Rhovesian Empire

The Rhovesian Empire is a large and well spread Imperial power, operating on traditional real-world colonial tactics. It's power is primarily naval based, often supplementing ground force with foreign mercenaries. The empire is one of the younger ones have only truly began to expand on it's ethnic lands in the last 800 years ago or so, having expanded to the coastal lands of the Atlans and Membendzi people, and west in to the Old Mohinder coastline. It's ancestral lands are the Rhovesian planes ending in the highlands east of the Tiphrates River, where the border between Aloon and Rhovesia is established. The current ruler of the empire is emperor Haille Sallase III. The society of Rhovesia is very hierarchical with tiered circles of power leading to the Imperial family. Commoners have little power, and the emperor is an absolutist ruler having control over the entire military and the enacting and enforcement of laws and procedures. The only independent power in the empire is the Church of the Sovereign Host and they would be fools to anger the emperor, as such the church often works very closely with the empire, seldom diverging from his decisions, though they have been known to do so in secret.

**History**

The Rhovesian empire began as a series of unified ethnic city states in the Rhovesia grasslands some 800 years ago. The early Rhovesian were skilled herders and horsemen, relying on their skilled agricultural skills to outpopulate and eventually conquer surrounding populations and operating through a system of forced inter marriage. The intention being to breed out other tribes, and maintain Rhovesian hegemony. The early strategy worked rather well, their population rapidly expanding, and though there were many rebellions the large and skilled military forces quickly put down rebels with such ruthlessness that conquest to the southern coastlands of the grasslands sitting upon the Whitebreak Ocean. The empire truly expanded when the cities of the northern Whitebreak fell to Rhovesian invasions from 150 RR to 375 RR eventually ending in the conquest of the new capital city Addis Abba. The fighting there was so severe that the Rhovesians simply murdered and enslaved the traditional ethnic tribes of the coastlines, wiping their culture, history, and language from the roll of ages. Once these naval shipyards were under Rhovesian control, the empire was quick to expand their navy having assembled a full compliment of 200 or so ships over the proceeding hundred years. Quickly the empire expanded going on it's "Great Crusade" in 425 RR. The intention of this was to crush pirates, bring wayward savages under the light and glory of Rhovesia, and contend with the Membendzi pirates, and eventually it's full navy engaging in some of the largest ship born combats in history. the Membendzi were eventually defeated, their people swearing fealty to Rhovesia, and established itself as the first of Rhovesia's colonies. The empire, seeing the wealth that could be gained from colonies began to expand it's colonial ambitions expanding East and West across the Whitebreak Ocean. With the advent of gunpowder in 861 RR, these amibitions truly reached a fever pitch, with the taking of the city-states of Old Mohinder, the Atlan confederacy and dozens of island chains throughout the ocean. Rhovesia's eventually expansion into the Dragonspine Islands north of the Mohinder coast led to a war between themselves and Al Aloon Empire over the rich mineral and metal deposits on the islands. The war was largely a stalemate until a large orc invasion swept out of the Indra's Spears mountains west of Mohinder, forcing the Rhovesian to sue for peace, ceded control of the islands, and defend their rich colonies of the Old Mohinder city-states.

**Politics**

The Empire is ruled by the Kammabaz et Cammaz, or king of kings. The current king of kings is Haille Salasse III who rules from Addis Abba. His family has had the the throne for seven generations now having received it after a series of duels from the Owal family. This form of throne by combat, controlled by the church, has prevented even one civil war between Rhovesian peoples. Many say that Rhovesians are so loyal to their race that they're all basically one family. This isn't true, it's just that the early empire was so focused on external threats, that it created quick, efficient, and strongly cultural enforced notions of how to deal with fights of succession, trial by combat seemed the easiest way to determine a ruler and because the church has such sway with people and Rhovesians have such a strong military history, this all works as part of a cultural ritual. Subsequently, higer echelon Rhovesian families, so called Lionhearts are often very well trained in sword combat.

Power is distributed patrilineally in terms of political inheritance, however; wealth is distributed according to the matrilineal system. This gives women a great amount of economic power in terms of business and property but insures a man is always an emperor.

Power is decided through a number of ancient compacts assign status to a set number of families who in turn my decide what families may be assigned a significant status. This is done through a series of noble councils that hold court at Addis Abba, most often 2nd sons and daughters from each of the representative families. The councils are as follows

The Royal council or Lionhearts: Any of these families have the legal right to ascend to the throne of emperor

The High Council of Eagleclaws: Any of these families have the legal right to rise up to the Royal council.

The Low Council of Badgerfangs: Any of these families have the legal right to rise up to the High council

The deciding council or Wormtongues: Any of these families have the legal right to appoint new nobles though technically any higher council can do this too

**Economics**

Rhovesia is one of the largest and greatest ship building states in the known world of Eirhan, their ship builder and wood workers are some of the highest prized in the world with only the Dannan people's even coming close to competing. Rhovesia also is famed for it's textiles, quality of it's meat, wine, and dairy. The thing that really diversifies and allows the Rhovesians to leverage the best prices in exports is extracting resources from their colonies. In particular: tobacco, gem work, and lumber is extracted from the Old Mohinder coast; gold, silver, and animal hide is extracted from the Membendzi; and Finished high quality metals are extracted from the Atlan confederacy. Their primary trade partners are also with their colonies as well as the people of the Dannon confederacy, Aloon Empire, and Sealanders of the Eastern oceans.

**Culture**

Rhovesians are a proud people. They are proud of their race, their religion, their empire, etc. They believe they have the most advanced human society on Erihan, and all would be thankful, indeed happy to be under their control. They're militaristic and very concerned with status, personal political power, and excellence in everything they do. Their religion is wholly concerned with their civilization, and all people are expected at least pay lip service to the Sovereign Host which gives their society meaning and power. Because of the centralized power base of the empire, the empire is quickly able to adapt to changing attitudes and technologies in the world, and while they do not expect nor train commoners for technological advancement nobles are encouraged to pursue those things which benefit their own families' status and the empire at large.