The Radiant Empire
Few kingdoms on the continent have had the impact or longevity that the Radiant Empire has. It has withstood a Blight, plagues, and confederated efforts to dismantle it. The continent fears and respects the Radians who keep a close eye on its expansionist mindset. While the Radians have a monopoly on the Cold Con process, they lack the same level of magical and technological skills as some other nations. At the cusp of a new age, it remains to be seen whether this powerful nation can continue to grow, or if it will crumble under its own weight.
Structure
The Radiant Empire functions in a traditional feudal system. The imperial throne sits atop all others. Below the throne are the duchies (led by dukes and duchesses), followed by the counts and countesses, and then baronies. All lords pay taxes to the lordship above them and so on and so forth.
The Empress holds ultimate authority within the Empire, though she rarely leaves her palace. Her will is enforced by her Imperial Guard Commander, who is also her daughter. The nobility of the empire functions with agnatic primogeniture succession.
Culture
The Radiant Empire is a prime example of the best and worst of humanity when it has power. They accomplish majestic feats of sophistication, art, and music to name a few. Yet, they can be cruel, self-serving, and brutal to their opponents.
Overall, citizens of the empire are pious and regularly follow the guidance of religious leaders when nobles are not present. Generally, they are a patriarchal, feudal society and believe in agnatic-cognatic gavelkind inheritance. The nobility are well known internationally as being dismissive, cruel, or arrogant of those they view as lessers (a short list).
The common folk are viewed somewhat better. The lack of public education means most of the peasantry focus on their own lives without regard to larger politics. They attend church, to their fields, and to their families, and will defend all of them thoroughly.
Public Agenda
The Radiant Empire is expansionist through and through. It has recently reached the Nevarran border and appears to be redirecting its efforts towards the south and the north. Towards the south, the Empire intends to gain the pastoral lands of The Great Grass Sea. To the North, it hopes to finally destroy Thera and to secure its natural resources.
The Empire continues to offer lucrative trade deals to its neighbours, but few take them up on the offer. These negotiations are often peppered with thinly veiled threats and an air of superiority, further alienating them from potential partners.
Assets
By far the most unique and dangerous aspect of the Radiant Empire is the Cold-Con process.
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This has allowed The Empire to grow and conquer at startling speed. In addition, The Empire maintains a respectable merchant fleet that trades its bountiful fabrics, metals, and other raw goods. The Empire is also quite famous for its Valdian Horses which are prized throughout the continent for their speed and endurance.
The ability to create semi-autonomous golems capable of war fighting.
History
The Radians began in the city of Lumos, which was strategically located by the River Marne and the surrounding hilly terrain. They established a trade empire that became dominant due to its centralized location and strong route network. This city was left untouched by the Blight, which burned many other nations. While the rest of the world was sifting through the ashes of the Blight, the Radians were preparing. They first struck the Therans in the east, in what is referred to as Conquest of the Dawn. After establishing its eastern borders, they demolished several petty kingdoms towards the west, before settling at the edge of the Pax Nevarra and The Dwarven Reach. Ruling dynasties have changed but have been relatively stable. The scourge of civil war has not touched the Radians yet. Some claim this is due to the Imperial thrones absolute control of the Cold-Cons armies, which are so vital to Radian conquests.
Demography and Population
The vast majority of the Empire's residents are native Radians. However, enclaves of other races are known to exist in periphery cities. Human is the largest racial group, but dwarves do have larger districts towards the Reach's borders.
Similarly, halfling settlements appear near the Free City's border. While the Empire tolerates non-humans, and may even employ them in official positions, they are rarely elevated to nobility or put in positions of real power.
Human: 90%
Halfling: 4%
Dwarf: 3%
Elf: 2%
Other 1%
Military
The Radiant Empire has not become the power it is without its nearly incomparable military might. Before the Cold-Con process, the Empire used heavy infantry with supporting cavalry regularly. One Theran veteran of the Conquest of the Dawn was recorded describing a Radian battle as such: "They're a blasted wall of goddamn steel. They never stop marching. As long as the suns up they never stop... Arrows, magic, our stags... Nothing slows them down."
After the Cold Con Process was discovered, the characteristic steel wall became a tsunami. Every army seemed to be tailor-made for the battle at hand. Never unprepared or surprised, these new "cold-cons" were able to adapt to changing battles with shocking ease. Adaptable, tough, and easily replaceable, suddenly war was cheap and efficient for the fledgling imperial power.
Religion
The Radian people widely believe that Pelor is the greatest of the gods worshipped by the civilized races. The followers of Pelor often appear as arrogant and dismissive of other gods, believing them to be merely lesser aspects of the great true Sun. Religion is an integral part of the Radiant Empire's culture and society. Many Radian priests are also lords and ministers of regions that also often have great political say.
The other nations of the continent are often perplexed by the Radian concept of a singular, supreme god. Pelor is worshipped across the continent, but the other deities are acknowledged and worshipped openly. However, this is not so in the Radiant Empire, where Pelor holds the greatest sway. While the other gods are worshipped and paid homage to, The Church of Pelor is the official state religious organization.
Foreign Relations
The Empire is regarded with fear and suspicion by most other nations. Their relatively monotheistic religion, military expansionism, and self-sufficiency are considered bizarre.
The Second Kingdom of Thera
They are actively despised by the Kingdom of Thera and will frequently engage in unofficial raids.Pax Nevarrum
In Nevarra, Radians are guilty first and questioned second. Nevarrans fear espionage and sabotage from Radians and not without reason.The Dwarven Reach
As for the Dwarven Reach, The Radiant Empire maintains a trade route that is conveniently close to the dwarf capital. A stable (if tense) peace persists.Sunset Confederacy
To the elves of the Sunset Confederacy, The Radians are a distant curiosity and a backwater empire that fails to touch its shores. The trade routes which exist between the Isle and the Empire are few and far between but are relatively friendly.Divine Origins
The Church of Pelor began, in truth, as a pastoral sun faith. Indeed, this is how He is worshipped across most of the continent. As an agricultural sun god, Pelor and his priesthood were well welcomed among humans who were more reliant on crops than some other races. In pre-empire times, many villages were ruled directly by priests and clerics of Pelor, who viewed these small communities as their own garden to be tended.
But after the Blight, Lumosian politics and conquest changed this dynamic. To reconcile the conquests, a propaganda campaign was made to instill the belief that Pelor's divine blood flowed through the people who would thereby become Radians. Many of the "Garden villages" fell in line and freely joined the growing empire.
Thus, the church of Pelor became an integral part of the political system of the empire.
Priesthood
Priests of Pelor in the Radiant Empire are pious people, with many claiming to feel a calling towards the faith at an early age. Prospective priests are encouraged to become a student at the College d'Sol in Godry Seic in order to be trained properly in the ways the church. While enrolment is not required to be a priest, networking and education is an opportunity that few turn down.
The older, more pastoral traditions of the faith have been slowly giving way to the newer, more politicized schools of thought, causing some friction between traditionalists and nouveau Politik. Time will tell if the two schools of thought will be able to reconcile.
Gloire et Honneur
Founding Date
01 Dawn
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Training Level
Professional
Veterancy Level
Decorated/Honored
Demonym
Radian
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Gold Coinage (Sovereigns)
Legislative Body
Assemblée des Seigneurs or simply as the Assembly
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Deities
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Related Myths
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