Taldor (TAL-door)

Knights, fair maidens, heroic adventures, and righteous quests—these are the legends of old Taldor. But the once-powerful empire has fallen from its former glory. Now rival nobles battle each other with bitter knights and proxy armies for personal power rather than honor. A smoldering truce with Qadira again threatens to ignite into war, and Taldor's daughter states look down upon her with contempt.

History

The Empire of Taldor once stretched from the Windswept Wastes on the edge of Casmaron in the east all the way across Avistan to the shores of the Arcadian Ocean in the west. By today's standards, the Empire of Taldor was enormous, incorporating land that today falls within the nations of Galt, Andoran, Isger, Molthune, Cheliax, Nirmathas, and Lastwall. Since that heyday in the first half of the Age of Enthronement, it has suffered numerous defeats and setbacks, yet still controls the oldest and largest territories in the Inner Sea region.

Founding years

The people of this land were descendants of Azlant who built a small settlement where the capital of Oppara now stands. They intermarried with the local human tribes (whose descendants would become known as Taldans) and began trading with the Keleshite tribes further east.
Taldaris, a young military leader from the city-state of Oppara, was named heir to the grand prince of Oppara just prior to his predecessor's death in -1295 AR. Using his tactical prowess, superior forces, and uncanny luck, Taldaris then led his troops in a 12-year-long war of conquest beginning in -1293 AR that transformed his title in Oppara to a fledgling unified nation of city-states. He first attacked the larger cities along the Inner Sea coast that posed the greatest threat. Once he had secured their allegiance and resources, he turned his attention on the more distant settlements of the area. He then declared his new nation as the Principalities of Taldaris, ruling over an area that stretched along the coast from the southern Verduran Forest to the Jalrune River.
The Principalities of Taldaris became Taldor in -1281 AR, with Taldaris crowned as First Emperor.

Tarrasque

The beast known as Tarrasque rampaged across the World's Edge Mountains and into Taldor in -632 AR. The city of Oppara was destroyed in the process and although the nation eventually recovered, the wounds of the rampage can still be seen across the land.

Taldor's golden age

The old tribes dating to before Taldor's founding were eventually conquered by soldiers from the Empire of Kelesh in -43 AR, who founded the satrapy of Qadira and fortified the border between the two nations, sparking a conflict that continues to this day.
Taldor continued to grow and expand, but did not truly become an empire until the beginning of the Age of Enthronement and the founding of the first Army of Exploration, a now-legendary collection of soldiers, scholars, diplomats, surveyors, spies, and adventurers. It headed north along the Sellen River from Oppara in 37 AR, conquering as far as what today is the town of Sevenarches in the River Kingdoms.
Their efforts were enlarged by the Second Army of Exploration in 499 AR, who traveled farther than the first, all the way to the edges of the Hold of Belkzen, and explored the lands around Lake Encarthan. The army greatly expanded both the military and economic reach of the empire by building numerous supply depots, many of which eventually grew into larger settlements.
The Third Army of Exploration was perhaps the most successful. Once again beginning in Oppara, it clung to the northern coast of the Inner Sea, conquering westward all the way to the Arcadian Ocean. It founded the city of Corentyn in 1520 AR under General Coren, thereby securing control of the western access to the Inner Sea for the empire.
In 1553 AR, Grand Prince Urios III and Satrap Xerbystes I signed a peace agreement between Taldor and Qadira that would be known as the Urian Peace. This accord would amazingly last for over 2,500 years.
The exploits of the Fourth Army of Exploration were minor compared to the Third, but they still managed to bring the area known today as Andoran under their control by 1683 AR, along with a brief (and unsuccessful) foray into the dwarven-controlled Five Kings Mountains. After defeating the native tribes of the Arthfell Forest, Andoran became the newest province of Taldor in 1707 AR.
The Fifth Army of Exploration pushed north through what today are the River Kingdoms, reaching the edge of Iobaria in 2009 AR. After this they turned back and mapped the many branches of the Sellen River by 2014 AR.

Setbacks

Despite tremendous successes, Taldor suffered a number of serious blows during this period. Raiders from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings wreaked havoc on settlers in what is now western Cheliax, forcing a naval engagement in 2000 AR, which Taldor barely won. The Ulfen raiders counterattacked in 2003 AR, savaging Taldan colonies near the Arch of Aroden and demanding 100,000 gold pieces in exchange for hostages. Taldor capitulated, resulting in a peace treaty between the Ulfen king and the Taldan Grand Prince.
Less than a century later, a disastrous campaign into the Mwangi Expanse by the Sixth Army of Exploration led to the massacre known as the Battle of Nagisa by the forces of that era's Gorilla King in 2089 AR. It was a failure from which Taldor never fully recovered.

Last great Army of Exploration

Although the losses of the Sixth Army marked the end of any Taldan expansion into Garund, Taldor continued to strengthen its position in Avistan. The Seventh Army of Exploration officially claimed Isger in 2133 AR. Taldor's final large territorial expansion came in 3007 AR, when it claimed the territory of Cheliax.

Slow decline

By the beginning of the fourth millennium AR, the Empire of Taldor dominated the Inner Sea region, controlling all of the northern shores of the Inner Sea. Its government soon bloated to the point where its byzantine bureaucracy numbered in the tens of thousands, and its territory was too large to control. Corruption spread throughout the government, and its ruling class became more interested in pursuing their decadent pleasures than good governance. Responding to this growing indifference, those furthest from the capital city of Oppara began to revolt. Taldor's military responded with brute force to quell these uprisings, leading to further discontent and unrest.

Shining Crusade

Even though Taldor had fallen from the zenith of its power, it nevertheless was still the dominant nation in the Inner Sea region, and challenged any foe that might usurp it. One such instance led to the Shining Crusade, a decades-long war fought with the cooperation of the dwarves of the Kingdom of Kraggodan, and the Knights of Ozem against the forces of the Whispering Tyrant of Ustalav. It began in 3754 AR and ended with the Tyrant's defeat and imprisonment in 3827 AR and the founding of the country of Lastwall the following year.

War and secession

As Taldor's military focused on crushing internal revolts, the long-time rival nation of Qadira took advantage of the situation and invaded from the southeast in 4079 AR. Taldor, with Qadira's army at the footsteps of its capital, recalled its armies from the outlying provinces in order to protect the heartland. The resulting war, dubbed the Grand Campaign, lasted 524 years. With the bulk of the military back east, rebellious Cheliax seized its opportunity. King Aspex the Even-Tongued declared independence in 4081 AR in what became known as the Even-Tongued Conquest. Still tied up with its war with Qadira, Taldor was unable to respond, and Aspex proceeded to annex Andoran, Galt, and Isger, and finally signed a peace treaty with Taldor that recognized its independence. At the same time, the former province of Lastwall declared its independence from both Taldor and Cheliax, stating that it wished to only focus on the containment of the Whispering Tyrant, and not become involved in political concerns.
The loss of Cheliax and the war with Qadira led to a sharp decline in power, and Taldor remains in decline even several generations after these events took place; corruption runs rampant through its bureaucracy, and its lower class has been stricken by poverty. Its prefectures fight border skirmishes, its noble houses fight one another, and its sparsely populated frontiers have become lawless. Taldor's vast wealth is the only thing keeping the empire alive.

Religious upheaval

The church of Aroden, in response to corruption present in the Taldan ruling class during the years of the Grand Campaign, moved its center of worship from Taldor to Cheliax. Later during the same conflict, Grand Prince Stavian I began what is known as the Great Purge: believing Qadira's invasion of Taldor had been assisted by members of the Cult of the Dawnflower, Stavian I outlawed the worship of Sarenrae in 4528 AR, which was not again legalized until after the end of the Grand Campaign in 4603 AR.

Final Army of Exploration

The last Army of Exploration was chartered in the last year of the Age of Enthronement in 4606 AR. Desperate to revitalize the nation, General Orphyrea Amandar set sail in the hopes of finding a new land to rule far to the east. Despite being battered by tremendous storms mere months after leaving port, Amanandar weathered the death of Aroden and arrived in northern Shenmen in Tian Xia. After she and her army disembarked at the city of Kamikobu in 4608 AR, they defeated a dozen bandit warlords and took control of the region, renaming the city New Oppara, and founding the nation of Amanandar.

Demography and Population

The Taldan people are a mixture of Keleshite and Azlanti blood. Taldans, by and large, have light brown hair and bronzed skin. Men of noble birth favor beards, while women commonly wear elaborate wigs; both beards and wigs are often extravagantly decorated. The language of the Taldan people is Taldane; the language has spread to become the Common speech of the entire Inner Sea region, a testament to Taldor's vast influence.
Taldans are decadent bon vivants, favoring rich foods, ornate attire, and jeweled accoutrements for even the most minor of casual affairs. To a Taldan, appearance is an expression of power, and a keen sense of fashion represents a keen mind. Their appreciation for the arts extends beyond fashion and painting, many Taldans dabbling in wizardry, dueling, and the murky strategies of politics and war. A Taldan mind, when raised to ire, is a dangerous thing, and Taldans believe that the rest of the Inner Sea is soon to receive a painful reminder of this timeless fact.
The wealth, decadence and the importance of political maneuvers to the royal and senatorial classes have made many costly and extravagant items popular. Some examples include magical transports like the pendulate divan of Emperor Fortigré, soaring cathedra, or talisman of the summoned steed; magical augmentation to one's appearance like the costume bureau or philanderous compact; or aids to the machinations of the social climbers like the missive stone, ring of the sublime, raucous canard, and gossip glass.

The Unbearded

The massive underclass of "the unbearded" make up 99% of Taldor's population. They are merchants, craftsmen, day laborers, dock workers, vagabonds, soldiers, sailors, and so on. Taldor's crushing taxes and the policies of the ruling class regarding the rights of citizens keep the unbearded in poverty. Careful advances of key citizens keep their compatriots ever hopeful that after hard work and long loyalty, they might join the ranks of the bearded. Taldor's military and civil service usually offers such a way of advancement, and because of that the branches of the military (the Taldan Horse, Phalanx, and Navy) are loyal and strong.
In the countryside, most of Taldor's poor live as serfs, farmers, or craftsmen, slaves to their lords or prefecture governors. Even worse, when their lords or governors send their soldiers against one another, the poor unbearded are usually caught in between and suffer greatly.

Territories

Taldor was once a land filled with lush forests but all that remains of the original woodlands is the druid-protected Verduran Forest in the northwest. Elsewhere, the trees have been replaced by grasslands and low scrub growth, that in the southern part of the country can generate tumblefires. During the height of the empire, much of this expanse was populated by small settlements, each interconnected by a series of roads and canals. With Taldor's decline, however, many of these small communities have been abandoned. Roads have been reclaimed by nature, and the canal system has fallen into disrepair.
Major geographical features act as natural boundaries between the empire and its neighbors. To the north the Fog Peaks serve to divide Taldor from the nation of Galt. The Sellen River flows through the Verduran Forest, along the boundary of the empire and its western neighbor, Andoran. To the east, the World's Edge Mountains and the Whistling Plains provide a buffer between Taldor and the Empire of Kelesh. Finally, Taldor is separated from its long-time enemy to the south, the nation of Qadira, by the Jalrune River and the Zimar Scrublands.
The lifeblood of the nation is the River Porthmos, which has its sources in the World's Edge Mountains and winds its way through the vast grasslands of the Tandak Plains before pouring into the Inner Sea. The capital, Oppara, is located at the mouth of the river.
Taldor's natural resources include the towering blackwood trees of the Verduran Forest, the countless iron mines of the World's Edge Mountains, the olives and grapes of the southern coast between the Porthmos and the Jalrune, and the wineries and vineyards of the Zimar Scrublands.
After millennia of settlement, the heartland of Taldor is largely free of dangerous beasts and monsters, although the druid-controlled Verduran forest is still home to gnomes, ettercaps, and numerous fey. The Fog Peaks on the border with Galt are home to numerous giants and thunderbirds who occasionally present a threat, while orcs make raids from their lairs in the World's Edge Mountains.

Military

Even though Taldor's armed forces no longer possess the power and prestige of the Armies of Exploration of the past, they are nevertheless powerful organizations. They are divided into the Taldan Horse, the Phalanx, and the Imperial Navy, and are commanded by High Strategos Maxillar Pythareus. The most notorious, however, are the Lion Blades, who specialize in subterfuge and urban combat, and are often recruited from Oppara's best bardic colleges.

Religion

The people of Taldor worship a wide range of deities, but among the major gods prefer those who are generally associated with the Taldan people: Abadar, Cayden Cailean, Norgorber, and Shelyn. The worship of Calistria and the controversial (because she is associated with Qadira) Sarenrae, and even the deceased Aroden are also popular. The cult of Kurgess (a demigod who began as a Taldan mortal) is also beginning to spread.

Foreign Relations

Qadira and its parent state, the Padishah Empire of Kelesh, are hated in Taldor. Taldans watched as Qadira occupied southern Taldor for almost 500 years, enslaved the city of Zimar, put nearly every settlement in the Zimar Scrublands to the torch, and distracted the empire at a crucial moment with an invasion, allowing Cheliax to secede in the Even-Tongued Conquest. At nominal peace for the last century, Taldor now uses the Zimar Corsairs to plague all Qadiran shipping from Katheer to Sedeq, and both nations still raid across their borders. Qadira is eager to invade Taldor again and Taldor is ready to defend its border. Taldor doesn't dare to invade, but keeps a wary eye on its neighbor to the south.
Taldor has a complicated relationship with Cheliax and their relationship is one of mutual mistrust. Many nobles would like to see Cheliax wiped from Golarion's face, as it was the center of the Even-Tongued Conquest that shattered the empire. After the recent takeover by House Thrune, many Taldans see Cheliax as a hated abomination. For the most part, Cheliax pays little attention to Taldor, seeing it as a toothless, old lion and its leaders too foppish to be an immediate threat. Still, the Queen recognizes the strength of Taldors military and sees no need to break the tense peace between both nations.
Taldor fears the revolutions in Galt could spill across its southern border, and therefore keeps encampments along its border in the north. Taldan border guards have captured handbills calling the people of Taldor to rise up and shake off their oppressive rulers. On the other hand, the nation's endless violence and revolution is often illustrated as proof that destabilizing the social order in Taldor will lead to ruin, a sentiment most Taldan citizens tend to agree.
Taldor sees Absalom as the key to reinvigorating its empire. Given that Absalom has never fallen by siege, previous emperors often directed Taldan agents to infiltrate Absalom in the hopes of one day merging it quietly with the empire. This desire to annex the island has tempered in recent years. Absalom, like Cheliax, does not consider Taldor to be a serious threat. Indeed, the two nations are generally strong allies and trading partners, at least officially, and Taldor's navy helps protect the island from piracy and invasions.
Andoran and Taldor share a peace right now, backed by their enormous navies, but more traditional Taldans consider Andoran a part of the empire and the nation of freedom-lovers as a child who lost its way. Regardless, the two nations have a cautious but amiable relationship and Andoren agents try to avoid pushing their democratic ideologies too strongly while in Taldor.

Maps

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  Taldor

Type

Geopolitical, Country

Capital

Oppara

Legislative Body

Taldor's senatorial class consists of the hereditary members of the senate, the governors of Taldor's prefectures, and various heads of the bureaucracy. With exceptionally good work and long loyalty to the empire, a citizen can achieve a title in the senatorial class.
Social status for both royalty and senators was historically tied to their lavish beards (leading to them being called the "bearded"). Greater, more extravagant beards are a sign of a higher status and there was a time when the wearing of beards was limited by law to nobles.

Executive Body

Taldor is ruled by the Grand Prince Stavian III.
Taldor has a decadent noble class, bloated with titles, and renowned for being short-sighted and lethargic. Taldor's bureaucracy is headed by the senatorial class. Much of the government management is left in the hands of the senatorial class, who constantly argue over jurisdiction, while fighting for position in the nation's vast and complex bureaucracy. Greed and lack of trust are the hallmarks of Taldan politics, with assassination and betrayal the preferred methods of advancement.
Unwilling to trust their lives to Taldans with dubious political ties and mixed loyalties, Grand Princes are zealously served by the Ulfen Guard. This hand-picked retinue from the Lands of the Linnorm Kings are handsomely paid and care only for their oath and duty to the crown.

Prefectures

The individual parcels of Taldor have traded hands countless times in the millennia of its existence, leading to an incredibly confusing jumble of claims of ownership. To standardize this chaos, the Lands Partition Decree was established in 3247 AR. The decree broke the empire into 62 prefectures and formalized the rules for changing the divisions within each. Today only 12 prefectures and two major provinces are widely recognized. The prefectures include Avin, Kazuhn, Krearis, Ligos, Lingian, Moda, Northern Tandak, Opparos, Porthmos, Sophra, Tandak, and Whitemarch Prefectures, along with Verduran and World's Edge Provinces.
Below the level of prefecture are the duchies; in their turn, duchies comprise numerous counties; counties are then further divided into baronies.

Grand Prince Stavian III