The Empire of Truth
The Empire of Truth has stood against the Forces of Chaos for over four millenia. It has suffered many setbacks over its time, fracturing and re-unifying many times over, conquering and re-conquering territory. The greatest of the human nations, it spans every known continent, and consists of a web of Noble Houses, treaties and alliances that can make the best diplomat's head hurt trying to understand it.
Above all, they are known for their Machiavellian Noble Houses, their diversity in Culture, and the Technomagical dominance that has led to its great Power. The Empire consists of Six Electorates or Principalities, Five of which have a Warden-Elector. Each has their own customs and traditions, uses different titles and etiquette, and has different ideas about what the Empire should be like. As independent and different as they are, each Electorate is dependent on the other.
Regions of the EmpireCrusader States, a.k.a. "the Heartlands" (Warden-Elector: None, under Imperial Control)
Kingdom of Skaeld, a.k.a. "The North" (Warden-Elector: House Taurus)
Rivairran Union, a.k.a. "The Reach" (Warden-Elector: House Caelum)
Hageki Shogunate, a.k.a. "The Shards" (Warden-Elector: House Serpentis)
Grand Duchy of Saburra, a.k.a. "The Wild South" (Warden-Elector: House Draconis)
County of the Guilded Isles, a.k.a. "The Colonies" (Warden-Elector: House Ardus)
Above all, they are known for their Machiavellian Noble Houses, their diversity in Culture, and the Technomagical dominance that has led to its great Power. The Empire consists of Six Electorates or Principalities, Five of which have a Warden-Elector. Each has their own customs and traditions, uses different titles and etiquette, and has different ideas about what the Empire should be like. As independent and different as they are, each Electorate is dependent on the other.
Regions of the Empire
Structure
The Empire as a whole is ruled by a complex system of Noble Houses. Each Electorate is divided into the territory of the Great Houses, each of which have many more smaller houses and related families under them. They are kept in check by organizations under Imperial and/or Church control, such as The Imperial Inquisition, who watch for heresy and corruption, the Templars of Otec, who combat magic gone wrong, and the Fatebinders of Sakara, who watch over the rest of the Church, and the Nobility.
The Emperor or Empress is Elected by the Warden-Electors of each Imperial Principality. Traditionally, those who wish to rule placate the Electors, promising them land, alliances, marriages and so forth in order to secure the loyalty of at least 3. They are advised by a small council of chosen individuals, different for each ruler, though with some positions that are mandatory:The Imperial Executor, to execute their will (not people), more like a lawyer, prosecutor - to some people, a glorified assistant.
The Archon of Truth, who is ever the second ruler of the Empire, in fact if not in name. They control the Church, and make it very difficult to be Elected without religious support
A Dwarven Emissary and a Merchant Prince (or "treasurer") round out the mandatory positions in the Emperor's Council, with the rest usually being filled with generals, admirals, lawmakers, religious leaders and powerful mages - though often also simply with those closest to the ruler, and those they most trust.
Theoretically right beside the Emperor or Empress is the Imperial Court, which is divided in two general parts. The Electoral College consists of the Electors of each Region, and Parliament is largely elected Princes and Princesses from all around the Territories, with a specific small number of Religious leaders. Practically, while they have the power to pass bills and make proposals, all laws face the direct approval of the Executor, which is a position specifically appointed by the Emperor, and is generally seen as little more than an extension of Their will. The true power lies largely with Imperial control over the Professional Army and Navy, though a great deal of it lies with generals, landowners, traders, powerful mages and industrialists. Traditionally, Religion is highly involved in both the Election process and day-to-day life. Which of the Gods you are more or less devoted to holds immense weight in court, and many wars and feuds have started over religious "disagreements". While the Archon of Light and the many Religious Orders of the Empire don't technically have power over the nobility, they control institutions with armies and infuence that can rival the greatest of them. Even if they don't actually vote in the Election, their voices hold a large amount of weight. In this time of modernization, the merchant class is becoming more powerful than ever, with companies sometimes rivaling nations in their wealth and influence. Many of the merchant class have "acquired" noble titles through various means, though they are often still looked down upon by the "blue-blooded" nobility.
The Emperor or Empress is Elected by the Warden-Electors of each Imperial Principality. Traditionally, those who wish to rule placate the Electors, promising them land, alliances, marriages and so forth in order to secure the loyalty of at least 3. They are advised by a small council of chosen individuals, different for each ruler, though with some positions that are mandatory:
Theoretically right beside the Emperor or Empress is the Imperial Court, which is divided in two general parts. The Electoral College consists of the Electors of each Region, and Parliament is largely elected Princes and Princesses from all around the Territories, with a specific small number of Religious leaders. Practically, while they have the power to pass bills and make proposals, all laws face the direct approval of the Executor, which is a position specifically appointed by the Emperor, and is generally seen as little more than an extension of Their will. The true power lies largely with Imperial control over the Professional Army and Navy, though a great deal of it lies with generals, landowners, traders, powerful mages and industrialists. Traditionally, Religion is highly involved in both the Election process and day-to-day life. Which of the Gods you are more or less devoted to holds immense weight in court, and many wars and feuds have started over religious "disagreements". While the Archon of Light and the many Religious Orders of the Empire don't technically have power over the nobility, they control institutions with armies and infuence that can rival the greatest of them. Even if they don't actually vote in the Election, their voices hold a large amount of weight. In this time of modernization, the merchant class is becoming more powerful than ever, with companies sometimes rivaling nations in their wealth and influence. Many of the merchant class have "acquired" noble titles through various means, though they are often still looked down upon by the "blue-blooded" nobility.
Public Agenda
Spreading the "Imperial Truth", also known as the Church of Truth. The Church states that those Gods of Chaos in the realms of Hell are Heresy, and the Gods of Order are to be revered and honored. That the Empire of Truth is the only true empire of humanity, smiled upon by the gods, and we have a Divine Mandate to rule the world of Starfall.
Assets
Millions of people. Hundreds of Thousands of Soldiers. The largest army of any "nation" in the world, though it spends most of its time fighting among itself. The Imperial Army is a professional Military among the most well-equipped in the world, and makes heavy use of pike and shot tactics. Their unique technology allows their line troops to double as pike-walls thanks to the combination weapon known as the "switch-axe", and mages and enchanted weaponry more than level the field of battle with the more physically gifted species.
Imperial Technology is currently breaking into the industrial level, with an injection of magical energies. Crystals known to have a connection to hell, called "Infernite" are used to power contraptions ranging from magical airships and clockwork horses to sigil-inscribed cannons and self-moving carriages.They are generally used to create heat, induce motion, or simply provide energy for a magic sigil-based inscription.
On the mundane front, the Empire has telegram and train lines over most of the major cities, electricity in most capitals, ironclad ships, early repeating firearms and all the other things one would expect from a society analogous to roughly the late 1800s.
One of the chief resources of the Empire is its amounts of talented mages. Every Electorate has a "Mage-Protector", a sort of guardian figure that protects the region from magical threats internal and external, who generally also serves as the magical adviser and court mage for the Elector. These powerful mages have turned the tides of many wars, and are the source of many horror stories about the Empire.
History
The Empire as we know it was created in the Sixth crusade, also known as the Great Crusade, that took place over several Centuries during a period known as the Blaze of Chaos. Most of the inner Empire had been lost when Valerius Draconis "The Unifier" led an invasion on the the conquered heartlands from the Rivairran Reach. After re-unification the Heartlands were stripped of their power, the Crusader States established under direct Imperial Control, and the Second Inquisiton was formed to keep the Empire in line, who would answer to the Emperor alone.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Subsidiary Organizations
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