The Red Empire

The land once had a long storied history, fledgling empires rising, city states establishing their virtues of freedom, divine entities becoming major religions. That all changed when a beast from a time before time was released. An ancient being, too powerful to kill, was bound to hell, once upon a time. Then something, or someone, unbound it, and the beast was freed. That was the day that the Red King established his kingdom.   In the near thousand years since his release, his empire expanded faster than any known empire had ever done. The efficiency of an ever-living, unopposed god-king allowed his empire to expand faster than any other nations could muster a defense to stop it. Rebellions, uprisings, attempts at independence were all quashed without a shred of mercy. Hobgoblin armies were integrated, their perfect military culture matching the red king's militaristic approach to world domination. Orcs were recruited, their superstitions and religions replaced with a burning fervor for the Red King, their one true god. It wasn't long before the Red Empire covered the known world.   A tense status quo sits uneasily upon the people of this regime. The hinterlands of the empire, baronies and provinces further from the Red King's seat of power, are corrupt cesspools. The most lecherous, inept and foul barons, mayors and viscounts lead in the stead of the strong guiding hand of the Red King. Here, the security is lower, and rules are less enforced. But that goes for everyone. Crime runs rampant, often at the behest of officials. Corruption and self interest is the only way to survive the hinterlands.   The people live ration to ration, taxed to the breaking point. Closer to Valkyr, the center of the Red King's seat of power, there is security, as crime is cracked down on. The security comes at a strict price; civilian magic is outlawed and enforced heavily, crimes are met by draconian punishments enforced by by both the Red King's Hobgoblin military police, as well as the "Secret" police force, who make anyone that is seen as a malcontent disappear.   This is not an age of heroes, of liberating individuals who work apart from a system. You either worship the Red King as a god, or you die.