277 lines
51 KiB
Markdown
277 lines
51 KiB
Markdown
![[7712a72c-a359-4532-a4b8-654b338e90a7.png]]
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The temerian Empire is the largest single nation on the continent of Mentralin. It spans over the most parts of the northeastern hemisphere. The dynasty of [[Emperor Temerian]] rules as highest general and sovereign from the capital Raveas commanding the eleven legions, which are in turn the foundation of the empires success.
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Among its inhabitants, the empire is favoured for improving the overall standards of living by building roads and outposts in even the most backwatered village to foster trade and security. On the other hand the enemies and separatists, who strive for secession, condemn the empires racism: Anyone who is not a citican of the empire which is only possible for those deemed pureblooded human, is a slave or servant at best, without any right for ownership or trade.
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The highest goal and purpose of the empire is to unite the inhabitants of Mentralin under a single rulership while wiping “external agressors” from the continent. Thus, it opposes all other nations, like the Free City Federation or even the mentralian Kings, despite the origin of Emperor Temerian I, who founded the empire, himself as one of the many Mentralian Kings.
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> [!infobox|right]
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> # Temerian Empire
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> 
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> **Coat of Arms**: Sable in nombril a lion head guardant or in middle chief 7 antique crown or
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> <table>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">General Information</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Leader</td><td>Emperor Temerian III</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Domonym</td><td>Temerian</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Population</td><td>ca. 7,000,000</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Demography</td><td>70% of human (Myoujin, Almunian, or Anderonian) ancestry; 70% in rural areas as farmers; 20% nobility, 50% free citizens, 30% slaves</td></tr>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">Government</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Type</td><td>Absolute monarchy with strong feudal system and representation of common people via the Senate</td></tr>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">Notable People</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Notable Figures</td><td>King Temerian I (first Emperor), Melwyn Targris (Tribune of Tax and Trades), Severus Recté (Speaker of Senate), Fiorenca Apallate (renowned engineer and inventor), Harwen ar Netreen (Anderonian ambassador, High Sorcerer of the Emperor), Arik te Fenn (Ambassador of the Black Citadel)</td></tr>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">Military</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Land</td><td>[Insert description]</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Naval</td><td>[Insert description]</td></tr>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">Important Locations</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Seat of Power</td><td>Raveas (High Throne)</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Key Locations</td><td>Osgrariath (largest war harbour), Great University at Algeas</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Wonderous Places</td><td>Osgrariath (largest war harbour), Great University at Algeas</td></tr>
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> <tr><th colspan="2" align="center" style="background:#652121;color:white;">Infrastructure & Trade</th></tr>
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> <tr><td>Infrastructure</td><td>Generally good infrastructure, especially roads and rivers kept in good shape for trade</td></tr>
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> <tr><td>Trade Goods</td><td>[Insert trade goods]</td></tr>
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> </table>
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## Geography
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The Temerian Empire stretches from the storm-wracked coasts of the [[Sea of Storms]] in the north to the warm waters of the [[Inner Sea]] in the south. Beyond the northern shores lies [[Setting/Realms/Mentralin/Annwyn/Annwyn]], an island shrouded by the [[Mistpatch]], a mysterious expanse of ocean that remains perpetually veiled in mist, even on the brightest days.
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In the southwest, the Empire's border grinds against the fractured lands of the [[Mentralian Kingdoms]]. Two decades ago, a major campaign pushed the frontier deeper into the fertile lowlands, bringing the border keeps of [[Tor Praxis]] and [[Tor Amras]] under imperial control. Here, the great river that flows southwestward from the Inner Sea toward [[Bellariand]] - the seat of the [[High King of Mentralia ]]- waters rich farmlands now stained by decades of brutal conflict. The lowlands remain a land of sieges and skirmishes, where neither peace nor conquest has yet fully taken root.
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To the west, the trade routes toward the Free Cities of [[The Reaches]] are guarded by the province capital of [[Erogent]] and the mighty Fortress Wall - a chain of fortifications linking the three great keeps of [[Tor Taris]], [[Tor Ingol]] and [[Tor Parat]]. Built along a natural ridge that runs for hundreds of kilometers, the Wall stands as a silent sentinel, watching over the trade and restless borderlands alike.
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In the east, the Empire's expansion halts at the shores of the [[Golden Sea]]. There, the powerful fortress of [[Tor Belem]] commands the narrow strait that connects the Golden Sea to the Inner Sea. Control of this passage ensures that the Empire holds sway over much of the eastern maritime trade. Farther east still lies the harbor city of [[Lethis]], the Empire's easternmost outpost. Once the proud capital of an independent kingdom, Lethis is now firmly under imperial rule, administered by the wealthy and influential Varris family, former kings who bent the knee during the first wave of Temerian conquests. The _Sea Fangs_ of the Tenth Legion maintain their main base here, ensuring swift naval dominance across the eastern waters.
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The most recent addition to imperial territory came just five years ago. In a coordinated assault, two Legions crossed the icy waters of the [[Danals River]] and shattered the Kingdom of [[Talpis]]. Its capital, of the same name, now stands under the military rule of the Third Legion. Though the last king fell in battle, his daughter [[Telaryn]] and a band of loyalists fled into the forbidding heights of the [[Mourning Peaks]], where they wage a desperate insurgency. Talpis, perched along the misty shores of the [[Great Green Lake]], remains a raw and dangerous frontier - a province only in name, where the shadow of rebellion still clings to the frost-bitten rocks.
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At the heart of the Empire lie its oldest and most prosperous provinces. The imperial capital, [[Raveas]] sits near the sheltered waters of the [[Ravean Gulf]], a natural harbor that has long served as a cradle of Temerian power. Towering above the coast is [[Tor Ravenes]], the ancestral fortress of the Temerian dynasty and a living symbol of imperial might. Raveas itself is surrounded by rolling farmland, blessed with rich soils and a temperate climate, making it the most prosperous region in the Empire and one ruled directly by the Emperor.
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To the north of Raveas lies [[Algeas]], the second heartland province. A land of shimmering lakes and misty shores, Algeas thrives on fishing, trade, and the silver drawn from the lower slopes of the [[Hunched Mountains]]. Its mild weather and tranquil beauty mask a quiet but vital wealth, flowing steadily into imperial coffers.
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To the south, cradled between the southern flanks of the [[Hunched Mountains]] and the looming heights of the [[Solemn Ridge]], lies [[Volariat]], the third heartland province. A narrow valley passage marks its geography, acting as a crucial artery between the highlands and the drier lowlands beyond. Volariat's mines yield the iron ore that feeds the Empire's forges, while its mighty aqueducts - engineering marvels in their own right - channel the mountain waters to sustain the farmlands and cities below. Without Volariat, the lifeblood of industry and agriculture would soon wither.
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## History
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Founded nearly three centuries ago, the Temerian Empire rose from the ashes of the warring [[Mentralian Kingdoms|Kingdoms of Mentralin]]. Temerian I, once a king among many, unified his peers either by diplomacy or conquest, proclaiming himself Emperor in [[Raveas]] after multiple battles of conquest. The first century was marked by relentless expansion, establishing the eleven legions and the basis of the imperial administration. The second century saw consolidation, infrastructure projects like the Great Roads, and cultural integration of annexed provinces. Recently, the empire has entered a period of tension: while it struggles to expand along its western and southern borders, separatist movements and rival powers like the increasing pushback from the mentralian kings and the cities of [[The Reaches]] threaten its stability from within and without. More and more voices claim that the empire is growing too large to be governed by a single Emperor.
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## The Hierarchy - Emperor, Tribunes and Legates
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The temerian empire has a very complex social structure. An interconnection of nobility, officials, like legates and magistrates, citizens as well as slaves and servants act together to make daily life work. As a basic rule, it can be said that nobility has the most rank and power, followed by ranks of legates, who act as representatives of nobility or officials. The senate and citizens as the broad back of the empire have specific beneifts. Non-citizens and slaves have a hard time within the empire, as they are basically barred from taking part in everyday life.
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### Nobility
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As the empire is basically a feudal state, albeit a large one, all the power nominally comes from the High Throne in Raves.
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#### Emperor
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Thus, the Emperor sits atop the pyramid and distributes land, resources and power. In exchange for the mertis granted, the emperor expects his lieges to uphold the law and order of the empire, as well as tributes payed to the throne and martial power in terms of soldiers for the legions. In the realities of daily business, the emperor delegates a lot of the decisions, that do not require immediate attention, like waging war, to the ministers and consuls to resolve. Although these beaurocrats do not have nominal power, it is by this delegation, that, as some citizens put it, it's rather the ministers than the emperor who actually rule.
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#### Tribunes
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The tribunes are directly beneath the emperor in terms of political power. They are the first tier of people, who directly receive a portion of land and resources of the emperor. Each of the tribunes gouverns by distributing their share of power among their lieges. Traditionally, each of the provinces is gouverned by a tribune. Additionally there are special tribunates for the legions, trade and taxes, the imperial infrastructure and the judiciary. Rumors has it, that another tribunate, acting as military intelligence to oversee internal and external threats to the empire, exist - but they have been dismissed by the emperor himself. The tribunes are directly selected by the emperor himself and their position can be revoked at the grace of the emperor at any time. Each tribune is able to do as they want with their portion of power granted by the emperor. Though most of them use this wealth to establish their own part of the power system, some build up fewer structures, but sustain them with more power. For example, the tribunate of imperial infrastructure is a very flat organisation, while the tribunate for trade and taxes has an elaborate system of rank and title. It is important to note, that, in this rigid system of power, apart from the senate and his consuls, only the tribunes are allowed to bring forth a concern to the emperor. So, in the end, anyone who wants to bring a matter to the attention of the high throne, has to convince one of the tribunes to bring it to the agenda of the half-yearly Imperial Council.
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#### Nobilis
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In the gouvernment of provinces the tribune distributes the land among a variety of nobles. In the eyes of the emperor, they are all of equal rank, summarised as Nobilis. As a result of the fast expansion, the exact titles of a noble is usually the same as it was before the province was added to the empire. This lead to old structures staying intact, which also increased the stability and satisfaction of the emperors vassals, as not much changed for them. The nobilis gouvern over their land usually by leasing it to citizens who take care of it by tilling the soild or establishing towns and cities. They mainly live by the taxes that these citizens pay in return for the lease, of which the nobilis again pay a tithe to their tribunes, who in turn owe a portion of it to the emperor. In the end, the members of the nobilis are in charge of running the daily business of the empire. They are responsible for keeping their land productive and also for keeping it safe. In order to do that, they may invest in building new settlements or trades by decree, while also building up small troops of guards. These guards are very strictly regulated in terms of size, training and equipment in order to prevent any of the nobilis to accumulate too much military power. A real army is only to be kept by the legions of the emperor. This may also lead to any guard, who has too much experience, to be transferred to one of the legions, which usually perceived as an honor and a goal for most captains.
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### Legates
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One of the more recent developments in social structure within the temerian empire is the role of legates. As the empire is growing rapidly, one of the emperors biggest concerns is to retain the centralisation of power. In order to enable this, fast transmission of information and decisions is required. The legates should ensure exactly this. Whenever someone is appointed as a legate, which is usually only for a limited time or task, they are equipped with specific authority to make decisions, as if they were acting as the person who appointed them. As such, as legate is regarded and to be treated as replacement for whoever sent them. This temporarily places them at different level than he or she originated from and thus is a great opportunity to prove their worth.
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Depending on their area of function, the ranks of the legates are divided:
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**Imperial legates** are directly empowered by the emperor to speak and enact his will. It is very rare that the emperor appoints one of them and he usually only does, when there is something to do, that he doesn't entrust to one of his tribunes. Far more often, than to act, these legates are sent to observe and report back to the high throne. In this case, such a legate is sent to monitor the proceedings of tribunes and nobles alike. Whenever one of the imperial legates appears, it is seen as a sign that someone has earned the emperors distrust.
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The role of **Military Legates** is a fixed part of the law. Within the Martial Charta their role is discribed to serve as adjutant for the tribune, acting as replacement, for when the tribune is unavailable to make decisions. They are also responsible for the personal security of the tribune and often command the personal guards of their superior. Furthermore a military tribune often handles financials and logistics of the legion. So, very often it is the legate of a legion who actually runs and operates the legion, while it is the tribune, who makes strategic decisions and acts as general in case of battle.
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**Tax Legates** are, as the name suggests, responsible for collecting and transferring taxes from even the smallest hamlet to the tribunate for of trade and taxes. All people, who work for the tribune in the area of trade and taxes, are legates of some kind. The tax legates have an elaborate system of ranks to enable thrade collection. The lowest rank of these legates is named a Assistant Collector and usually a kind of secretary for the Collector, who, supported by a band of guards or mercenaries, travels through his or her district to regularly collect taxes, either in the form of money or kind. The hierarchy of the tax legates is organised by the districts that they are responsible for, which sometimes, but not alway, align with the separation of provinces.
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The most recent, and most peculiar, form of legates that formed are **legislative legates**. Their one and only job is to know the most recent laws of the empire and bring them even to the most remote village. In this function, their word is the law. Whenever one of these legates is around, his or her wording of the Temerian Codex or the Martial Charta overrules any written word. Legislative legates are sent on their journey by decree of the emperor's justice directly and are forbidden from settling down for more than one month. It is their highest duty to know the law and update each other with the latest changes whenever possible. Most of these legates have a high degree of mental training to memorise the codex in its entire wording by heart and as well in order to prevent corruption. These people take on the mantle of neutrality and truth with zeal, which often permits them from interfering with execution of the law directly, seeing themselves as a source of knowledge only. In its entirety, the legislative legates form a very new, but steadily growing caste in its own. Some even joked about them being the new priests of the empire.
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### Citizens
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The large part of people inhabiting the empire are to be counted as citizens. Any citizen of the empire has some vital basic rights granted:
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- Carry on a trade within and abroad the empire
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- Lease and own land
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- Sue others in case of wrongdoings, as well as represent theirselve when being sued at the court
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- Move freely within the empire
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- Be exempt from certain corporal punishment, especially torture and gruesome methods of execution
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- Marry and found a family
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- Receive free basic education, like reading and writing, general access to education and public infrastructure
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- Pray to and worship any god or spirit without prosecution
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- Be elected as senator when of age
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In other words, having the temerian citizenship is the only way to actually take part in daily life. It has to be carefully noted, that these rights are granted to citizens without restrictions of gender. Thus, the Temerian Empire is one of the few nations, where all genders are equal.
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In order to receive and keep the citizenship there is a number of codified duties and prerequisites: Only those of human heritage may claim it. This requires predominant Myou'Jin, Alhanian or Andronian blood. This is assesed by scholars and even sorcerers when requesting citizenship.
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- Paying regular taxes
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- Serving within the legion for two years upon reaching adolescence
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- Being able to read and write the temerian trade tongue or learn it within one year.
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- You must not practice or share knowledge of spiritual, celestial or veiled magic.
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On some occasions the emperor has granted a citizenship to someone who did not meet all of the required prerequisites or exempted individuals from their duties to pay taxes or serve the legion. This happens specifically for people of diplomatic interest, like emisarries of other kingdoms, or for very valueable people, that the emperor has a personal interest in. In case of diplomatic citizenship it is usually only granted temporarily.
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On the other hand, not everybody, who does not have the temerian citizenship is automatically outlawed or a slave. As long as they are at least basically of human decent and behave according to the laws of the Temerian Empire, they just face very inconvenient repercussions, that make it near impossible to stay longer within the empire. For example, any border patrol or guard may prevent their journey and they may not sell goods, while buying is usually not a problem.
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Citizenship is taken very siriously by officials and within the inner provinces as it is the basic foundation of the success and conveniences of the empire. More rural locations, as well as recently annexed provinces usually have a more relaxed view on these matters, especially when the new way of living is not yet natural to them.
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The senate has a special role. It is staffed by selected citizens. In general it is the responsibility and authority of the tribune to select a senator, who will represent all citizens of the according province. Sometimes this is done democratically, while very often the tribune directly selects a trusted citizen. In some areas it has become a custom to select senators from a number of specific families, making it nearly an inherited post. Being chosen as senator can be life-chaning, as they receive all their expenses reimbursted from the empire and are relocated to the seantors quarters in the city of Raveas with their families. This has been introduced in order to reduce corruption, but in reality has just shifted it towards the elections.
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The purpose of the senate is to represent citizens before the emperor on the one hand, and deal with lawmaking and some tasks of administration for the civil population. As a tradition all senators gather at least twice a month in the Halls of Wisdom in Raveas to discuss pressing matters and decide on changes to the law or even act as highest instance for civil justice. Also, at least once a quarter of the year, the emperor himself hears the pleas of the senators of which he often times grants pardons or shares his opinion on civil matters. Thus, the senate plays a vital role within the empires social structure as it connects nobility and citizens directly.
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### Slaves and Servants
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Contrary to what one might suspect, slaves and servants rarely face a lot of disgrace in their life. First, there is a distinction between these groups to be made:
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Servants are usually citizens of the empire who forfeited their direct citizenship and put themselves under (limted) control of another citizen. This is usually, but necessarily, a temporary situation. For example, this happens due to a debt that cannot be payed off, or for children, who are not of age. Although the emperor does not approve of this as he favours equality, it became a custom for some families, that only the leader of the family is the only citizen, while all others are servants. Commonly this is found in provinces, where patriarchy was the norm before the empire.
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While servants are under the command of their citizens, they receive a wage, or at least upkeep. Also they have a right to physical integrity, making corporal punishment a rare occasion. Also a servant may either be released or pay off their debt and take on citizenship as a result, for example, when they come off age.
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Slaves on the other hand are not as free as servants are. They are at the liberty of their masters, except for unduly harm, which is a very broad term. Another law that prevents extremes is, that a master is responsible for the deeds of his servants. As a result, only trustworthy slaves may leave the homesteads of their masters, while others are confined more closely.
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It is very uncommom that someone who could claim citizenship becomes a slave instead of a servant. The most known example for a situation where an ex-citizen became enslaved was due to crimes committed against their new master. As a result, most slaves are either criminals or not human enough for the officials to become citizens, or are captured as prisoners of war.
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The life of a slave varies heavly, depending on their master. In rural areas, they are used to harrow the land and do the hard work, while in more urban regions it is also common th use slaves for entertainment of guests and do the work nobody else wants to do, like cleaning the sewers.
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## People and Culture
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Life within the empire is shaped by both prosperity and strict hierarchy. The rural majority, about seventy percent of the population, live in small villages or agricultural estates, sustaining the empire's food supply. Urban centers, however, are vibrant hubs of trade, learning, and craftsmanship, where guilds organize the skilled trades and middle-class citizens thrive. Cultural pride in the empire's infrastructure, public healthcare, and legal system is widespread among citizens. Despite its racial prejudices and authoritarian governance, many see the Empire as a beacon of order and civilization compared to the chaos beyond its borders.
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### Fashion
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Clothing within the Temerian Empire reflects not only climate and culture but also the rigid social stratification of imperial life. In the heartland cities, fashion is a tool of status and discipline. Citizens of standing - especially those residing in Raveas or Algeas - favor structured garments in muted tones: deep greys, ochres, and ash-blues dominate the palette, accented by house emblems or dyed hems to mark guild or provincial allegiance. Tunics with stiff collars, layered woolen mantles, and tightly bound belts are common, giving the imperial citizen an austere, orderly appearance. The nobility adorn themselves in richer fabrics such as imported velvets or dyed silks from the eastern ports, though excess ornamentation is frowned upon; elegance lies in subtlety, cut, and the bearing of the wearer rather than in gaudy display.
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Military and bureaucratic uniforms are strictly codified. Legion officers wear black and rust-red, the colors of oath and blood, while administrative officials are often seen in dark green tabards bearing the seal of their tribune. The robes of legislative legates are pale linen lined with black thread, stitched with quotes from imperial law in tight, almost calligraphic script. In contrast, rural citizens and servants wear simpler attire - roughspun wool, linen shirts, and thick leather for labor. Most commoners bind their clothing with cords or plain sashes rather than buttons or clasps, the latter being a sign of wealth. Footwear is utilitarian across all classes: hardened boots for travel, soft sandals for the home, and nailed soles for legionnaires.
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Slaves, depending on their master's wealth and preferences, wear either simple tunics marked with the imperial brand or, in urban centers, more decorative attire that reflects the status of the household they serve. Imperial law dictates that slaves must dress plainly, but not indecently - function and identification override personal choice.
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In the border provinces and newly conquered territories, clothing often serves as a quiet form of dissent. In places like Talpis, where rebellion still simmers beneath the surface, citizens may adopt older, regional styles that predate imperial control - wide belts, flared sleeves, or native embroidery patterns no longer permitted in formal gatherings. The use of non-imperial dyes or locally woven fabrics, once cultural expressions, have taken on new political meaning. These fashion choices are rarely overt enough to justify legal punishment, but they are closely watched by imperial administrators and often suppressed during census festivals or military parades. Even something as small as an unlicensed family crest sewn into a cloak hem can signal defiance - and invite reprisal. Yet for many, it is worth the risk: a way of remembering who they were before the black-and-gold banners came.
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Headwear is more symbolic than practical. Nobles often wear flat circlets or embroidered veils during formal occasions. Scholars and magistrates don coiled headbands dyed with ochre, while legionnaires wear their close-cut helms even off the field, both as a badge of service and a deterrent against insubordination. Hair is worn short by men in most regions, though longer, tied styles remain popular among the frontier provinces. Women's hair is typically braided and pinned, especially among the citizenry. Elaborate hairstyles, once viewed as signs of vanity, are now seen as a mark of discipline and control - beauty through restraint.
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### Cuisine
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Temerian cuisine, like much of imperial life, is grounded in necessity, shaped by logistics, local crops, and military discipline. The most common meals center on grain and root vegetables - tessan wheat bread, boiled barley mash, and stews thick with turnips, onions, and river herbs. In the fertile heartlands, meat is common but modest: chicken, goat, and salted pork form the backbone of most urban diets, while smoked fish from Algean lakes and pickled eels from the Ravean Gulf are popular along the coasts. Eggs, hard cheeses, and pulses provide protein for those who cannot afford daily meat.
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Rations for soldiers and laborers are standardized by legion quartermasters: dried meat strips, oat cakes, salted beans, and black tea brewed with bitterleaf, a stimulant that wards off fatigue. A thick, sour paste made from fermented lentils and garlic - called **dreth** - is common among soldiers and slaves alike. It is filling, if not appetizing. Officers and traveling officials enjoy better fare: dried fruits, cured sausages, and hard cheese wheels issued from state-controlled granaries.
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In cities, taverns and eateries cater to both the working class and the bureaucratic elite. Spiced meat skewers, flatbreads baked with oil and wild onion, and broths thickened with root starch are staples. Algeas is known for its freshwater carp stews, while Volariat produces ironpot dishes - hearty one-pot meals of root vegetables and tough cuts of meat simmered for hours over mountain fire. The eastern cities, where trade routes from Pharos and Lethis converge, offer more variety - strong wine, saffron-scented rice, and boiled chickpea dishes seasoned with ashpepper and coriander.
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Drinks are equally stratified. Rural communities favor simple barley beer or watered wine. In the capital, aged red wines and honeyed meads are consumed during feast days, while heated herb wines are a common remedy for illness. A thin, bitter black brew made from crushed forest beans - called **kaffa** - is increasingly popular among scholars, magistrates, and night watchmen for its energizing effect, though some clerics call it a vice of the overworked.
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Sweet food is rare and largely ceremonial. Honeyed dates, spiced plum preserves, and nut cakes are reserved for weddings, official promotions, or victories in battle. The empire frowns on indulgence, but never forgets the power of a well-timed feast in binding loyalty - or in demonstrating the Emperor's generosity.
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## Religion
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The Temerian Empire enforces religious freedom as a core civil right. Citizens may worship any god, spirit, or philosophy they choose, so long as it does not advocate rebellion against imperial authority. The realm itself, however, is led by an emperor who openly proclaims atheism, promoting reason, law, and human achievement over divine providence. Major religions include the traditional ancestor cults of the [[Mentralian Kingdoms]], a small following of [[The Balanced Scale]] and widespread service to the [[Creed of the Veil]]. Among the [[Creed of the Veil|Creed]], especially the heresy of the Seekers Beyond have found growing interest. While outlawed and scorned in other parts of the content, the Empire gives them exactly the environment of scepticism they need to prosper.
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Local spiritualists and travelling spirit soothers are influential in rural communities but hold little sway in imperial politics, and temples often double as centers for social gatherings, education, and local governance.
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## Education
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Education in the Temerian Empire is widely accessible, especially in urban centers. Basic literacy and numeracy are taught freely in village schools funded by provincial tribunes. Reading, writing, and knowledge of imperial law are expected of every citizen. The Academy of [[Algeas]] stands as the pinnacle of philosophical, scientific, and magical learning, attracting scholars from across the continent. Castle Osgariat, a grand fortress-academy in the city of the same name, trains future officers and tacticians for the legions, emphasizing strategy, leadership, and loyalty to the emperor. While magical education is available, it is strictly limited to non-spiritual disciplines, focusing on alchemy, medicine, and anderonean [[Setting/Magical Traditions/Blood Sorcery]]. Intellectual achievement is highly respected, and upward mobility is possible for those who excel in these institutions.
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## Law and Jurisdiction
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One of the major achievements of the empire is a uniformity of the law. Throughout all its provinces there is one and the same code of law, that all citizens of the empire are subject to. The Temerian Codex rules all the basic aspects of the daily life while the Martial Charta regulates everything else.
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## Temerian Codex - Civil Law
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Primarily, the Temerian Codex regulates who is allowed to own land, slaves or goods and also which circumstances are to be met to trade as merchant or sell their service as craftsman. The most important passages of the Codex deal with taxes, which includes market rights and toll regulations, that all citizens have to pay as these serve as the major source of income for empire and are used to fund all military and civil services.
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It has to be pointed out especially, that the Temerian Codex is only applicable for those, who are acknowledged citizens regardless of their age or gender. So it is no wonder, that the first chapter of the codex exactly details who may or may not be recognised as citizen. Usually this only applies to pureblooded humans, who have claimed permanent residency within the boundaries of the empire. The only exception for anybody else to become a citizen is to join the ranks of the legion.
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Rights of slaves and servants are regulated via a special charta that does actually put them under the full liberty of their owners. In turn the owners are responsible for protecting their slaves from unduly harm and also rules that the owner of a slaves is to be hold responsible for all the wrongdoings any slave commits while in the service of their liege.
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All these affairs mention above fall under the area of civil rights and are defined and ammended by the senate. The senate itself is a representation of the citizens of each province, who are responsible dealing with the daily business of gouvernment. Any citizen can be elected to act as senator for his or her province and it is the responsibility of the gouverning tribune of the according province to decide who will represent the province in turn. Some of the tribunes prefer to directly select their representatives, while in other provinces it has become a custom to democratically vote in an election. There is no specific timefrime for which a senator is appointed. It has happened before, that some tribunes recalled their senators after a few days or weeks, when they did not act in their interest. The number of senators is fixed to 312, while the number of senators that a province has to dispatch depends on the number of citizens that the census, conducted every three years, has established.
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Since the rule of Emperor Temerian II, traditionally all senators and their closest family members are relocated to reside in the city of Raveas , within the senators disctrict, close to the senate. Their housing, servants and cost of living are taken over by the empire. This has been institutionalised to reduce corruption and also to let all members of the senate discuss on par with each other. All revenue that a trade or land of an appointed senator generates is automatically claimed by the empire in return.
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Any law that the senate passes usually takes effect within thirty days, except when the emperor himself vetoes, which is handled by martial law.
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### The Martial Charta - The Emperors Law
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It seems as a strange fact, that is rooted in the genesis of the empire, that anything, that is not ruled by civil law automatically falls into Martial Law. Thus, the martial law of the temerian empire covers not only structures and punishments within the military, but also the formal constitution, that describes how the empire works.
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It is to be noted though, that, at least on paper, the emperor does not rule arbitarily, but it is exactly this charta of martial law that defines how he should act. As a result, the charta of martial law, does not directly work as legislative document, but rather as a handbook on how the empire has to be operated, edited by the emperor himself.
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Most noteworthy points of the martial law describe the eleven legions and their responsibilities, as well as the responsibilities of the tribunes ruling over the provinces. Anything, that the emperor deems important or worthy may be subjected to the martial charta. This happened previously under Emperor Temerian I as he ordered the legions to build the vast network of roads that were the foundation for the military and economic success of the empire. Usually this would have been subject to the civil law, but is now the only part of infrastructure laws that are directly decided by the emperor or his legates.
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Also of special interest is the third appendix to the martial charta. It deals with exact regulations which magic may be practiced, and which kind of magic is punishable, usually by death. The third appendix is often discussed and brought up by the emissary of the Black Citadel as, in its current reading, forbids casting any kind of magic, except those linked to the chthonic and visceral sources.
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### Punishment
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Punishment within the Temerian Empire is swift, harsh, and public, intended as both correction and spectacle. Minor offenses such as theft may be met with public shaming, fines, whipping, or periods of forced labor. More serious crimes - treason, murder, desertion, or corruption - are punishable by enslavement, exile beyond the empire's borders, or death.
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Convicted criminals sentenced to slavery are marked and sold to imperial contractors, where they toil in mines, build roads, or serve in penal labor corps that support the Legions. Execution is reserved for those who defy the Emperor's authority directly.
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All punishments are meticulously recorded in the Temerian Codex, and magistrates are trained from youth to apply the law without favoritism. Public executions and sentencing festivals are common, drawing large crowds and reinforcing the inviolable order.
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## Trade & Transport
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Trade within the Temerian Empire is strictly regulated and jealously guarded. Only citizens and licensed merchant guilds may conduct business inside the empire's borders. Foreigners are forbidden from trading directly in cities and must use specially designated border markets, heavily policed by imperial inspectors and guards.
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Sea trade is vital: the Empire maintains bustling ports at the Western Reach, where fleets sail to the misty isles of [[Setting/Realms/Mentralin/Annwyn/Annwyn]] to trade for fine metals and crafted goods, and to the desert kingdom of [[Pharos]] for spices, rare dyes, and sacred oils. All foreign merchants are required to stay within isolated port enclaves, with no right to travel inland without imperial sanction.
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Overland caravans, though rarer, follow imperial trade routes such as the [[Golden Artery]], a fortified highway lined with watchtowers that links the Empire's heartland to distant vassal states and trading partners.
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### Infrastructure
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The Empire's greatness is built upon its awe-inspiring infrastructure. Massive, stone-paved Imperial Highways crisscross the continent, allowing swift movement of armies and goods alike. These roads are guarded day and night by patrols and maintained by imperial slaves and laborers.
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Beneath major cities, elaborate sewage systems carry waste into deep ravines or out to the sea, preventing disease outbreaks that once crippled lesser nations.
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Vast aqueducts arch across valleys and farmland, channeling clean water to even the most remote frontier fortresses. Engineering marvels such as the Tower of Rivers in [[Volariat]] ensure that entire cities flourish in once-barren regions.
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All infrastructure projects fall under the command of the *Imperial Ministry of Works*, whose architects and overseers are venerated nearly as much as generals.
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## Military
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The Temerian Empire's military is the steel that shapes its destiny. Its might is founded upon the professional [[Imperial Legion]]s, each a self-contained force of infantry, cavalry, engineers, and war mages. Recruited from the citizenry and trained from boyhood, legionaries swear life-long loyalty to the Emperor and the Empire. Their oath is sacred; their life belongs not to themselves, but to the Empire.
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Foremost among them stands the **First Legion**, known as _The Emperor's Shield_. Stationed permanently in the capital of **Raveas**, they serve as the personal protectors of the Emperor and the sacred heart of the Empire's military might. Clad in black-and-gold armor, their presence at court and battlefield alike is a symbol of imperial authority made manifest.
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In the great cities and across the provinces, civil order is maintained by detachments of the **Sixth Legion**, the _Grey Mantles_. They serve as city guards, enforcers of imperial law, and watchers over citizens and foreigners alike. Their presence in the streets is as common - and as respected - as the ringing of the city bells.
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Across the eastern and northern seas, the **Tenth Legion**, the _Sea Fangs_, secures the Empire's maritime lifelines. Their war galleys patrol the **Golden Sea**, ensuring safe passage for imperial merchants to the distant shores of [[Pharos]] and [[Setting/Realms/Mentralin/Annwyn/Annwyn]]. Their daring Admiral, **Cassian Deyro**, is famed for the storming of the pirate citadel of Shal's Hollow, a victory that ensured Temerian dominance over eastern trade routes.
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Farther afield, the **Seventh Legion**, the _Pathfinders_, embarks on expeditions beyond the known world. Their banners have been glimpsed in the jungle-choked coasts of **Tlaxcaltec** and among the icy planes on [[Anderon]] to the north. Exploration, diplomacy, and conquest lie equally within their mandate - and many never return from the wild unknown.
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Most feared, however, is the **Eighth Legion**, the _Dawn Blades_. Unlike their brothers, the Dawn Blades are composed not of honored citizens but of the condemned: criminals, debtors, and disgraced soldiers stripped of their names and rights. Upon enlistment, each is branded with the imperial mark, signifying their sentence. Their task is simple and brutal - to fight, to die, or to redeem themselves through impossible deeds. They are hurled into the most hopeless campaigns, battling desert warlords, savage tribes, and cursed frontiers where no other legion would march. Few survive their sentences; fewer still regain their citizenship. It is said that to wear the bone-white and rust-red of the Dawn Blades is to already walk among the dead. Their Legate, **Seron "Halfhand" Vaun**, a survivor of the _Blood March of Kharzet_, is both feared and revered by his men, leading by iron rule and brutal example.
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Across the southern frontier, the **Ninth Legion**, the _Iron Mauls_, wages a relentless campaign to crush the resistance of the [[Mentralian Kingdoms]] and manning the border fortresses of [[Tor Praxis]] and [[Tor Amras]]. Hardened by years of brutal sieges and open warfare, their banners are tattered but unbroken, their name cursed in foreign tongues and revered in Temerian songs. Their Legate, **Aurelia Vorn**, is said to wield a great hammer said to have shattered the gates of Redmont Keep in a single night.
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In times of great wars, the Emperor may call forth the citizen levies and auxiliary forces drawn from conquered peoples. Yet it is the Legions - the eternal, professional heart of the Temerian war machine - that bear the true weight of empire and conquest.
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## Fauna and Flora
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The vast expanse of the Temerian Empire, from storm-lashed coasts to arid ridgelands and fertile river valleys, supports a wide but unforgiving variety of natural life. The heartland provinces surrounding Raveas are dominated by cultivated fields of tessan wheat, a staple crop resistant to drought and rot, and groves of smokewood trees, whose pale, aromatic timber is prized for use in incense, formal architecture, and slow-burning torches. Along the roadsides and within temple courts, red-leafed varna trees are cultivated for both their symbolic significance - loyalty, endurance - and their hard, iron-veined bark, used in ceremonial carvings and military honors.
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In the cooler uplands of [[Volariat]], vegetation thins and clings to rocky soil. Here grow bitterroot and bloodhearth shrubs - both coarse, resilient plants whose roots are used in field medicine, especially to prevent wound rot and fever. The slopes of the Solemn Ridge are home to mountain pine and coldgrass, which feed both livestock and the hardy, wool-bearing goats bred by upland villages. The forests near Algeas are wet and misted year-round, and harbor a dense canopy of drooping mosswood, whose oil is rendered for lamps, and slatevine, a fibrous creeper woven into textiles used by frontier households and legion tents alike.
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Animal life across the empire is equally shaped by its geography and brutality. In the cultivated plains and fortified settlements, the most common beasts are utilitarian: oxen, lowland mules, and a stout breed of domestic pig known as trenchers. The Empire's warhorses, known as Ravean destriers, are tall, broad-nosed, and bred for discipline and endurance rather than speed. They are rare outside the legions and often marked with branded sigils denoting their lineage. Lesser horses - cobstock and fieldrunners - are used by couriers and civil officials. Along the riverlands, waterfowl, reed pheasants, and mudcrakes are trapped for their meat and feathers, while in the eastern marches, some settlements raise long-necked marsh stags for their lean meat and hide.
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Wilder regions, especially those near the southern frontier and the fractured borderlands with the Mentralian Kingdoms, harbor more dangerous game. Razorboars - lean, long-tusked feral swine - are a constant menace to both farmers and legion patrols, known to charge in herds when roused. Packs of mournhounds, tall, black-furred canines with gaunt flanks and pale eyes, are feared across the empire's wilder provinces; they often trail wounded travelers or prey upon livestock at night. In the north, dusk deer - graceful, ash-coated stags - roam in thinning numbers, hunted both for food and for their prized antlers, used in ceremonial crafts.
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Some regions whisper of stranger creatures, though such accounts are often dismissed by imperial officials. Along the Mourning Peaks, shepherds speak of cliff-haunting carrion birds with bone-pale plumage that circle wounded men until they fall. In the dense woods beyond Lethis, stories persist of scaled hill drakes - small, wingless reptiles with barbed hides and a temperamental nature - that emerge during the hottest months to prey on unattended herds. And though largely treated as tavern talk, there are recurring tales from imperial scouts of hollow-eyed cats seen watching from ruined towers, or silent owls with silver feathers that vanish when approached - creatures rarely confirmed and never captured.
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Despite the occasional myth and superstition, the Empire views nature through a lens of utility and control. Wild plants are catalogued for their usefulness to healers or alchemists; dangerous beasts are hunted or driven off; and anything that cannot be understood or contained is treated with wary pragmatism. In the end, the imperial legions and their roads may tame the land - but never entirely.
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## Language
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Language in the Temerian Empire is both a means of communication and an instrument of conquest. Though the Empire's early conquests were waged with swords and legions, it was Emperor Temerian I who recognized that no rule could endure without a common tongue. To this end, he commissioned the creation of a new, simplified language - the [[Temerian Trade Tongue]] - intended to replace the fractured dialects of the old Mentralian Kingdoms and bind the conquered provinces not just by law, but by voice.
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The Temerian Trade Tongue draws from both [[High Mentralic]] and [[Low Mentralic]], stripping out the archaic grammar and ceremonial phrasing of the former while pruning the inconsistent slang of the latter. It is designed to be precise, direct, and easily taught - ideal for military orders, tax records, and courtroom decrees. Every citizen is expected to learn it upon coming of age, and full fluency is a requirement for imperial citizenship. In most cities, it is the language of signage, coinage, and law, enforced through schools, public notices, and the sharp memory of legislative legates.
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Despite the Trade Tongue's growing dominance, _High Mentralic_ remains in ceremonial use, particularly among older noble families and within temples loyal to the Creed of the Veil. It is the language of scripture, of courtly poetry, and of the ancestral lineages traced through the scholars of [[Bellerand]]. In contrast, _Low Mentralic_ endures in the streets, border villages, and taverns, where its clipped syllables and local flourishes carry the weight of lived history. Bards, smugglers, and mercenaries still favor it for its flexibility and wit, and it is not uncommon for a single conversation to shift across all three tongues - formal, functional, and familiar - depending on who is listening.
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>[!aside|show-title right] Naming the Conquered - How Mentralian Names Are Adapted Under Imperial Rule
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>
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> In the transition from the fractured Mentralian Kingdoms to the centralized Temerian Empire, names have not escaped reform. Names once considered noble, poetic, or spiritual are now often trimmed, translated, or replaced to fit the practical demands of imperial administration and to align with the Trade Tongue's emphasis on clarity and uniformity.
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>
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> - _Aerandor_ becomes _Aren Dar_ or _Ardan_
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> - _Liraevyn_ may become _Lira Ven_ or _Lyra_
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>- _Caleos_ may become _K
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>- _Thalmerin_ turns into _Thal Ren_ or _Meren_
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>
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>**Common Adaptation Methods:**
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>- *Contraction*: Long or compound names are shortened to 1-2 syllables.
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>- *Phonetic Simplification*: Complex or flowing syllables are reworked for easier writing and pronunciation in the Trade Tongue.
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>- *Provincial Tagging*: Official names often include province designations (_e.g., Mira Talpis_), especially for census and military records.
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>- *Title Substitution*: Spiritual or clan-based name elements are replaced with occupational or military identifiers (_e.g., "Thalmerin the Blessed" becomes "Thal Ren, Scribe-Archivist"_).
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In the newly annexed territories - such as [[Talpis]] or the eastern riverlands - language becomes a quiet battleground. Many locals stubbornly cling to ancestral dialects, speaking Mentralic in homes and marketplaces even as imperial clerks demand the Trade Tongue in court. Some subversive playwrights and poets have begun weaving satire into their native verse, embedding mockery of the Empire into seemingly loyal odes. While not yet banned, such works are watched closely.
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The Empire may seek to speak with one voice, but in every alley and ancestral hall, in every roadside joke or forgotten ballad, the old tongues linger
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### Local Idioms
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Imperial idioms, born from both military jargon and bureaucratic brevity, have begun to infiltrate daily speech across the empire. “Ink-bound” is used to describe someone hopelessly tangled in law or paperwork. A “half-mark” is a fool - named for a coin cut in desperation. To “wear the chain backwards” means to speak out of turn or forget one's station. Among soldiers, to “march on clean boots” means to enter battle untested, and to “sleep with both eyes closed” is to trust foolishly.
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### Naming
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Naming practices have likewise shifted under imperial influence. Traditional Mentralian names, often long and poetic (e.g., _Aerandor_, _Liraevyn_), have been shortened or altered for clarity in imperial registers. Many new citizens adopt practical names in the Trade Tongue - _Karran_, _Mira_, _Tavren_, _Elsa_ - to ease bureaucracy and signal loyalty. In official documents, names are followed by provincial designation and, where applicable, a trade or title (e.g., _Mira Volar, Copperwright_ or _Tavren Algeas, Legionnaire_). In resistance circles, however, it's not uncommon for old names to be reclaimed in private, whispered like prayers against forgetting.
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