Dalkhold
Dalkhold is currently getting conquered by Deviné. By summer of 4197, Deviné will conquer all of it.
(Oligarchy, pop. 60,000/7,000 transient) Claudius Moreau (?)
Major Cities/Strongholds: Beorsfir, Dalkhold (Capitol), Lykers.
Allies: Dandria, Fenuihl, Se'kania
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Once a land of fertile farmlands and a rich forests, Dalkhold has been laid waste by war. The murders of Tomas LeRoi, the Lord of Swords, and Alea Shayde, a Drakken sorceress of considerable raw power, sealed Dalkhold's fate. General Zaryg himself leads the combined Devinian and Tesharan armies into Dalkhold, cutting off the capital and capturing huge portions of the countryside. Though a surprisingly resilient guerilla resistance has sprung up, it is only a matter of time before Dalkhold the country is only a memory. Whether Teshar will gift this land to Deviné or not is unknown. What is known is that the death toll is horrendous.
History:
Since the return of Anryth in 4192, Dalkhold has fared poorly. Always a haven for old curses, monsters, and lycanthropes, these problems fairly exploded even as the Tesharans attacked. Moreau only managed to slow the decay of this country until fall of 4196. Then, the hero Tomas LeRoi appeared in Dalkhold and rallied the entire country. Aided by the sorceress Alea Shayde, he single-handedly brought the slaver operations out of Deviné to a halt, focused their military efforts, and inspired the populace to actual hope of victory. His and Alea's murder in the capital a few months later sealed the country's fate.
Notes: Econ: C-D, Religion: D, Magic: C-D
Dalkhold has a long, proud history. The capitol, Dalkhold itself, is home to the High Magistry Tower, locked and sealed by powerful wards since the death of Archimage Maliki Masters, over a thousand years ago.
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Dandria
(Feudal Monarchy, pop. 210,000/17,000 transient) King Senevar Gerrikson (?)
Major Cities/Strongholds: Ashord, Braes, Blackbird Cove, Bronsreach, Carstin, Caudeold, Corsen, Darkhall, Drasail, Eastkeep, Eldane, Fensarch, Gerekest, Gromthar, Hillvar, Jurnlehk, Kaluin, Kaneshire, Kirzad, Kueden, Langare, Lason (Capitol), Meresport, Murdshold, Myrkeld, Nanoc, Norven, Rausekt, Ravenskeep, Rohdeton, Saria, Seun, Taubre, Vaukeon, Vordan, Vrostuh, Wayrest.
Allies: Dalkhold, Diaun, Silver Forest
Enemies: Ralkstag
Geographical Features: Dandria has five large freshwater lakes: Lake Dandr, Lake Dyre, Lake Selne, Lake Tholdom, and Vunmere. Two of them, Dandr and Vunmere, almost qualify as inland freshwater seas. All provide excellent fishing. The shellfish harvested from Vunmere are essential for a variety of dyes produced only in Dandria.
Hills are scattered throughout central and southern Dandria, with the southern areas far more rocky than the northern. The Barony of Nanoc, is almost entirely rocky land. The Corinian Forest forms almost the entire eastern border of Dandria. The Earth'sblood River forms the southern half of the western border. The rest of Dandria is rolling hills and farmland, broken by rocky sections and mining efforts.
Descended from conquering Diaunese tribesmen, the Dandrian people are tall, strong, hard-working, and distrustful of magic. A prime source for cattle, ores, and minerals, Dandria enjoys almost exclusive trade with their Northern cousins in Diaun, the Dwarves of Chakka-Kandr, and the Elves of the Silver Forest. Generally uninterested in the rest of the world, Dandrians are strong and fierce in battle. They make their own armor, thicker and heavier than any other race's.
Of late, Dandria is growing more and more concerned. Diaun has, for all intents and purposes, closed its borders. The Freelands have been broken up and are slowly being consumed by Teshar. And King Kadien Asrytal I of Ralkstag appears ready to invade. The Southern Dukes are clamoring for a pre-emptive strike against Ralkstag, while those in the west want treaties with Teshar - and more crown funds to help "stabilize" what's left of the Freelands.
Architecture: Older buildings, from before Sevenar's conquest, show the classic Ralkian domes and minarets. More current buildings are thick and strong, rarely over three stories high. Dandrians generally take twice as long to raise a building, but any structure they build is twice as tough. Dandrian expertise in stonework is second only to that of Dwarves.
People of Note:
Brevin Maerkanor, Sergeant - A sergeant in the Palace Guard, Brevin is Royal Investigator Hedriks personal body guard. His specific orders from the King are to make sure that the Royal Investigator returns alive to the King. Brevin is a fortunate choice, for Hedriks has little regard for personal safety in executing the King's Justice.
Hedriks Jaardson, Royal Investigator - Though he is short for a Dandrian, Royal Investigator Hedriks is a frighteningly shrewd and resourceful man. Popular legend has it that he has never failed to track down a fugitive from the King's Justice. The truth is more disturbing, for he has the backing of both Vardin and Accuris to pursue his duty to bring criminals to justice.
Kaaerd Rogansson - The Black Raven, Duke of Ravenskeep. Kaaerd survived an attempted assassination by his younger brothers. They attacked him in his sleep. He expediently killed them all. Kaaerd prefers the longsword and dagger as his weapons, and has won several duels to the death, has successfully routed "brigands" raiding out of Ralkstag, and personally removed the Tesharan Ambassador from King Senevar's court by throwing said ambassador out of a second floor window. Kaaerd is silent and grim. His exact loyalty to the king is subject to much speculation - all safely out of his hearing, of course. To date, he has never even once disobeyed his liege lord.
Leren Lyrsarrion - Duke of Eastkeep, Leren has so far been unaffected by problems with Teshar or Ralkstag. He maintains a neutral stance between the Northern and Southern Dukes. Trade with the Elves of the Silver Forest is lucrative for him, and he often has Elven travellers as guests.
Lodrim Corysson - Duke of Saria, Lodrim is the staunchest supporter of military action against Ralkstag even though his lands have been mostly untouched. Lodrim is known to have contact with the Elves of Fenuihl, for they are occasionally seen in Saria.
Sedara Conarrion - Dutchess of Kaluin, Sedara is regarded as the singularly most dangerous woman in Dandria. Quite simply, she is old enough to know where everyone's skeletons are buried. Many suspect that she holds a special dislike of Duke Kaaerd Rogansson, though none are sure why.
Senevar Gerrikson - The King of Dandria who has an unhealthy liking for wine. Senevar is young and clever. He has, so far, maintained an uneasy peace between his Northern and Southern Dukes while awaiting word on a defense treaty with the Silver Forest.
Tarn Greencrest - Duke of Gerekest, Tarn is the recognized leader of the Northern Dukes. A tall, muscular man, he is possessed of a keen intellect and calm disposition - of great aid when his peers grow angry over the crown's indifference to their foundering economy. Duke Tarn is a berserker in battle, and has singlehandedly massacred whole troops of bandits who dared raid his lands.
Notes: Econ: B, Religion: B, Magic: D-E
Dandrians do not like mages. The warpriests of Crom view this land as their heartland, and work to reinforce the people's superstitions against wizardry. The Silver Forest Elves are well aware of this and work hard to minimize any and all use of magic within Dandria.
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Dandria is a feudal monarchy with a twist. The prince or princess to rule must perform some great service for the country before he or she is allowed on the throne. In cases where the current ruler dies before such a deed is performed, a steward is appointed by the Dukes.
Unlike the Hartland, the Dukes have considerable power within their Dukedoms. The king has far more important things to worry about. So long as the taxes are paid on time, the Dukedom isn't overrun by invaders, and the levies are fulfilled, he doesn't bother the Dukes.
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Deviné
(Princedom, pop. 97,000/40,000 transient) Prince Arron Multhellen I (?)
Major Cities/Strongholds: Gesinohl, Jehrskeep, Kedol (Capitol), Kraggensol, Rohin.
Allies: Teshar
Enemies: Dalkhold, Dandria (hostility), Fenuihl
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A puppet state of Teshar, Deviné is a training ground for Asrexius' raw troops. Training which includes raids into the rest of the Freelands - "Blooding the men," it is called. Smuggling - from Teshar and from the East - abounds. Spies of all stripe travel freely through Deviné, adhering to an unwritten code of congenial acknowledged information exchanges at pubs, hostels, brothels, shops, and street corners. Unexplained, and unquestionable, corpses are a frequent occurrence.
Deviné is otherwise a land of jaded anarchy, where nearly anything can be had for a price. Prince Multhellen's infamous palace debaucheries set the social standards. The place strongly resembles Anryth, but without the Lich Tyrant's controlling influence.
People of Note:
Prince Arron Multhellen I - self-styled "Prince" ruler of this cursed land, Arron is a gods-blessed fool who has managed to not quite antagonize anyone into having him assassinated. He is very good at "facilitating" things - training grounds, for instance. He came to his position, quite literally, by being hand-picked by Asrexius himself from a group of civilian prisoners (acquired during the Lich Tyrant's early conquest of the Freelands) when the Tesharan ruler was walking past.
Balin Cleftleg - A wizard of considerable power, and a direct representative of Teshar. He received his surname fairly recently after an encounter with the swordsman Tomas LeRoy. Balin barely survived his wounds, and lost his left leg as a result. By Asrexius' order, Balin's leg may not be restored until he has redeemed himself. Deviné is his punishment assignment. Trained by the Aryan Guild, Balin is a bull in a China shop, fond of flashy, devastating spells loosed on soldier and civilian alike.
Lord Gerrick Reyne - A powerful warlord and brilliant strategist whose personal might makes him the second most powerful man in Deviné. Lord Reyne's rise to power was meteoric, the loyalty of his troops is great, and he is rapidly becoming more popular with the common folk. He has so far handed two defeats to attacking Se'kanian troops. It is very likely that Lord Reyne is now the main power behind the throne of Deviné.
Notes: Econ: C, Religion: D, Magic: C-D
Deviné's main source of income is smuggling and direct funding from Teshar - for training troops, of course. Old mines along both rivers lie mostly unused, now. Though once they produced a wide variety of minerals.
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Diaun
(Tribal, pop. 100,000) Various tribal leaders
Major Cities/Strongholds: NA
Allies: Dandria
Enemies: Wizards
Geographical Features:
Frozen tundra, rocky gorges, ice and snow stretch across the windswept land of Diaun. Home to fierce tribes of superstitious barbarians, Diaun is unexplored, unmapped, and deadly to invaders.
The Diaunese tribesmen hate wizardry with a passion. Indeed, their shamans have set many of their ancestor's spirits to guard over their homelands and slay any sorcerer foolish enough to spy therein.
People of Note:
Lidar Bearslayer - Cheiftain of the powerful Elk tribe, Lidar's people have the most contact with outsiders, frequently trading with Dandria. Lidar himself bears the facial scars and claw necklace of his namesake. Famous for his inscrutable face and iron will, he is harsh but fair in his dealings.
Keveg Reyhn - Chieftain of the Iceworm tribe, Keveg finds himself in the awkward position of needing to aid his Dandrian cousins by tradition - against the foul wizards his tribe specializes in hunting and killing, and obediance to the Totem Cairn that has decreed Diaunese isolation from Dandria. A man of exceedingly few words, Keveg's people roam the southwestern edges of Diaun, praying daily for a wizard to give them an excuse to strike back across the Diaunese border.
Derek Haelfson - Bastard child of a Diaunese raider and a Dandrian victim, Derek is the only caravan master permitted to enter Diaun since the tribes closed their land to outsiders, Derek is wealthy and influential among the tribesmen, in spite of his affiliation with the Icy Coast merchant house.
Notes: Econ: F, Religion: B, Magic: F
Diaun is an unspoiled land holding vast natural resources - metal, mineral, animal. The tribes meet once every three years to apportion out rights to grazing lands, mines, hunting, and fishing. In general, they are fair about it - resolving conflicting goals by either consulting their ancestors, contests, brawling, or rarely by trial of combat.
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Fenuihl
(Theocracy?, pop. 30,000?/8,000? transient) Intomel Landfriend (Druid ?)
Major Cities/Strongholds: Nevem Lianir, Shythe, Tevel
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The southernmost of the Freelands, Fenuihl has existed inviolate for over 700 years. In fact, the last time Teshar sent an "ambassador" to Fenuihl, he was returned in eight separate small boxes. Druids are known to dwell here, which would account for the populace's strong dislike of Tesharans.
Fenuihl has seen many refugees, first from Deviné, now from Dalkhold. Few are admitted. Most are gently escorted across the Kaldav River to Dandria by foresters.
The main trading towns, Tevel in the north and Sybor in the east, are very loosely governed with little to no crime. Laws focus on the conservation and preservation of the flora and fauna that are the country's main export.
Fenuihl has remained studiously aloof from almost all Freeland matters, excepting those that concern land management, fishing, and harvesting rights. It's not that the people don't care - quite the opposite. It is simply that they won't force other lands to live the Fenuihl way.
Lately, the Silver Forest Elves are pulling all their people and allies from Fenuihl, over strong disagreements with Intomel's rule. The presence of evil Fey in the country has grown dramatically.
People of Note:
Intomel Landfriend - Elected after the death his predecessor on the Council of Magi, no one has admitted to actually meeting Intomel. He, or she, is recognized as a Councilor by both the Hartland and Dandria, however. His surname is indicative of his political views.
Dair Artalian - An Archimage of the Silver Forest, Dair is the premier wizard of Fenuihl, and a constant thorn in the Tesharan and Devinian military efforts. Since the death of his student, Riaun, he is the only powerful arcane spellcaster remaining in Fenuihl.
Notes: Econ: D, Religion: B-C, Magic: E
Many Elves travel through Fenuihl on their way to or from the Silver Forest. All have consistently refused to say anything about the interior of Fenuihl, aside from commenting that they like the trees.
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Freelands
Destroyed by Teshar: Spring 4192.
Geographical Features: Witchwood Forest
See also: Aldakar | Dalkhold | Deviné | Fenuihl | Leddok | Se'kania
Once a collection of large towns between the Teshian Empire and the Sandar, the Freelands declared themselves independent during the fall of Ancient Tesh. For centuries, the Freelands were a collection of city states ruled by its own Council of Magi - most of whom had no wizardly power whatsoever. The country had seen its share of tyrants, despots, and power-mad necromancers in the past, but it has also produced some of the greatest workers of the Art since Ancient Tesh - Dallod Loguire, Maliki Masters, Melein the Blue, and others.
The return of Anryth and formation of Teshar changed all that. The full Council was slain by Asrexius within days of his arrival. Succeeding conquests of the Northern and Southern Plains, combined with subtle political machinations and outright annexation of parts of the Freelands, shattered the former economic crossroads into a group of petty, warring fiefdoms, each with its own warlord, princeling, or tyrant claiming to be the central authority. Those fiefdoms have since become smaller nations and are detailed separately.
Empire of the Hartland
Land of the Hart, Sword Throne (Imperial Republic, pop. 1 million+/hundred thousands transient) Emperor Marion Kenthyr II (8 Warrior/ 7 Priest)
Major Cities/Strongholds: Danar (Capitol)
Allies: Chakka-Luk, Halash'kar, Kathnyri
Enemies: Teshar
Geographical Features: Caldin's Gap | Dwarfgate | Halash'kar | Hellsteeth Mountains | Krai Nal Plains | Lesser Barrier | Talgoth Forest
The Empire of the Hartland, greatest bastion of good and civilization on Hybrana, boasts a cultural population more diverse than any other land. The humans pride themselves on welcoming any and all people who come in peace. Here, Eloch'kal and Elves stand shoulder to shoulder. Its schools and libraries are the finest, its soldiers the best equipped and trained, its wizards the most skilled.
This is not to say that there is no friction within Imperial lands. The Grand Dutchy of Karanuk is close to open rebellion, and culture clash with its far-flung outposts keeps the bureaucracy, and the Imperial armies, very busy. But for the vast majority of its citizens, the Empire is safe, peaceful, and beautiful. Indeed, Elves from all corners of the known world willingly travel through these lands for the simple idyllic pleasure of it.
The old Imperial system of watchtowers, hostels, and riders has been slowly augmented over the years with a network of magical communications methods. Now, messages can go from one end of the Empire to the other in a matter of hours, allowing troops and resources to be directed with unheard of precision.
The Empire has recently won back most of the Grand Dutchy of Scython from Tesharan rule, eliminating Teshar's only coastal city and shipyard. The Hartlanders used new types of magically-powered steamships to assault Calanport, among other innovations in weaponry.
People of Note:
Aleutius Crondell, Archprelate of the Empire - Devout in his Vardinian faith, Aleutius is the youngest son of the Grand Duke of Karanuk. He has held his office on the Imperial Council for only three short years, following the death of Archprelate Tania Soreen of Avaryan, at the hands of Asrexius' General and First Death Knight Zaryg. Aleutius is a great unknown factor on the Council.
Aric Griffonspryde - First Councilor to the Emperor, Aric is the eldest descendent of a proud lineage, tracing his heritage back to the heroes of the Illithid War, Jennifer Griffonspryde and the Drow weaponmaster Azzeln Vaetha. He shows his Elven heritage quite clearly in his silver-streaked hair and violet eyes. He is considered the most eligible bachelor in the Empire.
General Colin DuVarne - Commanding the justly famous Gray Company, General DuVarne is believed to be an illegitimate nobleman's son. He is frighteningly competent and upholds the Company's slogan quite well: First to Fight, First to Die, Last to Leave.
Serk, Grand Wizard of the Empire - A powerful Archimage who arrived on the Guild doorstep as a very young, very well-trained orphan from the Ash'ainhal Desert. Serk is hot-tempered and a strict disciplinarian. Of slight build and sand-colored hair, his left eye is the tawny gold and slit-pupil of a sandtiger. It is said that his eye is the result of an attempted demonic possession that he overcame as a young journeyman. The Grand Wizard is quite rightly feared, being one of the few people to have faced Asrexius in battle and survived.
Notes: Econ: B-C, Religion: A-B, Magic: B-C
The Empire is self-sufficient in and of itself, but has established a long history of lucrative trade with every nation and culture it encounters. It is by economic pressure, rather than military might, that the Empire maintained peace in the centuries following The Illithid War. Wealth has poured into and flown out of the Empire with great ease. Starvation and poverty are virtually unknown, for the Emperors have maintained very good relations with Druids and the people have worked hard to restore and preserve their land. By leaving its borders open for tradesmen, maintaining strong regulations on transported goods, heavily patrolling the entirety of its domains, and keeping careful track of all travel within its borders, most Imperial lands have not experienced violent banditry since the Illithid were destroyed. To date, the most frequent crimes are non-violent: Fraud, embezzlement, smuggling, and the like. The Empire tolerates these activities with the view that a dead citizen pays no taxes.
Culture:
The Empire's people are generally in good health, happy, and content with their lives. The overall level of education is high - acolytes and local priests spend considerable time teaching the children basic reading, writing, and math. The wealthier, of course, can afford better educations and often send their offspring to larger cities to attend universities.
The priesthoods of Avaryan and Talamyr are mainly responsible for the good health of the general populace, supported by the followers of Amara, Sylvanus, Vorin, Vardin, and the rest.
The population is stratified along class boundaries: Nobles have the most rights, then come the guilds, city/town leaders, wealthy merchants, landowners, commoners, peasants, and serfs. Laws are just and fair, applied equally to all. The Kenthyrson family is loved by the people, even though the 500 years of the Dragon Emperor (Karaman) are the most popular tales.
It is incredibly rare for someone to die of hunger or disease in the Empire. Such destitute individuals almost always end up drafted either into the local militia, or any number of civil work programs aimed at improving roads, sweeping streets, or providing any sort of labor not paid for by taxes. People generally have enough wealth to live with a modicum of comfort and still save some for their sons' and daughters' weddings.
Men tend to follow a code of conduct analogous to that of a gentleman, while women tend to the manners of a lady. While there is some discrimination in careers and pay, it is not severe: Women are expected to marry and raise children, while men are expected to support a family. Women are allowed, by Imperial Decree, to hold any job, title, or position to which they are qualified and undertake to earn. Men are similarly entitled. It is uncommon to find female soldiers or militia commanders, but certainly not unheard of. It is rare to find a male homemaker, but not completely alien to the people. Though the Hartland follows a tradition of arranged marriages, any woman or man may appeal to the Emperor for assistance if she or he is forced into such an arrangement against her or his will. Since no marriage is recognized without a license filed with the Imperial Court System (run by the priests of Vardin), it is a simple matter for the reluctant bride or groom to voice her/his objections to the priest signing the license and receive an immediate grant of refuge until the matter is cleared up. It is a great embarrassment to be left at the altar in this manner, so most people go to great lengths to ensure both bride and groom are willing participants. The land's history is certainly rife with heroic tales of brides reducing overzealous suitors to the butt of public ridicule, such as the legendary Jennifer Gryffonspryde or Queen Sharon the Magnificent.
The mannerisms and class-rights of Hartlanders carry over into forms of proper address. It is considered polite to elevate someone's rank when meeting them - considered a compliment, even. It is a terrible embarrassment to reduce their rank, even by accident. If the recipient believes (or chooses to make an issue about) an accidental insult of rank, satisfaction can be sought either in the Imperial Court System, or on a dueling field. Court cases usually result in a fine and public apology commensurate with the insult. Duels are usually to first blood, or until one party or the other yields. Hired duelists are common to resolve these and other disputes between people without martial skills.
In manners of dress, royal purple and platinum is reserved exclusively for the Imperial Family and Guard. Royal blue and gold is reserved exclusively for the Grand Dukes and their guards. Emeralds are worn only by those who have participated in combat (whether against bandits, other duelists, or Tesharans), and rubies are reserved for those who have killed opponents in combat. As a result, duelists often sport brooches, pins, pendants, or medals with emerald or ruby chips to advertise their prowess and accomplishments. Soldiers are likewise adorned (though often with less valuable chips of stone). A woman wearing trousers or pants at court would cause a scandal at court. A man wearing a dress would not be admitted (at best) or thrown in the gaol (on average).
Hartlanders view other races generally as listed below (whether deserving or not):
- Aryans: Aryans are all mercenaries, likely to change allegiances for more coin. They can be trusted only so far as they are paid, and paid well.
- Dandrians and Diaunese: Hartlanders do not distinguish between these people, regarding both as uncouth, ill-mannered, uncivilized barbarians of little intelligence and volatile tempers. They are never invited to court, except on diplomatic sufferance.
- Dragons: Dragons are the most powerful creatures in existence. No Hartlander would dream of harming a good Dragon. Of evil Dragons, there are always heroes around to fight them.
- Duanan: The cat-people are semi-civilized barbarians who love human women all too much. They have very prickly pride and strongly dislike dogs.
- Dwarves: Dwarves are harsh, blunt, stubborn, loud, and lack the refinements of civilization. However, they are all metalsmiths without peer, and deserve the respect of master craftsmen. Dwarves astound Hartlanders with their capacity for drink and ferocity in battle.
- Elves: Hartlanders are astonished at Elves, regarding them as paragons of beauty and grace. The nobility seek Elven guests as often as possible for the prestige it brings them. Elves who display skill or a taste for bloody violence shock and frighten Hartlanders. All Elves prefer woodlands and sleeping outdoors. Most of them are sorcerers, also.
- Freelanders: Nobility from the Freelands are treated with hesitant respect - the same that country dukes or hedge-barons receive. Anything else from the Freelands is treated as a commoner.
- Gnomes: Gnomes are very uncommon in the Freelands. They're all master craftsman of intricate clockwork toys. They are amusing entertainers, but have a prickly pride.
- Ralkstagians: The dark-skinned people of Ralkstag are generally dishonest, addicted to multiple drugs, and prone to criminal activity.
- Kathnyri: The Sons of Kath are strange, religious fanatics with a pathological fear of water.
- Tatheari: The Tatheari are powerful, vicious warriors who will lay down their lives to protect any children - even those of other races. They worship the mother of their race as a goddess, and make regular sacrifices of enemy blood to her.
- Tesharans: Hartlanders hate Tesharans with a passion.
Government:
The Empire is divided into Grand Dutchies: Karanuk, Isenvar, Kyranda, Mordeen, Scython, Ardenia, Fandril, Horeen, and Tyris (after the individual nations when the Old Empire was destroyed by Hazuer). Each Grand Dutchy is led by a Grand Duke (usually a descendent of those old ruling families).
The Kenthyr family holds most of the Central Lands, what was the Arnul Waste before Karaman restored the Empire.
The Emperor's Council is made up of the Archprelate, Grand Wizard, General of the First Legion, each of the Grand Dukes, and a First Councilor chosen by popular election. Each of the Councilors must, at the beginning of each Council, place his hand on the Emperor's Sword. The Sword judges them as either worthy or not worthy of the Empire. Those who are unworthy lose a hand (at best) or are slain outright.
Because the Emperor and each of the Grand Dukes must pass the Sword's test, their rule is enlightened, to say the least. There are no traitors among the Emperor's Council. They all serve the Empire's people to the best of their abilities. Most of the Grand Dukes and Dutchesses are noble-minded people to start with. They are all very well educated, at least passingly familiar with all the good religions, divine, and arcane magic.
Broadly outlined, they strive for the greatest good for the greatest number of people. This does tend to leave individuals who fall through the cracks, but there are civil structures in place to catch as many of these as possible. Outsiders often consider the Imperial Government almost fascist or draconian in its approach. This is not true. The rulers of this land genuinely care about their people, and strive continuously to give them the best lives they can. The Emperor's Sword demands this level of dedication.
Taxes are paid first to the Emperor, then to the Grand Dukedom. The Emperor maintains all national armies and services from these funds, regulates trade with other countries and between Grand Dutchies. The Grand Dukes, in turn, are directly responsible for the people they rule. Taxes from lower nobility and townships/cities are extremely light to non-existent. Most of the lower nobility gain their wealth through trade or land ownership.
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Guilds:
There are too many guilds in the Empire to list here, so only the major ones are given. Guilds are one of the ways that peasants and serfs can profit from their labors and training, since the pooled wealth and political clout of a guild far outweighs that of most individuals. Nearly everyone is a member of one guild or another, excluding nobles who hold official government positions (they are forbidden guild membership, and more than one noble has fallen afoul of guild entanglements when appointed to authority).
- Carstair Merchant House - One of the Great Merchant Houses, the Carstair family is based in the Grand Dutchy of Horeen. They have a very strong lock on trade with the Kathnyri lands.
- Denoir Merchant House
- DuLambert Merchant House
- Imperial Guild of the Arcane - All practicing wizards and sorcerers must either be members in good standing, or have a specific license from the Imperial Guild to practice magic within the Empire. Magic is heavily regulated here. Guild members can be found in most medium or larger towns, where they spend their journeyman years refining their crafts.
- Killinyr Merchant House
- Mercenaries' Guild - The Mercenaries' Guild is present only in the major border cities of the Empire, and the Capitol, Danar. For so many years, the Empire was peaceful that people who wanted to learn martial ways either joined the Imperial military, or left for other lands. Now, however, the Empire is actively recruiting mercenaries and this guild is enjoying new prestige, income, and noble favor. However, the nobles (and populace) are not overfond of large groups of mercenaries in their lands, so the guild treads very carefully.
- Messengers' Guild - The Empire takes a proprietary view of this guild, mainly because the Imperial system of watchtowers was built partially to facilitate Messengers' Guild messages. Currently, the guild is under a lot of pressure to hand over all missives originating in or destined for Teshar to the Emperor. The Guild has so far politely refused.
- Metalworkers and Blacksmiths Guild - See Chakka-Luk.
- Order of the Grove - Represented here in the Hartland, the Empire long ago adopted druidic principles for land management. While they do not get along easily, the Order has little cause for complaint in the Empire as a whole.
Religion:
- Amara - Most of the farmerfolk follow Amara.
- Avaryan - For all intents and purposes, Avaryan's faith is a state religion. Every town has a church, every city a temple.
- Mahnan - Mahnan's faith is something of a dirty little secret. People swear by him, invoke his name, and make furtive donations to his priests, but rarely bear his symbol openly.
- Talamyr - Talamyr's faith also has a home in the Empire, and is largely responsible for the good health of its people.
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