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HOLY ZENTAERI LEAGUE
Name: Holy Zentaeri League, Sacrum Zentaurium Liguum, Heiliga Zentrar
Type: Holy League (militant theocratic empire)
Capital: Holy City of Drachefel, Reusseland, Vaerenheim
Leader: Hochmeister (governance and military), Pontifacia (ruler, religious leader)
Religion: Zentarism
Dominant Species: Hecuris (centaur)
Other Notable Species: Kobolds, Humans, Elves,
The Holy Zentaeri League is a theocratic empire driven by the need to spread Zentarism. They believe unsanctioned use of magic is evil and only through the blessings of Zentaurius one should practice it. For this purpose they launched a number of crusades and may not stop until the entire world abandons witchcraft and embrace the light of Zentarism. The Holy League is dominated by centaurs but they glad to incorporate members of all races.
History
Hecuris (centaur) as a species were first documented during the pre-imperial times, large nomadic half-human and half-horse creatures roaming Westeland in small tribes. Some claim the mysterious "night riders" from 5,000 years ago were perhaps also centaurs given that cavalry should not have been plausible at such an early date. It is uncertain where and how they were born. Unlike many primitive races their belief system had no creator god, or even anything resembling standard religions. Scholars who studied ancient centaurs also recorded that they had various sub-races with three distinct breeds: Antares (warriors), Ergates (laborers) and Cursores (runners). The social status of each breed varied by tribe but usually warriors asserted their dominance and were chosen to rule as chieftains. Hecuris raids were a reoccurring blight to Ishtar but since they were disunited they never posed a threat to Navarre. Eventually tribes of Hecuris swore fealty to the Empire and provided auxiliaries to protect the borders. Unlike their brethren at the Far West the Hecuris under imperial rule developed their own united culture, belief system and everything. Historians date Year 522 the first time records of Zentarism. With the divine entity Zentaurius as its one and only god the records mention its curious nature. This is also often cited behind the Hecuris' new name, Zentaur. Over the centuries this name slowly turns into the species' common name of centaurs, although the more official name Hecuris does not fall out of use.
In 876 the war with the beastkin ravages the entire empire. The so far splintered centaur communities unite to form the loosely defined Zentaur Confederation. Their speed allowed centaurs to evade the waves of beastman hordes and remain relatively untouched. Yet lacking strong leadership they submit to the freshly formed Orduin Empire. Centaurs played an important yet oft-sidelined role in the reconstruction efforts. They were a source of military power directly answering to the Emperor and centaur settlers helped to repopulate some of the most devastated portions of the realm. Centaurs became something akin to secondary citizens, known for their strong loyalty to the Orduin Empire. Being loyal to the imperial line the centaurs only begrudingly accepted Hesper's claim for the throne. Thus in 1247 they put all their support for Dunehelm's rebellion. In spite of that the centaurs were hesitant to offer military aid and outright fight the Empire. In the end they send 4 centaur cohorts but even that was insufficient to stop Zeralda's forces. Feeling shamed and guilty the centaur leadership willingly excile themselves from the empire and they migrate back to their home province of Vaerenheim. Unfortunately the lack of powerful leadership quickly dissolved their country into several successor states and remained as such for a long time.
In 2020 a figure under the name Militandros the Great emerges. He unites the centaurs under the restored kingdom of Vaerenheim and puts his support behind the Orduin Empire. The bloodline of Militandros rules Vaerenheim for centuries while allied to the Orduin Empire. Yet compared to the kings of Vaerenheim grow increasingly weaker as individual states earn more autonomy. When the Ordoun Empire falls so did the country of Vaerenheim within years and the nation split to subfactions once again. The Vaerenheim Confederation retained a modicum of order but something new began to emerge. In 2433 a young centaur only referred as the Saint of Gevenfels emerges. She claims to have seen visions of Zentaurius and now she can directly communicate with him. Her acts of divine miracles gained the trust of numerous towns and soon acolytes spread her teachings everywhere in Vaerenheim. This "New Zentarism" of course also garnered numerous enemies from the old order Vaerenheim soon engulfed in a civil war. Ordo Coracis and numerous other knightly orders were established, ironically by recruiting commoners. In the end old nobles and clergy were ousted and believers of the New Zentarism created a new government maintained by knights and a reconstructed priesthood. In 1448 the Holy League of Vaerenheim is formed. The Saint of Gevenfels declared Pontifacia, bridge between our world and the world of god, and she worked hard for faith and the nation's prosperity. She laid down many of the current aspects of Zentarism and personally responsible for sending centaurs on their current path. In 1477 she stepped down of their title and chose hermithood. She was never seen again. Yet successors of the Saint all bore her will and continued her grand work. Believing it's their obligation to teach Zentarism to the entire world the centaurs began their incursion into former Empire territories. Their expansionism continues even now. Since 1505 they are known as the Holy Zentaeri League.
Territory
Government
The Holy League is a theocratic military state where the various Knights of Zentar rule in the name of the Archpriestess/Pontifacia. The man with highest authority is the Hochmeister/Grandmaster to whom every knight order swears unwavering loyalty. Each Meister/Master is given a commandry to govern which can be anything from a province to a small country. Larger regions covering multiple commandries are under the authority of the Grossmeister (Great Master) who may have less direct control but could influence the Meisters underneath them. Of course with knights being militant order first and governors second the majority of the administration is shared between the members of the Zentarist Church and the appointed civil governors. In general a recently conquered region retains most of its former governance structure but under Zentarist authority. As time goes on this could and almost assuredly will transform to a system governed by the Church. The main directive of Zentarist conquest is to spread their faith and establish order as they will hunt down magic users. Local faiths are usually made subservient to Zentarist authority, only abolished if its teachings cannot be reconciled by the core elements of Zentarism. Aside from matters of faith the Church is also heavily involved in education, scholars, book keeping and matters of culture. The Church ultimately aims to placate populations and nurture people to be loyal believers of Zentarism. Thanks to the empire's might they often have the resources to be very generous and endear people to the idea of following the Church's directions. As said magic usage is restricted in Zentarist regions. Special buildings called Spell Sanctums erected near every magic font under their control. While these can't influence the fonts directly they can be used to direct the purest streams of magic power to people who carry specific items meant to receive these. Usually looking like amulets in the shape of a cross they are frequently used by clergy, sanctioned mages and paladins. Gathering magic power from the environment is strictly forbidden under Zentarism, or even teaching it. Those discovered with such abilities are declared warlocks and witches and could very well suffer capital punishment.
Zentaurius is an ancient deity of light chiefly revered by centaurs. Zentaurius is the embodiment of light and his birth ended the eons of darkness and brought the beginning of the world as we know it, at least according to centaurs. Albeit he's the sole deity of Zentarists he isn't the only deity they recognize. As such ancient Zentarist communities had no trouble holding rituals for other gods and it could peacefully work within the imperial cult of Orduin. Zentaurius is no creator entity, no lifemaker and not even a leader of gods. In this sense it's strange how Zentaurius became the patron of centaurs. Uniquely enough Zentaurius is looked upon as a teacher and source of enlightenment. Seeking him brought inner light to one's life and filled them with creativity, resolve and wisdom. This view got twisted considerably by the rise and dominance of "New Zentarism". Rather than respecting other faiths it became a pressing need to spread the love and reverence for Lord Zentaurius whose divine light should guide the entire world. Other deities can only be respected if they are allied to or subservient to Lord Zentaurius.
Another new element of Zentarism was the way they approached magic. For the longest time Zentarists were neutral to magic usage yet the new teachings declared most forms of spellcasting as impure and inherently evil. While Zentarists don't outright demonize spellcasters of other disciplines they recognize their art as wrongful and mages practicing these as misguided. Instead they promote their own spellcasting system where Divine Sanctums send magic energy to those faithful and owning the right trinkets for it. In their view this act is necessary to purify magic through Zentaurius' holy light. Natural magic occurrences are not abhored, though. It's only for artificial magic like spells, enchanted items and of course monsters, the perversion of the divine order.
Zentarism grown immensely in scope and organization in the last few centuries. They are the primary supporters of culture, magic and sciences. Even if most artists and scholars aren't part of the Zentarist Church, they have strong ties to them. A considerable portion of the League's mages are actual priests of Zentaurius and they are duty-bound to help people through their powers. Organization wise they have multiple branches but ultimately every member is subservient to the College of Primas and Priors. The title "Pior" refers to high-ranking male priests who have authority over an entire province (administrative sub-unit, usually there are 3-8 provinces per commandry). Prima are female priestesses tasked with similar range of authority but different role. Priors handle administration, culture, education and scholarship. Primas direct the matters of faith, religion and magic. Priors can advance the ranks further and become Cardinals, aside from increased authority this gives them power to elect the next Pontifacia. Only a Prima can be chosen as Pontifacia, it is an exclusively female title. This sorts of duality is present throughout the entire Church and could be even one of its defining attributes. Male priests deal with the worldly affairs while priestesses are retaining their purity to focus on the divine. Only female candidates are worthy of becoming the bridge between the people and Zentaurius while the male leadership acts like anchors to help her remain in this world.
Another new element of Zentarism was the way they approached magic. For the longest time Zentarists were neutral to magic usage yet the new teachings declared most forms of spellcasting as impure and inherently evil. While Zentarists don't outright demonize spellcasters of other disciplines they recognize their art as wrongful and mages practicing these as misguided. Instead they promote their own spellcasting system where Divine Sanctums send magic energy to those faithful and owning the right trinkets for it. In their view this act is necessary to purify magic through Zentaurius' holy light. Natural magic occurrences are not abhored, though. It's only for artificial magic like spells, enchanted items and of course monsters, the perversion of the divine order.
Zentarism grown immensely in scope and organization in the last few centuries. They are the primary supporters of culture, magic and sciences. Even if most artists and scholars aren't part of the Zentarist Church, they have strong ties to them. A considerable portion of the League's mages are actual priests of Zentaurius and they are duty-bound to help people through their powers. Organization wise they have multiple branches but ultimately every member is subservient to the College of Primas and Priors. The title "Pior" refers to high-ranking male priests who have authority over an entire province (administrative sub-unit, usually there are 3-8 provinces per commandry). Prima are female priestesses tasked with similar range of authority but different role. Priors handle administration, culture, education and scholarship. Primas direct the matters of faith, religion and magic. Priors can advance the ranks further and become Cardinals, aside from increased authority this gives them power to elect the next Pontifacia. Only a Prima can be chosen as Pontifacia, it is an exclusively female title. This sorts of duality is present throughout the entire Church and could be even one of its defining attributes. Male priests deal with the worldly affairs while priestesses are retaining their purity to focus on the divine. Only female candidates are worthy of becoming the bridge between the people and Zentaurius while the male leadership acts like anchors to help her remain in this world.
Demographics
The Holy Zentaeri League is a growing empire which incorporates way more than just the former nations of Vaerenheim. As such it is little surprise that only 30% of the population are some type of centaur. In spite of this centaurs are the most dominant race of the League with all the other races being secondary. The League tends to build its administration above the day to day governance of the conquered so even after joining them the average countryman's life is hardly effected. Yet this system also naturally puts centaurs and those supporting them to the top. Elves in general have very good chances for advancement within the League thanks to their history with centaurs and of course due to their considerable magic potential. Albeit high elves are more of the extremes. Their past history of rulership and immense magic knowledge can easily put them at odds with the League. Many high elves become fugitives or migrate to other countries to escape the League's wrath. At the same time high elves who do cooperate with the League often find themselves at the same status as centaurs. Centaurs are one of the larges if not the largest sapient species in the League. This means they require much greater amount of food each day. It also means that any building meant for centaurs have to be built with larger entrances and overall far more spacious. They also need servants for their day to day activities for which they chiefly utilize kobolds. These small reptillian creatures were enslaved by centaurs thousands of years ago and now serve them as indentured servants. They are small, merely 5 feet tall at average and weigh around 60 pounds. They are strong and tough for their childlike size but they are still weaker than the average human. Kobolds and centaurs have an unique relationship. Most kobolds served the same family of centaurs for centuries if not longer. They aren't just servants, in a twisted sense they are part of the centaur family. A kobold's prestige is determined by the prestige of the centaur they serve. Within certain limits the kobolds can choose to serve a different family but in effect this is rarely done.
Hecuris/Zetaur/Centaur is a type of creature where the upper body is humanoid and the lover body is equine. That being said centaurs aren't horse/human hybrids, they are an entirely different race. There aren't two bodies sewn together but a large body with its own unique anatomy. The chest of a centaurid holds two giant hearts pumping blood at a rate which might seem insane. This fills the centaurid with energy but also speeds up their metabolism, requiring more food. The abdominal portion of the upper body also has the first stomach, out of the three in total. The lower body has the lungs and intestines. Just as the hearts, this place holds almost every organ in twins or having a duplicate. Even if one pair of the organs fail the centaurid will not die, albeit it may limit vital functions down the line.
Centaurs are diverse with three typical forms: runner, worker and warrior breeds. These used to form a caste-based system but due to frequent interbreeding the divide between these three is almost non-existent. Centaur genes are somewhat unique in the fact that they can interbreed with almost any humanoid species. The produced hybrid will be a type of centaurid which also bears some traits of the other parent. For example elf-centaur hybrids would be smaller and more nimble in stature while also having the telltale pointed ears. For these reasons the centaurs in the past had to abide strict breeding restrictions but since the fall of the Orduin Empire they are no longer limited by such. Since a centaur-humanoid hybrid is still essentially a centaurid, they are referred as centaurs and continue being treated as such. Over the time regions dominated by centaurs will have increasingly larger proportion of centaur populations thanks to this fact. Kobolds being reptiloid creatures are of course unaffected by this phenomenon, albeit the meteoric rise of centaur population did lead to the League allowing non-kobolds to become centaur servants.
Centaurs are large, the mightiest warriors may weigh above 500kg and would be full of muscle. Even the comparatively tiny "ponitaur" breeds are heavier than almost any human. They are especially long which means they need far greater space to turn around. Centaurs don't like narrow spaces and their structures are filled with wide open hallways. A lot of building designs common for humans are borderline inaccessible for centaurs. This is especially true for castles. Tall spiraling towers or bastion tops with barely room to stand upon are just not feasible with centaurs. Another curious element is the chairs. Centaurs don't need to sit and even if they do, they lie down on bed-like furnitures. As such chairs are relatively uncommon in centaur-domninated regions, albeit they still exist for non-centaurids. Being as fast as horses while having even more stamina it is no wonder that centaurs love to travel. They can journey many leagues within a day and their horse-backs are ideal for large packages. Centaur travelers, traders or even missionaries are not an unfamiliar sight even in the most distant lands.
Centaurs are diverse with three typical forms: runner, worker and warrior breeds. These used to form a caste-based system but due to frequent interbreeding the divide between these three is almost non-existent. Centaur genes are somewhat unique in the fact that they can interbreed with almost any humanoid species. The produced hybrid will be a type of centaurid which also bears some traits of the other parent. For example elf-centaur hybrids would be smaller and more nimble in stature while also having the telltale pointed ears. For these reasons the centaurs in the past had to abide strict breeding restrictions but since the fall of the Orduin Empire they are no longer limited by such. Since a centaur-humanoid hybrid is still essentially a centaurid, they are referred as centaurs and continue being treated as such. Over the time regions dominated by centaurs will have increasingly larger proportion of centaur populations thanks to this fact. Kobolds being reptiloid creatures are of course unaffected by this phenomenon, albeit the meteoric rise of centaur population did lead to the League allowing non-kobolds to become centaur servants.
Centaurs are large, the mightiest warriors may weigh above 500kg and would be full of muscle. Even the comparatively tiny "ponitaur" breeds are heavier than almost any human. They are especially long which means they need far greater space to turn around. Centaurs don't like narrow spaces and their structures are filled with wide open hallways. A lot of building designs common for humans are borderline inaccessible for centaurs. This is especially true for castles. Tall spiraling towers or bastion tops with barely room to stand upon are just not feasible with centaurs. Another curious element is the chairs. Centaurs don't need to sit and even if they do, they lie down on bed-like furnitures. As such chairs are relatively uncommon in centaur-domninated regions, albeit they still exist for non-centaurids. Being as fast as horses while having even more stamina it is no wonder that centaurs love to travel. They can journey many leagues within a day and their horse-backs are ideal for large packages. Centaur travelers, traders or even missionaries are not an unfamiliar sight even in the most distant lands.
Economics
The League spans for over a thousand miles and covers cultures ranging from old imperial regions to racial enclaves of more shunned cultures. They are now all united in their local flavor of Zentarism. Joining the League also connects these small states to the centaurs' extensive trade lines which is an unquestionable benefit. Lastly there are a limited number yet very effective League-wide laws which helps to maintain public order and also ensures all races treated (mostly) equally. Whenever it was reasonable the Holy League restored the old Orduin Empire's system which given the familiarity of all constituents made it all the smoother. This includes their own variant of the imperial tecks called the Stavius. Unlike past emperors though the noble metal content of gold and silver Stavius rods is constant and the League doesn't devalue their currency. This makes Stavius a fairly potent trade currency with neighbors and generally League subjects gladly exchange it for their own local currency forms.The League's center is the Seven States of Vaerenheim, the original land of the centaurs. As the nexus of the League's trade activity the region enriched massively and its cities are famous for their industry. Vaerenheimian steel is sorts of legendary in Ishtar while mechanical wonders only considered a rare curiosity during the Orduin Empire are becoming widespread. Of course in the general sense the trade of food dominates the League's markets. Just like during the Orduin Empire a good half of the region has either limited or rather poor arable lands. As such importation of grain and other foodstuffs dominate the League's trade lines, coming from foreign lands or just from other states of the League.
Military
The Holy League is effectively an empire run by the priesthood but especially knight orders. Garrisons of holy centaur knights and their retinue are protecting the people, maintain order and stave off rebellions. Though portraying themselves as protectors of people and justice these centaur legions are effectively occupation forces and the backbone of the League's military as a whole. A lot of the League's strategy builds on these trained centaurs and their abilities. In comparison non-centaurs are viewed as local defenders or auxiliaries. Some of them are more respected while others are viewed outright as second grade forces. Of course this is intentional since their lynchpin for order is these fiercely loyal knight orders who act both as army and governors. Centaurs are large and are effectively living cavalry which does heavily influence how the League approaches warfare. They prefer to be mobile to conduct raids and skirmishes with the sheer power of their knightly charges being the heaviest hitter. Everything else exist to support their actions and enable knights in battle. Another curious factor is the League's utilization of magic. Zentarism restricts spells to specific practices and source provided by Divine Sanctums. Zenarist magic is highly potent but only as long as it's within the range of these sanctums. When the League invades they need to rely on very limited magic resources which can dry up fast since gathering magic freely from the environment is strictly forbidden. Technically there are Zentarist practices which let believers in foreign lands to practice magic without sinning against Lord Zentaurius but it's less "okay" and more considered a "lesser evil". Which is why actual true believers who can afford to receive sanctified mana from Divine Sanctums this method is amost entirely forbidden.- Laegionar: Standard centaur soldier, less of a specific type and more the generic name for them.
- Vaeliter: Light troop meant for flanking and rapid actions. They carry large stacks of pilums held in long quivers hanging at the sides which allows them to continue harrassing enemies. They only have light armor and a kite shield for protection.
- Jaeger/Begleiter: Skirmish and escort troop type chiefly armed with light ballestrinnes, allowing them to quickly reload and keep shooting while on the move. Jeager are lightly equipped and fullfil a similar role to the Vaeliter. Begleiter on the other hand are escorts of knights or support troops to a larger army. Begleiters wear medium armor and may be better armed than the average Jaeger.
- Schūtze: Specialists armed with heavy ballestrinnes meant for laying down long range fire or use their marksmanship. These require winches to pull back but their bolts are released even faster and travel further.
- Ritter: Warrior who spent their life dedicated to learning warfare and being loyal to the Church. They are considered chosen by Zentaurius to spread his light and be a tool of justice. They wear heavy armor and form the elite shock troops of the League. They can also act as commanders of the League's forces.
- Vaeliter: Light troop meant for flanking and rapid actions. They carry large stacks of pilums held in long quivers hanging at the sides which allows them to continue harrassing enemies. They only have light armor and a kite shield for protection.
- Jaeger/Begleiter: Skirmish and escort troop type chiefly armed with light ballestrinnes, allowing them to quickly reload and keep shooting while on the move. Jeager are lightly equipped and fullfil a similar role to the Vaeliter. Begleiter on the other hand are escorts of knights or support troops to a larger army. Begleiters wear medium armor and may be better armed than the average Jaeger.
- Schūtze: Specialists armed with heavy ballestrinnes meant for laying down long range fire or use their marksmanship. These require winches to pull back but their bolts are released even faster and travel further.
- Ritter: Warrior who spent their life dedicated to learning warfare and being loyal to the Church. They are considered chosen by Zentaurius to spread his light and be a tool of justice. They wear heavy armor and form the elite shock troops of the League. They can also act as commanders of the League's forces.
- Ballestrinne: A personal torsion weapon which can be roughly compared to crossbows yet utilize mechanisms more in common with ballistas and similar siege engines.
