The Empire, Rughdamia

(Note: The Rughdaman Empire is commonly referred to as "The Empire" for brevity, both in universe and on this resource site. )
The Rughdaman Empire is a politically united kingdom on the northern end of the continent. The most notable feature about this nation is its support for advancement of technology. Whereas the Flatland tribes believe in living in harmony with nature, Imperial leadership believes in subjugation of its surroundings. This is assisted by, or perhaps directly caused by, the presence of a large amount of metal ore in Imperial lands. Much of the expansionist history of The Empire revolves around acquisition of more mineable land as well.
The reigning Emperor/ess is a highly respected figure who realistically wields very little power, aside from being able to appoint certain key advisors. There is also a tendency for very young children to be emperor, due to the tradition of the current emperor handing over power to their next of kin whenever they will. Since most young children will favor their own parents, it's highly likely he will elect his father and/or mother into the most powerful advisor positions. In fact, the ritual of handing the Imperial Crown to the son is traditionally also accompanied by the coronation of one or both parents in their new roles. When this progression is interrupted by a capricious child, or a particularly lazy emperor holds onto the crown into old age, crown authority is usually weakened and rebellions are more common.
Traditionally, Emperors are eldest male trueborn heirs although there have been various exceptions to this. There have been 3 female Empresses in recorded history, and an adopted son has taken the Emperor mantle from time to time, as well as a few records of non-eldest sons being crowned. Even with the throne of Emperor being traditionally reserved for males, there is nothing out of the ordinary about women serving as Councillors, and Crown mothers are one of the most powerful positions in the government. It's not uncommon for an Emperor's mother to even wield more power than his father, and it's never quite guaranteed who a "Child Emperor" will choose for key council positions.
These council and advisor positions are where the REAL power of the empire reside. The council expands and contracts throughout generations, but has never been larger than 20 (for a brief time ~200 years ago) or smaller than 2, in the case of the Rughdama family ruling as Husband-Father and Wife-Mother councilors, sharing equal unilateral power. However, after the Rughdama family was deposed by the noble citizens living in their district, the standard council size stays around 5-8, with a small handful of rotating titles and positions frequently resurfacing.

Structure

• Emperor: The "leader" of the united countries, but in reality is primarily a figurehead who is integral to government functions only a few times in their reign. Appoints the high council.
• High Council: This small group of councillors is the real power of the Empire. Usually numbering between 4 and 8 (Although one small period of the Empire's history counted 100 councillors!), the titles and exact power of these leaders fluctuates across generations.
• Margrave: The regional rulers of the Empire's constituent counties. In addition to having full control of the daily running of their region, they also share the highest commander positions in military matters, second only to the High Counselor position of "The Wielder of Imperial Might".

Public Agenda

To outsiders, the Empire appears either as a tyrannical, expansionist threat, or as a bloated, ineffective bureaucracy. The Empire's glory days of rapid expansion are mostly in the past, though. For the last century, most of their military power has been tied up in maintaining their hold on the regions they already own, and they appear to have little interest in expanding their reach in any significant way. Diplomats who visit neighboring areas such as the Flatlands insist that the Empire has no need for additional power since it is doing so well. Few non-Imperials truly believe this, but the public actions of the Empire Council appears to support this.

Assets

The Empire is the only fully functional and equipped sky navy in known existence. They field around 100 small to medium navy airships, at least 100 non-combatant or cargo ships, and an unknown but small number of flagships.
Empire troops are generally outfitted from a selection of standard kits.

• Heavy Enforcers: One of the most common troop types, Enforcers fulfill MP duties on a daily basis, and will be deployed for peacekeeping missions. Enforcers typically wear full Strong Steel plate, and a variety of weapons ranging from Longswords, Maces, Shields and Tower shields, portable cannons, and handguns. Due to their "shock troop" equipment, they are also used for offensive sorties on occasion.
• Caelin Drop Troops: The most likely Empire soldier to see outside of their borders.

Technological Level

The Empire is considered the most advanced state and culture among the known world. A significant reason for this is their mastery of creating and forging Strong Iron, including the ability to create engines with the help of this material.

"From the Land to the sky"

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Training Level

Semi-professional

Veterancy Level

Experienced

Demonym

Imperial, both as a noun and a descriptor. Soldier may be referred to as "clangers" for their plate armor.

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Traditional