The Eastern Imperium

The most advanced nation in the world, ruled by the Kitsune Queen.

Structure

The society of the Imperium is loosely organized into three classes, which serve to divine its citizens and distinguish nobles from commoners from royals, and so forth. These classes are listen below along with descriptions of them and what they mean. Many of the exact benefits granted by the below ranks as well as who generally possesses them can vary somewhat from Vassal Territory to Vassal Territory, but the ranks themselves have been normalized throughout the country.
Throughout the Imperium, the right to breed is managed incredibly closely by the government as bloodlines are considered an incredibly important part of their citizenry. They keep track of all citizens within its borders and approve and deny all prospective relationships and marriages on the basis of fostering a certain level of "purity" in the bloodlines of their citizens, often doing so out of regard for certain personality traits and powerful heritages, as well as to foster powerful arcane and/or sorcerous power in the blood of their citizens. The Imperium consequently often produces many powerful sorcerers, arcanists, and wizards as a result of this strict bloodline management.
Nobles, oftentimes, are managed even more strictly than commoners due to the purity of their bloodline and their pedigree. They are rarely given the freedom to breed with who they wish, and marriages are often arranged in the ranks of Nobility to pair specific personality traits, bloodlines, or other qualities in the hopes of furthering the bloodlines of both parties and producing more perfect children. Commoners are generally allowed to breed much more freely, and while they still must seek approval for their couplings and for their births, the government rarely finds need to deny these couplings unless it is clear the two are of drastically different "purity of blood"...whether they perhaps possess some negative traits or qualities that the government doesn't wish to be passed on to children, or perhaps they have a history of negative traits or actions, or have proven themselves unworthy of having children...then, a commoner coupling can be rejected, though such things are rare.
So while the government encourages commoners and even "recommends" pairings to them that they might produce stronger bloodlines in their children, most are allowed to make their own choices for such things...only the especially noteworthy or promising individuals are truly "forced" into beneficial couplings, which generally heralds an imminent rise to nobility. During times of overpopulation there can be limits on the number of children per household, but such a thing has not happened in centuries as of the current day.
Additionally, Nobles are almost never allowed to breed with commoners, and even simply coupling with one is seen as borderline illegal and incredibly shameful, as doing so sullies one's bloodline, pedigree, and the lineage of their house and line with a more "impure" bloodline...often, one must prove themselves worthy of having children with one of higher rank than they in some form or fashion.
Unlike anywhere else in the world, it is possible for any commoner to rise into the ranks of the nobility in a myraid of ways. Simply being rich is almost never enough, but can certainly help one's ascension.

• Join the military and reach the vaunted status of "Samurai", which is mostly equivalent to "Knight" in western countries.
• Demonstrate excellence and a desire and capability to excel beyond their station to their lord or superiors, and display personality traits, personal qualities, or more that the government sees as "beneficial" to the country. Over time, they can prove their worth and ascend in status as a result.
• Be born with a notable bloodline in some form or fashion, whether simply a powerful, noble, or noteworthy ancestor or a more esoteric demon/devil/outsider influence in their blood. Kitsune meet this prerequisite by default, as they each carry the influence of Tamamo-No-Mae in thier blood.
• Through one's own efforts, better oneself through study and/or learning a craft or trade and prove worthy to a lord such that they earn the right to manage their fellow peasantry, gaining some small amount of land and propelling them on the track to joining a house as a true member and landowner, and in time gaining more land and influence as they ascend throughout their lives.

Royal Class

• Kitsukami: The rank reserved for Tamamo herself. She is above all laws, punishments, and all creatures in the Imperium and exists as the goddess of the land, above all others. All members of The Usagiri are considered to be extensions of Tamamo herself, and thus hold this rank as well.


• Jōshō: The most powerful Nobles in the entire Imperium, who hold such peerless influence, unrivaled power, and unshakeable loyalty to Tamamo and the country that they have been given a "Kamishōtai", or an "Invitation to Godhood", which serves as proof of their unchallengable authority. They hold peerless rights, are exempt from nearly all taxes, are given great discounts on all business conducted in the country, and are given vast and extraordinary privileges on all levels of society. They are virtually immune to punishment, and only under exceptional circumstances or especially heinous acts are they given any manner of punishment(usually being stripped of their rank and demoted back to normal nobility). They are given exclusive preference in the extensive breeding programs in the Imperium, are considered to have divine bodies and genetics so superior that their children will be born "superior" to most all other life. They are above all management and influence except that of Tamamo herself, and are seen as divine figures by the Noble and Lower class, such that their lives are said to be worth a thousand lesser nobles, and an unfathomable number of the lower class. They serve as the faces of the Imperium, exemplars of its virtues, and the most valuable lives the country has produced and seeks to value and protect. Even the Tennō are bound to obey these godly figures, and their whims and desires are quite literally law. Their bloodlines are considered partially divine, blessed by Tamamo herself, and are preserved and protected at all costs. Their bloodlines and breeding is managed zealously and reverently by the country, so as to not over-pollute the land with too many of their holy ilk or waste their divine gifts by not producing offspring.


• Tennō: The rank held by the leaders of the vassal nations of the Imperium, and other important Governmental Leaders. They hold similar power to Tamamo, but not the same ranking and status. They are bound by the laws of the country, and serve Tamamo directly, though otherwise they are given vast, nigh-infinite power and many priviliges beneath the law. They are always given the benefit of the doubt when it comes to punishments, though they are held to an exacting standard even more strict than the highest ranks of nobility. They are given great discounts on business, large tax exemptions, and countless other benefits. They are considered as having the "Best and most sought-after bodies" in the Imperium ranked only beneath the Jōshō, and are treated as naturally superior divine beings given free right to breed beneath Imperial Law even moreso than the normal nobility, as their children are seen as the genetic paragons of what an imperial citizen should be...however, as a consequence, their breeding is managed incredibly strictly, to ensure they couple with others worthy of them who will not pollute their pedigree or bloodline. Their bloodlines are highly valued, and their families enjoy some of the same protections and rights they themselves do.

Noble Class

• Ryuushu: "High Nobility", better known as the "Dragons of the Imperium". They are all heads of incredibly powerful Noble Houses, Dynasties, or Tribes in the Imperium and hold immense and often overwhelming influence over similarly massive areas. They often oversee vital business, trade, or other vital Imperial trade routes or industries in the area they rule, making them incredibly valuable to the country. They oversee massive holdings with thousands upon thousands of subordinates, and manage many lesser houses or groups. They are given vast authority and privilege thanks to their station...however, as a consequence they are watched quite closely by many and held to a high standard. They enjoy lavish discounts on business they conduct, high authority, and leniency on matters of law. Likewise, moreso than any other nobility, their bloodlines are considered some of the most superior and supreme in the entire Imperium, and as a result they enjoy full breeding rights, with their bloodlines and breeding carefully managed and overseen by the Imperial Government to ensure their superior lineage is continued and kept pure. By default, Tamamo's Children are given this rank.


• Goushō: The normal nobility, often referred as the "Demons of the Imperium". These are the Daimyos, Heads of the Majority of the countries' noble houses, and other such powerful figures who lord over a large amount of land and managed potentially several smaller houses or groups beneath them. They oversee vital areas for their superiors the Ryuushu, and are given a great deal of authority, power, and leniency on matters of law. They are given a modest discount on prices and business they conduct within the country, and are given full breeding rights as well as a slew of other benefits given by the Government. Their bloodlines are considered to be of among the 1% of exceptional quality and standard, and they are subsequently managed closely by the Imperial Government to ensure the continued quality of their bloodline, pedigree, and the traits and qualities that earned them nobility in the first place. It is incredibly rare for them, like most all nobles, to have the freedom to fall in love and pick a mate freely, as there is a certain expectation to couple with a "worthy" partner to continue the purity and uphold the pedigree of their bloodline.


• Chūji: The "low nobility", better known as the "Peasant Nobles". This rank is reserved for minor lords, samurai, notable generals, or other figures who either oversee a moderately sized holding, have earned some large amount of recognition or some large reward, or who have otherwise proved worthy of becoming nobility, but lack the power and influence the head of a large house might have. They enjoy the right to hold and oversee vast tracts of land, manage the lower class, have vassals, and are the first rank of nobility allowed full breeding rights, and who are given some minor discounts on trade and business, as well as trust on matters of law so they are not immune but hard to truly punish. Often, they are considered to have "high quality" bloodlines for the lower class, ones that are worth fostering or preserving, but lack the divine beauty and value of higher nobles. They are allowed to breed as they wish, but see oversight and protection from the government to ensure their lines are continued and not polluted with "inferior" bloodlines and traits, as with all nobles above them. Most all Kitsune are given this rank by default, as their bloodlines are universally considered partially divine, as they are all scions of Tamamo-No-Mae...however, if they display traits unbecoming of nobility or bring shame upon themselves, they can be lowered to the lower class.


• Ronin: The "Exiled" or "Wandering Nobility", the Ronin are a rank reserved for those nobles who somehow lose their house and or holdings, samurai who lose their lords, or similar circumstances where a noble is left without a powerbase. They enjoy similar rights to Chūji, but are inversely shamed and treated like dirt for their lack of a powerbase, lord, etc. They are encouraged and closely managed to repopulate their lines with worthwhile bloodlines, but enjoy none of the leniency, rights, or benefits that the other nobility do besides breeding and bloodline rights until their base is restored or their find another lord, at which point they are reassigned to an appropriate noble rank...or, if they cannot restore their bases, they are demoted to the lower class after a variable period of not producing results. Most foreigners who are tested and proven to have bloodlines and traits worthy of fostering are given this rank as a probationary period, to test them to see if they are worthy of true nobility.

Lower Class

• Kashin: The rank reserved for "Superior Peasants" such as Craftsman, Artisans, Doctors, Soldiers, and those Peasants who prove themselves in some way worthy of notice. They are allowed to breed mostly as they please so long as they do so within the Lower Class exclusively, and are given small monthly incomes and the right to manage other Peasantry for their lords. Merchants almost never reach this rank, as they are seen as inferior peasants who deal in the goods of others rather than making their own.


• Peasantry: The rank most citizens of the Imperium exist at. They enjoy no special privileges, manage farms and vast tracts of lands owned by their superiors, and produce almost all of the food and crops in the imperium. They do not have full breeding rights, and are only allowed to reproduce under strict supervision after submitting requests to the Government...however, such requests are rarely denied assuming the proposed couple are both of equal standing and blood. Noble offspring born to Peasant Parents will uplift both parents into nobility with the child once it comes of age.


• Dohei: The slaves of the Imperium. They have no rights and are owned entirely by other citizens of the Imperium(Of all ranks and classes). They lack the right to breed, their bloodlines are considered only slightly better than those of traitors and the Gomi, and they are bred with other slaves in organized breeding programs designed to one day produce more noble children. They are yet protected by some laws under the Imperium, and must be at least used properly and not wasted. With effort, they can prove themselves valuable and earn their way back into the Peasantry or citizenry in general. Barring exceptional circumstances, Imperium Citizens can be no lower ranked than this, and are at least ensured to be slaves if they prove incompetent.


• Gomi: A rank reserved exclusively for traitors, cowards, and those who commit especially heinous acts such as muddying their bloodlines and high social standing with those of lowborn standing. They have absolutely no rights, are considered too impure to even breed, and are often castrated and worked to death as suits the needs of their owners. There are no laws protecting their existence or ensuring good treatment of them. Citizens of the Imperium cannot become a Gomi unless they commit an especially foul crime, so most of the Gomi are outsiders and foreigners purchased and brought into the country. Often, the Gomi are used to satisfy the needs of the more monstrous citizens of the imperium, such as vampire stock, food for maneating races, and so forth.

Disbandment

Broadly referred to in the modern day as the old country, the Eastern Imperium was officially dissolved and reformed under its new title of The Inaran Imperium to mark the country's new direction - with the ascension of Tamamo-No-Mae into Major Godhood as Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator, the country reforged and renamed itself to signify its new status as a land ruled by its people for the first time in a thousand years.
To accomplish this, the imperium's old "vassal nations" - The Ursidae Dynasties, The Matriarchy of Malhara, and The Noble Lands - were all dissolved and folded into the "new country" of The Inaran Imperium when the "old country" was restructured as described above.
Each of these old "vassal states" were thus disbanded and their resources folded into the newly reborn Inaran Imperium, while their governments and leaders were brought into the existing structure of the provinces which now formed the core of the new Imperium's land system.

Demography and Population

Among the lands held by the Eastern Imperium, nearly 90% of the populace which inhabits them exists within the Lower or Middle Classes, which includes Peasants, Warriors, or those who similarly do not possess great wealth and live off the land or even day to day. In the north, the population is mostly gathered up into Population centers such as cities and towns due to the very inhospitable environment, though in the southern and more liveable climes the population is much more spread out into farms, homesteads, villages, towns, and cities.
Within that 90%, they can be further divided up into the Warrior class and the Peasant class...and while the Peasant class naturally forms the bedrock and majority between the two, the Warrior class can often fluctuate during times of war, when the Peasantry, who are often warriors who simply fall back to simple lifestyles in times of war, return to their warrior lifestyles. Thus the two classes are in flux, but both collectively form the massive bulk of the Imperium in countless farms, villages, homesteads and more across the land, where out of work samurai and farmer alike tend to the soil, run shops, and perform labor.
The other 10% of the country can only be described as the Nobility, and the ruling elite. They are much less spread out compared to the other 90% of the population, and almost exclusively congregate in the cities of the Imperium or their sprawling mansion complexes where their Houses build villages around and call home. These 10% not only control almost all of the wealth within the Imperium, but also control the lives and day-to-day actions of its citizens with absolute authority.
The Birth Rate in the Imperium is, on average, quite high at around 2 children per woman...the majority of these births are attributable to the 90% of the population, who enjoy a simpler lifestyle and thanks to the abundance the modern-Day Imperium enjoys, can support many children and do so gladly. The Nobility, conversely, are much more reticent with their childbirth rates as they believe that siring too many children into one's house will soon devalue the authority invested in it and cheapen the worth of the nobility itself. In this way, while the Nobility have less births than the rest of the population, their children are considered more "valuable".
The Death Rate in the Imperium of the modern era rests somewhere around 900 or so deaths per 100,000 people(adjusting for age). This high death rate despite being in a time of peace and the high level of medical technology in the Imperium is primarily attributable to the incredibly cheap worth placed on the life of the commoner. As the ruling elite controls the country and are believed to be inherently more "valuable" existences than commoners and even warriors, their lives are often extinguished beneath the heel of the nobility with somewhat alarming regularity.

Territories

The Imperium holds massive swathes of land, and as such is made up of several smaller territories which were divided up when the former Imperium became so large it could no longer be managed as one entity.
It was conquered during the Unification war by the Kitsune Tyrant Tamamo-No-Mae, and all lands, be they ancestral, holy, or mundane were absorbed into her burgeoning empire...and upon the War's conclusion the titanic Imperium was formed from the conquered lands.
In time, control of the southern half of the Imperium was relegated to the Ursini, the bear-folk who founded the Ursidae Dynasties as a vassal nation to rule the southern and more habitable part of Ea, while Tamamo and her Kitsune Council remained in control of the Frigid North, then renamed The Noble Lands...and from that seat does she rule still, managing the continent and the nations that manage it for her.
Though smaller, the Matriarchy of Malhara exists in the South-western mountain range of the Imperium known as the World Spine Mountains, which Malhara rules and manages in the name of Tamamo.
The very southern edge of the continent is dominated by a vast expanse of desert that has yet to truly fall under the Imperium's sway thanks to its distance from the core of Tamamo's power and its inhospitable nature.

Military

Thanks to a long-standing tradition of Military Focus and the absorption of several warrior-cultures, the Imperium has a fairly sizable standing army. Almost 75% of all non-nobility are trained in at least basic swordplay, combat, and self-defense...to say nothing of those among them trained as elite samurai, generals, foot soldiers, and other warriors.
The Ursidae Dynasties in particularly have a fairly sizable military, and thanks to the semi-regular wars waged amongst the great Dynasties there their armies are always well-trained and ready to fight.
Samurai, Generals, Siege Engines and Wave tactics form the hallmark of the Imperium way of Warfare, and thanks to a high level of magic familiarity and education in such fields, the Imperium also frequently fields a large number of mages specialized in countless fields, but often wide-scale siege bombardment for those who are sent to war.
Their massive military might is also attributable to their status as being the only nation not beholden to the forced contract of peace the Western Nations were made to sign several hundred years prior, which has let them wage war and continue to hone their military power unmolested.

Technological Level

The Imperium has made many strides in many technological, scientific, and cultural fields...they have discovered printing presses, paper money, banks, a complex and layered political system, and are magic great strides in binding and making laws for all aspects of life once though untamable, like magic or divine power.
Also highly advanced in terms of medicine and treatment for diseases, poisons, infections and otherwise, the Imperium is a highly advanced nation...though ironically, they are lack quite a bit far behind the west in terms of military technology, instead preferring to focus on Infrastructure and other innovations in other areas.

Religion

While the main religion of the Imperium is the worship of their Kitsune Queen Tamamo-No-Mae, the Imperium allows other religions within its borders...though only those on a list of "approved" religions, with all others being outlawed and illegal.

Foreign Relations

As the Eastern Imperium borders no other Political power thanks to its massive size and control over almost the Entire continent, it has little desire or need to form or keep diplomatic relations with many other nations...it freely opens its borders to traders and travelers from The Dwarven Peaks who travel The Shattered Corridor to reach its borders, and keeps open ports for those who seek refuge within its cities, but thanks to its incredibly strict and highly lawful nature relations are often strained as visitors to the Imperium are often jailed or fined for their unruly behavior, and sometimes even put to death by the nobility.
They maintain very tenuous relations with the Undead Nation of Venau, who they encounter frequently on the seas and on the island to the north of the Continent, Frozen Spire Island, where the two countries' polar opposite social structures often cause them to come into conflict and skirmish...the Imperium doing so out of a disdain for Venau's unruly chaos and lack of order which often spills into Imperium Waters or Lands, and Venau conversely doing so out of a sense of justice to "free" the peasants they believe to be shackled and imprisoned by the highly restrictive laws and beliefs of the Imperium.
They often skirmish with the races of the Shattered Corridor, and infrequently send fleets to combat those of the western nations, but otherwise The Imperium tries to maintain its isolation and seclusion.

Agriculture & Industry

The Eastern Imperium, thanks to having fully half or more of its land so completely barren that nothing but the hardiest of plants can grow there, is often lacking in agriculture compared to other nations of similar size.
However, the Imperium is renowned the world over for its famously complex, well-structured, and highly structured Magical laws, rules, and systems. Mages in the country are found early, trained well, and even the citizens of the country are given access to high levels of magic in the form of Magical Devices designed to improve their quality of life...not to mention the most famous institution of the Imperium's culture, the "Nakamichi Magical Division System", which famously codified and bound the Mages and casters of the Imperium to laws restricting them from casting within city or town limits unless they possessed certain licenses.
The Imperium is a massive leader in the realm of cultural advancements, and their Economy is often said to be the most lucrative and advanced on the entire continent, thanks to their numerous innovations such as paper money, printing presses, and more.
The Imperium is altogether a cultural powerhouse, and despite the rigidity of its laws many flock from all over the world to see the Country was stands at the forefront of culture and innovation. The Imperium's booming entertainment industry is like none other in the world, and their idols, bands, songs, and all manner of entertainment is said to be the thing of the future, and of legend.
Conversely to their lack of suitable farmland, the Imperium is well-known for its booming whaling and fishing industries, and are said to possesses a fairly lucrative mining industry as well thanks to the sheer scale of the country's lands.

Trade & Transport

Using the sprawling roadways of the Imperium and the overseas trade routes established long ago and protected by their navy, the Imperium sends their famously beautiful pearls, delicious fish, whale materials, and valuable metals to the west and beyond.
Often this is accomplished with long wagon trains when done overland, and sleek and fast cutter ships designed for speed when done over the water.

Education

While not every citizen is put through schooling, the Imperium nonetheless places a high importance on schooling and education. Traveling educators and teachers serve to educate the distant peasantry and the lower class at least to a basic degree in respect to simple subjects, and those that live in the north or in larger cities are often put through school at a young age at a cost affordable to most middle and even upper lower class families, though the excellent Magical Colleges of the Imperium are often accessible by being selected to attend them, or by applying and paying substantial entry fees.
Thanks to this, most citizens know at least passable knowledge on several basic subjects such as mathematics, history, and warfare...thus meaning the Imperium's citizens are surprisingly knowledge when compared to other citizens of other countries.
Despite its sprawling public libraries and high level of public education, the Imperium's best facilities are nonetheless reserved for the ruling elite, and the nobility.
The gap between the Nobility and the rest of the Imperium is so overwhelmingly immense that a popular tale to represent the gap between the disparity between the classes is as follows:

A peasant man, with money and a modicum of respect in his community, was forced to get on his hands and knees at the request of a powerful Baroness and member of the nobility so that he might serve as a step up to her house so she wouldn't step in a puddle and dirty her outfit. Though he refused, he was made to obey and the noble ended up breaking his spine as she stepped atop him. Thus paralyzed, he cried out and tried to get her to apologize, but for wasting her time she had him and his family put to death and the remainder enslaved to her house for inconveniencing her.

While somewhat exaggerated, it is popularly told by the peasantry as a reminder to never go against the wishes of the nobility...for with but a word, a Noble can sentence an entire family to death or worse for merely dirtying their outfit or getting in their way.
The Nobles control most of the countries money, they rule its laws and Governmental bodies, and command its citizens...their power is so unimaginably vast the gap between them and the peasantry is as clear as day and night.

Infrastructure

The Imperium has laid down a very popular series of laws that have created Departments within its Government that manage and maintain the sprawling paved roadways across the Imperium...goods, services, and travel alike are sent all across the Imperium on these marble stone roads which are maintained much more diligently than any other country on earth.
Well-paved and even well-lit in many places, the Imperium's many roadways are as numerous as they are vast and beautiful, and as a result of this well-built and maintained infrastructure mercants, peasants, citizens, and all manner of travelers find it much easier to get around compared to other more simple countries.
The cities, towns, and even the homes of some Noble houses have sewer systems...and bridges are well-maintained and constructed where they are needed. Castles and palaces are sprawling and expansive, cities are protected by sturdy and towering walls of stone and marble, and thanks to rich metal supplies locks and protection for buildings is aplenty.

DISBANDED/DISSOLVED

Civilized by Laws, United under Tamamo

1408 - 2069 AF

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Alternative Names

The Imperium, The East

Successor Organization

• The Inaran Imperium

Demonym

Imperial

Head of State

Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator

Head of Government

Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator

Government System

Theocracy

Power Structure

Federation

Economic System

Mixed economy

Currency

The main form of currency within the Imperium is the Foxnote, a form of paper currency. They are often exchanged with gold coins on a 1:1 ratio. Several dominations of Foxnotes exist to relate to different coinage.

Major Exports

Magic Items/Magic, Entertainment, Ores/Metal, Fish/Whales/Pearls

Major Imports

Manpower, Slaves, Food

Legislative Body

The Kitsune Council is the legislative body that writes the laws and rules of the Imperium.
Nine nobles makeup the council. These nine members do not correspond to different areas or parts of society, and are instead selected purely on power, lineage, and influence. It is not uncommon for a noble to kill their rival and ascend to the council in their place.
They make many or most of the day to day decisions of the Imperium. Tamamo rarely issues direct commands to them, but they are expected to obey them unquestioningly when she does. It has been entirely purged twice in the Imperium's history.

Judicial Body

The Bureau of Domestic Affairs is the judicial body that enforces the laws and rules of the Imperium. They handle all the managerial business of the Imperium, including intelligence gathering, Tax Collecting, Food and Water, Power, bookkeeping, finances, and Judiciary matters, etc. They are led by Tamamo's Minister of Interior Defense. Many "sections" make up the Bureau, each handling a specialized task.

Official State Religion

The Eastern Pantheon

Subsidiary Organizations

• The Azure Spire
• The Bureau of Domestic Affairs
• The Kitsune Council
• The Ninefold Tribunal
• The Usagiri

Official Languages

• Common
• Maeish

Notable Members

• Lucius Galdrikson

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