The
Imperial States
June 2022 | by Dani
Worldbuilding | Ittoril
"42 years ago, the great Leonid Empire, last nation on Ittoril, collapsed, and since then, the many provinces which once made it up have never had good relations. They fought each other in what is considered the latter half of the Turf Wars. The fighting was bitter and ruinous, lasting 33 years, however, in 227 LE, they agreed to a treaty, and for the past 9 years we have been living in relative peace. This treaty, the Treaty of Leona, also solidified those fractured provinces into sovereign nations; they are the Imperial States, and there are seven of them; seven last strongholds of civilization in the otherwise ruined world.
The Junta
The rocky wasteland in which the Junta resides is incredibly hostile. Not only is it so sucked of moisture and sunburnt that one can barely stand, but it is also home to the Rolling Storm. Twice yearly, a seasonal sandstorm passes across the desert, and brings with it not just huge vortexes of dust and sand, but also swarms of strange creatures — "ramilqeeda" they are called — scavengers that prey on the unlucky souls whom the storm didn't quite finish off.
As a nation, the Junta is ruled by a military dictatorship, which seized power as the Junta rebelled against the empire — but the Junta was highly militaristic even when it was part of the empire, and it was often the centre of its military development. Its invention of the steam engine allowed it to power all kinds of war machinery, from the powerful Steamcannons to the terrifying Ironsides — but what Junta engineers deem their masterpieces are the Warforged; steam-powered soldiers made of metal and wheels, who still wander the desert to this day.
The Reseggian Confederacy
During the battles of the Turf Wars, several of the kingdoms in the south formed an alliance which, at the end of the Turf Wars, was solidified into the Reseggian Confederacy (although it is more commonly known as "Reseggia" or "the Five Kingdoms").
In the centre-west is Milfordshire, a poor kingdom ruled by the venerable Queen Elizabeth Gilbridge. She is rather disliked by her people; Milfordshire is rather poor, not due to a lack of resources, but to the exorbitant consumption and vanity of the royal family. Elizabeth claims she has a "divine right" to her rulership and luxuries; she is one of the few rulers in Reseggia who still believes in Consulate Orthodoxy.
In the north-east is Lernaea, a grimy kingdom ruled by House Lernaean. The Lernaean Family are incredibly secretive, so much so that nobody in Lernaea, besides the palace staff, know the faces of any of them besides King Leon; Leon and Queen Arianna are the only ones ever seen in public, and Arianna is always wearing an opaque, black veil. The family rules in a similarly secretive fashion; people of Lernaea aren't told anything — they never know what the Lernaeans are doing behind their backs.
In the north-west is Hornland, a jungled kingdom ruled by Commander Dahlia of House Hearn. Dahlia is a highly militant leader, and is one of the best military tacticians in Ittoril. She is also disliked by her people, in part because she lacks skill in every part of rulership other than war, and in part because she is a tiefling.
In the south-east is Weyland. Unlike the other kingdoms, Weyland has a majority dwarven population; it is home to the beach dwarves on the south coast and to the hill dwarves further north in the Weyland Hills. It is ruled by Omarkis Jeilsen, a beach dwarf who would rather be clawed by crabs than do anything involving the governing of his own kingdom (so long as the crabs clawed him on a sunny day). He insists on being called "Mark".
Finally, there is Rellica in the south-west, which could be said to be the best place to live in Reseggia (though that is not a high bar to clear). Its ruler is Veronica Reed, who is often given the title "the Songsmith". She is seen as a more down-to-earth ruler than others, for she is a master orator — able to inspire her people to great things. More cynical people would prefer to call her a master propagandist.
The kingdoms of Reseggia still act largely autonomously, each ruled by their own noble houses, but the heads of those five houses (along with other, influential "trade houses") do form the Council of Reseggia, which presides over matters which span the whole confederacy.
The Toreigne
The name "Toreigne" has two disputed etymologies: it's widely agreed upon that "-eigne" is a Torenne suffix which means "lands", but the disagreement is on the origin of the "tor-" part. The more common outsider belief is that it comes from Allegio Tora, the self-acclaimed king of the Toreigne, which leaves "Toreigne" to be translated as "Tora's lands". However, people within the Toreigne tell a different story: it comes from the Torenne word "Torel", which corresponds to the general concept of "mourning", so "Toreigne" translates to "the Mourning Lands".
It gets this name from the fact that the Toreigne, before it was ever known by that name, was once a prosperous and beautiful kingdom, renowned all across the continent. But after it was conquered by the Leonid Empire, and then invaded again during the Turf Wars, and then struck by pestilence and famine, there was nothing left but the ruins of an old kingdom, which now not just the people, but even the very land itself, mourns for.
The people of the Toreigne have since lived in a form of lawlessness and anarchy. The area is still ravaged by plague, and worse; is roamed by strange monsters set free in the wake of the collapse, yet nobles and bandit lords alike still strive for power amongst the wreckage. Allegio Tora was one of these opportunists. He sought to have a claim over the ruins, but held little power. However, he was chummy enough with the rulers of the other Imperial States to be able to secure a claim in the Treaty of Leona. Now, he is the king of the Toreigne, but he is king in name alone.
The Heinmacht
The Heinmacht is the workhorse of the Imperial States, a title which it absolutely earns; Heinmacht factories produce much of the goods used by the other states, and so it is key to the functioning of all of them. The nation is run by someone known as "the Conductor", a role which is appointed by the monarch. The Conductor runs the machine that is the Heinmacht through a complicated system of delegation — the system as a whole is complex to the point of being practically incomprehensible, but each individual part of it is simple enough to do its job with utmost efficiency, so it all works together like a well-oiled machine.
The Heinmacht's obsession with efficiency leads to several positives; decisions are not made in bias, prejudice, or first impressions, but in pursuit of optimal efficiency. This pragmatism means that the Heinmacht is often quick and unapprehensive to be pulled along by the unceasing locomotive of progress — adopting new technologies when other nations stall, and it also means that the Heinmacht rarely discriminates on gender or race. The Heinmacht is actually very welcoming of refugees, especially those from Toreigne (which, mind you, the Heinmacht was involved in the destruction of). Anyone is welcome in the Heinmacht, they say, so long as you are willing to work in the mines and factories of course.
The Rotating Magnate
In the far north east is the Rotating Magnate. Being a majority gnomish nation, its people are seen as quite odd folk throughout the Imperial States; they bear a sort of curiosity which often gets them compared to children, and their stature doesn't help them with this reputation. This curiosity is what drives gnomes to explore: currently, the Rotating Magnate is the only nation exploring the lands beyond the Meridán region, and they have recently been bringing back word of the discovery of a new continent in the far east.
Their curiosity also drives gnomes to invent: technology is a large part of their culture, intertwining deeply with their society, and this leads the Rotating Magnate to be the main source of technology in Ittoril. The leader of the Rotating Magnate is known as the "Magnate of Technology", and they are one of the only democratically elected leaders in the Imperial States. The Magnate of Technology used to be just one of many magnates, each with their own separate jurisdictions, such as the Magnate of Education, or the Magnate of Foreign Relations. However, the Magnate of Technology was the most popular, and over time took on the duties of the other magnates.
The Golden Hills
Upon the hills of the north shores of the Meridán ride fields of bountiful grain which are known as "the Golden Hills". Its people are a modest and peaceful race of farmers, whose society is most defined by the monastic order which runs through it. The Monks of Gilding believe in the concept of "Ichor" — lifeblood. They believe that through all people (and even through all objects) circulates a golden blood which gives them life, and through which connects them to the world. When they die, they believe their Ichor is returned to Ittoril to fertilise its land and be circulated again into future generations of life.
The people of the Golden Hills, through spiritual practices, seek to find a connection to their Ichor — a connection to the world — a process known as "gilding". The leader of the Monks of Gilding (and thus, of the Golden Hills) is said to have achieved this connection to the world — to have become fully one with it. They are known only as "the Gilded One". The Gilded One is a kind individual, described as amiable, humorous, and largely carefree. When the imperial troops of the Leonid Empire arrived on the doorstep of the Great Monastery, it's said that the Gilded One greeted them with a joke, and then signed away the Golden Hills on the spot, saying "to fight back; it is no use!".
Since then, the Golden Hills had remained a part of the empire, allowed to keep their way of life on the condition that they provided the empire access to their plentiful grain. When the empire fractured, the Golden Hills still didn't resist the further occupations of the Turf Wars, at least, not until those occupations sought to attack their way of life, in which cases the Golden Hills wouldn’t hesitate to defend themselves with their full power."
The Kingdom of Leona
The most central region of the Leonid Empire remained loyal and patient while the rest of the empire fractured and bickered. That region, no longer an empire, has come to be known as "the Kingdom of Leona".
Its people live in various cities scattered around the jungles on the west coast of the Meridán. These cities were the earliest to be conquered by the empire, and so have largely adopted its traditions. These traditions include the rigid social structure and gender roles of Leonid society, as well as the religion; belief in the Pride Pantheon is common throughout many of the states, but belief in Consulate Orthodoxy in particular is only widespread in the Kingdom of Leona.
At the centre of the Kingdom of Leona is the City of Leona, the origin and namesake of the Leonid Empire. It is the seat of the Consulate, the highest authority of Consulate Orthodoxy, which has theocratic rule over the legislation of the kingdom. However, it is not the final authority, for the City of Leona is also the seat of the Leonid Empress; matriarch of House Areli, ruler of the Kingdom of Leona, and the most powerful person in the world."