Katjvarna Empire

The **Katjvarna Empire** is a nation that features in Alderamin on the Sky.

## History

In the year 788, the Empire conducted an expedition into the far eastern state of **Japonic**. The events led to a state of hostilities leading to the **Japanoic War**. At some point, Imperial Captain **Georgio** led an independent battalion into the **Abhilia Wetlands** where they marched alone into that land. Whilst marching alone, they were ambushed by three corps of Japanoic soldiers that numbered 1,600 men who attacked the Imperial commanders forces. In the **Battle of Abhilia**, the Katjvarna were on the brink of annihilation with tactics stating that the Imperial forces were to retreat. However, the Imperial commander had his men remove their armour and counterattacked where they eliminated each force in quick succession before they had a chance to regroup. It was a historically significant battle for the empire as the Imperial forces turned a strategic defeat with this being a defeat in detail. In time, the Japonic regions became part of the territory of the Kioka Republic.

In the Imperial year 906, the Empire remained in continued hostilities with the Republic. On the western front, Lieutenant General Hazaaf Rikan was in charge of holding the position against the Kioka Republic. Instead of retreating, he was expected to hold position leading to his death but allowed his forces to escape. Rikan's death was felt by his former subordinates where a number of them were in the Royal Guard that were angered at their mentors death. Thus, they orchestrated a secret plot to kidnap Third Princess Chamille where they intended to kill her as a strike against the royal family. They were thwarted by the intervention of her Imperial Knights who slayed the conspirators. In the same year war erupted with the **Northern Katjvarna Rebellion** which came from the mountain dwelling **Sinack tribe** who turned against the empire over the theft of their spirits. This conflict went across weeks, with the Empire suffering a number of casualties as their forces were not equipped for fighting in the higher altitude condition of the mountains. Unknown to people at the time, the Sinack were being goaded into revolt by the actions of the **Kala Karm** who were a Ghost Squad special forces unit from the Kioka army, with them participating in taking out strategic targets in secrecy. The Sinack Tribe ultimately lost the war with many of their villages being burnt and their people rounded up. However, the Northern garrison's actions against spirits brought about the ire of the **La Saia Alderamin** that were the army of the nation of Aldera who decided to wage a Holy War against Katjvarna for its actions. Assisting them in their strategic operations was a guest officer from the Kioka Republic who had masterminded the entire conflict with this individual being **Jean Alkiniks**.

## Overview

Leadership of Katjvarna was headed by the royal family with the supreme leader being known as the **Emperor**. Audiences with the emperor were considered a great reward to citizens. Saving a member of the royal family could see a person being rewarded for their actions.

Inhabitants of the **Alfatra mountains** were noted for having a matriarchal society with the women entering into the bedchambers of men for sexual liaisons. The inhabitants were known as the **Sinack tribe** who despite not being native Katjvarnans they were still considered citizens of the empire. Among the Sinack, it was customary for a person to cut parts of their finger if the individual committed a grievous act such as killing members of the tribe. It was known that citizens of the empire left their nation and requested for asylum in neighbouring nations such as the Kioka Republic.

The religion of the empire was noted for being **Aldera**. Central to their faith was the god **Alderamin** who was said to had been a creator and sole god who dispatched the spirits into the moral wold as his representative. The teachings of the religion were dictated to by a set of commandments. It was written in the scripture of the **Aldera**, *"there should be no mercy for cruel sadistic bastards*. Among the **Sinack tribe**, there was a different religious belief system that worshipped spirits. Under their beliefs, there was no god or Alderamin with instead only the four spirits being present with these being seen as sacred beings that they referred to as **Hahashku**. The Sinack did not believe in holy wars as they saw conflict as neither good nor evil but simply an aspect of life.

Through magic, select officers were chosen to be medics who used spirits to aid them to heal wounds in the soldiers under their care. Key figures in the military were the **Imperial Knights** that were seen the most elite in their forces. Members of the royal family could appoint soldiers to this rank and to serve as their personal guard. It was said that the knights were their blade and that their blades were them. The **Royal Guard** served as a bodyguard detail who protected the royal family.

Generals were at times rewarded with being gifted women to be part of their harems.

One of the institutions within the empire was the **High Level Officer School** that was used to train commanders in the military. Within the school, they were taught various classes such as elementary tactics along with live-exercises.

Magic was a key element in the empire with spirits being used by its citizens with these entities being elemental beings. These entities possessed at their core soul stones that were recovered if they were ever slain. These spirits were used as part of their weapons arsenal combining weapons with magic. This led to the development of **air guns** that were powered by air spirits that went into the gun to fire projectiles of air at a target. Smoothbore air guns were the most common type used in the Empire that resembled rifles which fired single shots of a round ball at a range of no more than 50 meters. Typically, they were utilised in a volley fire with the trigger leading to the air spirit generating a blast of air to propel the ball. Imperial soldiers were noted to be skilled in their use and operated as snipers who used their rifles to take out enemy commanders. Advancements led to the creation of a newer version of the air gun with these being known as **air rifles**. These consisted of additional grooves in the barrel allowing for the projectile to spin and stabilizing its flight giving it an effective range of 200 meters. This allowed trained personnel to use them to eliminate targets at a great distance leading to the creation of the worlds first snipers.

They made use of airships that moved through the sky with use of balloons.

Elements that were considered scientific were considered heresy in the empire. It was a punishable crime that could see those charged fleeing for their lives.

In its **Northern Region**, the empire had the **Alafatra mountains** that were referred to as the **Stairway of God**. The conditions there were so dangerous that it meant no one had successfully passed through it. As such, this frontier of the empire was secure from external threats. The mountain dwelling **Sinack tribe** were native to the region who were noted for being different from the Katjvarnians. They were noted for having been hostile to the empire who established a garrison at **Somin** as a point to watch the natives and ensure their compliance to the empire. The mountains were a dangerous location as the high altitudes meant that those who rushed in suffered from altitude sickness with many dying unless they got used to the conditions. Another location in the region was the **Great Forest of Gagal Kasakan**.

## Members

* **Chamille Kitra Katjvanmaninik** : third princess of the empire.
* **Ikta Solork** :
* **Yatorishino Igsem** :
* **Hazaaf Rikan** :
* **Yuskshiram Toakk** :
* **Deinkun Hargunska** :
* **Safida** :
* **Nanaku Daru** : female chieftain of the Sinack Tribe who met Ikta Solork when the were children. By adulthood, she led her people in a rebellion against the empire but was defeated.

## Notes

* The Katjvarna Empire featured heavily in the setting of Alderamin on the Sky.