The Empire of Praiwind
The common people (humans, gnomes, elves) of Praiwind can be pessimistic about their lot but attempt to overcome their trials with fierce determination. They work hard, always looking for any edge to advance themselves in the corrupt city. When the time comes to break from their hard work, they take pride in their family and enjoy celebrations with wild revels that include sumptuous banquets, strong tavern drinks, hot-blooded duels, flirting or gossiping in dance-houses, gambling and even darker entertainments found in shadowy corners of the cities.
There is still some lingering inequality between the wild elves and other common folk. As the memories of the war fade from human memory, they are becoming more widely accepted and welcomed.
Structure
- The Emperor: the head of the system. Everyone else is beneath him and his law is total and unquestionable. The title is inherited through the male lineage.
- The Dukes: 5 Dukes are elected from the Council of Blades, by the Council of Blades. By ranking they fall just below the Emperor, but the Council holds them accountable for their actions. Though corruption runs deep in the council and many Dukes escape scrutiny through bribery. Each Duke rules over a small city-state; Sussex, Valtower, The Cradle, Frostmouth, and Toppill. The Dukes are supposed to be equals, but a sort of rank has developed over the years with Valtower at the top, followed by Sussex as the oldest city, then Toppill, Frostmouth, and lastly The Cradle as it has no large cities.
- The Council of Blades: The Emperor elects 16 nobles from the Lord houses to serve on the Council of Blades. The Council then elects and regulates the Duke of each city-state. The Blades debate and vote on new laws which are, in turn, passed on to the Duke, who either gives final approval and signs it into law, or vetoes it. While this system works in theory, many of the Blades use bribery or intimidation to swing the votes of the other Blades in their favor.
- The Lord Houses: 49 other families travelled over to Praiwind during its founding, so 49 Lord Houses exist. Should a Lord house fall out of favor with the Emperor, he selects a new family to replace them and serve as a Lord house. Anyone can petition to become a noble, but success or failure is typically determined by the candidate’s lineage and current wealth. While this system seems orderly on the surface, a great deal of politicking is done through the assassin’s blade. The nobles are all but powerless except in name. Having the designation of nobility affords a family certain privileges and rights, but the opportunity to join the Blades is rare. The head of each house is known as a Lord and any other members of the house are titled Zor or Zora. The title is inherited by the eldest child.
- The Merchants: The only thing that gives the merchants any sway over the masses is their money. And with it, the ability to buy power. Wealthy merchant families are most likely to be elected to an open Lord house position, especially if they get their money to the right people. Amongst the masses they act as Lords, but amongst lords they are little more than groveling dogs, although some merchant houses hold more wealth than certain lord houses.
History
The Founding (173 PA)
- Henrick Deroland, the youngest of the noble Deroland family, got aboard a ship with his family, and 49 others and braved the Sea of Drakes to land in Praiwind at what is now Sussex. Henrick declared himself emperor of the lands and it was there he and the others settled, and began to build. They found the land to be plentiful, the river to be full, and the neighboring gnomes to be friendly and helpful.
- Sussex grew as more people left their kingdoms for Praiwind. People seeking out freedom from the oppression of dragons, or a ruler without the ideals of the gods. As more people arrived, the supplies of Sussex were pushed to their limit. Emperor Henrick took his 16 favorite nobles and their families along with his best soldiers and spellcasters and led them further inland. With the gnomes’ guidance, he found The Cradle and The Cobalt Gorge. It was upon the edge of that lake he began to build the seat of his empire, Valtower.
- More people arrived and spread to the north and south of Sussex. Frostmouth and Toppill were founded and constructed. Trade prospered as Praiwind’s natural wealth was brought forth.
- The Emperor began to grow old and his ability to travel grew limited. He developed the Council of Blades and the Dukes to guide his cities when he could not be there. It was thirty more years still until the reign of the first emperor came to an end at 104 years old.
- Already quite old by the time his father died, there was an uprising amongst the nobility. But the Soldiery remained loyal to the Emperor and quelled them at the cost of 13 Lords Houses. Derex replaced them with more loyal families, most wealthy merchants or long time advisors.
- But his rule was still short-lived, after 5 years, an arcane assassin entered the palace and killed the 84-year-old emperor.
- A former Soldier himself, the Soldiery were fiercely loyal to the Emperor. No rebellion was mentioned upon his ascent to the throne. Dukes, Blades and Lords alike fell in line or were eliminated. Only 1 Lord House was replaced during his rule. It is believed that The Hawks were founded by him, though there is no paper trail to prove it.
- Stricken by his father’s death and unable to find the assassin, all magic was banned upon his crowning. There was a great uproar, and eventually he worked alongside the Blades to establish a registration system, so that magic could be regulated.
- The need for more land and resources grew larger during his reign, and the people that attempted to push nearer to the forests were met with the magic and arrows of the elves.
- Alaric himself met with the leader queen of the elves in their hidden fortress of Marosta and he emerged with a promise: The elves were people of his empire, and as such needed to be defended from the invading threat of Orcs to the far north. In exchange, the forest was freely accessible to all.
- Much was achieved with this alliance. Some elves joined the cities and human society. Human villages were able to live in peace and plenty on the edge of the forest. And, with the aid of the Soldiery, the elves were able to push the Orc hordes back across the water to the Isles of Savagery. Alaric’s own son perished during the fighting, leaving behind a grieving widow and a young daughter.
- Alaric was praised as a great strategist, warrior and ruler. He died peacefully at the ripe age of 94.
- Her son, 15-year-old, Eero was crowned emperor after the death of Alaric. Upset at being overlooked, Umber used her position to manipulate her son into giving her the title of High Blade. A second only to the Emperor himself, but with all the same powers and allowances, subject to His Imperialness’ approval.
- There was insurgence among the Blades as she wielded her power over them. Any Lords who dared to raise a voice against her were instantly and mercilessly executed. During her short span of leadership, 24 Lords were killed and 17 Lord Houses were replaced.
- The humans began to push too far into the forest, taking too much and the elves came to plea for some measure of restraint. Umber held the audience, though her hatred for elves was infamous as she believed it to be their fault her father died. The messengers were returned to their people without their heads, igniting a war between the elves and the humans.
- Her son, The Emperor, discovered what she had done and had her imprisoned for her betrayal. The position of High Blade was eliminated and the rule of the Bitch-Queen ended, but the destruction she left in her wake was immense
- The great grandson of Alaric, Eero was only 10 when he was crowned Emperor. Eero was kept away from all of the politics, on endless parades and excursions to “oversee the empire” while his mother ruled in his place. He was young and happy to avoid the politics until his caravan was attacked by a band of wild elves. The Soldiery managed to save him, though the rest of the young nobles travelling with him perished.
- He returned to Valtower to question his mother about the incident and learned of her message to the elves and the war she had begun. Furious and betrayed, he had her imprisoned in a tower of the palace and eliminated the position of High Blade.
- He attempted to make contact with the elves to negotiate, but the messengers returned in pieces. So he prepared for war.
- The Soldiery and the common army are strong fighters, and in a head to head battle were almost always the winners. But the elves preferred to rely on traps and surprises. The forces proved to be evenly matched and little progress was made on either side.
- Eero was experiencing a lot of pressure from the nobility, who were suffering losses from the constant raiding of the elves, to win a decisive victory. His wife had yet to produce an heir and the whisper of rebellion was beginning to spread amongst the nobility.
- The arrival of a wise stranger changed everything. Eero took to him like he was family and this Sir Vovka had the emperor’s ear on all matters. It was he that introduced the idea of settling a peace with the elves and a temporary ceasefire was called while negotiations moved forward. This, paired with the deaths of some key players in the rebellions at the hands of “The Shadows”, believed by some to have been sent by the Emperor himself, quelled any further whispers of rebellion. With Vovka’s acting as a mediator, a peace was established with the elves.
- Eero took mistress, a young but beautiful peasant girl, and, after getting her pregnant, set aside his noble wife. The Frons were framed for the murder of his pregnant lover and Eero declared war upon Rouyenne. This was redacted within a week when it was discovered that his mistress and her unborn child were alive and well and that Vovka, who was found dead, had concocted the plot to spark a war.
- Later in his reign, odd flying ships carrying strange foreigners from distant lands crashed on the northern shores of Praiwind. Both the elves and humans were cautious with these new people and together they founded the city of Aethena to hold them.
- Eero’s grandson has experienced a long peaceful and uneventful reign
- He has promoted the advancement and integration of technology into Praiwind’s daily life, combining both the new technologies coming from the elves and the inventions of the native gnomes. Together they have developed magic steam powered ferries which have improved travel and increased communication throughout the Empire.
Demography and Population
- Wild Elves: 30%
- Humans: 24%
- Gnomes: 20%
- High Elves: 15%
- Half-Orcs: 5%
- Halflings: 2%
- Half-Elves: 2%
- Other*: 2%
The Northerners
Strange folk (Aarakocra, Avariel, and Air Genasi) that arrived on ships from the north. There are few amongst the humans and fewer amongst the elves that trust them.The Raava
Called “wild elves” by the humans, they have lived on the continent for thousands of years. There way of life is very nature-centric, living with nature instead of using it. They are a people with a long memory who have known more year of war than peace. This has left them constantly on edge, waiting for the next war. Most live within The Wilds.Military
The Soldiery
The army and navy are a conjoined force referred to as the Soldiers or Soldiery. Pay is high and comes with privileges over both the normal citizens and City Watch, but potential members must past tests of military and seamanship worthiness as well as subtle tests of loyalty. Those who do well in the tests and prove loyal are subjected to other secret tests. If they succeed in them, they are invited to join the Hawks. The members of the Soldiery are widely considered to be the best and brightest of the city. Subject to rigorous testing of ability and loyalty, they are warriors and seamen without equal in Praiwind. They are frequently seen throughout the cities and are friendly, polite and competent. In the face of danger, however, these features melt away and they exhibit a brutal, unparalleled savagery. They are loyal to the Emperor and the Dukes. Attempting to bribe a member of the Soldiery will, more often than not, result in the arrest and imprisonment of the offender.The Hawks
The Hawks are a special sect of the Soldiery, a paramilitary group skilled in subterfuge and sabotage. The Hawks can be found throughout Praiwind and even across the sea, gathering information and executing plots on behalf of The Emperor in secret. The ranks of the Hawks are comprised of people from every walk of life, though most are rogues due to their training in stealth, deception and general thievery. They typically keep their affiliation private unless otherwise called for, as outing themselves limits their ability to perform their duties. They are intelligent, loyal, and have silver tongues.The City Watches
The City Watches are largely made of those who flunk out of the soldiery for being too stupid, impetuous, lazy, or swift to anger. They have a well-earned reputation for being bullies. In lieu of doing paperwork and true justice, an accused criminal, rowdy drunk, or anyone else who gets in their way often instead receives brutal beating and is tossed into an alley or the harbor. Unfortunately, it is the City Watch that the residents of Praiwind must most frequently deal with. Widely regarded as bullies, they are more likely to deal with a problem with violence and cruelty than with compassion and reason. Bribery is rampant among their ranks.Technological Level
The native gnomes, recent technological influx from The Elemental Isles, and cooperation between the Raava and The Empire have made it one of the most technologically advanced civilizations in all of Mesalone.
Arcane Magic
Magic wielded by wizards, sorcerers, arcane tricksters, eldritch knights, and some warlocks is allowed only with an appropriate license. Licenses can be received by registering as an arcane caster with the Soldiery and paying a modest fee. Lower level spells of an arcane nature may be overlooked by the City Watch if it does not threaten anyone. Punishments for unlicensed arcane activity range from a fine to imprisonment, banishment or death depending on the effect, strength of the spell, and mood of the magistrate.Natural Magic
Magic wielded by druids, rangers, and some sorcerers used to be forbidden. They are now allowed to register for a license though the fee if higher and few actually receive approval after a rigorous investigation into their history and powers. Those that apply and are not approved, suffer the punishment for unlicensed magic, which has discouraged many from even attempting to register.Divine Magic
Magic wielded by clerics, paladins, and some warlocks is only allowed within the confines of the temples and outside the city walls. Most City Watch and Soldiery will overlook divine magic of a lower level as long as it does not threaten anyone. Punishments for unlicensed divine activity range from a fine to imprisonment to banishment.Religion
Religion is not a major factor in the life of the average person. Most are too self-centered too worry about the plight of others and too corrupt or greedy to consider donating to a temple. The worship of the gods of Rouyenne is frowned upon and the only worship is typically done so as appeasement to the Gods of Fury. Each major city has taken one these gods as their patron.
In recent years, the Helping Hand begun to be quietly worshipped, especially amongst thieves and charlatans.
Style
- Victorian
- Leather
- Metallic Accents
Founding Date
173 P.A.
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Capital
Alternative Names
Praiwind, The Empire
Demonym
Praiwindish
Leader
Deities
Neighboring Nations
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