Saltkrigere Empire
The Saltkrigere Empire was a prominent force across Trinen in its time, born in the same era as the Eldurgrund Empire. Initially run out of Shellbay, its seat of power eventually moved to a central location known as Saint's Maar after conquering its competing empire in The Rembrandtic Wars. Its reign was tumultuous, with each new emperor changing the government's direction and causing intermittent strife across Trinen. The empire's domineering religious ideals, militant approach to ruling, and sporadically competent leaders eventually led to its downfall from the inside. Years of conspiring against the Saltkrigere military and a sudden earthquake led to a series of assassinations and riots which pushed imperial loyalists behind the borders of Shellbay.
In order to maintain peace, the usurpers instilled sympathizers to their cause in Shellbay over generations while choosing to venerate the Saltkrigere faith. Further, Shellbay would become a separatist nation, enjoying freedom of religion and lessened taxes. The new imperial power in Saint's Maar would come to be known as the Augury: the current imperial power in Trinen (ca. 1947 NG).
Raising a Saint's Maar military was a necessary task for Sahra Abdul IV to see through his desired legislation. Like emperor Fridrik Harald, Abdul IV wished to unite the baronies and reinforce their unique cultures. Since the empire had previously forced its own culture on other territories, which aligned with Saltkrigere goals, Abdul would need a force loyal to himself if he wanted to recolor the empire in his own image. The court often found itself aligning with Abdul, similar to his father but tempered his most extreme plans. For example, after an assassination attempt from Shellbay nobles, Abdul threatened to remove Shellbay from the empire. While the court talked him down from the decision, they eventually found themselves following his example. After more emperors passed the torch, the court assisted the overthrow of the Saltkrigere Empire, making Sahra Abdul IV the spiritual origin of the Augury.
Unfortunately, emperor Warren Van Haals destroyed what his predecessor had wrought. Riches from Eldurgrund were used to feed the Saltkrigere, who were renamed as the official military of Saint's Maar. As a result, Eldurgrund became destitute and greater economic problems went untreated. With a new bolster to nationalism, Shellbay became defensive against all other members of their empire. It as under Van Haals that previous Saint's Maar military members grew discontent and began planning the removal of Shellbay nobles from the imperial capital.
Lucky for those who rejected the Saltkrigere, Van Haals gave rise to an insubstantial successor: Avernus "Köttur" Sandhar. Avernus was a coward but orchestrated a plan for Shellbay to slowly regain power over Saint's Maar; it wasn't until his death the plans were dashed, as a long-planned revolution saw the Saltkrigere Empire ousted from power.
Uncertain Origins
The Saltkrigere Empire formed in the dark era of Ettermiddag: a period when civilization was crippled and most reliable sources were wiped out. As such, the exact details of the empire's rise are unknown. Many facts about the organization and its parts are known, but modern researchers must parse the disconnected sources. For example, the term Saltkrigere refers to the navy of Shellbay and the Snow Rock Isles. Specifically, sources seem to indicate that "Saltkrigere" may have merely been the term for "elite force," which both nations took up; the term still exists and has changed meanings over time, but Saltkrigere may have become a term indicating military prestige, which aligns with the methods by which the Saltkrigere Empire maintained power. Furthermore, Shellbay had wide authority (shy of its current geographic range) prior to Ettermiddag through settling unclaimed land. As dark forces approached, Ettermiddag rendered civilization back to its fortified centers. Over generations, the Saltkrigere Paladins formed. The paladins were an organization of prominent warriors who fought selflessly in the name of Bailum, god of justice; as they spread across the land and conquered territory, the Bailum Consilium was formed. The consilium was a holy order dedicated to providing outreach for lands reconquered by the paladins, while also converting towns into fortified anchor points for paladins to expand farther outward. Many point to the Bailum Consilium's activity as the start of the Saltkrigere Empire, though the act of "reclaiming land" as opposed to "conquering territory" can be readily disputed. Ironically, the Consilium still stands today- the last organizational remnant of the Saltkirgere Empire. The most popular beginnings of the empire are placed in the era following Ettermiddag: Daggry. The first notable act after the dark ages was the uniting of Fjordstrond and Shellbay, which ensured all intermediate territory would be claimed and free of raiders. All territory claims after joining with Fjordstrond were small conflicts, often in the name of ensuring cultural homogeneity. At the time, the Eldurgrund Empire was slowly growing and saw more severe conflicts, conquering major cities south of their capital. Discussions over the empire's origins are generally rhetorical, as the organization's rise is linear in nature. Most who discuss the topic wish to realize when "imperial intent" began as opposed to reclaiming territory. Ultimately, where argumentative discourse fails, its inarguable that once The Rembrandtic Wars began and the Saltkrigere began attempting to conquer the continent, empire was on Shellbay's mind.Tumultuous Rule
While the chaos of the Saltkrigere Empire is often exaggerated by its Augury successors, it would be ignorant to claim its rulers had a consistent vision. It wasn't until the Eldurgrund Empire was conquered that a formal emperor was anointed (or that rulers were verifiable, as Ettermiddag had come to an end), and its first ruler was Henri Leopold II; Leopold took the name Aaron Bahmut upon rising to power and sought to ensure peace across the isles. A series of lenient legislation led to his betrayal by the imperial court and quick succession by his son, Fridrik Harald.
Sources around Fridrik claim he was the third emperor, yet no sources imply a ruler prior to his father. Most researchers believe that General Elias Rembrandt could have been the first true emperor, aligning with the militant tactics of the empire. Regardless, Fridrik proved to directly contrast Leopold, living a cruel and self-indulgent life. His policy is unclear, but writings paint him as both intelligent and cruel. Fridrik used his career to punish contemporaries for childhood misdeeds before eventually dying at the hands of his empassioned steward.
After Fridrik's death, Emperor Elias Rembrandt II rose to power, having to justify her rise to contemporaries before finally taking power. Her family's native status with Fjordstrond would help reinvigorate ties between Fjordstrond, Saint's Maar, and Shellbay. While already attractive for uniting three territories, Elias II also aimed to assimilate Caripreet into the empire without violence. The initial plan to ally with Caripreet was simple: trade Elduri opium for Caripreetian wine. Unfortunately, the large initial batches of wine were poisoned by blight, which poisoned large portions of the imperial population. Amongst those poisoned was Elias II herself, eliminating any peaceful assimilation opportunities.
Emperor Zahra Evasdotter, aside from forcing Caripreet to pay for the death of her mother due to their tainted wine. Her rule was mostly marked by substance abuse: her favorite being Elduri opium. Guards often interrupted her long naps, only to be reprimanded for disturbing her. Eventually, one nap would be her last, and no guards dared interfere. Her son, Sahra Abdul III, served on her council and quickly gained popularity for consulting the court on major decisions. The court, similar in function to the Augury senate, had been ignored for decades under Evasdotter. Such attention signaled Abdul III as the first competent leader in some time, which was seen through his trade embargo on Caripreet. While the trade embargo and military control over the Caripeet sea eventually led to full control over Trinen, relations with Renad were sacrificed. At the end of his career, Abdul III attempted to travel all of Trinen, both standardizing national laws and explaining them to locals. He would eventually die abroad while it took a month for word to reach Saint's Maar. It took nearly another month for a successor to be decided, marking the longest period that the Saltkrigere Empire went without a ruler.
Emperor Sahra Abdul IV was the grandson of his predecessor. While his father was the first option for succession, declining memory prevented him from ruling. Abdul IV made a few notable changes to the empire: the most controversial being the erection of a Saint's Maar military, independent of the Saltkrigere.
Structure
The Saltkrigere Empire ruled over its lands from the capital of Saint's Maar. While its rulers indicate inconsistent dedication to Shellbay culture, the empire's tenets state that the religion and legislative rules were expected to be consistent between baronies. The actual cultural center for the empire was often disputed, with most contemporaries claiming the culture of Shellbay should inform the empire's culture. A smaller portion felt that Saint's Maar shouldn't subscribe to any particular culture, serving as an intermediary instead. The central structure saw the emperor surrounded by a council: members that the emperor trusted to guide decisions. Beneath the emperor was a court, which voted on decisions the emperor had made: the court was made of members from each of the different baronies, ensuring an equal voice to each territory. Ironically, the emperor was under no requirement to obey decisions made by the court; however, if an emperor chose to give the court a true voice, they gained plenty of political allies. The entire empire served under the ideals of Bailum, god of justice. The organization functioned under the assumption that they could achieve objective justice through their court, yet critics felt that no objective justice could be achieved outside the minds of the gods themselves. Instead, the succeeding empire sought to prevent disasters before they began; this empire, known as the Augury, subscribes to the same pantheon but uses the magic of Chaimut and follows the teachings of Taopin.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
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