The Vitreous Empire
Cities build from glass, nobles with veins full of stars and countless legions of mirror-faced angles. To those that never visited it, the Vitreous Empire sounds like a place born straight out of a myth...those that were there wished it would remain one.Founded by former Miwa slaves sometime during the chaos of the Great Uprising the Vitreous Empire is one of the youngest empires in all of Cenorad. Yet at the same time, it is also one of the most powerful. At the center of the Empire's supremacy stand its gigantic industrial complexes that are able to produce countless marvelous glass products from but a handful of sand and dirt. The insatiable hunger of these factories is also one of the major reason for the ongoing military conquests and extensive colonization programs of the empire. The Empire's military might is primarily based upon the devastating alchemical weapons developed by the Seven Alchemist Guilds and the numberless legions of parasitic glass constructs spawned from its own citizen. While these forces generally lack the individual quality and arcane might of their adversaries, their sheer quantity all but guarantees an imperial victory over the course of a prolonged war of attrition. Internally the policy of the Empire is mostly dictated by the deeprooted fear of a Second Uprising that managed to burrow itself within the minds of the Empires nobility following a short but brutal civil war. In order to prevent such an occurrence, the nobility established various secret polices and intelligence services that vigorously control the mental, spiritual and genetic purity of the empires citizen. Given the often pathological nature of their fears, many nobles are willing to go to extreme lengths in order to eliminate any possible seeds of rebellion. Countless villages have been bombarded with incendiary ammunition, hundreds of factories were flooded with toxic gases and whole cities have been vaporized in order to ensure the internal security of the Empire. Furthermore, the nobility also established a fabricated state religion whose sole purpose consists of keeping the near numberless workforce in a constant state of servitude and gratitude towards the "heaven-sent" members of the Noble Houses. Though some of these false gods might be more real than the Truthspeakers of the Impure Cathedral had originally intended.
Structure
Listen to the commands of those above you, for their veins hold the essence of the gods.The inhabitants of the Vitreous Empire are divided into various different social casts, with the positioning of an individual being determined by the purity of their veins. This cast system is rigorously enforced and attempts to escape ones cast are regarded as high treason and therefore punished with summary execution or worse.
Dullveins
At the bottom of the imperial hierarchy stand the Dullveins, which is the name given to the non-Miwa inhabitants of the empire. The name is based on the fact that the veins of other species are either not visible or lack the typical hyalin shimmer of the Miwa. Despite their general low standing within the Empire, Dullveins possess the greatest social mobility of all casts within the empire and are able to archive great prestige and fame, should they prove valuable to the upper casts of the empire. Yet no matter how successful an individual is, their relatives, spouses, and potential children will be treated like any other Dullveins until they themselves managed to demonstrate the hidden gleam of their veins to the nobility of the empire, as the concepts of blood relation and hereditary are completely unknown to the Miwa.Mudcross
Above the Dullveins stand the Mudcross, which are the lowest cast of Miwa Crossveins within the Empire and also the most numerous of all casts. Their veins are black-brown in color and barely contain any of the characteristic Miwa vein-gleam, which is a side effect of their overclocked birthing vases. Slaves in all but name the Mudcross work themselves to death within the bowels of the various colossal industrial complexes of the Empire, often without ever seeing the light of the sun; their day and night cycles instead being dictated by the dim lanterns of their overseers. While some Mudcross dream of one day seeing the sun, most consider themselves unworthy of the blessing rays of the Sun and instead pray to the Gods of the Impure Cathedral that they may grant them a painless death. While far more nihilistic in tone this "sun-fearing" attitude is actually a far more reasonable point of view, as the skins of the Mudcross have been bleached to the point that even a small ray of sunlight is able to burn their skin right off their flesh. As many Mudcrosses are additionally enhanced with various alchemical substances and concoctions in order to better perform their intended purpose, spontaneous combustion is one of the milder reactions observed during various sun exposure experiments performed by the Alchemist-Guilds. Besides their role as the primary workforce of the Empire, Mudcrosses are also used as the main "ingredient" in the creation of Effigy-warriors and various other alchemical creatures used by either the Imperial Legions or the Alchemist Guilds.Blotcross
Slightly less expendable than the average Mudcross the Blotcross primarily serve as the handlers and overseer of the Mudcross workforce. As their name hints at; their veins contain small blots of color within them, which form an individual blot pattern that can be used to identify a specific individual. Besides identification, these patterns also determine the exact "value" of a Blotcross, with individuals whose pattern possesses a high amount of blue or purple colored blots generally being assigned to more elevated positions such as Vice-Overseer or High-Supervisor. Besides their role as minder Blotcross also perform menial labors that require more brain power than the drugged minds of the Mudcross are able to produce, such as the construction and maintenance of non-alchemical machinery and constructs.Shardcross
Forming the middle class of the Vitreous Empire, Shardcross generally perform various administrative and bureaucratic functions within one of the various institutions of the empire, such as the Impure Cathedral, the Glass Legions or the Mirror Ministerium. The name "Shardcross" not only alludes to the shard-like colorations of their veins, but also to the fact that they are the first cast that actually gets remunerate for their work in Shards. While most Shardcross occupy a position that grants them authority over hundreds of Blot- and Mudcrosses, few of these positions actually grant them any real power, which forces them to become little more than diligent lickspittles that act on the orders of those who do. Shardcross that are either exceptional talented or just extremely lucky might find themselves in one of the rare positions, accessible to their cast, which actually wields considerable authority within the empire. Examples of such positions include; Lord-Overseers of a factory complex, Truthspeakers of the Impure Cathedral, Magisters of the Mirror Ministerium and playmates within the harem of a Starvein noble. Besides these functions, Shardcross also play an important role in the naval and trading economy of the empire, as their movement is far less regulated than those of the classes below and above them. Due to this Shardcross captains and merchants are able to acquire notable wealth within but a few years of work, which they generally use to buy their way into more relaxed positions within the prestigious institutions of the empire.Educated
The Educated are a sort of Scholar-Nobility that stand between the Shardcross and the Starvein nobility. This cast consists of Crossveins that successfully completed the strict education program at the Imperial Academy and showed enough promise to be recruited into one of the various Specialist-Programs, which prepare them to perform some of the most eminent jobs within the empire. The largest and most widely known of these Specialist-Programs is the so-called "War-College", which trains its participants into becoming Mirror-Generals and High-Strategists of the Glass Legions, whose primary function consists of masterminding various battle strategies as well as overseeing their implementation through the guidance of the mostly mindless Effigy-warriors that make up the armies of the Vitreous Empire. While having far fewer graduates than the War-College, the "Guild Cours" trains some of the most important individuals within the whole empire, as the students of this program acquire a basal understanding of the nature of Alchemy, which allows them to oversee the construction, production, and maintenance of most alchemical constructs devised by the propper Guild-Alchemists. Given that Guild-Alchemists are far too adventurous and mentally unstable to be trusted with the task of mass-producing and maintaining their inventions, the graduates of this program are of great importance to the Vitreous Empire, as without them none would have any real chance of actually understanding the schematics and blueprints of the machines that form the foundations of the Empires' might. The existence of the so-called "Blind Mirror"-Programs is a tightly kept secret within the Empire and only known to the upper echelons of the Starvein nobility. This program was established following the Nightskin Rebellion and trains its students to become Lone Brethren, which act as the elite agents and spies of the Mirror Ministerium and whose primary role is to uphold the inner security of the Empire through the detection and subsequent elimination of potential insurrectionist. Following the great success of this program in quelling the Cogwheel Riots, two subprograms termed the "Sacred Knife" and the "Invisible Boundary" were established within the Blind Mirror-program. The absolvents of these programs either join the ranks of the Radiant Inquisition as Sacred Sons and Daughters or the ranks of Unseen Guard as Throne Wardens. Besides performing a similar function to the Lone Brethren in regards to the internal security of the Empire, the Sacred Sons and Throne Wardens also serve as a counterbalance to the agents of the Ministerium and closely monitor them in order to detect individuals that act a little bit to "rebellious". The Brethren, of course, return those favors in kind, to make sure that none of their watchdogs become too overzealous in their works.Starvein Nobility
Standing close to the top of the social hierarchy, the Starvein nobility -as the name already implies- consists solely of Miwa Starveins, which were adopted into one of the various imperial Nobel Houses. While these Houses are connected through a complex network of alliances, grudges, and intrigues they all belong to one of two rival factions, known as the "Nonex" and the "Nogria". Besides their political opinions, the members of each of these factions also share a common phenotype. Nonex Possessing midnight blue colored veins and commonly referring to themselves as the "Blue Royalty", the Nonex are of the opinion that they and only they have the right to rule the Vitreous Empire, given that they carry the undiluted legacy of the Founding Twins within their veins. Due to this, they tried on multiple occasions to establish an absolutistic monarchy within the Empire, which so far remained unsuccessful. Initially the most numerous noble faction within the Empire, their numbers have been significantly reduced through internal power struggles and failed coups as well as the fact that they reproduce far slower than their Nogria counterpart, due to a high rate of "Angel-Blossom" within their children and an overall highly restrictive reproduction practice. Despite all this, the remaining Nonex still possess enormous political power, given the fact that they own most if not all factories within the Blue Maze and also possess very close connections to the Hyalumancers of the Saphir Guild. Furthermore, they also occupy the upper ranks of the Impure Cathedral, which grants them great religious authority. Nogria Named after the purple color of their veins, the "Purpur Aristocrats" are the second faction within the empires' nobility, which unlike the Nonex want to decentralize the imperial power structure in order to divert more power to the various colonies under their control. While the lack the enormous industrial power and religious authority of the Nonex, the Nogria possess a near-total monopoly on all shipping traffic within the empire and also own most of the empire's colonies, which places most of the raw materials required by the industrial complexes of the Nonex under their direct control. Additionally, the various Nobel Houses of the Nogria also possess various lucrative trade agreements and secret arrangements with a multitude of non-imperial factions, which grants them access to various powerful assets normally not available to the citizens of the empire, including Yinmoujia Assassins, Agsimer Purifiers, Cra "Artisans" and even Nemul Korkhoi Deathsingers. Given that their main power sources, therefore, generally lie outside of the Imperial Capital, the Nogria are also known as the "Outer Powers" in contrast to the more capital focused "Inner Powers" of the Nonex.Emporer& Empress
At the very top of the imperial hierarchy stand the Emporer and Empress of the Mirror Thrones. While technically only speaking for the Founding Twins encased within these thrones, few would dare to not regard their words as those of first rulers. Due to this both the Emporer and Empress also possess great religious and cultural importance for the citizens of the empire, including the otherwise more secular-oriented nobility. While they were initially only supposed to act as the ceremonial first and last speaker within the Imperial Senate, their aura of religious authority coupled with their supposed direct communication with Imperial Founders resulted in them accumulating considerable amounts of real political power, to the point that the Senate is mostly unable to counteract their wishes. The fact that the Grandmasters of the various Alchemist-Guilds also actually listen to the words of the current occupants of the Mirror-Thrones also doesn't hurt their position either. Following the passing of the Janus Concordat by Imperial Senate in 33 YoA the Mirror Thrones always have to be ruled by a pair consisting of a Nogria and a Nonex, in order to prevent a possible civil war between the two noble factions and make it furthermore impossible for the two rulers to establish an imperatorial House, by birthing a trueborn imperial heir. As the Concordat makes no further specification of the candidates besides their affiliation with one of the noble factions, the coronation of two emperors or empresses is fully within its boundaries, as could be seen during the reign of Emporer Adarius and Emporer Haesarius, as well as the reign of Twin-Empress Sisiria.History
Those that strife to uncover the ways of the past, chose to be damned by its forgotten errors, for only the Promised Future shows the path towards salvation.
Founded in Strife
Founded in the wake of the Great Uprising, the rise of the Vitreous Empire was as rapid as it was violent. While other empires such as the Iron Kingdom or Immortal Nabatea took decades if not centuries to establish their hegemony, the Vitreous Empire established itself as a major power within a single year, with the core of its capital being literally "build" in a single night. Despite these events taken place only a few generations ago, they have already been glorified and glamourized within the imperial records to such an extent that is has become nearly impossible to separate facts from propaganda-filled fiction. Recordings of other species and factions are also woefully incomplete, as they were either still recovering from the aftermath of the Great Uprising or simply saw no importance in the founding of a presumably short-lived empire. What most of these often contradicting tales have in common is the vital role two groups of individuals played in the formation of the Vitreous Empire. The first of these groups are the Seven Disciples of Sendam, which together with their master pioneered the art of Alchemy, which nowadays forms the very backbone of the Empire's industry and military. The second group of imperial founders were the ancestors of the modern Miwas under the leadership of the mythical Founding-Twins, which played an arguably greater role in the formation of the empire than the early alchemists. As while Sendam and his band of madmen provided the weaponry required for the funding of the empire, the Founding-Twins and their army of former Miwa slaves were the ones who wielded them. While early accounts of the founding don't distinguish between the Starveins and Crossveins that made up this army, latter accounts more and more highlight the role of the early Starveins, while simultaneously diminishing the role of the Crossveins, to the point that in some versions the Crossveins are mere helpless beasts which had to be enlightened by the godsent progenitors of the Nobel Houses. As to whom the founders of the empire were actually fighting, no one really knows as the "Thei'ra" as these oppressors are referred to in imperial scriptures have been demonized to such an extent that it is hard to pin down what exactly they were if they even existed. In some versions they are a vestigial remain of the Old Ikona Empire, in some, they are disfigured warlocks and in others, they are treacherous Miwa that turned against their own species.Years of Privation
In order to maintain the momentum born from its comet-like rise to power the Vitreous Empire rapidly expanded its industrial capacities in order to fuel the expansion of its territory through its ever-growing military. This "Great Advancement" as it is known today, resulted in such an intense drop in the general living conditions that even Nobels were forced to clade themselves in rags and subsist upon repugnant nutrient pastes produced in large alchemical incubators. Despite all these deprivations the Miwa managed to endure this time period fueled equally by the promise of a better tomorrow and an all-consuming desire to spite their former oppressors. In modern times the trails and tribulations of this time are used in various imperial propaganda and even from one of the core tenants of the teachings of the Impure Cathedral. Especially the "sacrifices" of the nobility are exaggerated to sheer ludicrous proportions, in order to instill a false sense of gratefulness within the vast Mud- and Blotcross populations of the empire.Dawn of the Mirror Age
Following the success of the First Expansion War and the establishment of the first imperial colonies alongside the Coast of Thorns the privations suffered during Great Advancement came slowly to a halt. With an ever-increasing stream of fresh materials delivered from the newly conquered territories, the factories of the Blue Maze could finally divert plentifull resources towards the production of more civilian and luxurious products. While most of these products were either directly used by the upper classes of the empire or exchanged with other factions in order to acquire further goods of luxury, small amounts managed to trickle down the entire social structure into the waiting palms of the countless Mudcross workers. The most notable of these gifts was the so-called "Ambrosia-Jello" a dark blue colored nutrient past developed by the Emerald Guild, which while certainly not a culinary delight tasted better than anything most Mudcross had ever tasted in their entire life and therefore managed to quickly archive an almost sacred status within the Mudcross workforce.The Nightskin Rebellion
Despite the living conditions of the Mudcross further increased during the Second and Third Expansion War, discontent and resentment began to form within their ranks as the discrepancy between their lives and the ones of the nobility became more and more visible. As the palaces and monuments of the nobility grew higher and higher so too grew the frustration of the Mudcross that worked beneath these shimmering spires. In the city of Modos Arrom, these sentiments were finally released in an event known as the Night of Shards, as thousands of Mudcross workers rose up in rebellion against the oppressive nature of the empire. While the uprising initially started out as a peaceful movement that aimed to improve the living conditions of the Mudcrosse, it soon deteriorated into a violent semi-religious movement that wished to uproot the entire social hierarchy of the empire. Given that the Desire for Freedom and the Hatred of Oppression were regarded as desirable virtues within the empires society, various members of the higher classes including multiple nobles and alchemists also joined forces with the Mudcross rebels, granting them access to substantial military and monetary assets, which allowed them to spread their inflammatory ideas through large parts of the empire. Following a disastrous campaign plagued by internal strife, sabotage, betrayal, and countless defections the momentum of the rebellion could finally be blunted in the battle of the Burning Mirror, within viewing distance of the capital's walls. Given the death or incapacitation of multiple key members of the rebellion during the battle, imperial forces were able to rever the momentum of the rebels and push them back to walls of Modos Arrom. Despite the overwhelming superiority of the imperial forces in both numbers and materials, the rebels managed to defend their beacon of freedom for more than a year. The siege of the city came finally to an abrupt end when agents of the Mirror Ministerium managed to detonate an experimental alchemical bomb beneath the Palace-Hall of the city in order to take out the remaining leaders of the rebellion. Unfortunately, the bomb turned out to be much more potent than originally intended by its creators. The resulting explosion not only completely destroyed the Palace-Hall but also vaporized the entire city, leaving behind only a scorched crater filled with patches of boiling glass. The incidence would later be declared as an "Act of Judgement" by the Truthspeakers of the Impure Cathedral, which proclaimed that the city had been stricken down by the Just Gods for daring to defy the social hierarchy dictated by the gods themselves.Fear of Insurrection
While the Nightskin Rebellion had ultimately failed in its goal, it nevertheless had left a deep scar within the minds of the Starvein Nobility, as it had forced them to realize that they themselves had become the very thing their ancestors had fought against. Unlike the countless oppressors of the Miwa that had come before them, the Starvein nobles were painfully aware of how devastating a mass uprising of Miwa could be and while the Nightskin rebellion was far from becoming a Second Uprising, the mere possibility of such an event absolutely terrified the nobility. Due to the exact circumstances that led to the Great Uprising having been lost to time and propaganda, the fear of the nobility quickly developed into outright paranoia, which nearly paralyzed the imperial senate in the months after the Nightskin Rebellion. This state of panic and confusion finally came to an end, when a group of nobles known as the "Preservers" presented the Senate with a possible solution. The members of the group argued that if they had already become oppressors in the eyes of the lower classes, they should also begin to act like oppressors and given that they in contrast to previous tyrants were well aware of the capabilities of their subjects their chances for success were almost guaranteed. In one of the fastest votings in imperial history the suggestions proposed by the Preserves were approved by the Imperial Senate, for the nobles feared the loss of their powers more than the prospect of being labeled as "Thei'ra". Besides various smaller changes and laws that placed more power into the hands of various Nobel Houses, the most notable changes brought about by the approval was the establishment of the Lone Brethren as a secret police tasked with the elimination of possible insurrectionists and a massive increase in the propaganda and indoctrination efforts of the Impure Cathedral, to the point that its lies fabricated teachings became the state religion of the Vitreous Empire. Furthermore, the nobles ordered the placement of various emergency countermeasures within strategic locations in nearly all imperial cities, which when activated would allow the nobility to cleanse entire districts tainted by the "disease of rebellion" by optionally flooding them with flesh-melting acids, suffocating fumes or molten glass. Following the successful elimination of the Cogwheel Riots by a handful of Lone Brethren, these measures were further intensified and expanded, which lead to the establishment of the Radiant Inquisition and the Unseen Guard as a counterbalance to the ever-increasing power of the Mirror Ministerium and its Lone Brethren.Demography and Population
If you are overdosing on knowledge, you haven't fried your brain enough. ~ Common saying of the GuildsmenBesides the strictly enforced caste-system, the inhabitants of the Vitreous Empire can further be divided into various subcultures. The subculture a person belongs to often plays an equal if a not greater role in determining their future careers than the cast of the individual.
City-Dwellers
Most citizens of the empire are so-called City-Dwellers, which inhabit the various Shimmering Metropolises within the empire's Coreland. Given that most dwellers are either of the Mud- or Blotcross caste, this subculture is primarily focused on the day to day life within the gigantic industrial complexes. As most dwellers spend their entire lives in the bowels of a single factory, the exact rituals and customs of the dwellers change from factory to factory to the point that dwellers from two different cities often fail to effectively communicate with each other.Outer-Settlers
The inhabitants of the various imperial colonies are known as Outer-Settlers which is both a reference to the fact that their homes are outside of the Coreland and their generally very high sympathy towards the Nobel Houses of the Outer Powers. While the denizens of the larger colony cities are practically indistinguishable from the city-dwellers of the Coreland, the cultures of the smaller colonies are often far more diverse and multifaceted than those of the "Corelander".Ship-Runners
Serving as the crews of the countless imperial naval assets, the Ship-Runners are a rather unusual bunch, as the strict lines that normally separate the various casts from each other are rather blurry within this subculture, allowing Mudcross sailors to directly address their Shardcross captain without the fear of severe punishments. This behavior is presumably owned to the fact that crew members often serve their entire life within the rather confined environment of their assigned ship and the matter of fact that both the Mirror Ministerium and the Impure Cathedral are generally blind on their "salt-eye".Palace-Born
Living within the labyrinthine palaces of the nobility, the Palace-Born form the upper class of society. Besides the members of the various Noble Houses, the term also encompasses the various Educated and Crossvein servants that live and work within these palaces or act under the direct orders of a noble. Given their relative sparse contact with individuals outside of the imperials high society and the fact that the Truthspeaker endlessly proclaim their divine nature, it is no wonder that the Palace-Born are regarded with a great deal of reverence and superstition. As a side effect of their isolation, each Noble House has developed various characteristic customs, fashions and speech patterns, whose exact meanings generally remain elusive to those outside of their exalted coterie.Cathedral-Children
Working and living within the various religious buildings of the Impure Cathedral, the Cathedral-Children act as the clergy of the Vitreous Empire. Given their dual role as priests and propaganda officers, they have regular contact with even the lowest classes of society making them a rather common sight within the factories and Mudcross barracks. Will still an instrument of the empire's authority, many Children have learned that little acts of kindness are often more effective in swaying the masses to their side than aimless acts of cruelty.Guildsmen
The members and assisting personnel of the seven Alchemist Guilds, the Guildsmen are a generally even more separated from other groups than the Palace-Born, which given the volatile nature of their experiments and the detrimental side effects their craft has on their mental health is regarded as a rather fortunate circumstance by many imperial citizens. Despite all the horrendous tales told about their experiments and "field tests", their value for the military and industrial might of the Empire can simply not be overstated, which allows them to act with a great deal of autonomy otherwise unheard of within the empire.Swamp-Walkers
The Swamp-Walkers inhabit the polluted swamps and mires outside of the Shimmering Metropolises as well as the sewers within the cities themselves. They are divided into a multitude of different tribes, which equally fight and assist each other in order to survive in the harsh conditions of the swamps. While not directly part of the empire, the crucial role their ancestors played during the Battle of the Burning Mirrors has granted them a certain level of protection and goodwill from the upper echelons of the empire.Territories
The Empire is like a festering wound upon the world, it will continue to grow until someone holds its progression...or until it has devoured us all.
Coreland
Defined as the land surrounding An Hylaria and the other Shimmering Metropolises, the Coreland forms the very heart of the Vitreous Empire. Given the high concentration of alchemical industry within these cities, the Coreland is one of the most polluted and contaminated areas within Cenorad, yet at the same time, it is also one of the most beautiful ones. Between oily streams of bubbling chemicals, hills of molten glass and banks of acidic fumes, the Coreland contains numerous landmarks of remarkable beauty that even manage to satisfy the high standards of the Ikona. One of the most notable and dangerous of these landmarks are the so-called Blistering Geysers, which spontaneously occur throughout the entire area and shower their surrounding with an iridescent mixture of burning liquids and crystallized mud, which causes intense foaming in all types of organic materials exposed to it.Colonies
Founded as mere resource gathering operations that collected the raw materials required to feed the insatiable hunger of the industrial complexes of the Coreland, many of the empire's colonies developed into large industrial centers of their own. While the output of most colonies still pales in comparison those of the Shimmering Metropolises their rapid growth in combination with their far larger numbers results in them contributing to an almost equal level to the overall industrial capacities of the Vitreous Empire. The only colonies that are able to directly compete with the metropolises of the Coreland are the so-called Purple Cities, which serve as both major trading hubs and the seat of power of the various Noble Houses of the Purpur Aristocracy. Besides these more generall colonies, the Empire also maintains various specialized colonies, that serve as either military outposts, naval bases, prison camps, or research sites.Guildlands
The Guildlands are the territories directly owned by one of the various Alchemist-Guilds, which they primarily use to conduct various alchemical experiments. Depending on the nature of these experiments these areas are potentially even more hazardous than even the worst parts of the Coreland. Besides the considerable danger posed by unexploded ordnance, gas-filled holes and flesh-melting rain visitors are also at risk of being mauled by a multitude of alchemical abominations that wander through these lands. While technically considered imperial territory, the Guildlands are de-facto outside of the control of the Senate and the few individuals that were stupid enough to challenge the Guilds on their home turf were "accidented" into the stratosphere.Military
Woe upon he who strikes the mirror, for its vengeful shards shall rend him apart. ~Axiom of the Eight Legion
Glass Legions
Serving as the primary armed forced of the Vitreous Empire the Glass Legions are a battle-hardened army, supported by the full might of the empires industrial complexes. The core of the Legions is comprised of so-called "Effigy-Warriors", which are sentient glass construct spawned from a Miwa host infected with a strain of virulent glass. Given that a single host is able to produce 90 to 100 effigies before dying from emaciation, the Legions possess a near unlimited number of Effigies and therefore are able to quickly replace any casualties arising during their extended campaigns. Besides the core of mass-produced effigies, the Legions also possess a great variety of specialized glass constructs that perform more complex roles on the battlefield. These roles include long-range sniping, planting of minefields, aerial reconnaissance, and psychological warfare. The most advanced and powerful of these specialized troops are the so-called Vitreous Angels, which occasional spawn from Starvein children during a process known as "Angel's Blossom". Given the great amounts of resources and feeding hosts required for the production of even a single specialized construct, their numbers are almost negligible in comparison to those of the mainline units. The third part of the Legions power is the Artillery Corps, which maintains and utilizes a vast array of devastating long- to medium-range weaponry to annihilate the enemies of the Empire. As most of these weapons require extensive calibrations and preparations to fire a single salvo, the primary role of the front line Effigies consists of holding enemy forces in place to give the Corps the time required to bring their weapons to bear. While the glass bodies of the standard Effigy-Warriors are somewhat resistant to most weapons in the Crops arsenal, the sheer volume of fire produced by the Corps artillery companies is nevertheless a common cause of destruction for front line units, regularly resulting in loss rates of 40-60%.Broken Armada
The second pillar of the Empires military might, the Broken Armada utilizes similar tactics as the Glass Legions, which were adapted to the requirement of naval combat. The core of the Armada's Splinter Fleets is composed of expendable Shatter boats and Sliver Frigates that are crewed by Effigy-Warriors, many of which are rigged with explosives or other alchemical weaponry. The general engagement strategy of the Armada consists of using these expendable boats as a screen and guided weaponry against the ships of their enemies, allowing the various types of battleships and colossal Bombardment Ships to train their mighty guns upon the enemies forces. Besides these mainline units, the Armada possesses a great variety of support crafts that fulfill a multitude of specialized functions. Some of these functions include the laying of mines, tactical reconnaissance, catapult-based deployment of Legion forces or the creation of burning oil films and gas banks that prevent an enemy from passing through certain areas. Following the devastating loss against the Yaw'dim at the battle of Mitwah, the name of the Armada has become quite more literal than originally intended.Alchemist Guilds
Besides their great importance in the development of new alchemistic weaponry, the seven Alchemist Guilds also provide a multitude of military assets to the forces of the Empire. While without a doubt highly potent assets, the forces provided by the guild are notoriously unreliable, as they are able to act outside of the power structure of the Legions and Armada and generally value their own objects far above any battle plans of their supposed commander. Due to this any commander within the Legions or Armada is well advised to prepare numerous backup plans in order to limit the often detrimental consequences of the numerous field tests performed by his supposed "allied" forces.Religion
Prais Sunya so her rays may bless the sky. Know your place, so Monnon may embrace you. Honor the Purple Lord so our ships may safely sail. Work hard so Kyr can set you free. Be of clear thought, to avert Astapag judgment. Venerate Wirika for the triumphs of the Legions. In the name of the Twin-Suns, the might of the Dominion and the shield of Protection, all hail the Vitreous Empire. ~ The Sixth PrayerThe only religion tolerated within the borders of the empire is the "Crystal Verity" taught by the Truthspeakers of the Impure Cathedral, which is as much a propaganda-filled fabrication as it is a proper religion. The Verity is based upon the sacred text of the Tales of Founding, which originating during the time of the Great Uprising as a means to increase the morale of the fighting troops and commemorate the fallen heroes of the conflict. Following the Foundation of the Vitreous Empire, these tales were further and further embellished to the point that the heroes of the war became mythical figures of almost divine status. During the time of the Great Advance, the reverence of the heroes turned into outright worship as the population lived through the darkest period of the Empires history. After the Nightskin Rebellion and the approval of the Preservers' plan, the instrumentalization of the Verity was further intensified and large parts of the Tales rewritten to better suit the social hierarchy envisioned by the Nobel Houses.
Gods of the Cathedral
The Impure Cathedral worships a total of seven gods, which are grouped into four clusters called "Mirrors". Each of the Mirrors (with the exception of the 4th Mirror) consist of two gods that simultaneously antagonize and complement each other in their function.Mirror of the Twin-Suns
The most venerated of the Four Mirrors the Mirror of the Twin-Suns contains the two main gods of the imperial pantheon, which unlike the gods of other mirrors are rarely worshiped separately from each other to the point that some Truthspeakers even proclaim the unity of the First Mirror in the form of the Dualistic Sun. Sunya, the Radiant Sun Goddess of Light, Justice, and Virtues, Sunya is seen as a righteous goddess that blessed the inhabitants of the Vitreous Empire with her purifying rays. As she is generally associated with the upper parts of society it is no wonder that anyone who would dare to oppose the commands of her beloved protégés is bound to draw her ire. Those that do end up upsetting the goddess might quickly find themselves at the wrong end of a "Gaze of Sunya", which is a devastating laser weapon developed in honor of the goddess by Alchemists of the Amethyst Guild. Monnon the Frozen Sun God of Darkness, Law, and Obedience, Monnon is regarded as a caring god that keeps a watchful eye over the lower classes of society. While not as magnificent as his radiant companion Monnon nevertheless cares deeply for those dwelling beneath his frozen gaze and therefore is filled with great sorrow and sadness should anyone try to flee from the loving embrace of the imperial cast system. While his tears have yet to find their way to the ground, many rebellious colonies already found themselves exposed to a close approximation created by the members of the Azurit Guild. The aptly named "Grief of Monnon" is a dreadful weapon system capable of covering a large area beneath a torrential downpour of corrosive rain.Mirror of Dominion
Representing the Empires Inner and Outer Powers the Mirror of Dominion is also seen as a representation of the relationship between the Coreland and its various colonies. Due to this, the reverence of the two gods forming this Mirror is often heavily biased towards one of the two deities that make up this mirror. Bisak, Ruler of the Seas The god of oceans, ships, and trade Bisak is seen as the patron of the empire's naval forces as well as the various colonies reliant on these ships for their prosperity. Given that the colonies and the trade networks connected to them form the very basis for the political powers of the Nogra, Bisak is also known as the Purple Lord or Outer Prince. Given his strong connection to ships and naval warfare, it is no wonder that the "Trident of Bisak" made by the Amber Guild is a primarily ship-mounted weapon, which fires a torrent of unquenchable flames that are able to ignite the very water of the oceans. Kyr, Mistress of Cities Goddess of industry, factories, and mining Kyr is venerated as the matron of the empire's industrial complexes. As the Metropolises of the Coreland are by far the largest industrial center within the whole empire, Kyr is often seen as the personification of the Blue Maze and in extension the entirety of the Coreland. Due to the Coreland and its industry being primarily controlled by the Nonex, Kyr is therefore also known as the Blue Lady or the Inner Princess. The alchemical weapon most commonly associated with Kyr is a heavy siege cannon developed by the Pyrite Guild known as "Kyr's Fist" which is able to launch a heavy fist-shaped projectile with such a great force that it is able to reduce even the mightiest of walls to dust.Mirror of Protection
Representing the security and power of the empire the Mirror of Protection is mostly worshiped by members of the Glass Legions and the agents of the various secret polices. Astapag, the Unseen Watcher God of Order, Judgment and the Afterlife, Astapag acts as the guarantee of the empires internal security and ensures that only "proper" thoughts are able to take root within the minds of its citizens. Those that fall victim to such vile degradations of the mind are either send to "adjustment camps" or offered the final mercy of the Hunter of Treachery. Despite his agents often favoring more permanent solutions over the time-intensive rebuilding of a corrupted mind, they nevertheless highly value the art of the discrete and secretive kill in order to not trouble the minds of the flock they have been tasked to protect. This need for a silent and efficient culling of the citizens of the empire resulted in the creation of the infamous "Verdict of Astapag", which is a hallucinogenic gas developed by the Emerald Guild that causes intense feelings of guilt and remorse within exposed individuals, before permanently putting them to sleep. Wirika, Mother of Angels Goddess of War, Strategy, and Glas, Wirika is the personification of the empires military might and revered guardian of its borders. While traditional regarded as the Patron of the Glass Legions, she still posses a substantial following within the sailors of the Broken Armada. Interestingly more complex Effigy-Warriors and especially Vitreous Angels also show signs of actively worshiping Wirika, which causes even some of the upper members of the Cathedral to truly believe in Wirika's existence. Fitting for the possible only real divine entity within the fabricated religion of the empire, the so-called "Cradle of Wirika" is one of the strangest and most outlandish weapon within the Empire's arsenal. Often fitted into a statue depicting Wirika the Cradle takes on the appearance of a simple hand mirror, that is able to instantly cover a large target area in a thin layer of reflective glass. Any organism that comes into contact with this material begins to suffer from a weakened version of the Angel's Blossom, which transforms them into a horrendous amalgamation of frozen flesh and glassed blood, known as a Heavenly Host.The Black Mirror
Also known as the Mad Mirror, the Black Mirror represents the seven Alchemist Guilds and the arcane science wielded by their members. Given the often strained relationship between the Guilds and the rest of the empire, the Black Mirror is rarely used in prayers or hymns and more often is part of various curses and insults. Unlike other Mirrors, it is said that the Black Mirror contains its own reflection within itself, which means that only a single god calls the Black Mirror home. Sendam, the Seventh God The god of Alchemy, Insanity, and Mayhem, Sendam is generally regarded as the wildcard of the gods, whose only predictable characteristic is his unpredictability. His name is identical to that of the First Alchemist and many see the two as synonymous to each other, though it is unclear whether Sendam ascended to godhood or simply returned to his original position. Given his strong connection to the art of Alchemy, it is no wonder that he is highly revered by all members of the Alchemist Guilds and any other practitioners of Alchemy, though their preferred form of worship is barely recognizable as such. The most common type of an "Alchemist's Prayer" consists of an attempt to create a marvelous display of alchemical reactions, which generally results in large explosions, raging firestorms, and toxic clouds. Due to this the instructors of the Imperial Academy quickly eliminate any of their alchemical gifted students that show an unhealthy amount of religious zeal in regards to the Seventh God. If these screenings either fail or an Alchemist only begins to develop religious tendencies after his transfer to the Guilds the results are often highly destructive, as can be seen with the "Black Core Bomb", which is a devastating explosive device that was created by a group of zealous Alchemists belonging to the Ruby Guild, based on the design of the experimental bomb that forcefully ended the Nightskin rebellion. The day of their final test is widely known as the "Day without Night" and resulted in the complete destruction of the test island and its surrounding atolls.Agriculture & Industry
I must say I am quite impressed by your ability to reach a new low of gustatory perception. I mean I have eaten real excrements that tasted better than this "substance" you feed to your workers. ~ Lingura "Razortongue", Agsimer gourmetIn a rather untypical fashion for an empire of its size and population density, the Vitreous Empire barely posses any forms of traditional agriculture. Instead, the citizens of the empire mostly subsist on rations of various types of nutrient pastes created via alchemy from nearly all types of organic and inorganic materials, including fecal matter, industrial waste and stillborn Miwas. Despite their questionable ingredients, these pastes are generally considered as edible or even palatable by the lower citizens of the Empire, which might be either due to the various stimulants and drugs added to many rations by the staff members of the Emerald Guild or due to a natural adaption of the Mudcross population in order to allow the trouble-free consumption of their only source of nourishment. The various tribes of Swamp-Walkers generally harvest the mutated plants, fungi, and biofilms growing within the polluted swamps or sewers of the cities of the empire. Additionally, they also hunt the various beast living within the swamps, such as Glass Lizards and Burning Mosquitos, thought their partial inorganic and highly poisonous natures quite strongly limit the amount of food gained from such activities. The Educated and Nobels of the Great Houses, on the other hand, dine exclusively on non-paste foods that are either imported from other species or grown within dedicated greenhouses and plantation colonies.
Trade & Transport
The most important transport systems within the empire are the so-called Hyladucts, which are colossal highways formed from blueish glass that stand far above the poisonous swamps of the Coreland and allow for safe travel between the various cities of the empire. Each Hyladuct contains several different transport lines called "Arteries", which are generally reserved for the usage by a specific imperial institution, such as the Black Arteries used by the Alchemist Guilds, the Star-lined Arteries used exclusively by the members of the Nobel Houses and the Cogwork Arteries used for the transportation of cargo.
Areas that lack direct access to a Hyladuct instead rely on one of the various Glass Roads for the transportation of goods and people. These roads are raised streets made from either glass cobblestones or vitrified rocks, which are commonly canopied in order to protect travelers from the corrosive rains of the Coreland. Despite these roofs, the travel along the Glass Roads is still highly dangerous and many travelers end up as fodder for the various swamp beasts or are killed by some of the more violent natural phenomenons of the swamps.
In addition to these land-based transport systems, the empire also possesses an extensive network of naval transport ways, which play a vital role in connecting the various colonies to the industrial centers of the Coreland. The backbones of this network are the so-called Swimming Coffers, which are colossal ships that are able to transport enormous amounts of cargo and personnel.
Veins and Mirrors
Theme song
Founding Date
0 YoA (Year of Angles)
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
The New Empire, Land of Glass-Angles, Realm of a thousand Shards
Demonym
Vitiry or Veins
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Unitary state
Currency
Marbles made from polished glass, know as "Shards". The value of an individual Shard is determined by its reflective properties, with fully reflective Shards being the most valuable ones.
Major Exports
Primarily various glass products such as tiles, mirrors, and glassware. Furthermore exports various low-level alchemy products such as Glow torches, Everflames, and pharmaceutical products like stimulants and narcotics.
Ironically for an empire founded by former slaves, the Vitreous Empire also sells thousands of slaves to other factions in the form of special bread and lobotomized crossbreeds of Miwa and alchemical creatures. The most common of these "products" are the glass-eyed Ta'hals and the monstrous Far'ham.
Major Imports
Huge amounts of raw materials from the various colonies, in order to feed the industrial complexes of the Coreland.
Additional various luxury goods from other species in order to satiate the needs of the nobility.
Legislative Body
The Imperial Senate serves as the legislative body of the Vitreous Empire. It consists of a total of 1,000 senators, which originate from the various Nobel Houses of the Starvein Nobility. Currently, 794 senators belong to the Nogria faction and the remaining 206 to the Nonex faction.
While the Senate was originally intended to serve as the sole legislative institution within the empire, the Emporer and Empress of the Mirror Thrones hold great influence over the decisions of the Senate, to the point that many discussions within the Senate are primarily indirect exchanges between the dualistic rulers of the Empire.
Judicial Body
The judicial body of the Empire consist of four separate institutions that focuses on specific aspects of the imperial law.
The Mirror Ministerium, under the direct control of the Senate serves as the central judicial institution and manages the day-to-day activities of the Empire.
The Impure Cathedral focuses on religious laws and generally only answers to itself, despite still technically being under to control of the Senate. As the highest officials of the Cathedral are all members of the Senate, these transgressions are generally overlooked.
The Unseen Guard serves as the personal security forces of both the Emporer and Empress and therefore only answers to them, which enables them to act outside of the control of the Senate.
The Wardens of the Veins are a small but very powerful institution that supervises the birthing factories of the Miwa and regulates the sexual reproduction of the upper classes of the empire. Even the current emperor and empress have to abide by the rulings of the Wardens.
Subsidiary Organizations
Related Ranks & Titles
Related Professions
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Manufactured Items
Related Items
Notable Members
Related Myths
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