Imperial Province
"Condolences on the death of your father, the late Emperor. As per Imperial Law, you have one year to vacate the Imperial Palace before the new Emperor is selected. There is a selection of villas and houses in the Imperial Province that you and your children may occupy, if you so wish. The Chamberlain will help you decide which ones are most suitable. Thank you for your father's service."The largest island in the Inner Sea, the Imperial Province is unique in that it has no Elector Lord, and is dedicated to providing for the Emperor alone. Mostly forested, its inhabitants pride themselves on their unique situation, and show utmost loyalty to both the current Emperor, and the family of previous incumbents.
Structure
The official ruler of the Imperial Province is the Emperor of Belyos themselves, but in practical terms the lands are managed by the Imperial Steward, a hereditary position that has been held by members of the Piso House since the foundation of the Empire. It is the Stewards role to manage which of the Imperial properties on the island that the immediate family of a deceased Emperor are housed, and to maintain the properties currently not in use.
Aside from the Steward, there are no other noble families with authority on the island; the majority of the island's population are technically peasantry, albeit more well-off peasantry that found elsewhere in the Empire. The final part of the population is made up of the spouse, children and grandchildren of prior Emperors, if they live, who are entitled to live on the island at Imperial expense. Great-grandchildren are not so entitled, so usually they have been married off to other houses by that point.
Culture
The population of Belyos Province are incredibly insular, with a very distinct accent and way of life to the rest of the Empire. Service directly to the Emperor and past Emperor's families has led to even the lowest of the peasants perceiving themselves as important to the proper functioning of the Empire. It is rare indeed that anyone new moves to live on the island, and even rarer for peasants to leave the island to live elsewhere.
Territories
The island is about 440 kilometres in length, and about 190 kilometres across at its widest. It is almost entirely temperate woodlands, with oak and beech dominating the lower latitude, and pine on the hills. The few parts of the island devoted to livestock are open grassland, few on by mainly cattle, with a few sheep herds kept for their wool. Aside from the northern tip of the island and the port town of Adluentia, the shoreline is rocky and mostly cliffs; landing on the island away from designated points is almost impossible. The forests of the island are full of game, mainly deer, and hunting is an important profession for the locals.
Founding Date
1 IY
Type
Geopolitical, Province
Alternative Names
Belyos Province, Belyos Island
Demonym
Belyosian
Parent Organization
Related Ethnicities
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