The Realm of Kharasaki

Kharasaki the Evergrowing. It has been a beacon of truth and light for millenia, the longest standing empire in the known history of Torthe. It is also the longest-standing empire dedicated to principles of law, order, charity, and Good. At least, for those who have grown to accept its rules and its strict obedience.
For almost all of the North, Kharasaki is an enemy on the same scale to the Blight, or agents of the Calculix. Every year there are invasions and intrigues that the Northern Alliance must rally to abort. The use of biological warfare, and the technological advantage the empire has, means these battles are always costly, and it is only the great leveller of magic and prayer that has kept the nations north of Delvia free from Kharasaki rule.
The term empire is a misnomer of sorts, as Kharasaki acts more as a confederation, individuals realms or city states united under the banner, and each ruler forming part of the Council of Pharoahs. There is an Emperor, though the title changes depending on who rules at the time. They are chosen through a series of trials, confirmed finally by the ability to wield the Light's Blade.
Kharasaki is the area of Torthe where most of the Titans fell to the surface, and to this day there are vast bones or skulls amongst the plains and deserts of this advanced yet aloof land.
Kharasaki is a land of many, many laws and structures, and those who believe in freedom find this life stifling. Even crime is ordered and categorised, as is poverty, death and disease. Every part of life is regulated, and governed by the rules of untold thousands of costra, or families. For many, this rigid approach can drive them to insanity, and they become part of an annual wave of Exiles to the north, fleeing from their stations. Kharasaki vigorously pursues as many of these Exiles as it can - there can be no escape from the Law.

Public Agenda

Kharasaki's agenda is well known. To unite the world under one banner, under the Golden Throne (with grudging acceptance of the Moon Rulers), and to bring about an eternity of peace, prosperity and honour to the Gods. They will achieve this aim through any means they can.

Assets

Kharasaki is the largest empire on the surface of Torthe, and as a result there are far too many locations and cities to name. That is the same with the armed forces, but some key units and cities are noted below:
Armed forces:
The Northern Legion: 30,000 legionnaires, heavily armoured, trained for their roles from the age of five. The legions of Kharasaki have developed their own tactics, fighting in formations of fifty soldiers. In each formation as well, they have a cleric, a wizard and five rogues embedded. Each unit then becomes highly durable in long, drawn-out battles, and they can be communicated with instantly by the commander through the use of sending spells. This tactic, called de quaranta, is fluid and flexible.
In addition, the legions of Kharasaki have a mandible of 2,000 mounted warriors, and an auxiliary force of 5,000 warriors. These have variable tactics depending on which land they fight.
The Spiritual Legion: This legion is split into three, each holding 10,000 legions loyal to the High Priest of Farasta. They follow a similar tactical doctrine to the Northern Legion, but tweaked so that they use paladins and clerics predominantly. This doctrine is called de guarigione, focused on widespread use of healing and in some instances, resurrection. The mounted units are core to this legion, with 3,000 knights and paladins in each of the three legions, split into units of five hundred. In battle these can be brought together to deliver powerful hammer blows, or many small razor cuts.
The Imperator's Legion The largest of the legions, belonging to the current supreme ruler of Kharasaki, numbers around 100,000 warriors. It is split across the entirety of the empire, however, and they tend to engage in police activity or garrison duty. They are made up predominantly of older legionnaires who have retired, so an average age is around 10 years older than a 'typical' legion. They have fewer mounted auxilaries, and due to a need for clerics, wizards and rogues to take service with active legions, the traditional doctrines do not apply. Instead, these legion units adopt a new model, de adattemento, where they are trained to alternate, rapidly, between scattered formation and enclosed formations. This flexibility in battle means they can react to situations on their own initiative, joining with other legion units as reserves, or taking any action necessary. They often join battle as reserves.
Mano Costra This is the most well-known secret service organisation in Kharasaki. There are many more, but these are the core service controlled by the Council. Whether other agents are offshoots of this organisation, or part of equal and sometimes competing agencies, is not know.
The Schools of Light An order of wizards and sorcerers that is bound to serve the Council of Pharoahs, recruited through the many universities throughout the empire.
The Blessed City Despite agreeing to protect and observe the neutrality of the Holy City, Kharasaki did not wish to lose their influence over the temples of Illiaern and Farasta in particular, and they named a quarter of Al Kharasaki to be a second Blessed City, albeit one that recognises Ithebes as the theological superior.
Major cities:
Al Kharasaki: The capital of Kharasaki, and built around the skull of Hazhifal, the great seer Titan. Since then, the city has grown up, down and across. Here, the height of engineering and technology has fallen considerably since the age of airships, but it remains the most advanced part of the most advanced realm on Torthe. The buildings dwarf the grandest locations anywhere else, and it is said that the Imperial Throne room alone is the size of some northern palaces.
Al Gharakkan: The City of Accords, where the great peace was signed. It is built on a Titan flow (the still flowing lifebood of a fallen Titan, often now just a highly fresh and clean spring water river). It was once an airship trading hub, but since the Fall, it has become a much poorer city.
Al Sud: Once the capital of Sudech, Al Sud is a large and powerful city still, with its Sultan a powerful force on the Council of Pharoahs. The territory it governs gives it access to sea trading with Delvia and the north western realms, and so it remains wealthy, and continues to grow to this day.
Al Tormaline: Al Tormaline was once the capital of Tormaline, a kingdom within a large canyon just below the plains of Kharasaki. It remained an independent nation just before the signing of the Accords. Its rulers fled Kharasaki, and for a time, their descendants ruled Tarsis, before being overthrown by the current Queen.
Al Veer: The City of Refuge, where monasteries and temples alike brought tiefling children to havens and shelter here. The Great Forgiveness, as it was called, was instituted a thousand years ago, by the Imperator at the time, who wished to redeem their dark blood following a theological declaration at Ithebes. As such, thousands upon thousands of tieflings were brought as children to great temples and were sheltered in the walls of Al Veer. As time went on, though the Great Forgiveness continued (and continues to this day), the state support for them dried up, and Al Veer is now a city of slums and neglect, all approved and endorsed by the relevant authorities as acceptable poverty within the context of redemption.

Demography and Population

Kharasaki is certainly the most populous nation on Torthe. Accurate census records are kept every ten years, and the last count had a population of thirty to forty million. The demographic make-up is 78% human, 8.25% half-elven, 5.25% elven (due to strict laws), 5.5% tiefling, and 3% other.

Agriculture & Industry

Kharasaki is highly industrialised, with vast mines for innumerable products and raw materials. Because of its size, it also has a highly structured and high-yielding agricultural sector. It employs millions in the military sector, and some in the north speculate that without their constant warring, Kharasaki's economy would collapse.

Trade & Transport

Kharasaki's main military roads are of the highest quality, and limited for use by imperial traders, legions and envoys. Secondary trade routes are well kept, and usable by accredited traders of foreign nations and all traders native to Kharasaki. Other roads are less well kept, and are usable by standard travellers, or other 'persona non-grata'.
It has led to a unique phenomenon in Kharasaki's territories, of three types of speed, Imperial Speed, Trading Speed, and Common speed. Sometimes in conversations, those used to this strange multi-faceted life, will suggest tasks are done "imperial speed", or similar.

Education

Kharasaki is a highly educated population, but as with everything this is extremely prescriptive. In general, society is split into so many layers and strata, that for outsiders it takes a dictionary, thesaurus and encyclopaedia to work out the strange class structure that exists - part caste system, part meritocracy, it has driven some people from the North near to madness with its perplexing complexity.

Walk in the light, walk in peace

Founding Date

-4699

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Al Kharasaki

Alternative Names

Sandlands, the South, Land of Tyrants, Godlands

Demonym

Kharasians

Head of State

High Pharoah Assenu Tau

Head of Government

Antata Sabah

Government System

Kritarchy

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Command/Planned economy

Major Exports

Kharasaki has a great many exports that go northwards every year:

• Silks and velvet
• Spices and sugar
• Gold
• Southern ivory (used in jewellry)
• High quality paper
• Technology (clockwork toys, printing presses for accredited temples, mechanical locks)
• Military doctrine textboots
• High culture

Major Imports

Kharasaki imports luxuries from the north, and from the Drown, that it cannot produce itself.

Legislative Body

The Council of Pharoahs acts as the legislative body, with the support of the Scholae, a body of thousands of lawyers that draw on thousands of years of precedent to establish new laws for situations that have not been previously considered.

Judicial Body

The Judicae are chosen from amongst the elite, some from the Council, others from the temples or others who have distinguished themselves in some way. They are allocated throughout the Empire, and are in place to make judgements when needed. All judgements are sent in on slate to the Libraries of Precedent, which were once gathered in the imperial palace, but are now held in a city of legal precedent libraries, Al Pha.

Neighboring Nations

• The Realm of Tarsis