The Empire of Nosferia
Structure
At the height of the Nosferian power structure is Emperor Invictus Argol. He is a reclusive figure that does not often appear before anyone other than his two personal advisors and the council of Five Regents. His word is nearly absolute law, however he instituted some balances within imperial rule that allowed for him to be countermanded should he begin to act outside of the empire’s best interest.
Below the emperor are his two primary advisors that are also able to act as vice regents in his stead. His right hand, High Chancellor Logan Penderghast is a Human Spellcaster who conducts much of the work regarding the empire’s arcane engines as well as being the architect of Imperial law. He is a human of considerable age, though he appears not to show it, likely due to some magical means. It is abundantly clear that he is no vampire. His left hand, Lord Admiral Fandral Overton is the highest order of military might within the empire. He is an ancient revenant said to have been resurrected by the High Chancellor. Every general and every officer no matter the region they hail from answers to The Lord Admiral should he give a command.
Below the Imperial Advisory is the High Council of Five Regents. These five governors rule over each of the five regions within Nosferia and report directly to Emperor Argol and his advisors. Lady Emilia Volcov rules Balacav, Lord Morris Vale rules Harlea, Lord Dimitri De Paschiole rules Passaro, Lady Penelope daughter of Hyperion over Vrykolia, and Lord Batu Acharya rules over Yama-Do.Other Governmental bodies include The Church of Cattakhan, which is the state faith tied into the rulership of the emperor himself and is composed of Inquisitors and Priests that enforce his rule. The Blood Dispensaries store and maintain the empire’s blood stores and Blood Publicans who collect the empire’s blood taxes. The Nosferian Trade Council drafts and consults over trade laws in the empire. Various lords and ladies govern major and minor settlements, estates, and counties within the regions. Magistrates and the Constabulary manage the majority of the law enforcement aside from the soldiers who act as guards.
History
Nosferia was founded at at the end of The Eirisferan Unification war led by Emperor Invictus Argol. Upon the empire's establishment, a long list of laws and strictures were drafted by The Emperor, The high Chancellor, and the Council of Five Regents. The laws were completed in 6 AU, six years after Nosferia's founding. These laws are known as The Penderghast Doctrine, and they are a complex list of laws covering everything from Vampire and Unturned rights, to blood taxation in Nosferia, to rules of engagement in war against other nations as well as enemies of the state.
In the first month of spring, 30 AU a trade dispute with the nation of Namabani lead to open warfare between it and Nosferia. This would be Nosferia's first armed conflict in the time since its founding and it would win several victories against Namabani over the course of what would come to be known as the Five Year War. Namabani would hold its own, but the losses to the startlingly ferocious fledgling empire would prove too great for the Queen of Namabani to justify to her people. Peace was brokered and trade ties would resume, although it is said that High Chancellor Logan Penderghast greatly skewed the new trade agreements in favor of Nosferia during peace talks.
In 36 AU, The Church of Cattakhan would investigate and make an example of a group of dissident vampires. Until this point, few instances of organized rebellion were recorded. Other than small riots caused by dissenters in the handful of years following Nosferia's founding, there was little stirring amongst the populace against the Emperor's claim to rulership. Catakhan, The Emperor, The high Chancellor, and their champions' terrible demonstrations of power during the war were widely known of and greatly discouraged those who would challenge the empire. The Scorned claimed to represent a more proper authority to rule vampires, though their efforts to overthrow The Emperor were described by High Admiral Fendral Overton as "Laughable". It wasn't until 150 AU, when The Continental People's Front, a group of rebels seeking to overthrow imperial governance and give power back to the people captured Cadizo Prison in Passaro. The revelation of this group's existence and their effectiveness proved troublesome for the empire, but not unmanageable.
In the Second month of Winter, 97 AU, the first massive incursion of Demonic forces of the Nine Hells coming from The Dessert Wastes of Carcaan occured and was beaten back by Yama-doan forces led by Batu Acharya. The Counter offensive was aided by forces from The Dar'Va Lang, the Dark Elven empire of The Underdark. This alliance would solidify relations between the two societies more officially, although The Dar'va Lang gave a great deal of aid to Invictus Argol during The Unification War. This first century of Nosferia's rule over Eirisfera where much of the guilds and major organizations were established, they made their first successful war efforts on foreign and invading powers, and established treaties with friendly nations became known as The Golden Century.
The Second Century of Nosferia entailed a more tumultuous series of events. It was when the first rebellious factions that presented a credible threat to Nosferian society and tensions between the regions began to mount for a multitude of reasons. It was a period of unrest and unease that stretched throughout the beginning to the end of the second century. Passaro and Vrykolia nearly went to war with each other in 115 AU. It was over trade disputes due to Naval forces from Passaro blockading trade ships headed for Vrykolia. Yama-Do had an attempted coup that nearly broke the region. Greedy Vampire nobles from Harlea and Passaro attempted to fund a ranking member of Yama-do's army to wage civil war on his region and seize control of the Regency. He and his war efforts were successfully broken by Batu Acharya. Harlean pirates had been caught raiding ships from Drakotsk and Totenstadt in 127 AU. This nearly resulted in wars with both nations due to the pirates use of Nosferian colors and armor until Nosferian officials collaborated with both nations to absolve The Empire of the crimes. The Continental People's Front and The Scorned both became active, credible threats to Imperial security in the latter half of the century.
The third century of Nosferia has been somewhat calm compared to the second century, though it is nearly drawing to a close. The profits The Empire has garnered from centuries of exporting arms to foreign nations and managing its economy have born fruit that allows it to flourish, not just remain stable. In the latter half of the century, however, The Empire has begun to mount defenses and spend an exorbitant amount of funds on magical research as if to prepare for some threat unseen.
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