Elladan Empire

The Elladan Empire is, without question, the oldest, largest and most powerful nation in the known world.

History
The Empire is named after its founder and the ruling family that descended from him, the Elladans.

Geography
The Empire covers almost the entire continent of Romanda. There is a vast variety of terrains throughout the lands covered by Elladan.

The capital city, also called Elladan, is located in the southwest, at the northern end of Aramel’s Sons, a range of seven mountain peaks named after the first emperor and his brothers. This city was at the very heart of the original Empire, before the expansions that grew into a continent-spanning nation.

Down the centre of the empire, running from the Nordmark Mountains at the northernmost border all the way to the Sea of Storms in the south, is a massive river. Lands close to the river are heavily forested, shifting gradually into bumpy plains towards the west. To the east are the Skymeet Mountains, beyond which is the Forest of Fear, the only continental land south of the Nordmarks unclaimed by the Empire.

The north of the empire includes the Sea of Tears, formed when the Brotherhood of Makuta collapsed the underground kingdom of the Drow during the War of Three Empires. The eastern section of the north, formerly the barbarian nation of Szordin, is comprised mostly of grassy steppes, while the western coast is more heavily forested.

In the south, the western coast south of Aramel’s Sons is forested, but transitions into marshland towards the coast. In between the two branches of the great river, formerly the nation of Aduruin, are craggy hills, a region of great mineral wealth. The eastern region is formed of great open plains, all the way to the Straits of Ishi-Taa Oi-do, which separate the nation of Chi-Ann from the mainland.

Politics and Government
The Elladan Empire is an absolute monarchy, which has been dominated by one dynasty for its entire history. It is a feudal society, where various nobles rule in the Emperor’s name.

At the top of the power pyramid is the Emperor/Empress. Their spouse is granted the title of Queen/King. Children and grandchildren of the royal couple are Princes and Princesses, while siblings of the sovereign often receive titles such as Grand Duke or Duchess. The heir to the throne is known as the Crown Prince or Princess.

The Empire is divided into twelve dukedoms, each ruled by a Duke or Duchess. There used to be only seven, but the last great expansion constituted a need for more. The ducal title is inherited, and the families are usually closely related to the royal family.

Below the Dukes, the land is divided into counties and baronies, ruled by Counts and Barons. These titles are also frequently inherited. Count is the highest title likely to be held by a non-Elf in the Empire. Each Count and Baron owes fealty to the Duke whose realm they live in, and in turn hold the fealty of various lesser lords and knights.

Each noble of the Empire is considered to have absolute power over their territory, which can only be countermanded by the next highest noble up the chain of fealty. The Emperor is the absolute authority over all matters of law and justice.

Law in the Empire is generally fair. Citizens are free, and crimes are usually investigated so punishment is not handed out unjustly. The use of magic in law enforcement is quite common, as the study of wizardry has been sponsored by the Crown since the founding of the Empire.

Economy
The Elladan Empire is so vast and resources so varied that it could likely be completely self-sufficient if desired. There are many skills and trades spread across the continent, enough to produce just about any good imaginable, and supplies enough to keep craftspeople occupied for generations to come.

Despite all this, the Empire does engage in trade with the rest of the world. Elven crafts are prized for their longevity, as the long life of the elves tends to bleed into the things they make, and the fine work of the higher end goods makes them suitable for enchantment.

Demographics
Elladan is originally an elven empire, and that holds true to the modern day. However, while the Empire in the Golden Age of the Alliance was approximately 85% elven, the Empire today leans toward only 65% pure blooded elves. Another 15% or more is taken up by Half-Elves, and the rest is a blend of every other known race, with no particular group standing out above the rest.

The core of the empire is mostly elven, while the outer reaches, particularly across the newer territories in the east and south, have the most variety. The southern province of Aduruin in particular has an almost perfectly even blend of Elves, Humans, Dwarves, Gnomes and Halflings.

Culture
The Empire is so widespread that it encompasses a huge variety of peoples and cultures. One of the Empire’s strengths is its ability to absorb other cultures and allow them to flourish inside the Empire, rather than upset the new citizens by extinguishing their identity.

The royal family and most of the ruling class, originating in the south, drifts towards darker skin tones, while the interbreeding between various races of elves has given them pale pigments of hair, from platinum blonde through silver to pure white.

Magic is quite common and widely practiced in the southern half of the Empire, and as a result those areas are also the most tightly controlled and developed. The northern regions, in particular the province of Szordin, are wilder and more rural, though large cities do exist.