Vedelspedan Empire (Eufez)

The Vedelspedan Empire was a collection of states formed to help unite the human settlements after the conclusion of the Oxxam Wars.

## History

### Founding

Shortly after the end of and even partly during the Oxxan war, many independent colonies in Vedelsped began to wax strong towards the northern continent. These territories included the Pravokan, Georganian, and Madora regions, which were once heavily forested.  Fearful of losing power, a civil conflict ignited across several colonies even reaching deep into the Georganian peninsula.  In the midst of the war in 1050, the northern continent completely ceased contact and trade with the south in an attempt to cut them off and maintain Great Power status. This had an adverse effect and only made Vedelsped more prosperous,  as the north then encountered various famines. This caused the Northern Coalition to fall apart and fracture. While most of the former coalition nations went extinct, a few survived.

This period of excommunication between the southern and northern continent lasted nearly 1000 years until they were reconnected in 2004 in response to the elemental crisis.

### Cléber

Several political movements started in response to the excommunication, as the survival of the southern colonies was seen to be at stake.  Most notably was the formation of the Holy Baden Empire led by the Viscount of Shurikon, Cléber.  Within seven short years, the first foundations of the new Vedulspedan Empire began. With his alliance of powerful families, he successfully united many of the colonies under his banner and established himself as the Emperor of the empire. His policies were generally benevolent, but were often met with resistance from the local nobility who saw him as a usurper.

### Empire

In its first stages, almost all Vedulspedan colonies were under the influence of the Empire. These provinces would have the autonomy to make interal decisions, but could not defect from the empire which acted as a federation. However, after the unification of the Empire in 1218, the colony governments were allowed greater freedom, but were required to follow the will of the Imperial Council.  Its governance was centralized around the Western Keep at an early time, which became its official capital in 1275. The Empire would also be synonymous with the Vedulspedan Catholic Church, which it founded in 1316. The empire would rarely make war and instead rule from afar, and public opinion for the empire remained mostly positive until the late 1600s and early 1700s.

### Development

Over time, the imperial government slowly shifted away from direct rule. Instead, it delegated responsibility to regional governors. Each province had a governor appointed by the empire. Governors were given significant powers within their territory, including justice but not taxation or policing. Over time, however, the empire began to lose control of these regions, which developed their own unique cultures and traditions. For example, the province of Liguria was governed by a council of eighteen noble houses. The governors were selected by lot from among the members of these houses and were expected to represent their interests in court. In contrast, the region of Pravoka was ruled by an oligarchy consisting of five wealthy merchants who were chosen by lottery. The governors of these provinces were largely responsible for maintaining peace in their respective areas while the emperors focused on governing the rest of the empire. The governors also served as judges and juries and were thus able to exercise judicial power independently.

### Strife

As the empire continued expanding, it took control of large swaths of territory outside of its core holdings. This expansion was initially met with little opposition, however, as the empire lacked the manpower needed to enforce its laws effectively. By the late 1600s, the empire was beset by internal strife as a result of corruption and economic decline. The Empire faced numerous revolts, including those from the western province of Melmond and even within the city of Western Keep. In 1780, a group of rebels broke into the imperial palace and killed the emperor and his family before burning the entire complex to the ground. After this incident, the government enacted severe restrictions on free speech and press, further alienating the people.

### Modern State

Though the Holy Baden Empire still exists in principle, ever since 1342 it has not had the same authority over the continent. The Empire itself expanded greatly during its first centuries. At its peak, the empire covered all of northern Vedelsped from Pravoka to Melmond ( but excluding Cornelia and the Crescent Mountains). During the reign of Emperor Kiely, the empire grew considerably and conquered much of the western and central regions of Vedelsped. At present, the main focus of the Empire is the peaceful reunification of its former family states. The empire is no longer ruled by an emperor, but rather a council of nobles elected by each state.

With each passing century more territories are appearing to slip away from the empire, becoming independent. As such, the borders of the current empire are constantly shifting. Few major cities are still loyal to the empire, and these cities are mostly contained around the ruins of the Western Keep (which fell in 1978, marking one of the last blows against the empire’s legacy).

The Holy Baden Empire is currently in decline. The collapse of the old system of government left a vacuum of power, and while there are several factions vying for control of the empire, none have managed to establish themselves as viable contenders.

## Laws

The Empire maintained a strict policy regarding racial purity due to fears of admixture with elves, requiring all citizens to register their lineage upon entering the Empire. Those who failed to do so were subject to harsh punishment. Nonhuman individuals and minorities like elves were often treated poorly, leading them to flee the Empire or convert to Christianity in order to avoid discrimination. Thankfully, none of the other races even attempted to do so. The empire's stance on these issues allowed most lands inhabited by men to be relatively cleared out and the presence of non-human races became rare to the present day.