Great Bear Empire
The Great Bear Empire the largest empire on Hikias in Drucorra and the primary country of the Bearfolk. The empire is ruled by the Ravenswood family dynasty and countless other dukes, duchesses, earls, counts, countesses, barons, and baronesses.
Structure
The Kings and Queens are the highest people on the hierarchy of the empire, they live in Alverton and rule the whole of the empire. Next on the list are the Dukes and Duchesses who rule over the 35 Duchies. Inside the Duchies are Counties and Earldoms, the former of which are owned by Counts and Countesses, and the latter, Earls and Countesses. They own the tinier lands inside the Duchies. Finally, the Barons and Baronesses rule over the major cities.
History
The empire's formation started at the birth of Osgood Ravenswood in 300 YSC. Depending on the story, it was because he was the offspring of the old family dynasties or because he was given to the Bearfolk by their god. Either way, Osgood had the Blæc families and clans inside his domain. He made most of the royal lineage and basis of Bear empires throughout time when the Silver duchy was formed in 345 YSC. When he died in 425 due to smallpox, his son, Sibert Ravenswood, gained the throne.
Sibert was the king who made the empire's roads and trade routes and started the baseline of the economy of the kingdom and the Duchy, he ruled. He started diplomatic relations with the other Bearclans. He started the unification of the Barþor with the empire after he married his sister to the Heartpike family in 428 YSC. The Empire started to be known as the Great Bear Empire then. Then, in 443 YSC the heir to the throne, Alwin, passed away due to an alligator attack. Sibert mourned his son's death but knew that he needed another heir. It wasn't until four years later when he had his son, Ealdwulf I. Sibert then died in 530 due to complications of old age, giving Ealdwulf the throne.
Ealdwulf I had a rather short reign of just 26 years. During his reign, he made some reforms to the economy and trade. He also started trade with the other Folk around their borders. He died in 560 YSC giving his son, Ealdwulf II the throne.
Ealdwulf the great improved many of the relations they had with the other Bearfolk. After a failed assassination attempt by the Masne due to their concern about civil war, the empire declared its first war. They fought against many Masne clans and won the war, unifying the Manse. He died in 586 YSC, giving his son Ealdwulf III the throne.
Ealdwulf III had a rough start. The Masne and some Blæc clans (with help from the Avenmore) started a revolt which the empire lost. He decided that the empire should start looking at its holds like it used to. He made the final reform of the feudal system and royal lineages in 654 YSC. He died due to Tuberculosis in 670.
Wulmar I rule was him regaining the territories the empire lost in the previous years. He married Achae Twilightkiller to unify both of their royal houses in 623 YSC. In return, the Twilightkillers, one of the powerful Masne families, would join the empire as a Duchy. for years following, he fought many of the other clans, killing many of the family members and replacing them with more loyal houses. Thankfully in 646 YSC, he had a son Dryhthelm the red who, when he was of age, had married the Skydown heir Hereburg finalizing the old territory. These wars and brutality made the Empire disliked by the other countries and fueled by trade cuts and disloyalty, plunged the continent into the bloodiest war in Hikias history, The war of Tribulation, which Wulmar's son would have to fight.
The war wasn't just a war fought against the Empire, rather it was a large, almost world, a war that many of the races fought in due to poor relations and trade. The Empire used this war as a mass expansion age. Dryhthelm the red fought and killed many of the empires and was known for his brutality. His conquest expanded the empire further up near Asmer bay and toward the mountains in the east. After the war, the empire tried to improve the relations of the Bearfolk but many were scared of the king. It also started an economic decline.
Wulmar II had to reform the whole of the empire's economy, relations, and government. Keeping the baseline that his forefathers made, he made a looser government by starting a market economy and making a coinage system. He started improving relations of the Rabbitfolk and Wombatfolk. He died in 811 YSC
Bedwig had the easiest reigns in the history of the empire. He had to finish diplomatic relations with the other Bearfolk. Throughout his reign there was peace and the start of a golden age, then his son was born.
When Ealdwulf the Unfortunate was giving the throne in 837 YSC, the empire was having a renaissance. With Begwig's new allies, the Bearfolk were unified and Ealdwulf was starting negotiations to join their empire with the others, they were creating peace among the ancient rivals with the Wolfkin and Elberwolf the Poisoned until his 100th birthday. On Ealdwulf's 100th birthday, people all across Drucorra came to celebrate his century of living. Everyone was happy, except for Ansis Kingslayer who hated how well the Bearfolk were doing. So, after the guards were distracted, he ran up and killed the king with a shot in the heart, causing the pelt war.
The pelt war was a disaster for the Wolfkin as made the rest of the Bearfolk join the empire. The men fought the Wolfkin, which did make some progress in the territories, and took them to their capital of Slyhorn ending the war.
Demography and Population
The Great Bear empire has around 10 million people with 99% of the population being Bearfolk with 1% being other races. Out of the Bearfolk, 6% being Avenmore, 35% being Blæc, 15% being Anso, 18% being Saurbøre, 10% being Osfjorr, and the last 15% being other types of bearfolk.
Territories
The empire's territory was gained by years of marriages to unify the nations peacefully. Some territories, however, are being held with force.
Military
The Bear military is the strongest and largest in all the realms with around 900,000 men.
Agriculture & Industry
The empire has a wide array of farms and industries. In the north, the highlands and artic are home to the largest fishing industries and goat pastures. There are vineyards and olive trees in the Avenmoran lands. They have large farms of wheat, barley, oats, rice, soybeans, spices, and alchemy plants. Pastures of cows, goats, sheep, swine, chickens, and horses along with honey farms and some silk industries. They have meaderies, breweries, and wineries.
They have the largest Pleskolite mines along with moonstone, silver, gold, copper, and valuable gemstones.
Trade & Transport
The Great Bear Empire is the largest empire in Drucorra and their trade isn't any different. The Fallenriver Trade Company is the richest trade industry in the realms. The empire trades tobacco, fish, pelts, moonstone, darkstone, salt, weapons, and herbs. They use their large stone roads to traverse across the Drifto-Hikias lands.
Maps
-
Alverton Duchy/ Asmer Bay
Founding Date
300 YSC
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Leader
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Market economy
Currency
The Empire uses what they called Claws which are gold coins that have the faces of the emperors on them. Claws have around the same value as silver coins and the Interrealm currency can be used here with little issues.
Major Exports
The Great Bear Empire is the largest exporter of Darkstone and Moonstone metals. Their southern lands has most of Hikias's tobacco plantations.
Major Imports
They Import Coconuts, Bananas, Copper, Tin, Lapiz, and Incense.
Location
Official Languages
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Related Species
neutral
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insanely well detailed!
Thank you