Trel
Structure
Trel drowns in a tremulous sea of bureaucracy. The Imperial City, which claims to be the final bastion of the civilized world, holds a thousand councilors, foreign ambassadors, eunuchs, captains of defeated armies, magi, and envoys of the Celestial Courts. Whispers tell of remnants of lost civilizations hiding among them. Elves from beyond antiquity, who were there when the world began, are among the entourage. All bow before the Emperor, the scion of Heaven.
The lands reflect this ideology, secured by the safety provided by the Emperor and united by accountability. Even the most remote villages have an Elder who, on the last day of the week, reports the current affairs to the local township. Representatives from these towns review the business of the villages and, once a month, send their reports to the administrative offices in the larger cities. A council then meets, weeding through the lists of information before a messenger is sent to the Imperial City. Every profession, no matter how mundane, is run by a guild, and every man is numbered.
Yet the Trel tears apart at the seams. The lands are too vast to be tamed, and the Emperor's unitary goals are ignored further from the capital. Within the massive forests and atop the highest peaks, new ideas burst forth, rebellion on the tongues of many. Remnants of the Old Ways burn hot, feverishly working against the might of the Emperor, though they are little more than kindling against the flames and soldiers of Trel. Though the memories hang heavily upon the rebellious, and the examples made of former rioters still hang, hope for the old ways remains.
Culture
The Trel value three things above all else. Honest work, the family unit, and spirituality guide every decision they make. Their government is driven by an endless bureaucracy that ensures the safety of its people through the magistrates, lawmakers, and the many shadows surrounding them. Although some look upon these lands with contempt, what they call oppression has kept the Outsiders without the walls.
Dozens of stereotypes surround the Trel, and as often is the case, most of them are exaggerated beyond proportion. The Trel are surprisingly open and accepting of others, though their government often seeks isolation. The further one travels from the capital, the more willing the Trel are to embrace them.
Public Agenda
The Trel are renowned worldwide for their wisdom, insomuch that they have come to believe themselves to be the last philosophers in these seas of turmoil. Wishing to preserve the cultures and traditions of the old ways, their children are raised with enough information for them to thrive academically. Of course, history is a fickle thing. Annals have been lost before, written anew by the biased kingdoms. The scholars of Trel are not without sins, and many books on history and science have been proven false.
Trel depicts herself as the shield against the Outsiders. Their massive walls are labyrinthine to their ancient enemies, and their awe-inspiring gates fill the hearts of many with dread. With these strongholds, they have been able to withstand the Outsiders -- for now. For this reason, they have projected themselves to be the leaders of the Eastern Alliance, and have taken in anyone who wishes to raise a blade against the encroaching darkness.
Assets
Trel has the largest land area in the known world, with an equally extensive ecosystem. Hundreds of hidden villages, founded throughout the ages, dedicate their identities to specific martial arts and skills. Riding through Trel is like traveling through time, as many have been isolated for hundreds of years. When the trumpets of the Emperor are sounded, conscripts from the four winds will answer the call, filling the armies, ready to swarm the castles of their enemies.
Though the sheer number of the Trel is intimidating, it is the magical artifacts that they possess that their neighbors ought to fear. Although the sheer number of artifacts that the Trel have gathered is impressive, there are several that can destroy thousands if they fall into the wrong hands. For this reason, anything deemed too powerful is kept within the vaults of a massive library, hidden from their people and allies.
History
The Jarn King was slain, pierced through by his own blade. Stepping over the body, the Emperor placed the bloody crown upon his head.
Those kingdoms that proceeded the Empire are mostly forgotten in the sands of time, their souls long passed into the otherworlds. Many of their historical records have been lost to the flames of war, and scholars of the Trel compete amongst themselves as they write a new history. Those who find favor from the Capital are gifted with wealth and promotions within the courts.
The official history currently claims that the Trel was the unification of rival kingdoms, Hesios and Jarn. These twin kingdoms had splintered from a much larger Empire, though it too has been lost in history. Unlike the Trel, these powers had been corrupt since their founding, with courts filled with sycophants and petty tyrants. The nobility feasted while their people suffered, willingly blinded by their fortunes. As the Hesios and Jarn were uniting in holy matrimony, the lands bucked, the Trel forming through a righteous war.
Demography and Population
They're easy enough to find. You just need to know what to look for. Find their gods, and you'll find them all.
Humans are the masters of these lands, believed to be the inheritors of the Dwarfs. They, in a like-minded fashion, built several multi-layered cities. Commoners toil thanklessly in the merciful shades of these massive walls, following the divine paths set before them by the religious leaders. Yet there remains so much more, away from the protection of the magistrates. Villages are carved in the mountains and hidden within the dark forests, where magic flows without care like the rivers. There are no curfews or restrictions like the cities force upon them. Old magic hangs in the air, undisturbed by the bastardization within the Imperial City, like fruit waiting for anyone brave enough to pick it.
Outside the walled cities, remnants of untameable gods walk among the mortals, revealing their true forms without fear or favor. Yet they also hide within lies, their unspeakable truths wrapped in deception. Appearing as stone to most, they reveal themselves to those desperate enough to seek them, to learn their true names. Mountains shake, and forests burn as these statues take life, shedding their stony skin to reveal pulsating flesh. The icons of a past age summon champions to their will, the sound of footsteps echoing from within the Fallen Heavens. The old ways live on, through the madness brought upon by these would-be gods.
Remnants of the Elder Races are found, hidden under the protective shadows of these idols. Although they are preyed upon by the temptations of the Outsiders and hunted by the superstitious among men, they fight on.
Territories
The land that once belonged to several minor kingdoms has been assimilated and conquered by the Trel. They are the largest known Empire, whose influence extends deep into the Deadman Seas. Although they are fractured and threaten to unravel from within at any point, they are held together by the authority of the Emperor and the threat of the Shadows. Yet, they continue to grow significantly. Their courts make claims upon nearby territories, claiming the ancient wonders as part of their heritage, and in doing so absorb more peoples into their Empire. Of course, most of these claims are little more than fantasies. The Southern Kings are vassals in everything but name, paying homage to their defenders in conscripts and silver.
Religion
Hundreds of gods and thousands of minor deities are worshiped by the Trel. These range from ancestor spirits to tribal deities that inhabit strange artifacts, with patrons of certain rivers and lakes that slumber deep within its depths. Some gods embody concepts, tools, sports, and times of the day.
Trel only requests that they recognize the two Emperors as deities, holding them above any other that they may wish to serve. Religious persecution is rampant in other lands, causing Trel to appear utopian in that regard.
Foreign Relations
"They hate everyone that isn't a part of them. They can barely stand half of their own."
Boasting a self-sustainable nation, the Trel has historically been a powerhouse in military and economic might among their neighbors. Smaller kingdoms have many folk tales on the warmongering nature of the Trel, claiming that they've been this way since their founding. The Trel have absorbed many cultures and ethnicities under their banner, their jingoistic stance backed by the will of their gods. Although they are currently the leaders of the Eastern Alliance, many refuse to see them as part of the greater good as they hold onto ancestral grudges.
Civil war and the emergence of the Outsiders have forced the Trel to humble itself for survival. The illusions of Imperial Might and the Favor of Heaven had diminished in the eyes of many, something the Trel has never fully recovered from. Their strongholds have been overrun, and the seven years of provisions have been ransacked by bandits. Bowing to the Vampires, turning a blind eye to their fast descent into darkness through necessity, and allowing further autonomy to their vassals weighs heavily on them. Though they remain in good faith, the Trel has never forgotten an insult. It's only a matter of time before they retaliate.
Though the Trel are surrounded by allies, they are duplicitous, despising their so-called equals and allies. Trel secretly gathers strength, her soldiers returning to the Imperial City, coiling around it as a snake. Trel will strike when her allies least expect it, regaining control over the lands.
Laws
The laws are fickle, ever-changing, and evolving, like a living organism. Once a year, after weeks of meditation and cleansing, the Emperor will enter seclusion. There, in the darkness of the Imperial City, the Emperor attains a new set of laws from the Heavens. These laws, though similar to the prior years, change subtly, as a serpent shedding its old skin. Transcribed into every language of Trel, these laws are sent along the Four Winds, to be read in every major city. As news comes upwards from every hamlet, the laws are passed through the same channels.
Lawbreakers suffer a punishment according to their misdeeds. Those worthy of death simply disappear, life going on as though they had never existed. This sets an example for other would-be troublemakers, silencing them before they can begin plotting against the Trel. Lashes are the reward for lesser evils. Larger cities have whipping posts in the main areas, for criminals must receive justice so all eyes can watch. The number of lashes and the severity of the beating depends on the crime. A person would be hard-pressed to find someone among the Trel who did not share the scars from this experience.
Political crimes are punished by exile, though this is often considered inhumane. The common folk may have little care and sympathy for the nobles, but to be branded and expelled outside the walls of Trel is a death sentence.
Trade & Transport
Pride courses through the veins of the Trel, not allowing them to accept goods and services from their neighboring countries. Although these acts are often done with goodwill, the Trel despise the very notion of needing charity from others, especially those whom they deem to be lesser. This ideology has spiraled out of proportion, as the Trel will attempt to survive without any assistance or tools from foreigners, isolating themselves as much as possible. Though they are united against a common enemy, Trel genuinely despises several of their neighbors equally, or more so, than the Outsiders.
Merchants that trade with other countries near the borders use simple-minded laborers as proxies. Without fully understanding the risks or how the trade is done, these laborers willingly aid in exchanging their lumber for fruits, nuts, dried meat, and pelts from foreign lands. These are easily consumed or disposed of, and the proxies are gifted a tenth of all goods they successfully smuggle back into their lands. If caught, the unwitting tools act as a scapegoat for the merchants.
Honor Above All
The Bronze Coin (The Drac )
The Silver Coin (The Sun),
The Gold Coin
Local Magistrates
Upholding the law falls into the responsibility of the magistrates, easily recognized by the blue satchel denoting their rank. However, upholding the law is a daunting task. Due to the danger in their work, the magistrates will often employ wandering adventurers or ruffians to serve as tax collectors and to rough up any potential lawbreakers.
Shadows
The Shadows of the Emperor loom over Trel, watching ceaselessly. They spy on their own people in the hope of a reward. They feast among those they will betray during festivities, faking drunkenness and merriment, and lie in wait to report dissent. Those marked by the shadows disappear without a trace.
Alliance
The Trel do not have any good feelings towards their neighbor. They wish to be unyoked from them, and ready themselves for battle. Still, compared to their other neighbors, their allies are far more tolerable.
The Horse-Lords are aware, in part, to the treachery of their ally. Although they are close, and they respect the courage and hospitality shown, the knowledge gnaws at the back of their mind with every interaction.
Enemies
Though the Trel hides their history in lies, the truth still walks underneath the governments nose. These two groups are bitter enemies, resulting in guerilla warfare and brutal assaults on potential hideouts.
Thank you for reading this article! Any feedback and suggestions are greatly appreciated!
I like how you mention that local magistrates are forced to hire mercenaries to uphold their authority and obtain imperial taxes, as it further illustrates what you mentioned about the lands of the Jing being fractured from within and barely held together. Reminds me of the later days of the Roman Empire. Great work!
Thanks for the comment! I hadn't thought of the Roman Empire, but maybe I'll use it for some inspiration. I've been reading through your articles, and I've been really enjoying your work!