Wolfenium - Blood of a People (1700s PT Factbook, NO POSTS)

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:11 am

OOC:

Playing: A Cruce Victoria - Europa Univeralis III OST

Table of Content

Overview
States (Allegiance)
1. Grand Duchy of Alstein (Staufen Clan)
2. Kingdom of Belka (Segbrecht Clan)
3. Kingdom of Eden (Staufen Clan)
4. State of Freond (Staufen Clan)
5. Principality of Köln (Segbrecht Clan)
6. Kingdom of Niflheim (Neutral)
Neighbours (Allegiance)
1. Commonwealth of Amythyst
  1. Kingdom of Amythyst (Isidora Faction)
  2. Halkenginian Confederation (Akilina Faction)
  3. Sultanate of Qadum (Topazcan Separatists)
2. Republic of Vinchi
3. Emirate of Venusiya

Overview:

Founded: 1710 A.D. (Considered Year 0 of the Imperial Calender).
Founder: Fredrick Köln Staufen of Alstein
Denonym: Wolfen
Capital: Wolfsburg
Total land area: 591,203 km²
Population (RP): 312 million
Government: Elective Monarchy, Federation
Head of State (Emperor/Empress):

Heydrich Staufen (2nd Kaiser of Wolfenium)
Erna Staufen-Scharlachrot (3rd Kaiserin of Wolfenium)

Summary
Year 66 of the Imperial Calender (1776 A.D.), barely over half a century since the end of the War for Independence, the newfound nation of Wolfenium was rapidly rising as a regional power. Under the leadership of Emperor Heydrich Staufen of Alstein, brother to the first emperor Fredrick, the empire's borders had expanded across the Alstein ridge, controlling the richest mineral deposits in the country. However, despite their victory over the Amythysians, south Astol was far from a united land. Not all the states supported Fredrick's command of the new empire and many of the former allies that once fought together against the might of Alisagrad now faced each other in mortal combat.

Led by the Crown Prince Aldrich Staufen, son and heir to Emperor Heydrich, Wolfenium had made significant gains against remnants of the Commonwealth colonies and the empire's former allies. The biggest prize he had claimed in his father's name was Kristallin, an Amythysian mining colony located in the southern-most part of Astol. Conquest of the region gave the Fatherland unprecedented access to the region's rich mineral deposits. However, with such success came envy and suspicion. Driven by fear and greed, the states that once fought under Fredrick's banner soon turned on their former saviour, forcing Aldrich and his men into war, after war, after war... Ultimately, even with all his military skill and brilliance, Aldrich was finally felled by the knights of Alstein's arch-rival, Belka. On 10 January, Year 64, Aldrich died without an heir or a throne, leaving behind his widow, Erna. Aggrieved, Heydrich soon followed his son, leaving a nation without a male heir. Forced to take on the crown, Erna, third Kaiserin of Wolfenium, must now oversee a nation rapidly fracturing into civil war... a war that would either realize or destroy the dreams of a better world...

Peace is not an absence of war, it is a virtue, a state of mind, a disposition for benevolence, confidence, justice.

-Baruch Spinoza (10 April 1778 – 18 September 1830), Terran⁽¹⁾ Dutch philosopher

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:13 am

States:

Grand Duchy of Alstein
"Flamme des Drachen"
Seigi no Chikara by Yasuharu Takanashi - Fairy Tail OST

Capital: Wolfsburg
Ruling House: Staufen
Founder: Adalbert Staufen, reigning Prince of Alstein
Leader: Erna Staufen-Scharlachrot, Empress of Wolfenium, Grand Duchess of Alstein
Allegiance: Staufen Clan

Wolfsburg, Imperial City of Wolfenium, Capital of Alstein

Alstein, Flame of the Dragon...

Once one of the many small Principalities that paid vassalage to Amythyst, Alstein was a nation famed for its proud warrior tradition and cavalry riders. Nicknamed the 'Dragon's Nest', Alstein was home to the eponymous Dragon Riders, who patrol the skies over the Duchy. Catapulted to the limelight more than half a century ago, Wolfenium's march to independence was the work of Alstein's reigning prince at the time, Fredrick Staufen, who rose in arms against the northern overlords. Unprecedented for its time, Alstein radically shifted the course of Astol's history, breaking the chains of servitude and sparking off a revolution that would see an entire region separate from Alisagrad's dominion. That region was now the newly formed Empire of Wolfenium, a nation and people free from foreign control. The reward to the clan and city-state that led the revolution was nonetheless stunning. Raised from the status of a simple Principality to a Grand Duchy, Alstein's ruling family were now the grand rulers of this new nation, Emperors of Wolfenium.

However, their mandate was far from unchallenged. With the sudden passing of Wolfenium's founding father, Emperor Fredrick, his successors became more and more confused over the course they should take the nation to. Conflicted between their late patriarch's promises to the other high nobles of autonomy over their fiefdoms, and his dreams of a unified democratic state, Emperor Heydrich, brother to the late founder, was forced to walk a fine line as the city-states that once stood side by side against the might of Amythyst began battling amongst themselves. Facing the threat of internal strife, Alstein began consolidating power onto Wolfsburg, believing it to be the solution to constant war the nobles forced their people onto. The reaction was violent. Many high nobles rebelled against Wolfsburg's mandate, and civil strife in the country only worsened. Faced with threats from all sides, Alstein and their allies soon found themselves mounting one costly campaign after another. The toll soon proved too much for Emperor Heydrich and his heir Aldrich. The latter would pay with his life in the hands of Belka's nigh-invincible knights and fatigue and grief would claim the Emperor's life with it. Left with no male heirs, he used his dying breath to declare his widowed daughter-in-law, Erna Scharlachrot, empress of Wolfenium.

A fiery redhead with an acumen for battle, Erna was a born warrior and a proud leader. Rarely seen without her signature silver armour and sword, Erna was often compared to the knights of Belka, who were famed for their chivalry and honour. A woman of great stature and command, her presence alone would often change the tide of battle in their favour. Always at the fore of the battle, she never ceases to take an opportunity to charge in with her dragon riders into the field.

But dark secrets laid beneath the steel armour plates she donned. An orphaned serf from a neighbouring fiefdom, Erna had always struggled to survive under the tyranny of her landlords. Having lost an eye as punishment for a previous failed escape attempt, Erna eventually escaped, before making her way into Wolfsburg, where she tried to make ends meet as a pickpocket. However, when a young nobleman caught her arm when she tried to swipe his wallet, she found herself swept into the court of one of the most powerful families of the country, the Staufens. The noble in question was none other than the heir to the imperial crown, Aldrich Staufen.

Enthralled by the girl's tenacity, he took her in as his personal guard and confidant, where he slowly won over the otherwise stoic warrior with his candid humour and tact. Eventually, against the wishes of the court, he took her as his bride, making her a noble in her own right. The artificial eye that replaced the one she lost was a testament to how length Aldrich went to win her over.

However, Erna's happiness was to be shortlived, as Aldrich went into battle one final time. Slain by the knights of Belka, his decapitated body was hung on display in the Belkan capital, Dinsmark (modern-day Saint Olivie), an outrage Erna would not allow to stand. Her father-in-law quickly followed soon after, his frail heart succumbing to the strain of his son'd demise. On his deathbed, he named Erna as his successor, leaving her the leader of a nation at the brink of civil war. Torn between her personal vendetta against Olivie and her duties to her people, Erna must now defeat Olivie's formidable alliance and restore order to a divided empire.

But Erna would not fight this battle alone. Aiding her would be the vanguard of the Alsteinian cavalry, the Dragon Riders. Pride of the skies, these riders and their formidable partners would rain devastation upon the enemy ranks. Matched against the strength and power of Belka's magic knights, Erna and her riders must stake their lives and future for the sake of Alstein and Wolfenium. With their dreams of a better tomorrow on the line, they would fight against the Saint Queen's armies to the bitter end.

Military

Alstein's cavalry had always formed the core of their armed forces. Dominating the plains of the Wolfen interior, the Alsteinians were feared for their brutal charges and unsurpassed steeds. Well bred for combat, Alstein's stables had produced some of the finest equine in the region, if not the best.

But at the heart of the Alsteinian war machine lies another kind of cavalry, one which dominates not the earth, but the skies itself. Hailing from the frigid peaks which surround the Alsteinian capital, Wolfsburg, the Wolfsburg dragons were by far the last surviving community of their kind. While most of their species suffered from systematic eradication and assimilation in the hands of other states, the dragons of Schwefligegipfel was able to retain a last fleeting bastion of their society deep in the heart of Alstein. By the good faith of the ruling Staufen family, the dragons were able to rebuild a community that had once flourished in the far-flung past. In exchange, they offer an invaluable service to the warriors of Alstein, becoming the partners and chariots of the famed Dragon Riders, raining ember devastation onto the enemy ranks. By far, only the knights of Belka were able to match toe to toe with these beasts, and battles between the two elite forces had mostly ended in a stalemate. Still, without the sacrifice of the Wolfsburg dragons, Alstein, and indeed all of Wolfenium, would have never stood a chance against the might of Amythyst. Now, with their nation once again in the field of battle, the Wolfsburg dragons would once again take to the skies with their human guardians, as the legion of Dragon Riders prepare for yet another battle, and victory.

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:18 am

States:

Kingdom of Belka
"Zu Ehren des Ritters"

Under Construction!

Playing: Incertus by Yuki Kajiura - Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica OST

Capital: Dinsmark (modern day Saint Olivie)
Ruling House: Segbrecht
Founder: Unknown
Leader: Olivie Segbrecht, Saint Queen of Belka
Allegiance: Segbrecht Clan

Dinsmark Castle, Saint Olivie, along the Lower Ronan river

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:19 am

States:

Kingdom of Eden
"Das Eisen Brotkorb"

Buckingham Palace - Victoria II OST - Andreas Waldetoft

Under Construction!

Capital: Edenburg
Ruling House: Sommer (Main Branch: Sommer-Eizenhollern)
Founder: Adolf Eizenhollern, King of Eden
Leader: Reinhart Sommer, King of Eden
Allegiance: Staufen Clan

Edenburg, capital of Eden

Eden, the Iron Breadbasket...

The heart of the Empire's industrial and agricultural production, Eden's control over the sprawling farmlands and mines stood unrivalled against any other. Its territories scattered and stretching from the heartlands of Edenburg to the winding dockyards of Kristallburg were a testament to the king's hold on the country. With a vast pool of manpower, Eden's output would easily put even the massive Amythysian Commonwealth to shame. And yet, with power comes threats, and with many vital regions exposed to rival powers, the kingdom of Eden would have to amass much of its manpower and wealth into its defences.

However, Eden was not one to be a victim, but an aggressor. Ever hungry for expansion, Eden's massive armies could sweep aside lesser opposition with a wave of a hand. Its feared militia relied on strength in numbers to pursue their king's grand ambition. The Kriegschmeid, the pride of the Eden workforce, were not only capable of exploiting the technologies of the coming industrial age for military use, but could also use the very weapons they make by their own hands in combat, with devastating effect. Combined with the shrewd mind of their leader, King Reinhart Sommer, victory for the Kingdom was all but assured.

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:19 am

States:

State of Freond
Lapis Philosophorum by Akira Senju - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OST
Clash of the Alchemists by Akira Senju - Fullmetal Alchemist Brotherhood OST

Under Construction!

Capital: Zentral
Ruling House: None (Republic)
Founder: -
Leader: -
Allegiance: Staufen Clan

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:20 am

States:

Principality of Köln
"Tor zum Orient"

Playing: Pergo Pugnare by Yuki Kajiura - Mahou Shoujo Madoka Magica OST

Capital: Köln
Ruling House: House of Ehrlich
Founder: Sieghart von Ehrlich, Lord of the Blauenlicht
Leader: Johann von Ehrlich, Prince of Köln and Lord of the Blauenlicht
Allegiance: Segbrecht Clan

Köln, along the Blauenlicht River, Year 66 I.C. (1776 A.D.)

Köln, Gate to the Orient...

Founded some two centuries ago during Amythyst's colonial era, the Principality of Köln laid at the crossroads of Astol's maritime trade. Founded along the deep waters of the Blauenlicht river by the Ehrlich nobles, Köln had grown from a sleepy village along the coastline, to a bustling port city stood virtually unchallenged in the region. Its merchant fleets sail to the far flung corners of the world, shipping goods to and from the land. Their merchants and bankers man the street squares linking to the docks, trading their unique wares to travellers throughout the world. Their artisans were the pride of Kölnite culture, erecting vast monuments, sculptures and paintings, all in honour of the Principality's triumphs and glory. Their vineyards and breweries were second to none, producing some of the best wines, spirits and beers throughout Astol, if not the best.

But what separated Köln from the rest of the empire was its neutrality. Having kept out of the Wolfen War for Independence, Köln was able to avoid the chaos and destruction wrought by both sides of the conflict. Fearing the destruction of the peace and prosperity built up after centuries of toil, Köln chose to stand on the sidelines, only acceding to vassalage under the Empire through the threat of force. And yet, even as the chaos of the Warring States era loomed at the city's gates, Köln remains one of the most prosperous cities in the young Empire.

The majestic spires of Köln's many cathedrals stood not just as a testament to the grandeur of the city-state, but were also a source of pride for the ruling Ehrlich princes who control these lands. Founded by Prince Sieghart von Ehrlich, Köln was to be a city without equal. His entrepreneur mind revolutionized the economy of the nation, pulling it away from the outdated feudal tax systems of the era to a free market economy reminiscent of modern day capitalism, a move carried on by his successors. A patron of the arts, the Ehrlich family valued beauty above all, commissioning some of the most beautiful pieces of artwork, architecture and music known to man. To its supporters, the Ehrlichs were brilliant leaders, astute businessmen and gifted artisans. To them, not even the royal Staufen clan could match their skills.

But Köln's tiled squares yield a dark secret. Descendants of a clan of magic automaton makers, the Ehrlichs were able to bolster Köln's small armies with powerful mechanical weapons. Battle golems and automated contraptions dominated the walls of the port city, all seeking to defend their master and creator's realm from any attack. Sieghart himself had taken this to an art form, creating automatons that bear an undistinguishable resemblance to real people. His 'Battle Dolls', automated marionettes bearing the appearance of beautiful young maidens, were an amalgam of art and horror. Beneath their lifelike skin laid a vast array of blades and apparatus in which to mutilate the enemies of Ehrlich with.

But Sieghart, who was the undisputed lord of the Blauenlicht river, wanted something else. He was not content with producing what he called 'lifeless junk'. He wanted to create perfection at its best, a senitent automaton. He wanted to create life out of the steel and bolts he used to create his family's mechanical weapons. It was a feat even the technologically superior Belkans could not replicate. However, such a construct would require knowledge beyond what is conventional wisdom. It would mean defying the mandate of the heavens itself. As such, Sieghart began delving into magical arts that had for generations been taboo to the people of Astol, magic that had been forbidden by the gods. Using alchemical knowledge gathered throughout the land, he soon forged one of the greatest, and most controversial, devices of all time... the soul circuit.

Designed to artificially contain a soul of a living being, it was just the device Sieghart needed to produce his 'perfect' puppets. All it lacked were souls... Sending his agents throughout his realm, he soon gathered dozens of innocent orphan girls to his labyrinth below Köln's streets. There, he performed occult rituals that break the boundaries of sadism and horror, tearing the souls of his victims from their bodies and sealing them into his devices. Legend stated that the screams of these young souls could be heard echoing to the streets above to frightened residents, who feared the presence of paranormal entities lurking around them. The rituals went on for weeks on end, as more soul circuits became active. It is said that hundreds of these young girls were sacrificed for Sieghart's delusional fantasies, as he sought to awaken his lifeless dolls.

The result was astounding... The soul circuits effectively gave his dolls the ability to feel emotion, granting 'life' to their lifeless metal bodies. Fanatical and affectionate, the newly awakened dolls love only their master and nothing else. But their sentience came at a price, for they lacked something found in most other real sentient beings - conscience. Mentally unstable, the dolls were still incapable of grief and morality. Butchering anyone that stood in the way of their love for their master, the dolls were to become an eternal curse to the Ehrlich line.

Seighart, the man who desired to become god, came to an ironic end in the hands of his most beloved doll, Brünhild, for his affair with his mistress, the woman who would bear his heir. Subsequently, each and every one of the Ehrlich princes were to suffer the same tragedy. Johann, the current prince of the Ehrlich line, knew this fully well. Warned beforehand by his father, he witnessed his gaudy demise in the hands of religious fanatics who condemned the Ehrlichs for their sacrilege against the Astoli gods. Johann himself understood that the day will come when his own doll Meredith would deliver the 'curse' onto him, one way or another. Death now shadowed the Ehrlich line and their realm as most of the Battle Dolls remained in an deep slumber beneath the Köln catacombs. However, Johann knew that as long as they exist, the Ehrlichs would remained a cursed bloodline for eternity. Without a way to undo his maniacal ancestor's failsafes on his creations, there was little else he could do.

But in spite of the dark fate that awaited him, Johann remained committed to his people and nation, building a better future for his people. For all the sins committed by his forefather, Johann could only forgive in relent. For his imminent demise, he could only accept with indifference. For all the shadows that shroud the city-state, he can only act as its guiding light. As long as Köln needs him, he would remain her prince, always in service to maintain the prosperity and happiness of his people...

Religion

Formally a secular state, the laws of Köln ensures the right to religious freedom to all its subjects. But the sight of the city's Gothic Crystallian spires and facades was telling of its former allegiance. Once a vassal for the Commonwealth of Amythyst, the Principality naturally granted a special status to followers of the Crystallian faith, especially those of the Orthodox Crystallians. The towering cathedrals of Köln was a clear sign of centuries of gradual conversion towards Amythyst's 'true faith'.

But independence has brought upon a new challenge to the former tributary - the Awakening. A religious movement in newly independent Wolfenium, the Awakening was aimed at reviving the native pagan faith of the Titan Pantheon, and uprooting years of forced cultural and religious assimilation by the Amythysian-backed Crystallians. However, its attempts at 'reversal' were bloody and chaotic, and the death toll on both sides were mounting at the thousands. The principality's admission into the Empire, despite its predominantly Crystallian population, had naturally made it a constant target for attacks by Titan zealots all aiming to bring the principality 'back to the fold'. Many of its cathedrals and its clergy were subjected to sectarian violence by fanatics, who had routinely destroyed holy Crystallian relics and razed cathedrals to the ground. Reprisals from Crystallian devotees had also taken a toll on Köln's ancient Titan temples, as self-proclaimed 'crusaders' defaced and destroyed countless Titan monuments in the name of their faith.

Many in Köln feared for their lives, as mobs clashed in the streets over their rivaling faiths. The once pristine harmony kept in Köln before the Awakening was quickly being torn apart by a wave of religious fervour. Alarmed by the escalating violence, the Prince of Köln at the time, Sigmund von Ehrlich (Johann's father), deployed his troops into the city, separating the two warring faiths and affirming the Principality's secular laws once again.

But the threat posed by religious extremism remains a danger to all. While Prince Johann remained in control of the festering sectarian violence, he knew that as long as the Awakening continues to engulf the rest of the country unstopped, Köln would eventually be washed away. But for now, he would stop at nothing to uphold the secular institutions put in place by his forefathers. He understood the implications of combining state and religion. Köln came dangerously close to doing so in its past vassalage to Amythyst. He was not about to have the same happen this time...

Military

Battle of the Blauenlicht Delta, against the Eden navy

A state founded on maritime trade, Köln's interest naturally laid in the seas. Having drawn from the expertise of its own shipbuilders, along with emigrants as far as the Vinchi Republic, Köln's naval fleet was among the most advanced of the era. Amassing a fleet of powerful ironclad warships, its steam-powered crafts dominated the Straits of Sapphiria and the principality's coast. Though dwarfed in size by Eden's larger fleets, the Principality's navy was able to match size with speed and firepower, putting technology to its advantage. It was with that power that enabled Köln to rule the seas, protecting their vast trade networks from pirates and privateers alike.

But even the best ironclads would not be able to completely safeguard the nation's sovereignty. Despite Köln's domination of the seas, the reigning princes knew that without a land force to safeguard the state, their realm would easily be swept away by the vast armies of its expansionist neighbours. But with a small population and a military devoted primarily to a naval force, Köln was unable to amass an army large enough to compete - at least, not by conventional means...

Famed for its automaton makers, Köln's engineers had drawn their knowledge extensively from their trading partners in the Vinchi, a nation that has progressed far in the field of technology. Their products range from the mundane wind-up toys which line the arcade shops on the waterfront, to the towering metal beasts that stood guard at its walls. What Köln could not fill in numbers, they made up with pure steel. With an elite legion of battle golems to reinforce their small armies, Köln was more than ready to hold against any adversary.

But for tasks that were deemed too dishonourable or gruesome for the chivalrous, there was another legion of automatons who - or which - were more than ready to accept. Among the clans that had made a name in their work on automatons, none were as distinguished as the Ehrlich princes themselves. Honing their skills to an art form, they had not only created battle golems that outmatch any other created in another hands'. They could also create automaton puppets that were so lifelike, they could be mistaken as real people. That was the trademark of the city's founder, Sieghart von Ehrlich, whose Battle Dolls mirror his desire to create life out of his own hands.

However, their creation also paralleled the madness within him, having created them not just out of the finest silk and iron, but out of the souls of countless innocent young girls, sacrificed to grant life to his ultimate automatons. Ironically, their affections towards their master mirrored his own obsessions, bordering on psychosis and unbound by any sense of morality and conscience other than that towards their masters. Many generations on, his descendants still bore the stigma of an age old tragedy which some called out as a divine curse. Johann himself despised Sieghart and his creations for dooming so many to fall, both then and now. But as a pragmatist, Johann and his predecessors were not above using their unique capabilities to their advantage.

Built with a vast array of bladed contraptions fitted into a complex and flexible frame, the dolls were created for subterfuge and assassination. An duality of beauty and death put into a velvet shell of a deceptively benign maiden, the Battle Dolls' Soul Circuits allow them to seamlessly mimic human emotion and action; and without a conscience or fear that would otherwise falter a biological sentient, the Battle Dolls make perfect actors - and killers.

Though fragile and easily damaged in a protracted fight, the Dolls nonetheless gained a reputation as a terror weapon, taking out opponents who threatened the life of their master in a frighteningly gaudy fashion. Rival nobles, zealous crusaders and unruly mobs alike had cowered in fear of their blades, butchering any who stood in the way of the Ehrlichs' ambitions. The conquest of Rotfelsenburg was the most telling of the consequences of crossing and belittling the Prince of Köln. Faced with a debaucherous demand for twenty of Köln's most beautiful maidens in exchange for the city-state's security, Johann answered in the most ironic and sadistic way possible, sending his Battle Dolls in like a Trojan Horse as 'gifts', before deploying his troops to the city's gates. His fanatical maidens, loyal to no end, went on a frenzy, disposing the offending noble and his family, clearing the guards, and opening the gates of the city for their master's army to march in unopposed. The episode sparked fear in the hearts of enemies and allies alike, earning the Prince the name 'the Devil's Puppeteer'. In retrospect, it would have been a title that was already inherited from Sieghart himself. But one thing was for certain. To watch these beautiful maidens unmask their skins to reveal the blades within was to stare death in the eye. None, not even an Ehrlich prince, may be able to escape without that fear. Though the Dolls were tools reviled by Sieghart's descendants as a curse, it was nevertheless a curse that proved effective in Köln's trying times...

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Thu Jan 26, 2012 7:21 am

States:

Kingdom of Niflheim

Under Construction!

Playing: Tsuioku - Kyou Kara Maoh OST

Capital: Regnivero (modern-day Yuristadt)
Ruling House: Spitzweg
Founder: The Original King, First King of Niflheim
Leader: Cecilie von Spitzweg, Twenty-sixth Queen of Niflheim, 'Golden Celi'
Allegiance: Neutral

Pixiv · by **Wolfenium** » Mon Feb 06, 2012 2:53 am

Neighbours:

Commonwealth of Amythyst
War of the Angels

Under Construction!

Playing: A King is Dead - Crusader Kings 2 OST

Founded: 682 A.D. (Considered Year 1 of the Crystallian Calender).
Founder: Amythyst (Kingdom of Amythyst - legend), Evangeline Remington (Commonwealth of Amythyst)
Denonym: Amythysian
Capital: Alisagrad
Total land area: 22,055,000 km2
Population (RP): 613 million
Government: Absolute Monarchy, Aristocracy
Head of State(Tsarina): Isidora Ivanova Remitonova, Tsarina of Amythyst

At its height, the Commonwealth of Amythyst was the supreme power over the world of Astol. A massive network of feudal satellites and tributaries revolving around Alisagrad, Amythyst's rule had been marked with both triumph and disgrace. However, since the apex of Amythyst's golden age, the vast empire it had struggled to build up with the blood of the conquered was slowly falling apart. Internal decay and corruption within the ruling nobles, and dissent among the peasants and serfs worsened an already stagnating economy, and the Commonwealth was slowly sinking into disrepair. However, the crushing defeat at the hands of the separatist 'rebels' in South Astol, and the loss of their divine ruler, Tsar Pyotr Remitonov, at the hands of the rebel prince Fredrick Staufen, only served to mark the end of the beginning in Amythyst's fall from grace, as state after state quickly broke ties with the motherland, either joining the newly formed Empire of Wolfenium, or forging a bloody warpath for independence. With its massive empire on the brink of disintergration, Amythyst stood to lose complete control over the remainder of Astol.

However, the chaos of civil war in its renegade states had also provided a rare opportunity for renewal. Rising to the throne was Tsarina Isidora Ivanova Remitonova, daughter of Tsar Ivan Petrovich Remitonov. The granddaughter of the slain Tsar Pyotr, Isidora was keen on reconquering the renegade empire and reviving the glory of Amythyst. As the eponymous silver-haired and crimson-eyed Angels of Water, Isidora's rule was, as with previous Tsars, guaranteed both by divine right and absolute power. Feared for her water and ice magic, Isidora never passed off a chance to assert her superior magical ability to her subjects. Adamant at restoring Amythysian glory over the world, Isidora saw the Empire as nothing more than a rogue band of barbarians on the fringe of civilization; violent savages that had defied her clan's god-given mandate on Astol. Recognizing the threat posed by the rebels and fearing the spread of separatist sentiments into Amythyst's frontiers, Tsarina Isidora would stop at nothing force the rogue states into submission.

But Isidora's rule was far from secure, as court rumours began to rattle the very foundations of her throne. Her father Ivan, brother to the late Crown Prince Josef at the time, was accused of usurping the throne after the latter's mysterious death, stabbed in the heart with an anti-angel dagger crafted by Wolfenium's infamous Kriegschmeid. Though cause of death quickly ruled as murder by a rebel organization, many of the court's nobles remained unconvinced, accusing Ivan of treachery, for Josef purportedly lacked an heir at the time. Though investigations turned up for nothing and Ivan ascended the throne anyway, suspicions never really died down.

However, even as Isidora was crowned Tsarina, conspiracy continued to plague the court. The most pressing was Isidora's cousin, Akilina. Officially the daughter of Margrave Fyodor, Third Prince of Amythyst and the younger brother of Josef and Ivan, the softspoken Akilina would not have posed a significant threat to Isidora's legitimacy. Her characteristic white hair and red eyes, a result of her angelic bloodline, made it almost impossible to refute her lineage as a royal clan member and her blood ties with the margrave. But a sudden declaration by her mother of her alleged affair with Crown Prince Josef stunned the courts, especially the Tsarina herself. Accusing Isidora's father again of conspiracy and murder, she demanded the Tsarina's abdication in favour of her own daughter, much to the latter's protests. Even though Akilina possessed a lot less ambition than her cousin, it was clear to the Tsarina how much of a threat she posed to her rule. As the Tsarina's opponents gathered to Akilina for support, Isidora herself began to rally her own allies to crush the upstart pretender. As civil war raged in the 'renegade provinces', another civil conflict was slowly brewing at the heart of Amythyst itself...

States:

Kingdom of Amythyst

Capital: Alisagrad
Ruling House: Remitonov
Founder: Amythyst, Divine Queen of the Kingdom of Amythyst
Leader: Isidora Ivanova Remitonova, Tsarina of the Commonwealth of Amythyst, Queen of Amythyst
Allegiance: Isidora Faction

The Rose Kremlin, the imperial residence for the Tsarina

Halkenginian Confederation

Capital: Randgriz
Ruling House: Tristain
Founder: -
Leader: Mélisande de Tristain
Allegiance: Akilina Faction

Military:

Wolfenium - Blood of a People (1700s PT Factbook, NO POSTS)

Wolfenium - Blood of a People (1700s PT Factbook, NO POSTS)

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