generations of Kratorian scientists are proving quite promising.
The Imperial Army was once the largest, mightiest military force on the planet, drawn from citizens of both the Imperium and the colonies; a force that shook the earth as it marched. It is still a doughty force with highly-trained and professional soldiers, but is only a fraction of its previous size. However, Kratorians have always had a strong martial tradition ever since the era of the city-state and whatever shortcomings the Imperial army may have in manpower compared to other large armies, it more than makes up for in training, professionalism, experience, and valor. The Imperial Army is an all-volunteer force and employs men and women of all species, with military bases strategically placed all over the Empire, but with particular presence at the borders with Rotteburg in the South and the Commonwealth in the North. The Imperial Army Officers are mainly aristocrats who have all received extensive military education, starting with study of military history in childhood. Imperial High Command is famous for having contingency plans for practically every military scenario and the war colleges in Pallas and Draxi are well-known for their comprehensive and effective education. For Kratorians, war is an honorable and exciting pursuit, and commoners in particular see accomplishment in the military as an attractive prospect due to opportunities for social advancement and material success while nobles join for glory and the chance to rise in the ranks, as well as duty to their gods, country, and Imperator. Oathbreakers and deserters are held in the highest scorn in Kratoria, while warriors are celebrated and bring great honor to their families, so it is no wonder that the Army is held in such esteem.
The Imperator remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, and high lords and even royalty can be placed in positions of command in times of war, but the day-to-day operations of the Army fall under the auspices of the Lord Marshall, who is a member of the High Council and the field commander for all imperial army operations. The following is a simplification of the Imperial rank structure. The army divisions are each overseen by a General, whom the Lord Marshall appoints. The armies are further divided into legions, run by an Imperial Legate and are the main unit for military operations. The Legions are subdivided into regiments, run by colonels; then battalions commanded by majors; cohorts led by captains; and centuries which are overseen by Centurions. The most junior officers, lieutenants, run platoons which can be divided into squads under sergeants and lances run by corporals. At the bottom is the trooper, the average man-at-arms of the army and Kratorians still have a habit of calling infantry pikemen as opposed to riflemen or infantrymen. Receiving an officer's commission in the Imperial army means being a knight and so a lieutenant is known as a Knight-Lieutenant, then a Knight-Centurion, a Knight-Captain and so on, with the insignia of their unit including both the official arms as well as that of their knightly officer. Many who are already knights receive commissions while others are anointed once their training is complete. NCOs who are promoted to officers are also knighted. In some units, all the soldiers are knights and are commanded by the most senior of them.
The average soldier's kit includes a woolen service tunic with their unit's arms and knightly commander's arms sewn as well as rank into the fabric, with an outer combat webbing to distribute the weight of all their equipment such as ammunition, canteen, and the entrenching tool along with other miscellaneous gear. Standard footwear consists of black leather jackboots while the uniform itself varies in color depending on the terrain the soldier is expected to fight in; though the typical dress uniform's colors also vary depending on whom the commander is. Soldiers can pay to have a uniform tailored to their exact specifications for greater comfort and mobility in the field. A steel helmet is also standard kit and designed to help protect from shrapnel and blunt force and prominently displays the Imperial arms upon it. The standard service rifle is a bolt-action repeating rifle known for its accuracy, reliability, and stopping power. Troopers are known to customize their rifles by engraving personal markings, such as arcane signs for protection. Bayonets are used extensively but short swords and daggers are also standard equipment for soldiers who are thoroughly trained in their use as well as unarmed combat such as boxing, wrestling, and other fighting styles making a Kratorian a dangerous foe in both long and close range. Shotguns are issued to troops expected to fight in closer quarters while marksmen use longer-range bolt-action rifles. For infantry of other species or special units, the equipment varies depending on their needs and specialties, such as those of the Varangian Regiment using axes in place of shortswords.
Officers carry pistols, which range from revolvers to semi-automatics and are often family heirlooms, in addition to their rifles. And in lieu of a shortsword, knightly officers carry longswords, which are also often brought with them from their families. Promoted NCOs are given a standard-issue revolver and longsword. Their uniforms also often include a leather longcoat tailored to them with individual dyed colors depending on their preferences which, coupled with light metallic plating also contoured to their bodies is often evocative of the classic plate and cloak of the old Kratorian knights, a conscious design choice that also offers them greater protection in battle while also looking both formidable and stylish. Occasionally, prominent officers whether by rank or family may have a Semidean steel blade, spell-forged and supernaturally sharp, durable, and light. In ages past, horses were a must for an officer, but the role of cavalry has diminished steadily with the advancement of warfare technology though cavalry units still exist and have still seen action and served with distinction. A wide variety of other specialized units exist throughout the army structure from artillery regiments to sappers and special forces, all of them almost too numerous to list. Special legions such as the Heretics, the Janissaries, the Dauntless, and the Golden Legion all have their unique traditions and roles.
Besides the Imperial Army however, martial tradition can be seen almost everywhere in Kratoria. There are many knightly orders not directly associated with the Crown, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Templar, who serve the Chantry as well as more secular orders. In every city, the City Watch are not just policemen but trained soldiers, hospitals serve both civilians and soldiers, and every able-bodied Kratorian is expected to have undergone basic combat training and military history as part of their education and continue drilling in civilian life once they became of age. As such, while they are a volunteer force, if the Imperial Army enacted conscription they could get their hands on droves of armed men and women to fill out their forces. Not that they would necessarily need to, as if a war threatened the Imperium, volunteers would appear by the thousands and thousands. Soldiers who finish out their terms of service are placed on the reserves for as long as they remain able-bodied. As such, Imperial officers often joke that while the official reserves are around 100,000 the true amount of reservists they can call on number in the millions.
Private weapon ownership is endemic to Kratoria because of this martial reality, contributing to the fact that Kratoria has never been successfully invaded. In an invasion, every farmer would contribute to the national defense and every alchemist would be helping plant explosives while hunters performed reconnaissance for the military. Private weapons extend far beyond the average civilian however. One of the primary reasons for the decline of the Imperial Army's size has been the great amount of fighting men and women who now march in a lord's levy compared to the Imperial army. In days past, the Imperator could command forces from the noble levies but in these days of greater political parity, the Primarchs maintain stout private armies for their own purposes, all of them just as professional and well-armed as the Imperial army with special units of their own. In times of immense need, the Primarchs will contribute to the Imperial forces, but courting their support is of the utmost importance to the Imperator. The other major private force are the Reavers, who have been a sellsword company in operation for millennia and often hire themselves out to private corporations for a number of various duties, and their Lord Commander has been of Semideum descent since the first. It is said they often have dealing with the Thieve's Guild. But nobles are known to hire them on occasion even the Crown, and though they cannot match a true standing army in size, their lack of scruples coupled with cold professionalism and skill makes them a valuable asset.
The Imperator remains the Commander-in-Chief of the Imperial Army, and high lords and even royalty can be placed in positions of command in times of war, but the day-to-day operations of the Army fall under the auspices of the Lord Marshall, who is a member of the High Council and the field commander for all imperial army operations. The following is a simplification of the Imperial rank structure. The army divisions are each overseen by a General, whom the Lord Marshall appoints. The armies are further divided into legions, run by an Imperial Legate and are the main unit for military operations. The Legions are subdivided into regiments, run by colonels; then battalions commanded by majors; cohorts led by captains; and centuries which are overseen by Centurions. The most junior officers, lieutenants, run platoons which can be divided into squads under sergeants and lances run by corporals. At the bottom is the trooper, the average man-at-arms of the army and Kratorians still have a habit of calling infantry pikemen as opposed to riflemen or infantrymen. Receiving an officer's commission in the Imperial army means being a knight and so a lieutenant is known as a Knight-Lieutenant, then a Knight-Centurion, a Knight-Captain and so on, with the insignia of their unit including both the official arms as well as that of their knightly officer. Many who are already knights receive commissions while others are anointed once their training is complete. NCOs who are promoted to officers are also knighted. In some units, all the soldiers are knights and are commanded by the most senior of them.
The average soldier's kit includes a woolen service tunic with their unit's arms and knightly commander's arms sewn as well as rank into the fabric, with an outer combat webbing to distribute the weight of all their equipment such as ammunition, canteen, and the entrenching tool along with other miscellaneous gear. Standard footwear consists of black leather jackboots while the uniform itself varies in color depending on the terrain the soldier is expected to fight in; though the typical dress uniform's colors also vary depending on whom the commander is. Soldiers can pay to have a uniform tailored to their exact specifications for greater comfort and mobility in the field. A steel helmet is also standard kit and designed to help protect from shrapnel and blunt force and prominently displays the Imperial arms upon it. The standard service rifle is a bolt-action repeating rifle known for its accuracy, reliability, and stopping power. Troopers are known to customize their rifles by engraving personal markings, such as arcane signs for protection. Bayonets are used extensively but short swords and daggers are also standard equipment for soldiers who are thoroughly trained in their use as well as unarmed combat such as boxing, wrestling, and other fighting styles making a Kratorian a dangerous foe in both long and close range. Shotguns are issued to troops expected to fight in closer quarters while marksmen use longer-range bolt-action rifles. For infantry of other species or special units, the equipment varies depending on their needs and specialties, such as those of the Varangian Regiment using axes in place of shortswords.
Officers carry pistols, which range from revolvers to semi-automatics and are often family heirlooms, in addition to their rifles. And in lieu of a shortsword, knightly officers carry longswords, which are also often brought with them from their families. Promoted NCOs are given a standard-issue revolver and longsword. Their uniforms also often include a leather longcoat tailored to them with individual dyed colors depending on their preferences which, coupled with light metallic plating also contoured to their bodies is often evocative of the classic plate and cloak of the old Kratorian knights, a conscious design choice that also offers them greater protection in battle while also looking both formidable and stylish. Occasionally, prominent officers whether by rank or family may have a Semidean steel blade, spell-forged and supernaturally sharp, durable, and light. In ages past, horses were a must for an officer, but the role of cavalry has diminished steadily with the advancement of warfare technology though cavalry units still exist and have still seen action and served with distinction. A wide variety of other specialized units exist throughout the army structure from artillery regiments to sappers and special forces, all of them almost too numerous to list. Special legions such as the Heretics, the Janissaries, the Dauntless, and the Golden Legion all have their unique traditions and roles.
Besides the Imperial Army however, martial tradition can be seen almost everywhere in Kratoria. There are many knightly orders not directly associated with the Crown, such as the Knights Hospitaller and Templar, who serve the Chantry as well as more secular orders. In every city, the City Watch are not just policemen but trained soldiers, hospitals serve both civilians and soldiers, and every able-bodied Kratorian is expected to have undergone basic combat training and military history as part of their education and continue drilling in civilian life once they became of age. As such, while they are a volunteer force, if the Imperial Army enacted conscription they could get their hands on droves of armed men and women to fill out their forces. Not that they would necessarily need to, as if a war threatened the Imperium, volunteers would appear by the thousands and thousands. Soldiers who finish out their terms of service are placed on the reserves for as long as they remain able-bodied. As such, Imperial officers often joke that while the official reserves are around 100,000 the true amount of reservists they can call on number in the millions.
Private weapon ownership is endemic to Kratoria because of this martial reality, contributing to the fact that Kratoria has never been successfully invaded. In an invasion, every farmer would contribute to the national defense and every alchemist would be helping plant explosives while hunters performed reconnaissance for the military. Private weapons extend far beyond the average civilian however. One of the primary reasons for the decline of the Imperial Army's size has been the great amount of fighting men and women who now march in a lord's levy compared to the Imperial army. In days past, the Imperator could command forces from the noble levies but in these days of greater political parity, the Primarchs maintain stout private armies for their own purposes, all of them just as professional and well-armed as the Imperial army with special units of their own. In times of immense need, the Primarchs will contribute to the Imperial forces, but courting their support is of the utmost importance to the Imperator. The other major private force are the Reavers, who have been a sellsword company in operation for millennia and often hire themselves out to private corporations for a number of various duties, and their Lord Commander has been of Semideum descent since the first. It is said they often have dealing with the Thieve's Guild. But nobles are known to hire them on occasion even the Crown, and though they cannot match a true standing army in size, their lack of scruples coupled with cold professionalism and skill makes them a valuable asset.
The Imperial Navy was once the power of the seas both in the east and west, but it has been overshadowed by the Cethosi navy due to the general retreat of Kratoria from the world stage. However the Imperial Navy remains a formidable force that keeps on the bleeding edge of competition due to both expert shipwrights and design input from Redcliffe. The Imperial Navy has a Western and Eastern command and ensures the protection of commerce to and from the Imperium's ports. The Navy even has a few dreadnoughts, one of which serves as the Imperator's own flagship, and is the largest and grandest vessel in the Home Fleet. The Empire's naval defenses are likewise extensive and hardened positions such as bunkers and coastal artillery batteries are ubiquitous along Kratoria's shores. The Imperial Navy itself is kept modern, but many older vessels still lie at berth, still seaworthy and ready to be pressed back into service if needed. Additionally, the Imperium maintains the right to commander civilian vessels if the need calls for it, and there are many in Kratoria due to the number of ports and the massive amounts of coastline. The Merchant Marine also serve as an auxiliary force to the Navy in times of war and the Imperium has been known to issue letters of marque to private vessels to serve as Imperial Corsairs, who are often used to harass supply lines in war or hunt pirates. The Primarchs have extensive commercial fleets, with some such as the Sealord buying old military models from the Imperium and even using surplus materials from shipyards to build warships of their own. The Imperial Marines are a professional and well-trained force that are well-prepared for amphibious assault though they are not as large as the Cethosi Corps, and their numbers are largely drawn from the Sealord's Mermarines, who are still maintained as a force.
The Imperial Air Service is young but large and many in Imperial High Command have grand designs for it. Kratoria was the first major continental power to embrace the airplane for military use in reconnaissance and scouting and likewise have one of larger air fleets on the continent. Redcliffe scientists had extensive input in the design process and after reverse-engineering, Kratorian machinists were able to produce a magnificent airforce. Despite its limited military role, the air service is dominated by Kratorian nobility, who are greatly drawn by the appeal of taking to the sky in flight. Due to their superior physical skills, Semideum pilots are incredibly adept in quick maneuvers that most cannot match them in and Kratorian planes are renowned for their maneuverability. Reports of Etremaden forays into combat with airplanes has motivated a similar development in Kratoria, with Redcliffe scientists helping Kratorians experiment with the use of machineguns or bombs with planes. Kratorian commanders involved in the air service dream of turning it into an airborne cavalry, a rebirth of the Semideum knight for the modern age but in the air and not on the ground. The Imperator himself is an enthusiastic aviator, as well as most of the royal family who all have their own private aircraft as well as a royal Zeppelin which is a vessel of great splendor and the flagship of a small fleet of zeppelins. The Primarchs are also greatly interested in the air, with many using zeppelins for commercial flights and with private fleets of their own, though they do not match the Imperial Army's in number. At the moment, the Air Service is a branch of the Imperial Army, but has great prestige due to the Imperator's youngest son being named the Wing Commander of the Air Service.
Kratorian Imperium
16 - Territory - Your nation, whether by overseas territory or land at home, has an above average amount of territory. A decent portion of the globe heeds your beck and call.
7 (+3) - Tech - Your nation is still antiquated, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages.
12 (+1) - Army Size - Your army is well- sized, and is maintained year-round.
16 (+1) - Economy - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
15 - Production - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation.
16 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion.
16 - Airforce Size - You have a decent amount of biplanes.
10 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize
Summerfield
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.
Winterwood
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.
The Shadowland
6 - Territory - 7 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
1 - Nationalism - This nation is highly nationalist, and actively ejects foreign puppeteers from its borders.
16 - Territory - Your nation, whether by overseas territory or land at home, has an above average amount of territory. A decent portion of the globe heeds your beck and call.
7 (+3) - Tech - Your nation is still antiquated, but modernization is about to begin or in its beginning stages.
12 (+1) - Army Size - Your army is well- sized, and is maintained year-round.
16 (+1) - Economy - Your economy is well-off, and a majority of what needs to be funded is.
15 - Production - Your nation is doing well for itself, with excellent production in both farming and manufacturing and good resource exploitation.
16 - Navy Size - Your navy is decently sized, with a large merchant train and a large military portion.
16 - Airforce Size - You have a decent amount of biplanes.
10 - Mobilization Ability - It takes two months to mobilize
Summerfield
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
6 - Nationalism - This nation is ashamed of its culture and is completely subservient to your nation.
Winterwood
5 - Territory - 5 Provinces
5 - Political Stability - This nation is peaceful and stable.
3 - Nationalism - This nation is somewhat nationalist, and is fiercely independent.
The Shadowland
6 - Territory - 7 Provinces
4 - Political Stability - This nation is somewhat stable.
1 - Nationalism - This nation is highly nationalist, and actively ejects foreign puppeteers from its borders.