Vashe Empire

The previous Emperor, who ruled as king of Vashe, consolidated his power and centralized the empire's government. This was be resisted because it would diminish the power of the Kings, and led to a bloody civil war. The Emperor's forces won, and the title of king was removed from the realm, and the power of the individual lands within the Empire was greatly diminished.
The current Emperor, obsessed with going down as the greatest ruler in history, has invested heavily in expanding his father's Godsmith program. He seeks to create a royal family of god bloods in his name. Setsuna is one of his favorite subjects, a remarkable success with the work of the lightning god blood.
It is an empire because it is made up of previous kingdoms or states and also have some ethnic diversity (roman and English language backgrounds, English being in the south?)


How Decentralized is it?

It is somewhat decentralized, with each region having its own hub of control / government, but the central government ultimately makes the large decisions and passes laws that all regions must follow (e.g. no slavery, taxes of x amount, contracts to pay off debt or get money (indentured servitude?), prisoners work in mines and camps etc.). When conquered initially, the former kings were allowed to remain as lords of a region, as long as they swear loyalty, follow the laws, pay taxes, and send troops
*However, the Empire utilizes a vast spy network, using information, blackmail, bribery, extortion, threats and assassination to maintain control over the local governments and ensure loyalty to the central Empire

The Empire protects trade via a justice system where people can go to court if they are taken advantage of, as well as licensing traders (perhaps?) to mark trustworthy traders, and the navy helps protect trade from pirates and raiders (we can see peasants getting angry over increased piracy, asking what good is the Empire if it can't protect trade)
+ Lighthouses, Road systems, common currency, safe trade (including with the Han, + rare goods)

Empire communication via horseback messages? Ravens?

Note: Empire maintains control partially through propaganda, e.g. "The enemy 'to the North' would have you enslaved or converted to their barbaric religion. They raid the coast, rape your women, steal your children" etc., taught lies in education system

Empire also is in the process of assimilating everyone into one national identity, e.g. unifying cultural practice (coliseum), same education system, promoting their religion (extra rights for those of their religion?).

Structure

Oligarchy of 11 rulers rule the empire, with an Emperor elected by them. They vote on topics, with the Emperor afforded two votes (the tie breaker). The emperor also has additional powers and is the face of the empire.

(Old) The Emperor is elected as one of the rulers of the kingdoms or lands within the Empire. The title of the rulers of the individual kingdoms or lands are typically inherited, although perhaps one or two differ.

Divine Origins

The initial prophets are the same as the ones from Gudheim, but there was a more recent final / great prophet that taught them about reincarnation, prayer and the caste system. They believe there is only one god, the prophets were of his blood, and that there is no world seal. They believe that the true challenge is a personal one, to get enough karma to reach the afterlife.

They believe that each person must commit 5 years of their life in service of the Emperor and Empire, and that can include military service.

Notes:
Mixture of Hinduism (concept and goal of reincarnation through the caste system) and Islam (prayer and worship, new prophet)

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Training Level

Professional

Veterancy Level

Veteran

Government System

Oligarchy

Subsidiary Organizations

• Vashe Army

Notable Members

• -Original- Setsuna
• Lycus Arenaz

Inspired by a fusion between the Roman empire (history) and the British Empire (language, history) plus some newer concepts of an oligarchy of kings and dukes making up the ruling class, who elect an emperor. Perhaps similar to the Holy Roman Empire, but with smaller kingdoms. Most can be English based, one can be Celtic based, one can be Spanish (or Arabic) based, and one can be Latin or Greek based).

Note: Nationalism of Vashe while on the rise, a booming economy and the government trying to assimiliate newcomers, to create a single culture, language and set of values. How do they deal with non-conformists? (however, main point of expansion is to increase resources, mainly farm-able land to feed and house a growing population. This also serves to create a buffer zone between them and the North)