Raithar Empire
Once a thriving empire, now a ruined wasteland.
Raithar cultivated the dragons, breeding them ever larger and fiercer, never mind the consequences. They used up their natural resources, over-farmed the soil, burned their once lush forests in the engines of war and the rage of their dragons.
When it fell, the people of Raithar were destroyed or dispersed. The parts of the country that were salvageable were divided among the former provinces; the rest lies barren, a testament to the cost of war and vanity, known as the Forsworn Lands.
Structure
The Emperor had unlimited power to do as he pleased, while his court and generals ran rampant after their own ends. Conquered lands were absorbed fully into the Empire, their old borders erased, but the regional governors left by Raithar often took advantage of their positions to run the annexed land as if it were their own kingdoms.
Public Agenda
Raithar branded their conquests, especially initially, as a mutually beneficial endeavor--spreading the light of their civilization across the world. As their methods of securing new lands, keeping their acquisitions in line, and funding their contastant state of war all became increasingly brutal, this rational was allowed to quietly fade.
Disbandment
As the leadership of Raithar strained to contend with infighting at every level, several of the provincial governments formed a secret coalition, turning suddenly against the empire on three fronts.
Though the war was devastating for all parties, the former provinces quickly gained momentum, as towns and even armies that were taken gladly turned to their cause. Raithar crumbled before them, its riches spent and its dragons slaying their own as often as their enemies.
When Raitharis was taken, the former provinces split what was salvageable of the country between themselves. Raitharis itself and the ruined lands around it were left to crumble, off-limits to all and known as the forsworn lands.
Demography and Population
The Raithar Empire, thanks to its many conquests, was home to an incredibly varied populace. Every variety of human, Faun, Goblin, Dogfolk, Sphinx, and Naga made their homes under the empire's rule, as best they could. For many of them, travel outside of designated areas or empire-sponsored employment was strictly prohibited.
Education
As part of its methods for controlling the many people and cultures it absorbed, Raithar banned their native languages, banned their religions, and to enfore and perpetuate these bans, required that children attend empire-run boarding schools. These schools were separated by race and class, and ranged from well-supplied and beautiful environments, with instruction from dedicated scholars, to misnamed prison camps.
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