High Kingdom of Imesse (eye-mz)

Imesse is a large kingdom located on the shores of the Eastern Sea. It is currently divided between the Kingdom of Northern Imesse and the Kingdom of Lesser Imesse. The nation is bordered on the north by the land of Colo, on the west by the Kingdom of Cobal and the Junn Steppe , and by Aria on the south.
The entire High Kingdom of Imesse is nominally ruled by High King Max III from his seat at Northridge, and his cousin, King Mak II, rules Lesser Imesse from his capital at Southridge. Their mutual grandfather, Max I divided the kingdom between his two twin sons more than a generation earlier, and the country has suffered much for it. Old loyalties are divided, ties are broken and noble families have gone to open war with each other because of it.
Imesse is divided by more than simply a large river, though. The economy in the north is stagnant and failing due to poor policy decisions and weak leadership. The economy in the south is both dynamic and growing, with increasing revenues in just about every sector of society. This dichotomy is breeding a growing resentment in the north, and a growing disdain in the south. Northern lords are jealous of the prosperity they see in the south, and southern leadership is growing increasingly resentful of the growing tax burdens imposed by Northridge on their revenues. The coin of the Kingdoms are tied together, but because of the growing disparity in economies between the north and the south, the value of the Imessian guilder is falling every year. There are growing rumors that some mints in the north are debasing the shillings they mint by as much as 30%. Because of this, some merchants and traders in the south won't take northern coin at face value, but instead mark up their prices unless southern coin is exchanged.  Typically the northern penny is about one-third of the value of a southern penny when purcahse value alone is considered.

Structure

Imesse is ruled by High King Max III.  Max directly rules over the northern half of the kingdom (everything north of the Caldar River), and has sovereignty over the entirety of the kingdom.
South of the Caldar River, in what is called Lesser Imesse, Mak II (Max III's cousin) rules as King of Lesser Imesse.

Culture

Imesse is primarily a rural culture. The largest cities in Imesse are all less than 35,000 people, and the bulk of the population lives in small towns, villages and shires. Feasts and holidays are based on an agrarian seasonal calendar, as is the daily routine of most of the country's inhabitants.

Public Agenda

Imesse maintains a focus on security and growth.  With so much of the society still dependent on seasonal stability in harvests and production, any shift or change in climatic norms can have a devastating effect on the people.

Assets

Fertile farm land, areas of abundant mineral wealth, vast stretches of untouched timber resources and many hundreds of miles of navigable rivers and coastlines.

History

Prior to the founding of the Kingdom, Imesse was made up of many smaller kingdoms and territories.  In the year of 6 BF (the beginning of Benn Ohn's campaing to unify the region under one crown), the most prominent of these petty kingdoms were the Kingdom of Scaram, the Kingdom of Hekmo, the County of Arksloth, the Kingdom of Wessridge, the Kingdom of Minsloth, the County of Beldoah, the Kindom of South Lothia (centered on Southridge) and finally the Kingdoms of the Doa coast.  Many other smaller city-states existed, some for many years, but at the time of unification, these were the largest and most influential states.
With the founding of the Kingdom of Imesse (initiating the calendar reckoning "AF" or After Founding), Benn Ohn was King of Imesse and began the Ohnni Dynasty.

Demography and Population

Roughly 1.3 million people in a very rural setting. Cities are few and all are less than 30,000 people in size. In the North, the total population stands at 592,000, most of which are Human. There are less than 60,000 Halflings living in the North, and 15,000 of those live in the Duchy of Len Doa. There are just over 8,000 Dwarves and less than 4,000 Gnomes. In the South the total population is 744,000 souls. There are less than 500,000 Humans and more than 250,000 Halflings and large Dwarf and Gnome populations. The greatest concentrations of people are found along the two great rivers, the Caldar and the Calas and along the entire coast. Interior regions of the south and the far north and west of Northern Imesse are very sparcly populated with little infrastructure and even less law and order.

Territories

Just under 192,000 square miles, or roughly the size of the States of MS,LA,AL and part of AR.

Military

Both Kings can call for a "sword tax" that requires dukes and barons to provide a specific number of knights, men-at-arms and horses (or the equivalent amount in gold), and these dukes and barons will draw the same levies from their respective vassals. This is not an efficient means of raising an army in times of crisis, as levies are mustered for a limited time only and can takes weeks or even months to muster.
Some individual nobles in the Kingdoms keep a standing force of arms, but these are rarely significant in size or scope. They typically are just large enough to deal with local issues and to keep the general peace.  The High Kingdom has not mustered a national army in nearly 20 years.

Religion

Many faiths are practiced in Imesse. The most common are the traditional Pantheon of Heaven religion, the Druidic Faith, and the northern denomination of the Maranonic Faith.
Where ever Dwarves and Gnomes have communities, their respective faiths will be found openly practiced.  Most Halfling communities keep the traditional Druidic Faith, and in the more rural northern Human settlements, the worship of Maranon is commonly encountered.
No official state religion exists, but the majority of the ruling elites of Imesse (both north and south) practice the traditional pantheistic faith.

Agriculture & Industry

All forms of agriculture and industry are practiced in Imesse, primarily along the great Caldar River where transportation is at its most efficient and convenient.  Agriculture and industry are most productive in the south (Lessser Imesse) due to lower taxes and better infrastructure, but huge amounts of food, timber, minerals and ores are produced in the north as well.

Trade & Transport

The two great rivers of Imesse are the Calas River and the Caldar River, and these are the great highways of the nation.  More than 80% of the population lives within a day's walk of one of these rivers.

The High King of Imesse, Max III am Maxalli

Type

Geopolitical, Kingdom

Capital

City of Northridge

Demonym

Imessian

Leader

Max III

Leader Title

High King of Imesse

Head of State

Max III

Currency

Guilder (1g)=20 Shillings (1s)=12 Pennies (1p)
Each Penny is the equivalent of $0.50, and each Guilder is the equivalent of $125

Subsidiary Organizations

• Barony of Cyell
• Barony of Dunrick
• Barony of Wessfall
• Duchy of Hekmo
• Duchy of Len Doa
• Grand Barony of Wessridge
• Kingdom of Lesser Imesse
• Privy Council, High Kingdom of Imesse
• Royal Domains of Northern Imesse
• Royal House of Maxalli

Related Traditions

• Tournament

Controlled Territories

• City of Northridge
• King's Road

Notable Members

• Aliya Bondari
• Amos Isenbar
• Bellar am Ohnni
• Bellin am Ohnni
• Benim am Ohnni
• Bennis am Ohnni
• Corrine Lothman
• Ethel Borri
• Gavin Lothman
• Giles Lothman
• Gillam Lothman
• Godwin am Mollus
• Gustam Lothman
• Guy Lothman
• Harmin Isenbar
• Holden Isenbar
• Josso am Maxalli
• Lenis am Maxalli
• Loras am Maxalli
• Lothar am Maxalli
• Lothis am Maxalli
• Max I
• Max II
• Max III
• Maxin am Maxalli
• Millicent Samborus
• Mykal Mykalli
• Odis Isenbar
• Rae Stoner
• Sabine Toricki
• Sara Toricki
• Talmage am Bimmin
• Thane am Mykalli
• Url am Mykalli
• Walton Isenbar

Related Ethnicities

• Imessian