Jakonia
The Jakonian Empire was once the greatest power in Emicara. Their holdings consisted of the entire Circle Sea and many of the lands beyond. They have since entered a period of decline as their land subsides and they face a weakening economy and military. The Emperor has become more and more reliant upon the nobility to hold together the lands, while his own power has diminished to nearly only the Fruitlands. The Church of the One Sun has become an integral part of the government, with almost more influence than the Emperor himself. More losses seem predetermined as the Nasites continue to broil in unrest, and Bahami corsair raids continue without relent.
Structure
The Jakonian Empire's top position is of course the Emperor himself. The Emperor has theoretical full control over the nation and stands over all others. In reality, he offers guidance to the various people who stand beneath him directly, which consist of the Grand General of the Imperial Army, the Greater Hierarch of the Church of the One Sun, the Supreme Judge of the Courts, and the Chancellor of the Imperial Congress. These four positions essentially divide the management of the nation and empire amongst themselves into different sphere which help determine the course of the county. Combined with the Emperor, they sit on an oversight council that makes all final decisions.
The Supreme Judge oversees the court system of the Jakonian Empire. Once a prestigious position that also acted as the diplomatic arm of the state, it has fallen into hard times. Concessions to the Imperial Congress have allowed local lords to establish their own judiciaries, loyal to them rather than to the Empire. The Courts still determine the overall fate of those who break Imperial laws rather than simply local ones, and provide jurisprudence for the Fruitlands and the surrounding area. The Supreme Judge also mediates disputes within the Imperial Congress and among lords, preventing conflict between feudal leaders.
The Imperial Congress of Lords consists of the heads of house among the aristocracy of the Jakonian Empire. They have been granted considerably more powers as the star of the Jakonian Empire has waned. They pass all laws which are subsequently signed by the Emperor, though he rarely refuses to sign, not wanting to risk a confrontation with the powerful upper classes. The Imperial Congress also is the apparatus for the appointment and assigning of diplomats to other nations, although in theory they follow the guidelines set by the Emperor. The Imperial Congress appoints a Chancellor by vote among the members of the Congress, and that position is believed to be the most powerful person in Jakonia.
History
The Jakonian Empire has its origins somewhere near the town of Yahoo. Originally an order of secessionists from the time of the Nameless Empire, they were viewed as a radical sect with a love for weaponry and explosive magic. Many of their members were imprisoned by the Nameless Empire for sedition and for them the Last War was a godsend. They reorganized and in time built a small community. They rebuilt a home in their image and for nearly a century after the fall of the Nameless Empire, they were nothing more than a small town among many others. This changed when the Jakonians found a stockpile of Nameless Empire weapons and magical items. These devices were far more powerful than those available to the Jakonians' neighbors and the path of conquest began.
Shortly before the discovery of these weapons, another group or powerful wizard used a spell to turn the area that is now the Fruitlands into its current state. Having heard of a land with plentiful food, the Jakonians directed their conquest west and the Fruitlands became the capital of their rising new empire. A true empire didn't form until the Nasite War, when the Nasites, who had possessed a powerful kingdom of their own, proved to be the greatest threat to the rising Jakonian power. The Jakonians surprised and betrayed the Nasites, and managed to overwhelm and conquer the entire Nasite kingdom in less than six months, shocking the rest of the known world. From there, further conquest was only a matter of time.
The rest of the Jakonian Peninsula was conquered in 150, with the final defeat of the Columbans. Kiralyno was integrated soon afterward. The Badlands were crossed and much of the Kingdom of Recfrere followed, along with the independent city states and orc tribes of those lands. By 500 AF, Jakonia reached its greatest height, even securing parts of the Shin Empire, having reduced the Mersan Union and Recfrere to rump states, and annexed Losana, Bamard, and Forard. The western Bahami Emirates were also annexed after a series of major naval actions. Over half of Emicara was under the direct control of the Jakonian Empire. Following these conquests, the empire rested upon its laurels, as it attempted to bring order to the Emirates and Losana.
Growing disunity among the Empire's nobility and the rise of a powerful orc warlord in the Badlands weakened the Empire's grasp on its peripheries, and by the 9th century, there was a distinct sense of impending collapse. Seizing upon this moment of weakness, a coalition was formed between the Shin Empire, Alsona, the Mersan Union, Recfrere, and the Sypi Confederacy. Assaults were launched in a grand offensive against the Jakonian Empire, seeking to reclaim lost territories. The main Shin and Confederate army met the largest Imperial force in the Battle of Conecuh Lake in 820, and this decisive battle saw the utter destruction of the bulk of Jakonia's trade forces. Similar losses at the battles of Waywatch and Dallas within the next few weeks spelled the end of Jakonian military might.
These traumatic defeats led to the cessation of much of the northern lands of the Jakonian Empire, as the Mersan Union, Shin Empire, and Recfrere reclaimed lost territories. The Kingdom of Bamard was liberated, and Jakonian northern expanses were abandoned, and they became tied solely to the Circle Sea coast. What boundaries existed at the time were feebly held, and the Jakonian Emperor was forced to rely heavily upon the Imperial Congress for the first time in centuries for recruitment and the raising of levies. The professional army was gutted, while the independent lords' armies grew in power. The professional army suffered significant losses attempting to hold Losana, which rose in rebellion in 859, and was granted independence in 869. It was the lords' armies that were sent into Bamard in 882, following the deposing of the allied nobles in that state. They performed miserably and suffered heavily losses against the Bamardis.
It became clear that the Jakonians were on their last legs, and the Bahamis took advantage, as the islands under their control rose up in rebellion, led by revitalized djinn. By 900 AF, the Jakonians had no further claim to any of the Bahami islands. In 920 the Forardis rose in a rebellion of their own, and after a few sharp battles claimed victory over Jakonia, gaining independence in under a year. Shortly after, in 944, the Jakonian Empire fell into the throes of a brutal civil war, as the remaining loyalists sought to preserve the empire and the rebels, led by the kings of Orrland and Columba, sought to gain independence. While the Emperor had been prepared to lose Forard, he was unwilling to lose what had been the cornerstone of the empire. The civil war lasted until 947, when the besieging rebel army breached the Fruitlands Wall for the first time in history. Unwilling to see the Imperial City sacked, the Emperor sued for peace.
In the peace that followed, the Jakonian Empire granted Orrland and Columba their independence, along with the dwarves of Kiralyno. The Free Cities of Augustin and Capcora bought their independence in the process, offering to help pay reparations for the Empire to the victorious rebels. Despite their successes on the battlefield, the Columbans and Orrlanders were in no position to demand anything further and chose to abandon their Nasite allies, who had spent much blood and energy tying down Jakonian armies in the east. The Nasites were betrayed in the treaty and forced to remain under Imperial rule.
Over the next 100 years, the Jakonians have desperately attempted to preserve onto what remains of their empire. Several more minor wars and punitive expeditions have been launched against the Emirates, with varying levels of success. The majority of efforts have been focused on expanding soft power towards the other states of the Circle Sea, and they provided substantial support for the Battle of Spider Bend and stood aside in the independence of the Free City of Riveraineville. They have also been choosing to send out more and more exploratory expeditions into the rest of the world, seeking to map out the lands beyond Emicara, with considerable losses in the process. The Imperial Congress has gained more power in the time to come, gaining strength as the center of authority weakens.
Demography and Population
Officially, the only types of people allowed within the Jakonian Empire are humans and halflings. Jakonian and Nasite humans unofficially account for over seventy percent of the Empire's population. Approximately twenty percent of the population is halflings belonging to the Villages and surrounding areas. The remaining ten percent are predominantly dwarves, but also illegal residents of other races. The Imperial City even has a quarter for nonhuman residents, though it is walled off from the rest of the city, to prevent contamination of pure human blood. High elves are the only other race which enjoys at least roughly the same freedoms overall in the Empire, being responsible for most of the Jakonian banking system, and their offspring or half-elves can enjoy equal rights to humans.
Outside of the Fruitlands these notions fall apart, and depending on the lord in a lordship, some places even afford any nonhumans full rights. These individuals live, however, with the knowledge that at any point inquisitors from the Church of the One Sun could manifest and take everything away. Dwarves of Kiralyno are granted special exemption, being allowed to employ their engineering and development knowledge for the good of the Empire. The human population remains a majority, and it seems likely that the xenophobia will continue.
Territories
The territory of the Jakonian Empire is divided into lordships, each administered by a hereditary Lord, who also holds a seat in the Imperial Congress. Each major city is its own lordship, consisting of Palm, Satsuma, Corazon, Nasah, Poinciana, and Liberty. Outside of the major cities, the lordships are determined by geographical areas. Each lordship can have wildly different laws and leadership, which is often left alone by the Emperor and other members of the Congress. Only in extreme circumstances do lords interfere with the management of other lordships. The greatest of Lordships, administered directly by the house of the Emperor, is the Fruitlands. The Fruitlands are the home of the Imperial City and surrounded by the great Fruitlands Wall, said to be cast entirely of steel and other impenetrable metals harvested from the depths of the Apps. The other most noteworthy Lordship is that of the Villages, the home to nearly all halflings in Emicara, and the breadbasket of the Empire.
Military
The Imperial Army of Jakonia was once unmatched throughout the world. Combined innovations in magic and siege technologies allowed the Jakonians to dominate every battlefield they strode across, along with their iron discipline and flawless tactics. In time the fortunes of the Jakonian army declined and their best forces were squandered in fruitless battles. Today the Imperial Army itself is a shadow of what it once was, and is little more than a glorified guard retinue for the Emperor. Only a handful of Army regiments remain, and for ground combat the Empire now leans heavily on the private armies and guards of the Lordships. Every lord is expected to contribute to the Empire's defense and offense, which has created massive disparities in quality between units. What is left of the actual Imperial Army still received high quality training and leadership, but they are a drop in the bucket for the Empire's needs.
The Imperial Navy is another story altogether. While the Army suffered grave losses over the course of the Empire's decline, the need for the Navy has only grown. The increase of independent nations on the Circle Sea and Endless Ocean have made it apparent that a naval threat is the most likely one to be faced in the future. Therefore the bulk of national military spending has gone to the Navy. The Navy continues to innovate and create new designs, seeking advantages, particularly over the Bahami Emirates. The Imperial Navy is still the largest naval force in the world, and surprisingly, the Imperial Marines as a force are actually larger and better equipped than the Imperial Army at the current date. The Imperial Navy is still loyal only to the Emperor, and it offers the most stable military force in Jakonia.
Technological Level
Even with Jakonia's decline it remains at the forefront of developing new technologies and ideas. The humans of the Imperial University have established ever newer ideas on the formation and expansion of the universe and what it consists of. Furthermore, they press the boundaries of magical power and spells, establishing much new arcana and knowledge about the workings of magic. Specialists in the Imperial City also develop new items for sale and production, both magical and mundane, many of which ultimately enter into common use across the world. It is said that all of these advancements are mere shadows for some of the production in the Shin Empire, but outside of the Shin, Jakonian technical prowess is unmatched.
Religion
The official and only religion in the Jakonian Empire is the Church of the One Sun. Practice of any other faiths are declared illegal by the Imperial Congress. For the most part nonhumans, with the exception of halflings, are not allowed to participate in the Church, and must therefore recuse themselves on religious holidays and while they are allowed to follow their own gods, it is strictly forbidden to worship them in public. Enforcement of these draconian measures varies from lordship to lordship, but the overwhelming influence of the Church of the One Sun is present in every element of Jakonian society.
Foreign Relations
In the past the affairs of the Jakonian Empire affected all of the nations of Emicara. If the aristocrats of the Fruitlands developed a fondness for Alsonan lumber, the entire lumber market in Emicara would change to suit their preferences. Since the decline of the Empire, this has changed, and Jakonia has become more of a regional power at best. They have to manage their affairs carefully with all of their neighbors and surrounding states, because if they seemed to manifest as a greater expansionist threat once more, there's always the possibility of a new coalition to end the empire totally.
The most important relationship to Jakonia is that with the Kingdom of Orrland. As the final destination of the Iron Road, the Kingdom of Orrland is vital for Jakonian overland trading interests and commerce. The Chancellors have been very careful to preserve a friendly relationship with Orrland, and frequent marriages between houses keep everyone honest. The conflict for Orrland's affections is with the Kingdom of Columba, which desperately seeks to preserve their alliance and affiliation with Orrland, as they are well aware that should Orrland decisively side with the remnants of the empire, Columba itself would be at risk. Columba and Jakonia have been in a cold conflict state for nearly a century as both jockey for position and allies should another conflict engulf the peninsula.
The city states of Augustin, Capcora, Kiralyno, and Riveraineville also all factor heavily into the decisions made by the Imperial Congress. Augustin and Capcora in particular could be useful beachheads for any opposing army or force that would allow landings right in the heart of the remaining imperial land. Riveraineville on the other hand offers trade access to half of Emicara, especially the untapped resources of the Sypi Confederacy and Alsona. These city states are kept carefully appeased by the Congress and treated with utmost caution to prevent any sort of estrangement from Imperial interests. This has even gone so far as the Imperial Congress standing up to the Church of the One Sun and denying them evangelical access to Riveraineville. Kiralyno on the other hand remains important for its raw resources and the expertise of the dwarves. They have proven the most resistant to rapprochement with the Empire, as the dwarves have long memories of oppression.
The Shin Empire are the oldest enemies of the Jakonian Empire, and they have been enemies for as long as anyone in the two nations can remember. Although the stars of both empires have faded in the past fifty years, the tensions remain. There have been constant conflicts over influence in Forard and Bamard, and frequent attempts by diplomats on both sides to realign the Mersan Union, which is occasionally a third power. Since the closure of the Shin Empire in 999, however, Forard and Bamard have reasserted themselves somewhat more towards the Jakonians, which has been met with extensive relief. The prevailing opinion in Jakonia is that it doesn't matter why the Shin closed their borders, as long as they continue to do so.
The Mersan Union, Recfrere, and Populres are less important to the Jakonians than ever before. Frequently engaged in their own conflicts and disputes, they are fairly irrelevant to the current empire. The Jakonians find it important to play them off against each other, and have even recently invited trade delegations from Populres, just to spur further confrontations. Alsona, the Sypi Confederacy, and Losana had received similarly policies, but recent events revolving around the Sypi Civil War have caused the Church of the One Sun, and by extension, the Jakonian Empire, to lose face in the region.
Lastly, the most hostile relationship the Jakonians have at current is with the Bahami Emirates. The Bahamis have found the decline of Jakonian authority to be a boon for their corsairs and raiders. The pirates and privateers sent out from the Emirates have targeted the Jakonians more than any other nation, mostly due to the larger amount of shipping coming from their ports. The Jakonian Imperial Navy continues to face these threats, but the Bahamis have even been bold enough to attack Jakonian warships and losses have consistently been mounting. Many are concerned that a true war between the Emirates and Jakonia could be on the horizon.
Agriculture & Industry
At the height of the Jakonian Empire it was the master of all resources and production. Today, the Jakonians have become more of an agricultural power. Thanks to the powerful magics of the past, the Fruitlands continues to produce massive specimens of all crops, including exotic fruits and vegetables. The magic allows for the constant and rapid growing of these crops, and the Jakonians sell many of these abroad, and it's always said that no one in the Empire will ever go hungry. This is truth more than a mere boast. That said, the Jakonians lack much more than subsistence industry, as they rely upon imports to supply most raw materials for construction and production. The entirety of the current Jakonian Empire has no native iron or coal production, and it all must be shipped in from elsewhere. The Jakonians have been developing new industries to try and make up this deficit, but the lack of resources makes this a slow process.
Education
Education within Jakonia varies in availability wildly from lordship to lordship, and even from town to town. Some wealthier towns and communities provide free education for their denizens. Famously, the halflings of the Villages provide free and open education for all of their people, providing a nearly one hundred percent literacy rate. Outside of the Villages, however, the humans have to make do on their own. Literacy is fairly low in Jakonia, which is intentional decision by the aristocracy, favoring private tutors and education for those who need it to rule. Jakonia still boasts several competing universities, which teach a wide variety of upper echelon skills and abilities. The Imperial University, one of the greatest of this institutions, includes one of the most famed magical colleges in the Imperial Arcane College.
Infrastructure
The Jakonian Empire's roads were once legendary, but they have been allowed to fall into disrepair, particularly in the southern lordships. The Lords have been given the responsibility of maintaining most of these roads, and the expense is usually not worth the task. Much of the interior of Jakonia is still dirt roads and minimal infrastructure. The exception to the rule of course is the Fruitlands, where nearly every road is paved and the Imperial City itself boasts interior plumbing, running water, and a sewer system unrivaled by any other outside of the Shin Empire and dwarven cities of the Apps.
The Jakonian ports today are the most important trade link for numerous resources, bringing goods in from northern ports and the Free City of Riveraineville. The port at the Imperial City is truly massive and can house hundreds of trading ships on a regular day of commerce. Even this expanse is not all that is required, particularly for the massive amount of food exports leaving Jakonia. Numerous other ports exist both along the Circle Sea and the Endless Ocean, all offering a safe haven for trade and commerce.
Lastly, and most notoriously, is the famed Iron Road. Originally a construction of the Nameless Empire, it was restored and revitalized by one of the original emperors of Jakonia. Using ancient magic and technology, the Iron Road allows the rapid and massive transportation of goods and people between Terminus in the Kingdom of Orrland and the Imperial City in the Fruitlands. This is responsible for the most of the food exports leaving the Fruitlands, providing vital foodstuffs both to Jakonia's northern provinces and Orrland and Columba. Only a secretive order of wizards knows how the Iron Road operates and they maintain its continuity of existence through their rituals.
Through Fire, Order
Founding Date
Newdawn 9, 92
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
Jakonian Empire
Demonym
Jakonian
Head of State
Head of Government
Government System
Monarchy, Theocratic
Power Structure
Feudal state
Economic System
Mixed economy
Currency
Copper/Silver/Gold
Major Exports
Foodstuffs, spices
Major Imports
Iron ore, steel goods, minerals of all types, lumber, bricks
Legislative Body
Imperial Congress of Lords
Judicial Body
Imperial Court
Official State Religion
Subsidiary Organizations
Controlled Territories
Neighboring Nations
Notable Members
Comments