Post by TheUdjat on Feb 6, 2009 8:39:46 GMT -5
The Aphrodite Empire
The Nine Principalities:
The core of the Empire centers around the Nine Principalities, a region known throughout the Dark Ages for being tumultuous and highly contested, with squabbling leaders and high tensions. In the past several hundred cycles the area has become unified under the Cytherean line, but old grudges still persist, and many of the ancient families still rule their traditional lands. Empress Constance V wields absolute authority, but there are those that would eagerly seize on an opportunity for rebellion or conquest.
- Cytherea. Cytherea is the original homeland of Aphrodite’s rulers. It is situated towards the center of the Principalities, rather than to the west where the Tower is located. It is not the official seat of the Empire, but Cytherea is still the bureaucratic center from which the Empire is managed, even if the palace is far to the west. Cytherea is ruled by Queen Vivian II, one of the Empress’s granddaughters.
- Kypris. The name given to the land around the Tower of Aphrodite following its liberation by Queen Lenora I, considered the spiritual founder of the Empire. A barren wasteland when it was discovered, the region was quickly recovered, and has since been the ‘face’ of the Empire, a place of beautiful architecture, thriving artists, and other structures important to the Empire, such as academies and universities. It is ruled by the other favorite prospective heir to the Imperial throne, Queen Lenora Fidelia, granddaughter of the Empress who added the name of her ancient ancestor to her own name upon acquiring the throne.
- Eos. Far to the west, bordering Kypris, Eos is a naval center and important region for the outlying islands at the edge of the Empire. Eos has strong ties to the Parliament of Guilds, due to their greater presence in the area for trade and commerce, and rules of the principality often speak on behalf of the guilds. Eos was initially a very aggressive opponent to Cytherean conquest, but was subjugated in the early days—the present ruler did not inherit the throne through birth, but was appointed there by the Empress. Her recent concessions to the guilds have made her unpopular with the monarch, but the threat of commercial turmoil keeps her firmly entrenched in power.
- Cybele. The highest of the principalities, purely in terms of altitude, Cybele lies to the east and directly uphill from Kypris, and serves to link it with Cytherea—accordingly, the very first tracks of Aphrodite’s train system were laid through Cybele to connect the two traditional territories of the royal family, almost precisely tracing the legendary path of Queen Lenora I, on her route to liberate the Tower. Historically, Cybele has long been a nation friendly to the Cytherean line, and was one of its earliest allies following the Tower’s liberation. The current ruler is a direct descendent in the line. (Though a principality like all the others, Cybele originally styled itself as a Grand Duchy, and has been allowed to maintain the title for its rulers).
- Hecate. Another highland principality, Hecate lies further to the east, bordering the barbarian lands to the south. The principality has a long-standing reputation for harsh and rigid leaders who hold discipline and logic to be of the utmost importance. Not surprisingly, Hecate is the root of the Atheist movement, and houses many thaumaturgical and machinist colleges. Historically, Hecate was a major opponent of the Cythereans, and was one of the last principalities to be subjugated. The traditional noble families are still firmly entrenched in the politics of the region, though none have a hereditary hold on the throne—the Empress appoints a ruler from among the families, but is careful not to establish a dynasty, lest one of them gather more support than the others.
- Persephone. Nestled between the highlands of Cybele and Hecate, Persephone fills the southern portion of the valley, its long border guarding the open nomadic lands of the Aine barbarians to the south. Despite favorable agricultural conditions, Persephone has long been a difficult land to inhabit, caught in many political struggles and without a coastal border save the river on its southern border. Being between the strong powers of Cytherea, Hecate, and Cybele, it has historically been caught in struggles between those powers, and has struggled with neutrality. In recent years, Persephone was the site of a massive uprising which was put down with extreme prejudice by the Empress, leaving few of the noble families remaining. Instead of instating one of her own loyalists or choosing from the subjugated nobility, the Empress instead added insult to injury, appointing a half-Aine gentleman to the post, forcing the aristocratic women there to be ruled by a man. It has not helped stability in the region much, though the Prince has thus far held onto his position.
- Maia. Maia lies just south of Kypris, between Eos to the west and Cybele to the east. In early history, the region was a primary destination for refugees of the savage lands to the southwest, and the region has many unusual customs for this reason. It is also the birthplace of the Elemental Church, and has therefore been a spot of contention throughout the Empire’s existence, until the abolishment of the Imperial Religion. Aside from the unusual customs occasionally shown by natives, the region is otherwise much like the other principalities, though it is not as highly prized for commerce and transportation, as it faces the unknown lands of the southwest. This makes it favored for industrial reasons, and for enterprising adventurers, explorers, and mercenary companies, who are more than eager to settle on the land. This trend becomes more pronounced as one nears the coast. In modern politics, traditional Maians tend to be bitter adversaries of the Hecatians, as their religion clashes sharply with the prevalent atheism of that principality. Maia’s current ruler is also a high-ranking member of the Elemental Church—the Empress’s concession to the deeply entrenched religion there.
- Leto. On the eastern edge of the principalities, Leto borders wilderness, territories, and the ocean to the north. It is also the nearest region to Kemet, and is itself mixed with refugees from those lands, trickling west over many hundreds of cycles. It is here that ships bridge the distance between the principalities and Kemet, connecting the eastern reaches of the Empire. Since its subjugation, Leto has been a consistently loyal member of the Empire, despite some earlier conflicts over religion—many of the refugees from Kemet were not inclined to give up their customs. There is some present concern that increased involvement with Kemet, and the recent unification of those kingdoms, could lead to their influence spilling onto Leto.
- Iris. Sitting on the coast north of Kypris, Iris competes with Eos for naval dominance and colonization. The two were once literal enemies, but have grown into rivals, each trying to maintain political power over the other. However, where Eos has arranged a close association with the guilds, Iris continues to try and curry favor with the Empress, with much of its holdings devoted to colonial administration and expansion. Iris is also responsible for the most transportation to and from Ashtoreth, making it a valuable port. The current ruler of Iris is a descendant of the general who led the ‘liberation’ of the Tower of Astarte, giving her critical ties to the people there.
Kemet, the River Kingdom
After the unification of the Nine Principalities, the Empresses of old turned their eyes east, to fertile Kemet that had long been out of anyone’s reach, despite stories of riches and wonders there. Colonization of various island kingdoms continued, but it was Kemet that seized much interest and focus—and in due time, the Empire arrived on the shores of Lower Kemet, better known as Ta-Mehew to the natives there. The Empire discovered a war that had been waging between the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Kemet for thousands of cycles, running hot and cold in cycles, never truly ending. Stepping into this turmoil, the Empire used its resources, moral superiority, and military might to force both parties into a tentative truce, and then brokered a lasting peace between both, setting themselves up as mediator and peacekeeper. To the surprise of Upper Kemet (Ta-Sheme’aw), their Deathless rulers agreed to Aphrodite’s terms, their reasons left mysteriously unknown to all.
Since then, the two kingdoms have existed in unity, simply called ‘Kemet’, although ‘Advisors’ from Aphrodite continue to have a strong presence and influence. Though it is never explicitly said, all know that Kemet is effectively part of the Empire, for their rulers can do nothing but agree to the Advisors’ suggestions—and the Deathless within their pristine Tower of Isis remain silent on the matter, content to bear Aphrodite’s yoke.
- Lower Kemet (Ta-Mehew). Long ago, it is said, all of the river people dwelled around the Tower of Isis, there living in peace and without hardship. According to Lower Kemet, some tragedy happened to produce the ‘Demon Deathless’, who tyrannically claimed dominion over the whole of Kemet. Those that rebuked their claims fled to the river’s mouth and the coast, there forming a kingdom to keep their liberty and independence. Lower Kemet has been at the brink of war ever since, fighting off their brethren from the highlands. But despite the war, the inhabitants found time to farm, study and develop art, and perfect a religion of self-transcendence, of passing beyond the ‘prison’ of the physical body to become entities of pure thought.
- Upper Kemet (Ta-Sheme’aw). One of the more ancient lands known to the people of the Empire—according to Upper Kemet’s priesthood, mankind were put on Venus thousands of cycles ago by the immortal sky itself. The Deathless, men and women who reputedly cannot stay dead, have been the rulers of Kemet as long as anyone knows, carefully cloistered within the Tower of Isis, seen only by the high priests and a very slim list of foreign dignitaries—the Empress herself has not been within the Tower (nor does she wish to)—all who have been are sworn to secrecy on the matter. Ta-Sheme’aw is fiercely religious as one might imagine, and has extremely particular practices for their dead—mummifying and entombing them. The dead have their deeds and misdeeds spoken aloud, and those judged most worthy are sent to the Tower, there to become one of the Deathless, while the rest are entombed in a vast underground vault, and watched over by the priesthood. Many scholars in Aphrodite theorize what these legends and rituals actually entail, and long to learn more—but the people of Kemet are very protective of their secrets, and no outsider has been permitted into their temples.
The face of Kemet’s Deathless is the Hierophant, who serves as a messenger between the Deathless and all foreign governments. She sees to day-to-day administration of the kingdom, and is for all intents and purposes its ruler, though she maintains that she only serves to speak the will of the Deathless.
The Kingdom of Ashtoreth, the Tetrarchy
To the northwest of the Principalities, across a sea, the lands of Ashtoreth reside, sharing a border with the steep and cold Northern Wastes. The people here are a war-like and passionate sort, known for being aggressive, opinionated, and also extremely creative and active. Martial life is considered the most important path, and even the noble women here are all well-versed in physical combat, and have been known to fight alongside soldiers when the need arises—and the need does arise, for when the Horrors of Ishtar test the strength of mankind’s defenses, Ashtoreth is the first line of defense.
Rule in Ashtoreth has always been about military prowess, and maneuvering the politics of this region is incredibly dangerous, as it is ever-shifting. Each city-state polices and governs itself, and it is only through oaths of fealty that any sort of unified government arises. Borders are mutable, loyalties change, but for a past couple dozen cycles, the climate has been relatively stable as four monarchs have risen to prominence and power—one of them even male. They are known throughout the principalities and the rest of the Empire as simply the Tetrarchy, as all four must be consulted and negotiated with for any region-wide decisions to be negotiated.
The four tetrarchs rarely agree, of course, but the Empress does her best not to make this her problem, letting internal disputes work themselves out. The region is fraught with internal disputes and small, limited wars. The different city-states also regularly engage in ‘friendly’ tests, competing over which has the strongest athlete, etc. The people highly prize dance, tumbling, fencing, and epic poetry and storytelling as a means of establishing hierarchy (when they’re not warring). People from the principalities are beginning to take an interest in these games, bringing more visitors and settlers to the area, but are careful not to involve themselves in what could be a violent struggle.
At one point there was a brief war between Ashtoreth and Aphrodite, but this has settled down since the liberation of the Tower of Astarte. Now the Empire has a fairly solid governing position—and with the way the tetrarchs squabble, they may never band together to throw off their vassalage, assuming they have any desire to do so. The situation, for the time being, is preferable for all the parties involved.
Despite the apparent chaos of Ashtoreth, the people are all unified when it comes to trouble from the highlands. The Horrors of Ishtar have a reputation even in the Aine lands, and with good reason. The hardy folk of Ashtoreth are the only ones who dwell on the vast northern continent, and the only ones capable of repelling constant attacks by these creatures. When it comes to outside attacks, they always fight as one, regardless of existing tensions.
The Tetrarchs base their power in the cities of Inanna, Nidaba, Nanshe, and the ancient fortress-city Tiamat. Even if they are politically divisive, all city-states in Ashtoreth share the same cultural practices, and in some ways this keeps them more closely bonded than the principalities. Certainly, a traveler from the heart of the Empire will experience a great deal of culture shock in Ashtoreth.
Territories and Colonies
Scattered throughout the waters west of the principalities, on the island of Circe to the north of Iris, and extending out from the edges of the Empire on the mainland, various small colonies and territories continue to spread as people seek adventure, frontier life, fortune, and opportunity. It is a dangerous existence, but even large as it is, the Empire can be crowded, particularly in the cities, and many would have another life. There is also the beauty of these dangerous places which captures the interest of others, bringing explorers and treasure hunters back time and time again.
Most of these territories and holdings are still relatively close to the Empire itself, but there are a few scattered colonies all the way across the ocean—though many of them die out. The invention of the airship, still very recent, has revolutionized what can be explored—and conquered. But perhaps the people of the Empire are spreading too far, too fast. Venus is still mostly untamed and unexplored, after all...
The Nine Principalities:
The core of the Empire centers around the Nine Principalities, a region known throughout the Dark Ages for being tumultuous and highly contested, with squabbling leaders and high tensions. In the past several hundred cycles the area has become unified under the Cytherean line, but old grudges still persist, and many of the ancient families still rule their traditional lands. Empress Constance V wields absolute authority, but there are those that would eagerly seize on an opportunity for rebellion or conquest.
- Cytherea. Cytherea is the original homeland of Aphrodite’s rulers. It is situated towards the center of the Principalities, rather than to the west where the Tower is located. It is not the official seat of the Empire, but Cytherea is still the bureaucratic center from which the Empire is managed, even if the palace is far to the west. Cytherea is ruled by Queen Vivian II, one of the Empress’s granddaughters.
- Kypris. The name given to the land around the Tower of Aphrodite following its liberation by Queen Lenora I, considered the spiritual founder of the Empire. A barren wasteland when it was discovered, the region was quickly recovered, and has since been the ‘face’ of the Empire, a place of beautiful architecture, thriving artists, and other structures important to the Empire, such as academies and universities. It is ruled by the other favorite prospective heir to the Imperial throne, Queen Lenora Fidelia, granddaughter of the Empress who added the name of her ancient ancestor to her own name upon acquiring the throne.
- Eos. Far to the west, bordering Kypris, Eos is a naval center and important region for the outlying islands at the edge of the Empire. Eos has strong ties to the Parliament of Guilds, due to their greater presence in the area for trade and commerce, and rules of the principality often speak on behalf of the guilds. Eos was initially a very aggressive opponent to Cytherean conquest, but was subjugated in the early days—the present ruler did not inherit the throne through birth, but was appointed there by the Empress. Her recent concessions to the guilds have made her unpopular with the monarch, but the threat of commercial turmoil keeps her firmly entrenched in power.
- Cybele. The highest of the principalities, purely in terms of altitude, Cybele lies to the east and directly uphill from Kypris, and serves to link it with Cytherea—accordingly, the very first tracks of Aphrodite’s train system were laid through Cybele to connect the two traditional territories of the royal family, almost precisely tracing the legendary path of Queen Lenora I, on her route to liberate the Tower. Historically, Cybele has long been a nation friendly to the Cytherean line, and was one of its earliest allies following the Tower’s liberation. The current ruler is a direct descendent in the line. (Though a principality like all the others, Cybele originally styled itself as a Grand Duchy, and has been allowed to maintain the title for its rulers).
- Hecate. Another highland principality, Hecate lies further to the east, bordering the barbarian lands to the south. The principality has a long-standing reputation for harsh and rigid leaders who hold discipline and logic to be of the utmost importance. Not surprisingly, Hecate is the root of the Atheist movement, and houses many thaumaturgical and machinist colleges. Historically, Hecate was a major opponent of the Cythereans, and was one of the last principalities to be subjugated. The traditional noble families are still firmly entrenched in the politics of the region, though none have a hereditary hold on the throne—the Empress appoints a ruler from among the families, but is careful not to establish a dynasty, lest one of them gather more support than the others.
- Persephone. Nestled between the highlands of Cybele and Hecate, Persephone fills the southern portion of the valley, its long border guarding the open nomadic lands of the Aine barbarians to the south. Despite favorable agricultural conditions, Persephone has long been a difficult land to inhabit, caught in many political struggles and without a coastal border save the river on its southern border. Being between the strong powers of Cytherea, Hecate, and Cybele, it has historically been caught in struggles between those powers, and has struggled with neutrality. In recent years, Persephone was the site of a massive uprising which was put down with extreme prejudice by the Empress, leaving few of the noble families remaining. Instead of instating one of her own loyalists or choosing from the subjugated nobility, the Empress instead added insult to injury, appointing a half-Aine gentleman to the post, forcing the aristocratic women there to be ruled by a man. It has not helped stability in the region much, though the Prince has thus far held onto his position.
- Maia. Maia lies just south of Kypris, between Eos to the west and Cybele to the east. In early history, the region was a primary destination for refugees of the savage lands to the southwest, and the region has many unusual customs for this reason. It is also the birthplace of the Elemental Church, and has therefore been a spot of contention throughout the Empire’s existence, until the abolishment of the Imperial Religion. Aside from the unusual customs occasionally shown by natives, the region is otherwise much like the other principalities, though it is not as highly prized for commerce and transportation, as it faces the unknown lands of the southwest. This makes it favored for industrial reasons, and for enterprising adventurers, explorers, and mercenary companies, who are more than eager to settle on the land. This trend becomes more pronounced as one nears the coast. In modern politics, traditional Maians tend to be bitter adversaries of the Hecatians, as their religion clashes sharply with the prevalent atheism of that principality. Maia’s current ruler is also a high-ranking member of the Elemental Church—the Empress’s concession to the deeply entrenched religion there.
- Leto. On the eastern edge of the principalities, Leto borders wilderness, territories, and the ocean to the north. It is also the nearest region to Kemet, and is itself mixed with refugees from those lands, trickling west over many hundreds of cycles. It is here that ships bridge the distance between the principalities and Kemet, connecting the eastern reaches of the Empire. Since its subjugation, Leto has been a consistently loyal member of the Empire, despite some earlier conflicts over religion—many of the refugees from Kemet were not inclined to give up their customs. There is some present concern that increased involvement with Kemet, and the recent unification of those kingdoms, could lead to their influence spilling onto Leto.
- Iris. Sitting on the coast north of Kypris, Iris competes with Eos for naval dominance and colonization. The two were once literal enemies, but have grown into rivals, each trying to maintain political power over the other. However, where Eos has arranged a close association with the guilds, Iris continues to try and curry favor with the Empress, with much of its holdings devoted to colonial administration and expansion. Iris is also responsible for the most transportation to and from Ashtoreth, making it a valuable port. The current ruler of Iris is a descendant of the general who led the ‘liberation’ of the Tower of Astarte, giving her critical ties to the people there.
Kemet, the River Kingdom
After the unification of the Nine Principalities, the Empresses of old turned their eyes east, to fertile Kemet that had long been out of anyone’s reach, despite stories of riches and wonders there. Colonization of various island kingdoms continued, but it was Kemet that seized much interest and focus—and in due time, the Empire arrived on the shores of Lower Kemet, better known as Ta-Mehew to the natives there. The Empire discovered a war that had been waging between the two kingdoms of Upper and Lower Kemet for thousands of cycles, running hot and cold in cycles, never truly ending. Stepping into this turmoil, the Empire used its resources, moral superiority, and military might to force both parties into a tentative truce, and then brokered a lasting peace between both, setting themselves up as mediator and peacekeeper. To the surprise of Upper Kemet (Ta-Sheme’aw), their Deathless rulers agreed to Aphrodite’s terms, their reasons left mysteriously unknown to all.
Since then, the two kingdoms have existed in unity, simply called ‘Kemet’, although ‘Advisors’ from Aphrodite continue to have a strong presence and influence. Though it is never explicitly said, all know that Kemet is effectively part of the Empire, for their rulers can do nothing but agree to the Advisors’ suggestions—and the Deathless within their pristine Tower of Isis remain silent on the matter, content to bear Aphrodite’s yoke.
- Lower Kemet (Ta-Mehew). Long ago, it is said, all of the river people dwelled around the Tower of Isis, there living in peace and without hardship. According to Lower Kemet, some tragedy happened to produce the ‘Demon Deathless’, who tyrannically claimed dominion over the whole of Kemet. Those that rebuked their claims fled to the river’s mouth and the coast, there forming a kingdom to keep their liberty and independence. Lower Kemet has been at the brink of war ever since, fighting off their brethren from the highlands. But despite the war, the inhabitants found time to farm, study and develop art, and perfect a religion of self-transcendence, of passing beyond the ‘prison’ of the physical body to become entities of pure thought.
- Upper Kemet (Ta-Sheme’aw). One of the more ancient lands known to the people of the Empire—according to Upper Kemet’s priesthood, mankind were put on Venus thousands of cycles ago by the immortal sky itself. The Deathless, men and women who reputedly cannot stay dead, have been the rulers of Kemet as long as anyone knows, carefully cloistered within the Tower of Isis, seen only by the high priests and a very slim list of foreign dignitaries—the Empress herself has not been within the Tower (nor does she wish to)—all who have been are sworn to secrecy on the matter. Ta-Sheme’aw is fiercely religious as one might imagine, and has extremely particular practices for their dead—mummifying and entombing them. The dead have their deeds and misdeeds spoken aloud, and those judged most worthy are sent to the Tower, there to become one of the Deathless, while the rest are entombed in a vast underground vault, and watched over by the priesthood. Many scholars in Aphrodite theorize what these legends and rituals actually entail, and long to learn more—but the people of Kemet are very protective of their secrets, and no outsider has been permitted into their temples.
The face of Kemet’s Deathless is the Hierophant, who serves as a messenger between the Deathless and all foreign governments. She sees to day-to-day administration of the kingdom, and is for all intents and purposes its ruler, though she maintains that she only serves to speak the will of the Deathless.
The Kingdom of Ashtoreth, the Tetrarchy
To the northwest of the Principalities, across a sea, the lands of Ashtoreth reside, sharing a border with the steep and cold Northern Wastes. The people here are a war-like and passionate sort, known for being aggressive, opinionated, and also extremely creative and active. Martial life is considered the most important path, and even the noble women here are all well-versed in physical combat, and have been known to fight alongside soldiers when the need arises—and the need does arise, for when the Horrors of Ishtar test the strength of mankind’s defenses, Ashtoreth is the first line of defense.
Rule in Ashtoreth has always been about military prowess, and maneuvering the politics of this region is incredibly dangerous, as it is ever-shifting. Each city-state polices and governs itself, and it is only through oaths of fealty that any sort of unified government arises. Borders are mutable, loyalties change, but for a past couple dozen cycles, the climate has been relatively stable as four monarchs have risen to prominence and power—one of them even male. They are known throughout the principalities and the rest of the Empire as simply the Tetrarchy, as all four must be consulted and negotiated with for any region-wide decisions to be negotiated.
The four tetrarchs rarely agree, of course, but the Empress does her best not to make this her problem, letting internal disputes work themselves out. The region is fraught with internal disputes and small, limited wars. The different city-states also regularly engage in ‘friendly’ tests, competing over which has the strongest athlete, etc. The people highly prize dance, tumbling, fencing, and epic poetry and storytelling as a means of establishing hierarchy (when they’re not warring). People from the principalities are beginning to take an interest in these games, bringing more visitors and settlers to the area, but are careful not to involve themselves in what could be a violent struggle.
At one point there was a brief war between Ashtoreth and Aphrodite, but this has settled down since the liberation of the Tower of Astarte. Now the Empire has a fairly solid governing position—and with the way the tetrarchs squabble, they may never band together to throw off their vassalage, assuming they have any desire to do so. The situation, for the time being, is preferable for all the parties involved.
Despite the apparent chaos of Ashtoreth, the people are all unified when it comes to trouble from the highlands. The Horrors of Ishtar have a reputation even in the Aine lands, and with good reason. The hardy folk of Ashtoreth are the only ones who dwell on the vast northern continent, and the only ones capable of repelling constant attacks by these creatures. When it comes to outside attacks, they always fight as one, regardless of existing tensions.
The Tetrarchs base their power in the cities of Inanna, Nidaba, Nanshe, and the ancient fortress-city Tiamat. Even if they are politically divisive, all city-states in Ashtoreth share the same cultural practices, and in some ways this keeps them more closely bonded than the principalities. Certainly, a traveler from the heart of the Empire will experience a great deal of culture shock in Ashtoreth.
Territories and Colonies
Scattered throughout the waters west of the principalities, on the island of Circe to the north of Iris, and extending out from the edges of the Empire on the mainland, various small colonies and territories continue to spread as people seek adventure, frontier life, fortune, and opportunity. It is a dangerous existence, but even large as it is, the Empire can be crowded, particularly in the cities, and many would have another life. There is also the beauty of these dangerous places which captures the interest of others, bringing explorers and treasure hunters back time and time again.
Most of these territories and holdings are still relatively close to the Empire itself, but there are a few scattered colonies all the way across the ocean—though many of them die out. The invention of the airship, still very recent, has revolutionized what can be explored—and conquered. But perhaps the people of the Empire are spreading too far, too fast. Venus is still mostly untamed and unexplored, after all...