Tathenburgh

Current flag

Current holdings

> Within the center of what was once the mighty empire stands the city of the world's desire. Tens of thousands live in colossal buildings built centuries ago, and every coin ever minted has passed through this wondrous city at least once.
>
> Clare Stúdlin, The Traveller's Guide to Tathen, 910 AC

A country in the Coalition of Kingdoms.

A shadow of its former self, the Empire of Tathen now only rules over the Imperial City and its immediate vicinity. Despite its small amount of land, the amount of people still living within the Imperial City and the amount of trade that flows through it still keeps it relevant in the modern day. It's current leader is a descendant of the old Imperial dynasty.

Tathenburgh itself is the largest city in the known world, and many first time visitors are awestruck at the sheer size of the city.

The majority of Tathenmarks are minted in Tathenburgh, with the metals used to mint them being shipped from Lorenz.

The cities main exports are manufactured goods, as raw materials are not extracted in the city. Economically, this means Tathenburgh relies heavily on its neighbours. It's advantageous position along the Behrn river helps immensely with trade, and it is often seen as the trade capital of Central Erhan.

## Court Politics

Tathenburgher politics are a complicated mess of centuries old institutions, agreements and laws. While some are more important than others, this bloated bureaucracy leads to slow action and seeping corruption. Many emperors have made attempts for reform in the past, but the last few centuries have seen little reform.

Political assassinations are frighteningly common, and power struggles are a near constant issue. These days, the Emperor is merely a puppet of his court and is helpless to do much.

### Order of the Burning Eye

Perhaps one of the more secretive groups within the Imperial Court, the Magi of the Burning Eye are known for their secrecy and ceremony. Many eye them with suspicion, and they are the topic of a large amount of conspiracy theories.

Some chapters of the Order are little more than regular mages guilds, while others are drenched in mysticism and odd ritualistic behavior. Many high-ranking members of the guild are avid worshipers of Ydallun, and promotion within the guild often involves bizarre rituals and sometimes psychedelic substances.

The current Archmagus is Curd von Horgen, who rose to the position under suspicious circumstances.

### Knights of Tathenburgh

During the collapse of the kingdom in 412 AC, the military collapsed as well, joining the various new kingdoms instead. The Imperial city found itself dangerously undefended, much to the terror of the Emperor. He turned to the knights of the Order of Tathenburgh, who were fairly unaffected by the collapse of the army. The Knights became the military and police of the city. As a result, the grandmaster of the Order, Wilhelm Engelfrid, holds a significant amount of power.

### Church of Era

In charge of the church's doctrine within the city, the Church of Era holds a lot of power in the imperial court. The leader of the church, the Archon Paul Stainach is currently Leo's right hand man.

### Minor Nobles

Since the duchies of the old empire split off, the nobility present in the Emperor's court are mostly composed of counts and barons. These counts and barons are in charge of districts of the city, which due to the size of the city are numerous. They are a necessity for the every day governing of the city, but the bureaucracy surrounding them is inefficient and archaic.

## Relationship with the Coalition

Tathenburgh sits in an odd position within the Coalition of Kingdoms as an equal to the other member states. While grating to the Emperor and his court, it was seen as necessary to join the Coalition to prevent the country from being politically isolated. Leo XI in particular dislikes the current arrangement, and would rather see himself as High Lord of the Coalition in place of Kilian.

The Emperor is known for his contempt for the parliamentary setup the Coalition has in place, and is particularly enraged by the inclusion of Allenfeld's citizens in the voting process.

If the Emperor had his way the Coalition would under his control, but for now he is under their thumb.