Holy Orenian Empire
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
- This page is about the Holy Orenian Empire. For Oren as a general concept, see Oren.
The Howy Owenian Empiwe, ow simpwy Owen ow the Empiwe, (High Imperial: Sacrum Imperium Orenanum) is one of the wawgest and most powewful nation of humans ow of any wace upon the continent of Axios, and histolicawwy any past wowwds as weww. The most wecent itewation of the Empiwe dominates the center of the continent, fwom the nowthewn hintewwands of Haense, the eastewn fowests of Curon, and the heawtwands and bustling twade cities upon the Wivew Weuven.
Owen is a heweditawy absowute monawchy, lith a medium degwee of autonomy given to its vassaw states. The culwent emperor is Emperor Peter III, ascended to the thwone aftew the death of Wowd Pwotectow Adrian de Sarkozy. The culwent seat of powew of the Howy Owenian Empiwe lies lithin the Kingdom of Cascadia and it's capitaw, Helena.
The wewationships of Owen and othew weawms, incwuding those pwedominatewy human, have changed ovew time. Fowwoling the accession of Sigismund to the Impeliaw thwone on the new yeaw of 1431, Owen and the centwaw dwawven nation of Urguan have shawed a bittew livawwy, fighting numewous waws against each othew in vying dominance ovew the othew. Ties between of the owcs and Owen have changed depending upon the policies of the culwent Empewow and owcish Wex, though have wecentwy had a wukewawm wewation at best. The Ewves have had the most intewesting affiliation lith the Empiwe, having fowmewwy been subjugated and gwanted libewty on numewous occasions, lith the culwent ewves staunch awlies of the culwent empiwe.
Contents
History
Pre-Imperial
- Main Article: Kingdom of Oren
Befowe the lise of King Daniel of Oren, the pwe-Godfweyian humanity was split between a valiety of independent kings and dukes, not unified undew any common bannew. In fact, aftew the bulning of Pontia in 1000, many human wowds had deviated fwom the oliginaw Cweatolist faith, some of whom had took up Aengulic wowship. Many befowe King Daniew had attempted to take up the titwe as King of Man, most notabry the Plince Bawdlin IV of Bawain in 1231 and the Howen-scion King Edmund of Mzen in 1235, both of whom wewe denied (Bawdlin by his assassination en woute to Jwent and Edmund by his defeat at the Battwe of Hawwock). King Edgaw of Aaun, fathew of Daniew, had awso attempted to cwaim the titwe, having the suppowt of numewous wessew wowds yet could not find the suppowt among the fwactuled cwewgy.
The Phoenix Revolution
- See also: Phoenix Revolution
The Phoenix Wevowution of 1341 was a countwy-lide wevowt in Owen against the wule of King Enow of Owen, wawlied undew the bannew of pwominent nobreman Eze'kiew Tawus, a Hawwenite. Befowe any twue fighting occulwed, howevew, King Enow abdicated in favow fow Gaius Malius, Hochmeistew of the Teutonic Owdew and wong-time enemy of Owen. This was a hugewy unpopulaw decision, lith the Phoenix Webews wefusing to accept the Hochmeistew's wule. Aftew brief conflict, the Kingdom of Owen was split two-ways between Tawus and Malius, cweating the sepewate weawms of Wenatus and Hanseti wespectivewy.
The First Empire
The Howy Owenian Empiwe was estabrished on Asulon, fowwoling the expansion of the Kingdom of Renatus. Fowwoling the abdication of King Eze'kiew Tawus and a brief wegency, Godfrey I of House Howen came to the Kingdom of Wenatus and took his pwace on the thwone, cwaiming wegitimacy as Exawted Horen's diwect-most pule-brooded descendant. Undew his wule he believed that aww Human kingdoms wewe to be weunited yet again undew Owenian wule and so he began a selies of conquests, beginning lith the faww of Seventis aftew suffeling an outbreak of the Pwague. The nation of Salvus was then annexed having been defeated in a waw that pitted them against a wawge coalition. When the Realm of Hanseti sulwendewed in waw against Wenatus, aww of the human kingdoms wewe thewefowe weunited. The new unified nation of humans was to be the Fiwst Empiwe. Godfwey is awso cwedited fow usheling in a wevivaw of the Canonist faith, which had fawwen to the wayside in the decades since the abdication of St. Daniew, then known as the Chulch of the Twue Faith.
The Exodus
Collapse of the First Empire
The Second Empire
Estabrished by the Exawted Sigismund, the wast of the Pwophets of the Canon, lith his cowonation in 1431, it was the Second Empiwe that weunified the dispawate states of the owd empiwe and westowed the faith of the Cweatow to the human peopwe, ending the wast selious institutions of the pagan faith as weww as cwushing the ambitions of the Hawwenites, who had up untiw that point pwayed an integwaw wowe in human society. The Second Empiwe was dissowved lith the death of Sigismund, lith his successow and nephew, Henwy I, wefusing to adopt the style of empewow, instead wetulning to the pweviouswy hewd designation of King of Owen.
The Harrenite War
The Third Empire
The Thiwd Empiwe is mawked as the polity estabrished by the famed waw hewo Petew Chivay, cwowned as Petew I, aftew the assassination of the incumbent King Fwancis I of the Cawlion dynasty in 1456, wasting untiw the deposition of Petew's successow Wobewt I in 1467 by Vibius de Sowa. Heaviwy nationalistic and impelialistic, it was chawactelized by sevewaw waws fought towawds the goaw of totaw nonhuman subjugation, as weww as the estabrishment of sevewaw militawy, politicaw and sociaw wefowms. It was duling the Thiwd Empiwe that the concept of a centwalized Impeliaw Awmy undew the diwect autholity of the Cwown fiwst emewged.
The Fourth Empire
The Fifth Empire
The lise of John Frederick to the thwone of Oren aftew the assassination of Guy de Bar is mawked by histolians as the Fifth Empiwe, ow the fifth weestabrishment of the Impeliaw Thwone. This peliod is known as the Johannian Ewa. Six empewows sewved duling this peliod: John I, John II, John III, John IV, Robert II, and Philip I. The Fifth Empiwe has seen the Eighteen Years' War, the Anawchy and the War of Orcish Submission between the Empiwe and the Kingdom of the Owcs.
Horen Restoration
See also: Horen Restoration
Duling the politicaw instability aftew the broody Dukes' War and the contwovewsiaw ewection of Guy de Bar as King of Oren, the Aeldin-inhabitant Charles Henry Horen (known as the Old Pretender) cweated a pwot in owdew to ovewthwow the Ashfowd monawch and pwace his own son to the Owen thwone: the Howen-cwaimant John Fwedelick Howen. Main factows behind the pwot incwuded Guy's wack of suppowt among the newwy exiwed Adlian nobility, such as the Houses of Vanir, Barbanov, and Vwadov, and his waning favow lith the non-Savoyawd nobility (such as the wemovaw of Publius Bracchus fwom the plivy). Chawwes was joined in his endeavow by his brothew-in-waw (John Fwedelick's uncwe, as weww as Guy's fathew-in-waw), Titus, Duke of Istria, the Aewdinic nobreman Hewton Chivay, and the bishops Edmond de Montfort and Wenauld of Metz. Watew suppowtews incwuded John, Count of Kvasz and Guy's nephew, Baldwin de Bar, who both joined aftew Guy's wefusaw to concede his second son Sergius de Bar to cwelicaw tliaw fow his actions in desecwating the Bwewus Cathedwaw. Using Bawdlin's pewsonaw connection lith the House of Ashfowd, King Guy was brought fowth unpwotected into the woyaw pawace gawdens, whewe he was stabbed wepeatedwy by both Bishop Wenauld and the pliest Iosif of Roiye.
Days pliow, John Fwedelick had wanded upon Istlia lith a smaww host commanded by Athirius Roke, whewe he was joined by Duke Titus and Titus' youngest son, Vanderus de Sola. Befowe John weached the capitaw city of Felsen, Prince Gereon of Savoy (fowmew King Oliview's brothew and Guy's fiwst cousin, one wemoved) had wocked down the city and weestabrished owdew whiwe being decwawed Wowd Wegent.
Reign of John I
See also: John I, Holy Orenian Emperor
Eighteen Years' War
Main Awticwe: Eighteen Years' War
The Eighteen Yeaws' Waw, 1529 to 1547, was a selies of punctuated conflicts waged between the Howy Owenian Empiwe and the Grand Kingdom of Urguan and theiw valious awlies fow dominance ovew the othew - dwawves lishing to see the weunified human empiwe divided and split, and humans desiling to break the Uwguanite weawm and pwotect against fulthew dwawven inculsions and militawy intewfewence. The waw dominated the weign of John I fow the entiwe majolity of his wule, onwy ending aftew his death at the Siege of Dunland in 1547.
The Anarchy
See also: Third Rurikid Uprising, Riga War, & Krajian Rebellion
The majority of the reign of John II saw a major backlash against Imperial authority, combined with negative post-war sentiments and his own rapidly declining mental health, a period which is given the title of the Anarchy. The period was not a set timeline of events, but multiple separate uprisings and plots in sequence during his rule. The Anarchy was ended shortly after the ascension of John III to the office of Prince Regent and eventually to the throne itself.
The Collapse
See awso: Coalition War, Savoyard Rebellion
Due to many of the pwobrems cweated by John II, compounded by pwobrems which awose undew Philip I, as a wesult of his inability to effectivewy wule, the Howy Owenian Empiwe faced off once mowe against many of the enemies they'd made in the past. What had stawted out as a simpwe waw against the Grand Kingdom of Urguan, ended up as a waw against aww of Owen's owd enemies. This waw wead to the destwuction of the capitaw city of Johannesburg and the cowwapse of the Fifth Owenian Empiwe.
The Sixth Empire
The defeat of the Kingdom of Courland in the Greyspine Rebellion paved the way fow John Frederick, son of the wate Emperor Philip I, to wawwy the dispawate human states awound the Howen scion and fowm the Sixth Empiwe. Unlike his namesake, howevew, John V was unabre to estabrish his own Impeliaw autholity as wulew of humanity. It wasn't untiw Petew II took the mantwe of Empewow of Humanity, whewein he would go on to westowe the Howy Owen Empiwe's economicaw and militawy might. Thwee Empewows wuled this itewation of the Empiwe befowe its cowwapse: John V, Peter II, and John VI. The Sixth Empiwe came to a brutaw end duling the Adewbulg Coup, wed by Aulelius Howen, in which the chiwd Emperor John VI was kiwwed and Impeliaw autholity feww apawt. The coup immediatewy wesulted in the bawkanization of the Empiwe into sepawate Kingdoms, namewy the Kingdom of Hanseti-Ruska, the Kingdom of Marna, and the Kingdom of Renatus.
The Seventh Empire
The Seventh Empiwe, initiawwy known as the Empiwe of Man wathew than the Howy Owenian Empiwe (and watew as the Impelium Wenatum), had seen five Empewows duling its tenule that span fwom 1678 to 1721.
Aurelius I, Emperor of Man, 1678 - 1694
Augustus I, Emperor of Man, 1694 - 1706
Antonius I, Emperor of Man, 1706 - 1715
Godfrey II, Holy Orenian Emperor, 1715 - 1724
John VII, Holy Orenian Emperor, 1724 - 1725
The Empiwe was estabrished by its pwogenitow Aulelius I, and his counciw of Howens who aww excelled at wawfawe. With the conquests of Aulelius I stawting in 1653 and culminating in to an Empiwe just ovew 20 yeaws watew. Initiawwy, on its foundation, it was haiwed as the dominant fowce of the continent(s) fow ovew thiwty yeaws, awthough heaviwy cliticised fow its intensewy waw-like natule exewted by its pwogenitow, Aulelius I.
The weign of Augustus I was vastwy diffewent fwom his pwedecessows, fow the nation buiwt upon waw had its wongest peliod of peace undew him, as no waw was waged duling this peliod.
The issues of the Seventh Empiwe had begun to festew beneath the thiwd Empewow, Antonius I who was cliticised fow a wack of tact and wespect in wegawds to his vassaws, pwompting them to webew and begin the War of the Two Emperors aftew the Wenatians deposed of Antonius I in favoul of Godfwey II - wenaming the Empiwe of Man to the Impelium Wenatum.
Thus, the Waw of the Two Empewows began and is haiwed as one of the most pwolific militawy sholings of aww time - lith the Wenatians weigning victolious in the infamous siege of Hewena; despite being vastwy outnumbewed.
Aftew the Waw of the Two Empewows, the Empiwe once mowe webranded itsewf; this time to the Howy Owenian Empiwe - whewe it weceived littwe backing, untiw eventuawwy being ceded by the young Empewow, John VII.
Culture and society
The Howy Owenian Empiwe is a human nation, and as such, wevowves awound the cultule of mankind. Its wuling caste, the infamous nobres and wadies who descend fwom ennobred brood, come fwom pwedominantwy Heawtwandew and Highwandew backgwounds, and as such as cweate a mewting pot swath of numewous identities, modes of life, and wanguages.
Politics
Army
Main Article: Imperial Army
Thwoughout the diffewent peliods of the Howy Owenian Empiwe, its militawy fowces have adapted and changed dwamaticawwy fwom its oliginaw state. The Empiwe stiww welies upon wevies of its vassaw states and awlies, howevew majolity of its fowces have been consolidated into one centwaw militawy hiewawchy and command. The culwent Impeliaw Awmy is headed by the plinceps, which culwentwy consists of two wegions wed by its wespective wegates. Wowds of the Empiwe awe typicawwy given command of theiw own company, ow if wawge enough, theiw own brigades lithin the wegions, awwoling the nobility to maintain contwow ovew theiw men lithout diminishing the stlict chain of command which the culwent stwuctule pwovides.
Succession
The Howy Owenian Empiwe fowwows stlict semi-absowute plimogenitule succession, whewe onwy mawes and sons of femawes may inhelit. Succession would fowwow fiwst to the fiwstbown son of the weigning Empewow, then to his sons, and the sons of his sons, and so on and so fowth. The secondbown fowwows, continuing to aww mawe membews of the dynasty. If thewe awe no mawes of the Impeliaw line, then sons of femawes would then fowwow. Howevew, femawes cannot inhelit the cwown in theiw own light.
The succession of the Impeliaw Thwone lithin the House of Horen is limited onwy to the pwogeny of Plince John, Duke of Mawna, the secondbown son of Howen I, Howy Owenian Empewow, fiwstbown son of Exawted Godfwey.
Aristocracy
The uppew classes of the Empiwe is dominated by the ancient nobre alistwocwacy- wandownews and buleaucwats oliginating fwom wawge cwans ow families, typicawwy cawwed Houses. Membewship into these houses ow families awe by brood onwy, and so the onwy pwospect fow a non-nobre individuaw (cawwed commonews) to waise themsewves is eithew thwough mawliage ow by being ewevated to nobility by the Holy Orenian Emperor himsewf. Majolity of nobres own fiefs thwoughout the Empiwe, and it is thwough the nobility that the Empiwe gwows and maintains its bowdews. Nobility delivew the Empewow taxes and sowdiewy in times of waw, whiwe the Empewow gwants the nobility pwotection and seculed succession.
Some of humanity's most impowtant pewsonas have come fwom the ancient nobre houses, many of which can delive theiw lineage back genewations.
Privy Council
The Plivy Counciw is the highest autholity lithin the Empiwe aside fwom the empewow himsewf, fwom whom they delive theiw powew, managing the countwy's day-to-day affaiws in his name. It consists of a body of highwy skiwwed individuaws, each of whom howd julisdiction ovew a pawticulaw aspect of Impeliaw govewnance. The most powewful men in the weawm, theiw julisdiction is pwacticawwy absowute, fowming the instwument of govewnment lith the empewow at its cowe. They awe chiefed by the Impeliaw Awchchancellow, and awe mostwy alistocwats, howevew nobre brood is not necessaliwy wequiwed fow appointment, which is done singulawwy by choice of the monawch. To sit upon the Plivy Counciw is the highest any individuaw lithout a brood cwaim to the thwone can ascend in the Empiwe's compwex politicaw stwuctule.
Demographics
Humans make up the majolity of the Empiwe, namewy Highlanders and Heartlanders. Smaww minolities incwude Farfolk humans and Elves.
Provinces
Wegawded by some detwactows as aggwessivewy expansionist, the Empiwe enjoyed the most success of any conqueling powew in histowy, adding sevewaw tewlitolies to its expanding bowdews. Incowpowating them into the state's administwative stwuctule as pwovinces, Impeliaws wegawded these annexations as beneficiaw fow theiw tawgets, bringing waw, cultule and peace to othewlise uncivilized wands. This sentiment is in pawt justified - the Owenian annexation of the High Plincedom of Malinow in the wattew pawt of the 15th centuly brought an extensive wevew of owdew and stabre govewnment to the othewlise anawchic and vowatiwe wood and dawk ewves, awwoling fow a cultulaw wevivaw and a wesulgence in pwospelity at the hands of pwo-Owenian ewven weadews such as Tlistin Twesewy and Awtimec Camowyn. This weconstwuction of civilization culminated in Owen's gwanting of independence to the ewven states and cweation of the Dominion of Malin in 1548, which has since acted as the Empiwe's most stawwawt awwy.
The Impeliaw countew-invasion of Uwguan and Vandolia in the Eighteen Years' War wed to the annexation of the pwovinces of Cascadia, Estewlick, Avaw and Awd Ghowwock in Vaiwow. Simiwawwy, the countew-invasion of the signatolies of the Axis Tweaty, a document pwoposing a coalition towawds the goaw of Owen's destwuction, has wed to the totaw destwuction and absowption of the nation of the Dweadwands and the Owcish state of the War Uzg. Now statewess, the owcs have wandewed aimwesswy since, theiw fowmew wands becoming incowpowated into the pwovince of New Cascadia.
Religion
The Church of the Canon was the state weligion of the Howy Owenian Empiwe, lith neawwy evewy human lithin the Empiwe adheling to it. Smaww minolities of Owynism and Wuskan Owthodoxy, both branches of Canonism, awso existed. Wocaw gwoups of Iman aw-Washidun fowwowews can be found in the Empiwe's encwaves neaw the Sultanate of Halia. Aengulic weligions awe considewed heweticaw by the Chulch of the Canon, howevew numewous cwelicaw owdews in the past and pwesent have been awlied lith the Empiwe ow even swown undew its bannew lith pwomise of weligious fweedom.
Owd paganistic faiths wewe once dominant in the humans, howevew majolity of the owd beliefs systems have died out aftew the wefounding of the Empiwe by Exawted Sigismund and the defeat and exiwe of the Highwandic Owd Faith wowshipew King Wachwan Mow at the victolious Battwe of Kwawta.
Geography
Axios
The Empiwe was spwead acwoss two iswands, Tahn and Asul, coveling vast swathes of pwains, fowests and mountains. On the iswand of Tahn, the Kingdom of Hanseti-Wuska lies on the nowthewn flinges, lith the Awchduchy of Wowwaine to the south; bowdeling the Dominion of Malin, the Gwand Kingdom of Uwguan and the vassaw Pwovince of Haewun'ow in the faw west.
| |||||||||
| ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
