Emeris

Emeris, or the Commonwealth of Emeris, is a country located on the eastern coastline of Gardina. It is the wealthiest of the four nations and is the homeland of the acar.

## History

### Post-Dark Ages

Like most countries, the Commonwealth has little to no records describing events prior to the year 500. However, over the years archaeologists have recovered pieces of archaic structures that once littered the Gardinian coastline. Their complex geometries cannot be comprehended, with the majority of the pieces recovered being too intricate and individualized to combine into a complete structure. Even outside of its reaches in the primitive lands past the ramparts of the Commonwealth, pieces of these structures can be found. Scholars have theorized that at one point in time, their ancestors had conquered the entirety of the continent.

It could be assumed by that alone that prior to the founding of the Commonwealth, the ancestors of the acar were apart of an empire. Nothing further has been speculated.

Dated skeletal remains recovered within the reigns of the Commonwealth display eerily similar bone structures that are identical to modern acar.

### Rise of Acardola (500 A.D. - 700 A.D)

The first records of early Emersian civilization begin in the year 500. It is widely believed that the remnants of the long forgotten empire that had ruled during the dark ages were the first people to occupy the eastern Gardinan coastline. A cultured populace, reading and writing had been apart of their curriculum as quickly as they organized into a

settlement. Historians believe that the descendants of Emersians purposely neglected to record any prior history in fear of some unknown factor. Whatever the reasons, it is clear that the ancients were aiming to redecorate the world.

By 558, the settlement had organized into an official sovereignty. Known as Acardola, it was named after the first Progenitor. Donfio Acardola was the son of one of the first pair of settlers, claiming to have been educated personally by his father who knew the secrets of those who came before. By the time he had been appointed himself the leader of the small city-state, Acardola ordered the altering of the first sets of historical records to erase anything that would link the newly formed nation to the dark ages.

The first known century was highly successful, absent of any wars or conflicts with neighboring civilizations. Academics flourished, the nation boasting universal literacy. Beautiful pieces of architecture were constructed, and knowledge flourished and crime was practically non-existent, safe for a few skirmishes over trivial matters. Acardola quickly found himself overwhelmed, and created a council of scholars to aid him in his rule. Historical documents depicting the functions of his inner circle would later inspire the creation of the Magnate Assembly.

However, in 609 the 1st Progenitor fell ill. Following his untimely death, there was an obvious question in regards to leadership. Passed onto his wife, Madele Acardola, she ruled very poorly in his stead. She was quite impulsive and eventually dismissed her husbands inner circle. This lack of a court placed all of the responsibility on her, wherein she made generally uneducated and regressive decisions which halted the progress of the nation. However, the 2nd Progenitor is credited with the first installation of an organized military. Prior to her rule, Acardola was entirely reliant on the walls that surrounded the city, the serene disposition of the nation's populace, and the organized community vigilantism.

In 613, foreign invaders threatened the safety of her subjects and introduced their chaotic mannerisms to the once perfect society. It was later they hailed from a land known as Traian (now known as Reethal). A group of explorers, they were ill-equipped to face an entire city-state and thus faltered. By then, it was clear to the citizens they were not alone in the world.

By 622, Acardola had created a garrisoned military force that can trace its roots to the volunteer sentinels of old. They had developed their own form of martial arts, and even employed the great scholars of the nation to aid them in the creation of suitable weapons. By the time everything had been organized, the force was recognized as the Acardolan Watchmen.

Following her death, Madele was succeeded by her late husband, Gentile Acardola. There was some controversy surrounding his sudden appointment, but with no heirs Madele had no other choice but to pass on the position to her spouse as the 1st Progenitor, Donfio Acardola, had done with her. Gentile spent the majority of his rule fixing his wife's mistakes. He began be creating a new inner circle.

While the Acardolan Watchmen were greatly successful in their efforts, it was only possible due to the expansive funding Madele had granted them. Citizens were required to give fifty percent of their earnings to the military for every transaction. And while the populace itself had no concerns with this, the economy was slowly crumbling. In 654 Gentile reduced the military tax to five percent, as the Watchmen themselves had accumulated a sizable fortune during their first eight years of service. Ushering in an age of economic renewal and prosperity, Gentile's edicts encouraged mercantile activity and frequent trading. Later that year, Gentile was assassinated by the acting leader of the Acardolan Watchmen, who greatly disagreed with the 3rd Progenitor's military tax reduction. Following his execution his the new leader of the Watchmen erased all records associated with said individual, to disassociate his name with their establishment.

By 654, the tradition of passing on rule to one's spouse had become socially acceptable. Gentile's apparent successor was his wife, Diaora. A strong woman who had served within the ranks of the Watchmen, Diaora was the youngest person in history to receive the title of Progenitor. She was a highly skilled warrior who found herself often cooperating with her former brothers and sisters in arms. Diaora is remembered for her involvement in the Gardinan Contentions.

### The Gardinan Contentions (701 A.D. - 918 A.D.)

Perhaps the most devastating series of conflicts in the world, the Gardinian Contentions began in 701 when a Traian expeditionary unit attempted to gather new land just outside of Acardola's borders. Slowly but surely, they began to build up a small settlement. Naturally, one of the many watchmen observing from the walls of Acardola took notice. Upon informing the rest of his compatriots, the Progenitor ordered three squadrons of soldiers to investigate.

When they arrived, they found that the entirety of the developing settlement had dissipated. There were no bodies, only dried blood stains and faltering structures with broken doors, walls and windows. Two squadrons stayed at the camp, while one was sent back to report to the Progenitor. Diaora responded by sending two more fully-equip squadrons of men, where they were greeted by a large Traian battalion. Assuming it was the Acardolian soldiers who murdered their settlers and vandalized their structures, they slaughtered the soldiers without remorse.

A series of continual misunderstandings resulted in the first major conflict between the neighboring countries. The two countries continued to send a large number of forces to this area, known then as the (T.B.D). Whatever anomaly that had caused the first group of migrants to perish was long forgotten. By 715, after fourteen long years of war, both sovereigns were intent on seizing the land between them. The land was rich with lumber and had an abundant supply of streams and waterfalls.

In 718, Diaora died alongside her husband during one of the nameless battles of (place name, T.B.D.). With no living spouse, the inner circle took control of Acardola. They found great success in their diversity, with each member of the council specializing in a specific field of study. All executive decisions were made based on votes. And while their new form of government was widely popular, the nation was still opposing Traian advances.

Continuing to lose resources, both sides eventually started sending less and less soldiers to (place name, T.B.D). A hundred years later and the Contentions were all but over. In 820, both nations were ready to split the land evenly between them. A representative of the inner circle was sent to the settlement to meet with their ambassador. Both sides brought a sizable group of guards, but nothing more.

Neither party returned to their homeland. A century later, and the same anomaly that caused the disappearance of the first Traian settlers had inflicted its wrath once again. And again, both nations figured they had been sent to kill each other. For the next hundred years, both nations continued to battle. Neither gained land, neither gathered resources. Both lost countless numbers of soldiers. Exhausted, both Traian and Acardola gave up any efforts of seizing the (place name, T.B.D). The two signed a peace treaty and agreed not to send any military or civilian personnel to the (place name, T.B.D). Both nations spent the rest of the century recovering from the Gardinian Contentions.

### Formation of the Commonwealth (1000 A.D. - 1100 A.D.)

Following the apparent end of the Gardinian Contentions, Acardola had gone through several groups of inner circles. In spite of the war, they were able to retain their economic prosperity thanks to a council of four, highly educated and wealthy individuals. In the year 1000, they established themselves as the Magnate Assembly and released a series of rules and regulations in regards to appointment and succession. A plutocratic oligarchy, the Magnate Assembly requires potential successors to be wealthy enough to pay the appointment tax.

With the death of the Acardola line, they renamed the nation to the Commonwealth of Emeris, named after Donfio Acardola's close adviser who put assembled the 1st Progenitor's inner circle. They replaced the banner of Acardola with a flag. Colored half purple and half white, the purple refers to the lavish lifestyle their society has been able to retain over the years. The white represents protection, while the gold-yellow circle in the center is attributed economic prosperity. The owl in the center pays homage to the scholarly and learned men of the earlier years of Acardola.

By 1010, only ten years after the initial release of the guidelines, the Magnate Assembly made an addition to the council. They introduced a fifth seat which was responsible for directly representing the populace. The same year, the Magnate Assembly released the Edict of Liberties, which set in stone the personal freedoms of all Emersian citizens

With the formation of the Commonwealth, the nation experienced a golden age of technological, alchemical and economic success. In 1030, the Acardolian Watchmen were renamed to the Emersian Watchmen. The organization shifted its focus from militarism to law enforcement, much like the original watchmen of old. However, the institution will is able to act as an organized military should the need arise.

The next seventy years were rather quite. The Commonwealth continued to accumulate wealth and advance their academia, and are currently recognized as the world's leading economic and scholastic epicenter. Like other countries, they remain rather conservative in regards to expeditions and are reluctant to fund any aspiring huntsmen and explorers.

### List of Acardolan Progenitors

 Madele Acardola
 Gentile Acardola
 Diaora Acardola

## Culture

### Marriage & Relationships

Due to the predominantly acar population, relationships between recently matured adolescents (18+) and older, more experienced seniors is not frowned upon. It is common for citizens to take partners that are three, four or even five times their age due to the unique characteristics of acar physiology. Marriage is highly encouraged, the average male or female is married almost as soon as they reach adulthood. In Emersian culture, marriages are lively and pleasure-filled events filled with entertainment. The symbol of unity that a husband and wife adjourn are various kinds of cylindrical earrings. Marriages until the death of one of the spouses, wherein the surviving person is expected to take another spouse within the year of their previous significant other's death.

Incest is highly discouraged, however in most households marrying step-siblings is often encouraged to further prolong the unity between coexisting lineages. Same-sex relationships are tolerated, but same-sex marriage is considered unproductive and is thus considered a taboo.

### Society

In the Commonwealth of Emeris, gender-inequality is nonexistent. This can be attributed to the process in which Progenitors used to be selected. Instead of passing on their rule to their children, Progenitors passed on their titles to their spouses. Men and women are granted equal opportunity in all fields. People do not face discrimination based on their place of origin, but interracial marriages are discouraged (due to the fact that races cannot interbreed).

Many Emersian citizens have attended the University of Gardina, the largest and most critically-acclaimed college in the world. As a private institution its tuition is rather expensive, so it is not uncommon for the less fortunate families to hire freelance tutors to ensure their children are literate.

Entertainment is a very large part of Emersian culture, and as such the country is home to the most talented of musicians, dancers, exhibitionists and gladiators. Private parties and other social events are commonplace, but large scale festivals are viewed as too disorganized and chaotic and are an unpopular and rare occurrence.

### Style

Due to the warm and temperate climate of the Gardinan coastline, Emersians are often fitted in loose and comfortable clothing. It is common for both men and women to have low necklines on their clothing. Emersian style accentuates beauty and pleasure, with most outfits appearing sensual and sometimes even scandalous to foreigners. Men are known to wear long, robe-like tunics and long vests crafted of fine fabrics and silks. Females are known to wear tight fitting dresses that expose the arms and shoulders in various different intricate styles. Various kinds of sashes and leather belts are commonplace. Outfitting maintains a very luxurious and aristocratic tone. Emersian clothing has a very lavish palette, the most popular of colors consisting of lavender/purples, silver/whites and golds.

Emersians are very fond of headpieces such as circlets and other kinds of free standing forehead jewelry. Earrings are very popular, but any other kind of piercing is looked down upon. Men and women share equally long hair, making most female specific cuts unisex within the confines of the Commonwealth.

## Government

### The Magnate Assembly

The Commonwealth of Emeris is ruled by a council of the wealthy aristocrats known as the Magnate Assembly. Magnates serve until death, unless they resign on their own accord or are voted out of the Assembly. In order to qualify for a seat on the Magnate Assembly one must adhere to the following requirements:

* Must be a legal citizen of the Commonwealth
* Must have no priors committed in the Commonwealth
* Must have a place of residence in the Commonwealth
* Must be at least 30 years of age
* Must have an accumulative wealth of at least 80,000 in Emersian limdus

If a magnate resigns or is voted out of the Assembly, the remainder of the council appoints a new magnate based on majority vote. The only exception is the Intermediate Magnate, who is elected by the populace. Upon appointment, magnates are required to donate 80,000 limdus to the mercantile branch of the Commonwealth. Magnates receive 1% of the nation's collective wealth at the start of every term.

There is a total of five seats in the Assembly, each of which governs a specific branch of Emersian government.

* **Civil Magnate**: responsible for internal legislation and domestic conflict resolution, tasked with drafting laws and organizing judicial trials, governs civil branch
* **Diplomatic Magnate**: responsible for external legislation and transoceanic affairs, creating treaties and foreign policies, governs diplomatic branch
* **Martial Magnate**: responsible for enforcing laws, keeping the peace, organizing the military and defending the Commonwealth, governs martial branch
* **Mercantile Magnate**: responsible for organizing trade and instituting commercial edicts, manages and preserves financial stability of the Commonwealth by drafting tax accords, governs mercantile branch
* **Intermediate Magnate**: responsible for representation of the people, acts as the voice of the populace in the Assembly, governs intermediate branch

Each magnate possesses two hand-picked retainers that serve as their advisers and students. It is not uncommon for magnate retainers to succeed their predecessors. In regards to salary, they recieve 5% of their magnates annual income. Similarly, in order to be picked as a retainer said individuals must adhere to their own set of regulations:

* Must be a legal citizen of the Commonwealth
* Must have no 2nd or 3rd degree priors committed in the Commonwealth
* Must have a place of residence in the Commonwealth
* Must be at least 18 years old

Each respective branch possesses an office within the Assembly Hall, the workplace of the Magnate Assembly. All issues are discussed in the Assembly Hall chamber. In order for any kind of law, edict or accord to be passed all magnates must vote on the matter. The majority enables documents to be passed and instated into the Edict of Liberties.

### Edict of Liberties

The Edict of Liberties was created by the first Magnate Assembly. It describes the personal liberties and freedoms granted to Emersian citizens. It serves as a pivotal reference to magnates, and is always considered when drafting new laws or edicts.

* **Edict of Ownership**: all persons are able to purchase land and retain ownership of property.
* **Edict of Assurance**: all persons are able to use armaments should their personal liberties be violated or their immediate safety be threatened
* **Edict of Sentiment**: all persons are able to freely embrace their cultural, political or religious beliefs
* **Edict of Participation**: all persons are able to retain their professions during a time of war, and are excused of forced involuntary servitude
* **Edict of Patronage**: all persons are able to freely trade any non-banned or restricted products with any individual within our outside the reaches of the Commonwealth of Emeris
* **Edict of Probity**: all convicted felons may fight for their innocence if they cannot afford a solicitor, and should they defeat the prosecutors chosen combatant will be pardoned of any and all crimes

## Military

### Ranks

#### Officers

* **Sentinel**: The highest achievable position outside of the appointed seat of the Martial Magnate. It can only be achieved after twenty or more years of servitude, and must be appointed by the Martial Magnate.
* **Sentries**: An elite inner circle of seasoned soldiers, the sentries are handpicked by the sentinel. They are combative geniuses and well-rounded commanders. Their authority is only second to the sentinel. Becoming a sentry usually requires around ten years of servitude.
* **Primary Steward**: Primary stewards are in charge of assigning operations to secondary stewards, and are in charge of investigating potential misdemeanors or corrupt activity within the ranks of the officers. In order to become a primary stewards, one must have served the Emersian Watchmen for at least five years.
* **Secondary Steward**: Secondary stewards are tasked with investigative operations. They operate as individuals and are praised for their deductive reasoning. They track down and expose potential acts of treason made by citizens.
* **Senior Shepherd**: Senior shepherds hold authority over associate shepherds. They design patrol routes and assign associate shepherds to various designated areas of coverage.
* **Associate Shepherd**: Associate shepherds are the lowest ranked officer within the Emersian Watchmen. Their responsibilities include organizing patrols and assuming command in the absence of a senior officer.

#### Branches

* **Stewards**: The scouting division, stewards are trained in the arts of tracking and are responsible for apprehended suspected felons and tracing criminal activity. They regularly check the borders and report on potential beast activity.
* **Shepherds**: Tasked with localized law enforcement, the shepherds frequently patrol the Commonwealth and maintain the peace. Shepherds serve as the main reserve unit in the case of militaristic assembly.