The Policy of Empire

The Policy of Empire was an theoretical framework devised by the Raskvaerii political and military elites, to help them exert control over newly conquered territories. Initially informal in its nature, the Policy was codified in 27SGC.

The Policy of Empire: Theory and Practice in the Early Years of Conquest

The method created by the Raskvaerii conquerors to subdue and control their new lands and its people, was multifaceted and complex. It was largely devised by trial and error, employing varying levels of brutality.

Economic Dependency:

• Control key economic resources and infrastructure.
  
• Establish trade agreements that heavily favor the conquering country.
• Introduce a common currency or economic policies that favor the conqueror.



Example:

The creation of Guilds to control trading standards, and enforcing the formal training of apprentices.


Cultural Hegemony:

• Promote the conqueror's culture and language as superior.
• Encourage the adoption of the conqueror's customs and traditions.
• Influence education to teach the conqueror's version of history and values.



Example:

Under the new Raskvaerii-Kohnyg, Miron I, Raskvaerii became the primary language of the royal court and nobility.


Political Subjugation:

• Install puppet leaders or collaborate with local elites loyal to the conqueror.
• Establish a network of spies and informants to monitor dissent.
• Manipulate or control key political institutions.



Example:

As a result of the invasion, many of the traditional ruling lords, or Klansheers, and their heirs were slain, either in battle or in military courts. Daughters or cousin of these men were then married to loyal military or political leaders from within the ranks of the invaders; the title of 'Klansheer' was changed to 'Duke'.


Military Presence:

• Maintain a visible military presence to deter rebellion.
• Place strategically important military bases in key locations.
• Ensure that the conquered country relies on the conqueror for defense.



Example:

Mounted patrols travel the roads between the heavily-manned toll gates.


Communication Control:

• Control media and information flow to shape public opinion.
• Censor or limit access to information that may incite resistance.
• Utilize propaganda to portray the conqueror as a benevolent force.



Example:

The Guild of Honourable Printers was responsible for the creation of many sympathetic publications. Any rogue presses that were discovered were raided and destroyed.


Legal Framework:

• Establish a legal system that is favorable to the conqueror.
• Codify laws that ensure the conqueror's interests are protected.
• Use legal mechanisms to suppress dissent and opposition.



Example:

The traditional role of Klansheer, or local leader, was reimagined as a nobleman whose primary role was to act as a local and centralised judge. They would spend most of their year overseeing cases in the capital of Rykfonteyn, travelling to their territories four times a year to preside over the more serious cases that could not be left to lesser judges. This led to the creation of Kredashmi's Six Judges.


Resource Exploitation:

• Exploit the conquered country's natural resources for the conqueror's benefit.
• Control access to valuable resources to maintain leverage.
• Ensure that key industries are under the control of the conqueror.



Infrastructure Dominance:

• Control vital infrastructure like transportation, communication, and energy.
• Invest in infrastructure projects that benefit the conqueror more than the conquered.



Example:

The main roads across the country were widened and repaved, and others create for the military's ease of travel.



Religious Influence:

• Leverage religious institutions to support the conqueror's rule.
• Align the conqueror's objectives with the dominant religious beliefs.
• Manipulate religious leaders to discourage opposition.



Example:

Kredashmi was allowed to keep it's traditional faith in the Everyman. However, Raskvaerii's newly created Holy Chorus of Saints was introduced as a central pillar of the royal court, and the religion was quickly adopted by the nobility.



Social Engineering:

• Divide and conquer by exploiting existing social, ethnic, or cultural divisions.
• Foster a sense of dependency on the conqueror for stability and order.
• Use social programs and policies to maintain control over the population.



Example:

The Raskvaerii made it difficult for people of lower social standing to move outside of their localities for work. Written permission had to be sought from local officials, accompanied by a large, monetary fee. Anyone found trying to enter towns and cities without formal permission, or trying to evade checks at tolls, were severely punished.

Raskvaerii Invasion by Brinsmead via Bing AI

Policy Origins: A Timeline

Origins: A Timeline

0SGC: The Great Confiscation:

Over the course of a month, thousands of Saeric gods, Beasts, men, women and children were systematically slaughtered in their temples. The initial narrative created by the Saeric leaders was that there had been some kind of civil war within the ranks of the false gods that had deceived humans for generations.

0SGC-2SGC: The Hubraic Wars

Mankind became trapped in a bitter, traumatised cycle of confusion, bloodshed and mourning. A tumultous period of warfare followed: the Hubraic Wars, where mankind sought vengeance on the old gods. They butchered those tricksters and vile beasts with the same brutality the Raven had showed their kin.

2SGC: The Resurrection of the Throwbacks

The mysterious resurrection of these four corpses brought with it a terrible truth: the Raven had taken the Souls of the slain during the Great Confiscation, warping them with their own heinous Power. He had turned them into demons that had laid seiged to the Gates of Death themselves. They slew its mistress, the Phoenix, and were now free to inflict untold torments upon all Souls stranded in their reforged Perdition.
A solution was devised by the political and spiritual leaders of Raskvaeric: create an Empire that would unite humans together to defend the living against the evils of Bestial Power, and protect the Souls of the dead from the perils of Perdition. For the Raskvaerii, there was only one logical starting point for the conquest of the Saeric Lands: the country of Kredashmi.

An Apprentice Glazier with the Master Glazier by Caitlin Wright via Bing

The Invader's Bride by Brinsmead via Bing AI

Raskvaerii Invaders and Local Officials by Brinsmead via Bing AI

Overhearing Seditious Speech by Brinsmead via Bing AI

Everyman by Caitlin Wright via Bing

Peat Gatherers on the Gehuilvelde by Alexander Eric