Jura
The Sleeping Lion; Namesake of the Broken Empire; Seat of the Conciliat Panharmonica
And the Lion Laid Down to Rest: A Brief History of the Juran Wars
The University of Halewijn
Jura is a small but advanced nation on the far Voideastern tip of the continent of the Lorent, in the great archipelago now known as the Broken Empire. They are the reason for this name, as it was the Holy Juran Empire, under the iron rule of Emperor Olcadan of Dhund, that conquered its way westward, across the Lorent, the Worldscar and then Gondara. The Empire lasted 202 years before retreating inexplicably back to their heartlands, around Seren-Petra and above it the Holy City of Calm, where stands the amazing cliffside fortress of Esclabor.
Truly ancient, some Juran settlements like Aldurot and Seren-Petra initially gained independence from the First Empire during The Great Fractionation of the Middle First Age, over four thousand years ago.Geography
Description
See also: Image Gallery: Fashion & Scenery of Jura (External)Jura's territory extends across the central lowlands of the Lorent between Coreward Kallor and Voidward Nurin, from the the Worldscar in the far west to the Holy City, nestled in the mountain reaches of Margulis Mons to the far Voideast. The mountains take on the grey-white pallor of granites and calcites, into which the marble towers of Calm blend. The Holy City rests upslope of Jura's most populous settlement, the twinned metropolis of Seren-Petra (see banner image, above). Divided by the Arioch River, the cities of Seren and Petra were traditionally hubs of trade and industry/military, respectively. Running directly from Margulis Mons, the Arioch is one of the freshest urban rivers on Materia.
The major settlements of Jura are as follows:
- Holy City of Calm (Capital)
- Seren-Petra (most populous)
- Spiral
- Peregrine
- Aldurot
- Gale Delta
- The Sunken Pavilions
- Dhund (one of the Ten Thousand Islands (TTIs))
- Kunisia (one of the TTIs)
- Talaus (one of the TTIs)
The Orphans Range
The Voideastern extents of the Lorent end in a magnificent mountain range, whose four primary peaks are named after the First Age heroes and likely demigods known as The Orphans: the colossal Margulis Mons (location of the Holy City) followed by three smaller, equal-sized peaks known collectively as the Sisters: Omnia Mons, Altima Mons and Alia Mons.Culture
Jurans are an old and learned but often cynical culture, who dream of past glories. Not a century ago, they were the heart of possibly the most wondrous empire in Material history, benevolent rulers (at least in their mind) of nearly the entire Gamma Quadrant, the cultural & mercantile hub of a dizzying web of peoples and histories. The oldest polities of Seren-Petra and Spiral still live out an echo of this world, and are renowned for their vibrant theatres, scintillating markets and perfectionistic innkeepers.
For all their old-fashioned stuffiness, Jurans genuinely enjoy playing host and studying foreign culture. Especially as the old Empyreal economy deteriorates, many brave the prejudice and hard feelings of countries once under Juran boot, to join their universities, theatrical guilds and numerous else.
Of course, the positions of their former subjects tell more varied stories: more than a few tell of how the "Juran disposition" (particularly its sense of entitlement) can grow dark very quickly.Sample Names
Masculine: Anarion, Ixidor, Arcades, Tarradax, Augustin, Midras, Carthus, XanthusFeminine: Rhea, Azalais, Hannelore, Altima, Clarice, Meliadoul, Lavinia, Mercedes, Lucrecia, Sandrine
The Porcelain Market
The Empire, of course, did not walk away empty-handed. Jura is the heart of "The Porcelain Market": a nickname for the black market centred around First Age artefacts, some of which are of relatively advanced artifice. Most laws demand that when such objects are discovered, the discoverers are to notify the local ruler. This is not only a way for local powers to consolidate wealth, but a safety measure to prevent a Rod of Portals from falling into the hands of the local cat burglar.Rule
Jura continues to be ruled by the Conciliat Panharmonica, which was created by Emperor Olcadan in the first few decades of his rule. Utterly secretive, very little is known about the Conciliat (even by The Author) save for what they choose to divulge. They make no secret that they rule (all decrees are guaranteed by each councilmember, by birth name and unique arcane scent), and rule absolutely (there are conspicuously no government documents establishing any rights that would supercede their decisions). Nonetheless approval for the oligarchy seems genuinely high amongst Juran and Kallorian citizens.
The Conciliat always consists of eight councilmembers, each one the Archon of a Holy Order. They are as follows: The Order of the Northern Sky, the Order of the Southern Star, the Order of the Sphinx, the Order of the Hermit, the Order of the Drowned Man, the Order of the Crannog, the Order of the Clock Tower and the Order of the Fool.The Holy City of Calm
See full article: The Holy City of CalmThe crowning achievement of Juran—perhaps even Material—Civilization is the Holy City of Calm. Built in partnership between Emperor Olcadan and the dwarves of Nibelheim over the near two centuries of Olcadan’s rule, Calm was built to leave religious awe on the tongues of their visitors. Simply setting eyes on the city strengthened the devotion of the Empire’s subjects and left a stone of hopelessness in the stomachs of their enemies. Now, with the Empire waning, the dwarves gone and Olcadan in his grave, the outer areas of this marvelous city crumble with disuse.
History
The Great Juran Empire: A Hostile Retrospective
The University of Halewijn
Invasion
After uniting the Lorent (namely the neighbouring nations of Kallor and Nurin) under the banner of the Holy City of Calm, Olcadan promptly set his sights across the Worldscar to the adjacent continent of Gondara. This presented a unique challenge: only two bridges connect the two continents across the Worldscar, making invasion by foot extremely easy to defend against. Meanwhile, invasion by sea played too much into the strengths of heavily nautical Gondaran cultures like the Oztrojans, Allesanders and Æthermarkers.
Olcadan opted for the slower, quieter method: Juran spies and loyalists were slowly seeded into the militaries responsible for manning the Gondaran bridge gates. Within about two decades, there were enough spies of sufficient rank to coordinate a sudden overthrow of the western defenses: combined with additional strike forces hiding among the cliffsides of the Worldscar, Gondaran defence of both bridge crossings fell rapidly, and Lorentian forces crossed the bridges virtually unharrassed.The Empire
Save for a few holdouts that were more easily contained than conquered (e.g. Ket, Zvaal and the Autumn Isles), The Juran Empire controlled the vast majority of the Lorent, Gondara and their peripheries during its height.
Accounts vary on their rulership, likely all containing some truth depending on the disposition of regional governers. Setting aside issues with discipline among these lesser rulers, Olcadan's commandments were generally considered strict but fair. Taxation was high but graded; it was not unheard of for the Empire to grant tax reprieves during droughts and the like. Nonetheless many peasants buckled under the weight of the Empire's expenses. Criminality and corruption were dealt with harshly (to some scholars, overenthusiastically), but local customs were generally respected and criticism was even tolerated from the citizenry so long as it was voiced in the appropriate venue. Indeed, some enterprising locals benefitted from the increased resource flow across the continents.The Retreat
Inexplicably, and at the height of the Jurans' power over the archipelago, Olcadan ordered his Empire to pick up their stakes and return to their home land. It is hence the great archipelago is now called the Broken Empire. The reasons for this sudden retreat are perhaps the most hotly debated topic in historical circles on each side of the the Worldscar; at the time the Empire wasn't struggling any more than usual with battles or vassal uprisings, nor was Olcadan known to have achieved any particularly noteworthy goal in the months prior. Without knowing his motivations for the campaign in the first place—beyond a general conceit that the lands benefitted from his rule—this dilemma may never be resolved.
By all accounts, the former emperor died in his bed shortly after his return home to the Holy City of Calm.Post-Imperial Era
After the Juran Empire's retreat, the resulting power vacuum left the opposite continent of Gondara saturated with territorial warfare for decades after. Only over the last few years have major talks begun around a pan-Gondaran peace accord, though such stability may still be decades in the making.
The two other major cultures on the Lorent—Nurin and Kallor—are now considered protectorates of Jura, largely independent but still officially loyal to the Holy City of Calm. The Kallorian Titanswatch Regency in particular believes the Empire's retreat was a mistake and dreams of returning to the days where the Quadrant benefitted from Lorentian enlightenment and discipline. The Sibylline Oligarchy of Nurin is more aloof to Jura's continued "protection" and performs only the bare minimum political upkeep, though the ruling Sybils are careful not to let this apathy turn to sedition.
Jura
Established
Late First Age(the First Dragon Wars under Galbraith of Kunisia)
Quadrant
Gamma
Region
The Lorent, The Broken Empire
Capital
The Holy City of Calm
Rulership
The Conciliat Panharmonica
Profile:Avesta Kitasvara, councilmember of the Conciliat Panharmonica and Holy Archon of the Order of the Sphinx.
Art credit: Nicoise Salad
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