Crusader States

Also known as "the Heartlands", the temperate rolling hills and marsh-filled forested grasslands of the Crusader states are the original birthplace of the Church of Truth, and the Empire itself. The Emperor rules the States and the rest of the Empire from the Imperial City, in the palace known as Angel's Fall. The Colleges of Magic and the technological advancements brought on by a steady supply of Infernite earned the Heartlands its reputation for being a Center of knowledge and advancement. The lands were corrupted by the powers of Hell in the Blaze of chaos, and the years in which they were reconquered marked the beginnings of the Empire as we know it today. The continued concentration of magic is not kind to the land, and many horrors and stranger things lurk in the forests and marshes. By far the majority of the population lives in cities, which are some of the most densely populated in the entire world - indeed, the heartlands was never meant to support the population it now has, and only lives by the grace of food imports from the rest of the Empire.

Structure

The structure of the Crusader States is an artifact of the Sixth Crusade, when the lands and its inhabitants were corrupted and turned against the rest of the Empire. After control was re-established, the Crusader States declared direct fealty to the Emperor, forgoing the chance to become an Electorate once again. Since, this has become tradition, with the two Margraves and two Archdukes of the States swearing fealty to each new Emperor as they become Elected. In practise, they have no say over who is elected Emperor in the end, but their influence is such nobody who they don't want around would ever even be a candidate in the first place. The Crusader states consists of two Marches, Hunter's Rest and Silverkeep, ruled by Margraves, and two Archduchies, Greenhaven and Ryddersvale, ruled by Archdukes. Below them are Dukes and Duchesses, with a moderate amount of Landed Knights, known still as "Crusaders". In Heartlands traditions, the spouse of the title-holder does not hold a similar title, instead they are simply known as "Prince" or "Princess".

Assets

A land corrupted by the dark powers of Hell during the Blaze of Chaos, and steadily made worse by heavy concentrations of magic, there are many magical oddities to be found in the Heartlands. Infernite grows beneath and sometimes through the ground, in places where the corruption is strong. While the North is still the main source of the Crystals in the Empire, the Heartlands' supply is nothing to scoff at, and is what propelled their technological advancement for centuries. The most abundant resources of the States are people, and knowledge, and as a result its culture has spread to the furthest corners of the Empire.

Mages in the Heartlands

The Crusader tradition is what most people think of when they think about a mage. It is obvious, flashy, and intricate, based on mathemagical formulae and arcane sigils. to the outside observes, the Mages of the Heartlands just draw some weird geometrical sigils onto something and focus on it, or seem to think really hard and "charge up" before using a lot of magical power. But within their minds is an indomitable focus, pulling at the threads of reality. The famous Colleges of Magic train the Mages of the Crusader tradition in many different subjects. Heartlanders know the dangers of magic all to well, since all they have to do is look around - as a result, Mages are feared at best, and shunned at worst, though many of the Nobility sees great value in their abilities, especially in military capacities. Mages are generally sent to the Colleges at a young age, and for life, leaving behind their families, if not their Names and attachments to them. There are no laws binding them to their towers, but the Templars and the Inquisiton are always watching, ready for one to slip up and be possessed, go power-mad, or make a deal with a daemon, and none are more conscious of this fact than the mages themselves. In the heartlands, mages have influence over technology, magic industry and the military, but very little else. The Colleges of Magic do serve as what amounts to the ruling body of all Mages in the Empire, but important positions such as the Mage-Protectors of each Principality, and the Emissaries of the College's Conclave, are still generally chosen by the nobility, rather than other mages. The College provides oversight, approving new magic and vetting ancient tomes, appointing Archmages, Professors and Court Mages, and assigning Mages to their many posts in society.

College of the Forge

Known as "Forge-Bound", these mages manipulate temperature and magnetism, which traditionally relegated them to the role of magical smith, producing weapons and armor better than any other by virtue of magic. They were always dangerous for their ability to control the very weapons of the enemy, melting them down or making them stab their owner, but n the last few centuries, with the advent of gunpowder, they have become some of the most dangerous and feared of all. Most known for the magnetic charms used to defend against bullets that have become near-ubiquitous in every magic imperial tradition, their archmages are forces to be reckoned with who can turn the tide of wars with a forceful gesture.

College of Alchemy

Known as alchemists, the college of alchemy is one of the more broad and experimental of colleges - that is a nice way of saying the rest of the colleges see them as a little weird. Originally the men and women trying to turn lead to gold and making healing potions from roots, they grew into the techno-magical base of the Empire. Their exploitation of Infernite and its integration into every level of society makes the College of Alchemy extremely pervasive, as without them, the Empire would quite literally fall apart. Archmages of this college are generall great free-thinkers who discover new technolgies and mixtures - it was the college of alchemy that discovered gunpowder, after all.

College of Mana

Also known as "pure mages", this is the oldest and one of the most difficult magical traditions in the Empire. It draws on the pure energy of the world itself, the same energies that spirits utilize, with no filters, and is adept at manipulating space and energy. Incredibly broad, but incredibly difficult, Archmages of the College of Mana are few and far between, and likely some of the most intelligent people in the world, capable of stepping into a door in The Imperial City, and stepping out to the sea-air of Greenhaven.

College of the Phoenix

Masters of Fire, and known to be talented Daemon Hunters, using specialized magical tools in order to deal with them. Unique in that it moved from the Heartlands - during a internal College dispute, the College of the Phoenix decided to teleport their entire tower to a small island in the Colonies. Their Archmages often become "Phoenix Knights", warrior-mages that aid the Heartlands Inquisition in their Daemon-Hunting duties

Type

Geopolitical, Principality

Parent Organization

The Empire of Truth