The Sifran Empire

Trumpets sound, jewels sparkle and swords clash in the court, all for the emperor's entertainment. That was a time long ago though. Today's Sifran [SIH-fur-in] Empire has neither trumpets, nor jewels, let alone a court. Swords, however, are in plentiful supply, as local warlords vie for control over local territories and populations. The Sifrans once ruled the continent from Mount Kormad and the jungles of Orhil, to the ocean separating them from Cloudestria. Following a coup, the imperial city, Ghar [GAR] fell into ruins and some say it sunk into the sands of the Almorza [Ahl-MOR-tsuh] desert. The last emperor, Aten Xhrem [A-ten SHRAYM], sunk into the desert with his city, and no heir has come forward.

Society

The empire has a melting pot culture that combines cultural elements of four major cultural groups that dominate the empire, and dozens of minor cultures. The most dominant of the cultures is the metropolitan human Sifran culture surrounding Lake Thenizhoy [THE-nih-dzoy]. This is the culture of the emperor and bureaucracy, and acts as the high society of the Sifran Empire. Sifrans are individualistic at heart, but they value their blood-relatives and countrymen more than foreigners. Sifrans commonly become either homebody craftsmen and artists, or wandering merchants and diplomats, as these occupations are the ones most in demand. Other major cultures include the mixed-race Kormad [KOR-mahd] Exiles to the west, fey Almorzans to the north east, the subterranean Fundrae [FUN-jray] to the north, and finally the orcish Rishahd [Ree-SHAH-d] in the south. Each of these major cultures have prestige in their own sectors, and some foreign mystique in other parts of the empire.

Class and Stratification

In the Sifran Empire, the Sifrans are the dominant culture. Sifran culture is seen as high society, and educated. Poetry thrives in Sifran culture, and beautiful arts and crafts are highly valued across the Empire. The other major cultures within the empire are viewed as curiosities, and take on some of their favourite traits from each of the cultures. Particularly, the gastronomies of the Almorzans, and the metallurgy of the Fundrae. Rishahd culture is seen as pretty much nothing more than barbarism, but some rebellious teens learn Rishahd martial arts and battle tactics as a show of rebellion against their parents.

History

The Sifran Empire is an ancient hegemon of the continent. At first, the Sifran people were farmers and sculptors, but over time, their monopoly on mass-production of food gave them an edge over the surrounding tribes. Sifrans enjoy a favourable and highly recorded history due to their active usage of writing from an early era. The Sifrans quickly grew from mere farmers, to rulers and kings throughout their history, and would stand against many enemies from several planes. The Empire did, however, get overwhelmed by internal disputes under pressure from foreign invaders around 200 years ago. The nature of the invaders is unknown. This resulted in the subsequent coup that ended the empire.

Imperial Ascendancy

Starting as a mere city, Ghar was the capital of the Sifran Empire since its very inception. At first, farming was the most profitable output for the Sifrans, since in the deserts of Almorza and the jungles of Fundrae, there isn't much food available. Around 500 years ago, the first Sifran record was written. This record is important because it is the only record that refers to the Sifrans as the "Citizens of Ghar" rather than the "Sifran Empire." In this time, the city of Ghar used its food production to trade for gold and silver with the Almorzans. Using this gold and silver, the Ghar citizens hired the Rishahd orcs to conquer the rest of the Sifran lake cities and from here, the records refer to the Sifrans as the Sifran Empire.

The Height of The Empire

At its height, the empire projected power from the eastern base of Mount Kormad, to the Almorzan coast. Although no expeditions to cross Mount Kormad ever succeeded, the empire knew of the Kormad Confederation's existence thanks to its sizeable Kormad Exile population. The Sifran Empire secured its empire against the Orhil Technocracy using the Fundrae jungle as a natural border. This period is mostly peaceful, although the Sifran records show that the empire had been fighting against invaders from other planes. Unfortunately, almost all the records on the extraplanar invaders were destroyed during the coup, so nothing more than their existence is really known.
It was during this golden age that the empire created an elite military unit called "The Ascended."

The Decline of the Empire

Little is known about the coup that took the capital, quite literally, down. After decades of fighting against their extraplanar enemies, the Ascended elite soldiers were in a stalemate with the creatures. Fighting became a tradition, and an equilibrium was achieved. The void creatures could not make progress towards the capital, and the Ascended were unable to push the void creatures back to their plane. It was during this equilibrium that tension among imperial nobles began to flare up. Many Sifran historians cite these tensions among the nobles as the motivation for the coup, although little is known about it.
At this point in history, there are no records, so the veracity of this report is questionable at best, but the noble coup apparently resulted in so much fighting in the capital of Ghar, that the city itself sunk into the desert. The last emperor, Aten Xhrem, was killed in the fighting, along with any known blood relatives within the city. The Ascended had been summoned back to Ghar to take control of the city, but it was too late by the time they got there. The city sank, and with it the entire Sifran bureaucracy, royalty and army.

Government

The Sifran Empire is a hereditary absolute empire. The emperor has all power over the land they rule. All decisions ultimately are made by the emperor, although the imperial bureaucracy does its best to guide the emperor's decisions. Administration over domains outside of those lands resting on lake Thenizhoy is handled by Sifran viziers appointed by the emperor. Laws are hand-crafted by the emperor, and legal disputes are handled differently depending on the customs of the lands in which the crime takes place, and the customs of the plaintiff and defendant.
That all of course was the case before the fall of the empire. Today, there is no emperor, no bureaucracy nor any laws. Power vacuums are filled by local warlords, and just about anyone that can muster a force large enough to project power.

Administrative Sectors

The empire's former territories are divided by geographic and ethnic borders. The major areas are the Eastern Almorzan desert, Southern Almorzan desert, the Orhill March and the Mount Kormad Valley. These sectors each have several districts within them, and within those districts are zones. This creates the 3-tiered system by which the empire is administered. The lands surrounding lake Thenizhoy are directly administered by the emperor.
Currently, these administrative sectors are vacant power vacuums that are occupied by local powers.

Foreign Relations

The Sifran Empire is mostly ambivalent to the lands around it, except Orhill, with which hostile relations are fostered. Since its inception, the Sifrans have not been outwardly aggressive due to being wrapped up in battling the extraplanar creatures, and due to natural borders making war too expensive to earnestly pursue.

• The only nation to have been aggressed against by the Sifrans was the Orhill Technocracy. During the Empire's height, one major territorial acquisition was the Fundrae Jungle. This territory was governed by Orhill previously, but the Sifrans wanted access to the mines and expansive underground cities in the area. The war was a decisive victory for the Sifrans, and remains a sore point in diplomacy for the two nations. Today, the empire has fallen, and the world knows about it. Most nations see it as a far-off land disintegrating. except for Orhill which sees an opportunity to settle a score.

• The Empire has shaky relations with the Kormad Confederation because they harbour the Kormad exiles, but no conflict has ever emerged because neither party wishes to cross Mount Kormad.

• While neither nation has any particular interest in the other, Cloudestria and the Sifran Empire have gotten along well as trading partners. The distance overseas keeps relations friendly, since neither nation is a threat to the other. Sifran spices are highly valued overseas, and the Cloudestrians pay well for it.

Military

In its prime, the military was composed of a stratified military corps composed of 2 sections: the militia and the Ascended. The Sifran army created regiments based around those of the homes of its recruits. While the Ascended had their own way of fighting unique to them, the militias often formed tactics based on what they were comfortable with. Sifrans themselves prefer defensive formations with brutal counter-attacks; a stark contrast to the Rishahd who prefer blood-fueled rages.

The Militia

The militia were the rank and file, summoned by the viziers for jobs surrounding but not limited to law enforcement, debt collection, extortion, protection and, of course, war. Minor conflicts at the domestic level were most often handled by the militia, which were composed of locals from each administrative district. All imperial citizens were mandated to serve 1 month per year as militia. Conflicts with extraplanar enemies were handled by the Ascended.

The Ascended

The Ascended are a legendary group of elite warriors. At their height, they were the main fighting force of the Sifran Empire against their extraplanar enemies. The Ascended are a largely autonomous military group that, despite the fall of the empire, is still around. The Ascended serve no masters, and their true intentions are unknown to all but them. Unlike common mercenaries, the Ascended do not work for any worldly possessions. They avoid the public eye, so spotting one is a miracle in the eyes of a Sifran. Even for non-Sifrans, it is a rare sight worthy of a story to be told at taverns around the world.
Marked by their stoic appearance and gold-trimmed armours, the Ascended are not always immediately recognizable. They speak few words, and fight few battles. Those that they do fight, they win. At the moment, 7 Ascended are known to exist, and their locations are unknown. Their motivations, like their locations, are unknown.

Geography

Most of the Sifran Empire's territory is made up of the Almorzan desert. The other major biome is the Fundrae jungle to the north. The base of Mount Kormad makes up only a small part of the empire.

Almorzan Desert

The Almorzan Desert was the first acquisition of the Empire. While most of the desert serves little purpose, the various oasis cities act as trading hubs and farms for cash crop spices. The desert has hot days with cold nights, and frequent sandstorms. Along common trade routes, travelers can see many sights ranging from ancient tombs to freshly picked corpses of travelers too confident in their ability to traverse the desert.
Fauna in the desert includes many different kinds of lizards and other reptilians. The occasional dragon makes its home in the area, but often not for long as suitable hoards are difficult to keep in such an area. Many snakes also make their home in the desert.

Fundrae Jungle

The perilous jungles north of lake Thenizhoy are mostly uninhabited, at least on the surface. Underneath the jungles is a complex system of Dwarven holds and Lizardfolk Tunnels. These Dwarves and Lizardfolk coexist peacefully and provide the lands with metals, precious and base alike, and are a valuable tax base for whoever can lead them. The jungles themselves are filled with dangerous wildlife and poisonous plants, hence why its local Dwarves thrive underground.
Jungle wildlife includes many wildcats and primates. Many dinosaurs roam the land as well, with the occasional Tyrannosaurus Rex making an appearance. Most frightening are the occasional caverns housing dragons and their hoards.

We are the Writers of History

Nation Type
Geopolitical Empire (Now Power Vacuum)
Demonym
Sifran
Government System
Hereditary Absolute Empire (Vacant)
Religion
Peace, Trade, Education
Ruler(s)
Vacant, last Emperor was Aten Xhrem
Official Languages
Common, Almorzan