Sarathi Empire
The Sarathi Empire was a world-spanning civilization that was known for its highly advanced science, technology, and magic. The Sarathi Empire consisted of twelve towers, each of which served as a center of learning for a specific discipline, and a number of smaller trading outposts. The Sarathi Empire disappeared during The Devastation and is believed to have been utterly destroyed. However, recently recovered information suggests some Sarathi may have survived.
Structure
The Sarathi Empire was originally established in 841 FE as a non-hereditary monarchy. In 613 FE, however, the third emperor abdicated the throne and placed power in a council formed from the Precentors from the towers, of which there were three at the time. The council was responsible for major decisions regarding the direction and welfare of the Empire. The council would also appoint an Imperial Executor to handle the administration of the Empire. The Executor served as the head of state and appointed lesser minister and officers.
Culture
Generally speaking, the people of the Sarathi Empire greatly valued the acquisition of knowledge and expertise. Their government and economy were structured around supporting the Twelve Towers, and studying at one of the Towers was seen as a great honor. The faculty of the Towers served as both political and cultural leaders, and many had celebrity status within the Empire. Outside of the Towers, significant respect was afforded to artists, artisans, and crafters of all kinds. Mastery of a skill or trade was considered a noble pursuit, regardless of one's role or status in society.
Because of it's emphasis on personal skill, Sarathi culture was strongly individualistic. While many Sarathi citizens no doubt cared for their communities, perfecting one's chosen trade or discipline was considered to be the best way to serve the greater good. This attitude sometimes led to fierce competition at the higher tiers of any given profession. This was especially true at the Towers, where political intrigue was common among the students and faculty alike. Overt conflict was frowned upon, but subtle manipulation was considered part and parcel of being at the forefront of one's field.
The Sarathi greatly appreciated the finer things in life, but only to the extent that they were personally created or traded for by the owner and thus reflected a degree of skill or appreciation for skill. Ostentatious displays of wealth, especially unearned wealth, were looked down upon. Well-off individuals were enjoyed a degree of luxury, but were expected to give up the greater portion of their material wealth for the education of younger generations. Inheritance of wealth, beyond a reasonable amount to provide for one's family, was considered immoral and was legally forbidden.
Public Agenda
Consistent with the values of its citizens, the Sarathi Empire's overall goals were advancing knowledge, developing magic and technology, and shaping the world according its own vision. Many in the Imperial government saw it as their goal to lead the Sarathi - and thus the world - into a better future.
History
The port city of Sarath was founded around 1300 FE by Mahrûm orcs fleeing north from war ravaging their ancestral homelands. Located at the convergence of several trade routes, Sarath quickly became a wealthy city-state and center of cultural exchange. During these early years, civic leaders funneled much of the city's wealth in the development of public universities. By 1000 FE, Sarath was a magically and technologically advanced world power.
Initially, Sarath kept its territorial reach confined. This changed in 841, when Queen Varinia diplomatically annexed the nearby city-state of Goshek. Later that year, Varinia was coronated as the first Empress of the Sarathi Empire. Around 800 FE, Sarathi magewrights developed a system for stable, permanent teleportation devices linking the two cities. Now able to rule over the Empire without regard to physical distances, Varinia's successor, Emperor Galucia, ordered the construction of an imperial stronghold on a resource-rich island in the southern ocean. In 713 FE, construction of the new city was completed and Pernimus became the official capital of the Sarathi Empire.
By 650 FE, the three major Imperial cities had taken on specialized roles. Sarath remained the cultural heart of the Empire, Goshek (now renamed Osaurum) had become an economic powerhouse, and Pernimus served as the administrative capital. Glaucia's successor, the Sage-Emperor Terentius, ordered the construction of three great towers to solidify these roles: The Stone Tower of History, the Gold Tower of Trade, and the Copper Tower of Service. Upon their completion in 613, Terentius abdicated the imperial throne and turned control of the Empire over to a council of the leaders of these three towers.
Over the next three centuries, the Empire steadily expanded its influence across Ailar. The Empire's territorial holdings remained small, as it preferred to establish outposts in settled lands. A small number of new settlements were founded or annexed into the Empire, but the Sarathi never sought to control vast areas of land. Instead, they created a far-flung civilization that spread across the globe, all connected by teleportation gates. By founding outposts near existing settlements, the Sarathi were easily able to trade with other civilizations who were all too eager to exchange food and supplies for advanced Sarathi creations.
During this period, the Sarathi also constructed several additional Towers. Some, such as the Jade Tower of Artistry, were established in or near cities. Others, like the Marble Tower of Theology, were constructed remote locations suitable for study. The twelfth and final Tower, the Silver Tower of the Stars, was finished in 299 FE. By this point, the Sarathi Empire was by far the most powerful nation on Ailar.
The next two centuries saw the slow political ossification of the Empire. Advances in magical healing meant the lifespan of wealthy and powerful Sarathi could be extended for centuries. This prevented change in the imperial leadership, allowing the Precentors of the Twelve Towers to maintain control of the Empire. Meanwhile, no outside force on Ailar hope to challenge the Empire's technological, military, and economic dominance. The Empire seemed destined to enter a slow decline - until advances in interplanar travel opened up new frontiers for expansion.
In the first century FE, the Sarathi Empire began exploring other planes of existence. Eventually, Sarathi researchers opened a portal to a plane dubbed the Star Beyond the Stars. However, the Sarathi were not able to control the portal, leading a mass invasion by the Ones Below. The Ones Below proved to be inimical to all life on Ailar, and soon the Empire was engaged in all out war against the invaders. This ultimately led to The Devastation and, by 1 FE, the complete destruction of the Sarathi Empire.
Disbandment
The Sarathi Empire was destroyed during the Outsider War. All known Sarathi settlements were destroyed or abandoned and all Sarathi people were believed to be killed in the conflict. However, recent discoveries in the Varasuda Empire suggest that some Sarathi may have survived.
Demography and Population
The original settlers of Sarath were Mahrûm orcs from the southern continent of Drayah. Because few Mahrûm survived elsewhere, the Sarathi ethnicity was, at first, essentially synonymous with people of Mahrûm descent. As the Empire expanded, though, many other species made their home in Sarathi lands. By the time of The Devastation, the term "Sarathi" was used broadly to refer to Mahrûm orcs, people of other species who were ethnically Sarathi, or people of other ethnicities who were Sarathi citizens.
Although the Sarathi Empire spanned all of Ailar, its population remained relatively small. Prior to The Devastation, the total population of the Empire was around 10 million. The Empire had a much higher urbanization rate than most other civilizations at the time, with nearly half of its population living in cities. The Empire was majority Mahrûm orc, with elves making up a sizeable minority. The vast majority of people living in the Empire considered themselves ethnically Sarathi, regardless of species or descent.
Territories
The Sarathi Empire consisted of several territorial holdings spread across Ailar. At it's peak, the Empire comprised the following territories: The coastal regions of the continent of Drayah from Sarath to Osaurum; the island city of Pernimus; the cities of Ferrarx in northern Suralam and Caraballus in central Exedilica; smaller towns around several of the Towers; and trading outposts in or near many foreign settlements.
Military
Prior to the Outsider War, the Sarathi military was a small force maintained for the defense of its territories and trade routes. Given their absolute technological, magical, and economic dominance, they had no need to wage offensive wars. This changed with the arrival of the Ones Below. In the last decades of its existence, the Sarathi Empire poured its amassed resources and knowledge into the war effort. This resulted in several technological leaps forward, although this was ultimately not enough to win the war.
Technological Level
The Sarathi Empire was the most technologically and magically advanced society Ailar has ever seen. By the time of The Devastation, most Sarathi had access to simple devices for necessities such as heating, water purification, and medicine. Sarathi agriculture incorporated both alchemical and technological advances for improved crop yield. Manufacturing techniques included advanced metallurgy and textile production, often with magical treatment for increased durability. Transportation technologies included instantaneous travel via fixed teleportation devices between cities and advanced sailship and airship travel to more remote regions.
Religion
Most of the original settlers of Sarath practiced traditional Mahrûm animism. As Sarathi theological studies advanced, this tradition evolved into the practice of Astralism. Sarathi astralism posited that the deities worshipped by various cultures were simply interpretations of abstract concepts. Accordingly, most religious devotions focused on pursuit of an ideal rather than worship of a specific spirit, god, or supernatural force. Consistent with the cultural values of the Empire, many Sarathi dedicated themselves to the ideals of knowledge, progress, and industry.
Foreign Relations
Most Sarathi looked on other cultures with a sense of fond paternalism. The Sarathi produced only a small portion of their own food and raw materials, relying mainly on trade with other civilizations for these basic necessities. In return, the Sarathi shared some of their advanced magic and technology with these civilizations. Some Sarathi saw it as their natural role to guide to development of less advanced cultures, while others advocated for a more guarded approach that would ensure the Empire's continued dominance.
Agriculture & Industry
The Sarathi fascination with progress led them to adopt a specialist economy long before their contemporaries. At the Empire's height, only about a quarter of the population was involved in agriculture, and most of that involved the cultivation of luxury foods. Staple foods were obtained primarily through trade with other, more agrarian civilizations.
Of the remaining population, about half were involved in the manufacture or trade of goods and half in providing services, including research and education. The development and manufacture of magical technologies was a major element of the Sarathi economy, although trade of such items outside the Empire was strictly regulated.
Education
Although only a handful of talented - or well-connected - indivudals were able to attend the prestigious academic towers, most Sarathi had at least a basic education. Sarathi children were expected to complete at least five years of school by the age of 20, often in addition to learning a trade. Certain professionals, such as physicians and magewrights, were expected to complete additional training at a specialized academy. Pre-Devastation, the literacy rate in the Empire was approximately 90%. However, literacy rates were lower among citizens who were not ethnically Sarathi.
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