The Empire (Noble Dog)

The Empire Birodalom
Flag Coat of arms
Anthem: Himnusz
Capital and largest city	Kossuth
Official languages	Imperial Kutyákról
Ethnic groups	Veszpremic - 15.7% Jeno - 12.6% Erdos - 14.8% Redics - 15.1% Sio - 14.9% Salgo - 14.4% Hoditok - 12.5%
Demonym(s)	Imperial
Government	Dynastic Absolute Monarchy
• Emperor	Disputed, de jure Janox XIV
• Minister of Government	Artur II
Currency	Csengő

The Empire (Imperial Standard: Birodalom; Palatinate Wolf Language: Imperium) is a sovereign nation located on the continent of Middium and is bordered to the north by the Hare Republic. It has no other neighbors and includes the majority of the Tolna Mountain Range and a large swath of the Deli Desert. The Empire is the native homeland of the Dogs (Kutyák). The nation is controlled primarily by the Seven Races, the largest and most powerful Imperial Tribes within the country. It is the largest country in Middium, and is considered to be a regional power. It is also entirely landlocked, with its only bordering ocean entry stemming from the Hare Republic.

The Empire has had several predecessor states, but the primary single unified predecessor state is considered to be the Second Wolf Palatinate before the Extinction of the Wolves. The Second Wolf Palatinate was weakened by internal conflicts and a variety of political schemes. The Second Wolf Palatinate was destroyed and the Extinction of the Wolves began when the Palatinate was split in the Palatinate Civil War over the successor of the last Palatine, Arpad IV. Eventually, the Wolf Empire was beset by the rise of the Ahrah'koons, a confederation of hostile bandits that would eventually lead to widespread famine and lawlessness. This eventually led to the extinction of the wolves and the rise of the dogs. Much of the groundwork that was set by the Second Wolf Palatinate and the workings of various Palatinate philosophers and statesmen eventually translated into the current government of the Empire.

The Empire is a consitutional monarchy in theory but acts more as a federal monarchy with each of the Seven Races having a respective leader that is of noble heritage. The title of Emperor is given to an elected house that is a member of the Imperial Diet. The current Emperor is officially Janos IX, but is disputed between him and his siblings Miklos III of Esterhazy and Katalin III of Esterhazy. The Empire is also theocratic, as it considers its religious arm, the Court of Omens, to be a fourth branch of the government.

The Empire in its present form takes many different influences, from the Wolves and Ahrah'koons as well as individual tribal culturals. The language that the Empire speaks, Imperial Standard, is believed to be a dialect descended from the Ahrah'koons. The Empire has had a rich development of language, religion, arts, literature and philosophy. Alongside this, much of the Empire is rich in mineral desposits, especially with the presence of various spices and herbs.

History

First Wolf Palatinate

Main article: First Wolf Palatinate

The First Wolf Palatinate was founded around the settlement of

Millenary Kings Era

The Millenary Kings Era refers to three thousand years of the Empire where only three kings ruled, named after words of the day. The Auroran King, the Meridian King, and the Vesperian King were the three kings that are considered to be important legendary kings throughout history.

Palatinate Civil Wars

In the aftermath of the Millenary King's Era with the death of the Vesperian King, the Palatinate fell into a state of political chaos precipitated by

Fall of the First Wolf Palatinate

Main article: Fall of the First Palatinate

The Fall of the First Wolf Palatinate was the breakup of the central political control and subsequent disintegration of the First Wolf Palatinate that resulted in the end of the sovereign state. The Fall of the Palatinate is considered to have been driven by regionalism that divided certain ethno-linguistic groups of the wolves to attempt secession from the country. The fall has been precipitated by the numerous amounts of civil wars previously that had weakened the Palatinate.

Unification Era

The Unification of the Empire was brought about during the Third Hegyhat War as a result of collaboration by the Jeno Federation, the Northern Coalition and the State of Esztergom. The Empire first came about during the signing of the Peace of Nograd, a treaty signed by István of the Jeno, Magdolna of the North, and Béla of Esztergom. The Peace of Nograd created the unified Eastern Kingdom.

Geography

The Empire consists of five major geographical regions: The Tolna Mountain Range, the Western Pinelands, the Deli Desert, the Central Highlands, and the Esztergom Plains. These geographical regions align with the Imperial Vidékek. The Tolna Mountain Range is a natural border with the Hare Republic in the north. As a result of these diverse geographical regions, the Empire has a very diverse ecosystem to it.

The majority of the mountainous areas within the Empire are found between the regions of the Imperial North and the Imperial Central. The Tolna Mountain Range expands the entirity of the Imperial North, and extends out to the Imperial West and Imperial East. The Central Mountains are considered to be the heartland of the Empire and is well developed to be traversable. The Central Mountains are much smaller in height than the Tolna Mountains. The only other mountainous region is found within the Imperial South in the Kallo Valley.

Tolna Mountain Range

Main article: Tolna Mountain Range

Government

Administrative Divisions

The Empire is a federation that is comprised of five different Imperial Vidékek, or Imperial Regions. These regions are then subdivided into twenty three Imperial Megyek. The five Imperial Videkek are grouped as: Imperial West, Imperial North, Imperial East, Imperial Central, and Imperial South. Imperial Videkek have a central form of unified government that is put in power through elections, however Imperial Megyek tend to have no government. Imperial Megyek are divided into Imperial Kerületek which are typically administered by a member of a noble family.

Religion

The Empire's official religion is primarily focused on the history of the Great Wolf and the Seven Apostles. Alongside the apostles are the Nineteen Disciples. The Great Wolf was a thousand year ruler of the Ancient Wolves, a kingdom of wolves that predated the Wolf Dominion and chronologically existed after the formation of The Zodiac. These Seven Apostles are considered to have taken three pilgrimages throughout the Empire: the Pilgrimage of the Snout, the Pilgrimage of the Tail, and the Pilgrimage of the Sword. Each of these Pilgrimages created over one hundred relics, some of which are stored in the Reliquary of Kossuth. The Seven Apostles then dispersed to create their own cities away from each other. From these Seven Apostles came followers from the minor tribes that created the Nineteen Disciples.

The Empire considers the Great Wolf to be the only true god, and that while the Seven Apostles themselves are demi-gods, Imperial religious foundation proscribes that the tradition surrounding the Seven Apostles are that they are messengers of the Great Wolf and paragons of the Facets of Life.

The Imperial religious authority is bound to the state almost as a branch equivalent to the judiciary Court of Imperials and the legislative Court of Polgarsag. The religious authority is Jelek Bírósága (Court of Omens).