The Empire of Alberea

Many kingdoms have risen and fallen in an attempt to claim the vast, immensely fertile plains of Alberea for their own. For as long as history can tell, factions have warred over the dominion of these rich grasslands which generate enough produce each year to feed the entire world of Toussaint three times round. None have been so successful in this endeavour, however, as emperor Solidor, first of his name, who was the first Alberean to put into place a centralised power in Alberea.

Notable Locations

 * Nys (Capital)
 * Septon
 * Vesper
 * Criszeid
 * Osarium
 * Shellac Moor
 * The Grasses

The Alliance of the Red Rose
Throughout the ages, Albereans warring factions have always consisted of small noble Houses, each trying to seize power individually. Alliances came and went, but were only ever on a small scale and never stood the test of time. The rich aristocracy was always too self-involved and prideful to work together. This all changed when a young noble man named Solidor I managed, against all odds, to unite many of the lesser and often mocked Alberean noble Houses under one banner. Solidor was a bright, incredibly charismatic young man who spoke of a new world order the lesser nobility could create together were they to rally together and overthrow the high nobility. A better world, where wonders such as sprawling cities could become a reality if only people dared to work together for once. Solidor positioned himself as a visionary and strategist of this new world order and promised the other nobles key positions within it. The lesser nobility, fed up with the arrogance of the ruling Houses, were quick to flock to Solidor's side.

Their combined forces swept through the Alberean Plains in a single, great conquest in 1298. Every township or outpost claimed would wave the flag of the new order: a blossoming red and white rose. Within three years, all of the high noble Houses that had enjoyed power for so long bent the knee to the Alliance of the Red Rose. Solidor was hailed as a great leader who released the region from the endless, circular power-struggle of the great Houses.



The Night of Redress
Solidor shocked everyone in 1302 he ordered to public execution of all patriarchs and matriarchs of the old great Houses. These nobles were dragged from the dungeons of the conquered townships and either hung or drowned in the following days. But to the surprise of many of the aristocrats of the alliance, who suspected Solidor's popularity would waver under such an extreme edict, the Alberean people rejoiced the death of their formed lords and hailed Solidor as a saviour. It is widely believed that this event cemented Solidor's position as emperor of the new Alberea by in the span of a few days becoming both the most feared, as well as the most loved person in Alberea.

Rise of the Empire
Following the night of redress, it was for the first time in Alberean history that a widespread feeling of solidarity and kinship was felt by the Alberean houses and peoples. An Alberea temporarily devoid of the familiar oligarchy of great houses meant the commonwealth started to realise they could carve their own futures, but found themselves woefully unequipped in doing so due to the millennium of oppression by the aristocracy. As a result, many of the Alberean peoples looked towards to their perceived saviour, Solidor I, for answers. He rose to the occasion and touted a vision of a unified, strong, and lasting Alberea with a centralised seat of power to prevent another struggle of houses for good. Historians yet disagree on whether the following silence from the lower houses of the Alliance of the Red Rose was due to loyalty, or newfound fear - yet silent they remained as Solidor I was crowned emperor of the realm.

Climate
Alberea is mainly comprised of lush grasslands accompanied by a temperate climate. Its summers are warm, while its winters are kindly and mild. Its wide-sprawling plains have accommodated incredible amounts of people throughout the centuries and is soil is extremely rich and fertile, allowing for immense harvests each year.

Most symbolic to the climate of Alberea is the Alber tree, from which the lands have taken their name (alber - rhea). These tall trees with strangely twisting roots and pale white stems are said to be the heart and centre of any orchard or farmland in Alberea. They can never be found in close bundles, only separated by large distances. It is said that cutting down or failing to properly take of an Alber tree will ruin the harvest of the farmland that surrounds it.



The Spice-Isles
There are also many islands in the south-eastern reaches of Alberea which host a great range of slightly-exotic flora and fauna. These so-called Spice-Isles, always under the control of Viscounts or Barons loyal to the Empire, are famous for their cultivation of delicacies and spices. Scholars have only been able to theorise as to why these isles have accommodated such strange, locale climates.



Shellac Moor
There is, however, one blight on the paradisiacal grasslands of Alberea. In the South-West, caught between the Lormidean Sea to the South, the Vollicean Forest to the North, and Mount Limbus to the West, lies a deep swampland. This blackened marsh, known as the Shellac Moor, is a foul and inhospitable place of death and decay. However, virtually none know much about it as it is common belief among Albereans that even speaking about the moor brings bad luck.

It is often described by travellers dumb enough to venture there, and lucky enough to return, as a cancerous growth upon the land of Alberea; a place where only rot thrives and great behemoths make their home upon the bones of men. However, it was only about 40 years ago that the moor got as bad as it is. None know what caused this change, which adds horror to the tales of the moor. Osarium, the Alberean city built on the outskirts of the moor, has since slowly turned into less of a city, and more of a frontier outpost that monitors the perimeters of the moor.

Culture
Alberean humans are often described/perceived by outsiders as being hyper-competitive, formal, and somewhat aloof. However, there is certain undeniable warmth to Alberean culture. More than any human civilisation in Toussaint, the Alberean peoples concern themselves with artistic expression whenever they can find the time. Whether it be singing, painting, sculpturing, there's always an Alberean who does it best. It is commonly held that for an Alberean to truly flourish into the most successful version of oneself, the arts cannot be ignored as it is an integral part of Alberean life, and even of an Alberean's 'soul' (see Faith of the Chant).

However, it cannot remain unmentioned that class-warfare and elitism have always been rampant throughout Alberean history, from the endless struggle of the Alberean aristocracy before Solidor I, to the feudal systems of taxation that the Empire enforces today. It also has been noticed by scholars that since the rise of the Empire, militarism has become a core aspect of empireal culture.

Demograpics
Alberea is almost solely inhabited by humans and estimates its population close to 3.000.000. Especially since the great war, the elven populations within the Empire have been vastly diminished, though there are some that still live under empireal law. These elves often work as servants or common labourers and are not able to register as empireal citizens with rarely any exception.



The Herd
Though the Empire's influence is vast and far-reaching, there are some that defy its rule. Anarchists and hermits from all corners of the land travel the sprawling plains of Alberea as a tightly-knit family known only as the Herd. These ever-travellers never settle for long and keep a large range of cattle with them wherever they go. The Herd believes in power in numbers, living harmoniously with the land, and ultimate freedom. Though the Herd has been a thorn in the side of the Empire for decades, it has proved much too difficult to disperse the roamers due to their numbers and exceptional physical prowess.

One such member of the herd is Ruddy the Red.



Architecture
What is easily most striking to foreigners seeing Alberean settlements is their outlandish architectural style. Alberean buildings, especially since the establishment of the Empire, are traditionally made of a particular white stone with elegant, domed roofs made of green-seeped tiles and plenty of glass windows and/or openings. An Alberean architect might argue that there's no such thing as 'too many' arches or gardens. This all creates a very airy, light-filled aesthetic to Alberean buildings.

Faith of the Chant
An important aspect of Alberean culture is faith in what is called 'the Chant', which has become a more and more dominant religion since the forming of the Alberean Empire. The faith of the Chant is an atheistic religion which proclaims that there are no creators or 'gods' besides certain mortals with divine souls that already roam (and always have roamed) the plains of Alberea specifically.

Seraphim
These divine 'visitors' to the world of Toussaint, also known as 'seraphim', are believed to be of angelic heritage from a heavenly realm referred to by believers of the Chant as 'the Chantry'. However, the lives of the seraphim as mortals on Toussaint is not a blessing per se. It is believed that the seraphim are sent away from the heavenly Chantry (where they wish to remain eternally singing celestial hymns), burdened to better the mortal world while they remain there in their mortal forms with no memory of their heavenly lives prior to their descent. The seraphim are believed by followers of the Chant to possess divine insight into how the mortal world should be structured, as well as carrying artistic talent meant to brighten up the drab, mortal plane of existance. In this sense, the faith of the Chant does not believe in a single creator, but a continous, eternal string of heavenly creators. The Chant holds all of such celestial souls to be worthy of equal worship, though only Alberean humans are ever considered seraphim (and subsequently only Albereans follow the faith of the Chant).



Afterlife
When an Alberean human dies, it is believed their soul 'returns' to the Chantry on the celestial plane of existance to sing eternally the hymns of creation. Those who devoutly believe in the Chant live their lives in anticipation to this moment of transition. Though it might appear as if this view of life as 'existential burden' might cause the Alberean followers of the Chant to not care for earthly life or order, it in fact inspires action above all else through the sense of a 'divine mission'. The seraphim are sent with a specific goal, after all: the betterment of the mortal plane and the spread of celestial artistry and song. When they fail in this missive, it is not that they are to expect judgment from a godly entity (after all, there is none), but rather silent judgment from their peers



House Maevis
One of the most well-known of the noble Houses that survived the fall of the old Alberean aristocracy during the Night of Redress. House Maevis was one of the first of the lower Aristocracy of old Alberea to ally themselves with Solidor I, and consequently became one of the emperor's most trusted allies. After Solidor's campaign, House Maevis was granted military stewardship of sorts over the city of Septon.

House Maevis has always been known as bringing forth strong and fiercely loyal warriors, but they are also one of the most devout believers in the Faith of the Chant. House Maevis maintains a famous cathedral called 'the Celestuon' in Septon, in which a large library of historic annals and theological works on the faith are kept. It is considered one of the most important buildings of the faith in Alberea, and provides a daily religious mass to the people of Septon, where the devout come to collectively sing celestial hymns.



The Paladine
However, during the first decades of the 14th century (before the great war), House Maevis discovered that some of its pureblood offspring possessed innate magical healing abilities, as well as the ability to detect magic around them. The tensions regarding magic had not grown to the heights they inhabit today, yet this development shocked the Alberean aristocracy. Though there are 'anomalies' of sorts in the form of witches, House Maevis was (and still is) the first human bloodline to claim the ability to harness magic, an ability believed to only be reserved to elven bloodlines. Emperor Solidor I believed this to be a sign of house Maevis' devout conformity to the divine mission of all seraphim and, as such, did not persecute them. Instead, House Maevis has throughout the last century become closer and closer to the seat of the Emperor, becoming trusted advisors and paladine that claim the highest positions in the Alberean Empire's military.

Military
The Alberean Empire has been vastly fortifying strongholds of olden times and multiplying its standing armies in the last century. As a result, in combination with the immense population of Alberea compared to the other provinces, the Empire has a larger soldier-count than Doren and Montclaire combined. In 1361, after the annexation of Doren, the Lys Doré in the capital of Nys happened upon a scientific breakthrough regarding black powder explosives. The Empire was quick to incorporate new technology following this discovery into its military branches, resulting in the divisions known today:



The Lamenting Legion
The oldest division of Empire's military known today, the Lamenting Legion is the common army of legionnaires which keep control over the vast dominion of the Empire in ánd outside of Alberea. Legionnaires are clad in full plate armor from head to toe, including an intimidating grate-like visor that covers their faces. They don both longswords and bucklers, but legionnaires send across the border to manage the annexed Dorenese provinces are commonly equipped with heavy artifice-rifles that serve as an extra intimidating factor.

The Legion has historically only accepted Albereans for their ranks as its founding is rooted in belief in the Faith of the Chantry. The Legion gets its name from this faith as well, believing combat to be a necessary evil that the seraphim are tasked with in their bettering the mortal realm. As any decent seraphim would much rather create and return to the Chantry, the Albereans which are tasked with combat are thus dubbed 'lamenting' their fate.

Both the Lamention Legion, as well as the Combustion Corps, were founded by Empress Aquilla I, Conqueror of the Dorenese Provinces.



The Combustion Corps
This division of the Empire's military was founded after the discovery of the explosive black powder by the Lys Doré. The Combustion Corps is an endless investment by the Empire to gauge the limits of gunpowder and artifice-warfare. The Corps works together with the Lys Doré to further experiment on new cannonade-equipment such as mortars, cannons, and engine-propelled machinery.

In war-time, the Corps is deployed to make quick work of any siege on the order of the sitting emperor. The annals of the Great War are filled with barbaric assaults of fire performed by the Combustion Corps on the Montclairoise city of Arlevaux and settlements on the Fine Line. It is commonly held that the Corps is responsible for at least half of the destruction of the borderlands, the other half being attributable to the Cobalt Crisis plague.

The Combustion Corps has made significant progress in its research progress since Duretta Bosque has solidified her position as Head Artificer of the Empireal Artifice Division, which oversees the cooperative research between the Lys Doré and the Combustion Corps. Both the Lamention Legion, as well as the Combustion Corps, were founded by Empress Aquilla I, Conqueror of the Dorenese Provinces.

The Maevisan Paladine
Finally, the smallest branch of the Empire's military are the Paladine from House Maevis. These elite knights from noble stock are trained from a young age in the Faith as well as the art of combat when they show signs of possessing the magical innate talents that House Maevis is famous for. The paladine are known to be able to magically heal the wounded, detect the presences of monsters and magic around them, and channel their magical talents through their strikes, creating booming shockwaves whenever they hit in combat.

Paladine commonly wear partial plate armor, long-billowing tabards of green and white, and bearded halbers that give them an immense reach in combat.