The Draconid Empire

The Draconid Empire at the Height of its power once stretched out from it’s heartland of Dracoris, through all of Zagesi from it’s Southernmost point at The Conflux Sea, over it’s northernmost point at The Boreas Highlands, through the woodlands of Griselderyn, all the way to The Shattered Sea in the far north of the Continent. Since “The Devastation of Dracoris” however, their power and influence have dwindled substantially, to the point where calling them an empire at all is questionable at best.

Territory:

Nowadays, the Draconid Empire holds little else besides its ancestral Homeland of Dracoris. However, even those lands are starting to slip from their grasp as outside powers seek to encroach on what little remains of their once great empire.

Government:

During its fledgling years, as The Draconid Empire formed out of different Draconid tribes it naturally transformed into an elective monarchy, with different tribal leaders electing the most capable from amongst them to rule. However, through hundreds of years of infighting, political machinations and power grabbing, the Empire slowly transformed into a rigid, theocratic hereditary monarchy, with power split between an Emperor/Empress, referred to as “The Syros'' and the High Priestess of Tiamat, referred to as “The Imavet'' both ruling from the capital of Sacromas.
The Emperor/Empress mostly presides over worldly matters, appointing state officials, generals, creating and ratifying laws, organizing festivals and conducting diplomacy.
The High Priestess meanwhile has the tasks of presiding over matters of the faith, The Ruumush Amat, and controlling the Emperor/Empress in their actions to ensure they never stray from the virtuous path. While functional at the best of times, this system has had a history of being abused, either by scheming dynasties, installing priestesses loyal to them, or by the two positions working together to further their own gains in capital and power, often against the good of the empire. The ruling dynasties of The Draconid Empire have changed many times over the thousands of years it has existed. The Sarikan Dynasty is the current ruling dynasty, and has been so for the better part of 250 years, after taking the place of The Sarkonian Dynasty.
The current Emperor is Syros Aramis Sarikan III., a universally unpopular despot due to his appointment of corrupt officials, embezzlement of taxes and numerous other reasons.
The post of Head Priestess is currently empty, and has been for the better part of 10 years due to political machinations and bureaucratic shenanigans on The Emperor's behalf.

History:

As a realm that has existed for over a thousand years, a lot of The Draconid Empire's history is shrouded in myth and mystery. Everything beyond the last 300 years is only in the realm of knowledge of dedicated scholars and historians, and once we move past 1000 years, what little knowledge remains is shrouded in myth and mystery.
What further complicates this is that the calendar used before the introduction of The Thaamir Calendar was not quite as accurate, which makes placing precise dates on certain events hundreds and thousands of years in the past a challenge:

Current day History: (300 pSF to 32 SF)

32 SF: The Amaraki Republic, a collection of territories along the coast of The Emerald Sea, rise up in rebellion and declare their independence.

86 pSF to 32 SF: The Current Era, marked by widespread corruption, curtailing of civil liberties and a mass exodus of people, beginning in the year 24 pSF and lasting to the current day.

57-50 pSF: A rebellion rises on the coast of The Emerald Sea and declares an independent republic which lasts for 7 years, before it is crushed, its leaders beheaded and its armies decemated.

83 pSF: A rebellion rises on the coast of The Emerald Sea, but is quickly crushed.

86 pSF: Syros Mara Sarikan II., the Draconid Empire’s last great ruler, is assassinated by unknown assailants. This marks the end of The Golden Dusk.

194 pSF to 87 pSF: The Golden Dusk: Considered by many the sunset of The Draconid Empire, the age of the last great rulers, of rights and freedoms, before the Empire forever fell to corruption. As a common adage goes: “History should have ended as the sun set”.

218-194 pSF: The Reign of Syros Aramis Sarikan I. Mostly marked by reconstruction and reconciliation after The Troubles, crushing regional militias and bringing regional warlords to heel. Peace returns to Dracoris.

218 pSF: Syros Aramis Sarikan I. of The Sarikan Dynasty crushes the last pretenders on The Emerald Sea and claims the throne of Sacromas, establishing his dynasty as the new rulers of The Draconid Empire.

300-218 pSF: The Troubles: A time period of civil war and uprisings, during which The Draconid Empire loses it’s last remaining territories outside of Dracoris, as noble dynasties go to war over the issue of who shall take place of the Sarkonians.

300 pSF: Syros Arishkagal, the last living member of The Sarkonian Dynasty ascends as a true Dragon on the Night of her coronation and vanishes without a trace, leaving the realm without a ruler.

Post-Devastation History: (1200~1000 pSF to 300 pSF)

700~300 pSF: The Age of The Sarkonian Dynasty. Marked in the beginning by spats of warfare and even conquest, something The Draconid Empire had not been successful in since before The Devastation, it is generally considered to be the Zenith of the empire post-devastation.

710~690 pSF: Syros Sarkon, progenitor of The Sarkonian Dynasty, ascends to the throne of Sacromas after a successful revolt in the north of Dracoris.

1100~700 pSF: The post-devastation Dark Age: The consequences of the devastation take their toll. Hominid slave revolts, local pretender factions and foreign powers carve up the once mighty Empire. People emigrate from the deteriorating lands of Dracoris, leading to further decline as entire cities become abandoned.

1200~1000 pSF: The Devastation of Dracoris: The once lush and fertile heartland of The Draconid Empire turns into a desolate wasteland.

Pre-Devastation History: (??? pSF to 1200~1000 pSF)

1200~1000: The first Hominid slave revolt, led by Zargoran and his allies, shatters the Empire's armies at the battle of Zandije, forming the state of Ashuur in the process.

???~1000 pSF: The Draconid Empire conquers Griselderyn.

???~??? pSF: The Draconid Empire conquers the north of Zagesi.

???~??? pSF: The Draconid Empire conquers the south of Zagesi.

???~??? pSF: Syrocon I. unites the Draconid Tribes of Dracoris to found The Draconid Empire.

Culture & Society:

The Draconid Empire has been a martial society since the time of its founding. Soldiers, mighty warriors, mages and similar are greatly respected, and most people are at least expected to be capable of defending themselves.
That is not to say that it is impossible to rise to power without might, trade and politics are after all the origins of many of the most powerful dynasties of The Empire. Even those however tend to have their family members serve in the army for at least a couple of years to “legitimize” their privileged position. The Draconid Empire is a place of rules and traditions, of social hierarchies and duties. The family patriarch/matriarch get’s the last say on most issues, children being very clearly below their parents in the families hierarchical structure. This position of power however also comes with duties which a good head of the family absolutely must fulfill:
For one, they are expected to take care of anyone in the family, from prodigy to black sheep, from firstborn to bastard. A familial head incapable of providing for that very family has no right to their position. Furthermore, once a parent no longer is capable of fulfilling their duties, either due to old age, injury or simply ineptitude, they are expected to give their life to their direct descendants in a ritual known as The Code of Flesh.

The Code of Flesh:

Perhaps the most significant ritual in not just The Draconid Empire, but all societies of The Draconid Strain is The Code of Flesh. Draconids believe that the strength of an individual, that being their physical prowess, magical aptitude, willpower etc., is dispersed throughout that individual's body and blood, and can be transferred through consumption. As such, if a Draconid wishes to pass on their talents onto the next generation of their family, they do so through the Code of Flesh, a tradition of ritualistic cannibalism in which the old offer their body to be consumed by the young. It is through this that Draconids maintain the purity and strength of their bloodline, or at least that is their belief. By no means do all of them follow this practice, some people simply don’t wish to die, while others don’t have offspring and some communities, usually those living outside Dracoris and influenced by other belief systems, view the practice of consuming one’s own family with anything from skepticism to outright horror and disgust. However, amongst the general Draconid population, it is not only honorable, but expected for those elderly and infirm to pass on their strength and talent by offering their life blood and body. It is considered a moral failing to simply die on the deathbed, and those of particular talent are expected to found families to pass their bloodline onto.
It is due to this that Draconid settlements don’t tend to have graveyards, as there can be no greater insult to one’s own people than not only denying them the flesh and blood, but burying it and letting it rot, to be consumed by earthworms and other wild animals. Great Draconid rulers therefore opt for other ways to immortalize themselves, not in opulent graves, but through monuments and grand temple complexes. The Culture and Society of The Draconid Empire are generally split into 5 groups: Citizens of Sacromas, Oasis-dwellers, Wastelanders, Highlanders and Seasiders. This is not to say that there exist no differences inside these categories, but they are generally accepted and useful distinctions.

Citizens of Sacromas:

Sacromas is the last bastion and a glimpse into what life in the Empire of old must have been like, at least to some. A heavily stratified society, with large parts of the population living as de facto slaves and serfs to the wealthy and powerful in the crumbling ruins of the outer city. Meanwhile the wealthy and powerful live in the inner city, amongst beautiful gardens and parks, an artificial paradise hidden behind walls of stone.
From the outside it might seem weird for the peasants to put up with this, but to both them and the privileged of Sacromas, they are the last remaining bastion of the true faith, following the original teachings of Tiamat, while others have strayed from the path.

Oasis-dwellers:

They are the heartblood of Dracoris, growing what little grain can still be produced in the sandy wasteland, providing both nomads and the capital with the meals to feed their people.
Oasis settlements are generally organized around the head of the largest family, the elder. They rarely follow a strict legal code, rather felling most decisions on things such as punishment and foreign relations by majority vote, with the elder of the settlement getting the right to veto, though undermining the will of the community is generally frowned upon.
Neneth is far and beyond worshiped the most in these settlements, most of them usually having a dedicated shrine to the goddess.

Wastelanders:

In the absence of roads and rivers, the Wastelanders are the only thing connecting the remote settlements of Dracoris to each other and the outside world. They often get a bad wrap, people accusing them of being bandits and extortionists, and while there are some wastelander clans who have turned to banditry, the vast majority are proud and upstanding people, who provide a vital serive which comes with a corresponding price tag.
Wastelanders are nomads, caravaneers, sellswords, merchants and hunters all in one, their communities are small, consisting of usually no more than 4 families per travelband. As such they put a heavy focus on individual ability, resulting in a group of people that is generally tougher and more capable than the people they trade and interact with. The way they “govern” themselves varies from group to group and there is no clear preference for deities they worship.
Despite their focus on self-sufficiency, they are still reliant on the produce of oasis-dwellers and therefore have an incentive to be at least somewhat cooperative.

Highlanders:

The Wealth of Dracoris mostly comes from the mountains surrounding it and someone has to dig it out. The Highlanders have over time adapted to the harsh conditions of The Dividing Highlands and The Stormsoul Peaks, their societies organized in tightly knit communities where everyone knows everyone and everyone always has a job to do.
Their communities tend to be strongly hierarchical, with the village elder usually having the last say. They are quite conservative in their ways, having performed the task given to them for over a thousand years with relatively little outside interference. Without people telling them, they likely wouldn’t even have noticed The Draconid Empires decline.
Neneth tends to be the one most worshiped in these communities.

Seasiders:

The distinct group known as the Seasiders are settled along the southern coast of The Emerald Sea. This region has always been a bit distinct from the other parts of Dracoris, as it had frequent exchanges with outsiders even after The Devastation. Over time this resulted in a culture more accepting of non-draconids, their cultures, religions and innovations, and in turn much less willing to go along with laws and edicts meant to bring the region in line with the rest of the realm.
The Seasiders are in fact somewhat notorious for rising up against the Syros every chance they get to proclaim their own state, it has become somewhat of a joke amongst the people of Sacromas that every ruler must show their capability by stamping out a Seasider rebellion. Most recently, they declared independence in the form of The Amaraki Republic, taking most of the Empire's coastline and emerald mines with it. This time things feel different however, as the Empire is already at the brink of collapse, they have so far not mustered any resistance to this secession.
It does not come as a surprise that the Ancestral Dragon that finds the most worshipers amongst these people is the righteous rebel Amarosh.

Laws & Institutions:

The Laws of communities around Kashura generally don’t vary all that much from one another, murder and theft is pretty much illegal everywhere for instance, as such this section will focus only on the noteworthy:

Slavery:

The Draconid Empire is and always has been a place built on the backs of slaves. Be they captured through war and raids, citizens sold or born into, or criminals forced into slavery, it is a commonplace practice, with about 40% of the populace being enslaved. In the past most of those slaves tended to be members of The Hominid Strain, however as the Empire declined, more and more Draconids fell into the System.
While it is generally possible for a master or a mistress to release their possessions, Slavery has no set end and people are not expected to buy or work their way out of slavery.
Poor treatment of one’s slaves is generally looked down upon, similar in a way to where one would mistreat a family dog, but it is not punishable by law.

Open worship of foreign Gods:

The Ruumush Amat is the central pillar The Draconid Empire is built upon, and by openly worshiping foreign deities one undermines that very foundation and the authority of The Ancestral Dragons, it is therefore a crime heavily persecuted, usually ending in slavery or execution.

Might makes right/Silver makes blind:

Most court sentences can either be circumvented through paying a hefty fine, or through challenging the court's authority over oneself in trial by combat.

Major Settlements:

Sacromas - The Capital of the Old Draconid Empire, located in the geographical center of Dracoris. As the largest settlement in the Region, It is home to ~55.000 people, almost all of them Draconids. Amar Arak - De facto Capital of the new breakaway state known as The Amaraki Republic, located on the southern coast of The Emerald Sea. Home to ~20.000 people, most of them being Draconids, though there are other minority populations. Naramaruu - Trade Town and Border Checkpoint at the mouth of Namuramat Pass. The Main Land route entry point into Dracoris, formerly under the control of The Draconid Empire, though it has recently joined The Amaraki Republic in its uprising. Home to ~8.000 people, almost exclusively Draconids.