The Empire of Yura
The Empire of Yura is a united nation in name only. The Emperor/Empress of Yura may claim rulership over the entire continent but their political power does not truly extend much beyond the borders of the royal demesne, Artamus. The Empire is a loose confederation of eight independent Satrapies, each with their own ruler, military, government, and laws. These Satrapies, and the Satraps who rule them, pay nominal homage to the emperor/empress, who in turn grants them total autonomy over their own internal affairs. The closest approximation of a unified government would be an Oligarchical Confederation, but even this description assigns too much unity to a deeply fractured, deeply independent, and deeply divided "Empire".
Structure
The Empire of Yura is divided into eight distinct regions, referred to as Satrapies. Seven of these territories ( Western Lilira, Eastern Lilira, Sonui, Narapus, Arismat, Satita, and Valpalal ) are owned by Satraps while the eighth, Artamus, is the personal demesne of the Emperor/Empress of Yura.
Demography and Population
Yura, for its size, is sparsely populated. About a third of all Yurans live in the cities that dot the Empire. Of these 24.7% live in the capital of each Satrapy, while the remaining 7.3% live in various minor metropolitan areas. The majority of Yurans (68%) live in small rural settlements or villages, often attached to the estate of a local member of the nobility. Despite the distinction between rural and urban most of the rural settlements are still not more than a few days from the nearest city, as the danger increases exponentially the further away one is from an urban center, as cities tend to be the only places housing any form of significant garrison. (In the ethnic breakdown below all non-humans who are not native Yurans or members of the other ethnicities listed are included in the 'Other' category. For example, an elf who is from the the Ishaki Empire and considers themselves an Ishaki would be part of the Ishaki category. If they consider their ethnicity distinct, such as being Sunborn/Highborn they would be included in the 'Other' category. Slaves are not included in this breakdown.)
Total Population:~19,000,000
Urbanization: Urban (32%) Rural (68%)
Population Density: 40 persons per square mile (Average outside of major urban areas)
Racial Breakdown: Human (92.5%)
Elf (2.5%)
Dwarf (2%)
Gnome (1.5%)
Half-elf (1.2%)
Other (0.3%)
Ethnic Breakdown: Yuran (97%)
Errico {Eriran} (0.8%)
Istilian (0.3%)
Mivielien (0.3%)
Pennella {Previan} (0.2%)
Ishaki (0.1%)
Other (0.3%)
Citizen Status: Citizen (78.5%) Slave (21%) Non-citizen/Foreigner (0.5%)
Territories
The Empire of Yura holds all the lands traditionally associated with Yura {Continent}. The internal divisions of the country corresponds roughly with the ancestry of the various Satraps each of whom, along with the Emperor/Empress, are descendants of the great eight tribes of Yura (official borders were codified in the Treaty of Redress following the Fifth White~Black Succession). Despite this organization, there is a great deal of internecine strife within the continent, and the Satraps, despite being legally forbidden, attack one another to attempt to seize land. The greatest rivalries are between Western Lilira and Eastern Lilira, Sonui and Satita, and Arismat and Narapus.
Military
The Yuran military is not large, but is generally well-organized (at least within each Satrapy) and professional.
Army: The military of the Empire is not a singular unified army. Rather the army is an amalgamation, primarily composed of the private armies controlled by the Satraps often augmented with foreign mercenaries. These personal armies chafe under the command of any but their own Satraps and leaders, and as such, organizing any concentrated offensive campaign can prove difficult. That being said, the Yurans are fiercely defensive of their continent, and have thwarted numerous invasions in the past, aided by their navy. (The Emperor/Empress of Yura does also control the Imperial Army.)
Navy: The navy of Yura, similar to the army, is controlled by various Satraps and composed of their private fleets. Unlike the army, however, Koin Angara, Emperor of Yura, has invested massive amounts of resources into building a large professional navy, answerable solely to the Imperial Throne. This new navy, despite its untested status, is composed of well build and powerful warships, and allows Yura to boast one of the largest and most advanced fleets on Pronis.
Magicians: All Satrapies contain practitioners of magic, both arcane and divine, though this number varies based on the Satrapy. The magic users of Yura combine forces when the Empire is at war, and are given great autonomy, under the High Arcanist (see The Imperial High Council), to organize themselves and fight where they see fit. Seawatch, on the Summer Spire, contains a semi-religious conclave of powerful mages, known as the Tempest Sworn, who channel their magic to help regulate the seas around Yura. Though not powerful enough to gain full control over the sea, the Tempest Sworn nevertheless are able to manipulate the weather and waters of Yura to delay or damage would be invaders.
Technological Level
Yura has a high technological level compared to less developed parts of Pronis, but is on equal footing with the more developed nations on Pronis. The one exception to this rule is that Yura has highly advanced modern warships in comparison to most of their neighbors, a shipbuilding technology level only matched by The Republic of Erira and The Legeoryn Empire.
Religion
Yura, due its rather isolated geography, shares almost none of its religious traditions with the rest of Pronis. Despite this isolation the cosmopolitan nature of Yura's ports has led to large amount of exposure to other faiths and missionaries. Below are listed the three most common faiths represented in the Empire of Yura.
The Solar Pantheon (Traditional Yuran Religion): The most common faith throughout Yura, the Solar Pantheon is polytheistic, involving adulation of various gods and their specific "court" within the pantheon. Its adherents make up about 75% of the Yuran population.
Aythhuism (The Immortal Master): The hierarchic and monotheistic worship of the the Immortal Master, Sok Nimol, is an old religion. Although only about 17% of the population follows this religion, Koin Angara, Emperor of Yura, recently declared it to be the state religion of Yura.
Dwiism: The pacifistic and harmonious religion of Dwiism focuses on a worship of duality and harmony. Its adherents make up about 15% of the Yuran population.
The percentages are rough estimates and both The Solar Pantheon and Dwiism contain syncretic elements, allowing their adherents to follow or fuse aspects of both religions.
Foreign Relations
Yura tends to maintain a peaceful relationship with most of its neighbors, as conflict negatively affects trade. Below are listed a by no means exhaustive list of some of Yura's most relevant geo-political rivals and Yura's relationship with them. War refers to whether or not the Empire and the nation have formally declared and are engaged in armed conflict against one another. A Commercial Treaty refers to an agreement in which each country promises to maintain cordial relationships when it comes to trade, and not privateer or otherwise hinder each other's trade. A Non-aggression Pact refers to a formal agreement between the Empire and another nation to refrain from any form of offensive action. An Alliance refers to a formal declaration of military and economic assistance against an enemy who attacks any member in the alliance.
The Republic of Erira: War (Yes) Commercial Treaty (No) Non-aggression Pact (No) Alliance (No)
The Ishaki Empire: War (No) Commercial Treaty (No) Non-aggression Pact (No) Alliance (No)
The Previan Trade League (PTL): War (No) Commercial Treaty (No) Non-aggression Pact (Yes) Alliance (No)
The Kingdom of Istilia-Miviel: War (No) Commercial Treaty (Yes) Non-aggression Pact (Yes) Alliance (Yes)
Agriculture & Industry
The Empire of Yura has a vibrant agricultural and industrial economy, with both creating large amounts of wealth, though most only flows to those with near absolute control over the economy.
Agriculture: Yuran agriculture suffers from a number of severe problems, which prevent Yura from being able to adequately feed its population without large-scale food importation. The geography of Yura {Continent} makes land reclamation difficult and barely more than a fifth of Yura is considered arable. To compound this issue, most of the land is owned by the nobility, whose estates are generally geared towards the production of cash crops, destined for export. Sonui, the farthest southern Satrapy, is considered the breadbasket of Yura but, even with its fertile volcanic soil and generous floodplains, can only feed about 35% of the population. Yura domestically generates enough food to feed 62% of its population, which requires that the remaining 38% be imported. Despite these problems, the exotic cash crops grown on Yura do reap large profits and greatly contribute to the overall wealth of the continent.
Industry: Yura contains a number of extensive industries. By far the largest and, to some, most controversial Yuran industry is slavery. Slavery provides the backbone of the Yuran economy (slightly more than a fifth of the entire Yuran population is composed of slaves) and the sale of slaves is pervasive throughout Yura. Yura imports slaves from throughout Pronis, and boasts some of the largest and most varied slave markets one can find. Second only to slavery, though heavily reliant on it for its immense profit and scale, is mining. Eastern Lilira is home to some of the largest silver mines on Pronis. Besides precious metals Yura is famed for it sapphire, emerald and especially diamond mines, most of which are located in Arismat. The exploitation of these precious stones and metals has allowed Yura to develop a unrivaled jeweling community, and Yuran jewelry is consistently considered among the most valuable jewelry purchasable on all of Pronis. Yura also has a large industrial maritime sector, primarily focused on fishing and trapping. Nearly half of all domestic foodstuffs in Yura (half of the 62% mentioned above) are in the form of seafood, and a such the industry is vital for Yura's survival. Besides these industries Yura has access to many other guild based industries (barrel-makers, bookbinders, masons, weavers, locksmiths, etc.) and, while all of these industries are profitable and large in their own right, none are as lucrative or dominant as the ones mentioned above.
Trade & Transport
Yura, due to its size and poor infrastructure (detailed below), struggles to provide safe and reliable land transportation. Despite these issues domestic commerce between the Satrapies is still brisk and, if one can afford protections and takes proper precautions, can be highly lucrative. International trade is usually safe, as Yura takes care to protect both foreign and domestic merchants. The Tempest Sworn (mentioned above) often use their abilities to help calm the seas of Yura and provide favorable winds and weather.
Domestic Trade: Yura has a booming domestic commerce sector. Domestic commerce covers all trade between the Satrapies and also trade on a macro level within the Satrapies, usually between nobles. Every region is Yura has a specialty of some sort, and they constantly compete with one another in order to outcompete their rivals. Domestic commerce does not form a majority of the trade in Yura as, due to rivalries, most Satraps try to hoard all their wealth and have trade flow directly through their own port cities. Despite this among nobles and the lower classes trade across borders is common and, depending on the good, can be quite lucrative.
Domestic Transport: By far the fastest and safest way to transport goods throughout Yura is by sea. Piracy is rare near the shore and Yuran ships are protected by one of the largest and most powerful navies on Pronis. While sea transport is fast it is also expensive, and as such many goods are moved across land. Land based transport is primarily done by animal powered carts. Banditry is extremely high in Yura and as such only the most daring travel without hiring an armed escort or a hefty amount of money to bribe their way to their destination. The poor road network also makes land based travel undesirable.
Domestic Transport: International trade is the lifeblood of Yura, and the entire Empire is geared strongly around the coast and sea. Yura is the main entrepôt of southern Pronis, and is a common port of call for merchants throughout Pronis, especially those traveling to far eastern Abia. Very few international merchants engage in Yura's domestic commerce, those who do tend to deal exclusively with slaves.
International Transport: As an island all international trade must arrive and leave Yura by ship. All international trade in Yura flows in through its many ports, 93% through the ports of the Satrapal capitals, and the rest through smaller ports. Yuran ports are one of the few well maintained parts of the Empire's infrastructure, and are equipped to deal with large influxes of goods. The Yuran navy maintains a strong presence throughout both the Silver and Emerald Sea, and while piracy remains an ever persistent thorn, most merchants can sail unmolested through Yuran waters.
Education
There exists a massive disparity of education among Yurans, with most education being only accessible to the gifted or wealthy. Public education, of any kind, does not exist.
Primary/Secondary Education: There are only two schools for children on Yura. The first in is Tailud, Capital of Western Lilira, and is the Mage's College which, despite its name, takes students of all ages. Acceptance into this school is extremely difficult, and at anytime the school has at most forty students. The second school, The Imperial Institute, is in Magava, Capital of Yura and Artamus. This school is open only to the children of the Satraps, and any other children directly vouched for by a Satrap. For the majority of Yurans education for their children is a prohibitive luxury, which they cannot afford.
Vocational: While multi-disciplinary education is rare on Yura nearly every major city has a number of guilds, all of which take on apprentices. Of course guilds are by no mean obligated to take students but many of these apprenticeship positions are available, and Yura is full of skilled independent craftsmen and merchants who often train younger pupils. The various religious groups on Yura also take on children, but these instances are rare. The easiest avenue for social advancement of the majority of Yurans is to train under a skilled master, with stonemasons and jewelers being the most coveted.
Postsecondary/Tertiary Education: Only two schools of higher education exist on Yura and both are in Tailud, Capital of Western Lilira. The first, as was mentioned above is the Mage's College. The second is the Royal Art Academy, which trains artists from both Yura and even a number who travel to Yura for the privilege. Both schools have extremely difficult entrance exams and the few scholarships each provide are very competitive.
Private Tutors: The most common way that children are educated, if their parents can afford it, is through private tutors. This opportunity is also rare, and most of the private tutors tend to be hoarded by Satraps and nobles for their own use and for their own childrens' education. Some wealthy non-noble citizens of Yura can afford tutors, but these cases are few and far between.
Infrastructure
The Empire of Yura, on balance, has a poorly developed infrastructure network.
Roads: Since most of the land is dominated by jungles, rainforests, or swamps the construction of new roads is an extremely difficult and arduous task. The few roads that do exist in Yura are poorly maintained and less than 7% are paved.
Bridges: Despite its poor roads Yura actually has a high number of bridges some of which, especially those in Sonui spanning the Gold River (The Eight Crossings), are considered minor architectural wonders.
Sewage: A majority of the cities in Yura have basic sewage systems, though most tend to be poorly maintained. While operational few of the sewer systems have been expanded since the founding of their respective cities and a combination of lack of funding and size makes them woefully unequipped to deal with the high quantity of waste.
Castles/Fortifications: Yura is dotted with castles and fortifications which have served since time immemorial to protect the continent. Most of these fortifications, however, are either abandoned or so badly in need of repair to render them all but useless. Notable exceptions to this rule are Seawatch, seat of the Tempest Sworn, which guards the Summer Spire, and the personal fortress-palace of Sieng Kosal, Satrap of Arismat, Greenguard.
Ports: One of the few areas actually well-developed, at least in comparison to the rest of the infrastructure, is Yura's dockyards and ports. Due to its heavy reliance on the sea, both for trade and food, nearly all the Satraps invest heavily into their seaside facilities. All seven Satrapal capitals, and Magava, Capital of Yura and Artamus, are either located on the sea or have easy access to it, and the wealth from these cities is demonstrated by the quality of their ports. Magava in particular has exceptionally good docks, both for the maintenance of the Imperial Fleet and to facilitate trade.
Blood to Land, Land to Sea, Sea to Destiny
Founding Date
1142 A.C.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
The Pearl of the East or The Whore of the East (pejorative)
Demonym
Yuran
Leader
Founders
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Oligarchy
Power Structure
Confederation
Economic System
Traditional
Currency
Major Exports
Exotic Agricultural Goods (Coffee, Cotton, Turmeric, Nutmeg, Cloves, both Black and White pepper, Ginger, and Cinnamon), Domestic Luxury Goods (primarily Yuran jewelry), Raw Gemstones (Diamonds, Emeralds, Sapphires), Slaves
Major Imports
Foodstuffs (Cereals, Rice, Pork, Beef), Refined Ore (Gold, Bronze, Iron), Foreign Luxury Goods (Athumoran wines, Eriran oils, etc.), Slaves
Legislative Body
Judicial Body
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Official Languages
Related Ranks & Titles
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Ethnicities
Comments