Istantium
The Holy Empire of Istantium is one of the Stormland nations. Once a grand empire sprawled across the Stormlands and beyond, it is now greatly reduced from its famous (infamous) reach. The population is concentrated in the Istantine archipelago in the southern waters of the Sea of Storms, and on the southern shores of the sea. The interior population is largely settled around one of three major riversystems emptying into the Sea of Storms.
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| National motto: To the end of time - and beyond. | ||||
| National anthem: Unknown | ||||
| Official language | English | |||
| Capital | παραίσθηση | |||
| Ruler | Imperator Astansio Ioul | |||
| Population | 5 million | |||
| Currency | The Ilaster | |||
Once a grand republic, then a great empire, Istantium is now a corrupt, decaying nation, a shadow of its former self. The richest of the rich are wealthy beyond all imaginings, while the rest of the population is mired in a neverending struggle for the trappings of a decent life. What government remains is mired in bureaucracy - which can be easily bypassed for a few measly ilasters. Government services, roads and schools, once the pride of the nation, are available only to those who can afford to pay. Bribes are the national currency, and fear the national dish. As resources grow more scarce in the rural hinterlands, the population of the cities expands with poor rural refugees creating a potentially explosive situation.
The Holy Empire of Istantium is not a member state of the United Nations, due to its unwillingness to conform to UN resolutions.
Contents
History
Time began when the first Imperator of Istantium ascended to the newly created Imperial Throne in response to the fervent, unanimous pleas of the heretofore elected Istantine Senate. The Empire knows no time before the Imperators, and the Imperators know no time before the Republic. Such was the arrogance of the early Empire.
Early History
Tribes. Agriculture. Fishermen. Trade, and weird rickety boats. Olives and sardines and wine stamped from the grapes growing high on the terraced slopes of Cauchmer. Barbarians!
The Istantine Republic
Today, the Empire's origins in the Republic are relatively widely known - at least among people who care to know about such things. The Istantine Republic - and its proto-states Issoul and Antium - are believed by Migalian scholars to have been true, functioning democracies for at least seven hundred years before the ascension of the first Emperor. Issoul and Antium were originally small, rival trading ports situated across the bay between Cauchmer Island and the penisular mainland.
Both cities were proto-democracies. In Issoul, each man received one vote per member of his household, including slaves, women and children, which he then cast for the primary governing body, the Counsul. In Antium, both men and women received votes in proportion to their property holdings, which they then cast to elect a strong central Governor, who in turn appointed a weak city counsel. Issoul and Antium were great rivals, but well aware that armed conflict would seriously injure trade on all sides. Thus, the rival cities began a tradition of combat by proxy in an open-air ampitheater centrally located between the two towns.
Eventually, Issoul and Antium were forced by the depredations of marauding Thaxtons to band together for mutual defense and survival. Over time, the Republic consumed the surrounding tribes and villages, and eventually took to the seas, spreading civilization - aquaducts, public baths, aquaculture - throughout the Sea of Storms.
As the Republic expanded, the mechanism of its representative democracy grew more and more unwieldly. Although the most far-flung of conquered lands remained colonies, most colonies were eventually integrated into the Republic as Compartments, entitled to representatives in the Senate and a seat at the table of regional government. However, communication was only as fast as the swiftest of military ships, and decisions on important issues could be delayed weeks or even months when the bad weather at sea delayed the arrival of some of the most distant of the Sentators.
These delays - procedural and budgetary - had direct, measureable impacts on the daily lives of the citizenry. Mid-summer delays in the maintenance and repair of aquaducts resulted in major crop failure three years in a row; uncertain military budgets impeded the Eastern Campaign mid-advance, leading to two major military disasters. Internal politicking over tariffs and trade routes closed all major Istantine ports for three months the following year, while the Senate awaited the arrive of three Senators from the farthest reaches of the Empire whose votes might break the Senate's stalemate. This, in turn, exacerbated the chronic food shortage in Issoul and Antium caused by two years of major crop failure in the interior.
No thanks to the disastrous Senate, Generallissimo Ioul finally cracked the Babyulian nut, essentially winning the Eastern campaign, which had consumed the Republic's resources for at least a generation. Somehow, the Generallissimo broke the siege of the fortress city of Babyul, which guarded the Straits of Guer and the Ispastian passes - and was thus the passport to the vast riches of the Fandul Sea. He returned - triumphantly - to Istantium, his ships laden with rich and exotic trade goods.
The Expanding Empire
Woo! We won lots of battles and ruled practically the whole wide world!
The Contracting Empire
Boo. I think it was General Stupid's fault, that we lost that big battle over the silk routes at Babyul. That was the beginning of the decline.
The Age of Steam
Well, at least we have cheap silk for the hookers now.
Geography
Under Construction.
Politics
Internal Politics
Under Construction.
Foreign Relations
Under Construction.
Religion
Issoul and Antium had their own patron dieties, Solul and Annin. So, too, did most of the surrounding villages. When the Istantine Republic was officially founded, the combined city counsel adopted an official proclamation naming five regional dieties as the official patrons of Istantium, including both Solul and Annin as well as the patrons of area tribes: Mercia, Thenar, and Paradese. Temples for the patrons were constructed between the two cities - around the ceremonial amphitheater - and a small portion of all taxes collected were designated to support the Temples and clergy.
However, neither the Republic nor the Empire ever officially supressed any religious groups. Conquered peoples were allowed to retain their own religion and religious superstructure, and in some cases, the regional governments officially adopted the local deities as official Compartmental dieties, with similar mechanisms for support. At least one of these regional dieties, Sisi, quickly became popular throughout the Republic, and was added to the official slate of Imperial Gods with the ascension of the first Imperator, Edvarinio Ioul.
Much of the population is and remains relatively secular, although small touches of superstition and belief enliven most ordinary lives. The most devout citizens tend to gravitate towards smaller groups and/or cults that come and go like flashfire. Currently popular in Paraidthése is the cult of the three-headed fishgod Luckmuck, allegedly an import from the jungles of the far south, but quite possibly no more than a Solarium student's prank.
Economy
Strong The Ilaster. 7% flat tax rate.
Military
Military service is absolutely 100% compulsory, unless you can afford to pay some poor bastard to take your place, in which case it is entirely optional, so long as you toss in a bit more to grease the various palms along the way.
