Empire of Elves (Masura)

The Empire of Elves, known as *Masura* to locals, is a nation consisting of most of the Elven Archipelago. It is the largest political entity in the World of Parvolon in both population and size, bordering on 100 million people across the entire empire. Its mix of monarchy and democracy, having both emperors elected for life and a high degree of local rule, has allowed the country to stay together for several centuries. A recent civil war within the empire, however, has pushed the empire into a period of dramatic change, with new traditions and democratic reform spreading across the empire in response.

## Regions

The Empire of Elves is divided into States, adminstered by a Governor.

The current states within Masura are, in order of ascension into the Empire:

* **Topolos** (Republic of Topolos)
* **Lagios** (Kingdom of Lagios; current seat of the Emperor)
* **Dorana** (Princedom of Dorana)
* **Amkeron** (Princedom of Amkeron)
* **Messoret** (Archduchy of Messoret)
* **Ifar** (High Council of Ifar)
* **Trefa** (Republic of Trefa)
* **Vonca** (Duchy of Vonca)
* **Azad** (Council of Azad)
* **Patan** (Republic of Patan)
* **Lavea** (Duchy of Lavea)
* **Shaktana** (Republic of Shaktana)
* **Samboa** (Republic of Samboa)
* **Azofor** (Azofor Protectorate)
* **Frogfolk Islands** (Serene Republic of Frogfolk Islands)

### Before the Elven Civil War

The following states existed before the Elven Civil War (during the setting of the upcoming campaign):

* *Topolos* (Exclave of Adravia)
* **Lagios** (Kingdom of Lagios; current seat of the Emperor)
* **Dorana** (Princedom of Dorana)
* **Amkeron** (Princedom of Amkeron)
* **Messoret** (Archduchy of Messoret)
* **Ifar** (High Council of Ifar)
* **Adravia** (Kingdom of Adravia)
* *Vonca* (Territory within Adravia)
* **Azad** (Council of Azad)
* ***Albonnia*** (Realm of Albonnia; Adravin puppet state)
* **Patan** (Archduchy of Patan)
* **Lavea** (Duchy of Lavea)
* **Shaktana** (Republic of Shaktana)
* ***Orcish Islands*** (Realm of the Orcish Islands; Adravin puppet state)
* **Samboa** (Republic of Samboa)
* ***Ulsfihan*** (County of Ulsfihan; reclaimed by Amkeron after war)
* **Azofor** (Azofor Protectorate)
* **Frogfolk Islands** (Serene Republic of Frogfolk Islands)

*Unbolded italics* indicates a state that was a part of another state at the time.

***Bold italics*** indicates a region that was a state within Masura before the war, but not afterwards.

## History

### Origins

Masura was built from the foundations of the *Mezzoreans*, an early people group in the middle of Greater Allasar, the largest island in the chain. The Mezzoreans as a society were organized around the early production of bronze, with their empire managing the majority of tin production in the entire world at the time. This good was so important to world trade that the very words for bronze (*mazar)* and for how Elves would be named were linked forever, and bronze remains a sacred material in Elven culture to the modern day. The Mezzoreans were bordered to the north by the Ifari and the south by the Inner Elves, with both groups being more fragmented than them for centuries. The Ifari lived in smaller, but more democratic societies ruled by elected chiefs, and the Inner Elves were ruled by local despots, straddling the islands of Greater Allasar and its western neighbor Lesser Allasar.

Around 7500 years after the Great Freeze, the Mezzorean Empire collapsed. Multiple losses to Ifari captains in the north resulted in losses of valuable resources, throwing their economy into disaster and quickly destabilizing the middle of the island. This created a power vacuum across the whole region, especially in the south where Inner Elven lords close to the empire had become tributes and depended on the empire's protection to maintain their rule. Two Inner Elven kingdoms not subject to the dying empire, *Topolos* and *Lagios*, would rise to power through a royal marriage. The two united kingdoms would use their combined strength to unite the east of Lesser Allasar and the south of Greater Allasar. By 8100 PGF, the Kingdom of Topologaia had conquered the city of Saido, the former capital of the Mezzoreans and a now holy city across their domain and the remnants of the old empire. The King of Topologaia at the time proclaimed himself as a new emperor of a new empire.

### The Imperials and the Ifari

The new Empire of Elves, as it began to cement itself as a successor to the Mezzoreans, revived many of the old empire's traditions and attempted to win through war much of the land of the Mezzoreans, part of the modern *State of Messoret* in Masura. However, these lofty military campaigns brought Masuran imperials into conflict with the Ifari, who had in many places moved into the region centuries earlier. Wars with Ifari chiefs over Messoret were bloody, as imperials were fighting far from their base of power in the city of Topolos and locals held strong resistance against invaders trying to take their homes. The Empire ultimately held the advantage of numbers against local Ifari councils, as the Ifari were not a unified people and had no obligation beyond existing alliances to protect each other from outsiders.

This conflict would be changed by the rise of one Ifari person, *Saram Uesi*. They (Saram belonging to a third-gender role within their society) were an Ifari chief, appointed to their status as the societal perception of imperials threatening all Ifari became a popular position. Saram was pious and an skilled cavalier, and they believed that spirits who were believed to live in the world alongside the Elves were instructing them to unify the Ifari and push Masurans out of the lands of Messoret. It is unclear if Saram's religious beliefs influenced their militarism or the other way around, but regardless Saram assembled an army and began to topple other Ifari chiefs, promising the preservation of local power in exchange for manpower to fuel Saram's effort. Eventually, Saram turned their campaign towards the Empire, and their elite cavalry tactics overwhelmed imperial footsoldiers. Saram's army pushed all the way to the city of Topolos, where they forced the emperor of the time to make concessions. The legend surrounding this exchanged is captured most clearly in Saram's Ultimatum to the Emperor, where they promised the Emperor:

*"I have not rested since I learned of what my people endured, and will not rest until their suffering is over. I demand of you, let my people go!"*

Saram's Siege of Topolos threatened to collapse Masura. Trust in the Empire had recently been weakened through an uprising in the south, as nobles within organised a revolution to depose central rules that seemed to hold favoritism for the few large provinces like *Topolos* and *Lagios*. This had resulted in a compromise between the Emperor and local lords that established the right to self-governance as a core part of Masura's culture. Saram's negotiation with the Emperor would produce a stronger mandate: to bring democracy to Masura. The agreement would see much of Saram's conquered land become a part of a new Realm of Ifar, which would be subject to the Empire but in many ways like its own separate nation. The Emperor, in return, would now be elected through a Council of Elders, filled with an equal amount of representatives from each of its provinces chosen by the local lords. The change to elective monarchy from a system of absolute rule by the Royal Family of Topologaia mended much of the internal damage done to the Empire.

### Albonnia and the Evolvi

Following the union of Masura and Ifar, progression north continued as lords within Ifar choose to join the Empire as states. Modern imperial cities like Trefa and Vonca were founded out of this period, with roots as Ifari councils that have mostly been forgotten today.

As Masura expanded towards the edge of Greater Allasar, it ran into a new group and a new people: the Albonics and the Evolvi. The Albonic peoples were a group of mixed Elven and Evolvi origins dating back several thousand years before the present. This group straddled the edges of Allasar and the mainland of Parvolon, and while it was never a unified state in antiquity, it held a common culture distinct from its northern and southern neighbors. The Albonic peoples at this time were becoming subject to the stronger powers that surrounded them, with the peoples of Allasar joining the Realm of Ifar and the peoples of the mainland being conquered by a new power: *The Empire of Icosar*.

Icosar and Masura would quickly become fierce rivals. A narrow channel was all that separated the Empire of Icosar, the only one nation to ever control all of the Greater Straits region, and Masura, the largest Elven power ever to have existed. The Evolvi emperor of Icosar used their control of the majority of the Albonic people to begin war with Masura, seeking to unite Albonnia and expand deeper into the Elven world.

The Elven Campaign was a major victory for Icosar, and most of northern Ifar was captured and devastated by the long war. Having been cut down from its massive size, Ifar would also lose its claim to being a kingdom in union with Masura, becoming a state of special status within the next century. The city-state of Vonca was the northernmost imperial state to remain under the control of Masura. The commander that held the city against Icosar's navy would quickly become ruler of Vonca, and then the entire Empire of Elves on a promise to retake the northern lands that had been lost to Elven Campaign, beginning a War of Northern Reconquest as soon as he took power.

### Wars for the North

The War of Northern Reconquest was the longest war in Masuran history, lasting for over thirty years. This conflict brought ruin to much of the region on both sides, seeing all of Icosar's Western Legions battle against a Masuran Imperial Army that was able to rally every one of its states in support. In 9000 PGF, the Masuran Army took control over the mainland fortress of Lontagne, marking a change in the tides of war and beginning the city's rule by Masura for nearly a millenium. The war would result in a Masuran victory in the end, retaking all of Greater Allasar that had been lost and taking most of Albonnia on the mainland. This war and successive struggles between the two empires over this region would ultimately contribute to the downfall of Icosar, as Masura's conquest had bankrupted their rival and directly threatened the already unstable political system in Icosar's western frontier.

For a brief moment was a Golden Age for Masura, as it appeared the empire's progression north would be met with little competition. However, after nearly 100 years of aggressive expansion in the region, Masura lost the trust of all its neighbors and the favor of the peoples it had conquered. This resulted in much of the mainland gains of Masura being lost, with the area around Lontagne remaining in the control of Masura and the rest of mainland Albonnia breaking apart into smaller states.

This descent was part of a larger societal change happening across the whole empire. Much of southern Masura, which was both the urban and agricultural center of the empire, was being ravaged by famine and plague. A global climate shift around 9000 PGF momentarily reduced the amount of farmable land worldwide, and this shook Masura after decades of overutilizing the land to fuel war after war.

### Integration of the Shakti Elves, Frogfolk, and Orcs

Masura's early conflicts largely centered around the main island and the neighboring mainland, but during the Medieval Period most of its expansion was centered on naval conflicts.

Shakti Elves were slowly becoming more and more intertwined with the empire even before the Medieval Period began. The earliest ally of Masura was the Old Kingdom of Anasa, one of several Shakti states competing for power during the Early Classical Period. This relation produced extensive trade and cultural exchange between the two powers, and saw the establishment of Kipara as the new dominant religion of Anasa. The main rival of Anasa, the Kingdom of Kashonai, unified the warring states during the end of the Classical Period, at a time when relations between the empire and Anasa were waning and imperial internal affairs were disastrous.

The Collapse of the Kingdom of Shaktana saw a return to competition between Shakti Elves and the reestablishment of diplomatic relations with Anasa. The New Kingdom of Anasa existed independent for a few centuries, but around 9350 PGF it became the first state to join Masura voluntarily. The Anasean ruler of the time supported the decision to protect the region from a second invasion by Kashonai, and people among all classes were overwhelmingly in favor of the idea. The result of this was rapid expansion into the island of Shaktana, with the State of Anasa doubling in size in less than a century after its incorporation into the empire. Anaseans now ruled over Kashonai and the neighboring island of Samboa, but tensions caused by a vengeful government resulted in the Revolution of Shaktana. This change gave the island of Samboa separate status within the empire, reformed the Shakti government into one of the most progressive of its time, and established a republic in place of the New Kingdom of Anasa.

Orcs first became involved with Masura following the collapse of the Kingdom of Malakmak. An invasion of the islands previously controlled by the kingdom added the Orcish Islands as a state within Masura in 9620 PGF, although the inhumane practices of the Emperor who spearheaded the attack nearly saw the islands released. The inhabitants of the Orcish Islands, after having local power restored, would enact reforms in the likeness of the Revolution of Shaktana that provided a high quality of life until the arrival of the First Adravin Armada.

The Frogfolk Republic (Kiukawe), the last remnant of the old Kashonai Empire not yet within Masura, asked to join the Empire of Elves and entered in 9840 PGF. The reason for joining were largely economic, as trade with Masura covered over 95% of imports and exports for the small nation. The topic of imperial ascension had been a persistent issue within Kiukawean politics, as many believed that the republic was effectively an imperial state because of its isolation but enjoyed none of the benefits of membership.

### Rise of the Adravins

Masura's recent past is defined by one group of powerful nobles: The Adravins. The Adravins were a royal family from the city of Trefa, one of the largest cities in the modern empire. They ascended to imperial power through General Yurani Adravin, a young military leader responsible for a major gain in the mainland of Parvolon, expanding the state of Albonnia considerably. His father was the King of Trefa at the time, and chose to disinherit his eldest son that had been involved in local scandal to place his younger son Yurani on the throne. Yurani would win the title of Emperor in election by a landslide, ousting an unpopular royal family with a mandate to expand Masura north once again.

Emperor Yurani's rule, however, was marked by controversy. Yurani and the Adravin family held ideas of Masuran nationalism, believing in a stronger emperor and abandoning the empire's tradition of local power in favor of making a unitary state. This opinion was unpopular with a large part of the empire, who followed the idea of Masuran republicanism instead - strengthening the Council of Elders to exert more checks against the Emperor. Yurani believed he could slowly change Masura, and while he never publicly professed belief in full nationalism, he quietly conspired to push national power more and more into his family's control. The Emperor, swayed by ███████ ██ ███ ████ ██████████ ████████, secretly organized plans to install his family as monarchs over the empire for centuries by ███████ ███ █████ ████████ ████ █ ████.

Yurani and his son Volo enacted a series of divisive policies during their rule that would result in the removal of the Adravin family from power. Both emperors enacted reforms to the government with the aims of consolidating power around the imperial seat. Emperor Yurani established governments loyal to the House of Adravin in Albonnia and the Orcish Islands, and spent many of the spoils of war from the expansion of Albonnia on a powerful Adravin navy. Emperor Volo continued his father's work through the Great Military Purge, an effort to remove "those suspected of treasonous behavior" from the ranks of the Imperial Army in 9950 PGF. The Purge was a not exactly subtle strategy by Volo to remove generals and admirals from the nationwide military who would not submit to his changes, returning many high-profile specialists to their state armies.

The most hated actions of the Adravins by Masurans were the repeated wars between the Adravins and Ifar. Adravin-Ifari conflicts predated the rule of Yurani, but the rule of him and his son as Emperor escalated the conflict into a scene for modern warfare. During the last four Adravin Kings, the High Council of Ifar lost half of its land over nearly 25 years of wars between them. Volo's Second Crusade in 9952 PGF came close to plunging the entire empire into civil war, ending earlier than intended to prevent tensions from boiling over. The damage, however, had already been done. A coalition of states (Lagios, Ifar, Messoret, and Shaktana) formed in the Council of Elders with the purpose of stopping another Adravin from taking the throne, and in 9964 PGF, Emperor Gaulta of Lagios was elected narrowly.

### Reign of Emperor Gaulta

Emperor Gaulta was elected in on a complicated mandate. Gaulta straddled the line between political radical and unifying figure, aiming the fix the damage created by the House of Adravin and restore good will between the national and regional governments. His victory by only three members of the Council of Elders made his control during the years before the war tenuous.

Gaulta's first political crisis was the Second Adravin Armada, the use of the Adravin Navy by Heir Kashei to put down a resistance in the Orcish Islands against Kashei's brother's government. Emperor Gaulta's response to the situation was to send back all Adravin troops in the Imperial Army to prevent an offensive from mobilizing within Lagios, an action that was barely enough to appease both states calling openly for war against the Adravins and the House of Adravin itself. Patan and Ulsfihan notably refused to remove Adravin units from their territory, with both later joining the Adravin Coalition at the beginning of the Imperial Civil War.

Emperor Gaulta's greatest political crisis would follow just a year after: The Masuran Civil War. The war would be started by █████ ███████ █████ ████████ ███ ████ ██ █████, and...

*(You roll a Perception check to read the rest of the history section... Natural 1. It appears an unremovable magical aura called "spoilers" guards the remaining text.)*

## Government

### Overview

Masura has a federal system, with a national government and self-governing states. Most everyday affairs are handled by local governments, with the national government functioning only for high-level issues that concern the wellness of the entire empire.

The Masuran government is divided into an executive position, held by the Emperor of Masura, and a parliament composed of representatives called the Council of Elders. The primary purpose of the Council of Elders is to elect the next Emperor by majority vote after the current holder dies, making the system an elective monarchy or a "president for life." The Emperor can be legally removed through a sentence of treason by the Council of Elders, although this legal mechanism requires a supermajority in the chamber and has only been used once. When an Emperor has left the throne before their death, historically it has either been the result of surrending their throne in their state, an act that is disqualifying.

The Emperor primarily manages military affairs, being the Highest General and Admiral, and in times of peace acts as a diplomat between the states and foreign nations. Their Imperial Army is assembled through the Emperor's personal force, any forces gifted by another state they accept, and a group of volunteer forces that serve for the Empire rather than any state within it. While war between states is permitted under imperial doctrine, wars declared by the Emperor against another state that do not have extraordinary justification have been shunned for the past several centuries.

The Council of Elders has the power to elect a new Emperor as well as create laws with powers that have been given to it by the Emperor. The powers of this chamber have been the result of various reforms over millenia, although in its current form it has real impact but remains weaker than most full democracies. Most Emperors have chosen to allocate more and more of their previous power to the parliament, and the current Emperor Gaulta has put the government on track to possibly form a constitution by the end of his reign.

Members of the Council of Elders are appointed by the head of each state, who may delegate this power to a lower part of government.

### Post-War Reforms

Emperor Gaulta, following the events of the Masuran Civil War, was emboldened in his mandate to make the national government more democratic.

The first new change since the war has been *The Command of Rights*, an imperial decree that has increased and solidified the rights of citizens in Masura. Prior to this document, much of Masura's legal system had its decisions splintered across many separate documents that made consistent governance difficults. It can be amended, and more progressive factions in the government have advocated to transform the document into a full consititution and make Masura a democracy.

The second new change since the war has been the creation of the *Council of Commoners*, a lower chamber that has been given some powers previously held by the Elders and the Emperor. Unlike the Council of Elders, the Council of Commoners consists of representatives elected by the people rather than appointed. Monarchists and oligarchs have been more critical of this reform, as elites fear it could transition the government into a republic suddenly if given enough power.

## Society

### Demographics

Despite being known to many outsiders as simply the Empire of Elves, Masura is a relatively diverse society. Only around 65% of Masuran inhabitants are of Elven ancestry, with Evolvi composing the largest non-Elven population at around 15%. Other major populations include Orcish ancestry at around 10%, Frogfolk ancestry at about 5%, and all other humanoids composing the remaining 5% of the population. States like the Frogfolk Islands, Topolos and Ifar are the most diverse, with Elves composing at most a plurality of the population, while states like Samboa, Patan, and Trefa are overwhelming Elvish.

The Kipara religion native to Messoret is the dominant faith in the empire, although it is not mandated as a state religion. Around 75% of the population claims to follow Kiparism, with religious minorities consisting of Ifari Wisdom, traditional Shakti religion, and a growing Corundian faction among Masuran Orcs. Some scholars suggest the Corundian group may soon produce a new divide within the religion; many are of the Ansadi school, which has already seen fusion with Skalan religious tradition in the past.

The Topolan language family is the main language group within Masura, with descendents of Ancient Topolan comprising at least 90% of spoken language in the nation. All living Elven languages are ultimately related to the Topolan family, but many of these old languages have been replaced by Topolanic languages or see very limited use today. Most law is written in the Modern Topolan language, a sort of archaic literary language that bridges the boundaries between the local languages of the Empire.