Egarian Empire

The **Egarian Empire**, formally known as **The Divine, Blessed, and Prosperous Empire of the Egaria Plateau** and more commonly known as **Egaria** or the **Empire**, is the largest kingdom in the unnamed continent south of Ayomar and, possibly, the whole world.

The Imperial City is the biggest city in the world.  Their territory consists of Egaria proper and the Imperial Providences (casually referred to as the Providences) in southern Ayomar.

The Empire has expanded its borders due to their economic leverage over other kingdoms, having the best trained military, and being slightly more technologically advanced than other kingdoms

The Imperial Providences consist of six different providences; Commonwealth of Regina Port, Domain of Little Tree, Domain of Filalad, Domain of South Port, Domain of Swalag, and the Domain of Crogburg.

## Demographics

### Egaria Proper

The Egaria Proper refers to the homeland of the Egarian Empire located on the Egaria Plateau.

There are two races that make up the native, or "pure", population of Egaria; eladrin (52%) and human (48%). Although, they are the slight minority, humans tend to hold all of the power positions; however, there is very little racial tension between the two races.

### Imperial Providences

The citizens of the Imperial Providences are divided into hierarchical classes of "pure" Egarians from the Egaria Proper, Newgarians the Egarian citizen born in the Imperial Providences, the "muddle bloods" of children of an Egarian and a native, and the lowest class consists of the natives of Ayomar. Although a multiracial such as a half-elf may have two pure Egarian parents, their mixed blood is seen as a disqualifier for this honor.

Overall, the races of are elves (35%, mostly wood elves), humans (20%), eladrin (18%), halfling (12%), dwarf (8%), and 7% of other races. Of the citizens of the Providences, 68% are native, 21% are Newgarians, and 11% Egarians.

## Culture

### Slavery

The Egarians use thousands of slaves from across the continents. Citizens could not use slaves, only the government as slaves are used as public servants who clean the cities, help upkeep the Imperial Highway and Roadway Systems, as well as other manual labor that benefits the Empire. The most trustworthy slaves make up the Support Corps of the Egarian Military, working as frontline cooks, nurses, supply chain courriers, etc.

Egarian slaves are all former prisoners of war or criminals; however, the Egarian definition of "prisoner of war" is very broad leading many innocent civilians from conquered lands to be pressed into slavery.

Although slaves in the Egarian Empire were treated more civil than other slaves in the world, slave revolts were still common, especially slaves used in the mines, but the Egarians can easily put them down.

### Religion

Freedom of religion is a guaranteed right of every sentient being in the world, even slaves. That being said, the Egarian Church is still immensely powerful and the Patriarch has an impressive amount of political weight with the Emperor. The political systems and taxing system greatly favors you if you are an Egarianist, so although conquered subjects are not outright pressured or threatened into converting, many do so causing Egarianism to be an almost unanimous majority on paper. Many conquered converts still practice their native religion in secret to gain the benefits of being, these Egarianists are referred to as crypto's.

### Infrastructure

#### Roads

The major cities of the Egarian Empire, both in the Properlands and the Providences, are connected by the Imperial Highways, which connect with smaller settlements with the Imperial Roadways.

The Imperial Highways are well kept brick pathways roughly 10 imperial paces (~10 yd) wide that buckles up in the middle so water and snow with slide off into the 1 imperial pace wide drainage ditches that run on both sides of the Highways. To prevent highway robbery, the high ways are patrolled by the Imperial Highway Guards of the Imperial Civil and Protection Services, the domestic protection branch of the Egarian Military. The Imperial Highway Guards patrol between guardhouses that mark every 5 Imperial Leagues (~5 mi). The highways serviced by the Highway Service Corp, a slave labor organization that constructs, repairs, and cleans the Imperial highways.

The Imperial Roadways connect smaller settlements to the Imperial Highways. Although called Imperial Roadways, the Empire does very little to support these roadways. These roadways are usually dirt and, very rarely, gravel roads. There is no protection provided, except for the occasional town guard patrol when near a settlement with a town guard. In fact, many bandit groups have become quasi-legal business entities by simply collecting tolls, albeit extremely unreasonably high tolls. Many of these groups provide escorts to protect from other bandit groups, and some even upkeep the roadways. However, refusing to pay the toll often leads to some sort of confrontation.

#### Mail System

The Empire, both the Properlands and Providences, has a postal service. The postal system is ran by the Imperial Courier Services, the second sub-branch of the Imperial Civil and Protection Services. Courier Carriages run between the major cities in the Empire along the Highways. Individual Couriers, unofficially known as "Outrunners", run the Roadways to collect mail from the smaller settlements. Outrunners must outrun the highwaymen and bandits that often try to capture them. The Couriers of the Courier Services are armed as to protect the mail.

Each settlement has at least one Courier Office, with major cities usually have at least three. Courier Offices act as barracks for Couriers to rest between run. It is also where civilians come to send and collect their mail.

## Government

The Egarian Empire is a hereditary absolute monarchy, currently ruled by His Divine Emperor Prentis Swann, current emperor of the Egarian Empire. The Swann Dynasty has ruled Egaria for over 300 years.  His rule has seen the continuation of the expansion of the Egarian borders.

Although the Emperor has final say over all matters in the Empire, he heeds the advise of several advisors and usually leaves the day-to-day decisions of the Empire to his various Ministers and the Dukes, Counts, and other nobles throughout the Empire. Although the Emperor's minor son is the heir-apparent, the second-in-command is Lord Byron Harlow, Archduke of Abbeton, current Supreme Military Commander of the Egarian Military and heir-regent to the White Throne.

Since the Emperor and the Supreme Military Commander rarely visit the Imperial Providences, the direct representatives of the Emperor is left to numerous governors and military leaders.  The most notable, and most powerful, are the following:

* Supreme Governor Aldo Weathersby, current Archduke of the Regina Port Domain and Supreme Governor of the Egarian Imperial Providences.  He is the Divine Emperor's direct representative in the Providences.

* Lord Charles Deon, Count of of Crowtown, current Field Marshal of the Imperial Providences. Second-in-command in the Providences.

* His Most Righteous Reverend Everett Prescott, Grand Patriarch of the Egarian Church, the Empire's leading and highly influential religious figure. He is a critic of the Empire's treatment of the native and currently on mission in the Providences.

## Geography

The Providences span the entire Green River Valley, an extremely fertile area.  Though there are multiple smaller forests dotting the Green River Valley, the region is mostly fertile plains.  It is bordered by the Green River to the west, Va Otwor and Aboeblad to the north, Ogrwha to the east, and the Bay of Bran to the south.

### Major Settlements

Major Settlements listed in order of population

* Little Tree (132,000)
* Regina Port, providential capital (62,000)
* Filalad (32,720)
* South Port (30,007)
* Crogburg (28,300)
* Swalag (13,420)
* Leaftown (1,302)