Gorgon Empire

The **Gorgon Empire** is an oligarchy based on meritocracy, and one of the three Great Countries on the Garlen continent. It is currently ruled by Magic Empress Milea Genys and presided over by Guardian Leegaain. It is considered to have the weakest military might of the 3 countries, but is the most advanced country in the field of magical research given that the majority of its resources are dedicated to researching and developing new forms of magic.

Lowlives such as gamblers, prostitutes, drug dealers, etc. all have their base of activities in the slums. Instead of wasting time outlawing them, the Empire simply makes them part of the system and even takes taxes from them. In the Empire, mages are so highly regarded that crime pays way less than being a civil servant, so bribing one is nigh-impossible, not to mention that the punishment for treason is beyond unspeakable.

In the Empire, there are already several cities where humans and beasts coexist peacefully. Even though Emperor Beasts aren't part of their regular army, they still willingly patrol the Empire's borders and their wilds, sometimes even creating settlements. It is something that the Griffon Kingdom can only dream about since most of its citizens have a hard time considering even Hydras as more than huge animals.

## History

Long ago, the land was plagued by Gorgons, a violent race of monsters that turned land into stone. The forefathers discovered that the Gorgons' skin and bones are made of Adamant, one of the strongest metals, and slew them to form the **Empire's Arsenal**. However, in reality, the Gorgons are passive beasts that can turn grass into Adamant, so the forefathers bred them until they had enough minerals before almost making the Gorgons extinct. They were afraid others could steal their monopoly and of their weapons losing market value if Adamant became too widespread.

In the War of the Blades, King Valeron with the Sword of Saefel fought against King Elm and his White Sword, each one leading their respective army to the Red Flag Plains.

When Magus Lochra Silverwing released her magical inheritance to the world, it opened the pathway to magic beyond Tier 3 and also allowed everyone to learn magic, not just the nobility. As a result, the Gorgon Empire opted to turn to Forgemastering to create slave collars, enslaving all mage candidates for decades until an old Forgemaster found a loophole and caused a massive revolt. As a result, all noble households were enslaved or exterminated, the method to creating slave collars destroyed, even researching the subject made a capital offense. The monarchy became an oligarchy only based on meritocracy, with a Magic Emperor and his Magic Council.

Prior to the revolt, the slave collar period was considered by those who lived it as a golden age. Everyone would live longer and prosper thanks to mages providing the people of the Gorgon Empire, not only the nobles, with everything they might need. Dimensional Magic allowed anyone to travel freely without Gates, weather magic made every harvest bountiful, and healing magic would keep everyone healthy. In the records, the enslaved mages were praised for their sacrifice and the action of putting a collar at their necks was justified by the greater good. Unlike nobles, free mages were hard to kill and their talent was considered an unfair advantage by those incapables of using magic. One of them could kill hundreds of innocents, so the people from the Gorgon Empire considered it right to sacrifice the freedom of the few for the needs of the many.

The first law made it so that all individuals have the freedom to study magic, regardless of social status. Chore magic is included in the core set of disciplines that children have to study.

### Present

Ever since Milea Genys becomes Magic Empress and convinces Leegaain to return to the Empire, Leegaain makes no secret of his existence. He even helps the people and gives advice, influencing the upper echelons to try to coddle up to him and for the country's culture to become Dragon-centric. An unwritten law of the Empire states that all Dragon's reproductions have to depict either a single scale or the full body. Mounting a Dragon's head to a wall, no matter if fake, is enough to get the person responsible lynched by an angry mob.

The current Magic Empress is working to integrate all kinds of magical creatures into society and break the invisible boundaries that keep the human race apart from plants and beasts. Following the Jiera plague, the subsequent migration of the undead to Garlen, and the war with the Undead Courts, Milea's initiative makes significant progress thanks to the living races sharing the same enemy and making it easier for them to find common ground. Emperor Beasts live in packs, but unless they have an Awakened ancestor willing to help them, their knowledge of magic would be limited and they would have no access to enchanted items. Plants and Fae, instead, had access to magical knowledge and artifacts from their own cities, but due to the nature of the World Saplings, there are only so many people that they can accommodate. Being alone made them easy prey for the undead who used them both as cattle and ingredients for their workings.

## Laws & Customs

The Empire has some of the best magical schools and most tolerant policies about hybrids on Garlen. Hybrids are able to declare their race before taking the admission exam and it is kept secret from their classmates during their stay. The school staff pay them special attention and help them deal with any problem that might arise due to their nature. Unlike the Griffon Kingdom, the Empire already has laws that allow plant-human hybrids to have the same rights of humans, even inside an academy. The Empress knows that Emperor Beasts shapeshift and so do her Headmasters who've taken a vow of secrecy. They help the hybrid children in the event their real nature gets exposed and cover up any incident.

Back when Leegaain was worshipped as the god of knowledge, he took women as priestesses and Awakened them so that they could achieve the time and power necessary to learn from him, and people of all races and gender as students. Priestesses' standard dress consisted of sandals, a white silk roman toga with a deep neckline and side slits that leaves most of their legs exposed, and a golden sash on their waist.

## Regions & Cities

The Gorgon Empire has a harsher climate than the Griffon Kingdom and there are plenty of mountain ranges scattered throughout its territory. There is no such thing as middle-sized cities, only small villages and metropolises. The extension of a city is determined solely by the number of cultivable fields in its proximity and how easy it is to get access to the already established commercial routes. Winter and fall are harsh mistresses, so no city can host more people than it can reasonably feed. Relying on the imports is a prerogative reserved only for military bases.

Strategic geographical points, where it isn't possible to build castles, are presided by floating fortresses similar to the Gorgon's empire capital, Manaron. Providing the magical fortresses with the resources they needed, makes it mandatory for every city and village in the Empire to pay part of their taxes in gold and the rest in food. It is a unique system that limits the development of urban areas and makes fertile land almost more precious than gold.

* **Manaron (Capital City/Floating Fortress)**
	+ The capital is a floating fortress city, with white walls, guard towers, giant white crystals at each extremity fueling invisible runes. Each tower is capable of attack and defense, making the city virtually unconquerable.
* **Palaron (City)**: a model city of the Empire and an important commercial hub located near the Dragon Plains, one of the most extensive and fertile areas of cultivated fields in the Gorgon Empire.
	+ Its cultivated fields are surrounded by great walls made in dark grey stone over 12 meters (40 feet) high. The cultivated fields are miles away from the city walls, yet they are array protected and heavily guarded no less than Palaron itself. The farmers live in the external rim, to take care of the cattle and the fields at any moment. All of them are trained in the use of light and earth magic to be able to care all minor emergencies by themselves.
	+ Past the city walls, in the outer rim, is the residential area for the mages and the army, so that they can promptly intervene in any inside or outside attack. Every building is built in solid, enchanted stones, and connected to the other districts with their own Warp Gate and is the most luxurious and expensive area of the city. Aside from public officials, only the truly rich can afford a house there.
	+ The middle rim is the business district, where all the trades take place. Merchant guilds have their offices built in hardwood, while small-time merchants operate in small buildings no bigger than a grocery store. Each block has its Warp Gate, making the middle rim the place where normal people live.
	+ The inner rim is occupied by the red-light district of the city. It is supposed to be the slums, but unemployment isn't a thing in the Empire. Public healthcare makes everyone as fit as a fiddle and as long as one is willing to work hard there is plenty to do.
	+ **Prancing Dragon**: one of the finest establishments in the middle rim, ranked higher than the Dragon's Cove and the Dragon Chow. It is a cozy tavern made of redwood, lit and heated by magical stones. The huge fireplace serves merely to create a relaxed atmosphere, especially during winter. It is furnished with square tables that can host four people tops, and with comfortable padded chairs. There is a counter on the east wall with several barstools reserved for the heavy drinkers. Animal furs and depictions of Dragons decorate the walls.
* **Red Flag Plains**: the place that marks the border between Tyris' turf and Leegaain's. It was where the War of the Blades was fought when Valeron first established the borders of the Kingdom.
* **Relius (Fortress city)**: twin city to Belius
* **Tarmen (City)**: the location of one of the Dusk Court's branches.
* **Tyrenar (City)**
	+ Gheluan forest
* **Twin Fortresses of Dograth**
* **Homwer**: one of the Empire's most important trading hubs.

### Tremen Region

Awakened Regional Lord: Weyss the Naga

The Tremen Region shares a border with the Kellar Region of the Griffon Kingdom and is the closest region to Lightkeep, a city in the Eclipsed Lands.

### Unspecified

* **Dragon Bath**: one of the finest establishments in the Gorgon Empire that accepts all races as long as the guests behave. It has hot springs, thermal mud baths, and the best cooks on the Garlen continent.

## References

1. ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Chapter 97: Progress
2. ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 2.3 2.4 2.5 2.6 Chapter 947: Dreams and Nightmares (Part 1)
3. ↑ Chapter 806: Empress' Gambit (Part 2)
4. ↑ Chapter 160: Leegaain's Wrath
5. ↑ Chapter 1328: Royal Summon (Part 4)
6. ↑ Chapter 1050: Gods and Guardians (Part 2)
7. ↑ Chapter 1614: Chaos and Flames (Part 2)
8. ↑ Chapter 1616: Parents and Children (Part 2)
9. ↑ Chapter 1666: Opening Moves (Part 2)
10. ↑ 10.0 10.1 10.2 10.3 Chapter 946: Hostile Takeover (Part 2)
11. ↑ Chapter 1328: Royal Summon (Part 4)
12. ↑ Chapter 1088: Darkness versus Chaos (Part 2)
13. ↑ Chapter 614: Travels (Part 2)
14. ↑ Chapter 847: Dograth (Part 1)
15. ↑ Chapter 1339: The Prodigals’ Return (Part 3)
16. ↑ Chapter 1099: Mourning the Dead (Part 1)