Semanian Empire

Semania, officially the Semanian Empire is a large realm located in the far south east of Var Venail. Its population is around 24 million, making it the second most populous nation on the continent. Semania is largely populated by men and eastern red elves. It is ruled by humans. It is divided up into 17 princedoms corresponding to historical regions with varying levels of autonomy. Semania is an absolute monarchy, its capital being the city of Atalura.
The region now known as Semania was already before the elves populated by human tribes known as the remels. Semania was after the steppes and orcish lands the first area to be abandoned by the Old Empire. Following its departure, the remel tribes united for over a century. The remel nation was eventually split up between three kingdoms, Veremel, Poremel and Teremel. Teremel and Poremel were conquered by the outside Kingdom of Jader, and in 236 NA the empire was proclaimed. Semania emerged as the first proper human empire to after the departure of the Old Empire. Semania participated in both the First and the Second War of the Dukes, the greatest conflicts in history. It emerged on the victorious side in the first war but was unable to assert its dominance during the 150 year long second conflict. During the second war Emperor Castan III waged the so-called War of the Counts against his vassals to stabilise and centralise the empire from a feudal state to an absolute monarchy, styled around the Veremelian system. He was successful and in 972 NA he forced all his vassals to sign the Ataluran Concession, granting him unprecented powers over his subjects. In 989 NA, the last Jader emperor Varan VII died without any heirs, effectively ending the Jader dynasty. The Jehemendil dynasty of Veremel took over the empire and has been leading it ever since. 
Semania is one of the most powerful realms in Var Venail. It is however not as urbanised and technologically advanced as other major powers such as Aranwaën, the Duchy of Nymeria and the Kingdom of Silur. Its also distinct from most other nations by the near-absence of imperial elves due to their progressive withdrawal into other regions. To compensate for this, Emperor Varan IV founded the great University of Atalura, which remains one of the greatest centers of arcane arts in Var Venail. The current Emperor Castan V has made the nation one of the primary forces behind the rediscovery and exploration of Sol Venail.