Nation Name: The Ralgon Empire
Capital: The Imperial City of Dragonstone
Capital Population: 73,000 (Includes metropolitan areas)
Mashiro -- About 1.6 Million
Pyrax -- About 1.4 Million
Aero -- About 1.8 Million
Stormhold -- About 1.8 Million
The Imperial Colony of Duro -- About 1 Million
Population: About 6,475,000
Racial Demographics: 5% pure Elvish subspecies, 10% pure Human, 75% "hyperbreeds" (A human/elf mix, also called Ralgons), 10% Other
Social Demographics: 3% nobility, 22% citizens, 70% freedmen || 10% foreign nationals, 5% slaves.
Dominant Race: Ralgons
Social dynamics: The Ralgon Empire, like many other nations, works with a caste system of sorts. While it's extremely loose with the Ralgons, it is nevertheless still present -- and felt.
The Emperor occupies the highest tier of society, and by extension any family he currently has. As he is among the last remaining members of House Dragonstone, this is a very coveted position, especially since the Emperor is young and unmarried.
Next are the Overlords of the realm (simply known as Lords to commoners & foreigners). There are a total of eight ruling families within the Empire, four of which have unmarried rulers. This is also a coveted position, and easy to acquire for certain ambitious families, as the Overlords are always dying out and being supplanted by a stronger family. The ruling families of these large regions are called the Royal Houses, of which there are only six or seven within the Empire at any given time.
The Great Houses as a collective represent the most important of the landed nobility, only outranked by the Overlords of the Realm. These houses are the most easily shifted around in power, as many various titles accompany these. However, only a citizen may become a noble, and only certain nobles can achieve the lofty position of a Great House. Many of the dynasties established by upstart nobles prove to be short-lived -- either they cannot maintain their wealth and power for long enough, or they simply crumble without a suitable heir to keep a grip on the title.
Minor nobles who lack a dynastic title are next in line, along with important religious persons within the Empire -- regardless of their faith. There are hundreds of minor nobles within the Empire, with most of them being knights that lack hereditary titles, along with local magistrates. These are usually the main slave owners within the Empire, as keeping slaves are expensive to begin with for most people -- especially with harsh laws in place against maltreatment and overworking of legally innocent slaves.
Military personnel -- past or present -- are always revered by the people due to their reputation as fighters for the country's freedom of movement. Usually, these people are the ones that end up being magistrates or local knights (who mostly serve as local defense commanders, or as local judges) later on in their lives. These are also among the people within the Empire that can gain landed noble status without having to rise through the ranks as normal.
Citizens are an integral part of the Empire. To be born a citizen, one must have at least a single parent who was also a natural-born citizen, have both parents as citizens, or be the legitimate child of a citizen with the title of Knight or higher.
Gaining status as a citizen is relatively easy. One must serve a full term in the military as a legionnaire or above by the time their tour is over -- and they will receive their citizenship. Another way is to either perform a great act for the Empire (any margrave or higher can bestow citizenship). In addition, a person will receive an offer of citizenship upon graduating from any established institution for higher learning in the Ralgon Empire. Lastly, having been registered as a freedman in good standing with their local district for seven years also automatically earns their citizenship. (The latter is the most common way Ralgons acquire a new citizenship.)
Citizens have political power along with their position, and they frequently hold much way in terms of voting for political office, or even taking part.
Freedmen, as well as unskilled priests, minor religious persons, and other non-essential people fall into this category. Freedmen have little educational experience, and are usually young immigrants, or unskilled Ralgons with little real work experience. Many freedmen are wanderers, unable to settle in any place long enough to acquire citizenship. They can also include immigrants of good standing. All it takes to become a freedman is to register for work in the local district, take the Oath of Loyalty common to all in the Ralgon Empire, and pay the tax for registering as a freedman. Little political responsibility (and great personal freedoms) await any who care not about becoming a full citizen instead of just a subject of the Empire. Freedmen are everywhere, with many not even residing within Imperial borders. Freedmen may only vote in elections for their local senate and council -- so long as they pay their taxes.
Foreigners, refugees, and other unregistered persons enjoy the religious freedom the Empire has to offer to all within its direct influence, but they enjoy few political freedoms. Most slaves come from unregistered persons selling a set amount of years in their lives in service to a family, in exchange for food, good treatment, and protection (as well as payment of various forms of debt).
There are many unregistered refugees living within the Empire, and even though they are model denizens of the Empire, many have decided to opt out of becoming full subjects of the Empire, in hopes of returning to their mother country in good standing. Others are there simply to escape from war, and frequently find themselves working for regular wages.
Slaves occupy close to the bottom rung of society. Most are simply honest people who have sold a portion of their lives in exchange for anything from money to protection, to even an apprenticeship under a master that they cannot afford to pay. For others though, they are criminals forced to work for whoever they harmed. However, in cases where that is unsafe, they are put to work for the Imperial Navy or the Imperial Army, where they build ships and/or fortifications under close supervision, until their debt to the Empire is paid... with most of the would-be wages going to the victim (if any) for restitution.
Fashion: Fashion is actually widely varied within the Empire. However, most of it would closely resemble that of Victorian Era England during its peak. Anyone with enough money chooses to dress themselves in rich colors -- however, they tend to avoid the colors Royal Purple and Imperial Blue, as the dyes & fabrics for those are extremely rare and expensive, and also reserved for those of noble status. Due to the Ralgon Empire being such a varied country, almost any sort of fashion may be deemed as acceptable, so long as it is tasteful in the land it originates from.
Important Dates: It is currently the year 570 in the Ralgon Empire. It is considered the Third Age of the Empire, with the previous one ending in 1 BCE (Before the Current Era), when the Great Kingdoms period drew to a close with the formation of the Ralgon Empire.
New Year's (at the beginning of the year)
The Spring & Autumn Equinox (both feasting days)
V-Day (celebrates the Ralgon Empire's formation in AD 0)
The Summer and Winter Solstices (which happen to resemble Christmas in many ways)
Art: As with clothing, almost any type of art is appreciated throughout the Ralgon Empire. Many pieces of art from other cultures have been imported, and many styles of architecture copied from elsewhere.
Law: Eternal WIP.
Education is highly promoted, especially in areas of warfare, seamanship, and other "practical" things. Magic is also studied by many in the religious community, as it is believed to be a gift directly from God.
Education is compulsory between the ages of 7 to 15, when a student has learned all of the basic education needed for a child to succeed in the world when they reach adulthood. Higher education is strongly encouraged after that, with the Imperial Government expending large sums yearly to ensure that gifted students going to universities there are able to graduate. Financial aid is available, although this is very hard to acquire for the average student. As a result, when students graduate their basic education, they normally join the military or pursue the trade they studied for in the later years of their basic education.
The most gifted and talented students are able to go to institutes of higher education at very little to no cost, in exchange for military service as officers. This allows for even the poorest of the Ralgon Empire's talented people to gain an education for themselves. However, students like these are rare enough, as many students happen to be sons and daughters of wealthy families, not to mention that there are very stringent requirements for students to be accepted into this particular program.
Many trades are taught at the last two (or three) years of a student's basic education. These include anything from smithying to sailing to farm work -- even the Empire's very few magicians are initiated at this stage. Students are allowed to freely choose those they are deemed to be best at. Hard work during a student's first five or six years at school is strongly encouraged, and is very richly rewarded. Those of high integrity are able to receive benefits directly relating to high education, along with far more choices than others when they use the last two or three years of their basic education to learn a trade.
As a result of the current system, children learn less often their parents' trades than other nations. In fact, a family's best chance at climbing the social ladder in recent years has been the capacity of their children to do well in school, as high education (between the ages of 15 to 20) means that a student is well-respected as either a master in their trade, or a scholar easily capable of great things -- be it an illustrious career in the military, political office, or being a master in their trade, held in high regard above all others.
As for higher education, the main institution for this, is the famous Imperial University of Dragonstone, which is most notable for its College of War, where many of the nation's greatest admirals and generals have come from.
Type of Government: Imperial Monarchy, backed by a Senate run by the nobles.
Influence and relations: Alliance with The Deauxerran League
Important People: Emperor Tiberius Dragonstone
Lord Edward Ferro of Stormhold
Lord James Nafune of Duro
Lady Lianna Gale of Aero
Lady Marin Rai of Pyrax
Trading and tax:Major industries:Major Associations:
The Drachma, which weighs in at about one troy ounce of solid gold. This is a widely-used currency, favored by the rich and powerful. Fractional currency is widely used as well, and coins are made in units of 1 and 10 for their respective unit (with the exception of the Drachma).
Imperial Drachma = 100 Marks (Pennies), or 10,000 Pence.
Composition: 1 full ounce of gold, or a 1/5 ounce of Mythril (an armor-quality mineral of high value) || 5 Drachmas: 1 ounce of Mythril || 10+ Drachmas: ingots made of pure gold or Mythril, with their value based on their weight.
Ralgon Mark = 1/100 Drachma, or 100 Pence.
Composition: 1/10 ounce of silver. (favored by most) || 5 Marks: 1/2 ounce of silver. || 10 Marks: 1 full ounce of Silver. (The value of silver to gold is 1:10 within Imperial borders.)
Ralgon Pence = 1/100 Mark, or 1/10,000 Drachma.
Composition: 1/10 ounce of copper. || 5 Pence: 1/2 ounce of copper. ||
Active Duty Army: 20,000 (four legions)
Mostly consisting of crossbowmen, and equipped with things that help them defend the many castles and islands of the Ralgon Empire.
20,000 Marines (four legions)
These are the true expeditionary armies that the Ralgons have to offer. These are mainly used for besieging cities along the coasts, and conquering islands. They are armed with a wide variety of weapons, mostly crossbows... all to aid them and their siege machines.
45,000 Sailors (nine fleets)
The Ralgons pride themselves in their massive navy, which consists of about 250-300 strong ships. These ships are dedicated warships that are specialized to their role. One such role is besieging coastlines and their fortresses. They employ trebuchets in place of sails and masts , and depend on rowers for propulsion. These things throw Wildfire (Earth's equivalent of Greek Fire) onto the target, where the fire will continue to burn until it runs out of fuel.
Another notable ship of theirs is the Battleship, which sports rows of
ballistae and other
rapid-fire artillery for its artillery. The ammunition would be anything from iron or stone balls to large, heavy spear-like projectiles, to Greek Fire (when used with specialized artillery). It all depended on the make and purpose of the weapon.
However, the general aim of the Battleships' batteries was to fire small stone balls hard enough to crack holes below the waterlines of enemy ships. These could also be used to extremely deadly effect in sieges, where these weapons could be easily transported onto shorelines and deep into enemy territory, where the artillery crews could then set to work either breaking the defenses (or gates if they are wooden), or cutting down enemy units on the ground. In addition, these highly long-ranged weapons could also be used on castles found on the beach rather than on the land.
Surrounded on all sides by either mountains or ocean, the Ralgons have naturally well-defended borders. Towards the center of the Empire lies a massive caldera area, bordered on one side by the vast bay that carves far inland. They chose this as their capital. The caldera's natural features paired with Ralgon engineering have made this one of the most well-defended areas in the world.
To the north of the Ralgons lie the Great Plains of Yggdrasil, a land full of nameless and displaced folk. Neither the Ralgons nor the Crayvens have been able to successfully occupy it, so either side has defended their own end of the mountain ranges that surround the plain on the land side. On the other side of the Ralgon-occupied mountains, there lie vast forests of temperate to sub-tropical climate, depending on what side of the ocean you find yourself on. (The east side is highly tropical.)
To the south of the Empire (not far from the capital) lie the vast river lands. These fertile plains supply the food consumed by the Ralgons, and have a very tropical climate, with the land leveling off to semi-jungle terrain in the east. This land has long been exploited for its bounty, and the forest has been largely tamed over the centuries to serve its occupants. To the south of these lands are vast mountain ranges that keep the warm and moist air of the equator trapped within the region, giving the southern half of the Empire a very tropical feel.
On the shores of the western continent, the terrain is rough, and heavily forested in many places. Here lies the ill-defined border that the Ralgon Empire peacefully shares with its neighbors, and trade flows easily from the forest to the hills, which form many natural harbors on the coasts. The surrounding branching colonies (particularly those surrounding Iron Bay) have a very temperate climate because of the northern mountains, but are still very hilly -- and this easily defended by Ralgon military engineering.
Wildlife: No notable hostile wildlife -- most of the "apex predators" have been totally wiped from existence early on in Ralgon history. (They had enough worry from other Ralgons trying to kill them, after all.)
The Imperial City of Dragonstone -- the capital of the Empire, the center of which rests in a long-dormant volcano that is likely never to grow active again within several million years. The city is extremely well-fortified, and is large enough to encompass the nearby inner sea port as well.
Iron Bay -- The most well-defended sea border the Ralgons share with the Crayvens (just outside their region). Ralgon military presence in the area has always been high, and they control both sides of the bay, along with the waters themselves. However, they have no jurisdiction over the bay's inner coast.
The Narrow Sea -- Separates the eastern sections of the Ralgon Empire from its holdings to the west and north. The Ralgons have exclusive control over this bay, and this control has resulted in much wealth coming into the Empire.
The Great Plain of Yggdrasil -- Forms the actual border between Crayvenhart and the Ralgon Empire. The Crayvens could never occupy it as the end was too well-defended, but neither could the Ralgons take to the open field and outright conquer it. Therefore, it has remained a buffer zone for many decades between the two powers. Along the mountains and coast surrounding Yggdrasil, the Ralgons have fortified themselves extensively, opting to defend their oceans rather than attempt an all-out battle for the peninsula and adjoining lands. It is also home to many refugees, outcasts, and bandits of all kinds.
The year is 570 CE (Current Era) in the Ralgon Empire, just for reference.
The period known to the Ralgons as the War of the Great Kingdoms started in about 700 BC (Before the Current Era). At this time, there were far more Humans and Elves by proportion than there are today, given the fact that they never got along as well as they do now. The eight different kingdoms in this fought it out over dominion over the Valerian Sea, the peninsula across said sea, as well as the mainland, along with the Draegar Islands to the east.
The period lasted for about seven hundred years, before most of the ruling families went extinct. This left the United Ralgon Kingdom in charge of things, and the ruling House of Dragonstone finally had cause to lay claim to the title of "Emperor of the Ralgons." This family was actually a half-elf, half-human dynasty that had united two rival kingdoms together into one. They named the new union of Humans and Elves after their nation: the Ralgons.
This new "hyperbreed" (as dubbed by the outsiders of the time) multiplied rapidly, and were eventually found in great numbers even outside of their originating kingdom's borders, and were soon to be found all throughout the Great Kingdoms. Pure elves and humans dwindled in number as interracial marriages became more of a normal thing than not, and the new "Emperor" rapidly subdued the last of the nobles that lacked their own kings.
Within three centuries of the original Ralgon Unification in 360 BC (in which a Human King married an Elf Queen), the Ralgon Kingdom now had holdings everywhere, even conquering one of the two kingdoms across the sea, on the southern arm of the peninsula. They reorganized themselves into the Ralgon Empire, and the new Empire began to consolidate its holdings.
++++++++++++++
It was at about this time that the Crayvens come into the picture, and the remaining kings, dukes, and petty warlords are forced to either unite with the Ralgon Empire, or fight both the Ralgons to the south, or the Crayvens to the north. They chose the latter, and united with the Ralgons, with the last of the kingdoms joining the Empire in 1 CE. (This day is celebrated throughout the Empire, as this was the last of the "hyperbreed" kingdoms to unite with the Ralgon Empire.)
The Ralgons successfully waged a long war to drive out the Crayvens, and finally secured permanent victory (along with extra colonies on their coast) when the Crayvenhart government at the time collapsed from the war they were badly losing. The Empire took this time to consolidate themselves, having their own political problems at home. In the meantime, the Emperor at the time grew in popularity, and used this to associate his heir as a being sent by the One (one of their names for their normally passive God) to help the people.
It is now 570 CE, and their current Emperor is young (being 23 years of age), and inexperienced (having only reigned for two years). However, he is strong, and this is a quality that the nobles haven't been able to find their way around.
Name: Ralgons
Classification: Sentient
Appearance: Mostly like humans, but characterized by their pale skin and vivid eyes. Being half-elven by nature, elongated or pointy ears are actually commonplace. Ralgons by nature vary according to looks. Some seem completely human aside from skin, eye, and hair color. Others seem just like Elves in the same respects.
Natural abilities: Resistance to poison and disease, long life, and greater endurance than Humans. Heightened intelligence. In spite of all of this, they fall short of most Elves on lifespan and sheer resistance to foul substances and diseases, and they fall short of humans in terms of raw strength and birth rates. Nonetheless, their innate strengths have balanced the two species' best traits out to greatly mitigate their inherent weaknesses.
Lifespan: 80-200 Years (depending on mix of Elvish/Human blood and family status)
Origins: A natural cycle of crossbreeding between various Elvish subspecies and Humans slowly produced the Ralgons that we all know and hate today. There are very few of the Elvish subspecies left, all having been assimilated by breeding with humans and early Ralgons over time to refine the race's gene pool.
Preferred occupations: Metallurgy, mining, sailing, farming, fishing, trading, architecture, and engineering (both naval and otherwise).
Languages: Ralgon
Simply put, the major religion within the Empire really isn't a religion at all. The main belief stems from the fact that God created the universe, and he ended up not liking it. Therefore, he tried to make it better by setting various Children upon the earth. Seeing these children turn against each other rather than build the earth like God intended, he simply gave up.
Now, God simply doesn't give a crap about the world. Instead, he has set his children loose upon his creation, and weeps at seeing how flawed they both were. Other than creating a perfect world (heaven) for his most noble creations for when they pass into the afterlife, he has let the world stumble and fall on its own.
The result? In the words of a now-forgotten Ralgon noble, "God saw that he messed up, and he threw a fit by leaving our world unfinished. In other words, he doesn't give a damn, period."
Empire of Vyrndar -- Neutral; Passive Official Policies.
------ Due to the Lorenvolk's relatively lower population, as well as their main population's distance from the Ralgons, there hasn't been a lot of official diplomatic contact between the two peoples, if any. However, they do have a common enemy in the Crayven government, so a military pact may result between them in the future. In the meantime though, light trade is probably conducted between the two factions.
The Dominion -- Neutral; Passive Official Policies
----- Frankly, the Ralgons care little for the people inside. While those few they have encountered are friendly enough, their habitation certainly isn't. Entire ships and crews have gone missing when exploration of the area was first attempted, and now a strict ban exists on landing on the coast anywhere near that Forest. Light trade has likely taken place between explorers and the natives outside of the forest, who may have turned out to be incredibly friendly compared to the Ralgons.
Ibsis -- No Current Relations
----- Thorough exploration has likely taken place within the region, but thus far no official position has been taken towards this faction.
Devaldis-Spes -- Neutral
----- A fair amount of exploration has likely taken place within the northern parts of the region. However, the far southern reaches have proven too inclement for the Ralgons to stay for long, regardless of how well the natives might have treated them. The local pirates didn't help the unfriendly nature of the place, despite the lack of trouble they ended up causing the Ralgons. Thus far, no treaties have been signed between this nation and the Ralgons.
Hel-Core -- No current relations.
----- The Ralgons haven't made a habit of land trade across the Narrow Sea, and as such haven't formed any sort of direct relationships with these people, as they lack a coast.
The Khaganate -- No current relations.
------ Seeing that the Ralgons have been averse to exploring inland of continents other than the one they primarily lay claim to, As such, little to no direct trade is likely conducted between the two factions.
Palmyong -- Friendly Relations
----- A long history of constant trade and anti-piracy pacts have sealed trade routes between the two maritime nations, thus freeing up the powerful Ralgon Navy for other endeavors, mostly having to do with keeping the Crayven threat to the north contained.
Xia-Quan -- Neutral.
----- Due to the hostility this faction has borne lately to the Ralgon Empire's closest naval ally in the east, this faction has fallen into disfavor in the eyes of the Empire's upper nobility. However, this doesn't mean that trade does not go on relatively peacefully between independent merchants and Xia-Quan.
Naqah -- No current relations.
----- Chances are that the Ralgons have conducted extensive sea-borne trade with these people. However, they haven't deemed it wise to form military relationships with them, seeing as most of their strength is centered around controlling the land through the use of land forces, rather than strong places and strong navies.
Crayvenhart Hostile, but not at war.
----- Long history of violent wars. However, other forces lately at work within this faction work well for the Ralgons, including mass immigration of Crayven rebels, highly profitable trade from dissidents, and exclusive control of the sea between the Crayvens and their main trading partners.
Kel-dorm Peaceful and friendly relations.
----- Very long history of trade and cooperation. Military cooperation (even if it's accidental) has lasted for centuries, helping regional stability and greatly boosting trade. Both factions have benefited massively from this partnership, and the Ralgons don't plan on changing this any time soon.
Suehain No diplomatic relations; Vaguely Hostile
----- Due to the land-based nature of this faction's military, as well as their distance from any Ralgon colonies, they couldn't really care less about these people. While the Ralgons may have bought some slaves at some point, little of this is done because of Crayvenhart lying between the two factions, as well as the seeming lack of a merchant fleet on Suehain's part. Nonetheless, tales of their overt aggressiveness have reached the Ralgon Empire, and quite naturally they have not taken kindly to such rumors.
Seclucia No current relations. ((If this is a mistake, let me know.))
----- Due to the distance this faction is from the Ralgon Empire, not much interaction has likely taken place on any official level. However, trade may be conducted between far-flung explorers and the natives.
The Imperium No current relations; Apathetic
----- The Imperium's trade is very likely eclipsed by what the Ralgons have to get from Naqah, Xia-Quan, or Palmyong. In addition, a land-based power on another continent is not something the Ralgons have very much vested interest in befriending, especially considering their possession of an ally in the form of the same continent's premier naval power.
City-State of Pyre No current relations. Relatively peaceful.
----- Due to the city-state's heavy mercantilism, the Ralgons have taken well to the people of this country. In addition, the Ralgons do not consider their navy to be a major threat, and as such have gotten into no hostile engagements with them thus far. However, diplomatic relations have only been recently looked into by the nobility, and it is not likely that any lasting relationships will be formed, given their current political condition.
Very strong Navy
Youthful Emperor
Very full treasury (income from mining industries, and very strong currency)
Advanced Education System
Superb Generals and Admirals
Excellent mining industries
Excellent trading industries
Mountainous Terrain
Strong holdings (many castles, defensible terrain, well-defended seas)
Relatively high population
Religious Freedom
Relative Political Freedom
Good climate
Good medicine
Divided nobles
Corrupt politicians
Lack of large landmasses for farming
Inexperienced Emperor
Imported food from other nations
Small land holdings
Lack of national religion
Small Standing Army
Member
urukhai
