IF THE SOUTHERNERS ARE CORRUPT AND DECADENT BECAUSE THE WARM SOUTHERN CLIMATE HAS SPOILED THEM TO THE BONE, THEN THE PRIDE AND RESOURCEFULNESS OF IEPLANS HAS BEEN FORGED BY THE BITTER COLD OF THEIR HOMELAND. AND YET, IN SPITE OF THE ICE SURROUNDING THEM, IEPLANS MAINTAIN A WARM FIRE OF HOSPITALITY IN THEIR HEARTS, OFFERING IT TO THE OCCASIONAL WANDERER WHO STUMBLES UPON THEIR LAND…
Kingdom of Iepla
The Vascavanian Empire, commonly referred to as Vascavania or simply the Empire, has long stood as the most powerful land of the Continent. Its strength is rooted in a remarkable cultural adaptability; where other kingdoms resisted change, the Vascavanians embraced it. Throughout history, they adapted rapidly to new circumstances, technologies, and politics. This willingness to evolve ensured not only their survival, but their flourishing as well. Over the centuries, this cultivated an expansionist imperial mindset — a belief in their natural superiority — and allowed Vascavania to pressure neighboring kingdoms into compliance.
Administratively, the Empire is divided into three major provinces: Phisna & Phasna, The Ichemond Peninsula, and Chamore. Each province is governed by an appointed Provincial Governor, who reports to the Chamberlain. The Chamberlain either handles provincial matters personally or delivers them to the reigning Emperor or Empress, residing in the glamorous capital of Alacitras. While the provinces maintain a degree of autonomy, the monarch ultimately has the final say.
The Empire is a traditional hereditary monarchy, currently ruled by Emperor Quintus of House Illataesi. However, Quintus’ natural timidity, frailty, and chronic illness have rendered him a convenient puppet to his wife, Empress Octavia, who effectively governs the Empire. Known for her ruthlessness and determination, she rules with an iron fist and is focused on preserving Vascavania’s dominance across the Continent.
Contents
[Show]History
Beginnings
The early history of Vascavania remains shrouded in mystery. No definitive records survive detailing when the first Vascavanians settled the Mainland. Scholars generally believe that they were a branch of the Old Ancestors who carried elemental-bending genes — explaining why pure-blooded Vascavanians today are predominantly elementalists.
Their earliest homeland was likely the steppes of Chamore, where they lived as nomads. Over time, as they learned to cultivate crops, they formed permanent settlements. These villages grew into the first Vascavanian cities.
Crossing the mountain range that divided the Mainland took many generations. When the Vascavanians finally reached the western side, they discovered fertile grasslands and a warm climate ideal for societal advancement. While still primitive, this progress laid the foundations of what would eventually become the Empire.
Conquest by Niamedia
Vascavanian development and rise was interrupted when the Niamedian Kingdom expanded beyond its isolated archipelago and reached the Mainland. More technologically advanced and cunning, the Niamedians exploited the trusting Vascavanians. They initially posed as allies and gradually infiltrated earlyVascavanian society, ultimately conquering them and reducing them to slavery.
Many Vascavanians were transported to the Niamedian archipelago and subjected to systematic “breeding” programs, as Niamedia wished to combine Vascavanian elemental abilities with their own dendromancy and necromancy.
The Uprising
After centuries of oppression, the Vascavanians revolted and expelled Niamedia from the Mainland. Armed with the knowledge, technology, and organizational skills they had learned during their enslavement, the Vascavanians formed a loose alliance of city-states. Merchants who led this alliance became the Empire’s first nobles.
As these cities expanded and secured their control over the Mainland, they unified into a single state — the Vascavanian Empire.
Imperial Consolidation
Over the course of the centuries that followed, noble houses schemed and fought for dominance. Several of these conflicts erupted into full civil wars, leaving the Empire vulnerable to Niamedian raids along its borders.
Ultimately, House Illataesi triumphed. Under their uncompromising leadership, Vascavania stabilized, prospered, and eventually emerged as the most powerful and affluent realm on the entire Continent — which it remains to be to this day.
Geography
Vascavania enjoys a predominantly warm climate, especially in the south and along its expansive coastline. The weather cools significantly in the Vascavanian mountain range, which runs from the north of the Empire down through its midlands, ending in the southwest. This range effectively divides the Empire into two culturally distinct halves:
- Western Vascavania — The heart of the Empire — more technologically advanced, more culturally refined, and home to Vascavania’s largest cities and ports, including the capital. It has benefited the most from centuries of trade, innovation, and wealth.
- Eastern Vascavania — The less-developed Eeast, largely inhabited by nomadic peoples from the Chamore region. Yet these communities are far from impoverished; they maintain prosperous trade networks with the sea-folk who inhabit the distant region known as the Edge of the World. As a result, the westerners remain economically dependent on the easterners despite viewing them as less “civilized” and “barbaric”.
Notable towns
- Alacitras – The Imperial capital; a dazzling metropolis surrounded by tall, ornate walls and entered through richly decorated gates. It is the Empire’s largest and most extravagant city — but also its most divided.
- Uppper Alacitras – the elite part of the city, mainly inhabited by nobles, merchants, and ambitious social climbers who have clawed their way into wealth.
- Commoners' district – home to less wealthy merchants, craftsmen, and everyday workers.
- The Slums – a shadowed district beyond sight of the Imperial Court, home to the most impoverished who often turn to crime.
- Ennervae – The largest city on the Ichemond Peninsula, Ennervae is renowned for its indulgent luxuries and opulent markets. Wealthy travelers flock to it, but the city also carries a notorious political reputation. Several times throughout history, Ennervae attempted to declare independence from the capital. Each attempt was crushed, and as a result, Imperial guards patrol its streets constantly. The city’s mayor is always a loyalist of the monarchy, appointed by the Emperor himself.
- Imperial Ground Forces — The main infantry and artillery corps; highly disciplined, rifle-centric, and famed for precision maneuvers.
- Pyromantic Corps — Elite fire-benders used originally for firearm development and now for specialized in the ignition of artillery, controlled bombardments, and clearing fortifications. They are prestigious and very feared.
- Cavalry — Fast-moving mounted units used for border patrols, anti-raider sweeps, and shock warfare. Honor-heavy, somewhat aristocratic. Usually mounted upon traditional Vascavanian horse breeds.
- Engineering & Sapper Corps — Bridges, trenches, siege-breakers, railway construction, telegraph lines. Very respected due to high technical skill.
- Imperial Navy — Dominant in the western seas; crews include pyromancers for ship artillery and engineers for steam-propelled vessels.
- Recruit (RCT) — Every boy begins service at fifteen. Basic training, no privileges.
- Footman (FTM) — Standard trained soldier; backbone of the infantry.
- Lance corporal (LCPL) — Senior enlisted soldier with battlefield experience; often leads small fireteams.
- Corporal (CPL) — Low-ranking commander supervising squads of 10–12 men.
- Sergeant (SGT) — Respected non-commissioned officer in charge of platoons. Holds immense social authority.
- Master Sergeant (MSGT) — Elite veteran with decades of service; oversees training and discipline.
- Cadet-Lieutenant (C/LT) — Fresh graduates, often from the Officer Academy in Alacitras. Command small platoons.
- Lieutenant (LT) — Experienced officer. Commands 30–40 soldiers.
- Captain (CAPT) — Commands a company (100–150 men).
- Major (MAJ) — Intermediate battlefield commander; coordinates multiple companies.
- Colonel (COL) — Command regiments (1,000–2,000 soldiers). Usually noble-born or exceptionally talented.
- Brigadier General (BG) — Commands brigades and oversees border regions. Usually in charge during raids from Iepla or Grimma.
- Field Marshal (FM) — Commands entire armies; only a few exist at any given time. Strategic masterminds.
- Magister militum ("master of soldiers") — Ceremonial; a symbolic title held by the reigning monarch, signifying supreme command.
- The Supreme Pontiff (pontifes maximus)
- The ceremonial head of the Church, a well-educated, well-respected scholar always appointed by the Emperor/Empress. Oversees major rites in the capital, such as coronations, imperial marriages, and festivals of Sun and Moon. Politically weak but symbolically powerful.
- The Ecclesiastical Council (synod)
- A body of senior clerics who actually run the institution. It consists of archpriests from each of the three provinces, with the Pontifex acting as the primus inter pares among them. The Council manages doctrine, temple funding, and festival calendars. It also ensures none of the provinces’ local cults become “too independent”, and mediates disputes between said cults and regional religions.
- Archpriests
- High-ranking priests who watch over the dioceses in Phisna & Phasna, Ichemond and Chamore. They are simultaneously members of the Council. Their tasks are to ensure temples pay their dues to the capital, and to keep an eye on local cults.
- Folk traditions (Chamore, rural areas)
- Viewed as harmless and colorful; incorporated into festivals.
- Local hero cults (Ichemond peninsula)
- Sometimes a political pain; monitored for potential separatist messaging.
- Ancestor worship & Star cults (Northern provinces)
- Considered “respectable” and often merged with state dogma.
Society & Culture
Vascavanians are famously loud, warm, and sociable, known across the Continent for their friendliness and open-minded nature. Their society prizes openness and curiosity; citizens are encouraged to speak their minds freely, provided they remain respectful — and do not openly oppose the reigning monarch. This blend of honesty and political caution is a hallmark of Vascavanian culture.
Their curiosity often extends to their neighbors, not merely out of goodwill but from a practical desire to learn, adapt, absorb, and ultimately surpass. Vascavanians consider knowledge a resource to be mastered and strategically used.
Although a formal church exists within the Empire, the Vascavanian nation has never been particularly devout. They place their faith in what can be observed, measured, or proven. As a result, religious doctrine holds little sway over everyday life.
This pragmatic worldview contributes to Vascavania’s reputation as one of the most socially liberal lands on the Continent. Behaviors and identities considered taboo elsewhere — such as homosexuality or polyamory — are widely accepted here. Judgment is reserved not for moral “sin,” but for dishonesty, cowardice, and disloyalty to the Empire.
Vascavania’s vast territory contains many ethnic groups, each with distinct traditions and aesthetics. As such, there is no strict dress code. Clothing styles vary significantly from region to region.
In the western cities, fashion resembles the mid-19th century of our world — tailored waistcoats, high collars, layered dresses, and ornate accessories. In contrast, the Chamorean east favors loose, practical garments suited to nomadic life. Coastal towns incorporate sea-folk craftsmanship, embroidery, and imported dyes. This diversity is not merely tolerated but celebrated as a sign of the Empire’s breadth and strength.
Militaristic influence
Vascavania holds soldiers in extraordinarily high esteem — often higher than the nobles themselves. Martial skill, tactical knowledge, and battlefield valor form the core of Vascavanian cultural identity. The Empire’s political stability rests on the strength and discipline of its Imperial Army, which remains the monarch’s foremost priority.
There are no public schools in the Empire. Instead, every male citizen must enlist in the army at the age of fifteen, where they undergo rigorous training. The military serves not only as a fighting force but as an educational institution teaching literacy, discipline, state ideology, and combat fundamentals. The military thus functions as both the backbone of society and the primary route through which commoners can ascend socially.
Women in society
Girls and women are traditionally expected to be caretakers and homemakers, though the Empire does not deny them opportunities. Women may recieve private tutoring if their families can afford it, enter trades or crafts, run businesses, inherit wealth or estates, and even become scholars, healers or artists. This independence has produced generations of strong-willed, outspoken, and ambitious Vascavanian women. Many have risen to prominence in trading, medicine, arts, and local governance — though the military remains almost entirely male.
Technology & Economy
Vascavania stands as the most technologically advanced nation on the Continent. Its development roughly mirrors the late 19th century of our world, featuring widespread mechanical engineering, advanced metallurgy, and sophisticated logistics and infrastructure. Their progress was spurred not only by innovation but by necessity — especially in warfare.
The Empire earned lasting fame for developing the first firearms ever seen on the Continent. This technological revolution began in the south of the Mainland, where Vascavanian pyromancers experimented with controlling and igniting compressed fire-essence within metal tubes. Their prototypes evolved into the Empire’s earliest rifles.
Niamedia, possessing far fewer pyromancers, responded through relentless alchemical research. Wanting a countermeasure, their alchemists eventually discovered gunpowder, allowing even ordinary soldiers to wield rifles.
Vascavania’s economy is bolstered by its immense agriculture, particularly on the southern steppes, which produce most of the Continent’s grain. These fertile regions are the Empire’s granary and an important point of stability for the entire nation.
The central mountain range, rich in ores and minerals, has also been heavily exploited. Vascavanian mining operations are extensive and efficient, providing the raw materials needed for weapon-manufacturing, shipbuilding, and industrial experimentation.
Military
The Imperial Army is the spine of Vascavania — both the educational system for young men and the primary source of national identity. The Army is famed for its discipline, elemental specialization, and brutal efficiency.
Branches of the Imperial Army
Enlisted ranks
Officer ranks
High command
Religion & Church organization
The ancient Vascavanian faith centered on two divine brothers — the Sun and the Moon. According to early myth, the brothers were entrusted with overseeing the birth of life. Together, they stood in the heavens and watched the primordial Earth take shape beneath them.
In time, both gods grew enamored with Earth’s beauty and sought to win her affections. Earth, however, could not choose between them, for she loved them both equally. Rather than argue, the brothers came to an agreement; one would watch over the world while the other descended to be with their beloved, and switch their places afterwards. Earth welcomed this arrangement, and thus the three shared a divine, polyamorous bond — a fact to which many Vascavanians still point when justifying the cultural acceptance of harems and polyamorous unions.
From these unions came their children. Earth’s children with the Moon became the Stars, radiant and ethereal; her children with the Sun, on the other hand, became the first humans, known as the Old Ancestors.
Yet the Sun’s power proved overwhelming for his offspring. Unable to endure its full intensity, the Sun-born children became mortal, their lifespans frail compared to the celestial Stars. Only on rare occasions would a child be born strong enough to carry a larger share of the Sun’s divine essence — these were the first elemental-benders, individuals revered as living children of the gods.
Though the mythic tradition was once widespread, this religion today is predominantly practiced in the capital, Alacitras, and its surrounding regions. Beyond the central provinces, the Empire’s vastness gives rise to numerous local pantheons and ancestral cults. The Vascavanian Church, despite being relatively mild compared to its Niamedian counterpart, tends to regard these provincial faiths as backward and pagan, even if it does not openly condemn them.
As a result, the Empire possesses a rich, layered religious landscape; a dominant state religion upheld by the elite near the capital, and a tapestry of regional beliefs worshipped across the provinces — tolerated, yet subtly looked down upon, by the more “refined” clergy of the Church.
Vascavania’s state religion is centralized enough to support imperial unity, but relaxed and bureaucratic enough to reflect the Empire’s skepticism toward fanaticism. Its clergy are administrators and scholars — not moral enforcers. They oversee festivals, maintain temples, track calendars, and bless public events, but rarely interfere in private life.
WIPPY WIP!!
Vascavania officially recognizes all regional faiths within its borders — as long as they pay taxes, register priests, and show symbolic respect to the Sun. The Church never persecutes heresy — it simply bureaucratizes it.
The Church classifies local religions into three types:
