Cainsang Concord

The Cainsang Concord is one of the great powers on the Disc. What started out as a small seaside kingdom has become a vast empire that spans a quarter of the Disc's landmass.

Geography

The reaches of the Concord span the entirety of the sub-continent of Elys with whom it has become almost synonymous as a geographical feature. Turnwise it is bordered by the Silver Sea, widdershins by the Sapphire Ocean and hubwards by the Sheercrown Mountains. Due to the Concords size, it stretches all the way from the cold hubcircle through the temperate zone of the Disc through to the more tropical rimwards regions, its climate accordingly varying from tropical to subarctic. The vast majority of its landmass is located in the temperate zone, giving it access to large regions of arable land.

History

After the Cataclysm wars, the small Kingdom of Cainsang was one of the first human kingdoms established by the first generations of settlers seeking to rebuild what was lost in the hundred years of prior conflict. While the exact terms and circumstances of the establishment of this ancient kindgom remain uncertain, its founding date has been dictated by Concordian Decree in the year 678 AC to have been the 01.01.100 AC, the official coronation date of His Majesty, King Albert I., commencing the rule of the now-extinct line of kings known as the First Cainsang Dynasty. In the year 255 AC, King Albrich III., known to history as Albrich the Conqueror, began an aggressive military campaign to expand the borders of the Kingdom of Cainsang by successfully invading and subjugating the neighboring nation of Talemia. At the time of his death in the year 296 AC, the Kingdom of Cainsang had grown massively and stretched to almost ten times its original size. The Kingdom was at this point already the greatest power that the subcontinent of Elys had seen until then in the entire 3rd Age.
The subsequent Kings continued Albrich the Conqueror's expansionist policies, up until the year 483 AC, when the conqest of Abattyia ended in a decisive victory for the Kingdom of Cainsang, which resulted in the Kindom's largest expansion, now ruling the entire subcontinent of Elys. For a hundred years, in what came to be known as the Long Peace, the Cainsang kings ruled over the lands they had conquered in an era of previously unrivaled prosperity. However, as modern history teaches us, with peace came decadence. The once-mighty line of conquerors successively became gluttonous, vindictive, cruel tyrants, exploiting their subjects for personal gain, leading lavish lives of luxury while their people starved. In the year 591 AC, a group of powerful nobles incited a rebellion against the crown in an event known as the Highprince's Gambit. Ten years of bloody conflict ensued, at the end of which the once-proud First Cainsang Dynasty stood no more. The Highprinces divided the Realm amongst themselves, creating the modern Cainsang Concord in the year 601 AC.
The Concord has went to war against the Imperium twice, once from 673-678 AC (First Concordian-Imperial War) and once from 756-779 AC (Second Concordian-Imperial War). In both conflicts, both sides failed to secure a decisive advantage over the other, eventually signing peace treaties. Since the end of the Second Concordian-Imperial War 56 years ago, the two neighboring great powers have enjoyed a period of relative stability and peace, preferring to trade from shore to shore of the Silver Sea instead of fighting each other. Both have been preoccupied with internal matters during this time; however, the time of peace seems to be ending, since the imperialist ambitions of both giants remain unfulfilled, and signs are pointing towards a re-ignition of the old hostilities...

Politics

The Concord is ruled by the Cainsang Emperor, an elective position created by the original twelve Highprinces. The Emperor is elected for life by the Conclave of Twelve, a meeting of the Highprinces convened specifically for this purpose after the death of the reigning monarch. His powers are greatly limited, as described in the Cainsang Constitution; during peacetime, he is to act as a moderator in conflict and oversees all property directly belonging to the crown. In wartime against external threats, he serves as supreme commander to the armies of the Concord (a condition that has been invoked twice since the first Conclave of Twelve). He has limited legislative power in specific areas concerning the entirety of the Concord and cannot alter the Cainsang Constitution. Many of his acts are overseen by the Cainsang Council, a parliamentary body in which the Highprinces hold absolute power. The Emperor does, however, have full and unrestricted control over the Knights of the Round, a group of twelve elite knights in the Cainsang Concord, each of them appointed by and under the direct command of the Cainsang Emperor (although the Cainsang Council has to approve all nominations). The Knights of the Round are the primary enforcers of the Emperor's will and are endowed with special privileges, such as estates in the Crownlands. They operate outside the standard hierarchy of the Cainsang Concord, with widespread military and political authority. The Knights all fulfill important roles in the Concord corresponding to their position. With the Emperor's powers greatly restricted by the Cainsang Constitution and many of his actions overseen by the Cainsang Council, the Knights of the Round are the most direct way of influencing events in the Concord available to the Emperor. With many of their members being from noble or even Great Houses themselves, the Knights of the Round are often at the heart of the continuous power struggle between the Emperor and the Great Houses. Race or gender of the Emperor are not prescribed by the constitution; of the 22 Emperors so far, 5 have been women and only 2 have been non-human (two half-elves). All of the Cainsang Emperors have been the direct half-mortal offspring of Empyreans. The average reign of a Cainsang Emperor lasts for ~10 years. The current Emperor is Francis III., a son of Pelor, who was crowned in the year 828 AC.
The Concord is divided into thirteen pieces: the twelve principalities and the Crownlands, the latter belonging directly to the Cainsang Emperor. Each principality is ruled by a Highprince and their noble Great House. The principalities are further subdivided and fragmented into many vassal states ruled by smaller houses and their sub-vassals. The political status of these smaller vassal states varies, with many enjoying a great amount of liberty in the pursuit of their policies, as long as they pay their tithes and taxes to their Highprinces on time. A local ruler pursuing excessively brutal or unjust practices, however, might just wake up one day to find the armies of their Highprince knocking at their door...
The twelve Empyreans of the Lunar Court frequently sire children with mortals. They seem to prefer noble families; likewise, many of their children end up founding noble houses themselves. As a result of this, the Cainsang nobility is deeply connected to the divines, with some particular deities appearing many times throughout the family trees of certain noble lines, while others have more of an even spread throughout the divine genealogy.
The twelve Great Houses of Cainsang are as follows:

• House Bearntear, ruled by Highprince Bernhard Bearntear
• House Chatillon, ruled by Highprincess Hedwige Chatillon
• House Guildenstern, ruled by Highprince Ezra Guildenstern
• House Harrowhall, ruled by Highprince Balthazar Harrowhall
• House Kreutzer, ruled by Highprincess Clara Kreutzer
• House Rosencrantz, ruled by Highprince Immanuel Rosencrantz
• House Saltpike, ruled by Highprince Salazar Saltpike
• House Stormcrag, ruled by Highprince Robert Stormcrag
• House Swantower, ruled by Highprincess Elmenore Swantower
• House Van Reysburg, ruled by Highprince Olivier van Reysburg
• House Waldstein, ruled by Highprince Lector Waldstein
• House Windtill, ruled by Highprince Isaac Windtill

The leader of a house carries the title of Lord (except for the Highprinces, who are referred to by that title instead). It is a hereditary title that is usually passed down to the eldest child of the Lord/Lady upon their death, regardless of gender. The specifics of this as well as the rules in place for when there is no direct heir vary slightly between the principalities. New houses may be created by higher-ranking Lords appointing a family their vassal and bestowing lands unto them.
Outside of being born or adopted into an existing noble house, concordian nobility may be attained through a knighthood. Any Lord or Highprince may knight any individuals of their choosing. Knights and Dames are referred to with the prefix "Sir" or "Lady", just like members of established noble houses. Knighthoods are not hereditary. While all Knights theoretically share the same rank, the prestige associated with the rank is closely tied to the circumstances of the knighting as well as the noble rank and prestige of the Lord who bestowed the title.

A Crown of Silver

Many of the traditionally mercantilistic coastal cities and ports of the Concord are organized into a political conglomerate known as the Silvershore League. The nine largest cities are known as the Jewels of the Crown, collectively forming the Silvershore Crown. The relationship of the League to the Concord is complex, as some of its cities are Concordian Free Cities not under the rule of any Highprince, governing themselves directly, beholden to the Emperor without belonging to him; other Jewels are the capitol cities of principalities, creating a complex weave of politics not easily navigated by the faint-hearted.
The nine Jewels of the Crown are as follows:

• Winterburg, the capitol city of the Cainsang Concord, seat of the Cainsang Emperor
• Velucia, the City of a Thousand Crafts
• Castellar and Pelanar, the Twinned Cities
• Swantower, seat of the Great House Swantower, the Island of Knowledge
• Goldtear, seat of the Great House Saltpike, City of Lanterns
• Sternreef, seat of the Great House Stormcrag, the Skyport
• Kingsport, the Great Wharf
• Moerdar, the Allhammers Might, a floating fortress city used as a mobile trading hub during peacetime
• Gateholme, the only major trade port connecting the Cainsang Concord with the Golden Empire

Demographics and Culture

The Cainsang Concord is mostly populated by humans, with the notable exception of two of the Great Houses: House Swantower and House Van Reysburg, as well as their vassals, are mostly composed of elves and half-elves.
The Cainsang Concord is extremely culturally diverse due to its large geographical area. The worship of all Selenian Empyreans of the Lunar Court is legal in the Concord, while worship of the Outsiders is outlawed.

Nobiscum Dei

Maps

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  Map of the Cainsang Concord

Founding Date

601 AC

Type

Geopolitical, Empire

Demonym

Concordian

Government System

Monarchy, Elective

Power Structure

Confederation

Economic System

Mixed economy

Neighboring Nations

• The Imperium