Almaridian Empire
The Almaridian Empire is a nation that formed in the Vadovan region of Durchen shortly after the collapse of the Virdamidian Republic. A new militaristic human empire, more flexible and less idealistic than their Hadaran neighbors. The Almaridian Empire has quickly become one of the most powerful and influential nations in Galledall with the most advanced and organized military the continent has ever seen - with the only challenger being the Hadaran Empire. While the Almaridians have managed to defeat them, it came at the cost of other territories. Soldiers have been spread thin to maintain order over conquered lands, which has pushed the military of Almaridia close to its breaking point. However they are adapting, and have been searching far and wide for ancient magical relics to study in order to learn the secrets that magic holds. As soon as they do, they will no doubt begin training battlemages and spellswords. The Almaridian Empire is also famous for its unique religion, the Church of Mortals, which venerates ancient mortal heroes as gods.
History
Post-Cataclysm
The Almaridian Empire was founded by Sarland Varkus, a rebelling governor of the city of Almarid in the region of Durchen in 1939 P.C. The region fell into chaos during the collapse of the Virdamidian Republic, leading the governor to decide to no longer rely on the republic, but to take matters into his own hands. He proved to be an able strategist and managed to keep the region free from outside control while slowly expanding his own sphere of influence - mostly peacefully. This lead to a confrontation with the Republic's military that could not be won, so Varkus met with the leader of the Varwynn, elven insurgents fighting for their own homeland to be free of human rule. The two made a deal that if the Varwynn were to help the Durchens repel the republic, then the Durchens would in turn fight with the Varwynn to help liberate their homeland. After coming to an agreement, both sides fulfilled their end of the bargain. Another contributing factor was the local cult that worshiped some mortals as gods. Though Varkus found it uninteresting, he saw that many of the locals were drawn to it and were fervent believers. The cult knew that should the area fall to the Virdamidian Republic, they would be outlawed and hunted down. In return for making the cult the official religion of any kind of future government, they would encourage the populace to obey Varkus as their king and encourage them to fight. This later became known as the Church of Man. After the Virdamidians were defeated, Sarland Varkus was named King of Durchen on the 5th of Simdis 1942 P.C. Over the years, the regions of Valden, Hrube, Lorchon, and Fermena were added to the Kingdom through military conquest, making it a fully fledged empire. The Almaridian Empire would continue to spread eastward through minor conquest, strategic marriage and the making of alliances.
Age of Restoration
The empire would focus on internal affairs, reorganizing their military and social system until 6 A.o.R. when an excellent opportunity had presented itself. The Hadaran Empire had an outbreak of famine and plague, temporarily causing the great empire to lose its footing militarily. One of the Hadaran's provinces, Zelyr, further north than the others had been mostly spared of this, but they were dealing with threats from a great marauding group of orcs known as the Horde of Rage. This horde poured into the valley of Zelyr, destroying anything in its path. Fearing they would not be able to hold off the invaders with the small garrison they had, the provincial capital of Ambershade pleaded with the Almaridian Empire for help. They would help, but only if the city were to switch sides, with Zelyr being added as a province to the Almaridian Empire. Though the city refused initially, they agreed after the horde began to near the city. The Almaridian army had been standing by, and as soon as a treaty was officially signed, they attacked and defeated the horde.
After the horde was defeated, more soldiers were moved into the area, and fortifications were immediately reinforced. Everyone knew war with the Hadaran Empire would come soon. A year later, in 7 A.o.R., the Hadarans marched to retake Zelyr, with more than three times the number of soldiers that the Almaridians had. But the latter had prepared, and were ready to face them. The goal was to fight defensively and use the terrain to their advantage. The phalanx formation was ill suited to uneven ground, meaning the mountains were not in Hadaran's favor. Still, they marched over the mountains near endlessly and relentlessly, the front line moving back and forth, at one point getting a mere two miles from the city of Ambershade. As a last desperate measure, the Almaridian Empire called for the few mages it had accumulated and put them on the front lines. They proved staggeringly effective against the Hadarans, who insisted on staying in tight formation whilst fireballs were being thrown at them. This ultimately resulted in the Battle of the Twin Passages, where the Hadaran Armies were split and routed. In 10. A.o.R. a peace treaty was signed, with Almaridia keeping its territory. While it did come at the cost of the region of Sunar, many believed they could easily reclaim it.
The war had proved many who had believed magic to be the key to advancement correct. While before it was an idle interest for many within the Almaridian Empire, it now had proven its strategic worth. This lead to the formation of the Imperial Bureau of Magical Affairs, whose goal was to find magical artifacts and those who had knowledge of the arcane anywhere they could. Unfortunately magic was a rare commodity that was still returning to the world, and many who possessed it were hesitant to give it out.
War began again in the west. The ancient and venerable city of Tilliden was attacked by their neighbor Kildranos, and the Almaridian Empire used this as a casus belli to attack the Aestren Republic with the help of the New Elven Union, ceding it and taking it over. The empire's forces then moved into Salandi, and it was their turn to fight magic users. Though the kingdom was much smaller than the empire, the generals who had been in the previous war knew they had to take extreme caution. Many battles were fought, most were lost. However, some of the mages from Salandi started to believe their war unjust, and defected, allowing the Almaridian Empire to gain the upper hand. The empire took the capital of Starguard and forced the rest of the Celestine Assembly to surrender in 18 A.o.R., ending the war. Establishing Salandi as a satrap, the city was a goldmine when it came to magical paraphernalia. Though many of the mages were war criminals for their acts, they were promised amnesty by the Almaridian Empire should they surrender and help them with their study of magic. Few rejected the offer. Meanwhile, Salandi was plundered and laid bare, the land that once flowed with magic and knowledge became nearly devoid of it.
Since then, the volume of magical knowledge in the empire has grown tremendously, with academies for magic arising in Ambershade and Almarid. Peace has been mostly known as armies are reorganizing and equipment and tactics are improved. Magical items and books are highly prized and have started to become symbols of prestige and wealth, with highborn families paying handsomely for items of magical nature.
Social
"Let's get out of here. Even the children talk like lawyers!"
The people of the Almaridian Empire pride themselves on being organized, civilized and practical. Most young adults are given an aptitude test to see where they will excel in life. Most are sent to learn a trade, but others are sent off to learn to becomes scribes, priests, soldiers, or made to fill more specialized positions. While theoretically a peasant's child could become the next royal adviser, this almost never happens unless they are a prodigy. Many noble or higher class families find tutors for the children to better succeed at these tests, as it is also possible for a noble's child to become a farmer, or corpse collector. While many outsiders see the system as unfair, most within the empire who have grown up with it value the order it brings. In fact, while it restricts many to positions they would not have been born into, they find they fit well into the roles assigned them, often thriving. Those who don't thrive may of course choose to forge their own path, but they do so at the peril of appearing a dissident, and without the help of the state, who will buy supplies, assist with travel, housing, and funding when they assign a young adult their new career. This system is less commonly used in outskirt villages, but towns and cities live by it.
Regardless of class or position, every citizen of the Almaridian Empire is encouraged to abandon loose ideals and to not think in a way considered 'dreamy.' Practicality is considered a prime virtue just as other cultures value honor or loyalty. Those who come across as idealists are seen as unpredictable, a danger to the stability of a settlement, and thus the state. While this would seem to make bards and entertainers unpopular, that would be quite untrue. The Almaridian people also see themselves as cultured and civilized, with ballads, plays, musicals, and orchestras seen as high class ways to pass time. There are few places where a bard with a silver tongue can make more money, as long as their humor and wit is not considered low.
Political
The empire is infamous for its political landscape. According to stereotype, the courts and guilds of the empire are always plotting against one another, with agents, double agents and more planning schemes and thinking ten moves ahead. While this has been played up by bards and peasants across Vadovass, it sprouts from seeds of truth. The empire is known to have an extensive network of well trained spies, from the provinces of Hadar, to the Clans of Midiiz and as far north as the New Golden Alliance. Though it is unknown how many assassinations and disappearances can be attributed to the Almaridian's secret service, the lack of a reasonable guess only makes them all the more frightening. It is also believed that Almaridia was the birthplace of the Gilded Hand, a political and economic cabal of which several Almaridian Nobles have been attributed to belonging to.
At the top of Almaridian society is the Emperor or Empress, who have belonged to the Varkus family since its inception. The most recent leader is Helena Rayborn Varkus, the first Empress of the Empire. Though the position of Emperor typically goes to the firstborn male of the current ruler, Helena's oldest brother was found dead, and her other two older brothers found guilty of his murder, and were thus hanged for treason in 23 A.o.R., leaving her the eldest at 25. Beneath the Empress lies her court of advisers and the priesthood of the Church of Man. Unlike many other stereotypical imperial and royal courts, all of its members are expected to at least publicly work together to the best of their ability. Outbursts, arguments, and other general signs of disunion and strife are viewed as both socially reprehensible and distasteful. This of course only encourages each member of the court to work secretly behind each others backs.
Provinces are run and controlled by margraves, military lords who swear total and complete service to the Empress, often lower ranking generals. While they control the provinces, their real job is to make sure things continue to run smoothly, and be the first line of defense should the region be attacked by an invading force. Slightly lower than the margraves are the counts that control each region officially, helping establish laws and collecting taxes. While margraves and counts share some power, most try to stay out of each other's way, concerning themselves with their own affairs.
Economic
The Almaridian Empire is one of the richer landlocked nations, mostly working in the export of metals both precious and practical, as well as textiles, stone, lumber, and ale of which the city of Ambershade is renown for. Though landlocked, the empire's expansive borders touch many of surrounding nations, including the Federation of the Dwarven Lords, Middelgemard, Charmonte and Soldern. Other landlocked nations such as Khallador and the New Golden Alliance are also within economic reach. Many goods flow into both Charmonte and Soldern, which can be bought and resold to the other landlocked nations for a markup. The presence of the Golden Mountain Trade Guild and their assistance in internationalizing currency has helped speed up this process and make it cheaper and faster, making the economy of Almaridia grow twofold. Many believe that, should the empire gain access and control of port cities, they could change the economic landscape of Galledall forever.
Religious
As with all aspects of their society, the Almaridians are practical, their religious lives being no exception. They are home to the strange and unique Church of Mortals. Although it is their official religion, few spend their days performing rituals in temples. That is not to say they are not devoted. The Church of Mortals itself celebrates all that mortals are capable of and extols their work and craft. Many are religious, but their way of venerating their gods does not come from sacrificing at temple altars but perfecting their crafts and lives as mortals. By contributing to society and making civilized life easier for everyone, they are in their own eyes worshiping and living as they should be. Most cities and towns have shrines established to their gods, with small, humble temples being as large or fancy as they get. As with most nations that have an official religion, those who do not follow the Church of Mortals are taxed more heavily, then the imperial treasury taxes the priesthood. The Wizgaran Pantheon is the next most popular religion, after which follows the Galledallian Pantheon.
Military
The lack of a need for a navy allows the Almaridian Empire to focus entirely on its army, from which their pragmatism and order shine brightest. The empire always maintains a professional standing army, which are put into special divisions to be lead by the empire's generals and margraves. The values of order translates well into the army, and helps soldiers work better as cohesive units. The empire is known particularly for its heavy infantry, wearing expertly made plate armor forged by their dwarven allies. Their knowledge of engineering also allows the armies to employ the use of sophisticated siege engines such as trebuchets and advanced wall sapping techniques. By far the best strength of the empire's military is the order and discipline with which it operates, making them more cohesive, allowing thousands of men to work together with ease. They are also encouraged to think fast and adapt faster, avoiding rigid or outdated tactics.
Though powerful, rapid expansion and acquisition of new lands has spread the military thin. A new enemy in the Hadaran Empire has required the margrave of Zelyr to have more than four times the usual troop size, as the Hadarans could attack any time they wished. The thin spread of military personal has made banditry more profitable, and monster attacks more dangerous. While the Almaridians don't typically employ mercenaries, they have started doing so until they stabilize once more. Once they do, they will again be an indisputable military force.
The Almaridian Empire has been working diligently to integrate magic into their military. Though they have a few battlemages, there were so few during their previous wars that they were only practical in certain situations, and each one killed was a major loss. This meant the military only used them when it was deemed absolutely necessary.
Foreign Relations
The Almaridian Empire has mixed relations with its neighbors. Middelgemard, though a trade partner, is wary of the empire's warmongering and was one of the main reasons the six kingdoms of the area grouped together. The empire is despised in Sunar, a former territory of the empire, and citizens are advised to travel there at their own peril. The Free Kingdom of Soldern is also a former enemy, and the possibility of Almaridian incursions has been one of the reasons infighting has ceased. The United Clans of Midiiz, though an ally in the War of the Warlocks, has become something of a subtle rival, and has sparked the ire of many because they have denied them access to their knowledge of magic. Many in Salandi are also tiring of the empire, which is controlling them as a satrap. According to Salandians, they have done little to restore order and have been bleeding the country dry of its own resources. By far the biggest enemy of the Almaridians though is the Hadaran Empire, which was defeated in 10 A.o.R. The Hadarans, previously dismissive of the rival human empire, now desperately seeks to regain their land and their honor by not only defeating the Almaridians, but by humiliating them and taking a large section of their territory. The rest of the continent has been watching carefully to see which of these two empires will recover from instability first to destroy the other. Should the two fight again unhindered, it will likely alter the political landscape for centuries to come. Despite many disliking the Almaridian Empire, many would prefer them ascend over the Hadarans.
Those who get along well with the Almaridians include the Charmonteen, who have cordial relations despite being members of an opposing alliance. The two often trade, share knowledge and mix cultures. Many Almaridians see Charmonte as a wondrous getaway location with an outstanding culture. The Federation of the Dwarven Lords is also a good ally, helping the Almaridian Empire invade Zelyr, and being given a portion of land in return for their help. The two often trade, and the dwarves fashion the plate mail for the heavy infantry of the empire. The dwarves see the order of the Almaridian Empire familiar to their own, and some of the dwarven clans are allowed to operate independently of the empire within its borders. The greatest ally of the Almaridian Empire though is the New Elven Union, their founders assisting each other in establishing the other's realms. Very much breaking stereotype, the elven and human powers get along well, and often see each other as equals. Though the cultures are very dissimilar, most have learned to respect their differences and get along. Elven mages from the Union that assist the Almaridians in the Empire are often given titles and land for their help.
Magic
The Almaridian Empire was nearly devoid of magic come the Age of Restoration. While it is still lacking compared to some other nations, it has improved since the start of the era. The previous Emperor and the current Empress have personally overseen the formation of the Imperial Bureau of Magical Affairs, the building of laboratories and universities for the study of magic, and have worked to integrate magic into their society, military, and political offices. Work on training war mages and spellswords has been going on for several years, and while nothing is known publicly, many believe they are nearing a point where they shall be the most magically literate human nation, a title usurped from the Kingdom of Salandi. Mages from the War of the Warlocks have been offered amnesty should they choose to live and work in Almaridia, those who take the offer are given a new life, secrecy and safety.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
The Durchen Empire
Training Level
Elite
Veterancy Level
Veteran
Demonym
Almaridian
Leader
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Location
Comments