Hemlock
Human Capital of the World
Hemlock is one of the most powerful and advanced nations in the world, and it has been under the control of humans for as long as we have had historical records. It is a proud nation, with multiple regions that are each governed by a different "House", which is essentially just a politically powerful family. The only authority above these families is the Emperor, which functions as an absolute monarch that can press his will onto any of the regions. The capital of Hemlock is the coastal city of Whiteridge, where the emperor and his family lives.
Empire of the Bull
The current Emperor is Cassius Caedus, of House Caedus. House Caedus has been in power for hundreds of years, with rule passed from each Emperor to his oldest son. The official crest of Hemlock is the crest of House Caedus, which depicts a red bull, and the House motto, "pride, power, progress". Whiteridge is built in the region of Blackfield, an area completely under the control of House Caedus. This is why House Caedus is sometimes referred to as the "Bulls of Blackfield".
An Empire in its Prime
Hemlock is one of the most technologically advanced nations, due to the recent invention of Artificers. An Artificer is someone who weaves magic into inanimate objects, and this allows them to accomplish things never thought possible before. There is even talk of one day being able to create functioning automatons with artificial sentience. This recent breakthrough in technology has benefitted Hemlock greatly, as artificers are almost nonexistent in other countries. The techniques used by artificers are kept secret, so as to keep the information out of the hands of other nations.
Dark Side of the Empire
Though there have been great scientific and magical breakthroughs, Hemlock is held back in many ways due to its relations with outsiders. Hemlock doesn't allow non-humans to own land unless they register with the government to do so, and they are normally given less valuable or lower quality areas to live in. Most cities in Hemlock have specific districts for non-humans, and these districts have little to no support from the rest of the city. This has not only fostered racism within Hemlock, but the other races that live in Hemlock have learned to be very independent, and to expect discrimination. The wealthy of Hemlock used to use Goblins and Kobalds as "servants" that served their House, though this was heavily criticized by other nations, as it was essentially slavery. This still occurs to an extent today, though they normally function more as indentured servants rather than slaves.History
Six Great Houses
Hemlock has been a country for as long as anyone can remember, and though ownership of it has changed often, it is consistently owned by humans. As far back as records go, it has been divided into several houses, that rule sections of the country. For hundreds of years it was ruled by six great houses, and they each controlled a sixth of Hemlock. House Finch ruled Blackfield from their home in Braewood Castle. House Lambros ruled Dawnton from Castle Lyonhold. House Arlet controls Cowle from Nightwell Keep. House Sideris controls Brudermare from Stormhelm. House Petrakis controls Laskaris from the Windkeep. Lastly, House Flavius controlled Whitehaven from the Paelford Keep.
Monarchies and Empires
These Houses are all still in existence today, though their signifigance and power has waned, and they no longer rule their lands with absolute power. This is because of the War of Inauguration from 1267 to 1270, in which House Lambros became the ruling House of all of Hemlock, transforming it from just a disorganized continent into the powerful nation it is today. Around the time that this war was waged a new House was created, House Caedus, which was founded by the most renowned knight of his time, Aurelius "Bull" Caedus. House Caedus eventually replaced House Finch as leaders of Blackfield, and House Caedus did nothing but flourish and grow for many years. The Lambros Dynasty was powerful, and they let the other Houses mostly govern themselves, but they often attempted to dull the cultures and traditions of the other Houses, to substitute with their own. This made them fairly unpopular, though they ruled for 133 years. Eventually, a new contender for the crown came forward, from the youngest Great House in existence, House Caedus. In 1399 House Caedus began to rebel against House Lambros, and they were able to eventually gain the support of most other Houses. After a war lasting four years, they began to march on Lyonhold, with victory all but assured. The King came to meet them with his army at Ridgecrest, and the King was backed by House Flavius. However, as the battle began, House Flavius betrayed the King, and attacked them. During the ensuing battle, Septimus Flavius, the Head of that House, stabbed the King in the back (literally), and ended the war known as the Red Rebellion. Thus, in 1403, the rule of House Lambros was ended, and the rule of House Caedus began.
Pride, Power, Progress
The new leader of Hemlock was Lucian Caedus, who was referred to as an Emperor, not a King, which is now the norm for a ruler in Hemlock. As his first act as Emperor, Lucian Caedus had Septimus Flavius executed, along with all in House Flavius that decided to betray the past King. He stated he did this because the act of killing the King from behind was cowardly, and House Flavius only joined him at the last second to avoid punishment. Thus, House Flavius became extinct, and House Marius was chosen to take its place ruling Whitehaven as a Great House. Emperor Lucian made his home Whiteridge the capitol, and the large town grew steadily in the ongoing years, eventually turning into the bustling port city it is today.
Pride, Power, Progress
Founding Date
4270
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Leader
Ruling Organization
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Related Species
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