Dwendalian Empire
Structure
King Bertrand Dwendal is now two months past his sixty-eighth birthday, and his iron will has not wavered with age. A tall, powerful man, King Dwendal rewards loyalty and swiftly punishes insolence and failure. His family has developed a totalitarian rule that reaps heavy taxes and looms over society with a military presence that only grows stronger with proximity to the capital city of Rexxentrum. While civic unrest does rise beyond mere mutterings from time to time, reminders of the dangerous creatures that live beyond the guarded borders of each city and the protections offered within the empire generally keep the populace in line. Those that rebel often find themselves in chains or forgotten in a dungeon.
Most cities and townships throughout the empire are ruled by a local government under the leadership of a starosta, usually a native baron appointed by the Crown and the Cerberus Assembly. Reporting directly to the king's council, the starosta is given absolute control over local government, appointing and maintaining responsibility for the heads of the city guard (watch master), the regional military (warmaster), local commerce (coinmaster), infrastructure (pithmaster), religious practices (idolmaster), and the courts of law (lawmaster). Twice a year, tithe collectors (nicknamed "Reapers") visit each imperial city to inspect households for records and proof of income, collecting a percentage of their earnings in coin as determined by the tithe collector.
Culture
Dwendalian society has a rigid caste system, in which denizens who have mastery over the arcane are considered elite members of society. Many Dwendalian ladies and lords came from a sorcerous bloodline or studied the arcane arts within the walls of the Soltryce Academy. Those who especially excel in their magics or were born into prominent families can come to hold power as a member of the Cerberus Assembly, a council of extremely powerful mages that works directly with
King Dwendal and his councilors to develop and enforce laws throughout Western Wynandir. However, distrust between the king and the Cerberus Assembly runs deep, for they both wish to eliminate the other and enjoy uncontested power.
Public Agenda
The empire uses the plentiful resources of the Marrow Valley and sizable tithes gathered from citizens to protect their people and maintain control over Western Wynandir, while keeping a keen eye out for opportunities to expand their influence across the continent. The empire's religious proscriptions are proving more and more difficult to enforce in this time of conflict. Theolocrat Kon Bruda is helming a new directive to align religious texts with less oppressive terminology, in an attempt to redirect discontent away from the Crown and onto the heretics beyond the borders.
History
The Dwendalian Empire has reigned over Western Wynandir for over twelve generations. Imperial rule is maintained through its powerful military, its policy of religious restriction, and the support of the secretive Cerberus Assembly. Though these institutions nominally exist to ensure the safety of the populace from foreign threats, terrible dangers that wander the wilds, and lingering evils that seep from the scars of the Calamity, they also allow the empire to maintain strict social order
within its territories.
The Zemnian people were left desolated by the events of the Calamity, struggling to survive in the harsh climate of north Western Wynandir. With the founding of the city of Rexxentrum, civilization once more began to grow, and eventually in 539 PD, Manfried Dwendal became the first Emperor of the newly-established Dwendalian Empire. The Dwendalian Empire spread to encompass its neighbors - namely, the peoples of the Zemni Fields and the Marrow Valley - before finally conquering the Julous Dominion in about 545 PD. With the Empire's victory in the Marrow War, all of Western Wynandir was controlled by the Dwendalian Empire. In the tense atmosphere following the end of the war, as a propaganda move hearkening back to the kings and queens of the Age of Arcanum, Emperor Manfried Dwendal proclaimed that henceforth he would be known as "King" of the Dwendalian Empire. Zadash was the last remaining bastion of the previous government over the Marrow Valley. However, eventually it was conquered and the whole Marrow Valley became a province of the Dwendalian Empire. With the conquest of the Marrow Valley, Zadash is now the most central and second largest city in the kingdom. This has made Zadash an important center for travel and trade.
Demography and Population
There are an estimated 10 million inhabitants to the lands of the Empire. A majority are found in the various rural settlements and towns spread throughout the lands. For them, life in the Empire is a promise for order and safety, but the dangers of the wilds often test the limits of that security.
Military
The Crownsguard is a paramilitary gendarmerie that serves as the primary law enforcement arm of the Dwendalian Empire, as well as its military reserve. They are sent throughout each major city in order to keep the peace, while also acting as a national secret police that observes and eliminates any opponents to King Bertrand Dwendal's reign. Their standard uniform and equipment consists of vermilion or maroon robes, bronze scale mail breast and arm plates, a shield, greaves, a helmet, a crossbow, and a basic longsword. Throughout the lands of the Empire, there are nearly 35,000 Crownsguard watching over the cities, towns, villages, and roads.
The Righteous Brand is the military of the Dwendalian Empire. They wear plate mail with a silver and dark crimson design. They (along with the Crownsguard) are trained in Bladegarden. Considering its history in war and the large swath of land it rules, the Empire has a focus on maintaining a large standing army. Their numbers have been further bolstered due to the ongoing war effort against the Kryn Dynasty. To aid in the defense of its land, the Empire has built up and currently maintain roughly 130 military installations. Across these outposts, the ongoing battlefields, and various settlements, there are roughly 150-175,000 Righteous Brand soldiers in the Empire.
Religion
Around 545 PD, shortly after the end of the Marrow War, there was a rebellion within the Julous Dominion against the Empire and Emperor Manfried Dwendal, led in large part by many priests of the various gods using religion as their cause. As a result, Manfried sought to abolish all religious worship within the Empire, but this crackdown further fueled the rebellion. When the rebellion was eventually quashed, a handful of gods that fit easily within the overall goals of the Empire were chosen as "approved". The deities that were chosen were those that fit within its ideas of society and knowledge, and aligned with its goals.
Every temple in the Dwendalian Empire is government-owned and government-run. Religious practices are considered a social taboo, and the Empire looks down on divine magic with general disdain. Worship of unapproved deities (e.g. The Changebringer) results in imprisonment on charges of "idol worship". In Zadash, heralds run each shrine and are part of the government structure. They give sermons and counsel to anyone who requires it.
The Current Approved Deities:
Bahamut, the Platinum Dragon
Erathis, the Law-Bearer
Ioun, the Knowing Mentor
Moradin, the All-Hammer
Pelor, the Dawn Father
The Raven Queen, Matron of Death
Foreign Relations
Landlocked and reliant on the trade avenues of the Menagerie Coast, the Dwendalian Empire maintains a respectful and mutually beneficial relationship with the Clovis Concord. Agents of both nations watch the borders, and an occasional political gesture of good faith satisfies those in power. Still, the empire doesn't trust the concord by any stretch of the imagination, and a secret world of subterfuge is alive and well. Historically, the Cerberus Assembly has been responsible for much of the empire's acquisition and retention of power, but the royal bloodline has always harbored a paranoid dislike of the council of mages. Handshakes and smiles hide distrust, and the king correctly assumes that the assembly is merely biding their time to attempt to challenge his power.
The King and his chamber ignore most foreign powers. Requests for alliances from the Council of Tal'Dorei and the distant city of Ank'Harel have been met with indifference, and efforts to install a skyport in Rexxentrum to enable easier foreign travel have been continuously shut down.
Laws
As judged by the eyes of the local lawmaster, appointed hands of the lawmaster, or the The Lawbearer herself, any criminals discovered and/or convicted of crimes within local halls of judgement throughout the empire are subject to punishment befitting the crime. All fines and punishments for crimes against a Crownsguard member, Righteous Brand soldier, or noble are doubled. All fines and punishments regarding crimes against an imperial official of the Cerberus Assembly are tripled.
Theft: 5-10 days incarceration and/or a fine of twice the worth of the stolen goods.
Worship of Non-Empire Gods: 30 days incarceration and a fine of 250 gp.
Slavery: 12-20 months incarceration and a fine of 1800 gp.
Trespassing: 12 days incarceration and/or fine of 215 gp.
Tax Evasion: 5-30 days incarceration and a repossession of property equal to the amount owed.
Damage to Private Property: 5-15 days incarceration or a fine of twice the worth of property damaged.
Damage to Crown Property: 15-60 days incarceration and a fine of twice the worth of property damaged.
Kidnapping: 60 days incarceration and/or a fine of 800 gp.
Assault with Intent to Injure: 30 days incarceration and/or a fine of 350 gp.
Assault with Intent to Kill: 250 days incarceration and/or a fine of 1800 gp, or execution.
Murder: 8-15 years incarceration, and/or a fine of 6000 gp, or execution.
Treason: Execution.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Leader
Leader Title
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Executive Body
The crown determines the overall course for the Empire. It has been historically ruled by the founding family of the Empire, the Dwendals. Generally, the crown is passed down to the firstborn child of the previous ruler. There have been instances where this shift has been adjusted, but one truth has remained. The ruler of the Empire must be one with the Dwendal blood in their veins, regardless of race or gender. The crown has its own cabinet of advisors that handle various matters across the Empire. Individuals who oversee guilds, cities, armies, etc. Attached to this group of advisors in a complicated and difficult web is the Cerberus Assembly. This group of archmages advises the crown and even helps with the management of certain facets of the Empire, alongside the other royal cabinet. However, the members of the Assembly have often been seeking a way to break free of this power grip and expand their own individual influences.
Subsidiary Organizations
Location
Controlled Territories
Notable Members
Related Plots
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