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| The people of the Empire | |
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| Tweet Topic Started: Oct 29 2012, 04:44 AM (107 Views) | |
| Valadia | Oct 29 2012, 04:44 AM Post #1 |
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Enduring and Eternal
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When one thinks of the Valadian Empire, one naturally thinks first of the Valadians themselves. Monolithic, immensely powerful and wealthy, dripping with culture and refinement, arrogant and cold; the Valadians are the natural embodiment of the Empire they have crafted. But they are not the only people in the Empire by any means, as much as they believe they are. The peoples that have joined them in their quest for Empire, or been conquered by it, are the hidden part of the fabric that the Empire is stitched from. The following is a brief description of those peoples. Thele - The Theleians hail from southwest Valadia, and were once a great coastal power. The Republic of Thele became Valadia's greatest rival after the Imperial Order overthrew a similar republican government in Vyviau. The conquest of Thele, after a series of wars between the two powers, marked the beginning of the Eternal Empire's rise to become a juggernaut. Once Thele fell, no other nation on Ceolaan was strong enough to resist Valadia's growing power. Today, Thele is a major shipping center and shipbuilding city. It is also the center of the fishing and whaling industry in the Empire. Thele is also a historic center of learning and of the creative arts. It is widely regarded as one of the most educated cities in the Empire, second only to Vyviau itself. Thele is a diverse mix of artists, traders, hardworking peasantry, and educators. Despite the major growth and development of their homeland over the years, Theleians still retain a rustic, sturdy image throughout the Empire, at least among "proper" Valadians. Theleians tend to be calm and restrained, preferring to follow rational and civilized paths rather than resorting to anger or violence. Some Theleians in the modern era have argued that this tendency is what caused Thele to ultimately fall to the Valadians, and have tried with only limited success to stoke the fires of rebellion in their people. --- Zavalli - The Zavalli are a collection of nomadic tribes centered around the parseliae of Zavalgaladai, to the northwest of Vyviau. Their ancient homeland was the second to fall to the Empire, but it did not fall easily; it took the better part of a century for the Empire to finally subdue the Zavalli. The conquest of Zavalgaladai was easily the bloodiest, and longest, for both sides in the Empire's history, and even today the region remains restive. A strong Imperial military presence, coupled with a longstanding policy of settling Valadians in Zavalgaladai to outnumber the native population, is all that has kept the region under Vyviau's control. Zavalgaladai is regarded by most Valadians as a wild and barbaric place, even after centuries of Valadian effort to "import civilization and superior culture" into it. The cities in the parseliae are mostly Valadian creations with the feel of barracks towns; they are shunned by the Zavalli for the most part. There are very few native Zavalli left, by most reports; the tribes were never numerous and Valadian policies have been strictly aimed at repressing them and imposing Imperial control. Not much is known about the Zavalli due to their limited numbers and their tendency to avoid outsiders in the wake of the Valadian conquest. What is known is that they are a warlike people, quick to anger, who rarely forget or forgive a wrong done to them. They never travel unarmed, by some reports even keeping weapons near to hand while bathing or sleeping. They remain a mostly nomadic people, occupying remote and unwanted areas and avoiding the encroaching Valadian presence. Approaching them has proven extremely difficult for anyone outside their society. It is believed they structure themselves around a series of clans, but if any one clan leader is recognized as a leader of the Zavalli as a whole, it is not known who that person is. The Zavalli do occasionally strike out at isolated Imperial outposts or towns, but the overwhelming response that Imperial soldiers usually dish out in return has made such attacks increasingly rare. --- Osvanona - Claiming a cold, windswept stretch of oceanside land as their home, the Osvanians are famous (or infamous, depending on your viewpoint) as the one group of people on Ceolaan that not only didn't resist Valadian expansion, but willingly joined and even embraced the Empire. As the Valadian Empire marched eastward, they found a likeminded people in the Osvanians. Osvanona, at that time, was a rapidly growing power in its own right. Its expansion, however, had been halted by the alliance between Haerwynelley and Wyndelenau. Finding their own ambitions stymied, the Osvanians decided to hitch themselves to what was clearly the rising power on the continent. When Valadian armies first arrived at Osvanona, they expected a fight; to their surprise, they were welcomed in without any bloodshed at all. Within weeks of their arrival, the Valadians had accepted an offer that the Osvanians extended to them voluntarily to become part of the Empire. Osvanona remains the one place in Ceolaan that the Valadians didn't have to fight to acquire. Osvanians are seen as a reliable and trustworthy people by most Valadians, and often hold privileged positions in the Empire. Most non-Valadians in the Empire do not view the Osvanians in such a favorable light; indeed, the Osvanians are regarded as spineless and opportunistic by most non-Valadians for shamelessly prostituting themselves to the service of the Empire. Osvanona is similar to Thele in that it is a major shipping center and shipbuilding power. It is also a major fishing and whaling center. Osvanona is also a highly educated city and home to many artists and creative individuals. The similarities between the Theleians and Osvanians end there, though. Unlike the Theleians, the Osvanians tend to be arrogant and averse to physical work; they prefer to hire other non-Valadians to do the dirty work for them. The Osvanians are unabashedly avaricious, and often come across to non-Valadians as quite obnoxious. Even Valadians often look down on the Osvanians for their less savory traits, viewing them as a useful people but not very cultured. --- Colgalla - Occupying a small island, the Colgallans were once a proud maritime power and trading center, with close ties to Thele. With a prime position to control trade and transit through the Eastern Sea, Colgalla quickly became a very wealthy nation. This wealth, and the irritant of having to pay for permission to pass through Colgallan waters, would make annexing Colgalla a top priority for the Empire. When the Eternal Empire set its eyes on Colgalla, like most people in Ceolaan, the Colgallans resisted. Their island was built to be a fortress, but had one fatal flaw: too little land to grow enough crops to sustain themselves long-term. Rather than try to storm the heavily fortified island, the Emperor of the time simply built a massive fleet, destroyed the Colgallan navy after a series of battles at sea, and blockaded Colgalla until it had no choice but to surrender or starve. Since their embarrassing defeat, however, the Colgallans have adapted to life in the Empire well. The Emperors in Vyviau allowed them to retain their trading and shipping power, as long as they paid the appropriate taxes to the Empire. The ruling families in Colgalla were given titles in the Empire, and land as well, as long as they continued to cooperate with the Empire. Those that didn't cooperate were quickly disposed of. Of the remaining families, the Ismay clan, which had stood at the pinnacle of Colgalla's line of merchant princes, were given the honor of ruling Colgalla on behalf of the Emperor. The Ismay clan remains today as the most powerful on Colgalla, and one of the most powerful in the Empire. Colgallans are considered to be very shrewd traders, the wheelers and dealers of the Empire. They occupy many of the highest positions in business and commerce, both on their island and on the mainland. They also are known to have the ear of the Emperor and many of the top Imperial Order nobles. Colgallans have a highly developed sense of honor, and consider contracts and deals to be sacred. Not coincidentally, they also make up the majority of the lawyers in the Empire. --- more to come Edited by Valadia, Oct 29 2012, 04:46 AM.
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8:51 AM Jul 11