Tenebria

"Father used to tell me tales about the Vampires and Lycans of Tenebria. The very creatures of the night themselves. He told me that they have powers beyond the imagination of mere mortals, ones to rival those of the old ones themselves! They sound scary to me honestly. I am glad that they have been so loyal and kind to us ever since our empire arose. When i do ascend the throne, i wont betray the blood that has bound us for centuries."
Hans Christian Danielsen, talking to his younger brother Casper Christiansen about Tenebria

Tenebria is the largest and most powerful kingdom in The Sanguine Imperium. This kingdom is one ruled by the creatures of the night such as vampires, Lycans, skeletons, liches and other sorts of myriad dark creatures. Despite the many differences and slight grudges between the various forms of undead, they live in harmony, under the calm darkness of the almost eternal polar nights. Tenebria has also been one of mankinds greatest allies, having fought side by side with their mortal brethren against the Argonites for centuries.

Structure

Tenebria itself is an absolute monarchy, being ruled by either the king or queen of Tenebria. The monarch holds absolute final say over everyone in Tenebria, and can veto any decision so long as it is not supported by the entire Sanguine council and common council. Each month, a meeting sits between the two councils and the monarch, to discuss various issues in the kingdom and how best to tackle them.

The Sanguine council

The Sanguine council is made up of members from the most powerful noble houses in Tenebria, with each of the members of this sixteen person council being responsible for a specific purpose in the kingdom. The Sanguine Circle is composed of four of the most powerful men and women on Tenebria, tasked with controlling the military, administration and civil organisation, clergy and religious matters and the internal security of the kingdom. The four members of the Sanguine circle are also members of the Sanguine council and each have four other regular members of the Sanguine council underneath them who work on the different subdivisions and departments of the four main departments .

Common council

The common council consists of non nobles and civilians elected to their current positions and serve as the voice of the common folk of Tenebria. The voting takes place after every five years, in which the general populace elect new members to the common council through a nationwide moot. There is no limit as to how many times someone can be on the common council. This council has the power to make demands, as well as veto any decision made by the Sanguine council provided that at least ninety five of the commmon council vote for the decision. This helps keep the balance of power in check and allows for the rooting of corruption in both the councils.

Public Agenda

"Let it be decreed, that from this day on, the kingdom of Tenebria shall be a haven for all undeadkind and offer our brethren a safe place in this world. We shall fight to protect our people and sacrifice our lives for each other if need be. Long live Nocturna. Long live Undeadkind!"

A declaration made by Azrael Keras, the first vampire king and monarch of Tenebria during his coronation ceremony at the Temple of Ciara

The Kingdom of Tenebria was created first and foremost, to serve as a safe haven for all undeadkind from their various enemies around the world. Persecuted and always deprived of even the slightest freedoms, undead were forced to hide in the dark and mix in with the common populace. This all changed however during the unification wars, where with the help of mankind , undeadkind rose against most of their human oppressors and drove them back from their territory under the dynamic leadership of Azrael Keras, the first vampire king. Soon after, all of undeadkind united and the kingdom of Tenebria was born. To this very day, the undeadkind fight tooth and claw for their freedom and a life of peace.

Assets

Natural resources

Rarely can you find an edible plant in these cold and unforgiving lands. The snow covers most of the landscape of the north with scarce a tree to be seen. But underneath these icy grounds, lie the very lifeblood of war. Metals and other materials from the bowels of the Earth that we give to our human brethren that have sacrificed so much for us.
Inarra Keras, Queen of Tenebria, talking about the vast mineral wealth stored underneath the territories of Tenebria.

Tenebria is a kingdom rich in mineral wealth. Underneath the territory controlled by Tenebria, there lie vast amounts of mineral resources that are used by the greater Sanguine Imperium for keeping their empire alive. There have been numerous trade agreements between the various kingdoms of the Imperium with the other kingdoms trading in food and other agricultural resources in exchange for a portion of the material hidden underneath the Tenebrian lands.

Economy

The economy of Tenebria is a robust one, being based primarily upon the raw materials and minerals trade that the country has. Tenebria was also known as the first kingdom to have built up an emergency fund that would be enough to last the kingdom for at least a month in case of emergencies.

Military

Dead rising army by https://www.deviantart.com/thiennh2

"He stood there, taller than a pine tree and looking down at me with his beady, white eyes. I was scared shitless after that encounter with that thing. I am happy that i didn't get on his bad side, because just by the looks of his face, i knew he could snap my neck in the blink of an eye"
Casper Christiansen, describing an encounter with a revenant.

The Tenebrian Undead legions are the country"s own armed forces, which ultimately owe allegiance to the greater Sanguine Imperium but enjoy a greater degree of autonomy than the other kingdoms, owing to the sheer power of the undead legions as well as Tenebria being more of an ally rather than a vassal kingdom of the Imperium. The army itself is extremely diverse, consisting mostly of undead with vampires taking leading and commanding roles and Lycanthropes being in the command of shock infantry. To maximize the country"s military powers, Queen Inarra Keras had started the Home army program, which requires all citizens to undergo at least a month of regular military training every year as well as 3 months of regular service in the military. This initiative has largely been welcomed by the population, as this would help in bogging down invading forces whilst the regular, permanent army mobilizes.

History

The beginning

Vampires and other undead creatures had roamed the vast northern and southern areas of Inaria, ever since mankind had arose. Most of mankind and the Argonites had shunned them however, believing them to be foul and unholy creatures that had no place in this world. For millenia, undead were persecuted and hunted across the continent, even when they showed that they were capable of kind and selfless acts. All of this would change however, when one day, the vampires and undeadkind had found their true leader.

Unification Wars

Undead army by https://www.deviantart.com/icemacob

"We have suffered for millennia at the hands of everyone. Tormented, tortured and persecuted just for being us! Not anymore. The time has come my friends. We shall no longer suffer under the Yoke of our oppressors, be they mankind, Argonite or any other godforsaken race. Rise up my brothers and sisters! Nocturna herself is watching us today and she will lend her power if we do our best! Long live Nocturna. Long live Undeadkind!"
Attributed to Azrael Keras, the first vampire king of Tenebria and the kingdoms founding father

During the great unification wars that would unify most, if not all of mankind into a single empire, a similar event had happened in the region that would become modern day Tenebria. A young vampiric man named Azrael had witnessed the brutality that his opressors were inflicting upon his tribesmen and swore that he would one day unify all of undeadkind. The chance would come soon however, as Mathias Christiansen, the first emperor of the Sanguine Imperium, would come to the aid of his vampiric brethren.
A week or so later, a large force of warriors had came to the tribal lands claimed by the tribe of Azrael. To their surprise, the warriors wanted to help the vampires, and Mathias himself personally talked with the boy. Inspired by his words and help, Mathias had begun organizing his and the other tribes into an armed resistance group with the help of the humans. At first, the vampires only resisted against their opressors and did not go on the offensive but as they gained power and Azraels name spread like wildfire, the vampires began to be inspired by his words and actions and took up further armed resistance against their enemies.
Soon enough, not only vampires but werewolves, lycanthropes and other undead began joining in their army. In the end, after only two years, the undead had reclaimed their land and the kingdom of Tenebria was born. Despite wanting to keep his nation fully sovereign, King Azrael had sworn to become part of The Sanguine Imperium after Mathias had promised him a large degree of autonomy for his kingdom. To this day, both men are seen as the greatest heroes in the history of their entire race, having given the undead the freedom that they had craved for millennia.

Beginning of the great war

Around eight centuries or so ago, a large number of human settlements around the southern borders of the The Sanguine Imperium were found razed to the ground, with all of their inhabitants either dead or dying. The attack itself was suspected to be committed by the Argonites, seeing as they often had a slight degree of contempt for mankind for helping out foul creatures such as undead in their eyes. This was confirmed by even more raids by Argonites into human territory, which escalated into a full blown war that dominates the entire planet to this day. Tenebria has always allied itself with their human brethren, coming to their aid in the direst of times.
Little would any of the belligerents know however, that they were being played by a dark, sinister power that was plotting its return into the world after its defeat many milllenia ago. In the upcoming days as the world grows more sinister and the signs of Arkanos"s return grow ever more prevalent, Tenebria must play a key role in defeating this sinister entity once and for all, lest all of Elladia fall victim to him and his dread legions, and the few living ones suffer a fate far worse than the cold comfort of death

Demography and Population

The Demography of Tenebria consists largely of various sorts of undead including vampires, werewolves and the like. There is a large human minority who work as goverment officials and military advisors as well as ambassadors, strengthening the relations between the rest of the Imperium and Tenebria.

Territories

The territory of Tenebria consits of most of the northern parts of Inaria , with a small strip of land at South that remains free from the icebound plains and meadows in the North. The lands themselves were always areas where undead concentration was high, which makes them the ancestral lands of Tenebria.

Military

"The ranks seemed endless, stretching as far as my eyes could see. The Tenebrians had finally come. Just like they always did. If there is one country i never, ever want us to go up against, it is Tenebria." Attributed to an unknown Imperial soldier during the battle of lake Artoria.

The Tenebrian military is a vast, gigantic network of millions of soldiers, each willing to fight till their very death for the cause of their kingdom. The Tenebrian undead legions can be broken up into a number of categories based upon a certain number of their qualities such as race, role etc.

Undead legions

Undead Samurai army by https://www.deviantart.com/falkenforfan

The undead legions make up the majority of the Tenebrian armed forces, being composed of all sorts of undead including skeletons, banshees, revenants, Mistmen, wrathmen and many other types of undead . They fulfill every role from shock and assault troops, regular line infantry, heavy cavalry, mages, fire support etc due to the diverse nature of the undead races.

Undead legends

Undead Hero by https://www.deviantart.com/mischeviouslittleelf

Legendary soldiers of the undead legion, they have fought countless battles and lived to tell the tale, with some of them having lived and fought for centuries and even millenia. Over time, their power has only grown. Now they lead their lesser brethren against their enemies, armed with the power and knowledge they have accumulated for their entire lifetime

Werewolf legions

The werewolf legions are an elite part of the Tenebrian armed forces, being reserved for large scale battles where they, alongside their other lycanthropic brethren act as the elite shock troops for the undead legions and act in a commanding role alongside their vampiric brethren.

Vampiric legions

The vampiric legions are usually field commanders of the various undead legions, setting examples and keeping the morale of their men high. They are also the single strongest beings in the entire legion, barring the undead legends. Aside from their commanding role, Vampires are also known to turn their enemies into undead, further bolstering the power of their forces and turning the enemies forces against them

Technological Level

In terms of technological and scientific progress, Tenebria leads the entire world of Elladia with her prodigical scholars. Many a scholar from tenebria has been invited to other kingdoms to improve the scientific progress of their own country as well as collaborate on certain projects. Perhaps the biggest and most groundbreaking discovery that can be attributed to Tenebrian scholars are the discovery of Magic and Dark energy and the potential use of them in technology, which might spark the beginning of an entirely new age of technological innovation and development.

Religion

Tenebrias official state religion is a variant of the Sanctus Divinatus, the official and most widespread religion in The Sanguine Imperium. This religion is centered upon the worship of Nocturna, godess of the night and patron deity of the vampires, as well as their progenitors. The Temple of Ciara is the holiest building of the Tenebrian faith, being home to the largest Cathedral dedicated to Nocturna.

Foreign Relations

The Sanguine Imperium

"Your ancestors, they were the reason my people are living in peace right now. They were the reason why we have our freedom today. To this day, we are still indebted to you. I have to personally thank you and your ancestors for all the kindness they have shown to us"
Inarra Keras, speaking to Casper Christiansen about the role of Mankind in the creation of Tenebria.

The Sanguine Imperium and Tenebria have long had a cordial and undying friendship with each other, which some can say is even more close than their relationships with their own human brethren. This is partly due to the fact that biologically, vampires, werewolves and undead are subspecies of humans and have ages old links with them but the biggest factor in this friendship is the role mankind had played in the creation of Tenebria. Had it not been for the constant help of mankind, Tenebria would not even have existed in the first place and undeadkind would never have had the freedom it had craved for millennia.
To this day, Tenebria and the Imperium had always came to help each other during times of war and peace, and many soldiers in the greater Imperial army can proudly boast of their Tenebrian heritage.

The Aegean empire

The Aegean empire and the Imperium are currently in a state of open warfare, like all the other kingdoms that comprise The Sanguine Imperium. The undead of Tenebria in particular, have a far bigger hatred for the Aegean empire and the entire Argonite race due to their harsh treatment of the undead before the formation of Tenebria, thinking them to be nothing more than unholy, foul creatures

Agriculture & Industry

Tenebria is one of the most industrialized political entities in the entire world, boasting an enormous industrial base that runs on the nearly endless amounts of mineral wealth boasted by the country. Across every village, city, large town and borough, one can find large industrial bases that produce weapons, clothes, armor and many other items that are needed to run the kingdom on a day to day basis. Because of the high quality of the minerals used in the manufacture of most of the items, Tenebria also exports them to the other kingdoms, in exchange for money and food as well as other agricultural items.

Trade & Transport

Trade and transport in Tenebria relies on the vast network of interconnected bridges, waystations and resting places that are scattered at important locations around the kingdom. The Tenebrian highway system links even the remotest parts of the country with each other, providing a sense of interconnectivity and allowing fairly rapid movements of goods and materials around the country itself.

Education

The education in Tenebria is largely handled by the Scholars guild, who control all the public education institutions in the kingdom. On average, the Tenebrian citizen has more education and knowledge about the world itself, due to the public schooling system of Tenebria as well as mandatory education. For higher educations, the commonfolk can enter into large Academies run either by the scholars guild or private institutions.

Et regnum Tenebris

Life in Tenebria for the common citizen

Life for a Tenebrian common citizen is usually very peaceful and good compared to most other kingdoms. The citizens themselves work from early morning to early evening, before returning to spend time with their family and friends. They live in relative peace due to the agressive nature of the law enforcement agencies of Tenebria discouraging most crime from happening. Each citizen is expected to take an active part in the development of the kingdom by performing various tasks, as together, they are what keeps the kingdom afloat in an ocean of chaos.

Life in Tenebria for the nobility

Tenebrian nobility, unusual for noble families across the Imperium, usually have a lifestyle that is close to their commonfolk. Most of them are known for their cordial relations with the normal citizens of the kingdom, and most of them work their hardest to keep the happiness of their kingdom alive.

Life in Tenebria for a human

For the humans that live on Tenebria, they get equal, if not even better living standards than the average citizen of Tenebria. Most of the humans that live on Tenebria are usually serving on some kind of diplomatic mission, strengthening the bonds between the two nations and the greater Imperium. All humans however, have to donate a portion of their blood to a special bank depending on their healthiness and the amount of blood they contain, which goes to feed the vampiric citizens of Tenebria. Nevertheless, despite the almost eternally dark polar nights on Tenebria, the humans there are still content to serve alongside their undead brethren, having done so for ten millenia.

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

Karelia

Demonym

Tenebrian

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

Being a part of the Sanguine Imperium, Tenebria also uses the common Tears used in the rest of the empire.

Major Exports

Tenebrias most important exports are its mineral resources and industrial products such as weapons, armor, building materials etc. Owing to the high quality of the materials used in the construction of these products, they are highly sought after by the other kingdoms. Weapons make up most of the export of Tenebria, as the metallurgy and quality of materials used in these weapons make them highly desirable by the other nations of the Imperium

Major Imports

Agricultural items like foodstuffs, fertilizers and other products are the most common imports of Tenebria, owing to the harsh environment they live in that is usually impossible to perform any sort of large scale agriculture in.

Legislative Body

The Sanguine council serves as the primary lawmaking body of the kingdom, who have the power to make as well as repeal laws provided that it gains approval from the entire Sanguine council and most of the common council.

Judicial Body

The Sanguine arbitrators serve as the country"s primary law enforcement agency, enforcing the law in their respective places as well as combating the breach of the law.

Location

Inaria

Neighboring Nations

• The Sanguine Imperium

Notable Members

• Azrael Keras
• Hakon Morrigan