[@BellBottomBlues] Sweet! And yes, I do have a fairly good idea of where we're going with it. There are several plot options designed in, including Arena battles, military campaigning, political intrigue, and even slice of life. I'd originally designed the Imperium so nobody would feel as bad about supporting a character who wanted to massacre the entire population, so we can definitely go that route too.

Before we start, there are a few things we should hammer out. Firstly, the map. The Imperial continent is generally circular. The nation was previously landlocked, but that changed after the expansion. Four fortress complexes, called "Havens," were constructed at each compass extremity of the empire - Northaven, Southaven, Easthaven, and Westhaven. Cities formed around them. Each one was built on the coast, so the Imperium has some naval capabilities as well. The capital city is Midhaven. There are other cities though; one of the less-violent places to live is Diamont, a prosperous trading city with several suburbs. It lies a little to the southeast of Midhaven.

Off the west coast of the continent is the Coronal Islands, the only Imperial territory in the ocean. Its people have notably darker skin than the pale-faced Imperials, and are more civilized by a mile. Their soldiers wielded magic marrial arts (think Avatar Airbender), and their spearfighters were second to none.

Off the east coast lies the Barbary Isles, where the pirates make their home. Some of them hail from unknown nations on the other side of the planet.

The main continent itself is more varied. Since most of the rivers flow from the coast inward, the center of the continent is inhospitable desert, and gets greener as you move outward. Southaven sits in a jungle area, where violent creatures and deadly diseases roam. Westhaven and Easthaven sit in forested areas, and Northaven sits in unforgiving tundra. A mountain range provides a natural barrier between the icy north and the rest of the continent, so the Imperium prefers to leave them alone.

Secondly, military structure. The Imperium doesn't have much of a standing army to speak of. Its real power comes from the militia system, in which all citizens are expected to acquire competency in combat arms by the time they reach adulthood at age 20. They may be called upon at any moment to assist the Imperium and must be ready at all times. Competing in the Arena counts as training, and it is one way of moving up the ranks, so it's quite popular.

(More lore incoming, so stay tuned)