Scythian Empire

The Scythian Empire existed long before the settlement of Aheila and fell before the first settlers arrived. Though the nation of snake-like Yuan-ti once spanned the entire continent, much of it was wiped away when the land was settled. Ruins were destroyed to make room for new cities across Vesmos and Kaisu, and almost all records of the empire was lost. Since the establishment of the Royal Academy and Kaisu, it is a common subject of study for historians. It is the subject of many academic papers in Kaisu.

Structure

The Scythian Empire, with its capital city on the northwestern shore of the Howling Plains, spanned the entire continent of Aheila. It had an emperor who held absolute authority, but the high number and extravagance of the temples in the empire suggest the religious leaders were given great respect and may have also served a leadership position. There is evidence that while the Scythians had holdings across the entire continent, they did not completely dominate the other cultures they conquered, choosing instead to let them keep their unique culture and leadership.

Culture

The Scythian culture is believed to be extremely mystical, with heavy importance placed on magic and religion. The ruins of their buildings are filled with art and statue, indicating a society that valued beauty and expression, rather than utilitarianism. With their empire stretching an entire continent, it is believed the Scythians had a sizeable army, powerful enough to conquer other countries and hold power in the face of resistance.

Assets

While the specifics are not known, judging from what has been recovered from ruins, it is safe to assume that the Scythian Empire was a wealthy one. They had cities scattered across the entire continent with established infrastructure, such as maintained roadways for trade and food stores to support cities during times of famine.

History

Very little is known about the history of the Scythian Empire. It is believed to have its origins on the northwestern shore of Aheila and then spread across the entire Howling Plains, south to what is now Vesmos, east to Kaisu and conquering The Razor's Edge last.

Disbandment

There is evidence that at some point there was a schism in the empire, leading a civil war which ravaged the country, destroying the infrastructure, decimating the army, and ultimately ushering the empire's downfall.

Demography and Population

The Scythian Empire was most densely populated in what is now the Howling Plains, growing increasingly sparse the further out across the country it is spread. On the far eastern shores of Kaisu, there are only a few ruins with Scythian architecture, and they are intermingled with other styles, indicating that while the Scythians maintained a presence there, they were not the primary inhabitants.

Territories

The Scythian empire expanded over the entire continent of Aheila, at it's peak. It's ancestral lands were the western coast of Aheila, and it conquered other territory and countries, holding them by force when met with resistance.

Military

Little is known about the Scythian Empire's Military except that it was incredibly powerful and large enough to span the entire continent. Some murals and battle records that have survived indicate that there were no small number of spell-casters, perhaps the source of the army's overwhelming force.

Religion

The oldest temples of the Scythian ruins venerate a green dragon-god, and given his presence in murals in many palaces and even homes, it is considered this was the main religion of the Scythians. Later ruins, however, also show depictions of a Goddess, sometimes appearing as a beautiful woman and sometimes as a giant sea-serpent. This is the Goddess Acionna. As there are no temples in which both these deities are worshipped, it is thought that perhaps this was part of the source of the schism that eventually destroyed the empire

Foreign Relations

The Scythians were an empire that conquered all other nations on the continent. Without any sea-faring vessels and no interest in expanding to other continents, they were extremely reclusive. While they demanded fealty, charging taxes from every country they conquered, they allowed each to maintain their own culture, with the exception of governance, and used the taxes to maintain infrastructure to the benefit of all.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Pre-Historic - Pre-Historic

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Alternative Names

Yvannsi

Demonym

Scythians

Government System

Monarchy, Absolute

Power Structure

Feudal state

Economic System

Command/Planned economy

Currency

While there is some indication that currency was used, it is also suspected that the economic system was largely a barter and trade system.

Location

The Howling Plains