Kavasian Empire

The Kavasian Empire is the dominant military power on the continant of Arros. With a population more than triple that of its closest rival and only real chalenger to its rule, the Kingdom of Gysia, it is able to impose its will over much of the land.

History

First Kingdom is founded

The first proper Kavasian state forms around the year 1100 BC, from the unification various kavasian warlord clans fighting for control of the eastern grasslands. The capital of this new kingdom is Kus'Eran, named after the first king of the country, Eran the Founder. Eran pledges alleagance to Lauralia, who helped him ascend the throne.

Kavasia Enters its First War

Only around 40 years after being established, the kingdom involves itself in the Hazian league civil war, which would topple Harathian hegemony in favor of Carathenga's. It plays a minor role, only providing a small cavalry force and a contigent of archers to the kingdom of Lauralia, who ultimitly loses the war and thus control over the league. Since Kavasia supported the losing side, it sours relations with the new Hazian league. Kavasia enters its first period of isolation.

Carathengian Invasion and rule

Some centuries later and just a few years after officialy converting to Choranism, the country faces an invasion from The Carathengian Empire from 717 BC to 712 BC. They lose the war, and are forced to cede land and pay yearly tribute, essentialy becoming their vassal.

Liberation and isolation

In the year 427 BC, after 2 failed revolts against their masters, the population of the kingdom of Kavasia stages a third revolt, which manages to shake of the grip of the Carathengians and they become independant once again. Kavasia entered a second period of isolation from the remaining 3 centuries of the Second Age as the lands west of them plunged deeper into endless wars.

Fight against the Blight

By the start of The Fall, the kingdom of Kavasia was strong and most importantly, had remained largely unscaded by the wars all over the continent. This allowed them, as well as some other countries, to play a crucial role in ridding the continent of the Blight monsters as the collapsing Carathengian and Essanian Empire could not mount an effective resistance against the monsters.

Powerful empire and enemies

By the start of the Third Age, the Kingdon of Kavasia has, through its rapid expansion westwards, come to fill the roynian plains, nearly completly depopulated as a result of the blight, and they would in no time proclaim the Empire of Kavasia. Since then, numerous wars on their eastern and western borders against the Nhaggorians and Gysian respectively would keep the Kavasian cavalry occupied. However, even as friendlier relations have been established with Nhaggoria, the kingdon of Gysia remains an important foe to this day.

Demography and Population

General Population

The Kavasian empire is an incredibly diverse country. Since its an Empire, it has a lot of ethnic minorities, mainly Eglazians, Morattians and Hazians who mostly live in the western half of the country, while most Kavasians live in the Eastern half, called the Kavasian grasslands. In the years following The Fall, the kavasian kingdom expanded west, into the roynian plains, filling the gap left by the collapsing Essanian empire. The land was at this point mostly devoid of population, say for some key cities, like Taralan or Tilesi and a large number of Kavasians decided to leave the grasslands and settled west. In fact, the population of the Larasor, one of the western most city in the country, is primarily made up of ethnic Kavasian, despite it being so far away from their original homeland.

Mage population

Despite its enormous population size, the Kavasian empire doesn't have that big of a mage population. In fact, the population of mage is comparable to its much smaller neighbour, the kingdom of Kingdom of Alvaros. Most mages are of Kavasian or Eglazian ethnicity as the ancestor of the mage from other ethnicities were largely wiped out during The Fall, thanks to The Blight. To this day, a bit over 400 years later, the population of Hazian mages is significantly lower than it would have been, despite them being the second largest ethnic group in the empire.

Territories

The country is large. It occupies most of central Arros. Its borders are mostly defined by natural features, such as the Lapisian sea to the east, the mountains to the south and the Toren sea and Sanat river to the west. The northern border wa agreed upon with the kingdom of Alvaros has remains unchanged now for more than 5 centuries. In the east, the land is dryer and hotter. The Kavasian grasslands dominate the region, but further west, the dry grassland is replaced by lush prairies, cut through by numerous rivers. The largest of them all, the Royn, streches from the Alvars mountains to the north, all the way down to the city of Vrahlis, before emptying into the Mahadorian Sea.

Military

Infantry

Thanks to its large population and food production, the empire can affort to have a permanant standing army, numbering around 300k soldiers, posted as guards in various cities, near the Gysian border and abord Winged ships or boats. In case of war, in call also call upon millions of reserve amongst the general population. The standing army has 8 mage compagny grouped into two battalions, numbering around 250 soldiers each. Most are fire mages.

Cavalry

From its early existance as a small tribe in the heart of the Kavasian grasslands, the kavasian have always used cavalry to great effect. To this day, the empire exports top tier horses, fit for devastating cavalry charges, while also having the best cavalry on the continent, by far. In fact, their cavalry has won them more battles than all other units in their army, including their Winged ships.

Navy

The Kavasian Empire has a relatively small navy that it uses to secure the bay of vrahlis and the surrounding sea, as well as the Toren sea. There, it regulary encounters Gysian ships and minor clashes are frequent.

Air Force

The Kavasian Empire has a large fleet of Winged ships. Most are commercial and civillian in nature but could be used by the army to move ressources like food and soldiers. Like most countries, it has few Military grade Winged Ships, also called Dragoneers because of how expensive they are to construct. They are rumoured to be located in City of Kus'Qari, the capital.

Mercenary

Since the country doesn't have a large native born mage population, it frequently requires the services of Mage Mercenary to fill their ranks. These mercenary usualy come from three places: The Kingdom of Alvaros, the Confederation of Ru'mensh or Kingdom of North-Shorai. In fact, many shoranian mage mercenary flocked to Kavasia in hopes of fighting the Kingdom of Gysia after the latter's invasion of their country.

Religion

As a large and diverse empire, Kavasia is home to numerous fates. Combined, the two largest of them, Solianism and Choranism, are practiced by most of the population. While various denominations of Choranism dominate in the north, south-east and centre of the country, the south-East is largely Solian, of the eastern or Arrosian denomination. The traditional Kavasian religion is still practiced in some parts of the country, mainly in the Kavasian grasslands, in the eastern half of the empire, but it is falling out of favor as the last 11 Emperors have all been Chorani. The fact that Choranism has many similarities with the traditional religion also makes it easy for the population to convert to Choranism.

Foreign Relations

Allied nations

While the Kavasian Empire is still considered an empire, it hasn't substantialy expanded in more than a century. while this has caused some problems internaly, it has also allowed for relations with foreign countries to warm up. Despite this, the empire only has two real allies. Kingdom of North-Shorai and the Kingdom of Alvaros. With the latter, they actualy have been allies for centuries, following a peace treaty drafted during the early years of the Third age. This treaty established the current borders between the two countries and is the longest lasting treaty currently in effect in Arros.

Enemy Nations

At a glance, it would be safe to assume that Kavasia's top advessary to be the Kingdom of Gysia. After all, they fought each other multiple times in just the last century, and Gysia just recently invaded and nearly completly subjugated one of Kavasia's ally while they were distracted by internal strifes. And while Gysia is by no means a push over, even against them, the Emperor's court and its noble allies are much more concerned about the influence of the Merchant Rebublic of Arba on its western cities, particulaty the all important City of Vrahlis, which is already nearly independant from the Emperor's influence. Even if the Republic publicaly declares itself to be neutral, Kavasia firmly thinks of them as an enemy.

Neutral Nations

Their view towards the commonwealth and the Kingdom of Heoria are friendly, but Kavasia sees them more as potential allies rather then full fleidged allies, like shorai or Alvaros. The Kingdom of Kingdom of Nhaggoria is somewhat the opposite. The Emperor is aware that Gysia sent diplomatic envoys to the Nhaggorian king's court. However, the king seems more preoccupied by its slipping rule over the Vechor Islands than a potential war with Kavasia.

Laws

Anti-slavery law

Unlike most other Arrosian country west of the Alvars mountains and in Enask, Slavery is illegal within the Kavasian Empire. The law is recent, not even a decade old, but it already changed many aspects of Kavasian society. Indentured servitudes exploded in popularity within the noble class, while former slaves usualy find themselves in servitude contracts with their former masters or at least another former slave master.
This also impacted the legal and illegal fighting pits in most cities, as despite their popularity and revenue, they became the target of raids by the imperial army seeking to uphold the law, as most fighters within those establishements where illegal slaves, some where even minors. 
Of course, the application of this law isn't homogenous as in some cities, like Vrahlis, a thriving black market for slaves disguised as indetured servants with bogus contracts and impossible to pay back depts has rapidly grown, especialy in the poorests areas of the city. A lot of former slave masters have flocked to the city, in hopes to continue their lucrative buisiness. Meanwhile, the city's council turns a blind eye and the emperor can hardly enforce any law within the city without the coucil's approval.

Agriculture & Industry

Agriculture

While the eastern part of the empire may be too dry or rugged for large scale farms to develop, the central and western parts are graced by the Royn river and its tributaries as well as rich fertile soil, meaning that all across the region, endless farmland covers the land, producing vast quantities of grain, fruits and vegitables that feed the empire's large population and even allows the Kavasian to export grain abroad, mainly to the north, where farmland is much rarer. Large grain production in the roynian plains and cattle production in the Kavasian grasslands

Horse Breeding

In the Kavasian grasslands, the best horses on the entire continent are bread and trained here. In fact, even in Enask, the Kavasian horses are remouned for their speed and strenght, especialy warhorses, which forms the backbone of the famed Kavasian Cavalry.

Fishing

Fishing is a prominant industry in both the City of Moratt and the City of Kusmar, which are situated along the Toren and Lapisian sea, respectively. In Fact. Kus'Mar's name, which means city of the sea, is also unofficialy refered to as Fish city, since its the city's main industry, along with shipbuilding.

Forestry

A limited number of forests within the empire means that the lumber industry in the country is very small, unlike its neighbours to the north, the kingdoms of Alvaros and Heoria, which are nearly completly covered in forests. However, the west, near the borders of Gysia and Alvaros, as well as in the east near Heoria, forest cover is important enough to sustain the industry. as most of the timber in the Kavasian Empire comes from the forests of Alvaros and Heoria.

Achemy

Most of the Alchemic industry in Kavasia is located in two cities: Vrahlis and Moratt.

Infrastructure

Roads

Many roads link the numerous cities of the country together. Some, particulary in the west, were first built by the Essanian empire nearly a millenia ago, but they are still in a relatively good state. These roads also span the wide rivers of the west over bridges buit by the Essanian Empire as well. Courser horses still run along these roads, delivering messages, even as using Soulstridder to do the same task has become the norm in other countries on the continent, such as in the Kingdom of Gysia 

Ports

The ports of Moratt, Vrahlis and Kus'Mar are the largest and most important ports for the Empire. Despite its size, the empire has a limited access to the ocean, as most cities along the southern coast of Arros aren't owned by them, but rather by external powers, such as the Merchant Republic of Arba, Gysia and Nhaggoria

Airports

The cities of Vrahlis, Larasor and Kus'Qari have the largest airport. In fact, Vrahlis has the largest Airport on the continent, in terms of passenger capacity.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Capital

City of Kus'Qari

Demonym

Kavasi

Leader Title

Emperor of Kavasia

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Major Exports

The most prized Kavasian exports are the valuable potions concocted by its alchemists, Grain, particulary wheat and rye and the high quality horses that it breeds.

Major Imports

Kavasia imports nearly all of its wood, mainly from its northern neighbours, the Kingdom of Alvaros and the Kingdom of Heoria.

Official State Religion

Choranism

Official Languages

• Kavasian Language

Controlled Territories

• City of Kus'Eran
• City of Kus'Qari
• City of Kusmar
• City of Larasor
• City of Moratt
• City of Naldah
• City of Taralan
• City of Vrahlis
• Kavasian Grasslands

Neighboring Nations

• Kingdom of Alvaros
• Kingdom of Gysia
• Kingdom of Heoria
• Merchant Republic of Arba

Related Ethnicities

• Eglazian Ethnicity
• Harathian Ethnicity
• Kavasian Ethnicity