Callisdrun/Batory Empire Factbook

[Callisdrun]

Constitutional Monarchy of Callisdrun
International Informational Dossier,

Map

"We Bow to No One"

The Constitutional Monarchy of Callisdrun is a large, mountainous, coastal state situated in the far northwest of its region. With a robust economy and burgeoning population, Callisdrun is an important player in the economy and political structure of the area. Callisdrun has been involved in a few horrific wars during the last century. This likely explains why, unlike other liberal, parliamentary monarchies, Callisdrun has remained highly militaristic. Culturally, the society is both quite open and fairly permissive. Despite being highly traditional in its own sense of social norms, internationally, the country would be described as socially liberal.

Country Name:
+ Conventional Long-Form: Constitutional Monarchy of Callisdrun
+ Conventional Short-Form: Callisdrun
+ Archaic Long-Form: Unified Dominion of Callisdrun

National Information:
+ Demonym: Callisdrunian, Callisdruni
+ Capital: Callisdrin (primary residence of monarch, seat of parliament), Drun (secondary residence of monarch, seat of judiciary)
+ Population: 14.933 billion (Feb. 2011)
+ Official Language(s): Callisdrunian (two distinct dialects, Norsk Callisdrunian and Callisk Callisdrunian)

Government:
+ Government Type: Constitutional Parliamentary Monarchy
+ Highest Executive Official: Queen Bente VII
+ Highest Legislative Authority: Parliament (local term: Althing). Current Prime Minister- Hannah Soderberg
+ Highest Judicial Authority: High Court (no direct translation of official name, closest other translations are "Elder Court" and "Moot Court") in Drun
+ Ruling Political Party: Coalition of the Left, comprised primarily of the Socialist, Green, and Communist parties, opposed by the Business and Fascist parties.

Rights and Freedoms:
+ W.A. General Overview of Political Rights: Very Good
+ W.A. General Overview of Civil Rights: Excellent
+ Suffrage:
- Drinking: 14
- Driving: Sixteen 15 with supervision, 16 without
- Legal Age of Consent: 18. Minors between the age of 13-17 may give consent for relations with anyone at least 13, but no more than three years older.
- Marriage: 18
- Military Conscription: 18, may be deferred until age 24.
- Military Volunteering: 16
- Smoking (generally applies to cannabis, rather than tobacco, as the former is more common): 15
- Voting: 18


Government
The government of Callisdrun is a fairly conventional plan, occasionally with some idiosyncrasies stemming from ancient clannish customs. While the monarchy does still hold a considerable degree of power, the Constitutional Monarchy is highly democratic and the monarchy technically has no legislative or judicial power. This has been the state of affairs since 814 CE. The government can be broken down into clearly delineated executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Executive Branch
The executive branch is comprised of the monarch and all royal ministries. It should be noted that this includes the Prime Minister, who is also considered a member of the legislative branch. The monarch has the power to enforce laws, conduct diplomacy, make judicial appointments, veto laws, command the military and to call elections. Many of these authorities are delegated to lower authorities. Justice and foreign affairs are usually delegated to their respective ministries, and command of the military is mostly left up to the Ministry of War. The monarch may also introduce legislation, but does not the power to vote on legislation. The eldest child, whether male or female, of the previous monarch, usually inherits the throne in the event of the reigning monarch's death. A monarch may be deposed by a vote of three fourths of the electorate. In olden times, a deposed monarch was usually made into a sacrifice to Odin. Constitutionally, the monarch must come from House Pendrunsk. Children of monarchs do not change their surnames upon marriage, whether male or female. The consort of a reigning King is termed a Queen, the consort of a reigning Queen is termed a King. The current monarch is Queen Bente VII

Royal Ministries:
- Education
- Justice
- Commerce
- War
- Environmental
- Foreign Relations
- Social Equality
- Treasury
- Health
- Electric
- Water
- Transit
- Labor
- Arts

Legislative Branch
The legislative branch of Callisdrun's government consists of Parliament, known as the Althing. It is a unicameral body that includes members from all parts of Callisdrun, which is divided into a multitude of legislative districts. Representation is based on population and is proportional by party. All districts are multi-member. Members are elected through single transferable vote, thus achieving both local representation and proportional representation. Parliament has the power to make laws, to call elections, to confirm/reject appointments, declare war and demand resignation of government officials. Parliament also controls the government's budget, exercising a great deal of power through control over funding and taxes. It should be noted that executive appointments can be made from either direction. If the monarch nominates a candidate, parliament must confirm her/him. If parliament nominates a candidate, the monarch must confirm her/him. Generally, heads of ministries are nominated by parliament and confirmed by the monarch, while military and judicial appointees are nominated by the monarch and confirmed by parliament. Treaties must also be confirmed by parliament. Technically, the Prime Minister is the head of parliament.

Currently, the ruling government is the Coalition of the Left, consisting of the Socialist, Green and Communist Parties. They are opposed by the Business and Fascist Parties. Occasionally, the Anarchist Party manages a few seats in parliament, but that party has a long history of frequent collapse due to lack of organization and disunity.

Judicial Branch
The judicial branch, naturally, consists of the court system, headed by the High Court (also known as the Elder Court) in Drun. The final arbiters of Callisdrun's constitution, this court has the power to rule any law or executive action to be unconstitutional, and to try government officials. Lower national courts may also rule on constitutional issues. County courts hear most of the day to day criminal cases. Municipal courts rule on more local matters, such as traffic violations and zoning disputes.

Administrative Subdivisions
Callisdrun is a very large country, and though its population was lower when its constitution was adopted, communication across its distances was also much more difficult. Therefore, the nation is divided into a great number of counties, which decide local matters. Some are divided even further into sub-counties. At the time Callisdrun's constitution was made, most counties were the traditional homelands of various clans, some counties a group of clans. Hence, the executive over a county is referred to as a chieftain. However, unlike in earlier times, this position is elected, rather than being hereditary. Still, the requirements to be chieftain almost make it seem as if each county is its own country. Most require residence for a certain number of years, and citizenship in that county. Just Callisdrun does not recognize dual citizenship (you cannot hold Callisdrunian citizenship and citizenship in another country at the same time... if the government discovers that you do, they will give you a period of time to decide which to keep, and if that period passes with no decision, will revoke your Callisdrunian citizenship), one cannot be a citizen of two counties at once. Counties are usually run by their own elected governing councils, while municipalities are run by mayors and city councils. A county is not necessarily larger than a municipality.

[Callisdrun]

[Reserved]

[The Batorys]

The Batory Empire
International Informational Dossier,

"Only Blood Can Be Enough"

The Batory Empire is a massive, sprawling domain across the northern areas of its region. Rarely does it refer to itself as a "nation," given that it is bound together by being the personal property of the Matriarch of the Batory Clan, rather than by any national group identity or ethnicity. On the contrary, it an incredibly multi-ethnic entity. As one might imagine, being an Empire, its government is highly autocratic, and as with most empires, it is quite militaristic. However, citizens of the Empire enjoy a fairly high standard of living and a wide degree of personal freedom.

Country Name:
+ Conventional Long-Form: The Batory Empire, The Empire of the Batorys
+ Conventional Short-Form: the Empire, the Batorys,
+ Archaic Long-Form: The Empire Belonging to the Matriarch of the Batory Clan (not often used except in the court, as it loses a lot in translation)

National Information:
+ Demonym: This is difficult, given that the Empire takes its name from its rulers, not its citizens. "Batory Citizens" and "Batory Subjects" are official, but long. "Imperials" can be used, but many find it not specific enough. "Hyperboreans" and "Huns" are common words for citizens of the Empire.
+ Capital: Sarkanotthon.
+ Population: 14.933 billion (Feb. 2011)
+ Official Language(s): Hunnic (used by the Batory clan and highest tier of government), Callisdrunian dialects (used by much of the government in the northwest and central area), Slavic dialects (used by much of the government in the central and southwestern provinces), German (used as a lingua franca by the populace, especially in areas where Callisdrunian isn't as common), Turkish dialects (used mainly in the eastern and southeastern provinces).

Government:
+ Government Type: Absolute Monarchy, Meritocratic Bureaucracy, Federalist Administrative Subdivisions
+ Highest Executive Official: Empress Vereba Batory
+ Highest Legislative Authority: Empress Vereba Batory, Imperial Adjuncts
+ Highest Judicial Authority: Empress Vereba Batory, Imperial Adjuncts
+ Ruling Political Party: No political parties at the Imperial level.

Rights and Freedoms:
+ W.A. General Overview of Political Rights: Outlawed
+ W.A. General Overview of Civil Rights: Very Good
+ Suffrage:
- Drinking: No age restriction in the Imperial Province. 14 in most other provinces.
- Driving: 15 with supervision, 16 without
- Legal Age of Consent: Varies by province. 13 in the Imperial province.
- Marriage: 16 for females, 18 for males (16 with parental permission)
- Military Conscription: 18. Conscription not always underway, however.
- Military Volunteering: 16
- Smoking (cannabis or tobacco): No age restriction in Imperial province. 15 in most other provinces.
- Voting: Varies by province. For local offices, 18 in the Imperial Province.

Government
The government of the Batory Empire is a somewhat unusual plan, not common in the modern age, which isn't surprising giving its continuity from ancient times. Technically, the entire Empire is the personal property of the Matriarch of the Batory moroii clan. Therefore, the power of the Empress is theoretically absolute and limitless in her capacity to do as she wishes with the running of her country. As one would surmise, technically she is all three branches of government. However, many responsibilities are delegated to subordinates in all areas. The highest subordinates are the Imperial Adjuncts, whose voices carry the same authority as that of the Empress.

Administration
Since the three branches are combined, here we focus on the highest level of government, comprised of the Empress and her Adjuncts, as well as heads of Ministerial Departments, who oversee the vast machinery of governance. The government of the Batory Empire is anything but transparent, so what goes on precisely in the highest echelons of government is not entirely clear. All Adjuncts legally have the same powers, but it is believed that there is some specialization, with some Adjuncts devoting most of their work to foreign policy and military matters (Adjunct Varn and Adjunct Siras Vuun, most notably), while others concentrate on various areas of domestic policy. Still others hear the highest court cases, a duty that the Empress herself often fulfills. Appointments to positions within the Imperial bureaucracy are made entirely on the basis of merit. The known ministerial departments are:

Fields (agriculture)
Earth (environemnt)
Hordes (army)
Drakker (navy)
Sky forces (air force)
Power (electricity, natural gas, telephone, internet and cable)
Medicine (Health Care)
Water
Academics (education)
External Affairs (foreign ministry)
Transportation
Art
Provincial Affairs
Treasury
Law
Religious Affairs

Succession and Seat of the Government
As the position of Empress and that of the Matriarch of the Batory clan are one and the same, it should become obvious that eligibility for succession is limited to female children. It must also be understood that technically, as the Empire is the private property of the Matriarch, as head of the family, legally it is passed down as property from mother to daughter. Usually, the eldest daughter inherits, but there have been exceptions.

The Throne of Bones (a very literal name) itself is built to be comfortable for females but unbearable for males. The Imperial Capital City, Sarkanotthon, is around 1200-1300 years old, and was purpose built as the Empire's center. Because of this, it has no walls, though its city limits are strictly defined so that its street plan holds its shape (which is a circular, arcane symbol). The Imperial Palace itself is a somewhat austere building for the word "palace," but is nevertheless a beautiful building at the center of the capital city, dominating the landscape. It is usually referred to as "the Hearth."

Sarkanotthon replaced Istengrad, a much older city, as the Imperial Capital. The Batory residence here, still with a heavy presence of the ruling clan, was originally built as a fortress, as was the city itself.

Legislation
It is believed that most Imperial Law is written either within the Law Ministry, by Adjuncts who specialize in legal matters, or by the Empress herself. As the Imperial Government bears nothing in common with a transparent democracy, it can often be hard to tell. All legislation is, of course, signed by the Empress and so therefore must meet her approval. Laws can be changed only at the order of the Empress, though it is possible to petition the Imperial government to request such.

Judicial System
A court system that makes up part of the Law Ministry decides cases on matters of Imperial law. Justices are appointed by the Empress and her Adjuncts. This system is actually fairly conventional and likely the most similar part of the Imperial government to foreign contemporaries. Cases can be appealed to higher courts, which may or may not choose to hear them. The highest court is one headed by the Empress or an Adjunct. With the former, it obviously cannot be appealed further. Usually attempting to appeal a case decided by an Adjunct is useless, but the Empress has been known in rare instances to hear such.


Provinces
One of the more startling arrangements in the Batory Empire's government is that of the provinces. While one might expect that they would be governed by a centralized hierarchy of some sort, in keeping with the Imperial government, this is not the case. Instead, an almost federalist system is used (not true federalism because the Imperial government still technically has all the power and the provincial governments only what power it pleases the Empress for them to have), wherein the provinces are mostly allowed to run themselves and decide their own local matters. The Imperial Government, of course, reserves the right to step in correct matters if necessary.

Hence, the governments of the provinces are as varied as the peoples within them. For example, the northwest provinces, Drun and Callisdrin, remain parliamentary monarchies, while Grafan, to the northeast, is a republic. Provinces recently acquired are generally administered as occupied territories, though in some cases if the province proves problematic, this arrangement may last a bit longer.

[The Batorys]

Geography

Sarkanotthon is the capital city of the Empire, but it is at the center of a fairly sizable province, often called simply "The Imperial Province." It has no other name due to it being the oldest part of the Empire, with the first provinces being created to demarcate newer annexations from this original area. Unlike other provinces, it has no provincial government and is ruled in provincial matters directly by the Empress. Other provinces have their own administrations to see to the day to day running of things.
-Ibn Falahd, Travels in the Batory Empire

[Callisdrun]

[Reserved]

[The Batorys]

History

"What was the Batory Empire's first war?

That depends on what you consider to be a war, and upon at what point you mark as the true beginning of our state's history. The Batory Empire is notable for the fact that a single family (the Batory Clan) has held political dominance for all of its written history, and some time before the advent of such. The exact beginnings of the First Empire (the land comprising the core of the Empire is generally divided into three main periods... the current Second Empire, the intermediate Batory Queendom, and prior to that, the First Empire) are lost to time, as the oldest (publicly known) records seem to indicate that it had been a political entity for quite a while already at the creation of said documents. However, many scholars believe that the Empire had its origin in the territory controlled by the Batory clan in a more... primal, tribal era.

It is further theorized that the Empire coalesced as a formal entity at the advent of co-existence. As current understanding of pre-history goes, at one point, all moroii clans were once like the isolated mountain clans... living entirely in separation from the non-moroii population and viewing the latter only as food. The Batory clan, as moroii, would not have been an exception to this, and would have actively participated in the hunting of non-moroii humans.

Essentially, this meant that at one point, the Batory clan was in a state of perpetual war with all groups of non-moroii humans. Nothing so formal as a declaration of war, mind you, but a state of armed (especially towards the end of this period... though moroii obviously don't strictly need any further weapons than the fangs nature has provided them with) conflict with many tribes.

If this counts, this would be the Empire's first war. Clearly, however, there are objections to this period's inclusion. After all, while the Batory clan possessed martial mastery over a tract of territory they thought of belonging to them, it is stretching definitions quite far to say that it was truly the same entity as the Empire. For do not Empires require subjects? While certainly under Batory power to some extent, the non-moroii population of the Batory territory most definitely did not view themselves as Batory subjects, and resisted the vampiric predations of the clan with all their might.

Considering this, it was not until the point at which relations changed from strictly predator-prey to a more complex model of relatively benign coexistence that one could say that a Batory-dominated political state emerged. As this clearly happened before the oldest documents available to us, we can only speculate on the reasons why such a seemingly unlikely event transpired. While the reasons remain a mystery, it is clear that somehow, the Batorys and the local non-moroii came to a... mostly... peaceful understanding. Despite the theoretical nature of this early truce, the major conditions appear quite obvious. The local non-moroii would supply enough blood to ensure Batory survival, since the amount of blood necessary to sustain a moroii is actually very little... the prior carnage had actually been due to the practicality of satisfying the need for solid food and the need for blood in one go... a pragmatic approach that has remained a constant in the Batorys' millenia spanning reign. In return, the Batory clan would not only refrain from visiting slaughter upon the local villages in midnight raids, but would defend the non-moroii inhabitants from aggression from outside groups, such as other moroii clans.

What does this then imply?

That the most likely conclusion is that first true war waged after the state which would later be known as the Batory Empire formed, was against another moroii clan.

It would be only the first of many, however. Not long after we see evidence of this coexistence with the local non-moroii tribes, artifacts of Batory, and local non-moroii make, begin to appear much further afield than before. It seems, unsurprisingly, that this new Batory state was immediately voraciously expansionist."
-Ignac Zizka, Imperial Historian of the Batory Empire. Guest Lecture at the Imperial University of Constantinople, Sevaris.



"The most lopsided major battle in the Empire's history was probably the capture of the merchant city of Grafan. The main defense of the city, seemed to be its ability to buy off all those who wanted to attack it. This had worked well for them for centuries. However, Sarkany Batory, also known as 'The Dragoness,' wanted a larger empire far more than she wanted money, as she was already rich. As her behemoth army approached, after winning battle after battle against the mercenary force the panicked merchants had contracted at the last minute, the merchant leaders of the city, who were the same as the political leaders in this and so many other cases, offered the Dragoness riches several times. Each time she refused, and every further time, they increased their offer.

When her army had surrounded the city and was preparing to lay siege to it, the merchants brought another offer, pleading with Empress Sarkany to take their riches and leave their city independent. They accused her of being greedy, trying to bankrupt them, gouging them for as high a ransom as she could. She responded 'Your 'fair city' is well within my power to take. So in a sense, I already own it and all inside it, all of its riches. You merely possess, temporarily, what belongs now to me. Why should I agree to settle for some gold and jewels when I can have it all? The whole of the city. Your arrogant offers presume to rob me of what is rightfully mine through force of arms.' With that, she sent the merchants back to their city and prepared to take it, as they had refused to surrender when she requested they do so.

Unfortunately for them, their mercenary force saw the writing on the wall, as any fool could see that there could only be one outcome. The mercenaries left the walls to the city guard to defend, while themselves seeming to disappear, some leaving the city at night, others melting into the populace and laying low. Sarkany and her Fists [generals] saw that the city walls were now nearly deserted, and so after a meeting decided on forgoing the long siege and taking the city immediately. For this, they assembled a weapon then called 'the Dragon's Talons' or merely 'the Talons,' and now sometimes referred to as 'Sarkany's can opener.' A hulking behemoth, it was a complicated siege weapon working in the reverse of a battering ram, by hooking large chains into a city's gates and then winching them tighter and tighter until the gates were pulled off or pulled apart. For purposes of psychological warfare, they did this in full view of the city, just out of range of the city's archers and catapults, which were mostly destroyed with trebuchets by the time the monster was complete.

The army dragged it up to the gates using oxen, punched the hooks through the wooden gates and started winching the chains tight. It was one of the most dramatic uses of the Talons, as Grafan's gates shattered, the Empire's troops rushing inside. The battle didn't last long, as most citizens of the city were smart enough to be inside. The City Guard, more of a police force than an army, didn't stand a chance. After the city had been taken, the Empress ordered the merchants' estates and properties raided for gold, silver, etc. and the merchants themselves brought before her. Sarkany had them taken to a foundry/smithy, and the downcast merchants watched as their gold was melted down. It wasn't quite enough for her purposes, so the Dragoness had one of the churches, specifically the one in the estate districts, patronized by most of the merchant families, ransacked for gold and silver as well. This amounted to enough. The gold was all melted down, and the Empress stared coldly at the merchants, telling them that apparently 'All you understood, all you value in the world is shiny, yellow metal. So now, you will have almost as much as you want. I'm giving it back to you.' With that, she had them pushed into the vat, into the molten gold. Of course, since most of Grafan's inhabitants had been poor, this didn't really affect them much except to make them very afraid of upsetting their new sovereign. But their fears proved largely unfounded, as no more was done to Grafan, its incorporation into the Empire making supplies far more reliable than they'd been in years, and improving trade, as despite much of the merchant class being dead, the destruction of the political oligarchy that had gripped the city for the last few centuries actually stimulated more commerce.

Grafan is a provincial capital now. The gates are still in ruins, though, even 1250 years later, as a sort of nod to the past."
-Ilona Batory, Dragon's Whims: Musings on the Sayings and Personalities of Various Empresses


Culture

"One of the most common criticisms of the Empire is its decadence.

This objection, raised by so many, echoes down through the centuries. Perhaps it has even grown more fervent as time has progressed. Even in ancient times, the Empire's cultural practices raised eyebrows, and as other nations have progressed, more and more have taken issue with the Batory clan's refusal to change their culture, or that of their Empire. In some ways, it is culturally anachronistic.

The Batorys themselves could easily be described as decadent in many ways, although one should never mistake this for softness. It seems that their moroii blood gives them a sturdiness to which there are few challengers, non-moroii or otherwise. The sheer amount of substances of the type that alter perception regularly imbibed among the Batory clan is staggering. And yet their Empresses, known to be no exceptions to the habits of their kin, regularly outlive their foreign counterparts, often even surviving well past a century of age. Are, then, their past claims at divinity so outlandish? The amounts of toxins they regularly imbibe would kill the vast majority of others, yet not only do they seem impervious to such, but they in fact live far longer than most other women and men despite recreations that would be lethal for others.

Beyond decadence of a chemical nature, it is widely known that they take the goddess Ithtyr as their patron, showing perverse enthusiasm in the lust aspect of their chosen deity. It is said that once guests have left, or sometimes before, depending on the guests, the main chambers of the Hearth, the enormous palace in Sarkanotthon, are filled with wild, incestuous orgies, during which the Batory clan takes part in almost every depravity imaginable. Rumors also circulate that in the deep levels of the palace, they partake of the dark pleasures of torture and murder. This wouldn't be especially surprising, given that they are known to be cannibals.

A singular example of the way the Batory clan's own decadence and pursuit of pleasure permeates their Empire's society occurs on the longest night of the year, the winter solstice. Due to the extreme northerly position of the capital city, this actually lasts from sunset on the day more commonly known as December 20th, to sunrise on the 22nd. The citizens take to the streets, despite the frigid weather, and there are enormous parades as condemned prisoners are led to Ithtyr's temple. Bonfires are stoked at major intersections, around which the masses dance, imbibe alcohol, cannabis, opium, coca and other chemicals, and heave in what is possibly one of the largest acts of group sex in the world. The carnal madness reaches a fevered peak when the prisoners are sacrificed, crowds surging forward to be splattered with the blood of those sent to appease the goddess. In some cases, after the Priestess has had her fill, the flesh of the dead is consumed by the mob, though this does not stop their mass coitus. The Batorys themselves are, of course, quite active participants in the revelry.

No wonder, then, the Empire's choice in allies..."
-Andronikos Papademos of Sevaris, Land of the Barbarians (Or So We Think?)


"As the Batory matriarch rules not a single nationstate but rather a multi-ethnic empire, customs regarding family life differ greatly throughout. In areas where the population is Christian or otherwise Abrahamic, descent is patrilineal. This is officially frowned upon by the imperial family and state, but not actively suppressed.

In the larger part of the empire, there are a number of different surname systems used. In some regions, place-names serve as surnames. This is most common in rural areas. Other regions use occupations as surnames.

In the central region of the Empire, not geographically the center, but politically, descent is generally traced matrilineally. Some families have surnames that remain the same throughout the generations, and some simply use their mother's name with a gender designation as their last name.

Marriage customs depend on region. Polygamy is perfectly legal. In the capital and the surrounding region, polyandry is common. This is especially true within the Batory clan, the imperial house. While marriage signifies a strong emotional bond between its participants, sex outside of marriage is quite common and carries no social stigma in the capital region, and many other parts of the Empire. Open relationships, and marriages, are the norm in the capital.

The Batory Empire has customs on parenthood that might seem unconventional, particularly in the capital. A person's mother is considered nearly always to be the woman who gave birth to her/him. However, a person's father is considered to be the male who took the greatest part in raising her/him. One's biological male progenitor is not seen as important or relevant unless he is also the one caring for the child.

This cultural norm is due to the fact that sexual promiscuity has been quite common in the capital, and many other parts of the empire, for seemingly as long as can be remembered. This has often led to quite a bit of uncertainty as to the identity of one's biological male progenitor. Naturally, this is especially true within the imperial family. In fact, in their fabled First Empire, the folk belief, especially among moroii, was that it took multiple couplings, with multiple different males, to 'build' a pregnancy.

Within the capital, particularly with the Batory clan themselves, there is no real concept of children being 'legitimate' or 'illegitimate.' Because of the relative unimportance of biological male parenthood, and the fact that descent is traced matrilineally, it is not seen as important if siblings are not the result of the same pairing as long as they share the same mother, nor is it important if the coupling that produced the pregnancy was within marriage or outside it. Children are usually raised by married people, though this is not always the case. In larger 'clan' groups, children are often raised by the whole group, as is the case with the imperial family themselves, as the most prominent of clans.
-Ibn Falahd, On the Marital Customs of the Hyperboreans


"Soldiers may not partake of alcohol or any other mind altering substances while on duty. Soldiers also may not fornicate while on duty. The expectation is that they are supposed to be doing other things, and so use of substances would distract from that, as would sexual activity.

Of course, while on leave, or not on duty, there's a lot of drinking, much use of cannabis and a huge amount of sex in the Imperial military. Condoms are standard issue. The Imperial military does not segregate sleeping arrangements by gender, so there is plenty of opportunity to answer nature's call. Pregnancy while in the field is against policy, however, and anyone getting knocked up will be expected to 'get rid of it,' with both partners getting their pay docked as a result."
-Ignac Zizka, Imperial Historian of the Batory Empire, in answer to a question on the subject of various rumors about hyperborean military culture, while lecturing at the Imperial University of Constantinople, Sevaris.



"Those who are offended by the exposed human body should not visit the Empire in the summer. Most provinces are clothing optional.

And even so, 'modesty' isn't generally considered one of the purposes of clothing. The purposes of clothing are shelter from the elements, when when that isn't an issue, ornamentation, aesthetics. While this may seem at first a minor point of divergence in personal opinion, it has far reaching implications in what people wear. Because modesty is not even a concern of most, while ornamentation is, there have been a great number of garments, and continue to be, that often leave various areas of the body whose covering is a primary concern in foreign attire, partially or completely exposed. This is often even more startling to foreign visitors, and immigrants, than basic public nudity.

Of course, different workplaces are quite within their rights to set dress codes for their employees, or in some cases their customers. Though, business owners have learned that shops that mandate clothing in their establishments tend not to do as well in the summer in Sarkanotthon [the capital city]. It is quite common in the summer to see many naked people lounging in the public parks, having picnics or just sunbathing, or reading, or what have you.

In the Empire, the concept of bathing suits is also completely foreign. Only competitive swimmers wear any sort of garments into the water, and until recently, these have often only been armbands or anklets identifying their team affiliation."
-Travel Guide to the Batory Empire.


"The Empire is a vast and culturally diverse place. However, in the core portions, tattooing is fairly common. This may be because the majority of the populace in these areas are pagans, or because of other factors.

Tattoos are extremely common in the military, especially during wartime. Many soldiers will get a tattoo as a sort of souvenir of a campaign, operation, or even a notable battle.

Another group that is notable for their tattooing is the pagan clergy. This especially pronounced in the Order of Ithtyr, the priestesshood of the Empire's most important goddess.

Whether tattoos are considered art really depends on the style and purpose of the tattoo. Certainly the religious markings of Ithtyr's priestesses are thought of as sacred art, especially given how intricate many such patterns are.

Tattoos are taboo in certain segments of the population, especially among more extreme Abrahamic monotheists [Jews, Christians, Muslims]. In many communities, however, tattoos are not really taboo. Getting a false military tattoo, or a design traditionally used by priestesses and priests, when one is not part of such service, most certainly is taboo, however.

Empress Vereba is heavily tattooed, due to her previous occupation as a priestess of Ithtyr. She has been inked in various places on all her limbs and on her torso. These tattoos were all made using traditional (and rather painful) methods, as per the custom among Ithtyr's priestesses. She also has a tattoo of the Batory clan emblem, as well as a few military tattoos from her time in the light infantry."
-Ignac Zizka, Imperial Historian of the Batory Empire, in answer to a question on the subject of the ubiquitous tattooing seen within the hyperborean military, while lecturing at the Imperial University of Constantinople, Sevaris.