Luissan Empire

A Multi-Cultural Empire

The Luissan Empire is a large and diverse empire ruled from its capital @Ounresa. The Empire is well known for its state Cult of Ioun and insular ruling class. Every race in the Empire is treated as its own ‘nation’ and comprises elves, men, halflings, aarakocra, orcs and tabaxi to name a few, each with their own political and religious leaders.

Cloudforts

The most striking aspect of the Luissan nobility is that they rule their nation from massive floating cloudforts, giant constructs that are part airship, part floating castle, part city in the sky. The largest of course is the floating capital of @Ounresa, but many smaller cloudforts roam the territory of the empire. For the ground-dwelling peasantry the appearance of a cloudfort in the sky heralds tax-day, or an appearance of the nobility, astride their griffon mounts, or more rarely, that their local governor has arrived to call up the conscription lists and press-gang the locals into the Luissan Janissary corps. The mobility of these cloud-garrisons is a boon for the Luissan military, but it does mean that trade is difficult as the caravans only know the general area any given skyfort may be found.

The Mysteries of Ioun

While the Luissan peasantry whorships many Gods, the state cult of Ioun is essentially monotheistic. The state bureaucracy is not a magocracy per se, but magic is highly valued, and wizards are both the state bureaucrats and the priests of Ioun. Sons and daughters of nobility are frequently trained as wizard-bureaucrats, and join the griffon cavalry if they are not skilled enough to make it as a wizard.

The Sultan

The Empire is ruled by the enigmatic Sultan Elin VI, who rules from the capital sky-city of @Ounresa. The Sultan hails from a long line of powerful aarakocra sorcerers, and leads his armies in battle astride a rare white griffon in gilded armor. In peacetime, however, the Sultan is rarely seen outside his sprawling palace.

Demography and Population

Multi-racial; Aarakocra, humans, half-orcs in the ruling class

Religion

State cult of Ioun

Capital

Ounressa

Demonym

Luissan

Head of Government

Sultan Elin VI

Government System

Monarchy, Theocratic

Power Structure

Feudal state

Currency

Gold crown, silver thaler, copper solidus