Geography

The geography of the Empire is unknown to most scholars apart from the northern coastline which was once part of the Archon Empire. This area consists of a fertile strip of coastal farmland, progressing to scrub land then leading to a range of high mountains running east west known as the Makali Mountains. Behind this is The Great Desert, a vast area of sand, dotted with secret oasis known only to the Malia, a group of nomadic tribesmen who people this region, they are fierce warriors and tough traders who originally came out of the east and settled this fertile strip of land. They were eventually conquered by the Archon Empire and then later by the Karanid Empire.

Very little is known of the land beyond the desert except that the heart of the Empire lies beyond. The Great River is the main trade route into the heart of the Empire, a wide and slow flowing river that begins at some unknown source and runs north to the sea.

People

There are two types of people in the Karanid Empire: The Purebloods, those who founded the Empire and are descended from them, and those who are not. The Purebloods form the priestly caste and are the leaders, nobility and rulers of the Empire. They are a sacrosanct people; to touch one or cross one is to die. However, they are a relatively few compared to the huge population of the Empire and they maintain their power through a mixture of clever politics and the power of the Imperial Legions.

The rest of the Empire is made up of a wide range of people from a variety of different tribes. To list them all would take too long, save to say that what a man can dream of can be found within the Empire. These people make up the majority of the population, filling all of the expected roles in society: traders, miners, farmers, mercenaries and soldiers.

Culture

The culture of the Empire revolves around the worship of the Gods, it is a centrally run theocracy where the ruler is the Emperor. He is the spiritual head of the Empire, known as the Voice of Heaven. Although he is rarely seen in public, he is the heart and soul of the nation and is worshipped by many as an avatar of the Gods. While the Emperor is the spiritual head of the Empire, he has no involvement in the running of the state, his time is considered to be too important to waste on temporal matters when he is busy communing with the Gods.

All matters of policy are directed through the Grand Nomarch, the day to day ruler of the Empire and High Priest of all the temples. Along with a high council he carries out the business of state in the Emperor’s name. To rule such a vast area, the Empire is divided into Nomes, each run by a Nomarch (High Priest). These priests have all the secular and religious power, they also command the Empire’s armies. Every priest is a member of the nobility, a Pureblood, and must be a noble to be a priest. In this way, the Purebloods keep a tight rein on power and control those who can exercise it.

The day to day lives of the Imperial subjects are little different to those in Suevia; they try to get by while others rule over them.

The Empire is in a state of cold war with Suevia and is constantly raided by the desert nomads from the east. In addition, rebellion is a constant problem and one that the Empire spends a lot of time and effort responding to.

Religion

The Karanids worship a pantheon of Gods each of which has a different portfolio that governs the daily lives of the citizens. Most people worship the Gods in their homes at their personal shrines, however most small villages have a temple that host a shrine to the Gods. In larger towns and cities there are individual temples to each God serviced by priests dedicated to that job.

Amun – The King of the Gods and father to all other Gods.

Matan – Wife of Amun and mother to the Gods.

Horus – God of war, men and hunting

Set – God of murder and war

Isis – Goddess of women and fertility

Amak – Goddess of the home and farming

Anubis – God of death and the underworld

Military

The Empire maintains a strong professional military based around well trained infantry and archers supported by a mix of heavy and light cavalry. There are two types of soldier within the Imperial Army; the main body of troops are made up from auxiliary units recruited from all regions of the Empire although by Imperial decree they are not able to serve in their home regions to prevent rebellions. These auxiliaries are trained in all the disciplines of war and are a very professional force even if they do have several regional traditions that may seem strange to the outside observer.

The elite of the army are the Immortals. They are recruited as children from the millions of slave families within the Empire and trained and indoctrinated over ten years. They are taken from their family at birth, when their training and education begins. At the age of five they are bonded with a puppy which they must feed and nurture until their fifteenth birthday when they are ordered to strangle their dog. If they refuse, they are killed, if they do kill their dog they are promoted to an Immortal and join their unit with their year group. At the age of eighteen they are castrated to establish their loyalty and obedience.

They are equipped to a much higher standard than the rest of the army and are trained to fight as mounted infantry. Each man operates in an eight-man team that sleeps in the same tent and fights as one unit. They ride towards battle and can then either dismount and advance on foot or attack as cavalry. This versatility allows them to react quickly to incidents and take on a variety of foes and defeat them easily. The Immortals are organised into multiples of 5 infantry and 3 archers. The smallest unit is the section that is made up of 5 infantry and 3 archers. The next size up is the century of 50 infantry and 30 archers, next is the cohort who operate as 500 infantry and 300 archers, largest are the Legions of 5000 infantry and 3000 archers.

Because of their training, they are unquestionably loyal to their commanders and will carry out whatever order they are given. If they are told to sack a town, they will kill every man, woman and child and not even blink. This makes them feared throughout the Empire and beyond.

When the Empire goes to war, it normally does so using only the troops in that region led by a noble, either a general or a high priest. All nobles ride to war in chariots surrounded by a heavily armed bodyguard. If it is a major offensive, the army may be joined by a contingent of Immortals or in very rare occasions a full Legion of 8,000 soldiers.

The Karanid Empire has a large fleet of dhows were originally designed for use on The Great River but are regularly deployed on The Tethys Sea. Because of this they are often outclassed by the Suevian Galleys, so they make up for quality with quantity and try to swamp any enemy with multiple ships.

Notable Cities

Skirat is a large trading city on the coast of The Great Ocean. It is the terminus of The Great Coast Road and the main stopping off point for trade fleets from the Empire which also makes it a tempting target for pirates and ambitious Suevian lords. It is well defended by a large squadron of naval ships and a significant garrison. It was fought over many times during the Border Wars and changed hands several times. Today it is a vibrant place filled with all sorts of people from across the Empire.

Benghali is a fortress city, built by the Archons as a naval station and maintained as such by the Karanids who later captured the city. It is surrounded by huge walls and numerous defences that make it the anchor of Karanid power on the Tethys Sea. It has never been conquered since the Karanids took the city and it remains the largest concentration of military strength outside of the central empire.

Skandaria is probably the oldest and greatest city north of The Great Desert. It was originally founded by the indigenous Malian people thousands of years before the rise of the Archons, and developed into the heart of a great empire of antiquity. It became the global hub of literacy, art and science before it was conquered by the expanding Archon Empire. Under them it expanded and thrived until it far outstripped Archonopolis in power and wealth. When the Empire collapsed, the city became an independent city state until it was conquered by the Karanids. Today its still a beautiful city, festooned with art, sculpture and amazing buildings. The University and Great Library are the greatest in the world and there are many budding scholars the world over who would love to attend these prestigious locations. Its history, location and culture make Skandaria a melting pot of cultures and a nest of intrigue. The city sits in the delta of the Great River and is spread over many islands crossed by hundreds of bridges. The city relies on its walls and the river itself to see off any attacker and while this has not always worked, the city is seen as such a prestige holding that the Karanids maintain a huge garrison and fleet to prevent it being captured. During the Border Wars the city was threatened and besieged by the Suevians but never captured.

Factions

The Sons of Horus – a group of nobles who believe that the Empire can only be advanced through war and actively petition and scheme to start wars that will allow the Empire to expand. They are a faction within the Imperial Court and are believed to be responsible for many of the military expeditions that the Empire has carried out in the past 100 years.

The Liberators – an emancipation and equality movement dedicated to freedom from the Pureblood monopoly of power and equality for all. Not very successful and most people in the Empire think they are mad. Even slaves do not want to be emancipated as they have a good life in the Empire.