Aeneid Empire

One of the longest lived nations on the planet, the Aeneid empire was one of the first to take to the skies, besides the fabled Kinichans. Originating from number of warm, mountainous city states of the Fulcra collection of island chains, their empire once spanned almost a quarter of the globe. However, over the centuries many of their former vassal states won independence, such as the Gauleian Republic and Kingdom of Martir. While still a major power, the empire now controls only its former heartlands and a few far flung colonies. Were it not for the fact that it is the center of a number of Fulcrun religions, it may very well have fallen centuries ago. The Aeneid Emperor deliberately encourages his empire's mythic reputation, spreading stories of legendary heroes both old and new and focusing on nimble, elite squadrons over large disciplined fleets. Through this propaganda campaign, the Empire has managed to prevent or delay the outbreak of war by reputation alone--few wish to see their fleets tried against the skill of the Red Spear, or their cities suffer the raids of the Cyclopian Devils. 

Structure

Ironically, despite originating as a republican confederation, today the Aeneid Empire is an absolute monarchy despite the rise of democratic systems in Fulcra. While a senate representing all full citizens of the Empire has some legislative power, it exists at the pleasure of the Emperor. One peculiarity of the Empire is the senate's role in choosing the next emperor--rather than primogeniture, each heir to the throne must prove their political prowess by securing a plurality of the senator's votes, else the senate choose a new imperial line from among the regional governors.

History

The city states that formed the Aeneid Confederation, precursor to the Aeneid Empire, came together around a millennia and a half ago. They were among the first to harvest the black pearls and use them to create lighter than air ships. Originally a trade empire, their territory grew through centuries of nominally "defensive warfare." As the empire became large and unwieldy, the senate found itself unable to respond quickly to its myriad crises and ended up surrendering more and more of its power to regional governors. This culminated in the ascendance of the first emperor, Augustus Varus. 
The size of the empire still posed a problem, however, and regional governors and local leaders routinely mounted rebellions. Many of the region's royalty can trace their lines to the most successful of these rebellions. Most humiliating of all, it was one of their colonies, the Kingdom of Martir, that first discovered the New World using new ship designs capable of crossing the vast empty ocean to the east. It would be decades before the Empire arrived in the New World, costing them prestige, potential territory, and the riches already claimed by early explorers. 
Today, the Aeneid Empire is a shell of its former self, holding only a few far flung colonies and using its ancient reputation as a shield against potential challengers. Aeneans are quick to proclaim new heroes and the revival of their nation's glory, but such heroes and dreams tend to die obscure deaths, overshadowed by the next.

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Demonym

Aenean

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute