Talensi Empire

Banner of the imperial dynasty, also used as the flag of the entire Empire

Jaranalo, the New Capital

**The Talensi Empire** is a large multicultural state to the west across the ocean from Nomos. An unquestioned hegemon of the area east of the mountains, the Talensi Empire dominates the lands from Talensthesi swamps in the north to Kavipatnos islands in the south. Its only land border is shaped by the Krainoruni mountain chain, along which several Marches were established to guarantee safety of the rich rivervalleys at the core of the Empire.

The Talensi Empire has evolved from a series of conquests, unions and divisions of over several hundred years. The conquests performed by Emperor Similogm II and the Great Reform enacted by his successor Emperor Talenclo I resulted in the emergence of the latest form of the Talensi state, unofficially called the Third Talensi Empire. This nation is an amalgamation of provinces, duchies, vassals, autonomous regions, far-away marches, charter cities and republics all answering to the new capital of Jaranalo, the city of the Emerald Throne.

## Geography

Talensi Empire sprawls over multiple regions and climates of their home continent of Selmoros. To the north lies the ancient Talensi homeland of Talensthesi — a realm of lowlands and swamps where their ancestors first migrated to. From the swamplands they descended onto the Pusonilhlo valley. The latter is split by mountains and hills from the Hendsuo land of rivers — a bountiful region with rich soil and mild climate made for agriculture. Beyond it begin the highlands inhabited by the Ipicarati peoples, whose cities dot the southern coast of Selmoros.

The southernmost body of water is called Kavipatnos, which broadly means "sea of lands", as the sea itself is filled with hundreds, if not thousands of islands of all shapes and sizes. The name is derived from the language of the Palhlo — a notoriously daring people whose prowess and maritime traditions are recognised throughout the empire.

Selmoros is shielded from the west by Krainoruni — an enormous mountain chain with only a few known passes known to man. To the Imperial Court's knowledge, beyond Krainoruni lie only deserts and steppes filled with savage tribes and petty kingdoms.

## Government and Society

The social hierarchy and ruling institutions of the Empire were molded and developed over hundreds of history. At the top of the Talensi society stands the Emperor — a figure endowed with absolute power by both the people and the gods of the land. Despite the sacred nature of his figure, the Emperor's desires are limited by the many responsibilities that come with the office, such as the need to uphold popularity in the eyes of the aristocracy and the populace, the necessity of balancing the many noble families and vassals, as well as the slow nature of his own bureaucracy.

To speed up the latter, the Emperors frequently enlist the services of close friends and talented personalities who become assigned to various ad-hoc institutions and receive court ranks of the same nature. These measures are done to bypass the slow apparatus and quickly react to the constantly occuring threats and mundane troubles of the huge empire. The latest instance of this practice take the form of Emperor Talens VII's "commissions" and "chancellaries", with his trusted officials being called "grand coordinators" who receive extraordinary powers.

The more ancient institutions of the Empire are the Senate, the Council, the Assembly, the Synod and the Unspoken Commission.

### The Senate

The most ancient and sacred body diminished by centuries of direct rule. Today the Imperial Senate is comprised of members hand-picked or sent by the various provinces and non-state organizations such as colleges and large merchant conglomerates. Headed by the Procurator-General, it's responsibilities in the modern day are as follows: control of the treasury; bureaucracy oversight; control of the flow of noble sons into army leadership positions.

### The Council

The Imperial Council is the true governing body of the Empire. Headed by the Emperor, the Council is appointed by and provides advice and expertise to them. The Emperor personally appoints all members of the Council, and the number fluctuates (from 5 to 50 so far) depending on the particular reigning sovereign and his policy. Certain positions may be moved from the Council to one of Emperor's commissions at will. The only unchanging seat of power is the position of the Imperial Prince — a mark of heirdom for anyone who receives such place in the realm.

### The Assembly

The Assembly, also known as the Lower Council, is a more humble body of councilors with various uses. It is usually used as a place to appoint heads of influential noble dynasties, as well as vassal rulers, in order to gain their trust and satisfy their desire for power. However, a councilor may come from any background, regardless of class or race, and as such a visionary Emperor can prepare a few seats for brilliant commoners or lowly nobles who would've never had a chance to influece imperial policies otherwise.

### The Synod

The latest grand addition to the imperial government is the Synod — a religious body created by Talenclo I with the sole purpose of codifying the Twin Serpent religion and ramming it into the minds of the masses. It has the sole authority of expanding the holy scriptures, changing the dogmas and, of course, declaring movements heretical or sacred. Naturally, most of these actions come either from the Emperor or with his approval. The Synod is a divine body, though it's latest actions and reforms are deemed controversial by many, to say the least.

### The Unspoken Commission

The last on the list, but always the first to come to anyone's mind when there is a potential threat to the hierarchy. The Unspoken Commission is a relatively old pan-imperial body of government tasked with one broad mission of eradicating all that opposes the Emerald Throne. What is deemed a problem is decided by reigning Emperor's policy, obviously. The Commission inserts into, observes, and reports on the other organizations of the Empire, in order to ensure they remain loyal. Like the Grand Coordinators, officers of this secret police have extra-judicial authority, and the most powerful of them may sanction entire military operations in entrusted provinces — something which is becoming a routine in the now unstable land.

## Vassals

Special regions co-exist with the regular imperial provinces. Each of them gained such status by the virtue of being a region with very important, ancient history that saved them from the recent rapid centralisation trends.

### Grand Duchy of Spodagovos

After the untimely death of Emperor-Restorer Similogm II his successor Talenclo I went on to establish his own Jaranalo dynasty and enact massive restructuring reforms. Among the most important changes was the relocation of the capital to the new permanent spot. Talenclo I personally oversaw the creation of the New Capital of Jaranalo, where the new Emerald Throne was erected to signify the new age, the new line of Emperors and the end to the centuries of discord. The city of Spodagovos, the Old Capital and the birthplace of the Empire, he granted to his nephew Kuvidobvo, making him the founder of the cadet branch of the reigning dynasty.

Today Spodagovos is still a regal city, if only slightly diminished. It's red and white banners bear the colours of Kuvidobvo's line. The Old Capital still shines brightly with its great warships, which now traverse the ocean to support the growing colony of Janiko.

### Venerable Duchy of Talensthesi

Once the legendary home of mighty Talensi clans, today the Talensi Swamplands are a venerated relic to admirers of the Empire and a place of pilgrimage to followers of the Twin Serpents. Talensthesi is a damp, flooded, humble region mostly known for its ancient history. Nowadays it's meagre population and low number of urban centres make it an uninspiring value in government records, and it has gained its ducal status only thanks to Emperor Janiko III's respect for history.

### The Thallasocracies of Kavipatnos Sea

For every island in Kavipatnos Sea there is a tribe, a principality, kingdom or a clan formed by Palhlo. A seemingly ungovernable territory was forced to bend the knee before the Emerald Throne after a thousand years of constant skirmishes, raids and dubious partnerships. Though the latter term may still be applicable to their current vassalage.

The Jaranalo Emperors could never hope to control all of these rowdy people's realms, so instead a hierarchy of fealties and suzerainties exists and is supported by the mighty Talensi navy. Broadly speaking, two kinds of Palhlo are recognised by the government:

1. The Royal Palhlo are Thalasocrats of the biggest islands in the Kavipatnos Sea. Far lower in number than the second category, they swear fealty directly to the Emperor, in return promising to uphold order in the region and pay annual tributes. Some Royal Palhlo kingdoms, like the Thallasocracy of Yeyabog, stand to profit much from this new order, as they find new opportunity to crack down on their smaller competitors.
2. The Petty Palhlo are all the Thalasocrats who live on the hundreds of small islands dotting the water. They are formally subordinates to the Royal Palhlo, though the situation is obviously far more complex and gets constantly complicated with frequent acts of disloyalty and self-service.

## Organisations

### The Dushlo Revolts

The Dushlo (i.e. Soul) Revolts is a catch-all term for a number of autonomous militant cults on the western fringes of the Empire. In essence, they continue the 600 year long war of Hendsuo peoples against the Talensi. Reinvigorated by presence of pragmatic religious leaders, they oppose the Emperor and the Serpent cult by any means necessary, including the cooperation with the several non-Dushlo cults and uprisings in nearby areas.

Mainly consisting of priests, peasants, impoverished townsfolk and minor lords of Hendsuo origin, they make use of firearms, pikes, swords and the terribly rough terrain which allowed their ancestors to resist the two Talensi empires for so long. The forested and mountainous lands allow for uncompromising guerilla warfare. One of the secrets to the revolt's current success is the fortification mastery: their hideouts are repurposed monasteries and old fortresses which have always been placed in hard-to-take locations.

These cults, however, are not tightly united, and it is predicted that they will repeat the pattern of the Hendsuo states and eventually weaken due to infighting. This does not diminish their danger to Jaranalo by any degree however. It took the Talensi 600 years to weed out the last independent Hendsuo lords in these lands, and it will take a century more for the overstretched imperial army to eradicate this newest and most successful threat.

The Dushlo Revolt bands use varied armour and armament looted from their enemies. Many wear nothing but their common priest or peasant clothes. As for the weaponry, pikes are a weapon of choice for any rebellion of the present. A curious thing to mention is that the rebels were frequently seen using a regional firearm variant called "firespear" - a cannon with a spear tip on the other side, which seem to be effective in quick raiding actions.

Lastly, while not truly armor nor armament, a very common item wielded by the mobs of priest warriors is an inscribed banner. Some of the more common slogans include "He who advances is sure of salvation, but he who retreats will only reach hell" and "Hail the Righteous Gods". The few Dushlo sects sympathetic to Twin Serpent faith use the phrase "Down with the False Emperor", in reference to emperor Talenclo's Great Reform.

### The Kuvidorij

Discipline, honour, self-sacrifice - these are values holy to any martial culture, including the ancient Talensi civilisation. And, like other virtues in any long-lasting Empire, they become perceived as dying, degrading and in need of revival by certain people. In the Discovery Age these people call themselves the Kuvidorij.

The Kuvidorij *(lit. Government by Spear)* are a prominent political gathering of military officers and soldiers affiliated with the still loyal political circles. The recently enlarged army and the current crisis tendencies have allowed the Kuvidorij to spread across the entire empire, but they are most prevalent in northern and central cities of the mainland. Their influence diminishes the further south one goes.

Though the Kuvidorij proclaim themselves as the bannermen of discipline, honour, fairness and ancient military traditions of the first empire, their ideas seldom go beyond such slogans. In practice, they are a set of paramilitary groups, sometimes even cults, which are loosely united by a circle of influential officers and officials. The only defined idea they carry is the desire for a stronger central government in Jaranalo. Apart from that there is little difference from the hundreds of sects, cults and rebel cells infesting the land.

There are many shades to the members of this political proto-party. Kuvidorij-affiliated officials tend to make show of their adherence to old values by sporting clothing stylised as military armour on all occasions. Such custom-designed clothing may be lavishly decorated despite the humility being one of the ancient virtues. The more practical and influential followers, such as grizzled officers, carry hidden blades or poisonous needles.

Ex-soldiers loyal to their commanders, together with the conservatively minded townsfolk, comprise the manpower of the Kuvidorij. This bond of brotherhood between the politicians and the ex-soldiers leads to dangerous scenarios, wherein the politicians have a group of ruthless thugs to intimidate their opponents. To curry favour with the population and the emperor, the Kuvidorij often make use of their members' backgrounds to solve problems in place of the overstretched imperial army.

The Unspoken Commission is forced to work closely with the Kuvidorij to fill in the ranks emptied by the recent power struggles. Not that this cooperation is entirely dissatisfying, as the presence of the militant loyalists allows for more immoral public operations without dirtying the hands of the Commission.

The most notorious such act happened in 86 DA in the provincial city of Sono, previously a home to a rising religious rebellion lead by a noblewoman from a non-Talensi house. Having meticulously nourished a private army of zealots of her own, she became a major regional threat. With the blessing of the Commission the local Kuvidorij cell successfully organised a counter-riot during a fair, clobbered the noblewoman to death in broad daylight and went on to destroy her bloodline in a matter of a few days.

The Sono Fair is but one of hundreds of actions commited by the conservatives, and one of thousands of operations performed by many other similar groups, both loyal and disloyal.

The widely used serpent motif is prevalent among the loyalist groups. The Kuvidorij in particular make use of black and yellow - colours of evil and misfortune in the culture of the Pusonilho rivermen. The Serpent and Spear symbols are often pictured on Kuvidorij property and clothing. Wealthy military cells may even sport golden brooches.