The Inaran Imperium

The sprawling empire that rules the continent of Inara, freshly independent after the ascension of their God-Queen

"The Great Beast has awoken, and walks now to war...there's no stopping it now, I fear."
"I fear you're correct. I had hoped to avoid this outcome...to avoid meeting their armies in battle...but now, it seems unavoidable."
"Yes...it does. And this land is ill-prepared to defend itself, I fear - not against a beast that size. Perhaps, before this Age of Troubles..."
"...wishful thinking, friend. Even before our beloved friend passed on, it would have been a great challenge. Our only hope is to keep them bottlenecked in The Wild Lands, now - hope the great beast burns itself out before it gets to us. Give you and your legions time to prepare...perhaps the lords of the Lowland Fiefs will rally, given time."
"Hng. Unlikely - the Lowland Lords are scattered and broken. Even were they to rally armies, they would be crushed - you cannot fathom the nature of the enemy we now face. An entire continental empire, turned towards war - every corner of its economy and its populace turned towards it, honed for it, sustained by it, fueled by it. It is the dream of any good ruler - such a purpose can sustain a nation for as long as it has enemies to fight, and the Inaran Emperor is a very good ruler indeed. The only weakness of such a nation is the resolve of its people - but with Inarans, it is unlikely they will lose their nerve. I have fought them many times - better to hope for an act of god than expect them to lose their nerve."
"Then...all hope is lost. We can only hope for mercy!"
"Hah! Chin up, fool. My legions stand at the ready - and the Inaran Legions are not unbeatable. Their vastness is, itself, their weakness - their foothold here on Corexus is weak. If they can be pushed off our shores, there is hope - their supply chains will fragment, and their unity of purpose will give way to self-doubt - perhaps the Fox-Queen could hold the nation together through such trials, but not their current Emperor. If only Titus Goldaxe had not vanished...with him, the Orcs would not have fragmented. A pity. I suppose I'll need to crush those Inaran legions myself, in time...not having to crush the Fox-Queen this time will make the process quicker, at least. I'll relish the challenge...in the meantime, all you need do is secure your southern border. The Great Doomknight will handle the rest."

— A conversation between Van Hawk and Morte, Leader of the Venau Necrocracy

Structure

Governmental Structure

Though the lands that the Imperium now occupies were once the disparate, loosely unified nations of The Noble Lands, The Ursidae Dynasties, and The Matriarchy of Malhara, the nation previously known as "The Eastern Imperium" restructed itself shortly before the ascension of Tamamo-No-Mae into Major Godhood as Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator. With this restructuring, these old member states were absorbed into the newly formed "Inaran Imperium", and became parts of a larger whole - no longer allowed individual governments, and made subordinates beneath a singular, unified ruling body.

The Three Pillars of the Imperium

After its restructuring and reorganization at the hands of Tamamo-No-Mae to prepare the country for her eventual ascension and abdication of the throne of Empress, the Inaran Imperium is broadly ruled by three(Unofficially, four) Governmental Entities - jointly sharing the power that was once solely invested in the God-Queen Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator.

• The Emperor: The ultimate, divinely-appointed ruler of the Inaran Imperium, the Emperor occupies the seat that was once held by Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator - divinely chosen and divinely appointed by no less than Tamamo-No-Mae herself, the Emperor wields near-total control over the Imperium from its highest to lowest levels, invested with complete authority over every branch of the Government and perhaps most critically, leads The Usagiri as its commander(The Hyper-Elite Royal Guard once tasked with guarding the God-Queen, one of the most fearsome fighting forces in the world). They are, as one may expect, chosen exclusively by Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator and serve as divine conduits for her authority on the material plane - whose demands and proclamations are interpreted by the Senate and put into action in the ways deemed best for the country at large.


• The Senate: The enormous governing body made up of senators from every corner of the Imperium, the Senate serves as an important check against the power of the Emperor or Empress - given power to vote on the Imperium's issues and serve as a voice for the country's citizens to send representatives to hold council in the presence of the Emperor or Empress, and present issues to the country's ruler in a coherent and meaningful way. A group made up of hundreds of Senators elected from the various Townships across the Imperium, the Senate is a huge organization that meets at least once a month within the capital of Kitsunheim - though it meets more frequently during times of strife. Additionally, while the Emperor does hold the seat of Senate Leader, a seat which grants them final authority to approve or deny the issues decided upon by the Senate, the seat does not hold as much power as many might initially think - as the Senate has complete, discretionary authority over The Akheishi(Better known as the Bylaw Enforcement Brigade or the Army of the Senate) and can deploy this military "For any purpose relating to defending the sovereign soil of The Imperium" as well as for any other civil issue deemed important enough to warrant the Brigade's Deployment by The Senate, it naturally leads to careful power politics between The Senate and the Emperor, the latter of whom must be careful with wanton and tyrannical uses of power over the Senate lest the Senate deploy the Brigade to defend the wishes of the people, while the former of whom must be careful to not so openly flout the Emperor's authority, lest they deploy The Usagiri against the Senate in kind to bring them back into compliance. Adding onto the power of the Senate is the nature of military action within the lands of the Imperium - whose Constitution bars ALL standing armies(Aside from The Akheishi) from entering within a certain distance of the Inaran Capital of Kitsunheim or within a certain distance of a handful of other important national landmarks, heritage sites, or other notable locations, making the Senate's Enforcement Brigade an important tool in protecting their authority and power.


• The Azure Spire: An independent organization that has split off from direct governmental oversight in the decades since The God-Queen's ascendance, The Azure Spire is the foremost magical organization in the Imperium - reporting solely to the Spire's Director who in turn reports only to the Emperor, the Spire is responsible for all matters of magic regulation across the Imperium; a task so monumental and labyrinthine that the Spire was split off into its own independent organization to give it freedom from the Imperium's bureaucracy enough that it could manage and regulate magical usage across the Imperium in a timely manner. An organization that regulates and manages itself for the most part, The Spire checks the power of The Emperor and the Senate by distancing themselves from the power politics that mar them both - threatening independent action should either group step out of line, and in turn being threatened by both groups should THEY step out of line in turn. Ruled autocratically by the Spire's director, the seat of Director is largely passed directly from Director to their chosen successor in whatever ways the current Director sees fit.


• The Ninefold Tribunal: The unofficial "fourth" pillar of the Imperium, the church of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator, while it holds no legal or governmental power, holds such enormous political influence and sway over the hearts and minds of the people that it is included here for very good reason - having emerged from the chaos of the times after the God-Queen's ascension as the sole controlling organization who holds the loyalty of The Shirokami(The former Secret Police of the Imperium), the Tribunal further solidified its power by absorbing hundreds of the old Imperium's most prestigious noble families that had been declared traitors by Tamamo-No-Mae during the waning hours of her rule before her ascension. A move designed to purge her ailing Imperium of its most xenophobic and noble-centric families to pave the way for the more meritocratic and unified "Imperium" that was to come, many of these families targeted for destruction were given ultimatums that saw many of them accept total dissolution and absorption into the ranks of The Ninefold Tribunal along with their vast wealth and resources to serve it as loyal vassals rather than be exterminated and destroyed, this move caused the Tribunal to swell so massively with resources and manpower that it now stands as an organization so expansive and enormous that any seeking to take political action within the Imperium are almost required to court the favor of the Tribunal in the hopes that they could be persuaded to deploy The Shirokami to accomplish their requested task or to even more simply make a public declaration in support of their aims: both of which are so beneficial as to be near assurances of success - so influential that they are often credited for being able to even force the Emperor out of office with a single declaration of their illegitimacy. So huge that the mere act of knowing its bulk is an impressive task in and of itself, the Tribunal remains a vital part of Inaran politics despite its official "neutrality" in matters of politics.

Provinces and Districts

The days of the old Imperium's confusing and poorly understood division of individual member nations have long since passed - now, the Imperium is organized into a complex and highly organized hierarchy detailed below:

• Province: The largest division organized beneath the Imperium, the Provinces are the largest "zones" that make up the Imperium as a whole - each one smaller than a true nation but each expansive in their own right, the Provinces are ruled by Legates(Also known as Provincial Governors) appointed by The Emperor, though their appointments are ratified by the Senate. Each Province is utterly massive in size and scope, and is charged with raising its own taxes and is often the home of at least one(But often several) legions of the Inaran Military, who are deployed at the behest of the Provincial Governor - each of whom functions as effectively a "General" of the Inaran Military.


• District: The next largest division organized beneath the Imperium, each Province is divided into several Districts within it - each ruled and overseen by an Exarch appointed by the Provincial Governor of the Region in question. Much like the Legates whom the report to, they are equal parts Officer of the Inaran Military and bureaucratic politician - responsible for both military matters and civil matters within their sphere of influence.


• Township: The smallest division of land in the bureaucracy of the Imperium, each District is divided into countless Townships within it - each ruled and overseen by a Consul-General appointed by the District's Mayor who, unlike their superiors, is almost entirely a bureaucrat rather than a military officer. While not always so small as to include ONE town or village, they can be so small but can also range in size up to a township big enough to include several small villages or towns within it, often ruled from the local lord's seat of power such as a castle or fort in the area. Within this area, even smaller and more minor Lords and Ladies(Known as "Consuls") are given small fiefs at the behest of the Township's Consul-General.

Societal Structure

Society within the Imperium is largely divided into three social classes and sub-ranks within them(Described below under "Social Classes") - as a nation that has stood as a peerless example of highly organized bureaucracy ever since its inception, these ranks are as one might expect; complex, well-defined, and labryinthine in their organizational makeup. However, unlike many other areas with landed nobility who maintain vast populations of serfs to maintain their land, upwards mobility is not only possible within the Imperium, but encouraged - and while not an exhaustive list, the below points are some of the easiest ways to do so within the Imperium.

• Join the military and reach the vaunted status of "Samurai", which is mostly equivalent to "Knight" in western countries. Those who reach this rank are granted a small fief within their home Township(Or rarely, another Township of their choice) and placed under the command of the local Exarch(Or sometimes, made Exarchs themselves).


• 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. This is oftentimes referred to as "The Sponsor's Path" - as being "vouched for" by a citizen of higher rank than you is a surefire way to be earmarked for ascension.


• 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, The Dominator in their 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.

The Right to Reproduce

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 - a hallmark of the country's history and a sign of its most powerful and important members. As such, the Imperium keeps track of all citizens within its borders and approves or denies 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.

Social Classes

While the Social Classes and their respective sub-rankings are listed below, it is important to note that, in the Inaran Imperium and unlike the old country, one's rank in society is no longer tied to the size of their influence in the government - instead, one's ranking in society is largely a ranking of the power of one's "Birthright", of the power and prestige of one's lineage, of their legacy, of their deeds and those of their ancestors, and the virtues displayed by both them and those who have come before them, as well as a measure of the privileges afforded to them.

The Royal Class

The highest rank any citizen of The Imperium can aspire to - a rank reserved usually for The Emperor or Empress and a highly select group of individuals.

• Kitsukami: A rank once reserved for the God-Queen herself, now used for The Emperor or Empress after her ascension. The being of this rank is above all laws, punishments, and all creatures in the Imperium and exists as the God or Goddess of the land, above all others. All members of The Usagiri, their royal guard, are considered to be extensions of the Divine Ruler themselves, 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 the Emperor 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 the Emperor, 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-No-Mae, The Dominator 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 lowest rank of royalty, the Tennō are distinguished from their counterparts the Jōshō solely by their lack of a "Divine Invitiation" - whereas the Jōshō are marked by the divinely touched bloodline they are said to possess, Tennō have distinguished themselves as "Heavenly Generals" purely on merit alone. So, while they lack the direct proof of divine blessing upon their bloodline, their deeds, accomplishments, and birthright have combined to make them a legendary figure in the country. While in the old country this was reserved for those in high governmental stations, the rank in the modern Imperium has been broken off such ties and now stands independent of them - a title and rank dispensed solely at the authority of The Inaran Senate, an inverse relationship to the Jōshō, who are noted solely by the Emperor. They enjoy many of the same benefits of the Jōshō, but not all - although they exist under a bit less scrutiny than their superior counterparts, as well. They are also more informally known as "The Heavenly Generals" or "The People's Generals" due to their inverse nature to the Jōshō who are often awarded based on little that relates to their own deeds such as bloodline or divine blessing - while they themselves often claim their role by proving their high standing with noble deeds, noble actions, noble words, or heroic actions done in defense of the Imperium or its citizens. As such, the ranks of the Tennō tend to be filled with men and women of action and military sorts more often than not.

The Noble Class

The second highest rank any citizen of the Imperium can be granted - a rank reserved for Highborn citizens, citizens with a distinguished bloodline, or citizens that have otherwise proven themselves worthy of nobility.

• Ryuushu: The rank of the "High Nobility", better known by their moniker "Dragon", or "Dragons of the Imperium" - the highest level of noble often reserved for the most storied and ancient of bloodlines or those of the very highest standing possible without entering the class of royalty. Those of this rank are few in number, but are almost exclusively very well-known or famous amongst the citizens of the Imperium - local celebrities and legendary figures of the Imperium, the Ryuushu enjoy a level of favorability that makes them almost untouchable by law enforcement; even the Imperium itself must often be careful with leveling accusations against them, as doing so is considered insulting the Emperor themselves. As a result, their privileges are many and extremely lavish - and so long as they cooperate with the Imperium's policing bureaus to keep their bloodline, lineage, or legacy's "purity" above a certain level as required by the Imperium's law, it is virtually impossible to knock them off this seat of privilege. While not a member of the Royal Class, they are the closest one can be to it - so important that their mere arrival is enough to grind local matters to a halt to force all nearby to receive them in suitably lavish manner. Widely considered the most powerful and noteworthy bloodlines in the entire Inaran Imperium, they are held to an incredibly high standard but are treated appropriately to their notoriety. Much like the Goushō, it is virtually a requirement that they be of an incredibly long-lived and storied lineage, as for one creature to show enough import to be granted this rank is virtually unheard of - meaning that most of this rank often have enormous houses, trading firms, businesses, or other holdings to manage on top of thier own responsibilities as a noble. Of note, the surviving children of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator each hold this rank within the Imperium.


• Goushō: The rank that many consider the first of the "true nobility", the Goushō are better known as the "Demons of the Imperium" - and most critically denotes a member of nobility whose bloodline, birthright, lineage, and/or legacy are not merely a result of their own actions and deeds, but those of their ancestors who were, themselves, worthy of nobility. As a result, this rank is largely populated by those who belong to noble houses or other such gatherings of nobility. They enjoy quite generous tax cuts, first pick of national resources, and often hold significant amounts of sway in local politics(Albeit unofficially) - though inversely they are managed quite closely on many levels by the government of the Imperium, who hold a vested interest in keeping the purity of their bloodline above a certain threshold. Additionally, they are often the first rank that grabs the attention of the mages of The Azure Spire - who arrive to such nobles whose bloodlines are capable of birthing sorcerers or other mages to manage their couplings and care for the children birthed from such couplings to maximize the newborn's magical potential. Unfortunately, this is the first rank that truly takes the freedoms of those who possess it - most significantly, the right to marry and have children freely, as their bloodlines are deemed important enough to warrant restrictions on their freedom to couple with others.


• Chūji: The rank of the "Low Nobility", given to those who just recently broke into the ranks of the nobles of the Inaran Imperium - they enjoy a moderate suite of privileges ranging from those of honored Knights of the Realm up to even the like of influential Lords or Ladies. They enjoy beneficial tax breaks and often enjoy enough influence to sway local politics in their favor, and are given favorable breeding rights within the Noble and Lower classes. Their bloodlines and birthrights, considered worthy or notable enough to earmark for nobility, have been deemed worth fostering or preserving - and as a result it is the first societal rank that is passed onto one's children so long as they are born of approved couplings. Of note, all Kitsune are given this rank by default as they are considered, one and all, sons and daughters of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator - though their actions and deeds and words, if they prove unsuitable for nobility, can easily earn them a demotion back to the lower classes.


• Ronin: A unique rank amongst Inaran nobility, the rank of Ronin is reserved for the "Exiles" or "Wandering Nobility" that have, due to one circumstance or another, fallen on hard times and become without land or station - such as nobles who somehow lose their house and or holdings, samurai who lose their lords, or similar circumstances where a noble is left with little except their life. The privileges they maintain are largely unchanged from whatever previous title of nobility they once held, though they face much higher scrutiny in their day to day life - enjoying little of the leniency that their old position once gave them. They live their lives on a ticking clock, as the government often encourages Ronin to either find a new lord or establish a new powerbase within a set period of time, thus recovering their old rank, or forfeit this rank entirely and be dropped back down to the Lower Class. 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. For such cases, the rights and luxuries afforded to them are identical to the Chūji rank.

The Lower Class

The largest and most common rank for citizens of the Imperium - the rank of the common folk.

• Kashin: While not a full rank of the nobility, the rank of Kashin is an earmark for those of the lower class who have displayed enough potential, showed enough promise, or otherwise caught the eye of someone powerful in such a way as to be "earmarked for nobility" - those of the Kashin rank are still counted amongst the lower class, but are considered "Rising Stars" or "Up and Comers" within the Imperium; one who's bloodline or birthright is on the verge of being increased or measured in a new light. Those at this rank rarely stay here for extended periods, as they most often are demoted or promoted to lower or higher ranks after they prove themselves worthy of unworthy of being considered a higher class of being. Those of this rank enjoy a handful of special privileges and are due a modicum of respect, but not overmuch - and often possess a patron, who is often the Noble or other Highborn who submitted them for this rank and vouched for their status as a "rising star". Under the right circumstances, they could even be awarded the right to have childen with those of Nobility - a rarity for those of common rank. For those citizens of the Imperium who fall in love with one of higher or lower standing than themselves, this is one of the only legal recourses to allow them to continue a relationship under Inaran law.


• 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.

Culture

More than anything, the Inaran people are one utterly entranced with and obssessed by one's station in life - one's rank and title and station mean everything, and the trappings of ritual, of custom and tradition, are of utmost importance to them. As a people, they often associate loud and/or boisterous behavior with uncivilized barbarians - elegance, inwardness, and reserved stoicism are traits they most commonly associate with nobility, and these traits pervade and permeate their entire way of life; moving subtly and behind closed doors is a sign of great intelligence, and thus the higher echelons of Inaran society are defined by smiling politicians who do everything to maintain face and reputation even while slowly undermining and destroying their enemies with carefully laid plans. Even if all involved parties know of their disdain towards one another, it is of utmost importance to Inarans that an air of civility be maintained at all times.
As such, respect and obedience to the pecking order are vital to Inaran culture - one's public persona must ever be one of obedience to one's superiors and lords, and loyalty is a virtue expected unto death; to move and scheme, while encouraged, must be done far from prying eyes and in the company of one's trusted lieutenants until the very final moments when one's plans come to fruition.
Going along with their obsession with loyalty, honor, and an outward air of obedience and respect, Inarans are a people obsessed with death - viewing it as the best way by which one's life may be punctuated, or judged. To die well, to an Inaran, is just as important as how they live - a death done willingly to redeem them of dishonor is a great, great honor, and one they respect beyond compare. Going hand in hand with belief is a widespread Inaran belief in reincarnation - as most all of them are, if only in some small ways, faithful of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator(As she was their God-Queen for a Thousand Years before she became a true god), they believe so ardently in these ways of a good death and honor and loyalty because, to them, a good life will be rewarded by Tamamo when they return to her grip and are judged with a better life of higher standing and, if they were exceptionally well-lived, may even be blessed with being allowed to keep their minds and memories across lifetimes. This belief makes them nearly unshakeable in their beliefs - and relieves them in many ways of their doubts, for a life lived well no matter the circumstances will invariably be rewarded in the next life.
Unfortunately, with this love and honor also comes xenophobia - Inarans often view those of other ethnicities as "barbarians" and view them unfavorably, treating them with a great deal less respect and sometimes blatant xenophobia. While this has relaxed in recent decades, it is still an unfortunately prevelant theme of Inaran society - as well as intense class divides that often expect and even demand a level of deference that those of other ethnicities often considered moronic.
Above all else, the Inarans are a people of intense patriotism and with an overwhelming love of tradition - often to such a degree that to go against tradition is one of the biggest cultural sins an Inaran can commit. Highly religious as well, they are almost universally followers of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator - their beloved God-Queen who ruled their country for 1,000 years before eventually ascending into true Godhood a scant few decades before the modern day, leaving them to govern themselves for the first time since the country's founding well over a millennia ago.

Public Agenda

The Public Agenda of the Inaran Imperium is ever one of stability and expansion - especially since the ascension of their God-Queen Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator a scant few decades before the modern day, which has triggered an outcry of patriotic fervor to "claim Corexus and Inara in her name" to honor her ascension that has yet to subside even to this day.

Assets

As a country that very nearly occupies the entire landmass upon which it is founded, the assets of the Inaran Imperium are ludicrously massive - so much so that it is a feat of bureaucracy to simply keep track of them all.

History

Founded well over a thousand years ago by Tamamo-No-Mae during the Age of Warring States during a time in which the people of the land of Inara(Which was simply referred to then as "Eastern Corexus", as it was before the Continental Shattering that fully separated the two continents) had known nothing but bitter war for nearly a century beforehand - founded atop the rubble of the age's chaotic infighting and constantly warring micro-nations by the legendary Kitsune Queen, the Imperium emerged from the ruins of its enemies atop a pile of bodies, installing Tamamo-No-Mae as its Empress who would go on to rule virtually unchallenged for a thousand years afterwards.
Thus, the people of Inara knew peace - and lived to forget the chaos of the times in which the nation had been founded, entire generations growing up and dying beneath the rule of their Kitsune Queen who, as the decades and centuries wore on, styled herself increasingly as a God Queen; A Divine Ruler whose seeming immortality began to extend down into all Kitsune, increasing their lifespans and altering them as a species on a fundamental level even as Tamamo herself began to slowly retreat from the public eye as the years wore on, leaving more and more duties of rule to The Kitsune Council(Predecessor to the Inaran Senate) to focus on the duties of her burgeoning godhood.
So complete and smotheringly total was the rule of Tamamo-No-Mae, so utter was its permeation throughout the culture and society of the lands of Inara, that Tamamo slowly transformed from a rising warlord who established a country to give peace to a warring land into a Demigoddess whose name was spoken on the lips of hundreds of thousands or even millions of citizens across Inara, who grew up and died beneath her rule knowing nothing else - revering her as their own personal Goddess who was above reproach, beloved by all, and utterly invincible. Not even the bounds of life and death were beyond her control - as she, a mage beyond compare even before she began to climb into the realms of divinity, created and anchored a new Cycle of Souls to bind the souls of the people of Inara into a cycle of reincarnation within her; turning herself into a being of such unfathomable nature and power that her people would now, upon their death, return to her embrace where she would mould their souls according to their deeds in life and mete out a reincarnation appropriate to those deeds. With all this power such that she held her people's very souls in the palm of her hand, and one can begin to see exactly why and how the people of Inara fell in love with her so utterly - and worship her so feverishly - for her promises of rewards in the next life were not only real, but tangible: Those who died were reborn before the eyes of their friends into better lives, more powerful lives, so long as they were faithful and obedient to tradition and to Tamamo herself - a fact which did wonders to engender the zealous faith the people of Inara have ever held in their Kitsune Queen(Aided in part due to Tamamo's own impartiality and consistency with her judgements of her people's souls, even when they had lived lives that adhered to her beliefs but opposed her personally).
After a thousand years, her power had grown to a level nigh-unfathomable by the mortal populace - a thousand years of worship spoken in the lips of an entire continent of citizens took its toll, and her divinity loomed large upon the material plane; a feat which did not go unnoticed by many mortals and gods alike, for she had ever made enemies - especially among the gods, who found her blatant defiance of their own cosmic law with the formation of her own cycle of souls an especially heinous affront to their authority, yet were astounded at the rapidity with which she was gathering divine power. All sides knew that the current order had become untenable - just as Vecna, The Arch-Lich had grown so powerful on the material plane, beyond The Divine Gate where most of the Gods of the Outer Sphere could not reach, and was in turn destroyed for his hubris, Tamamo herself was reaching a similar Zenith - and was rapidly facing a choice of how to proceed: Abdicate her very nature and show her willingness to abide the edicts of the Gods with whom she now had more in common than the mortals she ruled, or remain on the material plane and be declared an enemy of the gods and mortal life in much the same way the meddler Vecna, The Arch-Lich was.
Faced with this ultimate choice as her divine power reached a smothering zenith, Tamamo made the only choice she could - accepting the ministrations of the Major Gods, she would ascend into Major Godhood herself and leave the material world behind; leaving the mortals to their own devices(As mortals could ever only be ruled by mortals) and ascending into an entirely new existence as a true Goddess. The celebrations held by the Imperium to bid farewell to their Goddess were so lavish, it is said, that they nearly defied imagination - celebrations held to honor a once in an eon event brought the entire country to a standstill as the people rejoiced: their God-Queen was becoming a true Goddess, and they were to bear witness to her ascension.
Now, with their founder and god-queen ascended into Major Godhood, the Imperium has been left to its own devices - restructed by Tamamo herself in the months and years leading up to her ascension to help the country survive without its singular God-Queen - and began a new chapter in its history where, for the first time in a millennia, it had a new ruler and could face the horizon in the name of their Goddess.

Demography and Population

As one may expect from a country of such tremendous size and scope, the Imperium's population is incredibly varied across its vast bulk - yet still follows predictable patterns that, to the trained scholarly eye, can show the ancient kingdoms and empires that were conquered long ago. In the northern lands of the Imperium, covered in snow and ice, Kitsune and other monstrous species thrive and are more common while, in the Imperium's southern reaches which are more hospitable, Ursini and other less monstrous species are the most populous.
However, although the Imperium is a country that so favors its nobility, its own immense size means that nearly 80% of its population is of the lower or middle classes - including all types of people ranging from serfs, slaves, and traders to farmers, samurai, and craftsmen who make up the vast majority of the Imperium and form its backbone; without them, it could have no hope of functioning. In the north, these lower and middle class citizens are mostly gathered up into centralized population centers such as cities and towns due to the very inhospitable environment which prevents wide diasporas or decentralized living for all but the hardiest species, though in the southern and more liveable climes the population is much more spread out into farms, homesteads, villages, towns, and cities.
For such a large country, though, its birth rate is an interesting subject - controlled carefully by the Inaran Heritage Bureau, the population of Inara is rather impressively documented in its entirety to ensure that all marriages and childbirths are documented in the government's records to be approved or denied on a case-by-case basis to ensure that, above all, the purity and power of the bloodlines involved will not be sullied or diluted by the proposed conjoining. As such, while the birthrate among the lower and middle class populace is expectedly high(As Peasant Marriages and Births are rarely denied), the birth rate among the Nobility is much, much lower - a thing done by approval with governmental oversight to foster sorcerous bloodlines and exceptionally pure lineages.
Finally, thanks to an excellent quality of life and a high standard of publically-available healthcare and advanced public infrastructure, the death rate of the Inaran Imperium is one of the lowest on the planet of Ea - so much so that the country has had to, in times of exceptional peace when the population booms, impose limits on childred per household to ensure the country does not overpopulate.

Territories

Founded by Tamamo-No-Mae over a thousand year ago by uniting the lands once held by a thousand micro-states that had warred against each other and formed and fell almost yearly, the lands of the Imperium are so vast and expansive that even now the culture of a thousand different smaller nations that were conquered to form it can be seen even now - clean cultural lines that often still demarcate where, loosely, the nations that once stood there were.
These lands, taken and conquered by force almost universally, have long since been culturally and ethnically assimilated into the Inaran Imperium and nationalized into the faith of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator after a thosand years such that, while many of their customs endure, almost no memory of the specifics of those nations that once stood in the lands of the Imperium remains.

Military

As one may expect of such an expansive and enormous nation that spans across an entire continent, the Inaran Imperium's military is a broad and multi-disciplined thing comprised of many different units and groups - listed below for ease of reading.

• The Usagiri: The hyper-elite royal guard tasked with serving and protecting the Emperor or Empress of the Imperium, the Usagiri are a fearsome force that reports solely to the Emperor or Empress - a hyper-zealous fighting force that once served at the feet of Tamamo-No-Mae alone. Rather infamous for their black Longcoats and Rabbit Masks, they inspire dread in the populace on the rare occasion that they appear in the public eye for their overwhelming battle prowess, undying zealotry to the Emperor or Empress, and the almost insane zeal with which they fight with utterly no regard for their own lives. The subject of many rumors, they are whispered to be indoctrinated super-soldiers trained from birth in the art of slaughter and linked via telepathic networks to allow for maximum efficacy. There is not a single citizen of Inara that does not recognize their Black Longcoats and Rabbit Masks on sight, nor a single one that would not feel dread at their arrival - for their arrival implies the attention of the Emperor in local affairs.


• The Shirokami: The much-feared secret police of the old country, once loyal solely to Tamamo-No-Mae, now loyal solely to the Imperator of The Ninefold Tribunal and enforcement arm of the church - infamous for their snow-white Longcoats and Wolf Masks, they once operated with such terrifying impunity to strike at the internal enemies of the Imperium that entire rebellions were brought into compliance at the whisper of their deployment. While once they had the authority to speak on the God-Queen's behalf, they now operate solely at the will of the Imperator, head of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator's faith in The Ninefold Tribunal. Stealthy Masters of the Unseen Kill, they strike from the shadows with such lethality that they are often reputed to be able to get any room or palace no matter how well-guarded or sealed it might be. While once the public saw them as mythical figures, legends of questionable veracity, with the ascension of Tamamo-No-Mae into godhood and their subsequent restructuring as the secret militant arm of her church, their existence has been revealed to the public.


• The Akheishi: Better known as The Bylaw Enforcement Brigade, the Akheishi once served at the sole discretion of Tamamo-No-Mae yet now stand as the militant arm of the Inaran Senate - famous and well-known for their crimson armor and wide red Jingasa that adorn their heads, they are best described as a hyper-elite civic guard force - warrior-scholars each famous for their complete knowledge of the Imperium's laws(An impressive feat for any) and their authority to act as Legal Judge, Jury, and Executioner. Given authority to enter all corners of Inara where its standing legions are forbade from entering, they act as the ultimate enforcement arm of the Imperium's bureaucracy - sent to bring entire regions back into compliance should they turn rogue, or dispatched to quell riots or rebellions. Each member of the Akheishi, trained for years in the laws of the land, is every bit a Lawyer, Poet, Scholar, and Judge as he is a warrior. Unlike the Usagiri and the Shirokami, they are often met with jubliation by the lower and middle classes - though inversely often met with fear and terror by the upper classes, as they are often dispatched to bring rebellious nobles and their fiefs back into compliance with the Emperor's Edicts; a practice which has meant many of the lower and middle classes see them as heralds of a return to normality.


• The Inaran Legions: The more numerous and vast of the military arms of the Imperium, the Inaran Legions have rapidly become symbols of its unstoppable military might - organized into an efficient system of legions, each with its own number and epithet(Such as the Inaran 1st Legion, known as "Legio Invicta" or "The Legion Invincible"). Perhaps the most impressive feat of modern warfare, each of the tens or even hundreds of thousands of warriors of the dozens of Inaran Legions are equipped with a standardized set of superb battle-gear and organized into self-contained groups assigned to the various provinces of the Imperium to operate at the discretion of the Legate that governs the Province. Each Legion, assigned to a province(Often with 1-3 Legions to a Province depending on its size), has its own unique customs and battle standard - and although each Legion is ultimately commanded by the Emperor, true operational authority is given to the Legates of the Provinces of the Empire, who wield them as competent generals with their better knowledge of the local area. Ultimate symbol of Inaran military might, the Legions are staffed by the citizens of Inara who, after serving a mandatory minimum number of years of military service, are discharged with a sizable pension and small plot of land as thanks for their service - though citizens can sign up for further service if they so choose after their initial mandatory service. Rather notably, they are barred from entering within a certain radius of the Inaran Capital of Kitsunheim as well as within the bounds of certain heritage sites or certain provincial capitals of Inara, as dictated by its Constitution. Each legion, equipped with a self-sufficient network of smiths, engineers, and builders, can build their own roads and fortifications in record time.


• The Inaran Civic Militias: The civic arm and military reserve of the Inaran Legions, the Civic Militias are staffed nearly exclusively by retired Inaran Legionnaires and military personnel who, having finished their mandatory period of military service, find themselves yearning for military life but for one reason or another prefer a lower-key and less dangerous setting to do so in, either due to a crippling injury sustained in battle or due to a disorder that prevents them from serving in the legions but does not preclude them from the Civic Militias. They guard the cities of the Imperium and keep the peace, though they are subject to most of the same restrictions on the areas they can enter as the Inaran Legions. Equipped with less impressive but similarly standardized gear, they enjoy quieter lives but are called upon to reinforce ailing Legions in times of strife.

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.

Religion

Rather expectedly, the faith of Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator is almost suffocatingly pervasive across the Imperium - nearly every single citizen partakes in its customs, beliefs, and practices in some capacity, and most all worship her as their matron deity with a zealotry that few other religions can match. Religion beyond Tamamo is a touchy subject in the Imperium - as the country possesses strict religious laws that limit which faiths are allowed to be practiced within its borders; though these laws have been gradually loosened ever since Tamamo-No-Mae ascended into godhood as Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator.

Foreign Relations

Though its relations have fluctuated across its thousand years of history, the Inaran Imperium in the modern day has utterly dismal relations with all other nations as it has, with Tamamo-No-Mae's ascension into Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator, been gripped with a nationwide zealotry in the hopes of conquering both Corexus and Inara to honor their beloved ascended God-Queen.
As such, with the entire country and all of its considerable industries bent towards war, the Imperium has poor foreign relations with all other nations it encounters - who are often issued ultimatums to kneel and be assimilated into the Imperium or be conquered.

Laws

The Imperium has long had a reputation as one of the most lawful and ordered nations on the entire planet of Ea - fairly infamous for its incredibly(And some say ludicrously) comprehensive system of laws laid down by Tamamo-No-Mae herself across its 1,000 year history which are said to be so utterly expansive that the country has laws to cover every possible act ranging from a simple walk down the street to running for political office.
These laws, as one may expect, make for an incredibly ordered and structure society - and most famously require "Licenses" for many of the activities normally taken for granted in other nations such as bearing arms in public spaces, wielding magic in any capacity within population centers, which religions can be practiced, and so on.
To go along with this, the Law Enforcement Agencies of Inara are some of the most feared in all the world - as they need to be to enforce the laws and rules that make up their nation. For some of these Agencies, it is such an impressive feat in and of itself to learn and study all the laws of the Imperium that the mere act of doing so is enough to warrant one's entry into more elite and powerful Law Enforcement Agencies over the common Civil Guard or Soldier.

Agriculture & Industry

As a country so utterly massive that it spans most of the entire continent of Inara, the Imperium's agriculture and industry is utterly peerless thanks largely to its utterly enormous population - which blesses it with the ability to sustain a truly massive economy with relatively little issue. Equipped with hundreds of thousands of farmers that support a truly gigantic agricultural industry, the Imperium has an equally impressive industry of metalsmithing, weapons and armor production, resource refineries, and more - all of which is being improved upon and innovated upon constantly.
The Imperium's southern reaches tend to be its agricultural and husbandry heartlands - while its northern reaches tend to be its industrial power centers.

Trade & Transport

Perhaps the most impressive feat of the Imperium is its extensive and normalized road network - made centuries ago, the Imperium's roads are so advanced and structurally sound feats of engineering that even now, centuries later, the roads of the old country still endure as the standard by which all other countries' transportation networks are judged.

Education

Though it has yet to reach true completion, the Inaran Imperium has a fairly decent education system that seems most all citizens, even those of the lower and middle class, with at least some modicum of education - even if only a few classes during the few months out of the year when their farming or other menial responsibilities are lessened due to weather.
While not every citizen is put through schooling consistently, 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 only 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.

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 Ea. 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.

Inara Invicta

Founding Date

1408 AF

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Alternative Names

The Imperium, Inara

Predecessor Organization

• The Eastern Imperium

Demonym

Inaran

Founders

• Tamamo-No-Mae

Head of State

Yamamoto Moritomo

Head of Government

Yamamoto Moritomo

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Power Structure

Feudal state

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 denominations of Foxnotes exist to relate to different coinage.

Major Exports

Grain, Fruits/Vegetables, Silks, Culture, Weapons and Armor, Law and Order, Civilization, Wine, Alcohol

Major Imports

Luxury Goods, Spices, Raw Materials, Exotic Beasts, Slaves, Precious Metals

Legislative Body

The Emperor or Empress of the Imperium is its sole Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Body, with divine authority vested in them by Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator - whom they are considered a semi-divine mortal agent of her will on the material plane.

Judicial Body

Although the Inaran Emperor or Empress typically reserves the right to function as its sole judicial authority, the Inaran Senate in practice holds much of this power - taking the commands of the Emperor or Empress and deciding upon how best to put them into action and what policies or practices might best come out of those commands.

Executive Body

The Emperor or Empress of the Imperium is its sole Legislative, Judicial, and Executive Body, with divine authority vested in them by Tamamo-No-Mae, The Dominator - whom they are considered a semi-divine mortal agent of her will on the material plane.

Official State Religion

The Ninefold Tribunal

Notable Members

• Tamamo-No-Mae
• Yamamoto Moritomo

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