Here is the WIP, most of this stuff you guys are already aware of from the chatroom. =========================================================================================================== [center][h2]Imperial Dominion of Vaurgemyr[/h2][/center][center][img]https://i.imgur.com/BqEzMNl.jpg[/img][/center][center][i](Ultranationalist elements occasionally refer to themselves as the Empire of Vaurgemyr)[/i][/center] [b]Head of State:[/b] Emperor Vermathysliz Und Lymwurm (age 14, under Regency) [b]Type of Government[/b]: Absolute Monarchy [i](Elements of Slaver-Aristocracy Oligarchy)[/i] [b]Summary:[/b] A european-esque land and slaver society dominated by a ruling minority of draconic elites, who were once landowning slavers and ruled purely through brute force (by virtue of being dragons) and now are industrialist-slavers who rule through various financial and economic forces and monopolies of resources - as well as force - and are using this to rapidly industrialise their empire and turn it into the world’s leading producer of cheap goods… using even cheaper slave labour. The majority of the country are either various minorities of human, harpy, goblins and other slaves, various groups of elves that are widespread on the continent (particularly high elves) and make up the Dominion’s fledging middle-class/lower-aristocracy, and the whole thing is watched by the tiny 1% draconic ruling elite, who struggle to take back sovereignty from their Elven compatriots. [h3]Government[/h3]The change in technology in the world ended Dragon’s individual supremacy of warfare and their ability to singularly conquer or terrorise nations. While the ruling dragon minority remained highly powerful, no longer could a single dragon inspire the terror to maintain millions of slaves. Vaurgehm’s empire, Built two centuries ago, collapsed to the onslaught of massed advanced elven technology. With the fall of the empire, the rule of the old draconic and depotistic feudal-bandit style robber barons ended through the barrel of a gun. The remaining territory under control of Vaurgehm’s descendants, the Lymwurm Dynasty, eventually went through a period of adaptation in turn - The remaining Draconic Elites desperate to maintain hold of the lands, wealth and slaves they still held under their control. Most importantly, the Dragons of Vaurgemyr maintained control of their mountain citadel-palaces and many of their deep mines and mineral wealth. As airpower had not yet been invented, the Yllendyr conquerors could not fully evict the Dragon elite from the lands, so permitted them to remain as unconquered vassals. Draconic aristocrats morphed and changed in their societal roles, transforming from landlords to mining barons, industrialists and, eventually even aristocratic-bankers - though they continued their role as slave-lords very well, using their wealth and economic monopoly to once again ensnare the lesser races (and keep the Petty Bourgeois down). The Bank of Wurms for example while not the world’s first bank, is considered one of the world’s first ‘modern corporations’, and the Banking elite would go on to propagate the concept of a ‘separate legal entity’, particularly in comparison to the archaic guild structure of Yllendyr. The Dragons surprising innovation would become a great success, and through their great wealth and influence, gradually began the process of retaking control of their nation and performing rapid industrialisation, even under the thumb of the Yllendtyr. The economic might of Vaurgemyr now grows rapidly with the massing of factories, foundries and smoking chimneys, the combination of corporations backed by a vast apparatus of cheap slave labour has led the Dominion to possibly hoisting the elves by their own technological petard. Today, Vaurgehm’s descendants continue to rule, though they have branched out into numerous Cadet Dynasties ruling various banks, industrial manufacturing corporations and feudal lands, and even have financial interests in the larger Yllendyr Imperium. The actual ‘Emperor’ of Vaurgemyr is but a mere hatchling, a puppet whose strings are fought over between a Yllendyr Regent appointed by the Emperor in Yllendyr, The Draconic Slaver-Aristocracy, Ellemite Bourgeois and Low-Aristocracy, Dragoon Elite-Slave Interests and even Dragon Ultranationalists who seek independence. [h3]Economy[/h3]Vaurgemyr’s economy is dominated by a tiny minority of extremely powerful Draconic Slaver-Aristocrats, who have transformed from petty landowning sitting-bandits to full-blown Industrialist Slavers. This elite while typically decadent and complacent, exploiting feudal slaves by virtue of their physical strength as dragons and not much else, was forced into change by their catastrophic defeat to the Yllendyr, and so have embraced alien concepts like corporations and industrial-scale manufacturing, replacing Yllendyr’s old guild-artisan system and their own tributary banditry. The ascendancy of proto-corporations has also led to the formation of the concept of the public company, and there are even talks of establishing a marketplace for ownership rights, what they are considering calling ‘shares’. Manufacturing is growing rapidly in the nation due to the opening up of finance and investment, and the economy may eventually overpower the archaic theories of the Yllendyr, even if slaves make complicated manufacturing impossible - Vaurgemyr can drown competitors in cheap labour. On the other hand, the rapid rise of manufacturing has also seen the rise of Ellemite (High Elven) low-aristocracy and even some free bourgeoisie Ellemites, the native elven majority seeing the rise of something never before conceived in these lands; a middle class. This middle class while further expanding the economy is considered a possible threat to the social order of the Dominion. The Elite Slave-Dragoon armies have also grown in influence due to the modernisation of warfare and Yllendyr’s Limiting Treaties forcing Vaurgemyr to rely on these slave paramilitary forces. [b]Industry:[/b] Industry is growing due to the great surplus of investment and finance, however complicated manufacturing remains underfunded due to the massive supply of cheap labour in the form of slaves. As such, manufacturing is typically more simpler mass-produced (labour intensive) items such as canned goods, steel, clothing and other small consumer goods that is simply for uneducated slaves to repeatedly put together. The production of low-quality massed and repetitive goods is extremely cheap due to said slave labour, and as such there are few competitors capable of meeting Vaurgemyr’s low costs of production. [b]Literacy:[/b] The Literacy Rate is moderate to low (40-50%), as while the upper class is highly literate and there is a growing educated middle-class, slavery remain legal and extremely widespread, even a core component of the culture, and as such ‘lesser races’ are both enslaved and uneducated - though there are many specialist and even ‘elite’ slaves with very specific skills such as Slave Calligraphers. Interestingly, the Draconic upper-class despite stereotypes and belief in the impracticality of it are highly well read and can even (with difficulty) write (though typically they have said specialised calligrapher slaves write for them). [b]Exports:[/b] [hider=exports list] [i]-Financial/Banking Services -Coal -Sulphur -Steel -Gems -Iron Ore -Copper -Lead -Nickel -Concrete -Food (Agricultural - Grains and Vegetables) -Food (Canned Goods) -Clothing (Common) -Fabric -Furniture (Cheap) -Cheap Consumer Goods -Armour (Military-grade and Ceremonial) -Bullets -Shells -Trained / Specialist Slaves -Slave Soldiers[/i] [/hider] [b]Imports:[/b] [hider=imports list] [i]-Gold -Gems (Those not found in the mines) -Dyes -Silk -Oil -Tea -Food (Livestock & Game Meat) -Food (Exotic Meat) -Food (Exotic Fruit) -Slave Stock / Specialist Slave Stock / Breeding Stock -Luxury Goods (Jewelry, Clothing, Furniture, Art, Books, etc) -Magical Items -Potions -Heavy Machinery -High-End Consumer Goods -Communications Equipment [/i] [/hider] [h3]Dramatis Personae[/h3][b]Head of State:[/b] Emperor Vermathysliz Und Lymwurm [b]Cabinet of his Most Glorious and Terrible Majesty:[/b] Regent (Nominal) and Lord Chamberlain, Nolrimi Yirva Lord Chancellor, ?? Lord Treasurer of the Exchequer, ??? Lord Comptroller of the Household (Keeper of the Wardrobe), ??? Lord High Constable & Captain-General of the Imperial Household Dragoons, ??? Lord High Marshal & Chief of the Imperial Staff, ??? [b]Others of the Lymwurm Court:[/b] -Empress-Dowager, Ciziebetta ‘Cizi’ Und Lymwurm [i](De Facto Head-Of-State)[/i] -Imperial Harem -Ambassador ??? to the Yllendyr Imperium -Ambassador ??? to the Kingdom of Avalia [b]Other Characters:[/b] -Squad 6 Medic [h3]Demographics[/h3][b]Population:[/b] 75 million [b]Racial Demographics:[/b] As a slaver empire, Vaurgemyr is quite ethnically diverse and in fact is a nation of minorities, with no single majority existing. Its ruling elite is also a tiny minority in comparison to the rest of the nation. Slaves make up the majority (over 58-60%) of the Dominion’s population, however the concept of ‘slave’ is broad, as certain specialist slaves have many different rights, roles and certain privileges that other slaves lack (E.g, the chattel slaves in the mines have far fewer rights than the Elite Slave-soldier Dragoons or Household Servants of the Dragon Aristocracy). Humanity is nearly universally a slave race, as are goblins, who actually enjoy their enslavement (due to their peculiar - and to Dragons very desirable - psychology). Harpies too are a slave race and descend from captured raiders and PoWs from wars with the Old Forest in the past. The Ellempyr are mostly middle-class and minor aristocracy, though a large minority of their race are also slaves - though generally ‘Elite Slaves’, being favoured Household Servants of the Draconic (or their own Elven) elite. Yllendyr are mostly settlers, merchants and aristocrats from the wider Yllendyr Imperium, and besides certain criminal elements are not a slave race. It is illegal to enslave a dragon in Vaurgemyr. [center][img]https://i.imgur.com/PNvfMg3.jpg[/img][/center] [i]Wyrms (Ruling Minority Caste - Dragons) Ellempyr (Large Minority, Aristocratic Minority Caste - high elves) Yllendyr (Dark elves, Aristocratic Minority Caste) Valkyrians (Tiny Minority, Half/Half-caste) Humanity (Large Minority, Slave caste) Goblinoids (Minority, Slave caste) Harpies (Minority, Slave caste)[/i] [h3]Culture[/h3][b]Slave Society:[/b] The Dominion of Vaurgemyr is built on the back of mass slavery. Every human, harpy and Goblinoid within its borders is a slave of some kind. Elves and Valkyrians are also slaves, however, there are also many free members of these races. Before the Dragons arrived, the old High Elven Kingdom of Ellem used slavery, and when Dragons usurped control of the region from them, they decided, likely due to their inherent nature, to adopt and then perfect this… grand institution. Today, a huge portion of the Dominion’s society is comprised of slaves. There are so many slaves that they are divided into subcategories and slave social hierarchies, with Chattel slaves and Breeding stock at the very bottom, working-craftsmen slaves and conscripts following them, and even what could be considered ‘middle-class’ including specialists such as Indentured, Household slaves, concubines and highly influential slaves such as Dragoons, Slave Calligraphers and other personal servants of Dragon aristocrats... Slavery is considered a core element of Draconian and Vaurgemyrean culture, and the Draconic elite will defend the Grand Institution to great extremes, seeing as Dragons essentially live off slavery in some form or another. Elements of Slave culture can be seen everywhere, from slave collars and chains being nearly universal (even elite slaves wear golden collars, chokers or decorative necklace-like collars), Slave Breeding Pens being common, Slave markets taking in most town and city centres and society having developed a highly rigid, caste-like reverence for hierarchy and authority… even between slaves, in fact, particularly among slaves. [b]Decadence, Part I [i](Inherent Biology)[/i]:[/b] Dragons are, by their nature, callous and often tyrannical creatures. They are inherently seeking to dominate, control and exploit others - and in fact, do not feel fulfilled or content unless this is being demonstrably obvious. The legendary image of a greedy dragon hoarding gold, stealing princesses and lording themselves over feudal peasants with threats of fire, demands of taxation and coercion of tribute exists for a reason. This is not to say that Dragons are incapable of empathy or are universally psychopathic, but rather are psychologically oriented towards domination and exploitation. In the words of some radical psychologists, they are an entire race of narcissists, to varying degrees of severity. Draconic states that have existed in the past are typically unstable since they were once a singular dragon (sometimes with a small family unit or harem) establishing themselves as a one-person absolute dictatorship, these states usually sucked dry those enslaved until the dragon was eventually vanquished by knights or other heroic figures. It was only when Vaugemyr The Magnificent conquered the entirety of Ellem and established his empire did things change. Despite societal conditioning and changing norms and conditions, dragons still remain fundamentally the same beings biologically, and the modern society they have created (and partly hijacked) reflects that. [b]Decadence, Part II [i](Societal Conditions):[/i][/b] WIP [b]Nobility Above All:[/b] Aristocracy is a dominant concept in Vauregmyr. Blood and hereditary are everything, and familial and blood ties define your class and status. Noble customs are widespread throughout the culture, and dragons have adopted many aristocratic customs of the elves or made their own. The nobility are considered a higher being inherently by their nature and there is stiff resistance to class mobility - a slave can become an elite slave, but they will never be a noble. Family history is highly regarded and descendants will often have their lives shaped by their ancestors - a son of a traitor will be barred from positions of authority for example. Aristocrats are also provided many privileges and protections not afforded to other castes. [b]Rule of the Disparate Peoples:[/b] The Dragon Aristocracy of Vaurgemyr are well-experienced users of divide and conquer, and use it well to control such an ethnically diverse slave empire. The Dragons pit different minorities and slaves against each other. One way this is done is through using current day issues, such as Harpy culture/religion advocating for widespread consumption of humans, another slave race, to alienate or deliberately spreading and reminding slaves of historical grievances, such as the fact that it was the elves responsible for the enslavement and destruction of human culture, not the dragons (also and similarly, the enslavement of Valkyrians by humans). The nation furthermore uses the complex hierarchy of slaves to cause slaves to view each other as superior or inferior to each other. Dragons have also cleverly devised further divide-and-conquer measures by fabricating ethnic subcategories out of thin-air, dividing, for example, human slaves into "Thoroughbreds", "Mutts" and other supposed bloodline-attributes, as well as even creating sub-ethnicities on things such as hair colour. Fairness of skin is also exploited, similarly to Yllendyr racial positions. [b]The Carrot and The Stick:[/b] The Slavery of Vaurgemyr besides exploiting ethnic tensions between different minority groups also use various other methods to maintain control over the vast slave populations. Tactics include fear (both warranted and unwarranted) of outside forces, in particular, the undead of Anhreich and their plague as well as the Old Forest, both of which are considered existential threats and deadly menaces to the common people and slaves of Vaurgemyr - particularly humans who are particularly threatened by both. Elite slaves are also given unique rewards, such as Harpy Dragoons being rewarded with human death-row criminals to eat, or human slaves being provided extra women as concubines (humans are typically monogamous otherwise, despite living in a polygamous society). There are also examples of attempts at provoking loyalty from victims of their enemies own excesses, such as in the past supporting Valkyrians against human slavers. More uncommonly, there are also softer or enlightened slave-holders, the concept of a 'liberal aristocrat' exists but is less common. Another common element of control of the quasi-religious concept of the "Protector-Uniter". Dragons have spread the concept that they, as a race, are necessary as a means to maintain order and peace among the many diverse peoples of the world - who without them would succumb to barbarism and chaos, such as the lands of the Old Forest and Anhreich demonstrate. The Dragons were created by the gods (or are gods themselves) that through them an orderly life of peace is possible. [b]Polygamy and the Harem:[/b] Dragons and the Ellempyr are both races that have cultures that are aligned with dominantly polygamous practices and mating practices. For the Draconic race, this has always been so and is a natural part of their biology and evolution, while for the Ellempyr it is due to cultural and societal influences, first started by the worship of the Goddess Ast (A historical predecessor of the current revivalist cult of Astayti) and then theorised to be reinforced following centuries of Draconic rule and culture. The frequency and presence of Polygamy have acted as a double-edged sword, as while dynastic extinctions are far less common, internal dynastic blood-feuds, fratricidal, patricidal and matricidal conflicts are more common during periods of succession. In terms of Draconic familial relations, the Yllendyr Imperium's War of the Twin Emperors is not particularly surprising or morally unusual. Ellempyr, being mostly equal in genders, even practice polyandry - though this practice is far less common among Dragons (A certain Dowager-Empress aside...) and is considered an aberration. Humans and other slave races are typically monogamous - though some Elite Slave humans are occasionally rewarded with multiple wives. [b]The Slave-Soldiery of the Dragoon Guards:[/b] Standing above most other slaves, Dragoons are slave-soldiers either taken as babes from their mothers or recruited in-house from the children of aristocrats household slaves, regardless, they are trained from a very young age and for some, indoctrinated through methods of drugs, brainwashing, conditioning and gradual use of mind magic. Their lives are harsh and Dragoon culture emphasizes discipline and austerity. Religion is also common, Draconic cults of personality are widespread among the Dragoon Guards, drilled into them to worship Dragons like living gods, an extension of the already existing 'Protector-Uniter' ideology that the state advocates. That said, Dragoons are given unique honours and rewards for their services - and senior Dragoons can often be found as leaders in their own right in the military hierarchy. [b]Reactionary-Modernism, Innovation by Necessity[/b]: Romanticism and Reactionary thought are in vogue in the Vaurgemyr, in stark contrast to the rest of the continent which is rapidly embracing rationalism and the enlightenment. Vaurgemyrean thinkers, artists and philosophers occupy an interesting position of both being unpopular among foreign academics for being philosophical heretics, while also having cult/niche followings as they fill the void of alternatives snuffed out elsewhere. Despite this reactionary intelligensia, the actual leaders of the nation and its growing industrialists remain, staunch users of technology and progress - rather using technology and industrialisation as a weapon against its original enlightened advocates, and as means to return society to a far older and 'purer' form. Religion, occultism and abstract and often irrational belief systems are also growing, particularly in the cult movements, further dividing Vaurgemyr from a continent rapidly embracing laicism and irreligion. [b]Air Culture:[/b] [h3]Religion:[/h3]Religion in Vaurgemyr is highly syncretic and consists of various cults, often competing with each other and syncretically steal mythos between themselves and other religions - typically creating bizarre fused belief systems - many adopting bits and pieces of foreign religions into them while being bastardised enough to be considered a separate religion. This syncretic nature is likely due to the number of different cultures and ethnic groups inhabiting the country as uneducated but needy slaves, combined with the general irreligion of the Dragon ruling minority, who while a tiny part of the population have the vast monopoly of power and so have blocked a centralised church from forming - though Dragons do tend to build or encourage certain cults, particularly if those cults are built around themselves. Despite dragons supporting cults of personalities to themselves, the largest cults are the Ellempyr splinter-branch of the Disciples of Eluna, known here as the Cult of Eulune or Elune. Other popular cult-faiths includes the Ellempyr Goddess Astayti (A goddess of love and beauty), the Cult of Mie (An Ellempyr-Human god fusing numerous human and Ellempur gods together as a deity of Prosperity and wealth, gold is holy) the Cult of the Sky (often considered a derivative of Avalian Sky-King worship mixed with Dragon worship), The Cult of Vaurgemyr (National Epic Civil Religion / Caeseropapist combined with ancestor worship, Protector-Uniter and Cult of the Sky fusion). The philosophical and quasi-religious idea of the Draconic Protector-Uniter also is widespread, though is seen more of a political reality than a true religious belief. Scientific rationalism/irreligion is uncommon, however irreligious agnosticism is common among the upper classes. [h3]Geography[/h3][b]Location/Territories:[/b] Old World, South-Eastern Continent. The Purplish-Burgundy on the far-east coast. [b]Climate:[/b] Primarily temperate, though with cold winters and somewhat colder than the northern temperate regions. Many mountains and hills, with the northern areas of Vaurgemyr being warmer and more fertile with grasslands and fields. The border with Old Forest is militarised and includes large sections of burned down areas and actively cut-down parts from aggressive logging operations. [h3]Military[/h3]The military of the Dominion of Vaurgemyr is, due to Yllendyre’s control and the limiting treaties they have forced on the whole continent, much ‘smaller’ than it really is. On paper, Vaurgemyr supports an army of around 50,000 troops, divided into two Corps of 20,000 each, plus a Naval Force of 5,000 marines and an ‘Air Corp’ of 5,000 air-knights. The 2-corp army, the Imperial Army, mostly consists of middle-class Ellemites and Draconic aristocratic knights playing soldier. In truth, the real military force of Vaurgemyr are the various unofficial armies of the Dominion. These forces include the Dragoons, or slave-soldier elites bred and indoctrinated towards serving specific Draconic bloodlines. The Lymwyrm Dynasty’s own person Dragoon Guard numbers now around 80,000 troops. Officially it is dubbed as a security and intelligence agency, tasked with protecting VIPS and performing counterespionage - in reality, it is a private paramilitary and true army of the Dominion. These elite slave-troops include Aerial Harpy Corps, typically tasked with escort missions from Dragons as well as even including cavalry and hidden artillery units. The Dragoon Guards of other aristocratic families are also quite large, though are private armies rather than under the command of the Golden Hoard (Throne) of Vaurgemyr. Besides Vuargemyr’s standing force, other military units include the 300,000 Yellendyr troops that watch over the country - while not under the control of The Dominion, they do serve to defend the nation from external threats (besides keeping The Dragons in line). There are also the multitudes of millions that can be raised as conscripts in time of war - particularly since a huge number of the populace are various kinds of slaves, and as such can be called to war quite easily. Vaurgemyr’s navy is relatively small due to the Imperium’s limiting treaties. The ships they do possess are mostly standardised Yllendyr knock-offs, with the largest vessel being Heavy Cruisers... Beyond the official navy, Vaurgemyr does also possess a merchant fleet that could be retrofitted into military vessels, particularly Q-Ships. Vaurgemyr is one of the few nations in the world to possess an already existing, and substantial air force - consisting of a combination of Draconic flyers (typically aristocratic air-knights) supported by Harpy Dragoon escorts or lesser dragon guards. Dragons do not typically allow passengers/riders on them (less they be humiliated and disgraced), and instead performing the attacking themselves, though they will include medics and other support staff in their Dragoon escorts, and they will often carry supplies on themselves. Dragons have soft underbellies that have made them highly vulnerable in the past to arrows and random heroes with swords, and their old trick of using encrusted gold and gems fails to stop bullets - luckily, Dragons nowadays armour themselves, particularly said underbelly, with heavy modern armour and other forms of protection, including complicated flying maneuvers and living shields in the form of Harpies acting as a kind of live reactive armour, intercepting shells and other projectiles in mid-air. Dragon Air-Knights with magic will often also use magic to protect themselves besides just attacking. [b]Magic Prevalence/Usage:[/b] Common but unpredictable and highly varied in terms of power among Dragons, who are already armed with powerful biological flame-breathing and flight, which is further supported by magic. Dragons have come up with quite a number of creative ways of making their breath even more deadly than it was normally. Plasma alignment (For Dragons). The Ellemites are, like their Yllendyr cousins, possessing near universal magic of the Liquid element. As a multiracial slave empire, Vaurgemyr has access to the magical abilities of many different races, however, slaves magic is highly regulated and is illegal unless given certain permits. Only draconic nobility is permitted unrestricted use of magic, though certain corporate and state entities possess widespread magical licenses as well. [h3]History/Background Info[/h3]WIP: -Elven ruled kingdoms, slavers -Dragons occasionally took over petty-states as one-dragon conqueror-dictators, inevitably fall to some hero with a bow or sword. -Chaos caused by Yllendyr’s rise/infighting allowed Vaurgemyr the Magnificient to conquer Elven Kingdoms and form empire. Begun quest of continental conquest, however was defeated by resurgent Yllendyr with guns that made Dragons highly vulnerable. -Dragons fled to mountain citadel-palaces far beyond the reach of land-based mortals. Unable to attack them, Yllendyr accepted their vassalage. -Dragons slowly regain their land and dominion over the country and slaves via using their vast mineral wealth. They convert themselves from martial-aristocrats to financial/slaver exploiter aristocrats.