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| Regalian Empire | |
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| Nations and States | |
| Full Name | The Regalian Empire |
| Pronunciation | Reh-gah-lee-ah. |
| Capital | Regalian Crown Isle |
| Official Languages | Various |
| Regional Languages | See Human Cultures |
| Sovereign State | Regalian Empire |
| Government | Absolute Monarchy |
| Current Ruler | Alexander I |
| Population | 100,000,000+ |
The Regalian Empire is the largest and most culturally diverse nation in the known world of Aloria. It spans numerous continents and encompasses wide trade routes, landmasses, and patrols many Oceans. The Regalian Empire is presently the largest, continuous, absolute monarchy in the world. It encompasses nearly seventy percent of all Ailor in Aloria and large quantities of various other Races within its boundaries. The Empire mostly exists as a federal collective of states under the Imperial Seat, the collection of the Regalian Emperor, the courts of Regalia and various other institutions. While the power of the Empire has fluctuated over the centuries, it has enjoyed a position of uncontested relative hegemony for nearly 300 years since its establishment in 5 AC. The Regalian Empire both embodies the pinnacle of Ailor Culture, but also many of its vices. Many scholars, even in the present day, argue whether the Regalian Empire is inherently good or evil. While the moral lines aren’t entirely clear, what is certain is the Regalian Empire has ambitions to subjugate the entire world and has made many strides to do so.
Etymology
The Regalian Empire inherits its name from the Regalian Kingdom, which preceded it before it was overthrown by a populist rebellion in 5 AC, the Five Family Rebellion. The Kingdom derived its name from the Seraph ruins of Rell-Gallis, a term used by the Seraph to identify royalty, which once covered the Crown Isle. However, the ruin was built over by various parties, most notably the Altalar and later the Ailor, each group passing the name on to the next. The name is also effectively the same in every other world language as the Empire has had such a global impact that its name transcends linguistic boundaries. Other terms, such as The Regalian Commonwealth, The Imperium, or simply “The Empire” are occasionally used to describe it. Technically, referring to the Regalian Empire as “Regalia” is incorrect, as that term specifically refers to the Crown Isle of Regalia, the Empire’s capital and one of its many states. Many still do, however, especially if they are from outside of the Empire or are of a less educated class.
History
Before the Regalian Empire, the once noble and beneficial Regalian Kingdom had helped to protect its citizens from the raiding efforts of the Allorn Empire. Corruption gradually turned these selfless acts into a protection racket which didn’t properly protect anyone save the Regalian monarchy and the Crown Isle. From this void rose the Five Families, powerful figures in their respective pieces of the Regalian Archipelago around the Crown Isle. With the collapse of Altalar dominance, the Regalian King was alone and nothing was holding back his political rivals from standing up to him. These Five Families did so, and their names would live on forever: Ivrae, Kade, van Sherburne, Vermeer, and Cadar. They all signed a deal to aid each other in overthrowing the King and, within the year, they had done so. The relatively bloodless affair meant there was little chaos in the wake of this event as Theomar I, the first Regalian Ivrae Emperor, took the throne to rule. The other Families also attained positions of power: the Kades received the Chancellory under the Emperor, while the van Sherburnes, Vermeer, and Cadar all earned new lands, grants, and Imperial titles. At this time the Regalian Empire was very small; all around them were other Ailor states, one of the greatest being the Wirtemcaller Kingdom to the east in what would later become the Calem regions. Each of these nations all had their own internal issues, leadership, and systems of government but Regalia, due to its zealous expansionist drive, sought to control them all. With the Unionism displacing the traditional Old Gods, the new goals and intentions of this new faith called for the Empire to push beyond its borders which it began to do almost immediately.
What followed was 150 years of warfare, education, training and aggressive diplomacy. The Regalian Empire truly became an Empire, marching in a counter-clockwise direction across nearly a dozen different kingdoms, principalities, and states on a path of conquest to unite the entirety of the Regalian Archipelago. In the beginning, it was slow going, but they soon hit their stride, some states even capitulating without a fight. The biggest ideological enemy of this period was the Skagger Horde. Technically not a unified body, it was the term used to refer to various Velheim groups which had moved into the north of the Archipelago largely in the aftermath of the Cataclysm. They settled across Gallovia and Drixagh, dominating both regions for a number of years. Unionism, which saw widespread adoption in other areas of the Regalian Archipelago, failed against the Old Faiths present here. These Velheim also raided and attacked the various Archipelago states, namely Regalia, as well as the respected Wirtemcaller Kingdom. In response to this and other factors, the Regalian Empire soon developed the powerful Imperial Navy to defend their shipping and help support their troops better in the field. The Navy soon became a key feature of the Empire and would go on to help it dominate the world, with vessels sailing out as early as 150 AC to aid in the subjugation of Ithania and other Ailor regions. At last, in 179 AC, the last of the enemy Skagger Horde left Drixagh and the Regalian Archipelago finally came under the sole control of the Empire.
The events that followed happened rapidly. For nearly a century after this event, the Regalian Empire continued to dominate the world. Region after region capitulated to their might, from Etosil and the Daendroque states to even the descendants of the Skagger Horde who had formed the Kingdom of Nordskag. Unionism spread far and wide and ultimately Regalia came to hold territorial and religious sway over the majority of Aloria’s Ailor population. But in the years following 260 AC, the Regalian Empire began to decay. The Regalian Pessimism, as it is called today, was a decay in Regalian power as religious and military momentum eventually ground to a halt and the first cracks in Unionism started showing. Various diseases plagued the bloated Empire's growing population, straining its bureaucracy and public health. The Drachenwald Crisis further crippled the Empire's government, forming the paralyzing Regalian Senate and freezing the Empire's decision-making apparatus for several decades. However, the beginning of the Chrysant War and its ensuing religious and military fervor revived the Empire. The war with the Slizzar and Allar was as much a religious genocide as it was a war, targeting Races the Ailor feared could one day rival them technologically. The Essa Empire was completely crushed, ending the Slizzar control over the Allar. With the expansionist fervor of Regalia restored, more military campaigns followed in the decades to come and over the past several years, have occurred alongside unprecedented or bizarre events.
In the present day, the Regalian Empire is a weakened but still-powerful state. Their only direct rival in world power, the Songaskian Masaya, has faded from view after the devastation of the First and Second Songaskian Wars, while the Altalar nations of Daen are currently at peace with Regalia. The Dread War, which so ravaged southern Daen, has finally come to a close but new problems loomed on the horizon, mainly increased warfare in the Regalian Archipelago between various noble families. These conflicts too have come to an end, and for once in Aloria the entering of a new year, 308 AC, has largely been peaceful if not quiet compared with those of other years.
Government
The Empire has a variety of organizations and authorities which sometimes conflict or overlap. To outsiders, the Regalian Empire is a confusing web of political intrigue that is hard to understand without spending an enormous amount of time researching the laws. In short though, the Regalian Archipelago is ruled by the Noble Houses and the Imperial Government in partnership, while the sovereign states that have accepted Regalian rule are semi-autonomous and largely must seek to co-operate with the Imperial Government. The Imperial Government itself rules over very little land, though it does have a scattered handful of direct possessions under its control.
List of Rulers
Even though Regalia is ruled by the head of state - the Emperor - several other figures have still been instrumental in its administration. The Arch Chancellors have been second only to the Emperor in terms of authority and have traditionally been members of House Kade. For a list of all Arch Chancellors, click here.
- 5 to 67 AC - Holy Emperor Theomar I
- 67 to 69 AC - Emperor Lilienmar I
- 69 to 79 AC - Emperor Lilienmar II
- 79 to 96 AC - Honorable Emperor Henri I
- 96 to 97 AC - Emperor Bartholomeux I (Years of the Three Emperors)
- 97 to 98 AC - Emperor Carvallais I (Years of the Three Emperors)
- 98 to 99 AC - Emperor Maxelle I (Years of the Three Emperors)
- 99 to 114 AC - Emperor Leomar I
- 114 AC - Emperor Justeux I
- 114 to 121 AC - Hedonistic Emperor Henri II
- 121 to 166 AC - Blessed Emperor Henri III
- 166 to 174 AC - Emperor Lilienmar III
- 174 to 195 AC - Witful Emperor Allamaria I
- 195 to 207 AC - Emperor Handorien I
- 207 to 211 AC - Strong Emperor Allestrain I
- 211 to 219 AC - Emperor Handorien II
- 219 to 224 AC - Unfortunate Emperor Justinian I
- 224 to 227 AC - Seasonal Emperor Handorien III
- 227 to 231 AC - Seasonal Emperor Ottomar I
- 231 to 235 AC - Seasonal Emperor Balthezar I
- 235 to 240 AC - Seasonal Emperor Handorien IV
- 240 to 244 AC - Seasonal Emperor Handorien V
- 244 to 249 AC - Seasonal Emperor Allestrain II
- 249 to 255 AC - Seasonal Emperor Allestrain III
- 255 to 269 AC - Absolute Emperor Vilgemar I
- 269 to 302 AC - Righteous Emperor Justinian the II
- 302 to 305 AC - Willful Emperor Alexander I
- 305 to 306 AC - Soldier Emperor Cedromar I
- 306 to 307 AC - The Interregnum
- 307 to Present - Willful Emperor Alexander the I
Foreign Relations
The Regalian Empire has far more complex foreign relations now than it once did a mere decade or two ago. Its old rival, the Songaskian Masaya, is now considered neutral at best by the Regalian state. After holding its current leader in their protection for two years from his usurper uncle, the Masaya has seemingly for now chosen to ignore Regalia in favor of rebuilding. The Allar, once sworn and hated enemies of the Regalian Empire, have been integrated en masse back into the state through their Digmaan rising to the rank of Regalian nobility. They live across many regions but no longer actively fear the roaring guns of Regalian warships. The only Allar who have to fear such a fate are the Void Worshiping Allar of the Sendrassian Empire on Sendras, but they are at the edge of Regalia and while officially they have poor relations, the Digmaan now serves as a buffer between Regalia proper and this hostile force. The same could be said of the Altalar nations in southern Daen. While Regalia warred with them for more than a year, this ended with a peace deal that allowed both groups to battle against the Dread Empire and their Void Worshiping Kathar, which are also an enemy of the Regalian Empire. In the north, Regalia faces a stern collective of Velheim-led nations whose relationship with the Empire can best be described as mercurial. On a much smaller scale, Regalia has also angered the Horned Throng, the leading body of Url in Jorrhildr, by interfering with their rituals and practices. This is not yet an active conflict, but the two groups are far icier than they have been in the past. With most other groups, Regalia keeps up positive relations. For example, the Qadir will still help the Regalians in certain situations even though they exited an alliance with the Empire.
Military
The Regalian Empire fields Aloria’s largest navy, as well as the most technologically advanced siege weapons available in modern times. This extremely high quality in naval warfare, however, has resulted in a lackluster land military. In recent years though, the Regalian Empire has made great strides in improving their soldiers, from the rise to prominence of the Tenpenny Army to a more active military, which has required more soldiers for longer periods of time. These strides were mainly made during the rule of Cedromar I, a great supporter of the armed forces. Despite this, the Regalian armed forces still rely on overwhelming numbers and superior artillery - both from massive cannons as well as naval coast bombardments - to win the day.
- For more information on the Regalian Military, click here
Economy
Regalia has the world’s largest mercantile economy, easily making up 30% of the global international trade. As Regalian trade is so present in other nations, the Regal is a universally accepted coin in many corners of the world, not including dangerous backwater areas where civilized contact is minimal. Even the Songaskian Masaya at its height accepted the currency, but only due to economic necessity. Regalia is an aggressively Imperialistic nation, favoring colonial resource exploitation and unequal trade treaties with foreign nations which are backed by its massive armada and merchant fleet. Despite Regalia’s trade dominance, however, its main source of income is the obscene taxation system of the Empire. The Regalians, over the course of three centuries, have perfected the art of taxation to the minutest detail with a sprawling bureaucracy, archive and tax collectors present in every corner of the Empire. It is often said Regalians love numbers and love squeezing a profit out of numbers even more as every transaction is taxed one way or another. Regalia’s treasury was thus previously extremely large, fueling both the Empire’s imperialist ventures as well as the splendor and prestige excesses of its nobility and Imperial court. Unfortunately, in recent years it has been routinely plundered by Regalia’s enemies sacking or occupying its capital city; first the Songaskians, and then more supernatural foes like the Deathlings. Despite the size of Regalia’s economy, it is actually excessively fragile and heavily reliant on productive crop harvests. As such, the building blocks of its economy are agricultural produce, domestic enterprise, and international trade. These foundations allow the merchants to branch off into other sectors with minimal capital. However, if a famine were ever to strike the Empire the whole economic system would risk utter collapse, dragging the world economy with it.
Demographics
An accurate census of an Empire as large as Regalia is almost impossible. Below is a rough estimate made by Imperial census-takers in 305 AC.
- 55% Human
- 15% Nelfin
- 10% Allar
- 10% Asha
- 5% Eronidas
- 5% Other
The Regalian Empire maintains a distinct difference between what it considers Citizens, Supporters, and Outsiders. Citizens are those within the Empire who have rights. Supporters are those who have minimal rights conferred to them by the Judiciary. Outsiders are those who have no rights whatsoever.
Culture
The Regalian Empire cannot be identified with a single culture. Every culture in the world is in some way represented in the various corners of the Empire. Still, various cultures that exist within the Empire clearly dominate the others and are seen as the primary cultures of the state. The main culture that overpowers the other by far is the Alt-Regalian followed closely by the Imperial Culture. Even though the actual number of people who identify as Alt-Regalian is less than all other cultures, it is the main historical culture of the Empire in its roots and is only slowly being overtaken by the new century Imperial culture.
- For more information on the Cultures that exist within Regalia, click here
Religion
As with Culture, nearly every known Religion in the world is present in the Regalian Empire but individual rights of the various religions differ radically. Regalia’s formal state religion is Unionism. Below is a proper explanation of the state’s views and the legality of every major religion.
- Unionism - State Religion
- Unionism is the Regalian Empire’s State Religion. Unionists have full rights to everything and enjoy special protection rights over heretics and foreigners.
- Faith of Estel - Tolerated
- The Regalian State tolerates the Faith of Estel only under the condition that those who worship it do so in certain approved spaces.
- Old Gods - Tolerated
- The Old Gods are tolerated under the condition that those who worship them do so in certain approved spaces.
- Assorted “Lesser” Faiths (Faith of Baskarr, Dwarven Dogma, Allar Philosophy, Shambala and Qadir Life Views) - Tolerated
- The “Lesser” Faiths are all still protected religions of the Regalian Empire but are considered to be lower due to them largely being practiced by non-Ailor or by smaller parts of the Empire’s population. All possess the same rules as the Old Gods and the Faith of Estel, though the “religions” of the Allar and Qadir are more complicated. Strictly speaking, they are less religions and more cultural worldviews. If these viewpoints align with Regalia’s goals then they are left alone, but if they are radical or violent then those who espouse them can be punished.
- Shambala can only be worshipped within the bounds of the Regalian Empire but with two special restricts. The first is that during their times of worship, the faithful must wear unique hats. These hats, fully covering the heads of who wear them and possessing some unique features, are a form of Regalian symbolism demonstrating that the Sun is the Spirit, but also that the Regalian Empire looms over such a faith within their lands. The second restriction is that worship at the Shambala shrines, as there can only be shrines and never temples within the territory of the Regalian Empire, can only take place on a Friday morning.
- Void Worship and Nessrassian - Fully Illegal and Punishable by Death
Many citizens of the Empire who do not follow Unionism or any of the Protected Religions continue to live their faith in private, either through hidden temples or in underground praying rooms. The Regalian state had the Inquisition, who worked tirelessly to hunt down heretics and non-believers within the Empire’s boundaries. They also investigated supporters of such heresies and passed judgment where necessary. Today, local law enforcement have their own charters and groups to deal with such things after the Inquisition collapsed during the Regalian Pessimism.
Symbols
Regalia’s symbols are relatively simple but powerfully recognized across the world. The Regalian Purple-Yellow-Purple banner is the official flag of the Empire. Furthermore, the Imperial Purple-Blue-Purple banner is seen across the Crown City and the Imperial Seat as the old Kade family banner. Additionally, the Unionist faith is expressed through the Unionist eye; an almond-shaped eye frame with a pupil in the middle which is often surrounded by solar rays to signify the Imperial Spirit. Finally, the Blue Crown Dragon and the Holy Stork are often seen as the animals representing the Empire, being the crest animals of the two Imperial dynasties, Ivrae and Kade.
Trivia
- The Regalian Archipelago is the only self-sufficient area of the Regalian Empire and requires no foreign exports or imports to feed, clothe or maintain the standard of living of most of its citizens. Ithania is too dependant on foreign exotics, Daendroc needs outside funds and organizational forces to maintain a form of government, and other regions are similarly dependent on outside forces.
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