Brezzenta

Brezzenta

Empire of the Azure Flame

*Brezzenta. Empire of the Azure Flame. Land of Spellweavers and Spectacle. Land of Art and Science. Land of the Lute and the Cutlass. Land of the Manticore. Land of Masks and Music. Brezzenta is a land with many names and many sides. It is a land of opportunities and risks, where some people make their dreams come true, and other people get their dreams crushed. Ruled from the city of Brezzenta in the Cove of Brezzenta on the coast off the Gray Sea by First Weaver Elsin Kaldravis of the Balazanath, the ages old mages' guild carrying on the tradition of Balazanar Brezzen, the nation's founder, Arglondar is considered by most people in Eredim to be one of the world's most powerful nations.*

## Basic Knowledge about Brezzenta

   Brezzenta is a millenia old nation dating back to -2034 DE when the nation was founded by the wizard Balazanar Brezzen.

More than 2,5 million people live in Brezzenta and the number is probably more like 3,5 million if you count the people living in the Brezzentine colonies (the Brezzentine Empire has colonies in Srintiar, Chiath and Rashara).

Brezzenta is a magocracy, which means it is ruled by a mage. The current mage-king or Primo Tessitori (Brezzentine: First Weaver) is Elsin Kaldravis, an old but vigorous Brezzentine wizard who has been an archmage of the Balazanath for several decades. Immediately below him is Il Voce Della Fiamma Azzurra (Brezzentine: The Voice of the Azure Flame, the oracle in charge of the Flametending of the Azure Flame), Il Mano Sinistra di Sovrano and Il Mano Destra di Sovrano, respectively the Left Hand and the Right Hand of the Magus Sovrano (Brezzentine: Sovereign Mage, another name for the First Weaver), and below them there is the Magni Conzilari (Brezzentine: Grand Council) consisting of the Teste Eletti (Brezzentine: Elected Heads), elected members of the Conzilari Nero (Brezzentine: Black Council, governs the military and police of Brezzenta), the Conzilari Niveus (Brezzentine: White Council, governs hospitals, recreation, farming, and diplomatic relations) and the Conzilari Canus (Brezzentine: Grey Council, governs building projects, trade, water and electricity, and public housing). Below those governmental bodies are all the Gilde di Brezzenta (Brezzentine: Guilds of Brezzenta) consisting of various organized artisans and artists, craftsmen and merchants.

Brezzenta's military, the Legioni Nere (Brezzentine: Black Legions) and La Flotta del Leone di Mare (Fleet of the Sea Lion) is commanded by the Legati Nero (Brezzentine: Black Legates, the officers of the Conzilari Nero) and their superior is Il Mano Sinistra di Sovrano who in turn answers only to Il Primo Tessitori.

Il Fiamma Azura (Brezzentine: The Azure Flame) which sits atop the Torre di Fiamma Azura (Brezzentine: Tower of the Azure Flame) illuminating the District of Balucca in the City of Brezzenta is a magical flame which was supposedly put there by none other than Balazanar Brezzen himself. The flame is said to be intelligent and very wise and that it speaks through Il Voce Della Fiamma Azura. Below and around the Torre di Fiamma Azura the Azure Flame University can be found, said to be the best place to learn the art of magic in all of Eredim, but attending the Azure Flame University means becoming a member of the Balazanath and in essence working for the government of Brezzenta, and students are put through a series of annual tests to see if they are worthy of becoming a Magus di Balazanati (Brezzentine: Balazanath Mage). In the final intiation of the students at the Azure Flame University, they have to go through the Incendio di Fiamma Azura (Brezzintine: Burning of the Azure Flame), a ritual where they are branded with an iron that has been heated in the Azure Flame, forever marking them as a member of the Balazanath and linking their subconsciousness with the consciousness of the Azure Flame.

## Life in Brezzenta

    Even though Brezzenta is known as a land of mages, not everyone in Brezzenta is a mage. There are plenty of regular people such as farmers, midwives, wagon drivers and shoemakers. The majority of Brezzentians aren't born with the Talent and will never become weavers and this suits them just fine. They are perfectly fine with leaving all the dangerous magic stuff to others and live simple lives in peace and happiness. This is actually the attitude that most Brezzentian commoners have towards magic, and Brezzentians have been known to hide it, if one of their children shows signs of possessing the Talent. Not that anyone is going to come and take them away. Becoming a Balazanath mage is a voluntary effort and no one is forced to become a mage, but it is considered shameful not to serve Brezzenta as a Balazanath mage if one possesses the Talent and their parents would hate to lose them to the world of magic. When young men turn eighteen, they are however required to serve in either the Legioni Nere, La Flotta del Leone di Mare or the Lavoratori in Grigio (Brezzentine: Workers in Gray) for two consecutive years. In the same way when young women turn eighteen they have to serve with the Sorelle Niveus (Brezzentine: White Sisters), the Sorelle Nero (Brezzentine: Black Sisters) or the Sorelle Canus (Gray Sisters) for two consecutive years. First when the period of two years of servitude to Brezzenta is finished, the Brezzentian enjoys full citizenship, and is then allowed to carry weapon, marry, buy property, or start a business. The two years of service to Brezzenta is known as Il Dovere del Cittadino (Brezzentine: The Duty of a Citizen).

#### **Il Nero Sentinelle:**

    The Black Sentinels are the local law enforcement and militia of Brezzenta. Like the Legioni Nere and La Flotta del Leone di Mare they are under the command of the Conzilari Nero. To become a Black Sentinel one must have served his or her two years of consecutive Il Dovere del Cittadino service to Brezzenta as described above. Only Anziano Sentinelle (Brezzntine: Senior Sentinels, Sentinels who have served for at least ten years) are allowed to arrest a Balazanath mage, but this is rarely required, as the Balazanath has their own police - the Carcerieri di Magera Illegali (Brezzenta: Jailers of Illegal Mages) - who are responsible for putting away corrupt and criminal mages. The Carcerieri di Magera Illegali is also controlled by the Conzilari Nero but they are run as a separate organization from the Nero Sentinelle and are required to be Balazanath mages themselves. Each settlement in Brezzenta has a Mastio di Sentinelle (Brezzentine: Sentinels' Keep) and is under the command of a Capo Conestabile (Brezzentine: Chief Constable, applicants must have been a Senior Sentinel for at least five years).

#### **Sanctioned and unsanctioned use of magic:**

Everyone is permitted to manipulate the Flux in minor ways but to cast actual spells when one is not a Balazanath mage, one is required to own a Permesso di Tessitura (Brezzentine: Weaving Permit). The Permesso di Tessitura can be bought from any Balazanath or Carcerieri di Magera Illegali office and the buyer pays for whatever the period of time that he or she wants to be allowed to weave spells, without getting jailed by the Carcerieri di Magera Illegali or the Nero Sentinelle. Unsanctioned use of magic is punished rather harshly, and the Permesso di Tessitura is quite expensive, ensuring that the Balazanath makes a profit on magic-using foreigners who they suspect of having come to steal the hard-earned magical knowledge that Brezzenta possesses. To buy a Permesso di Tessitura one is also required to have a clean criminal record within the Brezzentine Empire.

#### **Carrying arms:**

Only Brezzentians who have completed their Il Dovere del Cittadino are allowed to carry arms without a socalled Permesso di Armi (Brezzentine: Weapons Permit). A Permesso di Armi can be bought at any Mastio di Sentinelle, but as with the Permesso di Tessitura it isn't cheap. And as with the Permesso di Tessitura, to buy a Permesso di Armi one is also required to have a clean criminal record within the Brezzentine Empire.