Empire of the Pine

# The Empire of the Pine

One of the oldest Nation States in the Veilnum, the Empire of the Pine arose from the collective Elven groups within the Rivena Forests. These Elven Groups being the Pallid, the Eladrin, the Wood Elves (Pine Elves) and the High Elves. When they came together as one, they formed a Confederacy, which then became an Empire to defend from the fallout of demons from the **Uprising Wars**. After that however, the Empire formed a unique form of government known as the Druidarchy. This is similar to a theocratic government, they follow and worship the seasons, similar to the T'Chai (Tieflings) of the various islands. The reason why the Empire still refers to itself as an Empire is just solely off the title. With titles come power, and the Empire wishes to keep their reputation from the days of the Uprising Wars intact.

### Structure

The Empire is ran by a council of Druids known as Archdruids, similar to how a theocracy is ran. Each Archdruid has equal power to one another and the Druids all hail from different areas in the Empire. Despite being "holy" the Druidarchy is far from perfect. As of late, tensions have been high as the Druids discuss how to handle the changes outside their borders. Some of them believe it is time to open up and embrace Eveticism (which is prohibited in the Empire), while some want to continuing following the same traditions and that opening up will spell doom for the Forests.

### Culture

The culture of the Empire is very conservative and traditional. Most people in the Empire only necessarily care about what's going on in their hometown and not the affairs of the world. In the Empire things happen slowly, which is odd due to the rapid political change within the Veilnum as of late. This doesn't help the fact that the Empire is very resistant to immigration and trade from other countries. The Empire is seen as the biggest force within the Archipelago, and when they have too, they will show their force. The people of the Empire however, are ignorant to the happenings of the world. They don't know of the ongoing rampage of the Crimson Phoenix, or the Drow attacks in the Kingdom of Dumont. They don't even know that there is a new world religion going around. To the villagers, they see that as "government stuff" and not their concern, as they're much more concerned about obtaining food. The people of the Empire worship the seasons. The teachings of Ashai (The Shifting Seasons), the Meadowalker and the Lawlight are practiced here. Even if the people might not know of the Gods themselves, they still practice the same things they practice from long ago, unbeknownst to them that they are no longer the primary pantheon atop of Mount Celeste. The people of the Empire are also environmentalists. In the Empire, the use of metals for weapons is prohibited and instead, the alternative known as **Ironwood** is preferred. The people of the Empire take great care in making sure the Forest and the people and animals within it are kept safe and sound. They believe that the forests and the animals deserve respect and make sure to not over hunt for food or over grow their crops.

### Public Agenda

The main agenda of the Empire of the Pine is to keep the Rivena Forest intact. The forest has magical properties, and they believe that it is sacred and must be protected at all costs. If this magical potential fell into the wrong hands, then it could be disastrous.

### Assets

Cities under the control of the Empire of the Pine:

1. Ertin - The Capital of the Empire of the Pine. Known for being made entirely out of live trees.
2. Grovein - City lies on one of the many tributaries of the Wurz River. This area forms more of a swampy environment, so not many people make it up here unless they have too for work.
3. Varich - The only "normal" city by outsider standards. Torich is the main trading hub within the Empire and trades with the neighboring Draconic Union for unique and exotic goods.
4. Golirva - Village that is tucked away onto the Wurz River bordering the Eastern Expanse. Due to the cold winds that come from the Shattered Icebergs, the city of Golirva is often seen as cold and damp. The city is big on horticulture.
5. Birch Keep - Small frontier village to the Southwest of the Empire. On the outskirts of the Forests.In the Empire of the Pine, there are many small Hamlets that reside in the forests as well. These villages haven't been seen by the outside for millennia so it is unknown how many actual villages there are in the Empire.
6. Rallweed
7. Hidden Village
8. Shadowed Hivelands
9. Wax Hivelands