The Draconic Empire

**\*Notice: The information presented on this page refers to the state of the Draconic Empire up to the year 1953 AoD\***

The Draconic Empire refers to the political power that rules the Pyrean Westerlands and Midlands. It was established by Drakon the Conqueror during the final years of the Age of Strife and has persisted for almost two millennia. The empire has rapidly grown to be the dominant power of the Pyrean Peninsula possessing one of the most advanced militaries found on Penastria that utilizes both the destructive power of gunpowder and dragons for which the empire is named.

## Description

The Draconic Empire was first established within the Pyrean Westerlands but would expand to include the Pyrean Midlands during the Seven Year War which erupted on the year 1912 AoD, and brought an end to the centuries old alliance between the Draconic Empire and the Holy Duchies. The empire extends from the westernmost coast of the Pyrean Peninsula to the Rimoulk river, and includes a wide variety of regions with the colder climates of Talbecberge and Hessenkuste contrasted by the warm coast of Freyenkuste.

The empire is divided into eight main counties these being the County of Middenhorst, the County of Hessenkuste, the County of Wissenland, the County of Talbecberge, the County of Freyenkuste, the County of Athelsen, and the County of Nordberge. The immense amount of land encompassed by the empire means that there is no real uniform style of architecture present as each county tends to have its own cultures and traditions, that being said there do exist some similarities, specifically the inclusion of draconic imagery that has grown to play a prominent part in all aspects of their society.

## Notable Locations

**The Midden**: The capital of the empire can be found in the empire's largest forest, known as the Middenwald and is divided in two by the Danabach river. Its construction began during the reign of Drakon the Conqueror, although the first emperor did not live to see its completion. The city has grown to be the largest settlement within the empire, and the Pyrean peninsula as a whole.

**Hessen**: The city of Hessen is the largest port that the empire possesses along its northern coasts, it serves as a major mercantile hub providing shelter for many trade vessels travelling through the Sea of Monsters and housing the northern branch of the Imperial Navy.

**Wissen**: The mountain fortress of Wissen is said to have been constructed by the dwarves during the Age of Myth, a fact that can clearly be seen in its architecture. The fortress city is built into the side of the Silver Peaks and its halls extend deep into the mountain range, mimicking the style that is commonly seen within the dwarven holds.

**Talbec**: Legend says that the northern jewel of Talbec was built by the snow elves during the Age of Myth, and its appearance most definitely reinforces this legend. Nestled atop a hill in the heart of the Nordwald, the city's imposing battlements are made of enchanted ice and stretch around the base of the hill with tunnels dug into its base to allow for passage. That same enchanted ice was used in the construction of many of the city's buildings with frozen spires towering above the surrounding forest's canopies. The nature of the enchantment that imbues the ice still baffles scholars to this day, although it has been noted that the ice is unaffected by nonmagical sources of heat and resistant to the effects of magical heat; in addition it has been noted that the ice gradually repairs any damage it sustains.

**Baren**: The city of Baren is nestled in one of the many valleys found within the county of Barenkuste, its people have ever been resistant to imperial rule and because of this the city has been at the heart of many rebellions and would-be revolutions. Needless to say these have all ended in failure, and as a consequence the city has been sacked many times. This rebellious history has led to there being an increased presence of Imperial Lawbringers and Knights of the Burning Claw, with the aim of rooting out any sources of discontent.

**Freyen**: The largest and most opulent port within the empire, Freyen is the empire's mercantile centre along the Midterran Sea and houses the southern branch of the Imperial Navy. The city's most notable feature is the colossus of Drakon, a massive bronze statue built in honour of the Conqueror, and that overlooks the harbour.

## Society

The Draconic Empire's largest racial demographics are humans and dragonborn, however it houses a wide variety of other races such as dwarves, firbolgs, and gnomes amongst others. The most recent estimate of the empire's population places it at around 10 million. The empire utilizes a feudal system with local lords governing swathes of lands, within different counties. Each county is governed by a count, who is chosen by the emperor and serves as their representative.

The Imperial Council was established during the reign of Emperor Wenceslas I, also known as the Unifier. Having learned from the Blackfang Rebellion, and the ensuing civil war, Wenceslas sought to create a governmental institution that would serve as an advisory body for the emperor. The hope was that such a body would mitigate the chances that an emperor would make unwise or uninformed decisions, that being said the system has fallen prey to nepotism thereby limiting its effectiveness.

### The Imperial Council

**Emperor Eilart Faervein III**: The red dragonborn, Eilart Faervein III inherited the throne in the year 1925 AoD and has ruled for the past 28 years during which time he has worked to expand on his father's dream of reuniting the Pyrean Peninsula under one banner. In the year 1939 AoD he launched an invasion of the Pyrean Easterlands which led to the First Coalition War. While the empire did ultimately lose this conflict, this has done little to deter his dreams of expansion and he has spent the decades since pushing to increase the empire's military might, ultimately turning it into the strongest military on the peninsula.

**High Arbiter Wilhelm Dorn**: Serving as the emperor's representative on the imperial council in his absence; Wilhelm Dorn is an elderly human who has served the crown faithfully for many decades. His loyalty earned him the royal family's respect, and it was at his urging that the emperor sued for peace during the First Coalition War.

**Imperial Treasurer Rudolf Strickler**: Rudolf Strickler is described as being a taciturn human who suffered a disabling injury during his childhood which left him with a noticeable limp. In light of this he spent much of his adolescence studying mathematics and with his family's powerful connections he was able to secure a place overseeing the empire's finances.

**High Castellan Baemor Agalaerion**: The blue dragonborn Baemor is a well-educated individual even by the standards of the imperial nobilities, he spent his younger years studying warfare, and graduated with honours from the Imperial University of Artifice. His studies at the university made him an ideal candidate for the position of high castellan which allows him to oversee the construction and maintenance of imperial fortifications as well as any advancements in the imperial military.

**Spymaster Aenyra Tareris**: The green dragonborn Aenyra is a renowned servant of Slerion the Green, known for her years of service within the clergy she quickly rose through the ranks as a pragmatic and efficient agent. Under her watch, the Fangs of Slerion (the imperial intelligence) have become a fearsome force within the empire known to emulate their spymaster's ruthless efficiency.

**High Dragon Priest** **Vamor Naeler**: The High Priest serves as the clergy's head and their representative on the Imperial Council. The gold dragonborn is known by all as the head of the Draconic Clergy and has served in this role for over 40 years; chosen by the gods themselves, Vamor is a pious individual who seeks to ensure that every decision made by the council aligns with the wishes of the Dragon Gods. His word carries a great deal of weight within the council, his opinion swaying many a vote.

**War Marshal Reindolf Stahl**: Reindolf Stahl rose to the post of war marshal in the aftermath of the First Coalition War, his predecessor's failure proved that traditionalist views have no place in the empire's future, which is why a fresh perspective was required. He was responsible for the Stahl Reforms which allowed for non-citizens to serve within military in exchange for citizenship. This reform mainly drew in greenskin tribes that dwelt in the wilderness but nonetheless led to the military's numbers swelling and allowed the empire to replenish their losses from the First Coalition War.

**High Arcanist Frederick Eichinger**: Master of the Arcanum, Frederick serves to provide the emperor with his expertise on matters of the arcane, especially when it comes to countering magic. Little is known of Frederick's past, a man of common birth his ascension through the ranks of the Imperial Arcanum is a tale of perseverance, and many imperial officials have used it as an example of how one can always achieve great things through faith and skill.

### Culture

The Draconic Empire is a theocracy and because of this the Draconic Clergy is seen as the highest authority within the empire, save for the emperor himself. They play a central role in each aspect of an imperial's life, the various traditions that exist throughout the empire's territory whilst varied have been twisted to reflect the clergy's wishes. The same is true for warfare, where the war priests of Rubikus serve as vicious warriors who instil holy fear into the empire's enemies and righteous fervour into the hearts of their allies.

Another key point to imperial culture is their view on magic, barring a few exceptions, magic is seen as a dangerous thing and because of this mages are feared by the common folk. This fear is born from the ever present threat of demonic possession that all mages risk when drawing upon the weave to cast spells, this threat has been heavily publicized by the clergy leading to fear of the arcane being widespread throughout the empire. To counter the threat that rogue mages, or apostates as they're called, the empire has many Arcanum Towers established in all major cities. These serve as cloistered communities where those who are born with magical potential are taken to hone their skills in a safe environment. Many of these mages become agents of the imperial arcanum, hunting down apostates within the empire. All mages are also expected to wear an arcane collar whilst within an empire, officially, the collar does not dampen one's arcane powers but rather it tracks them, allowing a special division of the arcanum to track all mages within the empire in order to secure its people's safety.

### Religion

The most prevalent religion within the Draconic Empire is the Pantheon of the Dragon Gods, that were revered by the dragonborn back in Azeir. Their symbols are fangs, each one representing their respective colour. Many follow all of the Dragon Gods, however some may decide to follow a specific Dragon God above the rest. These usually become agents dedicated towards a specific dragon. They are usually bound by a strict code of ethics and possess specific oaths that they must follow in order to appease their gods. All races can become paladins but only dragonborn can achieve the rank of dragon knights being gifted with their own dragon (an occurrence that is quite rare nowadays due to the rarity of domesticated dragons within the empire itself).