Ethelan Empire
Origins
The Ethelan Empire was founded in 0 T.E. by the Ethelan King-turned-Emperor Aarimein. Aarimein rose to power as king of the Ethelan Elves after the Sistren War in 14 J.E. The aftermath of the war left many Ethelan towns and cities in ruins, and innumerable lives lost. A period of grief followed called the Great Burning, characterized by the absence of a unifying leadership until Aarimein claimed authority.At his coronation, Aarimein devoted his land and peoples to the cause of universal peace and prosperity, in line with the cult Aethanism, which he had joined in his youth. What followed was a period of restoration called the Becalming. After the peaceful incorporation of the wood elf tribes of the Putontu Woods to the north 7 years later, the Ethelan Kingdom truly became an Empire and steadily moved its borders north of the Mykigron Corridor and west of the Kentror Mountains.
Policies
The Ethelan Imperial policies follow a strict rule of respect for and value of life and culture. The Ethelan are religiously tolerant, allowing for any kind of worship within the empire and often adopting new religious practices from their subjects. As Aethanists, they believe the gods Aethan and Aefan work in and through other religions, and see little reason to suppress religious expression (see Religion below for greater depth).
Culturally, the Ethelan allow for even more freedom on the part of their subjects. Incorporated peoples are given the freedom to self-govern and actualize within the empire. The only requirement is that heads of states and military members take the Oath of the Empire, and the Promise to the Supreme Empress. This means that, when required, the Empress' rule is law. Situations where the Supreme Authority have been taken into effect include the forced placement of standing armies to reinforce border disputes, redaction of local laws that contradict the Imperial order and implementation of laws that do, and the raising or lowering of taxes. These taxes are often negotiated between imperial magistrates and local governments, but as mentioned before, the Supreme Authority allows for the raising or lowering of these taxes where required.
Advantages of Incorporation
Most lands have voluntarily self-incorporated into the Empire. For some realms, especially on the fringes of the Empire, the most appealing is security. Many peoples have neighbours who go to war with them, and cannot muster the defensive capabilities to defend themselves in any long-term way. The Imperial Army and Navy present a much more reasonable option, as it taps into the vast resources of the many lands conquered or incorporated. Additionally, these forces are well trained and boast a military discipline unlike any ever seen in Kakon. A secondary feature of this security is the rule of law. Decentralized cultures find that utilizing the Imperial Army as a police force helps in driving down internal struggles such as raiding and intranational land disputes.
A secondary reason for joining the Empire is the trade. The Empire boasts territories and allies that hold multitudinal environments and climates, including vast plains, dry deserts, deep arctic taigas, and lush forests. The resources are innumerable and, coupled with the vast perspectives from the many peoples, opportunities for trade abound. Many countries and cultures prosper in exporting capital unique to their lands. In addition, the Imperial Trade Standards keep fraud and misuse low, a luxury not found in a totally free market.
Alongside security and free trade, the Empire naturally is a free place for peoples to travel and resettle.
Resistance to Incorporation
For all of its benefits, the Empire finds resistance and critics in many places, notably the Utamaii Orcs. These peoples tend to find fault with incorporation for one of two reasons: culture or policy.
Culturally, a major sticking point for many peoples are the Empire's imposed values that tend to attenuate or completely rewrite local cultures and customs. In particular, the racist views of the sun elf ruling class often comes at odds to other societies, especially those whose cultures are equally wary of newcomers. Beyond that, the free movement across the Empire that many subjects see as a great benefit has caused troubles in those lands with appealing climates and cultures. Increased immigration has lead to cultural dilution as their societies become more cosmopolitan and diverse populations. For deeply traditional societies, this alone is enough to resist joining the Empire.
On the policy side of things, the Supreme Authority of the Empress is too much to accept for many peoples, and has prevented some lands from incorporating, and fuelled rebellion in others. Compounding the problem, due to the vast size of the Empire, many officials who represent and have authority in lieu of the Empress take hardline stances toward self-determination and local governance, interpreting Imperial law in ways that lead to oppression and cultural repression. Further, the Imperial Trade Standards can sometimes leaves some cultures worse off than in an independent free market, leading to economic collapse. This is once again an issue largely among peoples with strong ties to their traditions. Additionally, the yet-fledgling Imperial Navy still struggles to compare to other navies, especially the Belsumese Shurgagu Dalamhor. Inclusion in the Empire may leave some peoples -- often Island cultures -- more susceptible to raids and even invasion than remaining independent.
Structure
The Ethelan value order and structure highly, and this is reflected in their Imperial Hierarchy. The Hierarchy is divided into two categories which act parallel to one another. Issues arise if two individuals of the same rank but different categories dispute over the same topic, in which case the Supreme Authority of the Empress would be invoked.
Political Hierarchy
- Empress
- Royal Minister of Colonial Affairs
- Royal High Commissioner General (For each of the 10 Territories)
- Low Commissioner (Representative of the Royal High Commissioner in the Territory)
- Native Governments/District Secretaries
- Native Local Governments/Local Administrators
Military Hierarchy
- Empress
- The Royal Marshal
- Territorial General
- Division Commander
- Colonel
- Low Colonel
- Sergeant
- Captain
- Lieutenant
- Sub-Lieutenant
- Aspirant
Territories
Religion
The official state religion of the Ethelan Empire is Aethanism. The religion is dualistic, believing in the opposing gods Aethan and Aefan. Aethan commands the domains of Light, Life, Nature, Order, and Justice among others; while Aefan commands the domains of Darkness, Death, Chaos, Trickery, and Tempest among others.
One of the understandings of Aethanism is that Aethan and Aefan work in and through all things, including other deities and supernatural beings, as they believe even the Astral Realms are subject to their superior influence. For this reason, Aethenists and by extension the Empire is quick to inculturate the rites and practices of sundry cults and religions across the Empire that concur with Aethanist doctrine.
Notably, however, the Empire is quick to deem certain beliefs as heretical in their territorial religions, often to much resistance. Although not as common in recent centuries, this practice dates back to the early days of the Empire, when the Ethelan proscribed The Dead Paths for their failure to prevent the Ethelan-Melarond War.
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