# Tyrennhian Imperium The **Tyrennhian Imperium** is located on the continent of **Corsu**. Imperial holdings have expanded to include the **Shellitash Highlands**, the **Manim Archepellego**, and parts of **Sulima**, **Narrin** and the **Illurian Islands**. The Imperium prides itself on being a fearsome military force, a center of culture and learning, and the only democratically run nation in the world. Citizens view the Imperium as a shining beacon of enlightenment is a world fraught with barbarity and ignorance. Outsiders view them as a cruel and aggressive empire that threatens the peace and stability. ## History ... ### Pre-Urian Era The people of Corsu were originally part of two separate civilizations. To the west, there were the independent city-states, he most powerful of these were Madera and Ychithia. To the East there was the Kingdom of Shellitash. For nearly a millennium the city-states had established alliances, fought wars, sewn peace, betrayed alliances and fought again. The shifting webs of alliances, intrigues, coups and betrayal had balanced itself into a rough equilibrium, thought the constant strife and conflict did stymie the advancement of their civilization. The Shellitash had little interest in annexing the barbaric lands. The Shellitash borders were naturally defensible, and convincing neighboring city states to fight among themselves with Shellitashi support rather than banding together in a futile invasion was easy enough. ### Cherekoth Invasion Having been routed from Nantua Yananan by the Yelin and Aldwarwa, the savage ogres known as the Cherekoth fled South, over the Circle Sea, to Corsu. They arrived in the City State of Mertinis in 971, and quickly sacked to port city, routing the defenders and forcing the citizens to flee southward. As more of the Cherekoth landed in Mertinis, they expanded their conquest across the land, overrunning city after city. Rather than band together in common defense of their fellow humans, the remaining city states tried to take advantage of the crisis, allowing their rival city-states to "soften up" the Cherekoth horde so they could sweep in, crush the ogres and reap the rewards. One after another, each of the great cities learned the folly of their arrogance.  >[!notes] > The Shellitash had retreated in the face of the Cherekoth. Their naturally defensible territory and advanced military made them a less appealing target for the horde than the Corsuan city-states.  When they learned that the Cherekoth had landed on Corsu, the Ylvani set forth to defend the humans from the horde. They found and shepherded the refugees of the broken cities, and lead them to the only one of the three remaining city-states that would take them in, Menosia. The Ylvani helped the Menosians broker an alliance among the remaining Corsuans with the goal of taking back their homes and restoring their prior territories. This alliance was declared the Urian Army. As the Ylvani worked to gather together what remained of the broken city states, Ychithian and Vrendian forces had joined in an alliance, confident in their ability to turn back the Cherekoth and split Corsu between them. They Ychitihians and Vrendians faced the Cherekoth in the battle of the Blackwood. The battle went poorly, and Ychitihia retreated, leaving the Vrendian army to bear the brunt of the Cherekoth onslaught. The Siege of Ychithia began shortly thereafter. The siege lasted little over a year, and was one of the few instances were there Cherkoth conquest was stymied. King Magnios VII had hoped that the undisciplined ogres and their lesser kin would lose interest in a stalemate and find easier prey. The siege lasted long enough for the Urian Army to become a viable fighting force. The Ylvani taught the Corsuans much and showed them how to harness their latent magical abilities. With this, the Urians and the Ylvani broke the Cherekoth siege, and King Magnios signed to the Urian Accords. The victory had served as a rallying point for Corsuan people, and with the Ylvani’s aid, the Cherekoth were pushed back. Corsu was eventually liberated and the Cherekoth were driven off. What had taken a handful of years to lose had taken thirty years to reclaim. With the help of the Ylvani, the Corsuan people would build a new, unified nation. Atop the ashes of the divided and conquered city states, a single indivisible nation would rise. The new capital city of Tyrrenhis was founded and as a people, the people resolved to never again be divided by flags and banners. ### Urian Union While instrumental in the defense of people, the liberation of Corsu and the foundation of the Urian Union, the Ylvani were determined to make this new nation self-sufficient. They refused to take part in the ruling of the nation, but remained to advise and help defend the lands and people. After a few generations, when the living memory of division, war and strife were gone from the Urian people, the Ylvani resolved to depart. The half-Ylvani children were left behind, charged with guiding and mentoring their human brethren. The Half-Ylvani resented being left behind, but their position within Urian society afforded them great influence and prestige. They used this to shape the Urian Union to their advantage. They leveraged the sorcerer academies to turn arcane power into a status symbol. They convinced generations of humans that arcane power and Ylvani heritage were marks of the right of rulership. They had placed themselves at the head of Urian Society, when they had the power to do so, they declared Gël'zanye, the rule of magic. They installed themselves as the Overlords of Corsu. There was no resistance to this declaration. After all, it was the Ylvani had saved the Urian people and forged their nation. They were right to expect control over its destiny, and the Ylvani had always been friends of humanity before. The policies of the Overlords grew more severe and stringent over the generations, reducing the Urian humans to slaves. Brutal and sadistic, the Overlords took the pains of their perceived inadequacy out on the humans they ruled over for nearly two centuries; using their inherent talents for sorcery to keep the Urians in line.  ### Revolution The first act of rebellion was the Massacre of the Adana’warte in 1285. The Adana’warte were academies where Corsuans with sorcerers powers were trained in arcane art and indoctrinated into serving the Overlords. The massacre involved the human servants killing the initiates and half-elves as they slept. The crackdown on the humans was swift and terrifying, but the leader of the revolt, Olidarus, had survived. He continued to instigate acts of rebellion against the overlords. Each was met with severe retribution, which strengthened Olidarus’ resolve and eroded the Corsuans’ willingness to endure the oppression of the Overlords. For nearly two years Olidarus ran from Overlord authorities, inciting riots, sowing rebellion among the humans, and gathering followers willing to give their lives for human freedom. His first real military success was the successful capture Andal Vrian in 1287. Olidarus declared the birth of the Vriandian Nation. In the following months, like-minded humans began to stage their own revolts. Many were brutally put down, but the people of Gaulia and Menos threw down their oppressors and declared allegiance to the Vriandian Nation. A full scale civil war broke out between the Overlords and the Vrendian Nation, and while the Overlords claimed victory in a number of battles, new uprisings flared up, and more cities fell to rebellion. The decisive battle of the Urian civil war was the Battle of Tyrrenhis, where the Vriandian Nation smashed the Overlord’s stronghold of Quöl Va’efin and claimed the capital city of the Urian Union as their own. The victory was the crowning achievement of the rebellion, but cost Olidarus his life. The Overlords made a push to retake the city, hoping that the death of the leader of the slave rebellion would deal a critical blow to the morale of his followers. It had not. The people of the Vriandian Nation crushed any hopes to Overlords had of reclaiming their dominion over the humans of Corsu. They fled to Nan’tua’yanan to beg their Ylvani kin for a new home for their people. The Vriandian Nation dubbed itself the Tyrennhian Imperium, in honor of the city where Olidarus gave his life for his people and his cause. They vowed to never be ruled again, never to let a few place themselves over the will of the people. They formed a representative republic, founded schools called Lyceums to educate the people in all matters of import, from arcana to history to warfare. Bloodline magic was outlawed by the Consular government to prevent the horrors of the Adana’warte from occurring again. Military service and education were required for citizenship, a goal almost all of the Corsuans desired.  ### Expansion and Colonization >[!ntoes] > The Imperium expanded their territory, conquering the Shellitash Kingdom, the Dragonborn, the Merlani Free Cities. They invaded Nantua Yanana during their most recent war with the Kynar, and in so doing decided the war in the Ylvani's favor. The Free Cities broke free of Imperial colonization. ## Government The Tyrennhian Imperium is a representative republic, the only true democracy on Temnia. The government is a model of efficiency, transparency and accountability, built upon the ideals of the Tyrennhian people: knowledge, independence, magic, and the deep-seeded distrust of outsiders. It is, for better or worse, a government of the people, by the people, for the people. Imperial Laws are passed by a bicameral legislature, made up of the Aedilate and the Senate. Aedils are elected annually, and one represents every city of at least 1,000 people. Senators represent one of the ten major regions of the Imperium. There are five such representatives, each of whom serves a five year term. The terms are staggered so that one Senator from each region is up for election each year. The Aedilate’s purpose is to draft laws and vote on the merits of the laws they create. Once a law has been officially recommended by the Aedilate it goes before the Senate for confirmation. Aedils often work with local officials to ensure Imperial resources are distributed where there is need. They are also responsible for naming imperial magistrates for the town which they represent, as well as the high magistrate for the Senatorial district. The Senate debates the laws created by the Aedilate and confirms the laws which will govern the Imperium. Made up of fifty representatives from the various provinces of the Imperium, members of the Senate must have training as a prepared caster. Senators have authority over the soldiers who are stationed within their districts, though this authority is at the discretion of the Proconsul and the Consulate. Senators are also responsible for the order of Venators, who hunt down (and if necessary exterminate) sorcerers, those who cast magic from the power of their bloodline. The head of state and executive of the Imperium is the Consulate. The Consulate is made up of six consuls and a proconsul, that latter of whom is the only truly elected official. Proconsul candidate are named by the Aedilate and voted upon by the people. Proconsuls serve lifetime appointments, but can be recalled from their position if the Aedilate and Senate pass votes of no confidence and the proconsul is voted out of office. Consulars are named to their position by the proconsul and confirmed by the senate. They can be dismissed at the pleasure of the Proconsul, or can be impeached from their position by the senate. Collectively, the Consulate is charged with reviewing laws ratified by the Senate to ensure that they are practical, can be universally applied, and will not cause undue problems within the Imperial bureaucracy. Individually, consulars are the leaders of the Imperial bureaucracies. The Consular positions are of that of Commerce and Industry, The Army, the Navy, Foreign Affairs, Domestic Affairs, and the Church. **The Consuls of the Army** and **Navy** are typically high ranking military officials, though in the course of being named consular, they receive (or are promoted to) the rank of Tribune. Each is charged with the readiness of their branch of the imperial legion. They also advise the proconsul on issues of military deployment. They also advise the consul of domestic affairs on the usage of legion forces within Corsu. **The Consul of the Church** maintains and monitors the effects of magical energy on the Imperium as well as the applications of the principals known as the Olidaran Doctrine to new advances in arcane and divine magic. In addition, the Consul for the Church is responsible for any laws governing education. **The Consul of Domestic Affairs** coordinates with the Aedilate to maintain the Imperium's infrastructure. They are responsible for the deployment of the legion within the homeland, ensuring justice and order are maintained in areas where there is no structured civil government, which covers settlements not represented by the Aedilate. In addition, the Consul for Domestic Affairs commands the Lictors, an organization of spies who ensure domestic tranquility and order within the Imperium's borders. **The Consul of Foreign Affairs** is responsible for diplomacy and international relations. In addition to an intense understanding of international politics and the relations between the various nations, the Consul for Foreign Affairs directs the intelligence gathering and espionage branches of the Imperium's secret services outside of the Imperium's borders. This consul can call upon the services of their servators, and also have access to the Ebon Fox and Obsidian Vulture legions, though such access is subordinate to the Consul of the Army. The least regarded of the Consulate, the **Consul for Industry and Commerce** is, as the name suggests, in charge of matters involving economic productivity within the Imperium. This counselor is responsible for ensuring the collection and accounting of taxes, fees and levies enacted by the imperium. They are also responsible for setting policy on weights and measures, collecting votes for imperial elections,.building and maintaining roads, canals and aqueducts, and other thankless tasks that are vital to the prosperity of the Imperium. Unlike many nations, the power of the Imperial government can be felt at the local level. Imperial Legions deploy soldiers as Conservators to rural holdings to maintain the peace and rule of Imperial law. Regional governors, who hold the title of Diquan, will send representatives to ensure that regional concerns are addressed and to hear petitions on behalf of citizens unable to travel to the city where regional government is based. Imperial Quaestors travel yearly to collect taxes, inform the populace of newly passed laws, and the record votes for representative offices (such as Senator or Diquan). Roads and canals maintained by the imperium are routing patrolled by legion forces. The people of the Imperium are divided into four levels of constituency. The highest form is citizenship. Any native born Tyrennhian can become a citizen of the Imperium by completing two tasks. The first is a four year course of basic education at an accredited Lyceum. This education covers topics such as history, civics, literature, arcane theory, rhetoric and instructions to a variety of other scholarly topics. The second is a ten year tour of service in the imperial legion. Citizenship entitles a Tyrennhian to the full rights and protections of Imperial law. Chief among these rights is the right to vote, but rights of due process, free travel and assembly, expression, petition are also guaranteed only to Imperial citizens. Native born Tyrennhians who have not completed the requirements of citizens are considered probates. They are potential citizens, and while they are disenfranchised, their rights are protections are not in practice much worse than a citizen’s. Most Tyrennhians are probates, but this is in large part because there are many who have not yet completed their service or education. The third tier of the Tyrennhian population are advens, outsiders who have come to the Imperium. This status applies to those who live within the Imperium as well as those who are simply travelers. It also, strictly speaking, applies equally to foreign humans and to foreigners of other races, though adven humans tend to blend in a bit more easily. Few rights are afforded to outsiders, though Imperial law is not strictly antagonistic towards them. The final tier of Tyrennhian society are the slaves. Tyrennhian law strictly forbids the usage of humans as slaves. It even prohibits the use of labor as a punishment for humans duly convicted of crimes. Enslavement of a human is considered to be a treasonous offense in the imperium. However, non-humans of any variety are a viable slave source. Most slaves of the Imperium are from lands conquered by the Imperial Legions, though slavetraders have created a market for their goods as well. The Dragonborne of the Manim Chain make up the bulk of the slave labor force. Erume and other Ylvani have fallen into servitude as well, as have a smattering of other races. Orcs are almost never enslaved, as their short lifespan, disregard for their own safety and stubborn temperament make it a futile effort. ### Foreign Relations ... ## Inhabitants ... ### Dragonborn The Dragonborn were the among the first to fall victim to the Tyrennhian thirst for conquest. When the Imperium annexed the Manim Archpelego, they wasted no time dedicating every resource available to the improvement of the quality of life of its citizens. This included the dragonborn themselves, who were subject to slavery at the hands of their conquerors. Roughly half of the Dragonborn live within the heart of the Imperium, serving as menial or manual labor. They are more often found in the rural farmlands than in the large cities and economic centers, but it is difficult to go anywhere in Imperial lands and not see them. Some few have earned a writ of manumission, while others have escaped bondage and live in hiding. The other half can be found living under occupation in the Manim Archepellego. While not formally pressed into service, the dragonborn here are still exploited for their labor and resources, with no regard for their dignity or welfare. While also counted among the Dragonborn, the Tulosh are not subjected to the horror and privation of their fellow Dragonborn. Tulosh merchants, soldiers and artisans can be found in Southeastern Corsu, though they are a rarer sight in the Northern cities. Most prefer to live in their homeland, content to remain separate from the Humans.  ### Dwarves Trade from the Kingdoms of Thrumsul and Rassmussen flows through the northern port cities of the Imperium, and with it a small population of Dwarven businessmen, craftsmen and sailors. Few journey deep inland, and those that do will usually remain in enclaves on the outer edges of larger Imperial cites. Such dwarves often find fair treatment and a healthy demand for their skills.  ### Halflings Halfling refugees from Antaris have made their way across the world, and the Tyrennhian Imperium is no exception. Like most other non-humans, Halflings tend to congregate around large cities, living in the poorer sections designated for non-human residents. Often mistrusted and made the scapegoats for petty crime, Halflings often learn the wisdom of living light and moving on quickly from a particular community.  ### Human, Zelcoran Client state of Zantula is home to humans whose origins stretch back to the Antaris. The Zantulian people live on the continent of Narrin, though some have come to Imperial Homeland.  ### Human, Corsuan The bulk of the population of the Tyrennhian Imperium is comprised of Corsuan humans. Humans are the only people eligible to become citizens of the Imperium, and while non-humans are due the respect and protections of the law, Imperial institutions are seen as existing for and built by its citizens. The Corsuan Humans actually an amalgamation of three different pre-Urian ethnic backgrounds: The Northern Maderans, the Southern Ychithians, and the Western Shellitash. Linguistic and aesthetic influences from the bygone days of Corsu still remain, but the Tyrennhian people have long since learned the folly of allowing internal differences to divide them. The world is a dangerous place, and humanity must stand together against the outsiders.   ### Human, Miryag In addition to the native humans of Corsu, humans from Miryag nations have come to the Tyrennhian Imperium to seek economic opportunity, the safety and stability of the most powerful military in Northern world, or just to escape the tribulations of their lives in their birth nations. The Imperium welcomes these people with open arms, gladly willing to accept any human who wishes to live by its laws and protect its borders. Miryag in the Imperial Homeland are most often found in the larger, coastal cities of Corsu, though a fair number of merchants and immigrants from the Dayrin League can be found in the Zantulia region, as can similar folk from the Polimon Sultanate in the conquered Sheltashi land in Southern Sulima. The Imperium still has territory in the Illurian Islands, which also has a large number of Miryag peole  ### Orcs Large Warbands and military scale engagements and nearly impossible to find in the Imperium. The Tyrennhian Legion is the most well trained and outfitted military in the Northern World. Those legionaires who are not out defending Imperial holdings are at work within the Imperium itself, rooting out bandits, brigands, outlaws and monsters. But that is not to say that there is no need for a sure sword arm and a ready shield. Few imperials who have committed fifteen years of their lives to the Imperial Legion are eager to take up work as house soldiers, caravan guards or slavekeepers. Smaller Orc bands live in this niche, proving muscle to merchants and landowners. Orcs are more commonly seen in the rural lands of the Imperium, where the Legion is not as ever-present and slower to respond to crises. They are also commonly seen along trade-routes and port cities of the Imperium, either soliciting work or fulfilling a contract.  ### Ylvani Few among the Ylvani find welcome within Imperial borders, given that they were partially responsible for the installation of the Overlords during the days of the Urian Union. Those Ylvani that do live within the Imperium are most often Erume, found in the Shellitash lands to the West, where disdain and distrust are easier to withstand than the hardships of living within the Visanti Wastes.