The Elysian Empire
Structure
Culture
The Empire's citizens are a insulur bunch caring little about the comings and goings of the world. It is not uncommon to see citizens avoiding foriegners and even out right shunning them. In the farther north towns some have even stated that forigners are denied entry in the town. However in the souththe commonly seen trading ships have made the citizens attitudes much more lax. When with other citizens however the people of the Elysian Empire are outgoing and friendly, and theyh will gladly invite newly met individuals for dinner and to meet family.
In regards to faith the state religion is the worship of Ashera: The Law Bringer. This is accepted by most every person in the empire and as such Holy days of Ashera are times of celebration and rest. The following of Ashera also means that there is a great taboo for breaking laws, so the tightening of security and laws by the current empire has actually made the citizens happier. In fact many felt that the former emperor and empress were too lax with law enforcement. This all together has made the current emperor very popular with the citizenry. However he may have also exacerbated the xenophobia of the people, as they now see the empire as the bastion of law and order in lawless lands of the Abandoned Realms.
Criminals are treated harshly in the Elysian Empire. With the strict following of the Goddess Ashera those who break the law are less than dirt. In families where a member has committed a crime it is not uncommon for the family to completely disown the member of the family even if it was for something as small as petty theft. Furthermore outsiders who break the law in the elysian empire are usually barred from entering any of the cities again.
Public Agenda
The Emperor has made it his goal to increase law and security in the Empire. This has been done with an iron fist and those who break the slightest law can be hit with a very hefty fine or worse prison. This is due to the murder of the Emperor's younger brother and his brother's wife. With the enacting of curfews,d the cracking down of bandits and outlawing of gambling in the Empire so far this has been working or at least having the appearance of working.
Assets
The Imperial Treasury
The golden Palace
Vast Expanses of land
Fort Autumnwind
An Armada of Galleons and Frigates
About 1000 Infantry Legions
200 Calvary Legions
350 Archer legions
Steel and Mythral armor and weapons
A vault of Enchanted weapons including the Elysian Blade
History
The Elysian Empire started as a loose alliance of the two cities of Nelandell and Mistview in 1694 AA. At this point it was not called the Elysian Empire but rather the Elysian Alliance. Then in 1700 AA there was a large assault on the city of Mistview by a group of Elves from the Southern Plains by current day Riversmaw. The Mayor of Nelandell at the time Sine Olmaxim with her 6 Legions of volunteers quickly came to the Aide of Mistview and was able to Route the some 20 legions of Elves. Not even a week after this victory the city of Riverspost asked for aid in the repelling of the Elven occupation in their city promising to join the Elysian Alliance. Seeing a chance for not only new allies but a chance to gain greater power Sine. Gathered her troops and with an army 10 legions strong she started on the march towards Riverpost.
Along the way Colonel Faircook of the 3rd Calvery Legion spotted an area to rest along a large loch. Making her camp on top of a large hill overlooking the Loch Mayor Sine Olmaxim spotted a glimmer coming from a small island in the center of the Loch. With only her satchel filled with rations and water Sine left her camp late at night and swam to the distant light. There she found a glistening blade stabbed into a tree, and when she drew it a great blast of arcane energy radiated from the island to the surrounding area. Sine returned to her camp where her men were awake wondering what could have possibly caused such a blast. There Sine produced the enchanted blade she had claimed and they dubbed it the Elysian Blade. Feeling a sense of stoicism for the land Sine dubbed the area Loch Faircook and moved on.
Upon reaching the town sine signaled her troops to remain hidden while she and a few others performed reconnaissance. Inside the city sine was disgusted with what she saw. Visions of torture, sadism, cannibalism, and rape as far as the eye could see. There were women flayed on trees and men strangled with the umbilical cords of fetuses cut out from the pregnant stomachs of their wives. She saw kids in pen like cages being fattened up for slaughter and consumption, and finally she saw the mayor of the town who had sent for her aide dead. An expert in medicine who had volunteered looked at the mayor to determine the cause of death. He found out that the man had been sliced open while being kept awake. Then he was forced to eat is intestines from the incision, once he had finished this morbid meal they then plucked out his eyes feasted on his tongue and spent time breaking his teeth with a small hammer one by one. At which point he finally succumbed to his wounds. Sine left the town and went back to her troops were she ordered the attack. As her legions descended upon Riverpost, the elven invaders produced their own 7 legions in an attempt to repel Sine and her army. They stood no chance as witnesses describe Sine able to cleave clean through the armies with her Elysian Blade while her troops took on the unprepared battalions. The final blow in the battle came from sine her self when she called upon a blast of light from the blade that witnesses say completely vaporized an entire battalion of Elves. After her victory sine then ordered her armies into the city where she order a complete extermination of every elf in the city. For the rest of the day the city ran red with the screams of elves and their blood. However it was quickly drowned out by the cries of joy from the freed people of Riverpost. The 7th of the Month of Thunder 1701 Riverpost became free from elven occupation and joined the Elysian Alliance.
Sine immediately set out south for the stronghold of the Southern Plain Elves located at current day Rivermaw. On the 3rd of the Month of construction 1701 Sine arrived at the elven Stronghold where she was greeted by their chief Ilorath Helocaryn and his 50 legions of elves. Sine spent not time with pleasantries and immediately ordered an attack starting the Battle of Retribution. Her 13 legions of Soldier crashed into the wave of elves and seemed to make no dent as neither side was able to make significant headway. This changed when Sine charged Chief Ilorath and challenged him one on one. Their blades clashed and their yells traveled across the battle field, until Sine exploiting an opening in his form decapitated Chief Ilorath in front of the eyes of his army. Feeling the battle shift Alliance members regrouped and were able to completely route the Elven defenders. On the 6th of the Month of construction 1701 the Battle of retribution came to a close.
Wanting to make sure that the elves never have a chance to regroup or retaliate. Sine spent the next 28 years carefully combing the plains snuffing out any signs of elven settlements. Nothing stopped Sine's Crusade not even the birth of her own son Dortivor in 1720. Upon her completion in 1728 AA Sine ordered the construction of Rivermaw and upon its completion in 1731 declared the Alliance an Empire with her as the very First Empress.
After the Death of Empress sine the crown was passed to her on Dortivor Olmaxim where he focused on expansion with the construction of Saltwatch and Autumnwind. In 1750 after the completion of Autumnwind Emporer Dortivor was given a formal warning by the Iron republic to not build any more towns on the northern plains. Ignoring the warnings by the dwarves Emperor Dortivor commenced construction of Farshore in 1756. Upon its completion the Iron republic declared war on the Elysian empire and a bloody war known as The War of the Northern Plains Ensued. The empire was slowly driven back over the course of the war until General Haldol Nanz of the Elysian Empire attempted a risky tactic of attacking an abandoned entrance to the Dwarven Capitol of Volyarhum that had caved in years ago on the mountain of Osocook. What general Nanz didn't realize was that the Republic had prepared for this by staking out the area and decending in to the carved path of the mountain. This completely decimated the Imperial army and caused the Empire to surrender in 1797. Emperor Dortivor was able to convince the Republic to allow the Empire to retain control of the northern plains in exchange for control of the mountains to the North and west of the Empire. This was agreed upon and on the 18th of the Month of Rest 1798 the Treaty of 1798 was completed. Emporer Dortivor passed away in 1801 and left control of the Empire to his 3rd Daughter Empress Elifaen Olmaxim.
Elifaen Olmaxim was the first Half-elf Empress as Dortivor met her mother by giving shelter to her in 1740 while she was running from the Elven Conclave. Her crowing caused a bit of a stir in the Empire as the wounds from the Southern Plain Elves were still fresh in the public's mind. She worked tirelessly top change their minds and after successfully negotiation a treaty with the newly discovered Zoog in 1829 the public's fears were put to rest. She further helped secure a place for Half-elves in the Empire by being on the front lines of the border skirmishes between the Elysian Empire and the Golden Empire ,but after her death in a skirmish on 1832 the Duke of False Life stepped in to negotiate a treaty between the two nations before another war threatens to destroy both nations. The younger of her two sons Riron is voted to become Emperor when he comes of age and his older brother Oryn Olmaxim is used as his regent. With the signing of the treaty of 1832 by both nations the skirmishes at the border stops.
Oryn rules the nation for around 12 years until his younger brother is 16 years of age at which Oryn abdicates the throne to the young Emperor. Rirons rule is marked by relative peace and prosperity with Emperor Riron loosening up the laws of the Empire. Until one fateful day on the 14th of the Month of Sunlight 1853, the Imperial family was attacked at their summer home on Loch Faircook.
Emperor Oryn Olmaxim was crowned on the 16th the day after the bodies were found. At which point he ordered a man hunt to find the people responsible for the assassination and bring them to justice. He eventually found the culprit along with the ties she had to a group known as Leviathan's Claw. The groups goal are still unknown but the Emperor has made it his mission to find Leviathan's Claw and bring them to justice.
Demography and Population
Total Population: 500,000
Humans- 68%
Half-elves-20%
Elves- 7%
Dwarves- 3%
Devils- 2%
Other Species-1%
Territories
Religion
The Church of Ashera The Law Bringer has been a staple since the Time of Empress Sine. It holds a great deal of sway over the nation with many clergy members influencing laws and decrees.
Foreign Relations
Agriculture & Industry
The Empire is focused mainly on agriculture and the production of ceramic goods. They also have a good bit of lumber, furs, Leather and Glass.
Trade & Transport
The Empire Trades Lumber and ceramics with the Iron republic in exchange for gems and Metals.
It trades ceramics and meat with the Azure confederacy in exchange for fish, and gnorri Weapons.
It trades mainly food, lumber, and ceramics with the Golden empire.
With the Zoog trades of Food, Furs, Leathers and Ceramics are common, in exchange for lumber and meat.
These are done primarily via highways and boats.
Education
Education is done via state curriculum given to parents by imperial senators. This brings them up to 6th grade level of knowledge. All other education is done by the parents or via apprenticeships.
Order for the lost, Protection for the Weak
Maps
-
The Elysian Empire.
A map of the Elysian Empire along with every town/city in its borders. All roads are drawn in aside from a few smaller roads that are rarely traveled.
Founding Date
1728 AA
Type
Geopolitical, Empire
Alternative Names
The Human Empire, or The Empire,
Demonym
Imperials
Government System
Monarchy, Absolute
Power Structure
Unitary state
Economic System
Market economy
Major Exports
The Elysian Empire produces much in the way of agriculture and Lumber. It also crafts weapons, Ceramics, Leather goods, masonry, and glassware.
Major Imports
Mainly imports Meats, Gems, Furs, Stone, and Lumber.
Legislative Body
Laws are written by the Senators with the oversight of the Emperor/Empress
Judicial Body
The Judges of the Empire are hand selected by the Emperor himself and retain this seat until either being stripped of it by the Emperor or the Emperors death. The courts only make use of a jury for Imperial crimes, otherwise guilt is up to the discretion of the judge.
Official State Religion
Neighboring Nations