Primus Imperium
"One people! One nation! One empire!"The Primus Imperium is an expansionist empire situated on the eastern coast of Irral. It is a society that venerates merit and military prowess and shuns magic, believing it to be the easy way out and responsible for much of the problems its people face. Their stated goal is to unite the entire world under one banner as the Elders once did.
Geography
Dominating the north-eastern coastline of Irral, the Imperium sits upon land scarred and scorched by the mage wars. The land is infertile, dry and cold and unsuitable for farmland across a majority of the Imperium's territories. The north of the Imperium is dominated by a frigid tundra, while the south grows more fertile the closer to the Great Woods of Magnar one gets - though the woods are still inhospitable and dangerous due to the nature spirits that call it home.Government
At the peak of imperium governance is the Emperor, his Right Hand and his Left Hand. The Emperor does not ruled alone; it is a core tenant of the nation that no one man should hold sway over the lives of his people. So in addition to the Emperor and his advisers is the Imperial Senate. The Senate is a convocation of high-merit individuals who hold great social and political sway in their communities. Typically, each territory of the empire has one representative chosen from amongst the population to bring matters to the senate, and together, the senate commands the law in the interests of the people and the emperor. As so much of the nation is militarized, the military police - also known as The Spiders - who serve the Left Hand are the highest ranking members of law enforcement and military within the kingdom. While the average day-to-day crime would be dealt with by local military and law enforcement, typically overseen by the senator for that territory, the Spiders deal with legal matters on a grander scale. Treason, treachery, desertion all are crimes dealt with in the most extreme way by the spiders.History
The territory now called Primus Imperium was once a wild and untamed frontier home to many nomadic and war-like clans. Wild orcs, humans, even some halflings called the land home. Some time before the mage wars, the frontier was conquered by Aldria, a theocratic nation that venerated magic and those blessed with Brands by the Divines. The frontier saw much of the fighting during the mage wars, as it proved an ample frontline for Aldria to defend itself from the Goldmane Kingdom, Arcaniss, the Emerald Dynasty in Kethend and seafaring forces from Akhmaten. As a result of the bitter, magic-fueled fighting that spanned decades, the land became scarred and untennable. After the Great Severing and Aldria's collapse, the frontier descended into chaos as now magic-stripped men fought for what little resources could be claimed. When the dust had settled, one warband came out on top. Led by a human called Reiner Steelhand, the warband spread its influence, crushing all who opposed them and bringing them to heel under the banner of Steelhand. Warchief Steelhand believed in a world that needed to be destroyed and reforged in the fires of combat. He believed in a world that needed to promote hard work and achievement. And above all he believed in a world united under a single banner. Through many years of bitter, bloody war, Steelhand united the desolate frontier under his own name. He declared the birth of a new Empire, not one ruled by magic nor king or God, but one ruled by the worthy. He declared that any that could defeat him in combat would earn the crown of the new empire. And defeated he was. Another human man, a fierce and loyal follower of Reiner Steelhand, bested him in single combat. His name was Edvard Blackram, and though he respected the beliefs of Steelhand, he knew he was the superior warrior and would be a superior leader. Not to undermine his efforts, however, Emperor Blackram chose Steelhand as his right-hand man, his leader of armies and closest personal advisor. Together, they declared the birth of the first empire, the Primus Imperium, named in the Elder tongue and raised in the image of what they had accomplished. They decried magic, and with the people united behind the banner of the ram, began a campaign of conquest and dominion. After many years of fighting, the Imperium had conquered much of the northern coast, pushing back Duskhold and pushing back the Goldmane Kingdom to a standstill. They were governed now by Emperor Lucilius Ignatius, who had defeated the previous emperor in combat to win the throne. It is unknown what happened, but after a particularly gruelling defeat to the dwarves, emperor Lucilius all but vanished from the public eye. The empire's military lost its fighting spirit, its morale crushed by the disappearance of the emperor. Resources dwindled, food had to be rationed. The empire was on the brink of collapse. Lysander Vandentius, a prominent general who had fought against the Kingdom of Stone and Duskhold in the north, decided enough was enough. With a small band of loyal followers - including Lady Emphyra, left-hand to emperor Lucilius, and Dexard Anguius, another prominent general, Lysander stormed the palace and dragged the cowardly emperor from his hiding place. By now Lucilius was frail and stricken with madness, but he fought like a man posessed when challenged by Lysander. While Lysander proved victorious, he lost an arm to the feral fury of the former emperor. Lysander Vandentius took hold as the 8th emperor of Primus Imperium and kickstarted a renewed offensive against the empire's enemies, starting with the Dwarves...Trade
Trade is limited to and from the empire. Low on resources, they import much food, grain and meat and dairy, from their neighbours in the West, the Silver Federation, as well as military supplies, essence, firearms and raw materials to create weapons. Export is slim, primarily paying for these with taxes gathered from the common people or garnished from military wages.Culture
The Primus Imerpium values only merit. Ones merit is the measure of their deeds and their accomplishments and is firecly fact-checked by those around them. If a man tells a story of his great deeds that is found out to be false, then he is shunned, beaten, or sometimes even imprisoned. Similarly, magic is illegal and shunned within the empire. Due to the damage wrought by the mage wars, the common folk are not permitted to perform magic - it is seen as the easy way out, and earns one no merit. Only if they put their magic to good use serving the community or the military are they permitted to use it. A vast majority of those found to possess natural magical talent, including those Branded, are enrolled in the military in special mage corps where their use of magic is strictly observed and monitored. Some are known to work in temples healing the sick with their magic, which is also seen as an acceptable use of their talents, though many common folk are hesitant to trust magic of any kind. The military is woven into all aspects of life; all citizens are expected to serve in the military for at least 5 years upon coming of age, and military accomplishments are seen as the main path to achieving high merit. Those with exceptional deeds will often go on to become senators or generals in the military. But an empire still requires other jobs; there are many who earn their keep performing manual labour, working as merchants or fishermen or farmers. Even these people earn merits by their deeds, as one would have to be a fool to not recognise the necessity of these jobs to the survival of the empire's people. There is rarely a culture of ridicule for those who do not serve in the military, unless they deserted or were dishonorably discharged.Important Figures
Insignia of the Primus Imperium
Geography
| Aliases | First Empire |
| Region | Eastern Irral |
Society
| Demonym | Imperials |
| Race(s) | Humans, Orcs, Elves, Genasi, Kobold, Goblin, Other Races |
| Religions | Aldrian Church |
Politics
| Gov't Type | Empire, Meritocracy |
| Legislators | The Emperor, Imperial Senate |
| Judicators | Imperium Military |
| Enforcement | Imperium Military, The Spiders |
| Military | Imperium Military |
