Adrium Empire (Ad-ree-um)
As a country with a rich history, the culture and values of Adrium have changed many times over the years, yet some aspects of the nation have not changed. Adrium is a human-centric nation with a strong emphasis on the power and responsibility of its nobles towards their people. The origin of these constants can be traced back to the founding myth of Adrium, which goes as follows:
Before he was a king the first ruler of Adrium lived a humble life on the shores of the Del'Shior Sea as a fisherman. The fisherman, whose name has been lost to time, spent his days trying to feed his family and the people of his small fishing village, but it was becoming increasingly difficult to do because of the Outsiders who had moved to town demanding food but did not work. Worried about how to feed all his people and placate the violent Outsiders the fisherman ventured ever deeper into the sea, but as he journeyed the sea the fish grew scarcer and the air grew colder but in the distance, he could make out what seemed to be a land covered in snow.
When he returned home he spoke to the other fishermen in the village asking them if they too had seen the mysterious snowy land, and all of them warned him away from the strange place. They reminded him that there were too few fish there and that they needed to keep the people fed, the Outsiders were growing hungrier. The fisherman reluctantly agreed with the others and set aside his curiosity, but soon after he did so the Outsiders, dissatisfied with the pitful, small meals, began threatening the people of the village.
The Outsiders claimed that if they were not given even larger shares of the food they would begin hurting the innocent villagers. The villagers tried to reason with the Outsiders telling them that there wasn't any more food, and since they weren't working anyway they couldn't spare more food. This only enraged the Outsiders, so they gave a time limit to improve and increase the food in a week or leave the village under threat. Sadly, the poor villagers were nonviolent people with no power to stand up to the Outsiders and they had no way to change what they were already giving, but there was also nowhere for the villagers to go. It would soon be winter and traveling any great distance with the children, elderly, and sick of the village would be difficult; plus, the awful Outsiders might follow them to plague a new town.
The villagers felt cornered, but our clever fisherman remembered the island and though it might be cold surely traveling by boat would be safer and easier for the children, elderly, and sick. Even better since it was an island the Outsiders could not follow the villagers to their new homes, so the fisherman hatched a plan. He warned the villagers that he would be going out to sea for a few days to look for a good place to settle. Then he set off for the island, but it was not the smooth sailing he was hoping for.
As he approached the island the snow storms that fell constantly intensified, and he lost his way. Unable to see where he was going the fisherman wrecked himself upon the shoals and swam to the island to save his life. It seemed to be a futile endeavor though with the biting cold and wet clothes the fisherman felt destined to meet his end, but as he was succumbing to the cold he heard the cry of a bird. Then something strange happened, the cold disappeared and a gorgeous seal rose from the sea transforming into a man. The blue-skinned man gazed at the fisherman for a moment before nodding and returning to the sea. Our brave fisherman was bewildered and fell asleep.
When he awoke he was on the shores of his village with a strange grey bird. The bird opened its beak and a voice deep and crashing as the waves poured out saying, "Brave mortal, your boon is this land, and this bird is your proof. You may keep your life for your cause was noble, save your people, this is the will of Bogion." The fisherman was in awe that he was saved by a god, and vowed to never forget the mercy he received. He ran to the villagers and told them the good news. At first, they did not believe the fisherman, but with the bird as proof they had to believe his words, and so they followed him to the island and escaped the Outsiders.
Word of the fisherman's encounter spread after the villagers had settled and many wanted to see the sacred bird so they journeyed to the island. Upon seeing our splendid fisherman, his divine animal, and how well cared for his villagers were they all agreed he should be King and begged him to protect them from the wicked Outsiders as well. Our new King could not ignore the will of those who crowned him and so he vowed to protect them.
Structure
In the Adrium Empire, marriage within nobility is an extremely political decision as once the marriage is made each partner is awarded the title and power of the spouse with the highest rank. For example, should someone from a Balastron family marry the Askal, upon completion of their ceremony each party is the Askal and holds all the powers, property, and responsibilities of the Askal, effectively becoming the same person. This is not the case regarding the marriage of the Emperor. The Emperor solely commands the military, mages, and final legislative decisions; however, in all other regards, the pair are equals.
When referring to a person of nobility, "Lavine" is the correct term (subbing for "Lord" or "Lady").
*These are non-hereditary landless titles passed to the children of the Emperor/Empress/Emprex who did not marry into a different noble title. The children of the Grand Duke/Grand Duchess/Grand Duchex are still considered nobility until they are married, at which point they take their spouse's status. Holders of this title and their descendants are not in the line of succession.
| Rank | Title | Real World Equivalent |
|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emperor | - |
| 2 | Imperial Consort | Consort of the Emperor |
| 3 | Veldn | Archduke/Archduchess |
| 4 | Princeps | Prince/Princess |
| 5* | Loteus | Grand Duke/Grand Duchess |
| 6 | Askal | Duke/Duchess |
| 7 | Telvris | Marquess/Marchioness |
| 8 | Erling | Count/Countess |
| 9 | Veeling | Viscount/Viscountess |
| 10 | Balastron | Baron/Baroness |
History
As with most of the nations in the Eviandir Accords, Adrium was initially established around 5,750; however, at that time the nation was much smaller. The country initially began its expansion during the Crusades of Convenience in 6,400, using their faith as a method to expand their territory. This came to a stop in 6,420 due to the Deus Imago, as all crusading was banned by the gods. Soon after Adrium became a hub of learning and magic expanding its influence. From 7,520-7,620, Adrium participated in the Gold Wars in an attempt to further expand its borders and settle tensions that had been simmering between itself, Wazoria, Silac, and Maznar.
After the destruction of the nation now known as Escax in 7,992, there were failed attempts by Adrium to expand its borders to include the land, but due to the rising threat of the Twilight Scourge and issues with the land after Tenja's intervention, these attempts had to be ended in 8,327. This further fueled tensions that were already strained by The Gold War. These tensions erupted in 9,170 when Silac attacked Adrium to recover their lost gold mine and land triggering The Grey Jewel War which spread across Eviandir. During these wars Adrium expanded and contracted its borders many times; however, by the end of The Grey Jewel War in 9,523 Adrium had acquired enough land and influence to call itself an Empire, and due to the nature of the Eviandir Accords, which ended the war, those borders have remained to this day.
In 11,888 Adrium loses its position as the intellectual and magical center of Eviandir to Kinar.
Demography and Population
During its founding, Adrium was a mostly human nation, but as it grew the nation saw a steady influx of other ancestries begin to assimilate into the country. However, it was not until the reimagining of the Veldn that this burgeoning group gained a voice in the ruling of the nation. Currently, the nation is split by a fierce social struggle concerning the representation of the non-human members of Adrium. The North advocates for human-centric policies, while the South fights for a fairer representation of the populace. The lines of this conflict are marked by the Vernola and Lavalde Rivers.
Political Influence & Intrigue
There is a rumor that Quiris has settled somewhere in Adrium since it is a hub of commerce.
Of the sea, the land and the sky
Founding Date
Yerbin 19, 5756
Type
Geopolitical, Country
Capital
Demonym
Adrites
Leader Title
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Palace economy
Currency
Gold, silver, copper. Runs on the silver standard.
Legislative Body
The landed nobility above with the rank of Telvris have the power to propose laws during the bi-weekly meetings with the Emperor.
Judicial Body
Generally, the local lords rule on the cases brought before them; however, in the case of wrongdoing by the nobility the Emperor, Imperial Consort, or their representative rules on the cases.
Executive Body
The knightage of each domain is responsible for policing the populace with an interspersing of knights from other domains that are Imperial Knights. Imperial Knights are responsible for ensuring that the nobility and local knightage are not abusing their people or power.
Official State Religion
Parent Organization
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Neighboring Nations
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