Zandrian Empire

The Imperial Flag

## History

The Zandrian Empire sometimes referred to as simply the Empire, is a hereditary monarchy composed of feudal states that make up the largest nation of Aeurus. It was founded by the warrior-king Magnus Godric who later ascended to godhood, from the
primitive tribes of human barbarians who inhabited the northern lands of Aeurus more than 2000 years ago.
The Empire in 1215 CE is composed of 10 historic provinces ruled by the descendants of the ancient tribes of humankind that were united by the great warrior-king Magnus Godric after the War of Ash plus 2 additional provinces that were the result of the Imperial Conquests. Magnus united the 10 kingdoms of the northern land under what is known as the Pact of Ten Blades [Great Alliance] and some of the provinces of the modern Empire retained their original name.

## Provinces

The Nerian Kingdom became the province of Reicheland when the Empire took form, the Nord kingdom was named Nordland, the Garien kingdom became the province of Ostland, the Harker kingdom became the province of Uberwald,the Erde kingdom became the province of Altland, the kingdom of Archan became the province of Waldland, the Hamarkingdom became the Isenland province, the Wandal kingdom became the province of Unterland, the Valde kingdom became the province of Hochland and lastly the Degen kingdom became the province of Sudenland.
Following the many conquests of the Empire, two additional provinces were added under the Imperial Crown. The province of Silvania and the province of Eyre. The conquered lands were allowed to keep their name and original rulers as long as they swore fealty to the Empire, followed its laws and payed taxes.

## The deification of Magnus

After his death, Magnus was deified by Emperor Iving, his son, as a protector of the Empire and a God of traditions and values of the Empire.

## Geography

The Empire is watered by the Azure Ocean in the west and by the White Ocean in the north and it is landlocked in the south by the Aureillian Republic and the Sundering Forest and in the east and by the Greying Lands. In the north there are the snow-capped Greyspine Mountains bordered by the Icepeak Range in the East. In the East there is the Messer Range that borders the Aureillian Republic.
The Empire is a vast region that consists of a multitude of landscapes. The Imperial domains usually encompass the lands between the two large mountain ranges that occupy the Empire's northern and south-eastern borders.  The Western and Southern borders are however not as clearly defined. The defining border between the nations of Aissjord and Zemelya is considered to be the edge of the Black Forest while in the south the Dunmor Mountains pose as a defining wall between the Borderlands and the Imperial dominions. It is unclear if whether the Sundering forest is part of the Empire or poses a border for the elven realms but the wild lands are protected magically against invasions.
Within this large territory, the lands of the Empire are often further divided between several distinct regions with varying landscapes. The lands of the northern Empire usually consist almost entirely of large swaths of forest and wilderness, whilst the lands to the south usually consist of fertile plains fit for large-scale agriculture.

## Climate

The climate in the central part of the Empire is similar to that of the real world's Northern Europe and Western Russia. In the north the climate is characterized by humid, cold winters and mild, humid summers. During winter time there is usually snow, covering the lands. Farther south is warmer and moderate.

## Modern State

Today, the Empire is ruled by Emperor Siegmund Gotwald Zander XXII who rules from his court in the Imperial capital city of Reichstadt.
There are five provincial states in the Empire, each ruled by a feudal lord known as Duke, who owes their power to the ultimate
authority of the Emperor. The Empire is not a single centralized nation, but a confederation of individual feudal states united
only by the common tongue of Reichsrede or Imperial Speech, a shared faith and a mutual Imperial culture.

## Celebration

The unification of the Empire is celebrated on the 1st day of Seedfall and the celebration is known as the Great Union. The Imperial people decorate their spaces with flags and banners with the Imperial insignia and celebrate by by singing the Imperial anthem, feasting and drinking in the name of the Empire and give offerings to the god Magnus alongside prayers of peace and prosperity.

## Languages

The people of the Empire speak both Common and Imperial or Reichsrede, the traditional language of the Empire. The latter has been enforced by many kings before Siegmund but later fell out of use in favor of a much more widespread and useful Common language. The Imperial language is nowadays only used by authorities in official documents, by bards in traditional songs and by scholars in their manuscripts but it still spoken, especially among the noble circles of the Empire as the language shows a degree of higher education.