Serene Empire of Evander

Structure

The Basileus rules the Empire of Evander, served by a central bureaucracy that administers his will and an army that defends the Empire's interests at home and abroad. The Basileus' position is dependent on how well the Basileus lead troops in war and successors are usually acclaimed by the military.
The Serene Empire is divided up into several provinces, called themes. Themes serve both as military units and an administrative department. The themes are commanded/governed by an officer known as a Doux. These Doux are usually selected from those who served in Evander's central army (which recruits from the themes). Themes are further divided up according to constituent units. Themes near the borders are frequently placed under the authority of a military official known as an Exark to allow the Empire's forces to respond to invasions better when the Basileus is already engaged in dealing with an invasion that's already in progress.
On the local level, town governments take on the responsibilities of governing their respective towns and hinterlands, with the higher levels of government focused on defense and foreign policy. The exact organization of these urban centres varies according to local history. They usually lie between oligarchic and democratic forms, but usually favour the rich, especially the rich landowners.
The imperial bureaucracy is a complex system with lots of politicking going on. They are usually headed by a group of officials called logothete. Each logothete runs a major department. The logothetēs tou dromou is responsible for diplomacy and the post, the logothetēs tou genikou responsible for general taxation, etc.

History

The Serene Empire was founded during vicious wars between the high elven arkonates (kingdoms) over land in southern Fustia to colonize. Some of the stronger arkonates absorbed weaker ones, with the defeated arkonates being declared Exarks. One of these arkonates grows faster than the others to such a degree that it eventually absorbs the others, fighting an alliance of arkonates in the last war. When that arkonate emerges victorious, he declares himself basileus. After this absortion, the new Basileus fought several wars in mainland Fustia, mainly against the dwarves and orcs, in order to consolidate the Serene Empire behind him. The Serene Empire eventually expanded to such an extent that it controlled most of southern Fustia. At one point, they became both overextended and decadent. Over time, some exarkates started declaring themselves independent arkonates, with some of them succeding in their rebellions.

Disbandment

The event that served as the catalyst to the collapse was an orc invasion (lead by a number of half-orc/half-elf cheiftains) defeating an elven army lead by the emperor. By the end of the battle, the emperor was dead and his heir apparant was missing in action. Several generals started rushing back to the capital in order to capture the throne after getting the news (which allowed the orc tribe(s) to conquer some territory). Before any of them arrived back at the capital, a dormant volcanoe near to the capital erupted. Which destroyed the capital and killed off most of the empire's bureaucracy and imperial family.
Most of the claimants simply declared their independence and defended their rule over those provinces that sided with them. By the time the missing heir apparant reappeared after 2 months of trying to reconnect with friendly forces, the situation was irreversible. He didn't last the year before being assassinated.

Territories

Alfyadides and southern Fustia.

Military

The army of the Serene Empire relied on combined arms tactics, primarily using spearmen, heavy cavalry, and archers, with artillery, magic users, and light cavalry also providing further support. The archers harass and otherwise soften up the opposing forces before actual contact with friendly forces. The spearmen are intended to hold the opposing forces in place and wear them down. The heavy cavalry is supposed to smash apart formations of opposing troops, usually held in place by the spearmen.
The infantry are made up of spearmen and archers. A spearman were equipped with a helmet, a shield, a gambeson, a mail hauberk, a spear, and a sword. An archer was equipped with a helmet, a gambeson, a bow, and a sword.
Several types of cavalry are used. The first type is the cataphract, which is heavy cavalry armoured in helmets, mail hauberks, lamellar cuirasses, and shields, and are armed with lances, maces, axes, and swords (with maces and axes for when their and unable to disengage, while swords are their back-up weapons). Their horses usually have lamellar barding on their faces and chest. The second type are called korsoroi. They're armoured with helmets, mail shirts, and shields. They're armed with lances and swords. The third type are called elafhippikoi. They have little to no armour and are armed with javelins or bows (depending on local conditions that the army is operating in) and a sword as a sidearm. The cataphracts are used to smash apart troop formations, the elafhippikoi are used as scouts, as screening forces for the main army, and to harass the enemy, and the korsoroi are used in place of one of the other 2 types in scenarios where they aren't exactly suited but their intended purpose is still needed (ex. there is a need to conduct shock actions against opponents that are too fast for the cataphracts to catch).
The army is primarily divided into two types of units: themes and tagmata. When the Serene Empire marches to war, most of the soldiers that step on to the battlefield are drawn from the themes, with the tagmata forming bodyguard units of the Basileus (with the number of tagmata relying on the finances and power of the Serene Empire, with the Basileus usually having 4 tagmata).
The themes serve as both military units and as administrative divisions/provinces under the Douxes. The themes are usually made up of 10,000 soldiers and are commanded by Douxes. The themes are divided into units known tourma, which have 2,000 soldiers in them and are commanded by tourmaches. The tourmae are further divided into 10 units called bandons of 200 soldiers. The themes are usually made up of infantry and light cavalry.
The tagmata are made up of 4,000 soldiers and are commanded by a domestikos. The tagmata are usually divided up into units of 1,000 soldiers, called chillia, which operates as a cohesive formation and commanded by a chilliarks. These chillia are made up of 5 bandons of 200 soldiers. The bandons are made up of 5 kentarkia (of 40 soldiers) and commanded by a komtes. The kentarkia are commanded by kentarks.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

-5000BE - 0

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Unitary state

Economic System

Traditional