Empire of the Storm
If eight duchies, spanning around 125,000 square miles is an Empire, I guess. Certainly doesn't function much like an Empire, which I am eternally grateful for. The Dukes keep on doing everything the Dukes have always done, although they aren't warring against each other any more. Since that means I'm less likely to get caught in the middle of another war, I'm just fine with it.
I will admit, there is a huge power there at Tintreach. I've made the pilgrimage, and I've seen the raw fury of the storm. It's the might of Procellas exerted upon the world, and the one who controls it wields a fury that could destroy anything it can focus on. But it isn't something a mortal can control for long.
The Dukes will continue to vie for control of the storm, claiming the title of the Emperor for whomever sits on the throne. And they will burn out, one by one, and fall to the next. And while they play Rosie's Ring over the title, they stay out of the business of the peasants. They haven't come up with a new tax in years, and haven't levied armies in longer than that. We're obeying our own lords and manorborn, and we're getting along just fine for it.
The berserkers going out and fighting for Sulae are our choice. None are being summoned by a Duke, or a Count - they are being paid by a general, and going on their own. And that's how the storm born should live, eh? So, yeah, I'm for the Empire.
Structure
The Empire is fairly decentralized, with most areas being governed almost entirely by local lords, or Manorborn. Manorborn provide protection and distribute labor throughout their fiefdom, making most decisions without interference from others. They provide levies of food and other materials, as well as soldiers in the event of war, to the Counts and Dukes above them.
Counts oversee groups of individual Manorborn, while Dukes oversee Counts. The Counts organize most of the Empire's production, ensuring that goods are moved efficiently, with taxes in place to direct production. The Dukes could conceivably do the same, leading to a more cohesive Empire wide plan, but rarely work together. In practice, each Duke runs their Duchy as they see fit, while the idea of Empire simply keeps them from fighting each other.
Culture
The Empire is held together by the Stirling Lightning, and the power it endows its master. The city of Stirling, on the edge of Stirling Lake, experiences near continual lightning storms, with the Thunder Jetty experiencing on average a dozen strikes a day. The Power Crystal on the Jetty absorbs the energy from the strikes, and can be redirected by anyone sitting on the Crystal Throne. The Stormsheart can use the energy of the storm to fuel almost any effect, but the pain is nearly unbearable. As time goes by, the pain becomes more than can be borne, and the Stormsheart loses the seat to another.
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