Tesmeri Protectorate
The followers of the old ways and defenders of the world.
Structure
Tesmeri society is split into three distinct orders: Origin, Ascension and Truth. Each Tesmeri chooses to join one of the orders upon reaching adulthood and is expected to serve the Protectorate by serving their order. While this choice is not permanent, and Tesmeri can freely move between orders, it is very rare that people move between them. Each order is also subdivided into ten grades of authority from zero at the lowest and nine at the highest. Every citizen is expected to obey the orders of those in the higher grades and lead and look after those in the lower grades as is necessary. While each order operates independently of each other, they share responsibility for military and diplomatic matters and will often work together where it is in their shared interests.
The Order of Origin is the druidic order within the Protectorate, they handle all matters related to nature including food, animal control and maintain the environmental standards in the great cities in order to reduce the impact on nature.The order tends to act as a natural foil to the ambitions of the Order of Truth, tempering their desire for progress with the wisdom of the ages and while the two orders are often at odds, both can be relied on to come to a conclusion that serves the Protectorate as a whole.The Order welcomes any and all who are connected with nature no matter what form it takes and you will find many different people within their ranks. They are currently led by the Archdruid Hedeil.
The Order of Ascension is the religious arm of the Protectorate, dedicated to protecting the souls of the Tesmeri from all forms of heresy both within and without. They see themselves as the moral guides of the Protectorate, acting as limiters to the other orders when they overstep their bounds and have the authority to judge any individual for their actions. This makes them the closest thing the Protectorate has to a judicial branch. The most religious and dedicated serve in this order and all must swear to serve the true Gods and reject the creeds of the Living Gods in any form. Currently the order is lead by the Archpriest Niven.
The Order of Truth is the order that controls the arcane and technological aspects of the nation. Their responsibilities therefore lie in maintaining the cities and settlements of the Tesmeri and whatever defences those require while also advancing the magical and technological understanding of the nation. While many would correctly note that the order is less advanced than most nation's equivalents, mainly due to the concerns of the Order of Origin, this has allowed them to understand some of the most ancient magics and their knowledge of history is unparalleled. They accept any magic user or scholarly individuals as they acknowledge any and all forms of study. Currently they are led by the Archmage Pandroth.
The final group within the Protectorate are the Protectors, the sworn guardians of the nation. They are not bound by any order and instead act outside of the normal chain of command, each Protector trusted to make decisions that will benefit the nation as a whole. Each Protector is not just an Immortal but a hero of the Tesmeri, only allowed in by invitation from the highest ranked within the group. One Protector is assigned as the leader, the Lord Protector, who not only acts as a unifying figure for the individualistic Protectors but also as a symbolic leader of the Tesmeri as a whole. The Lord Protector is chosen by a majority vote from the Protectors for a time limited term, typically around one hundred years, except for emergencies. The Current Lord Protector is Tairn, regarded as the most powerful Lord Protector to have ever lived.
Public Agenda
The Tesmeri seek to restore the old ways from before the time of the Living Gods. In doing so they also reject the notion that such beings are actually gods in the first place. One day all will see the light and the world will be purged of such heresies and once more the true Gods will be the only rulers of the world once more.
History
The Tesmeri Protectorate began as a simple alliance between Imperial cities concerned by the neighbouring rebellion. They simple sought to provide a united front against any of the fighting spilling over into their territories be it via the rebels or overzealous Imperial forces. Originally the intent was only to hold out until the rebellion was suppressed but much to their surprise it ended in defeat for the Imperials instead. The alliance leapt into action, fully anticipating an invasion by the victorious rebels that would, fortunately for them, never come.
In the wake of such a major event the alliance had many emergency meetings to discuss what to do. The forces of the Empire had retreated and no new orders or direction was forthcoming from the Immortal Council so they had to decide what to do next on their own. Despite calls to disband since the war was over, many voiced concerns about the behaviour of the Empire that led to the events in question. Soon people were questioning the Empire and even the Emperor given both held some responsibility for the Cataclysm that had ravaged the land. The world had been abused under the Empire and it was long overdue that someone did something about that.
Eventually a consensus became clear, the Empire could no longer be trusted with dominion over the world. The alliance declared independence to form the Tesmeri Protectorate using the weakened position of the Empire and the neighbouring Republic to shield themselves from any repercussions. While not exactly seeing eye to eye with the Pleuyans the Tesmeri soon found themselves fighting alongside their fellow rebels as the Empire launched a campaign to reclaim their lost territory. Together the two nations were barely able to hold the full might of the Imperials at bay and it soon seemed like a permanent alliance would form between the two.
The Tesmeri had always had concerns about the Republic out of concern for the stability of the world. The aggressive attempts by the Pleuyans to encourage other rebellions, most notably the Druacians, would however convince the Tesmeri that their ally was too unreliable to trust any longer. The Tesmeri began waging a war to bring down the Republic and absorb its territories into the Protectorate for the good of the world. While it would be unsuccessful in the end, the two nations not only managed to weaken each other but also provide the Empire time to recover from all the losses it had taken. When the Grand War started any hope of a united front against the Empire was no more.
The end of the Grand War was much celebrated by the Tesmeri who were happy to see the return of peace even if the Empire still stood and the Republic still opposed them. Even the fact the Druacians, now the sworn enemies of the Tesmeri, still lived could not bring them down. From that point on the Tesmeri have only grown more and more powerful, mastering obscure magic and ancient powers all while restoring the lands they now reliably own. Today the Protectorate is probably the most prosperous nation, although nowhere near the levels of the old Empire.
To live in alongside the world is to live in harmony with it.
Founding Date
4523
Type
Geopolitical, Protectorate
Alternative Names
The Protectorate
Demonym
Tesmeri
Government System
Meritocracy
Legislative Body
The Orders
Judicial Body
Order of Ascension
Neighboring Nations
Comments