The Conoilithian Empire

INTRODUCTION
The Conoilithian Empire was a superstate which once ruled over much of the northern half of the main continent, Eithlith. It consisted of the Conoilithian homeland, with the conquered lands of the Arjent beyond the Heinrikanen mountains to the east, and the cold Gervlend to the north; it shares a border with Mittelrijk in the south. With its capital at the city of Ankorien Ān Riarond, the empire, its conquered territories and colonies were ruled by the Conoilithian Emperors ever since its founding in the year 2200, following the conquest of the Arjent, for 715 years, before its eventual downfall in 2915 with the Arjentrian Uprising. The official language of the Conoilithian Empire was Conoilithian. Throughout the vast majority of its history, the Conoilithian Empire was consistently one of, if not the most powerful factions on the continent, achieving this status with both diplomatic and commercial means, and through overwhelming military might.

The Conoilithian Empire's flag had a dark blue field, with a white or silver sword and crown in the centre. The sword and crown also served as the Kingdom of Conoilith's royal coat-of-arms before the foundation of the Empire. However, from 2870 onwards, a more simplified flag, consisting of a simple design split down the middle with one half dark blue and the other white, was adopted for civilian use.

TERRITORY AND GEOGRAPHY
The Conoilithian Empire was vast, stretching across the northern half of Eithlith from the cliffs and bays of its western coast, to the forests and beaches on its eastern shores. Throughout its expansion, Conoilith conquered the lands of the Gervlendese and Arjent, along with numerous other tribes, making the Empire's geography wide and diverse. The Conoilithian Empire was divided into territories, each one following the borders of the major races they had annexed (each territory was then further divided into provinces).

THE CONOILITHIAN EMPIRE AT ITS GREATEST EXTENT:


 * Conoilith (Conoilith did not count as a territory)


 * Territory of the Arjent
 * Territory of Karzon (independence in 2830)
 * Territory of Gervlend

The Empire was effectively split into east and west by the Heinrikanen mountains, a mountain range between the Conoilithian homeland and the Arjent. The Conoilithian homeland in the west has a temperate climate, consisting largely of grassy hills and meadows, with mainly deciduous forests; in its eastern regions near the Heinrikanen mountains and around its northern border, boreal forests are present in lieu of deciduous ones. There is a region known as the Central Plains between the grassy hills in the west and the foothills of the Heinrikanen mountains, which, as its name suggests, was a largely flat plain in the approximate centre of the Conoilithian Empire. This grassland is largely featureless, although water holes and small lakes are common. Along Conoilith's western coast, sandy beaches are almost completely absent, as the landscape there is dominated by cliffs, hills and rocky bays. A large river flows east to west throughout Conoilith, with 3 main tributary streams contributing to it as it empties out into the Western Sea.

The Heinrikanen mountain range marked the border between the Conoilithian homeland and the empire's conquered territory belonging to the Arjent. Their name, 'Heinrikanen', roughly translates to 'tall white mountains'; this name is in reference to the snow-capped peaks on top of the range. The Heinrikanen mountains are rich in natural resources such as coal, silver, iron and gold, and intensive mining activity has created artificial valleys dug out by Conoilithian mining communities over the years. The natural springs in the Heinrikanen mountains are also the location of 2 of the Great River's tributary streams.

East of the Heinrikanen mountains is the Arjent, a vast region similar in size to the Conoilithian homeland. Most of the land immediately east of the Heinrikanen is grassland, with a handful of forests.

PLACES OF NOTE
ANKORIEN ĀN RIAROND

The capital city of Conoilith, Ankorien Ān Riarond is one of, if not the, greatest cities on Eithlith. Originally the nexus of the city-state of Conoilith and the nascent Kingdom of Conoilith, Ankorien Ān Riarond served as the capital city of the Conoilithian Empire continuously for 715 years, from the empire's founding in 2200 to its fall in 2915. The citadel, an enormous fortified palace complex built on a cliff there, was the residence of the Emperor of Conoilith and the meeting place of the Conoilithian Imperial Diet. More information can be found here: (WIP)

AZERANEN

The second greatest settlement in Conoilith, Azeranen is another major coastal city. Although Ankorien Ān Riarond served as the empire's centre of government, Azernanen, with its position closer to the geographic centre of the Empire, along with its access to the Eastern Sea, was and still is Conoilith's centre of trade. Further away from the strict and tightly controlled rule of the Emperor and the Imperial Diet, and at one end of the lucrative trade flowing through the Eastern Sea, many exotic goods and services, and a colourful mix of cultures and peoples could be - and still are - found in Azeranen. Azeranen was also the location of the Imperial University of Alchemy. More information can be found here: (WIP)

EINANEN

Sprawling across the foothills of the Heinrikanen mountains, Einanen, an expansive mining city, was and still is the industrial heart of Conoilith. The city is characterised by its construction over man-made ravines, dug out over centuries of extensive mining in the foothills and mountains, rich in coal, iron, gold, silver and other metals. Einanen was the production site of many of the Conoilithian Empire's coins, treasure and war material. More information can be found here: (WIP)

KRALKUREN

Kralkuren was the capital of the Territory of the Arjent, and the seat of the Conoilithian prince who would govern it. It was a fortress-city, named for the red watchtowers along its walls.

SOCIETY
Although on paper and in theory the Conoilithian Empire's society was one where all people regardless of their ethnicity or gender could rise to a prosperous life, provided they performed well and followed the rules, in practice it was a stratified society bolstered with stigma, strict societal norms and even racism. The governing nobility played a large role in Conoilithian society; nobles and the upper class still exercised high levels of influence over the empire's subjects. However, despite all these flaws, it was still possible for those considered 'lowborn' to reach high places, and for those who were not discriminated against, living standards in Conoilith were constantly some of the best in Eithlith. The Conoilithian Empire viewed slavery with distate and had it abolished since its founding, along with the practices of feudalism and serfdom, which the Conoilithians viewed as immoral and dangerous. Nevertheless, it was once said by a Mittelrijkain satirist that the Conoilithians 'did not need to whip their people into obedience; the citizenry obeyed anyway, whip or not.'

Following is a list of the most prominent societal classes and groups within the Conoilithian Empire's society, from highest to lowest.

THE IMPERIAL FAMILY
The Imperial Family was at the very top of the Conoilithian Empire's society, holding the authority to exercise absolute and executive power over the empire. The title was possessed by 2 main bloodlines, both part of a larger family related through cousins; the Conradian Line (2200 - 2687) and the Conkinian Line (2687 - 2915). Although they legally have the power to wield total authority, more often than not this is limited by the Imperial Diet and their ministers.

THE IMPERIAL DIET
Once called the Imperial Court in the Empire's earlier days, the Imperial Diet was a general assembly of nobles, governors and other officials representing the Conoilithian Empire's provinces, noble houses and major guilds, serving as an advisory body to keep the Imperial Family's power in check. It was chaired by the Imperial Chancellor, who also acted as the Emperor/Empress's deputy and assistant. Although there were clear factions within the Imperial Diet, there were no official political parties, as the representatives of the Imperial Diet, in theory, owed their loyalty only to the Empire and the province or noble house they represented.

The Princes

Despite their name, the Princes were not necessarily related to the Imperial Family; they were local rulers appointed by the Conoilithians to govern their territories. Enjoying semi-monarchical status over their respective territory, often they would be little more than puppets of the Conoilithians. They would not often be directly involved in ruling the territories.

Governors

The governors were government official promoted to their position by the Imperial Family and the Imperial Diet, serving as administrative heads of the Conoilithian Empire's provinces. They effectively wielded absolute authority within the limits of their province, although these powers were carefully kept in check by laws, regulations and bureaucratic paperwork which had to be adhered to first; certain things couldn't be done by the governor without approval from the Imperial Family or Imperial Diet. Governors could also command military units within their province, although for certain units they had to receive signed approval first. Governors who proved themselves as incompetent and incapable of managing a province to a satisfactory standard were stripped of their position and authority; and throughout the Conradian Line's reign, many were punished for severe failure.

Nobility

The nobles were those given honourary titles and descending from the older noble houses. In the past, they ruled fiefdoms and some even ruled provinces, but during the last few centuries of the Conoilithian Empire's history, they were relegated largely to ceremonial positions rather than administrative ones. Nevertheless, many noble houses still held great prestige and influence over Conoilithian society, and many also pursued military careers, serving as high-ranking officers within the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy. It was not uncommon for the governorship of a province to be held by a noble, who would then do their best to have their family members become governor after them. Often they lived in manors and mansions, with some even residing in castles or palaces.

The Guilds

The Guilds were a variety of independent, private companies who conglomerate. Unlike the nobles and governors, who govern and hold high social esteem, the Guilds merely did business, and several major ones represented the Conoilithian Empire's commercial world within the Imperial Diet.

PROVINCIAL GOVERNMENTS
Provincial governments were headed by governors, and nobles also held great influence over them. Alongside the governor and the nobles, within each province there was a provincial council.

Provincial Council and Mayors

The Provincial Council was a council of mayors, chaired and led by the governor. Managing the administration of a province, it was made up of every mayor in a province.

The mayor was the administrative head of a city or township, elected from the members of the town or city council by its citizens.

COMMONERS
Town/City Council Members

The council members were (and still are) commoners chosen by their communities to represent them in the town or city council. They were almost always elected positions, despite there being no official rule or law determining how town or city council members were chosen.

Citizens

Citizens made up the largest portion of the Conoilithian Empire's population, accounting for over 90% of the total population. People (although it should be noted this refers to humans) were considered eligible for citizenship from the moment they were born on the Conoilithian Empire's territory, provided they belonged to an ethnicity ruled by the empire. They would be granted their citizenship officially when they reached adulthood (after 18 years of age). Ethnic Conoilithians born outside of the Conoilithian Empire were also automatically considered to be eligible for citizenship, but the same did not apply for other races in the Empire. Citizens had voting rights, and made up the average working class of the Conoilithian Empire. Those joining the Imperial Army and Imperial Navy had to be citizens as well in order to apply. Citizens were, legally speaking, under the protection of the Conoilithian Empire, and had the Imperial Family's blessing, as their subjects. As a result of this, although this only occured in the later centuries of the empire's history, due to comparatively slow communication and infrastructure before then, citizens who were murdered or harmed with malicious intent by another nation or faction could expect their families to be given compensation and justice, and their plight would be heard by the Conoilithian government (provided news reached the empire).

It should be noted that at no stage within their history did the Conoilithian Empire practice slavery, or have any 'ranks' in the social hierarchy lower than that of a citizen. However, elves were barred from citizenship.

ETHNICITIES
The Conoilithian Empire was a diverse and multi-ethnic entity, with 3 main nationalities: the Conoilithians, the Gervlendese and Kraloi. The latter referred to both the Arjentrians and the closely related Kruskayans, who were considered as part of the same category by the Conoilithian administration (much to the chagrin of the proud Arjentrians).

The Conoilithian Empire also had a sizeable population of diaspora from other lands, notably Mittelrijkians. Elves also lived in the Conoilithian Empire, although they were a very small minority, and were often subject to persecution and ostracisation.

GOVERNMENT
The Conoilithian Empire was de jure an absolute monarchy; absolute power was entrusted to the Imperial House. However, most of the time their powers were kept reined in by the Imperial Diet, whose members, made up of ministers, governors, officials and representatives, were given almost all of the actual job of governing the Conoilithian Empire; those represented by members of the Diet were the same as those who manage the Imperial bureaucracy and government. Nevertheless, the Imperial Diet was chaired by the Imperial Chancellor, who could veto decisions made by the Imperial Diet, provided they were given permission by the Emperor or Empress.

Interestingly (considering its contemporaries), women were not legally barred from positions in the government/Imperial Diet. Regardless of this, there were still very few females in office, as gender roles played an extraordinarily powerful part in Conoilithian society.

ECONOMY AND INFRASTRUCTURE
The Conoilithian Empire maintains perhaps the largest economy in Burithién, with a massive population producing and holding countless goods and assets. Although not as densely populated and urbanised as its southern neighbour Mittelrijk (due to its size), Conoilith still has the largest number of factories, mines and other heavy industry facilities in the entire world. The Conoilithian Empire also gains a lot of its wealth from the highly lucrative trade across the Eastern Sea, as it was the first on Eithlith to secure a monopoly on trade with the eastern continent of Unlith, and it keeps that monopoly via the Imperial Navy.

However, although it initially was at the forefront of technological development in Eithlith, Conoilith by 2913 was second to Mittelrijk in terms of efficient infrastructure and communications. Railways, although they spanned across the length of the Conoilithian Empire, were comparatively old, and there were less railway lines overall, with a few large lines for transport from one end of the Empire to the other, and lines branching off only to major industrial cities and towns, ignoring many less significant settlements, given the size of the Empire. The rest of travel in the Conoilithian Empire was done by dirt roads centuries old, or steamboats along its rivers. The telegram network was also primitive and stretched thin.

EDUCATION SYSTEM
The Conoilithian Empire operated a universal education system ever since 2895, with all children required to attend at least 6 years of school. These 6 years, being compulsory, came at little cost in public schools; but for secondary education, generally only middle to upper class families were able to afford sending their children to school. Conoilithian students were taught basic skills such as reading, writing and arithmetic, along with other things such as manners and general world knowledge, with a special emphasis on imperial Conoilithian history. Many of the books children read were traditional Conoilithian fairy tales, which eventually evolved into epics set in Conoilithian history and mythology. Adventure stories were also popular among children, as the Conoilithian Empire expanded its interests and sent explorers and military missions across Burithién. By the time of the Conoilithian-Mittelrijkian War, the Conoilithian Empire had the second highest literacy rate in the world.

However, the public education scheme applied only to the Conoilithian heartland. Such provisions were not given to the territories of Gervlend and the Arjent. Whether this was because of a genuine lack of necessary funds and resources, or a Conoilithian-centric agenda, remains a point of contention.

FOUNDING AND EXPANSION
The Empire of Conoilith was founded in 2200, following the conquest of the lands of the Arjent by King Conrad the First of the Kingdom of Conoilith during the Eastern Expansion. During a long and gruelling but successful campaign, Conrad I led his armies from Einanen across the Heinrikanen mountains and into the eastern side of Eithlith, destroying the warriors of the Arjentrian tribes in battle after battle. In time, the self-proclaimed Prince Nelus, war-leader of the Arjentrians, surrendered to Conrad's forces when his last stronghold was besieged. Conrad I proclaimed the formation of the Conoilithian Empire in the fortified town of Miriga, the seat of the Arjentrian ruling clan, as the defeated prince handed him his sword to mark his official surrender. With this act and the annexation of the Arjent, King Conrad I was now Emperor Conrad I, and ths Conoilithian Royal Army was renamed the Imperial Conoilithian Army.

Conrad I ensured a strong and stable start to the Conoilithian Empire's history; throughout his reign and the reign of his son, roads, aqueducts and ports were built connecting the cities of Conoilith, and for the first time the laws of the realm were officially codified in text. Wealth and raw materials extracted from the mines of Einanen and other mining towns in the Heinrikanen mountains made the Empire grow rich quickly, and also provided the necessary resources for a powerful army with professional training and standardised high-quality equipment. Conrad I, despite his militaristic nature, also proved to be a kind ruler; the Arjentrians were spared the fate of slavery - as a matter of fact, during his reign Conrad abolished slavery - and were allowed to form their own military units, as Conrad recognised their skill as hunters. Nevertheless, the Arjentrians were and would from then on be treated as second-class citizens, and were not allowed to govern themselves; their territories would be ruled by Conoilithian governors.

Following his passing, Conrad I's son, Ulfriān, ascended to the throne in 2252 as the second emperor of the Conoilithian Empire. He was known to be an artisan, and his reign was characterised by peace and development, as Conoilithian traders began frequently selling their goods and making voyages to Mittelrijk and city-states in the south. Ulfriān began work on many architectural projects as well, such as the construction of the Citadel and its palace complex in the capital at Ankorien Ān Riarond.

However, Ulfriān's reign would not last long enough to see the completion of all these projects. At the age of 76 Ulfriān retired, and his son Conrad II ascended to the throne in 2328. In the first years of his reign, Conrad immediately began a massive expansion and strengthening of the Imperial Conoilithian Army, increasing the size of his force to over 200,000 men; a enormous quantity for the time. Conrad II also founded the Imperial Conoilithian Navy, constructing a mighty fleet of warships to protect Conoilithian merchant convoys from pirate fleets at sea. Conrad II soon became aware that a large number of the pirate raiders came from Gervlend in the north, and prepared the Imperial Conoilithian Army for what he called 'a punitive expedition against the northern barbarians.'

In 2336, Conrad II began his conquest of Gervlend, marching the Imperial Army northwards across the border. As they did with the Arjentrians, the Conoilithian forces proved devestating in battles, defeating the Gervlendese in the field numerous times and capturing many of their southern settlements rapidly. However, with the coming of winter, the Conoilithians were forced to halt their advance. The situation quickly grew dangerous for Conrad, as Gervlendese warriors began raiding Conoilithian supply lines, and more and more of his men succumbed to the cold. However, the vast majority of the Conoilithian force survived the winter, and when spring came, they began their advance northwards once more. As Conoilithian soldiers clashed with Gervlendese warriors in the tundra, Conoilithian warships also destroyed Gervlendese pirate fleets in the North Sea, raiding and capturing coastal settlements. The Gervlendese surrendered on the 2nd day of the year 2338, becoming another occupied territory of the Conoilithian Empire.

WAR WITH VIRGANDIA
Although it was wealthy and had conquered much territory, and had asserted dominance over Mittelrijk, turning it into a tributary, in 2338, the Conoilithian Empire was not yet the greatest Empire on Eithlith; that title belonged to the Virgandian Empire on the southern end of the continent. Although the Virgandian and Conoilithian Empires were similar in size, Virgandia was far more powerful and wealthy; possessing an enormous merchant fleet, they profited greatly off trade with the Eastern Isles, and their influence was much greater than that of Conoilith, which was still relatively new compared to the centuries of Virgandian dominance. Additionally, the Virgandian Empire was known to make use of alchemy in order to further their wealth, and also deployed it in battle to defeat enemies. However, Virgandia had been stagnating for decades by now, and their defeat in 2124 at the hands of the Mittelrijkians, along with numerous other incidents, had proven that although formidable, the Virgandians were not invincible.

In 2345, Conoilithian spies in Virgandia reported to Emperor Conrad II of Conoilith that Emperor Syrnias IV was planning a second conquest of Mittelrijk in order to reach Conoilith. At first, envoys were sent to Virgandia to try and stave off the invasion, but they were beheaded for violating Virgandian customs. Enraged, Conrad II declared war on the Virgandian Empire, and Conoilith and Mittelrijk mobilised their forces. However, due to the largely infantry based army of Conoilith, and the long distance to the border between Virgandia and Mittelrijk, by the time Conrad II's troops had finished mustering, much of southern Mittelrijk had already been occupied by the far more mobile Virgandian cavalry. The Conoilithian navy also suffered heavy losses at sea to the Virgandians, who used alchemical weapons to burn the Conoilithian ships.

When Conrad II's combined Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian army had finally amassed and marched southwards in 2347, the city of Sudham had already been under siege for a full week. The Conoilithian Imperial Army and the Mittelrijkian nobles successfully lifted the siege, and then faced Kurmaseon, the Legate in charge of the invasion of Mittelrijk, at the decisive Battle of Viédof. Legate Kurmaseon was killed in a duel by Conrad II in the ensuing fight, and promptly much of the Virgandian invasion army was routed or taken prisoner. At sea, the Conoilithian navy had also resorted to alchemical weapons, regaining control over the Eastern Sea. In the decisive Second Battle of the Eastern Sea, the Conoilithian fleet destroyed over 120 Virgandian warships, effectively crippling Syrnias IV's naval power. At the same time, the Conoilithian Imperial Army and their Mittelrijkian allies advanced southwards, regaining much of their lost territory. At the Battle of Weisstrom, a second army from Virgandia met Conrad's forces in open battle, with heavy losses on both sides; despite this, Conrad II emerged victorious in the end. The battered Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian forces had to rest and recover from their losses, however, before they could begin an invasion of Virgandia. For a couple months, the war stood still, as Conrad and Syrnias' forces waited to regain strength, with occasional raids and skirmishes occuring. By the time this pause had ended, Conoilithian alchemists had developed artillery pieces for Conrad's army, notably a series of cannons, which could fire boulders.

With their new artillery, and a reconsolidated force, Conrad II advanced southwards into Virgandia, facing little resistance. Eventually, in the year 2353, Conoilithian and Mittelrijkian troops besieged and captured Virga, the capital city of the Virgandian Empire. With the sacking of Virga and the exile of Emperor Syrnias IV and the rest of the Virgandian Imperial Court, the Conoilithian-Virgandian War had ended, along with the First Virgandian Empire's existence.