Saisol Awak Empire
The green band of life bordered by bands of red death.
The Saisol-Awak Empire was once the dominant economic power among the kingdoms of the Kervakhen River. Two hundred years of growth were cut short when a series of ineffectual pharaohs plunged the nation in to a half century long period of civil war. Finally reunified, the Empire has spent the past fifty years working to regain its lost prominence.
Structure
The Saisol-Awak Empire is an absolute, hereditary monarchy.
Pharaoh: Pharaoh is the physical embodiment of Amnet, The Glorious Day's will on the world. They have absolute power within the Empire, and their rule is, publicly, uncontested. In practice, much of their authority is delegated to various bureaucrats and officials, most of who are selected from within the Imperial family. Pharaoh is always succeeded by one of their children. While Pharaoh may have some influence on which of their children will succeed them, the new Pharaoh is ultimately chosen by the impartial Rite of Succession.
Pharaoh: Pharaoh is the physical embodiment of Amnet, The Glorious Day's will on the world. They have absolute power within the Empire, and their rule is, publicly, uncontested. In practice, much of their authority is delegated to various bureaucrats and officials, most of who are selected from within the Imperial family. Pharaoh is always succeeded by one of their children. While Pharaoh may have some influence on which of their children will succeed them, the new Pharaoh is ultimately chosen by the impartial Rite of Succession.
Public Agenda
The goal of Empire is to bring about the prosperity of the citizens of the Empire. In theory, all of the actions that the empire takes are for the benefit of its people, and many of the individuals in charge genuinely believe that.
Assets
52,000 square miles of land, 20,000 square miles of arable land
Army name placeholder
4 Universities, 84 fortifications
Army name placeholder
4 Universities, 84 fortifications
| Type | Total | Active (settled) | Active (Wilderness) | Abandoned (Settled) | Abandoned (Wilderness) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Castle | 17 | 11 | 4 | 0 | 2 |
| Keep | 42 | 27 | 9 | 1 | 5 |
| Tower | 25 | 16 | 5 | 1 | 3 |
| Total | 84 | 54 | 18 | 2 | 10 |
Demography and Population
3,628,800 total residence
The empire is majority human with plurality of the rest of the population made up of halflings. The empire also claims dominion over those oasis nearest to it in the Red Waste, which are also a majority barbarian human tribes with mixtures of desert dwelling monstrous races.
| Settlement Type | Number | Population | Percentage | Average Pop. | Distance B/w (miles) |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Isolated | - | 3,412,963 | 94.05% | - | - |
| Villages | 1,896 | 142,200 | 3.92% | 75 | 3.26 |
| Towns | 119 | 36,652 | 1.01% | 308 | 13.02 |
| Small Cities | 28 | 22,876 | 0.63% | 817 | 26.83 |
| Large Cities | 6 | 10,638 | 0.29% | 1,773 | 57.97 |
| Metropolis | 1 | 3,471 | 0.10% | 3,471 |
Territories
The Saisol-Awak Empire originally consisted only of the cities of Saisol and Awak. Over the three and a half centuries, the empire has gradually gained control over the other towns and cities of what is now know as the imperial gorge. The recent period of civil war resulted in a thorough mixing of the once distinct cultures as each group vied for power with the others. Post unification, the new dynasty has focused primarily on reinforcing the ties between the cities instead of conquering new territories.
Military
The military of the Empire is known as Bataunin, or the children of Batau. In addition to standardized equipment (bronze rings over linen tunic, bronze plated skirt, bronze spear, and round wooden hide covered shield), all members of the Bataunin wear a six earrings, three in each ear. Standard soldiers wear a set of silver rings, with one ring being replaced with gold for each progressive rank. The ranks are, in ascending order, Khamseen (greatest of fifty), Troop Captain, Troop Commander, Overseer, Lieutenant Commander, and General. Higher ranking officers may purchased improved armaments for themselves in addition to their standard issue equipment. An average soldier earns a salary of 1 gold per day, while higher ranking officers may earn various benefits, land, or an increased salary. The Pharaoh also acts as Grand General in times of war, and while serving in this capacity often wears six earrings of platinum.
Technological Level
Standard bronze age level technology.
Religion
The Church of the Blazing Sun is the officially recognized pantheon of the Empire. However, because the empire is a crossroads between several different nations and cultures the worship of many of those gods has been adopted by the residents of the empire. None of those gods are worshiped in secret or are forbidden, as long as the citizens still pay proper tribute to the official pantheon.
Agriculture & Industry
The Kervakhen River is the primary, and in some cases only source of water within many parts of the Saisol-Awak Empire. As such, all major farming techniques are centered around making as much use of the river as possible.
Farms are irrigated with an interconnected series of canals fed by the river. Due to the increased difficulty of digging and maintaining these canals at greater distances from the main body, most of the farmland lies within less than a mile of the river. Here it is not only supplies a continuous supply of water, but the nutrients of the land are constantly replenished by the slit washed downstream in the annual flooding. Farmland is parceled out in roughly rectangular sections, with the canals serving as a natural border. In order to ensure the center of the farm patch receives as much water as the borders, a simple counterbalanced bucket is used to scoop water out of the canal and pour into over the central portions of the land.
Each individual farm will usually contain a variety of crops. Fruiting trees, being the most water intensive crop, are planted either along the canal itself, or along the paths linking the individual farms. The bulk of the space will be filled with either grain (usually wheat, or barely), or flax. Sections of the land closer to the home are seeded with a variety of pulses or melons, notable among them peas, lentils, and muskmelon. Wealthy families, or families with specific industrial need may dedicated a portion of the farm to specific,typically non-edible plants. These may include medicinal herbs, aromatic plants, or henna and other dye producing crops.
Grasses: barely, einkorn wheat, emmer wheat
Pulses: beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, fava beans
Roots: onions, garlic, radishes
Salad: lettuce, parsley
Fruits: palm date, sorghum, grapes, watermelon, muskmelon, sycamore fig, dom palm
Industrial Crops: papyrus, flax, henna
Animals: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, fish ponds, honey bees
Industrial Animals: oxen, donkey, camel, cats, dogs
Fishery: perch, bolti, barbel, catfish, tigerfish, mudfish, eel,
Natural Resources: standstone, limestone, copper ore, gold ore, silver ore
Farms are irrigated with an interconnected series of canals fed by the river. Due to the increased difficulty of digging and maintaining these canals at greater distances from the main body, most of the farmland lies within less than a mile of the river. Here it is not only supplies a continuous supply of water, but the nutrients of the land are constantly replenished by the slit washed downstream in the annual flooding. Farmland is parceled out in roughly rectangular sections, with the canals serving as a natural border. In order to ensure the center of the farm patch receives as much water as the borders, a simple counterbalanced bucket is used to scoop water out of the canal and pour into over the central portions of the land.
Each individual farm will usually contain a variety of crops. Fruiting trees, being the most water intensive crop, are planted either along the canal itself, or along the paths linking the individual farms. The bulk of the space will be filled with either grain (usually wheat, or barely), or flax. Sections of the land closer to the home are seeded with a variety of pulses or melons, notable among them peas, lentils, and muskmelon. Wealthy families, or families with specific industrial need may dedicated a portion of the farm to specific,typically non-edible plants. These may include medicinal herbs, aromatic plants, or henna and other dye producing crops.
Grasses: barely, einkorn wheat, emmer wheat
Pulses: beans, lentils, chickpeas, peas, fava beans
Roots: onions, garlic, radishes
Salad: lettuce, parsley
Fruits: palm date, sorghum, grapes, watermelon, muskmelon, sycamore fig, dom palm
Industrial Crops: papyrus, flax, henna
Animals: cattle, sheep, goats, pigs, ducks, geese, fish ponds, honey bees
Industrial Animals: oxen, donkey, camel, cats, dogs
Fishery: perch, bolti, barbel, catfish, tigerfish, mudfish, eel,
Natural Resources: standstone, limestone, copper ore, gold ore, silver ore
Trade & Transport
There are two major trade routes that pass through the Empire. The Kervakhen River itself facilitates all north-south trade. While some roads run parallel to the river for stretches (especially within the empire), most merchants forgo dangerous overland routes for the much safer waterway. East-west trade, in contrast, has no easy route. The few merchants brave enough caravan with desert nomads to traverse the @Red Waste, crossing back and forth either to either the Kingdom of Barakib to the west or the @Jewel Coast to the east.
Lumber is the primary import from the north, but art, delicacies, and some spices all flow downriver through the Empire. A far greater variety of spices, exotic animals, and expensive pottery is brought up through the @Free Cities. Some of the most important imports cross over the desert from the Barakib Kingdom. Tin ore is the most important, but lead, platinum, and assorted gemstones are all brought in as well. Imports from the Jewel Coast are rare, though wine from the coast is often imported through the Free Cities.
Lumber is the primary import from the north, but art, delicacies, and some spices all flow downriver through the Empire. A far greater variety of spices, exotic animals, and expensive pottery is brought up through the @Free Cities. Some of the most important imports cross over the desert from the Barakib Kingdom. Tin ore is the most important, but lead, platinum, and assorted gemstones are all brought in as well. Imports from the Jewel Coast are rare, though wine from the coast is often imported through the Free Cities.
Education
A distinct scholar class is made up of the children of wealthy merchants or the non-inheriting offspring of nobles. There are four government recognized universities which are responsible for the training of young scholars. A small, secret sect of these scholars are training as the empire's first wizards, with the hopes they can rise to rival the arcane power of the free cities.
Infrastructure
The Empire is crisscrossed with an extensive network of irrigation canals and a less extensive network of roads. Numerous towers and similar fortifications dot the landscape, primarily to defend against bandits from the desert. The northern and southern ends of the gorge are each defended by a pair of border towns.
Beacon in the Darkness, Light of Hope
Maps
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Town Map - Marna Town
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Kingdom Map - Demesne of Tiset
6 mile squares -
Sub-Region Map - Eastern Red Waste
48 mile squares -
Town Map - City of Arnak
The southernmost true city in the empire. 120 foot squares. -
Town Map - Town of Kahem
60 foot squares -
Kingdom Map - Demesne of Arnak
The southernmost demesne of the Empire. Each square is 9 miles. -
Kingdom Map - Demesne of Semna
6 mile squares -
Kingdom Map - Demesne of Memphem
6 mile squares
Founding Date
10000
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
The Empire, The Red Land, The Oppressors
Demonym
Imperials
Leader
Head of State
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Barter system
Currency
Gold Piece
Major Exports
The empire produces enough food and industrial crops to export out; however, most of the empires trade profits came from taxing the trade that passes through its borders. The recent changes in trade networks have resulted in a substantial decrease in imperial profits.
Major Imports
Lumber, exotic fruits, elvish and gnomish art, rare spices, exotic animals, Hydellian pottery, tin, lead, and platinum ore, assorted gemstones, and wine
Official State Religion
Location
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Comments