The Arknian Empire

The Blessed Arknian Empire, commonly referred to 'The Empire', is the sole country on the continent, stretching from the frozen wastes of Constanta and Hermia to the blistering heat of Magra.

## History

#### Foundation

The Empire was founded following the invasion of the Arknians from across the western ocean, They swiftly conquered the local human kingdoms of their landing site and named their new home Arknia. The invaders warred against their neighbours and one-by-one defeated them all, annexing their lands into their growing kingdoms and expelling their human populations. The Arknian's adapted to their new home, building great and beautiful cities from the ruins of the human kingdoms.

In the year -46 DA the Arknian prophet Isatius proclaimed that he had received insight from the Gods, founding the Faith of the Twin Gods. Isatius preached that the Gods had made the world in a divine order and that it was the duty of all to see Their will brought to life. He preached that the Gods wished to see all the world united beneath a single banner, in which every individual would serve their place in the divine order. His Faith spread rapidly, assisted by the performance of many miracles, and soon the Arknian kingdoms had been reformed into a single Blessed Empire.

The Blessed Empire once more began to attack their neighbours in order to seize their territory in the name of the Twin Gods. The Wars of Unification were brutal, but at their conclusion the Empire had successfully defeated every human and La-Tari kingdom. The Blessed Empire reigned supreme across the entire continent.

#### Growth

For more than a thousand years, the Empire stood strong. The forces of the Empire and the Faith worked in tandem to crush all opponents of the Twin Gods, driving the La-Tari to extinction for their refusal to convert, and building Isatius' divine order. With borders erased the Empire grew prosperous, with the vast wealth of the Continent being freed from the burden of the wars between the Kingdoms. The Imperial capital of Eterna was built at the border of three former human kingdoms.

The Empire preached that only Arknians were fit to rule, relegating humans to the common estate. However the sheer size of the Empire and the small population of true-blooded Arknians forced the Empire to compromise. In the year 211, Emperor Ilius II decreed that a select group of humans, noted for their loyalty to the Empire and their skill, were to be ordained as Nobles of the Sword and their names entered in the Blue Book. These humans were permitted to rule in their own right, though they were inferior to Arknians in the order of precedence.

Whilst the creation of the Nobility of the Sword eased the administrative burden on the small Arknian population, it was still insufficient to meet the growing needs of the Empire. The strict rules of the Faith meant that nobility was required to serve in the Imperial government in any way, and the simple fact was that there were not enough nobles to fill the ranks. However both the Arknians and the Nobles of the Sword were opposed to expanding the number of names in the Blue Book out of fear of diluting their own power. The solution was the creation of the Nobles of the Mantle. These individuals were commoners raised to nobility, allowing them to fill the staff of government, but their nobility was not hereditary and thus would not threaten to drown Arknian power in a sea of human nobility.

#### The Magran Revolt

Following the suspicious death of Emperor Dorius III in 698 the Empire was thrown into chaos, as Dorius left no legitimate heir and the Arknian nobility could not agree on a successor. In the chaos Governor Char Milanidas, the ruler of the province of Magra, declared his independence from the Empire and invaded the neighbouring province of Astinia. His rebellion was at first successful and Magra was briefly independent, until Octavius Tempest won over his fellow nobles and became Emperor. Unwilling to tolerate the fracturing of his Empire, the newly crowned Emperor Octavius' first act was the demand Governor Milanidas' submission.

Milanidas refused the Emperor's command and both sides raised their armies. Whilst Magra was a rich and bountiful province, it could not compete with the combined might of the entire rest of the Empire and soon the armies of Milanidas were driven back from their conquests in Astinia. Steadily the revolt was driven back, until Milanidas controlled only the city of Anziotte. In desperation, Milanidas turned to magic in a gambit to restore his fortunes. The gambit briefly worked, repulsing the Imperial forces at great expense but reinforcements soon arrived and the walls of Anziotte were breached.

Milanidas' desperate magic scorched the province bare, rendering the once-bountiful Magra as little more than a desert. In response to the devastation Emperor Octavius proclaimed magic to be forbidden under Imperial Law.

#### Zenith

With Magra once more firmly under Imperial control, order was restored throughout the Empire. The prosperity returned and the Empire oversaw tremendous growth and development under the Tempest dynasty. Efforts were made to restore Magra's magic-scorched soil by importing fresh soils from their neighbouring provinces, but success was small-scale and expensive. Despite this the discovery of vast silver veins quickly restored the wealth of Magra.

From the years 709 until 1026 the Empire saw a golden age. The wealth of the Empire fuelled a cultural and commercial boom in Eterna and beyond, with many noble dynasties becoming sponsors of the arts and the natural philosophers of the Empire making many discovers that added to the glory of the Empire.

The most startling of these discoveries was black powder.

#### Fracturing Empire

The discovery of black powder sent shockwaves throughout the Empire. The powders destructive and indiscriminate power attracted the interest of many innovators within the Imperial Legions as well as beyond, but it also sparked fears amongst the change-averse of the nobility. Many lobbied to have the powder banned and were successful in preventing its use for military purposes, but the powder quickly became instrumental to the silver mining industries of the south and the sheer wealth of the mine owners successfully prevented its general ban.

The advent of black powder saw a rapid change in the distribution of wealth within the Empire. A large number of commoners became extremely wealthy from investing in black powder mining, with some wealthy enough to rival the financial means of even the noble dynasties. Some used this wealth to buy their way into political power within the Empire, purchasing the favour of the Imperial Court. In reaction to this 'upset' to the natural order, many Arknian dynasties began to clamp down on those they saw as 'upstarts'. Whilst no Imperial law forbade black powder, nobility was absolute in their lands and local laws swiftly proliferated. Humans suspected of buying their way into nobility often suffered the full wrath of the Arknian nobility, and petitions to add new names to the Blue Book were vetoed at every turn. Nobles of the Mantle and the most junior of the Nobles of the Sword often felt this wrath as well, regardless of their true sympathies.

This reaction did little to calm tensions. The 'upstarts' had the right of it under Imperial law and soon enough the quiet purchasing of power became open demands for the Arknian nobility to respect the Emperor's own laws in regards to the status of the human nobility. The tensions between the two groups grew steadily, though the deeply conservative Imperial court refused to concede to the demands of the humans.

Nowhere was this tension felt more keenly than in Magra, whose silver mines were the beating heart of the black powder revolution. Heavy taxation and a political feud between Archduke Milanidas and Governor Gaius Tempest did little to calm the brewing tensions, which approached the breaking point after the Anziotte Prefecture issued a general ban on gunpowder following the Miners Revolt of 1133. Tensions were further raised by the open divide between the rapidly-growing New Faith and the conservative Old Faith, and the activities of the underground society called The Last Straw.

In 1138 these tensions finally broke out into open revolt.

#### The Anziotte Revolt

In 1138 the leader of the Anziotte Lesser Quorum and prominent silver mine owner Mayer Egmont was arrested and executed on charges of treason to the Empire. Egmont had a reputation as a staunch advocate for the rights of commoners and was well known for his charitable efforts to alleviate the suffering inflicted by the political feud between the Archduke and the Governor, so the charges were viewed as a trumped up attempt to intimidate the common people of the city. A large group of them rallied outside the local prefecture to show their displeasure, where they were met by a force of the city militia. The militia, led by Commander Dorius Ottan, attempted to disperse the protestors by force. However within the crowd were disguised Last Straw operatives armed with gunpowder weapons. In the confusion the noble militia was repulsed and the protest spilled into open rioting, starting the Anziotte Revolt.

Attempts to impose order in the city by the militia failed, as the Last Straw operatives armed the crowds with gunpowder weapons and rallied them against the Imperial order. The revolutionary mob stormed buildings and seized the noble quarters of the city, gunning down all who attempted to stop them. Rallied around the figures of Sophia of Anziotte and Sir Aeden Brante the revolutionaries took control of the city streets, and formed a hasty alliance with Prefect Augustin El Borne and Father Lennart of the New Faith.

When the Overseer arrived to Anziotte at the head of an Imperial Legion, he found the city under the total control of the revolutionaries. The revolutionaries refused to surrender unless he promise sweeping changes to the Imperial order, including the execution of Arknian nobles, a codified book of laws and an end to the Lots. Unwilling to tolerate such a blatant attack on his authority, Overseer Tempest ordered the revolt suppressed by force.

However the revolutionaries, armed with gunpowder weapons and united under the leadership of Aeden Brante, proved fiercer opponents than the Overseer expected. The Legionnaire's were repulsed from the walls several times, until Tempest himself joined the fight. Whilst successful in taking the walls the Overseer was captured by the revolutionaries and the Legion broke. This marked the first time since Char Milanidas' revolt that an Imperial Legion was defeated in open battle.

With Anziotte defiant against the Empire and unrest spreading like wildfire, it appears that the Empire might be facing a time of troubles unmatched in its history. Perhaps the dissolution of the Empire itself is possible.

## Society

The Empire is a highly stratfied, quasi-feudal society. An individuals place in the Empire is determined overwhelmingly by birth. Every person is born into one of the Lots and, barring a few exceptions, this Lot will define their entire life. Arknians live a life of luxury and contentment, Nobles live a life of privilege, and Commoners toil and struggle.

The Empire is based on the twin foundations of Faith and hierarchy. Isatius preached that the Blessed Empire is a creation of the Twin Gods themselves and thus the operation of the Empire is nothing less than the will of the Gods. A strict hierarchy rules all aspects of life; the Emperor rules over all, the Arknians rule over humans, and nobles rule over commoners.

The Empire is a highly restrictive society in regards to women and gender norms. Women of all kinds are expected to be subservient to their husbands or their fathers. Imperial law and deeply ingrained social stigma forbids women from wearing male clothing or performing male jobs, such as soldiering. Homosexuality is a capital crime.

The Empire maintains a state religion of the Faith of the Twin Gods. Non-believers, heretics and apostates face severe sanction from both secular and religious authorities. The overwhelming majority of the population are orthodox followers of the Faith, though the schism between the Old and New Faiths have undermined this unity.

## Politics

Power in the Empire is entirely hierarchical in nature and flows downwards from the person of the Emperor.

The Empire is divided into a number of provinces, each headed by an Imperial Governor appointed by the Emperor. This Governor serves as the Emperor's envoy in the province and is considered to speak with the voice of the Emperor. The northern and Arknian provinces are governed by members of the Tempest Dynasty, whilst the Eterna province is ruled by the Emperor personally. Outside of these 'Imperial Provinces' the Governor is typically the leader of the most powerful noble dynasty of the province. In theory the Emperor can retract a governorship at any time, but this is rarely done.

To assist the Emperor in ruling, the Imperial Court hosts the Imperial Council. The Council serves as a body of advisors which the Emperor can consult on issues, and can handle minor administrative issues not worthy of the Emperor's attention. The head of the Council is the Great Chancellor of the Empire. The power and influence of the Imperial Council varies greatly depending on the personality of the Emperor at the time. Under the rule of Uther II the Council has grown to be an enormously powerful body, serving as the power behind the throne of the Empire.

To enforce the will of the Emperor on the provinces, the Empire hosts a system of provincial prefectures. These bodies serve as enforcers of Imperial law and judges within the provinces, answering directly to Eterna. The prefectures technically have power over all the Emperor's subjects, though the limits of this power has rarely been tested.

## Economy

The economy of the Empire is feudal and heavily agricultural, though the first steps towards industrialisation have been undertaken. The overwhelming majority of the Empire's population work as agricultural labourers, either on subsistence farms, small privately-owned lots or on manorial estates. All cities and towns host artisans that produce finished goods through hand-crafting, and a few more prosperous towns have begun to experiment with factories.

The Empire has a number of key trade routes, mostly following the natural waterways of the continent. The Arknian Sea serves as a conduit by which goods may be delivered to the doorstep of Eterna.

Mining is another major industry of the Empire, mostly centred on precious metal mines in the south of the continent. The province of Magra is responsible for nearly three quarters of all silver production in the Empire.

Imperial taxes are collected mostly in goods, usually agricultural goods, using a highly efficient system of tax farmers. Nobles have the right to impose taxes in their own lands without needing approval from Eterna.

## Military

The Empire has a vast and complex arrangement of armed forces at its command. These forces are formidable, though they have not faced serious opposition since the days of Char Milanidas' revolt.

#### The Imperial Guard

The Imperial Guard are the household troops of the Emperor, housed in the Imperial capital. They are the elite of the Empire and one of the few formations composed entirely from Arknians. Would-be members of the Guard are often the second sons of powerful Arknian dynasties seeking influence at court, with many appointed for political reasons. Despite this overtly political foundation, the Guard is expected to be the most elite formation of the entire Imperial Army and is an entirely professional force.

#### The Imperial Legions

The Imperial Legions are the regular forces of the Empire. Each Imperial Legion is staffed by noble officers who command common soldiers, raised and sustained on the provincial level.

The size and strength of each Legion varies depending on the wealth and needs of the province it is being raised from. The wealthier interior provinces boast forces numbering in the tens of thousands including substantial cavalry forces, whilst the poorer east maintains forces only a few thousand strong.

The Legion serves primarily as a large force to deter rebellion, crush insurgencies and repel potential invasions. Upon the order of the Emperor or the Great Chancellor, the formations of one province can be mobilised for use in another.

In total, the Imperial Legion has approximately one-hundred and twenty thousand men under arms. However these forces vary greatly in quality and equipment.

The Legions are named according to their home province (i.e. the Magran Legion), but companies within each Legion often have their own *noms-de-guerre* and battle honours.

#### Noble Retinues

Every noble household within the Empire hosts a number of professional soldiers that serve as local enforcers, bodyguards and personal troops. These troops form an unofficial second army of the Empire, raised and paid for by their noble hosts.

The armed retinue of the nobility vary wildly in size, quality and professionalism, depending on the wealth and nature of their noble employers. The most powerful of the Arknian dynasties may host hundreds or even thousands of elite troops, whilst the poorest nobles of the mantle might have only a few bodyguards at their call.

These troops are unique in that their loyalty is not to the Emperor, but to their noble employer. Whilst even the most powerful Lord’s retinue is not nearly numerous enough to seriously challenge the Imperial Army, they collectively pose a significant risk should the Empire and its nobles ever come to blows.

#### Mercenaries

Mercenaries are a common sight in the Empire, fighting in regional conflicts of all stripes and varieties. Mercenaries are commonly used by the nobility when a larger formation of organised troops is required for their purposes, without wanting to risk the men of their retinue directly.

Whilst loyal to no-one but gold, mercenaries are disciplined, effective, and highly organised troops within the Empire. By their nature mercenaries are some of the most battle-hardened forces within the Empire, fighting in the near constant border conflicts of the quibbling nobility.

#### The Secret Chancellery

The smallest armed group of the Empire, but by far the most influential. The Secret Chancellery is the secret police of the Empire, intended to go where armies cannot in order to achieve whatever task necessary to preserve the Empire.

The Chancellery is charged with tracking down, infiltrating and dismantling all groups that would seek an end to the Empire. They are infamous for their use of assassins and deniable operations in order to achieve its ends, often flirting with treason itself in the pursuit of traitors. The Chancellery utilises a vast network of spies to detect would-be traitors and bring an end to their schemes, and is notorious for the secrecy it operates under. It is rumoured that the birds themselves are agents of the Chancellery.