Taldorx
Taldor is one of the oldest nations in the Inner Sea region, at one point having held the majority of Avistan under the Lion Throne’s control. The empire’s history of expansion, military might, and heroic glory are baked into its citizens’ self-image, and even the lowliest peasant tilling Taldan soil takes pride in the fact that she’s Taldan. Millennia of tradition have taken their toll on the realm, however, and the empire now holds only a fraction of the lands it once controlled. An ongoing, intermittent war with the neighboring satrapy of Qadira has instilled an anti-Keleshite and anti-Sarenite prejudice among many Taldans, and the nation’s longstanding policy of agnatic succession, limiting the lines of succession to male descendants, has led to an unfortunately sexist trend in politics and society as a whole. The nobility’s focus on prestige and personal power has consumed a disproportionate share of attention and resources, leaving the lower classes in increasingly dire straits and allowing the empire’s once-magnificent infrastructure to slowly crumble.
A recent and hotly contested transition of power in Taldor has begun to overturn some of these trends. Grand Princess Eutropia Stavian is the first woman to rule Taldor in the empire’s history, following the Taldan Senate’s vote to overturn the longstanding policy of limiting the crown to male heirs. Though still relatively new to the throne, Eutropia has already proven herself a formidable monarch with her wise arbitration and cunning diplomacy, upholding the proud and rich Taldan culture while investing in the realm’s long-neglected infrastructure. With the aid of her resurrected brother Prince Carrius—who bears a strong spiritual connection to some of the greatest of Taldor’s past emperors—she’s already managed to heal some of the divides caused by the bloody civil war that accompanied her rise to power, and by all accounts appears poised to revitalize Taldor as a nation. Yet the War for the Crown is still a fresh wound, and the old guard of Taldor has not yet fallen away. Many of Eutropia’s former rivals remain in powerful positions and still oppose her rule, and plots and schemes circulate within every echelon of Taldan society.
Taldor has long maintained an impressive military whose forces include the Taldan Horse, Taldan Phalanx, and Imperial Navy, but these assets have come to the fore with Tar-Baphon’s move to claim Absalom—itself not so far from Taldor’s capital of Oppara. Nearly any Taldan can recount the nation’s glorious leadership in the Shining Crusade and the victory the Taldan General Arnisant achieved there, and many in the nation view Tar-Baphon’s return as an opportunity to once again shine on the field of glorious battle. Military outposts that not so long ago were devoted to skirmishes with Qadiran forces are now training troops for the potential return of the Whispering Tyrant, and the city of Cassomir has undergone a massive revival as the navy has begun building new ships at an unprecedented rate.
Taldor as a whole maintains a close watch on neighboring lands. Some of this is handled through official channels, but a substantial portion of this work falls to the unseen hands of the secretive Lion Blades. Primarily recruited from Oppara’s famous bardic colleges, Lion Blades specialize in infiltration, espionage, and even assassination to further their nation’s goals. The Lion Blades’ current leader is Dominicus Rell, who officially served as an advisor to the previous Grand Prince Stavian III and continues in that role for Eutropia, though rumor within the Lion Blades suggests a growing divide in agents’ loyalty, with some favoring a senior agent named Laurisa Tromaine over Dominicus.
A recent and hotly contested transition of power in Taldor has begun to overturn some of these trends. Grand Princess Eutropia Stavian is the first woman to rule Taldor in the empire’s history, following the Taldan Senate’s vote to overturn the longstanding policy of limiting the crown to male heirs. Though still relatively new to the throne, Eutropia has already proven herself a formidable monarch with her wise arbitration and cunning diplomacy, upholding the proud and rich Taldan culture while investing in the realm’s long-neglected infrastructure. With the aid of her resurrected brother Prince Carrius—who bears a strong spiritual connection to some of the greatest of Taldor’s past emperors—she’s already managed to heal some of the divides caused by the bloody civil war that accompanied her rise to power, and by all accounts appears poised to revitalize Taldor as a nation. Yet the War for the Crown is still a fresh wound, and the old guard of Taldor has not yet fallen away. Many of Eutropia’s former rivals remain in powerful positions and still oppose her rule, and plots and schemes circulate within every echelon of Taldan society.
Taldor has long maintained an impressive military whose forces include the Taldan Horse, Taldan Phalanx, and Imperial Navy, but these assets have come to the fore with Tar-Baphon’s move to claim Absalom—itself not so far from Taldor’s capital of Oppara. Nearly any Taldan can recount the nation’s glorious leadership in the Shining Crusade and the victory the Taldan General Arnisant achieved there, and many in the nation view Tar-Baphon’s return as an opportunity to once again shine on the field of glorious battle. Military outposts that not so long ago were devoted to skirmishes with Qadiran forces are now training troops for the potential return of the Whispering Tyrant, and the city of Cassomir has undergone a massive revival as the navy has begun building new ships at an unprecedented rate.
Taldor as a whole maintains a close watch on neighboring lands. Some of this is handled through official channels, but a substantial portion of this work falls to the unseen hands of the secretive Lion Blades. Primarily recruited from Oppara’s famous bardic colleges, Lion Blades specialize in infiltration, espionage, and even assassination to further their nation’s goals. The Lion Blades’ current leader is Dominicus Rell, who officially served as an advisor to the previous Grand Prince Stavian III and continues in that role for Eutropia, though rumor within the Lion Blades suggests a growing divide in agents’ loyalty, with some favoring a senior agent named Laurisa Tromaine over Dominicus.
Founders
Type
National Territory
Inhabitant Demonym
Taldan
Location under
Owner/Ruler
Ruling/Owning Rank
Owning Organization
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