Caddreikk Urkenthest
Caddreikk Urkenthest is the title given to the monarchical loyalist faction present within Urkenthest. It has been more than four hundred years since the unification of the territories now considered to be part of the Urkethestine Empire, and now the fates have seen fit to tear them apart once again. Caddreikk soldiers patrol their sovereign soil, clad in the ornate, master-crafted armor of the Caddrae, hunting the insurrectionist Vuukkelldii that have dared to sunder their lands with talk of a classless society, a society in which lowly Vuuk (slaves/serfs) would be considered peers... truly a dark and devious dream.
Though they present a confident face and impress the world with the grandeur of their armies, palaces, and cities, Caddreikk power is in steady decline. Their peerless infantry, and noble-born mechanized warrior pilots are finding themselves outnumbered and surrounded by the multitudinous legions of serfs, subjects, and laborers that now threaten their right to domination. Their troops are some of the best in the world, their equipment is almost without flaw, their generals are experienced and have been taught in prestigious military academies. All they own is perfect, a precision-engineered machine without error and without blockage, but for every black-clad Vuuk they shoot, they are faced with fifty more, and each hideout raided reveals leads to a dozen more. Their territories shrink, their servants plot their downfall, and still they cling to their floundering vessel, convinced that its worm-eaten hull will bear them to dry land. If they hope to make this deluded dream a reality, they will first need to fix a few holes.
To give all this some context: Urkenthest, in its pre-war, post-unification form is a vast conglomeration of minuscule nation states made into one, cyclopean country, held together by a mighty military fed by the fertile and agrarian northern states ,from which the conquering armies originated. However, as you can clearly see, with the spreading of new and dangerous ideas, things are rapidly getting out of hand, and devolving into the bloodiest war since the Cleansing of the Lyres, an event that took place more than seventy years prior.
Structure
As you might expect, the emperor/empress has a great deal of say when it comes to the bigger decisions made in Caddreikk Urkenthest. They have ultimate authority on every matter, regardless of importance, but since they are so often in demand the emperor/empress has been known to entrust many of the more menial aspects of their rule to representatives. Individuals picked from amongst the nobility of the clans under their rule. In these days, such nobles are thin on the ground, so no matter the wish of the current empress, Empress Broggnottii, it is likely that her cabinet will be filled with many of the same faces, cycle after cycle. These cabinet members manage such things as: trade, production, agriculture, the military, and colonial development, amongst other matters.
Public Agenda
Caddreikk Urkenthest is a pale reflection of what it was. It's borders have been driven back, it's servants plot against it, and anyone who's anyone in the world at large is likely to be laughing at it... and that will never do. Caddreikk Urkens preach of order, structure, and stability, they speak of the glories visited upon Urkenthest in the golden age that followed unification, and the more tone-deaf speakers remark upon the blind greed of the Vuuk, who seem to think that freedom will serve them (and their country) better than obedience.
Assets
Caddreikk Urkenthest remains the agrarian capital of it's portion of the world, and as such, is easily able to supply it's troops, whilst maintaining a healthy stream of trade with other, less fortunate countries. It also possesses a great many industrial hub-cities, and can produce weapons, armor, mechanized infantry suits, and ships at a considerable rate, even though, it is important to note that their manufacturing methods are slower, and more thorough, allowing their craftsman to bring each piece as close to perfection as they can. These factory-citadels are not as lively as they once were, but continue to boast of their efficiency and commitment to quality.
Caddreikk soldiers are amongst the best in the world. Unquestionably loyal, skilled in many forms of warfare, and armed with cutting edge equipment. Northern Urkenthest's proud military tradition is reflected in the deeds of it's armies.
In infrastructure too, Caddreikk Urkens have excelled. Unification brought prosperity and influence to Urkenthest. and this is reflected in the multitude of works built during that time. Ever wary of rebellion and invasion, the warrior-emperors of Urkenthest ordered the construction of walls, forts, factories, and military academies in every corner of the nation. These projects were carried out with loving care and devotion. Bricks were fitted together so seamlessly that few but the most keen-eyed masons could tell one from the other. Metal beams and reinforcements were treated with the same reverence as sword blades and forks destined for the imperial table. However not all laborers and artisans of those times busied themselves with the trappings of war. Once joined together the provinces of Urkenthest experienced an unprecedented level of interconnectedness, allowing for the unimpeded transfer of ideas, technology, and culture. Sometimes this exchange of knowledge and beliefs sparked conflicts between provinces. On other occasions it led to the creation of towns, technology, items, songs, monuments, and tomes of learning, with each displaying a vivid mixture of ethnic and historical influences. Projects such as these served to strengthen Urkenthest's internal trade network and national harmony, allowing for the rapid transportation of resources encouraging cultural homogenization.
History
Caddreikk Urkenthest (as it is known) is rather young when compared to most other powerful nations, as it is a newly formed fragment of a once great empire. Of course the empress and her advisers will insist they are mere months away from winning back control of the empire's other territories, but that could not be further from the truth.
Mismanagement and discontent drove the Urkenthestine empire apart, with all but it's northern reaches and a handful of colonies remaining under imperial rule. This unrest has only been agitated further by the death of Caddreikk Urkenthest's previous emperor, Emperor Trriilaan. His murder at the hands of an elven assassin estranged many of his close supporters, and his daughter's thinly veiled hatred of Urken nobility has pushed away still more.
It may be that one of the world's great powers is on the verge of collapse, but it is still too early to tell.
Military
Caddreikk Urkenthest prides itself on not only it's strong martial background, but also on being the faction that brought Urkenthest into being. In their eyes, they are the great uniters, the firm yet gentle hand that took a vast wilderness of warring clans and wayward peoples, and transformed it into one of the most powerful nations in the world. An economic and military powerhouse that was once second only to the salt-rich Mykoli, who remain the world's most prodigious purveyor of salt, and technology that makes use of it. Taking these things into account, it should come as no surprise that Caddreikk Urkenthest invests heavily in its armed forces, filling vast arsenals with master-crafted weapons, armour, and vehicles. By imperial decree, beautiful academies have been built where young women and men are encouraged to learn every art of war ever conceived. Caddreikk Urken drill the ideals of strength, skill, and honor into every facet of their lives, making them peerless soldiers in almost every theater of war.
Technological Level
Though it is not commonly referred to as any sort of technological superpower like Mykoli, Caddreikk Urkenthest is very much "up to date", and can afford to produce most any item, vessel, or piece of machinery with surpassing quality and enviable reliability. Their factories are some of the best, and most efficient in the world, and their weapons of war are (though restricted by the tech available to them) beautifully engineered, refined and reinforced to such a degree that it is not uncommon for a single Caddreikk helm/blade/rifle/Mechanized armor suit to pass down through more than three generations of active combatants with any damage proving insignificant and easily repaired.
Foreign Relations
Despite it's internal turmoil and gradually crumbling influence, Caddreikk Urkenthest does it's best to remain in good standing with many of it's more powerful neighbors. The empress is reluctant to ask for troops, money or other forms of support, fearful that such a request would show how weak the imperial regime has become.
Agriculture & Industry
Caddreikk Urkenthest, much like the united Urkenthest of old, is an industrial colossus, with more than a third of it's towns being little more than forests of towering factories and foundries, with the forest floor carpeted by apartment blocks, minor shops, and recreational establishments such as taverns and training halls. It is capable of arming thousands in a manner of hours, and has more than enough mining, farming, logging, and other operations in place to feed it's people and it's factories for many years to come. Northern Urkenthest (the region still predominantly controlled by the Empress and her forces) was always the breadbasket of Urkenthest, and those fields of wheat, barley, cotton, and more are quite up to the task of keeping the empire alive in it's time of need. However, despite the vast number of manufacturing plants it has in operation, many of said plants are nearer to the southern border, and often at risk of being seized by the rebellious Vuuk. This unfortunate positioning means that these factories are often hindered by a Caddreikk military presence, and are eternally possessed of a tense, uneasy atmosphere.
Trade & Transport
Trade, though it does sometimes come to Urkenthest by way of it's many paved highways and canals, moves predominantly via airship, taking to the skies to avoid cluttering the ground, so that both military convoys and individual citizens may travel swiftly and safely in these times of strife. Ports for such vessels are spread all over the map of Caddreikk Urkenthest, though their presence is stronger near the edges of the country, as it is their that one might expect to receive incoming merchants and travelers bound for Urkenthest. However, if someone wishes for a package or delivery to arrive in secrecy, regardless of time or associated costs, there is another way, a way not as closely overseen by Urken customs officers. This smuggler's route involves making arrangements with sailors from the fifteen great coastal city states of the Deshbuyikki (situated on the quasi-tropical coast to the west of Urkenthest), an ancient people, with a knowledge of the sea, and of sailing, that goes back many thousands of years. Some say that the Deshbuyikki are half shark, because of their gift for silent and ferocious aquatic piracy, and though this is largely untrue (only some of them are half shark), they are still incredibly adept smugglers, and known for sneaking anything from airships to armies, with no-one being the wiser. After having these sailors deliver the goods to their port of call in one of the city states, overland smugglers and gun-runners would be more than happy to take your package through one of their discreet roads or tunnels that go through the mountains, circumventing the Caddreikk check-point, so long as suitable reward is offered.
Education
For nobility, and the ignoble of considerable wealth, literacy is considered essential, and it is not uncommon for such individuals to be taught as many as five different tongues before the age of twelve, so as to prepare them for conversation with the dignitaries and potential allies that might enter the Caddreikk court. In addition, rich young students are tutored in engineering, the sciences, and mathematics. Lastly, though this is given to all Urken children to some extent, young nobles are trained with particular rigor in fitness and combat, and are forced to gain at least passing familiarity with almost every weapon known to man, before being allowed to specialize.
Vuuk (or what Vuuk they have left) are taught only what they need to know in order to do their job, nothing more. If one is an accountant, he shall be educated in mathematics, if one is an airship pilot, she will instructed in their use and told of the many perils and unfortunate realities of traversing the skies. Nothing else.
Infrastructure
Caddreikk Urkenthest represents the pinnacle of Urken society, due to the fact that a significant portion of the wealth gained from it's numerous conquests went towards the beautification and enrichment of northern Urkenthest and other wealthy provinces. As a result, almost every city inside it's domain is equipped with every modern convenience: plumbing, salt-powered street lamps, well-paved roads, solid and elegant architecture, salt-powered appliances and interior lighting. Even such things as airship dockyards and city-based units of noble soldiers in mechanized armor.
"Mother to all." Or "Daballic Vra Nacht" in their tongue.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
Monarchical Urkenthest, the Old Order, the Empress' Miggorott's (spirits from folk lore that are often bound by the gods to serve powerful people as servants.).
Demonym
Those from Urkenthest are named Urken.
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Command/Planned economy
Currency
In return for products, it has become customary for citizens to provide Salt Wraiths. These energy-packed beings are often snared in salt marshes by specialized catchers, and are later used to power all manner of machinery, either about the house, in the field, in imperial court, or just about any other location you could imagine. Salt Wraiths are used by every rank in society, and have thus achieved a universal value. You may find some poorly informed hermit or a similarly out of touch character attempting to pay you in Imperial Favors, which were braids of died leather in the colors of the monarchy. Such things were used as currency in other, less enlightened days.
Major Exports
Do you need metals? Food? Wood? Stone? Do you need machines? Or perhaps metallic dinner utensils? If so, good, Caddreik Urkenthest is perfectly capable of providing for you, and due to it's vast natural resources, it will be capable of doing so for quite some time.
Major Imports
In this time of war and bloodshed, Caddreikk Urkenthest often finds itself bringing in large quantities of soldiers (primarily from their colonies) to bolster their high-quality, but grossly outnumbered soldiers, as well as weapons and armored vehicles to supplement what they already have in that department. They have also been known to receive shipments of mysterious, and barely understood materials and elements from Ostolfo, likely attempting to gain some form of advantage in the war. Outside of military acquisitions, they also import a great deal of salt from the Mykoli (as well as related machines and contraptions), tropical fruits from Bahktiar and the ruins of Lyrebrecht, mysterious artifacts from Ryth, and many other exotic and unusual items and curiosities. Caddreikk Urkenthest also collects a regular tithe of material and financial wealth from it's colonial holdings.
Legislative Body
Laws in Urkenthest have traditionally been the responsibility of the ruler or rulers of each clan or faction. In Caddreikk Urkenthest that duty falls to the emperor or empress. For though advising nobles may offer counsel that alters aspects of certain edicts and regulations they do not have the power to create them, let alone make them official. So although the actual writing of the laws often falls to the scribes, the laws themselves come directly from the holder of the imperial seat.
Judicial Body
Vraatisaalka is the name given to those that meet out judgement and punishment. They are essentially military officers in training that have just recently come from the academy, and through enforcing and upholding the laws of the land, they are expected to become more familiar with said laws, and to develop a sense of justice and morality, even though this is not always the case. This practice also teaches budding commanders how to effectively lead troops, as each Vraatisaalka is provided with a small force of Vraatmii, elite soldiers in training, usually minor nobility.These troops are well educated, well trained, and excellently equipped, making them an intimidating, if occasionally unruly task force.
Subsidiary Organizations
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
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