Ludanian Empire

## Government

### Leadership

Emperor Henry VII (deceased), King Hoylan of Valen, King Arteur of Frania, King Hadhrian of Galloca

## Demographics

### Races

69% human, 7% halflings, 5% dwarves, 4% fey kin, 15% other

### Religions

The Church of the Everlasting Flame

Ludania is the largest and most powerful empire on the planet from the 12th to the 15th centuries E.M. It spans the majority of Prima Continens, and had former claim to lands in the Olean Archipelago and on the southern isthmus of the Skothik Peninsula.

### History

Before the establishment of the Ludanian Empire, Ludanska was a small kingdom in the Andol Valley, east of the Andol River and south of the Eisen River. The kingdom was established when the Ludansk tribe appointed their first king two years after the Heavenly Migration, to deal with the new threat of Goblinkin and Dwarven raiders from the Ironwall Range. They warred with goblins and other Andol tribes on and off for a thousand years until their temporary unification under Aldrich Ludan in 1087 E.M. The unification of the Andol tribes was called the "Eisenpakt," meaning "bond of Iron," and the purpose was to ward against the advances of the Galloca Secundus. The Eisenpakt was shattered in 1092, when Tormag Kormach assassinated King Aldrich by violating a parley. Rankien - the captial of the Eisenpakt - was sacked, and Aldrich's heir, Hanus Ludan, was taken prisoner. Hanus managed to gain the favor of Tormag's Uncle, Luthor Kormach, and ascended to the rank of Knight Errant. Hanus then returned to Ludanksa, guided by a vision from the Flame Everlasting, and conquered the divided Andol Kingdoms, as well as Galloca Secundus.

#### Emperors

1. **Hanus the Great:** Founded the empire, conquered the Andol Tribes, drove out the Gael slavers, champion of the flame. Ruled 1105-1149. Died at 73; old age.
2. **Henry the Bold:** Crushed the Goblinkin, conquered the Gaels, enforced the religion. Ruled 1149-1171. Died at 66; various battle wounds.
3. **Hanus the Mute (II):** Expanded the borders into goblin land, established the constitution and feudal system. Ruled 1171-1194. Died at 23; blood sickness.
4. **Hanus the Admiral (III):** Built the Ludanian fleet, claimed the Olean Archipelago. Tutored his great-grandson - Aedyrn. Ruled 1194-1239. Died at 71; old age.
5. **Hanus the Shortlived (IV):** Declared war on Valen. Ruled 1239-1247. Died at 60; assassination.
6. **Henry the Conquerer (II):** Conquered Valen. Conquered the Andol River Pass. Commissioned the Andolfort. Conquered Tortuga. Ruled 1247-1264. Died at 72; old age.
7. **Aedyrn the Wise:** Acquired Frania through treaty & marriage. Commissioned the Crimson Cathedral. Collected the Bibulus Ignus and Codex Servi - declared them scripture. Ruled 1264-1293. Died at 64; blood sickness.
8. **Henry the Goblinslayer (III):** Expanded into goblin territory. Slew over a hundred goblins in one battle. Won many tournaments. Ruled 1293-1322. Died at 67; suicide.
9. **Henry the Bloody (IV):** Carried out the Ludo-Fey Genocide. Lost the Olean Archipelago, when they declared independence. Ruled 1322-1362. Died at 67; assassination.
10. **Henry the Mild (V):** Ended the Ludo-Fey Genocide. Pardoned the Raesnachian church. Provided reparations for fey peoples. Lost the city of Kedweic to Czojan. Ruled 1362-1379. Died at 63; plague.
11. **Henry Inexperienced (VI):** Battled Goblinkin on the Steppe. Lost millions of acres of territory. Ruled 1379-1388. Died at 51; killed by goblins in battle.
12. **Henry the Frail (VII):** Reduced the military of Ludania. Increased the power of the church. Increased trade tariffs and taxation on the kingdoms. Ruled 1388-1444. Died at 77; assassination.
13. **Kylon, the Bastard of Grymstein:** Ruled 1445-present.

### Geography

* Exports: Lumber, wine, grain, iron
* Imports: Textiles, spices, gems
* Resources: Forests, ore, farmland
* Placement: Central trade hub bordering all oceanic routes

### Religion

* Primary religion: Church of the Everlasting Flame
* Primary deity: The Everlasting Flame
* Practices: Attend worship 2x a week, pilgrim to capital 1/year
* Myths: Elves, Greenblades, and fey creatures have an agenda to quell the worship of the Eternal flame, and must be converted or immolated

### Achievements

* Art: The Eternal Cathedral is a renowned piece of beautiful architecture, with multiple towers reaching nearly 200ft tall and a huge vaulted ceiling, painted with intricate scenes of Hanus the Great's conquest
* Literature: Ludania is full of influential authors, from Aedyrn Lusvagt (astronomer) to Henrich Radumil (religious teacher)
* Agriculture: Majority of wine, wheat, and barley are grown in Frania and Valen. Sheep and horses are raised in Valen and Galloca
* Science: Constable's Cordon (enchanted rondel that alerts nearby officers when activated), Trebuchet (new siege weapon that can launch a 100kg projectile over 300m using a couterweigt)

### Politics

* Officials: Emperor Henry Ludan VII (deceased), Pontufex Radumil, King Hadhrian McGall III of Galloca, King Artuer DaMaros of Frania, King Hoylan Valenheir
* System: Feudal monarchy (Emperor, 4 Kings, Dukes, Lords, Knights, Commoners)
* Legislature: Emperor sets universal laws, Kings set provincial laws, Lords set fief laws, Dukes and Knights enforce laws.
* Exchange: Nobles' firstborn sons or heirs inherit titles after death. Dukes and Knights are only specifically appointed (not inherited) by Kings and Lords (respectively) for life.

#### Court Positions

##### Emperor/Empress

* Emperor/empress are in charge of universal law and political, military, and religious oversight.

##### Princes

* Princes are often given high-ranking positions, such as Highdukes or Highlords. They are also referred to by their birth order, such as Firstprince and Secondprince.

##### Kings/Queens

* Kings and Queens are in charge of large swaths of the empire, known as Kingdoms. There are four kingdoms within the Empire, and the Emperor acts as the king of Reachland (Ludania). Other kingdoms include Galloca, Frania, and Valen.

##### Highdukes

* Highdukes are in charge of delegating executive forces within a kingdom. Each kingdom will have four Highdukes; War, Information, Security, and Commerce.
	+ Highduke of War delegates military spending, drafting, and conquest. This is often considered the most prestigious and powerful Highduke.
	+ Highduke of Information controls the networks of spies, postal services, and criers. They both collect and dicperse information within a kingdom.
	+ Highduke of Security controls the city guard and highway patrols. They also can organize drafts and the construction of defensive structures.
	+ Highduke of Commerce watches and sets market regulations. They set tariffs, combat smuggling, and arrange taxes within a kingdom.

##### Highlords

* Highlords are in charge of cities and large provinces within a kingdom. Each province has at least one Highlord, and perhaps multiple lower Lords and Ladies in smaller settlements. In Reachland, there are four Highlords: Ludan, Grym, Felder, and Kreuzzig. The Emperor and Kings act as Highlord of their provinces.

##### Dukes/Duchesses

* There are multiple Dukes in each kingdom, and each controls their own Dukedom underneath a Highduke. Some Lords act as their own Dukes, though usually a Highduke will appoint a Duke to oversee the actions of the Lord in a county.

##### Lords/Ladies

* A Lord oversees the legislative side of a tract of land. They are allowed to set up local drafts and modify the taxes, as long as it is within the Highdukes' and King's ranges. A Lord owns a keep or castle and oversees lands known as a Fief or Country (depending on the Kingdom) within a Province.

### Economics

* Expensive resources: Booze and strong alcohol are illegal under Universal Law, making their sale black market, doubling the price
* Cheap resources: Wheat, ale, livestock
* Trade: Strong partners with Unam and Olean
* Wealth: Average income 1gp/day
* Currency: Crown (1gp), circular gold coin with a crown and the mint year on one side, and the face of the current emperor and his name on the other

### Society

* Ethnic Groups: Andols 23%, Valens 18%, Gallocans 17%, Franians 21%, Dwarves 5%, Halflings 7%, Fey-kin 4%, Other 5%
* Higher: Clergy, military, scholars
* Lower: Fey-kin (elves, gnomes)
* Interaction: Fey-kin are often denied services, substantial housing, and positions in government or clergy by the higher-ups, and treated with suspicion by commoners

### Gazetteer

#### Rankein (Reachland - Ludania)

* Population: 550,280 (76% humans, 9% halflings, 5% dwarves, 3% elves, 7% other races)
* Government: As the capital city of the Ludanian Empire, the prime seats of government are held within the walls of the Hanusplast. The Emperor and his cabinet run the majority of higher order operations of the empire, while a fleet of officials led by the empress run the day-to-day decisions of the city itself.
* Defense: The Andolfort north of the city has the capacity for up to five legions (5000 men) and 20 ships when full staffed, but usually one to two legions are kept on at all times for defence. The city itself employs a force of nearly 5k volunteer guards that rotate to have approximately 1000 on duty each week. 300 full time police officers patrol the city and investigate crimes beyond the jurisdiction of the guard.
* Commerce: As a major trade city connecting Galloca and the Reach to the southern trade routes via the Andol River, the city has prospered massively, and happens  to be one of the most populous cities in the world (contending with Valenmur). Exports of the nearby landscape include lumber and some hardy crops.
* Organizations: Many merchants' guilds have a strong position in the economy of Rankein, as does the Three Gs on the black market of the city. As for religious orders, the Church of the Eternal Flame holds its headquarters and founding grounds on Crimson Hill, the richest and most influential district of the city.
* Points of interest
	+ **Hanusplast**: A massive building, with the oldest parts being nearly a thousand years old, which was renovated when Hanus the Great began his conquest of Prima Continens. The palace is often referred to as the Keep of Towers, due to the many spires of differing ages that have been resurescted over the ages. Many believe that the castle is impregnable, with its spiraling walkways, high walls, and massive ballistas. The keep is the home of government for the entire empire, and the royal palace of the Ludanian Dynasty.
	+ **Eternal Cathedral**: The largest temple to the Flame Everlasting, constructed under Aedyrn the Wise and Pontufex Kai II. The cathedral is four stories tall with massive bell towers, deep maroon tiles, and a massive mosaic of a winding, flaming Coatl on the floor. The ceiling was recently painted under Henry VI with murals of Hanus the Great's first great battle. People from all across the empire pilgrimage to the cathedral to take an ember from the ever-burning altar.

#### Grymstein (Ostfeld Province - Ludania)

* Population: 42,342 (81% humans, 12% dwarves, 3% halflings, 4% other races)
* Government: The seat of power for Ostfeld Province is Grymstein, led by the Grym family for over 300 years. Vladimyr Grym resides in Grym Keep, and rules over the operations of the city.
* Defence: The city is guarded by a patrol of 400 volunteer guards on rotation, and a force of 3000 troops is stationed in and around the city in temporary palisade-camps.
* Commerce: Grymstein is a primary exporter of grains, ales, and marble from large veins sourced from the Ironwall range. The city is not a major trade power in the world. Recognizing this, Vladimyr rewards production within the city, making Grymstein majorly self-reliant, and able to withstand over four years of siege.
* Organizations: The Gryms carefully regulate organizations in the city, imposing stiff taxes for any non-local businesses and guilds, and rewarding all local ventures. The city has four guilds of its own - smiths, builders, farmers, and intellectuals - along with a large chapel to the flame that serves the entire city.
* Points of Interest
	+ **Grym Castle:** A sprawling castle set into a canyon on the edge of the city, defended on three sides by rock walls hundreds of feet high and on the front by an imposing black and marble wall with looming, gothic spires. Very few civilians get to enter the castle without exceptionally detailed paperwork, and those that do enter for incarceration (as that is the location of the prison) often never return again.
	+ **The Black Bat Bar:** A squatty, wood-sided building with a sagging slate roof and clusters of chimneys rising out the top. The owner is a withered man with black hair and overwhelming cataracts named Vaclav the Bat. Specialty - Bat Blood: Two shots of vodka in a brown-ale of Vaclav's own brewing. If you can drink the whole thing (and stomach the taste) Vaclav lets you have it for free.
	+ **Grymstein's Yeast:** A tall brewery with a tower facing the road and exposed copper vats out the back wall, with a main taproom and private drinking spaces in the tower. They do not charge for singular beers, instead charging 5gp per person for two hours, drink and bar snacks included. This price brings in only the city's most well-off customers, and keeps out most of the rabble. Specialty - Shield Wall: a sampler rack of each beer along with bread and melted cheese.
	+ **Rathskeller-Roadhouse:** A two-story building run by Ernest Rath and family. The main floor is a inn with ten rooms of average accommodation and quality, and the basement houses a bar and secret speakeasy room for hard alcohol and other substances. Kylon Ludan was a regular of the place before his deployment to Rankein, a point that the owners take great pride in. Specialty - 64-by-64: A 64oz steak and 64oz growler of wheat-beer, costing 2gp unless one can eat and drink all of it in 60min without failing, then the whole party eats and drinks for free.

#### Millethill (Westfeld Province - Ludania)

* Population: 225 (84% humans, 10% halflings, 3% dwarves, 3% other races)
* Government: Bailiff Roger Brown oversees the militia of the town, and makes sure the orders of the Duke of Westfeld are enacted within his bailiwick.
* Defense: The town has a rotating militia of 25 men, with 12-13 on duty each month. A garrison of 10 men make up the Bailiff's personal deputies.
* Commerce: Most of the town's commerce is based on the wheat and millet grown in the village. Secondary sources include shipping revenue between Rankein and Valenmur, as well as tourism (during Kadernfest) and a valuable rest stop for ferry-boat passengers.
* Organizations: A small chapel to the Flame Everlasting is maintained by a local Pyrarch. Other organizations include the Ferryman's guild, and a secretive sect of the Flame Everlasting.
* Points of interest:
	+ **The Old Oat Inn:**
	+ **Millethill Brew and Mill:**